Abstract: When a built-in nonvolatile memory in a microcomputer is tested, a control program prestored in a boot ROM is run upon entering a test command from an external communication device; a test program is transferred from the external communication device to a built-in RAM through a communication circuit; a control of a CPU is switched to the built-in RAM after the test program has been transferred and a test is conducted on the nonvolatile memory; and a test result and a fail log are transferred to the external communication device through the communication circuit. Consequently, the built-in nonvolatile memory in the microcomputer can be checked without leaving the test program on the chip.

Abstract: An optical fiber array includes an alignment substrate, a plurality of ferrules, and a plurality of optical fibers. The alignment substrate has a plurality of guide holes which are two-dimensionally arrayed and extend through the substrate. The ferrules are respectively inserted into the guide holes in the same direction and have through holes in the central portions. The optical fibers are fitted and held in the respective through holes. The guide hole is formed into a cylindrical shape having a diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the ferrule. The light incident/exit end face of the optical fiber is exposed on one end face of the ferrule.

Abstract: A method is provided for extracting a foreground object and a background sprite, wherein a provisional sprite is generated, the foreground and the background is separated on the basis of the provisional sprite, and the background sprite is generated. Another method is provided for extracting a segmentation mask by using a difference image, including a first step of regarding each of first macro-blocks as the foreground when an value of the first macro-block is larger than a first predetermined value and a second step of regarding each of second macro-blocks as the foreground when an value of the second macro-block is larger than a second predetermined value, the second macro-block being close to a macro-block which is determined as the foreground in the first step.

Abstract: An efficient undeniable digital signature scheme based on a quadratic field is disclosed. Public keys (D, P, k, t) and secret keys (D1, q) are defined by generating two primes p, q (p, q>4, p=3 mod 4, ?{square root over (p/3)}<q), computing D1=?p and D=D1q2, obtaining a bit length k of ?{square root over (|D1|)}/4 and a bit length t of q?(D1/q) where (D1/q) denotes Kronecker symbol, and generating a kernel element P of a map from a class group Cl(D) to a class group Cl(D1).

Abstract: A multistage Mach-Zehnder interferometer type optical circuit including any number of symmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometers and any number of asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometers connected in cascade. In the optical circuit, low coherence light is used first to obtain individual phase control conditions of the symmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometers without being affected by the asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometers. Second, phase control conditions of the individual asymmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometers are obtained by controlling the symmetrical Mach-Zehnder interferometers based on the first phase control conditions.

Abstract: A first control potential setting means (1) generates a first control potential (N2) which reverses the magnitude relationship with a second control potential (N3) when an input signal (IN) reaches the vicinity of a logical threshold value. A second control potential setting means (2) generates the second control potential (N3) which changes in the same direction as the input signal (IN), in accordance with a change in input signal (IN). An output means (3) includes transistors (Q5, Q6), and generates an output signal (OUT) having a predetermined potential on the basis of the first control potential (N2), the second control potential (N3), and a reset signal (RSET). A reset means (4) turns off the transistor (Q6) while a waveform shaping circuit is in operation.

Abstract: A conductive transparent probe used in a probe control apparatus for adjusting a distance between the apex of the probe and a sample by vibrating the probe with an vibrator in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the probe is provided. The conductive transparent probe includes: an optical fiber having a taper part at one end; a conductive transparent film formed on the surface of the taper part; a first metal film formed on the surface of the optical fiber other than the taper part; wherein the conductive transparent film and the first metal film are electrically connected, and length and thickness of the first metal film are determined such that the conductive transparent probe vibrates while contacting with the vibrator.

Abstract: A conductive transparent probe used in a probe control apparatus for adjusting a distance between the apex of the probe and a sample by vibrating the probe with an vibrator in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the probe is provided. The conductive transparent probe includes: an optical fiber having a taper part at one end; a conductive transparent film formed on the surface of the taper part; a first metal film formed on the surface of the optical fiber other than the taper part; wherein the conductive transparent film and the first metal film are electrically connected, and length and thickness of the first metal film are determined such that the conductive transparent probe vibrates while contacting with the vibrator.

Abstract: A encoding apparatus decomposes an original image into M (M is an integer and M>2) uniform subbands, and encodes the decomposed signals by using an embedded type entropy encoding method. A decoding apparatus receives the coded data encoded by the encoding apparatus, extracts N signals from the coded data from a low frequency component side in decomposed signals, decodes the N signals by using an entropy decoding method, and synthesizes the N decoded signals to obtain a decoded image of a resolution of N/M times (M and N are integers, and 1?N?M and M>2) that of an original image.

Abstract: A light-controlled light modulator can achieve high-speed, low-loss wavelength conversion. Continuous light with a wavelength ?j is launched into an MMI coupler via a port, and is split into two parts by the MMI coupler, which are led to a loop-type interferometer. In the loop-type interferometer, the two parts travel separately around the loop as clockwise traveling light and counterclockwise traveling light, are combined by the MMI coupler again via a filter-equipped phase modulator, thereby being emitted to the port. In this state, signal light ?i(s) with a wavelength ?i is launched into the filter-equipped phase modulator via a port. Even when the wavelength ?i of the signal light ?i(s) is equal to the wavelength ?j of the wavelength converted output light, the wavelength conversion can be achieved with preventing noise from being mixed into the output light emitted from a port.

Abstract: To generate light with the degree of polarization zeroed and the spread of an optical spectrum suppressed even with temporal overlapping between optical pulses each of which is polarized orthogonally to the succeeding pulse, a polarization scrambler includes an optical pulse generator that generates optical pulses with an intensity waveform repetition period T/2 and an electrical field repetition period T in which the same intensity waveform is repeated every repetition period T/2 and in which phase is inverted every repetition period T/2, and an orthogonal polarization delay unit which receives each of the optical pulses, separates the optical pulse into two optical pulses with orthogonal states of polarization, and relatively shifts the temporal position of one of the two optical pulses from that of the other optical pulse by (2n?1)T/4 (n is a natural number) to generate light in which each pulse is polarized orthogonally to a succeeding pulse.

Abstract: A chirp measurement apparatus includes a splitting section for splitting input signal light to two paths; a first dispersion medium with a total dispersion amount of +D (?0) at a used wavelength, and a second dispersion medium with a total dispersion amount of ?D (?0) at the used wavelength; first and second nonlinear photo-detecting sections for receiving the signal light beams passing through the first and second dispersion media, and for outputting electric signals with the intensities proportional to nth power of the intensities of the signal light beams, where n is greater than one; and a difference detecting section for computing a difference between the electric signals output from the first and second nonlinear photo-detecting sections, and for outputting a differential signal corresponding to the difference as a chirp signal of the input signal light.

Abstract: An information coding apparatus, an information decoding apparatus, and a method and a program therefor are provided, which can represent a large amount of information with a small number of pixels. Information bits which are inputted are coded as a block of a two-dimensional image made up from m (where m is a natural number)×n (where n is a natural number) pixels. Specifically, pixels which represent the information bits are arranged in a code area, which is an area of (m?o)×(n?p) pixels within a code block of m×n pixels (where o and p are natural numbers which satisfy 0<o<m and 0<p<n); and, no pixels which represent the information bits are arranged in a guide area, which is an area of the other pixels within the code block of m×n pixels.

Abstract: At the speech encoding end, upon generation of an fixed excitation vector, the shape of an excitation vector output from pulse excitation codebook 301 is identified in pulse excitation vector shape identifier 302, a dispersion vector used for excitation vectors of the shape is output from dispersion vector storage 304, and, in dispersion vector convolution processor 303, dispersion vector convolution processing of the excitation vector is performed. In particular, when a pulse excitation vector having a specific shape of high frequency of use is output from pulse excitation codebook 301, pulse excitation vector shape identifier 302 controls dispersion vector storage 304 in such a way that an additional dispersion vector prepared dedicated to the pulse excitation vector is output. By this means, it is possible to provide a technology that improves the quality of decoded speech and that decodes speech more natural and audible to the user.

Abstract: A conductive transparent probe used in a probe control apparatus for adjusting a distance between the apex of the probe and a sample by vibrating the probe with an vibrator in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the probe is provided. The conductive transparent probe includes: an optical fiber having a taper part at one end; a conductive transparent film formed on the surface of the taper part; a first metal film formed on the surface of the optical fiber other than the taper part; wherein the conductive transparent film and the first metal film are electrically connected, and length and thickness of the first metal film are determined such that the conductive transparent probe vibrates while contacting with the vibrator.

Abstract: Upon detecting an utterance period by a state decision part 14, a sound source position detecting part 15 detects the positions of sound sources 91 to 9K are detected by a sound source position detecting part 15, then covariance matrix of acquired signals are calculated by a covariance matrix calculating part 18 in correspondence to the respective sound sources, and stored in a covariance matrix storage part 18 in correspondence to the respective sound sources. The acquired sound level for each sound source is estimated by an acquired sound level estimating part 19 from the stored covariance matrix, and filter coefficients are determined by a filter coefficient calculating part 21 from the estimated acquired sound levels and the covariance matrices, and the filter coefficients are set in filters 121 to 12M.

Abstract: A diskless computer is allowed to finish a write request with no influence of a storage device and a network of the storage device. A node device 104 passes on information sent and received between a diskless computer 101 and a storage device 102. When information sent from the diskless computer 101 is a write request to the storage device 102, target data of the write request is cached, and a response to the write request is sent to a source diskless computer of the write request. The write request for the data having been cached is sent to a storage device into which the data is written, and a response to the write request is received from the storage device.

Abstract: An omnidirectional camera performs image sensing of a panoramic object 6 surrounding it, and sends the video signal to an image capturing device 1, then the image capturing device 1 extracts a video signal of a partial object 61 and sends the extracted video signal to a camera-equipped portable terminal 3 carried in user's hand at a place distant from the omnidirectional camera 2 to display the image of the video signal on a display surface 32a of the portable terminal, and the user shoots a surrounding object 8 with the portable terminal 3 and sends the surrounding video signal to the device 1.

Abstract: An optical semiconductor device includes an optical semiconductor element, a semiconductor region, and a buried layer. The optical semiconductor element is formed on a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor region opposes the optical semiconductor element and essentially surrounds the optical semiconductor element to form walls. The buried layer is arranged between the walls of the semiconductor region and the optical semiconductor element and formed by vapor phase epitaxy. In this optical semiconductor device, a distance between the wall of the semiconductor region and a side wall of the optical semiconductor element is larger in a portion in which the growth rate of the vapor phase epitaxy in a horizontal direction from the side wall of the optical semiconductor element and the wall of the semiconductor region is higher.

Abstract: A three-dimensional representation method for generating a three-dimensional image by displaying two-dimensional images on a plurality of image planes located at different depth positions wherein two-dimensional images are generated in which an object to be presented is projected, along the line of sight of an observer, onto the plurality of image planes located at different depth positions as seen from the observer, the brightness levels of the generated two-dimensional images are changed individually for each image plane and the generated two-dimensional images are displayed on the plurality of image planes.