Abstract: The reverse direction reproduction of encoded data comprised of picture data compressed in accordance with the MPEG system is to be realized at a higher speed. To this end, plural frame memories are used for reverse direction reproduction. The respective pictures are sequentially decoded and the decoded pictures are sequentially held in the frame memories. If there is no vacant memory, the frame memories are sequentially overwritten beginning from the frame memory which stores the picture decoded first. If the decoding progresses up to the picture to be reproduced, and the decoding of the picture to be reproduced comes to a close, the decoding is transiently halted and the picture to be reproduced is read out from the frame memory and displayed. If the picture to be reproduced is displayed, the frame memory which has held the displayed picture is evacuated. The decoding is re-initiated for decoding the picture consecutive to the picture the data of which are as yet held in the frame memory.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of sterilizing fungi and bacteria in a spore state for sterilizing fungi and bacteria in a spore state for sterilizing fungi and bacteria in a spore state and a sterilizer thereof. In particular, the invention is directed to a method of sterilizing sterilization targets adhering onto target-adhering things such as containers, packing materials, conveying tools, etc. or sterilization targets contained in target-containing things such as liquid, air, raw materials, etc. and also a sterilizing device thereof. Some of fungi and bacteria in a spore state are strong to ultraviolet rays, and some of them are strong to heat. So, both the fungi and so on which are strong to ultraviolet rays and those which are strong to heat can be effectively sterilized by performing successively the sterilization by UV radiation and heat.

Abstract: A decoder for performing soft decision iterative decoding of a cyclic code based on belief propagation, includes an information exchange control unit, an X processor, and a Z processor. The information exchange control unit takes &pgr;x-metrics that were calculated by the X processor for nonzero elements in each of n-cyclic shifts of the parity-check polynomial of the code, and distributes the &pgr;x-metrics to the Z processor as the &pgr;z-metrics for a corresponding check node. The information exchange control unit takes &lgr;z-metrics that were calculated by the Z processor for nonzero elements in each of n-cyclic shifts in a reverse order of the parity-check polynomial, and distributes them to the X processor as &lgr;x-metrics for the corresponding code node. The operation of the information exchange control unit can be represented by the Tanner graph associated with an extended parity-check matrix, which is produced by adding k rows to the parity-check matrix of the cyclic code.

Abstract: Between a first equipment and a second equipment connected to a predetermined bus line, it is arranged that data for setting, etc. on input selection in the first equipment is instructed from the second equipment in the form of command having a predetermined format through the bus line, thus allowing an independent remote control to be performed between the first equipment and the second equipment. Moreover, data on input selection in the first equipment is transmitted to the second equipment, so that, for example, the remote control of the input selection in the first equipment linking with the operation of the second equipment will be performed satisfactorily.

Abstract: A three port structure for the down conversion demodulation of a digitally modulated RF signal is proposed, wherein no RF switches are provided. The three port structure (1) has a first input (2) for the RF signal to be down converted and a second input (3) for a RF signal originating from a local oscillator (8). An output (4) of the three port structure (1) is supplied to a power sensor unit (5). The RF signal from the local oscillator (8) is modulated (7) before it is supplied to the three port structure (1).

Abstract: In a reciprocating engine, power strokes of pistons apply torque to a crankshaft causing it to twist proportionally. Datum time moments are established by triggers rotating with, at one end of, the crank shaft and a sensor sensing passing of the triggers. At an opposed end, ring gear teeth trigger a sensor. At no load, zero twist occurs and arrival time moments of the triggers in relation to the datum time moments are predictable. Under load, twisting in the crank shaft causes the arrival time moments to be delayed, the time lag being proportional to the twist, bearing in mind the effect of rotational speed. With information about physical twist-torque characteristics of the crankshaft, torque values are calculated from the measured twist values, and are used in engine management. The invention can be applied to any shaft, for example also a main shaft of a gas turbine engine.

Abstract: An MPEG downdecoder is to be provided which eliminates dephasing of pixels of moving picture data without losing properties inherent in a picture obtained on interlaced scanning. If an interlaced picture is inputted, and the DCT mode is the field mode, an interlaced picture accommodating picture decoding unit 3 executes 4×4 decimating IDCT. If the DCT mode is the frame mode, the entire coefficients of the DCT block are IDCTed for separation into two pixel blocks associated with interlaced scanning. The separated two pixel blocks are DCTed. The coefficients of the low-frequency components are IDCTed and the two pixel blocks are synthesized together. A progressive picture accommodating picture decoding unit 2 is fed with a progressive picture. The coefficients of the low-frequency components of the DCT block are inverse orthogonal transformed.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus comprising: an image acquiring element for acquiring an object image; a displaying element for displaying the object image acquired by the image acquiring element; a captured position information recognizing element for capturing a predetermined image pattern from within the object image acquired by the image acquiring element in order to recognize position information about the image pattern relative to the object image; a menu display controlling element for displaying a menu image in overlaid relation to the object image displayed by the displaying element in accordance with an outcome of the recognition by the captured position information recognizing element; and a starting element for starting a previously related process based on the menu image displayed by the menu display controlling element as well as on the position information recognized by the captured position information recognizing element.

Abstract: A device for multiplexing multi-channel data includes a reference frequency generator 2 as clock generation means for generating a master clock, a multiplexing section 31 as multiplexing means for multiplexing a plurality of data into a packet, and a TSPP (transport stream packet pump) board 4 having a buffer memory 42 as storage means for storing the packet sent from the multiplexing section 31, so that a continuous packet stream is outputted on the basis of the master clock.

Abstract: A storage medium, an apparatus, a system and a method for writing data to and reproducing data from storage medium is provided. The storage medium comprises a data area for storing data and a management area for storing management data corresponding to data stored in the data area. The management data stored in the management area comprises identification information identifying a route followed by the data stored in the data area in arriving in the data area. The apparatus comprises a data recorder for writing a received data into a data area and an identification information recorder for recording identification information into a management area. The identification information identifies a route followed by the data written to the data area in arriving in the data area.

Abstract: In a video camera apparatus, a proper iris control operation can be carried out based upon pseudo-luminance information, and the iris control operation and also the focus control operation can be independently performed. The R, G, B pixel data which are outputted from a CCD image sensor and are acquired before being inputted to an image signal processing unit are multiplied with each other so as to produce the pseudo-luminance information instead of the luminance signal. The iris control operation is carried out based on this pseudo-luminance information. Also, the respective R, G, B pixel data acquired before being inputted to a white balance amplifier are multiplied with each other to produce the pseudo-luminance information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system of objects and program components wherein an object accesses different associated program components for different implementations of a corresponding function of the object. The system comprises: a first object having one or more functions; a first program component having one or more functions, the first program component being dynamically linked to the first object at a run-time of the first object; and wherein the first object access the first program component using a function call which may result in the access to a second program component having one or more functions.

Abstract: A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus performing efficient decoding to lower a decoding error rate. A magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus 50 includes a modulation SISO decoder 63 for modulation decoding data modulation-encoded in a predetermined fashion by a modulation coder 52. In the magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus 50, the modulation SISO decoder 63 is a soft input soft output (SISO) type modulation decoder fed with a soft input signal and issuing a soft output signal. The modulation SISO decoder 63 is fed with a trellis soft output signal D64 supplied from a trellis SISO decoder 62 to find a soft decision value for an error correction coding data D52 fed to the modulation coder 52 of the recording system to generate a modulated soft decision signal D65. The modulation SISO decoder 63 routes the so-generated modulated soft decision signal D65 to a downstream side error correction soft decoder 64.

Abstract: An image identification apparatus for identifying an image from a sequence of spatial samples generated in response to a hand drawn representation of the image, the image identification apparatus comprising a segment processor arranged in operation to determine from the spatial samples stroke data representative of strokes performed in drawing the hand drawn representation of the image, a stroke pre-processor which is arranged in operation to generate parameter data from the sequence of spatial samples and the determined stroke data of the hand drawn representation, and an image identifier coupled to the stroke pre-processor which is arranged in operation to identity the image from the parameter data. The image identification apparatus finds application in many fields, including identifying hand drawn images for generating a story board from pre-generated images.

Abstract: The video signal processor 10 includes a chain detector 16 which uses features extracted from visual and/or audio segments divided from an input stream of video data, and a criterion for determination of similarity between visual and/or audio segment pairs, calculated for each of the features using the similarity determination criterion, to detect similarity chains each composed of a plurality of visual and/or audio segments similar to each other from the visual and/or audio segments, and a chain analyzer 18 which analyzes the similarity chains to determine and output local and/or global video structures of the video data.

Abstract: Copying, dubbing or reproducing copyrighted digital data can be inhibited or restricted to properly protect a copyright. AV data recorded on a pre-recorded tape is output from a reproducing unit of a first digital VCR with protective information indicating whether the copy of the AV data is inhibited or not. The protective information is input with the A/V data to a second digital VCR. Copy permission information of a blank tape loaded in the second digital VCR is discriminated and the second digital VCR records the AV data supplied from the first digital VCR based on the protective information and the copy permission information.

Abstract: An editing system for editing a plurality of clips recorded on a random-accessible recording medium includes a clip processing device having a plurality of clip processing layers to execute a predetermined process for the clips, and a hierarchy decision device having a plurality of objects corresponding to the clip processing layers. The hierarchy decision device serves to decide the hierarchy of each clip processing layer by a hierarchical structure which is formed by connecting the objects mutually. The clip processing device performs time management of each clip processing layer. Any processed clip obtained from a first clip processing layer is further processed by a second clip processing layer which is hierarchically above the first clip processing layer. The processed clip obtained from a hierarchically uppermost clip processing layer is outputted as a fat clip.

Abstract: Data transmission apparatus for multiplexing one or more channel data streams of equal, predetermined, data rate into a transmission data stream comprises: means for generating a control data stream of the same data rate as the channel data rate, in which first periodically repeating portions of the control data stream provide a synchronisation signal and second periodically repeating portions of the control data stream provide identification data specifying information about the channel data streams with reference to a predetermined ordering of the channel data streams; and means for multiplexing the control data stream with the one or more channel data streams in a cyclic pattern of equally-sized data portions so that a data portion from the control data stream is followed by data portions from each of the channel data streams according to the predetermined ordering of channel data streams.

Abstract: Copying, dubbing or reproducing copyrighted digital data can be inhibited or restricted to properly protect a copyright. AV data recorded on a pre-recorded tape is output from a reproducing unit of a first digital VCR with protective information indicating whether the copy of the AV data is inhibited or not. The protective information is input with the A/V data to a second digital VCR. Copy permission information of a blank tape loaded in the second digital VCR is discriminated and the second digital VCR records the AV data supplied from the first digital VCR based on the protective information and the copy permission information.

Abstract: A transmitter for transmitting news data via satellite and which includes an information storage unit for storing news data, an information scramble processing unit for scrambling the news data using a predetermined first key to output once scrambled news data, a data scrambler for scrambling the once scrambled news data using a predetermined second key and outputting twice scrambled news data, a transmitter for broadcasting the twice scrambled news data via a transmitter antenna to a receiver which includes a data descrambler for descrambling the twice scrambled news data using the second key and outputting once descrambled news data, a storage medium for storing the once descrambled news data, an information descramble processing unit for reading the once descrambled data from the recording medium and descrambling the once descrambled news data using the first key to produce fully descrambled news data, and a user terminal for reading the fully descrambled news data.