Abstract: The present invention relates to a photoacoustic diagnostic apparatus and method using a combination of single-wavelength laser lights, and more particularly, to a photoacoustic diagnostic apparatus and method enabling the miniaturization of photoacoustic equipment because they irradiate a subject with a combination of single-wavelength laser lights. The photoacoustic diagnostic apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise: a light source configured to irradiate a subject with light consisting of a combination of single-wavelength laser lights; a detection unit configured to acquire sound emitted by the light; and a control unit configured to calculate the concentration of glucose in the blood of the subject by analyzing the sound.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a photoacoustic diagnosis apparatus and method for measuring blood sugar in blood by measuring a change in shape of a membrane by sound waves, and more particularly, to a photoacoustic diagnosis apparatus and method for adjusting a frequency response of a diagnosis apparatus by adjusting a size of a membrane. A photoacoustic diagnosis apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a light source radiating sound by radiating light to a subject, a plurality of sound receivers provided with a membrane whose shape is changed by the sound, and a measuring unit measuring a change in shape of the membrane, in which the membranes of the plurality of sound receivers have different sizes.

Abstract: A disinfection apparatus for treating waste may include a housing having an inlet and an outlet; a conveying mechanism which is disposed within the housing and which extends at least substantially along the housing from the inlet to the outlet; and a heating mechanism configured to transfer heat to the housing so as to heat an internal space of the housing to create a heated environment within the housing. A method of treating waste may include providing the waste in a heated environment within a housing of a disinfection apparatus; and conveying the waste, via a conveying mechanism of the disinfection apparatus, along a length of the housing of the disinfection apparatus. According to various embodiments, the method may further include heating, via a heating mechanism of the disinfection apparatus, the housing so as to heat an internal space of the housing to create the heated environment within the housing.

Abstract: A dummy object is generated by copying an object. A color of the dummy object is set to be brighter than the object and the position of the dummy object is finely adjusted. After that, the object and the dummy object are drawn using the Z sort method. Polygons of the object are added to a sort table as usual, whereas polygons of the dummy object are added to the sort table after such a shift of the first address of the sort table as to locate them behind their actual depth value with respect to the view point. Since the polygons are drawn from the farthest polygon from the view point in the sort table, the object is drawn over the dummy object. In the last stage the dummy object remains only in the part projecting outside the object and the part is drawn in a brighter color than the object.

Abstract: Multiple video game apparatuses are connected to a game server apparatus. This network game progresses when players of the respective video game apparatuses exchange messages via the game server apparatus. When a predetermined event is generated by processing in the game server apparatus, a specific message is transmitted to each video game apparatus. In a chat window provided on a display screen of each video game apparatus, the message sent from the game server apparatus is scrolled and displayed from the bottom to the top. When the specific message reaches an uppermost portion of the chat window, a lock window is set and the specific message is displayed therein. The specific message in the lock window is not erased by the reception of a next message.

Abstract: Graduation rendering processing brings about an effective defocused image of multi-levels of halftone according to the depth of the virtual three-dimensional space without requiring complicated operation processing. Subtraction processing is carried out in which the luminosity of an original image of the frame buffer to be displayed on a screen is reduced by a greater luminosity in the images located at the back than at the front in the depth of the virtual three-dimensional space. Then, addition processing is carried out in which images having a luminosity corresponding to the reduced value of luminosity in the subtraction processing are distributed and added around the original image of the frame buffer with the positions of the images shifted with respect to the original image. The image of the frame buffer, which has been subjected to the subtraction processing and addition processing, is displayed on the screen.

Abstract: When a player instructs a movement of a player character from an input device, a control section obtains a position of the player character during a current frame period. The control section obtains a distance between the position of the player character during the current period and a position of a view point of a virtual camera during a previous frame period. If the obtained distance is less than a predetermined critical near distance, the control section moves the position of the view point away from the player character. If the obtained distance exceeds a critical far distance, the control section moves the position of the view point towards the player character. If the obtained distance is in the range between the critical near distance and the critical far distance, the control section does not move the position of the view point.

Abstract: A game system provides multiple classifications of character characteristic and is capable of advancing a game by assigning the desired characteristic to a character from multiple characteristics. Two jobs, that is, a main job and a support job are selectable for a character and a fixed pattern of table configuration data is provided as characteristic value information according to the job. In addition, the table configuration data corresponding to the classification of the job is extracted and applied to a growth table for each job, and ability values of the main job and support job are weighted differently so as to achieve character characteristic having two job abilities together. Accordingly, it is possible to effectively increase the job types to be assigned to the character and to create an interesting game, while reducing necessary memory capacity.

Abstract: Images at a source side and a target side are displayed as a dynamic image that can move in real time by fading out the last scene and fading in a new scene. In the case of changing a viewpoint of a dynamic image to be displayed on a screen, a dynamic image (image depicted from a source camera) depicted from a viewpoint before changing the viewpoint and a dynamic image (image depicted from a target camera) depicted from a viewpoint after having changed the viewpoint are translucently synthesized, and a synthesized image is generated. Thereafter, with respect to the synthesized image, the source camera image (one frame image of the dynamic image) and the target camera image (one frame image of the dynamic image) are reciprocally translucently synthesized while changing the transparencies thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is based on a process comprising the steps of previously recording movie data 212b and 212c in a CD-ROM in correspondence to streams of changes in depiction of a displayed image, detecting what stream a change in depiction is in response to a manual input made by the player, reading out movie data corresponding to the detected stream of changes in depiction from the CD-ROM, and causing a change in the image in display on the basis of the thus read-out movie data.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for implementing cell-animation-looking colors as an example of non-photo-realistic rendering in three-dimensional model plot processing. Perspective transformations and light source calculations are carried out for a polygon of the three-dimensional model. Then, the luminosity of each apex of the polygon is calculated. In addition, the color for plotting the polygon is calculated for each of the luminosity ranges defined in advance. Alternatively, the colors for plotting may be calculated and stored in advance. Then, one of the luminosity range is selected from the luminosity ranges defined in advance. If the luminosity range of each pixel inside the polygon lies within the luminosity range selected, the pixel is plotted in the color for plotting corresponding to the luminosity range selected. By repeatedly performing these operations, a cell-animation-looking image is generated.

Abstract: Multiple icons are placed on a first loop-shaped orbit and a second loop-shaped orbit which are set with a certain position in a virtual space as the center thereof. Desired icons from the icons on the first loop-shaped orbit and a second loop-shaped orbit are moved to a first cursor and a second cursor respectively, in response to an operation input by a player. Selection key input by the player inputs a command corresponding to the icons within the cursors to a computer. Thus, the visual recognition of icons is improved over the conventional method of command input by selecting icons, and the number of icon images can be kept to a minimum even in the event that the number of candidates for command selection is great.

Abstract: A player is assisted in selecting an action to be executed by a character on a screen by displaying multiple options, associated with corresponding actions, on the screen. A graphic, in virtual three dimensions, is displayed on the screen to visually depict a preview of a range of effect of an action corresponding to an option selected by an operational input by the player. The position of the graphic may be based on the position of the character at the time the option is selected. The range of effect may be switched to preview another action when the player switches the selected option. The options may be represented by icons and grouped according to the types of corresponding actions.

Abstract: A rendering method for generating an image similar to that with normal lighting calculation, without the calculation, when changing the position of a light source etc. in a virtual space; including waiting for an operational input of an operator or other input; changing the position of the light source or other state in accordance with any input; generating an interpolated shadow data set based on the position etc. of the light source at the current position; and drawing an object using the interpolated shadow data set, wherein when generating the interpolated shadow data set, the positional data of the light source etc. is acquired, the shadow data set relating to the positional data of the light source acquired etc. is selected from a plurality of shadow data sets corresponding to pre-set positions of the light source etc.

Abstract: A game apparatus for display of a game image in which a moving body moves in a virtual space is provided. The game apparatus comprises: a polygon data memory for storing polygon data which define shapes of polygons constituting the moving body; a texture image memory for storing a texture image which indicates a reflected state of ambient light; a position specifying unit for specifying a position of the moving body in the virtual space; and a first image drawing unit for drawing a polygon based on the position of the moving body and the polygon data; a determination unit for determining a part of the texture image stored in the texture image memory based on the specified position of the moving body; and a second image drawing unit for drawing a translucent polygon over the polygon of the moving body, the translucent polygon having pasted thereon the part of the texture determined by the determination unit.

Abstract: A composite data set which includes a plurality of data to be read out when a new scene of a video game has started, the respective data names, and an index to be used for reading out the data in a separated manner, is recorded on a plurality of consecutive sectors on a CD-ROM. The composite data set is read into a RAM as a single data unit in a single data reading operation. The individual data of the composite data set are read from the RAM by specifying the respective data names.

Abstract: First, a process of moving an object such as a train is executed. Then, the influential ranges of virtual winds that are correlated with the object in advance are moved with a movement of the object. Based on the moved influential ranges of the virtual winds, it is judged whether each particle object is influenced by the virtual winds. The position of each particle object for which a judgment has been made that it is influenced by a virtual wind is determined in accordance with the direction of the influential virtual wind. Particle objects that have contacted the object are deleted. The object and the position-determined particle objects are drawn in a frame buffer. An image drawn in the frame buffer is displayed on a display screen.

Abstract: A computer readable program product stores a program of a ball-playing type game which can smoothly express the continuous action of a player before and after a player obtains a ball when throwing the ball in any direction in accordance with operation of the user in the ball-playing game. An input operation of the user is accepted before the fielder receives the ball, a series of motions up to the fielder catching the ball and throwing it is judged in response to any input operation, and the motion is used to change the display up until the catching and throwing before the fielder catches the ball.

Abstract: Techniques suitable for controlling the action power of a player character are disclosed. The techniques can be implemented in a video game that represents battles between characters. A command can specify an action of a character. A plurality of color attributes are respectively assigned to actions of the character. A number of color attributes which are the same as that of the action identified by the command can then be obtained. The action power of the player character is increased in accordance with the obtained number of color attributes to make the player character execute the action identified by the command. The color attribute of action executed in the player character is stored in the historical information. Finally, the color attributes in the historical information can be displayed in respective colors on a screen.

Abstract: Disclosed in a video game of enhanced realism in which actual combat is closely simulated. The game is so adapted that an enemy character on a display screen may launch an attack against a player character on the same screen, even while the player character is the process of inputting a command, at elapse of a set time period specific to the enemy character. The attack is made without an interruption in the flow of time of the game.