Abstract: The invention relates to a new method of reconstruction of tridimensional scenes. While conventional methods are often limited to the 3D reconstruction of the bounding volume of the concerned objects, the proposed method of recovery of a 3D geometric model from 2D views taken by one single camera, giving an information even about the parts which are hidden in each view, is implemented according to a first depth labeling step, implemented in a sub-system (11) and including initialization and projection sub-steps followed by a refinement process, and to a second reconstruction step, implemented in a sub-system (12). By means of a close cooperation of the 3D depth maps thus obtained for two views of a scene, a 3D model is identified and extracted.

Abstract: The invention relates to a series resonant converter (1) comprising a control circuit (8) for controlling the output voltage of the converter. To improve the behavior of the converter, it is proposed that the control circuit (8) is provided for processing a first actual value (Uout), which depends on the respective converter output voltage (uout(t)) and for processing a second actual value (UC), which depends on the respective current (ires(t)) flowing through the series resonant circuit elements (C, L, R) of the converter (1), and that the control circuit (8) is provided for delivering a correcting variable (u) determining the scanning ratio of a pulse-width modulated voltage (upwm(t)) delivered to the series resonant circuit of the converter.

Abstract: An apparatus in accordance with the invention for reading and/or writing information from/onto an optical data carrier (1) has a transducer (5) for generating a detection signal (S0) in response to a signal (x) recorded on the data carrier. The apparatus has correction unit (16, 17, 18) for reducing errors in the detection signal (S0) as a result of radial tilt. The apparatus further has error signal generating unit (20) for generating an error signal (Se) for the correction unit (16, 17, 18). The error signal generating unit (20) calculate the error signal (Se) from correlations between a first auxiliary signal (S1) and a second auxiliary signal (S2) and from correlations between the first auxiliary signal (S1) and a third auxiliary signal (S3), which auxiliary signals are derived from the detection signal (S0). The second (S2) and the third auxiliary signal (S3) are estimates of the recorded signal (x).

Abstract: An arrangement for the control of viewing of a television programme in which a classification code is transmitted with the video signal, for example in an extension packet of a teletext signal, includes a decoder (23) which detects the received codes and passes them to a microcontroller (27). An authorised user is able to enter codes of permitted programme classifications by means of a remote control unit (28). Codes representing these permitted classifications are stored in a non-volatile memory (29). The received and permitted codes are compared in the micro controller (27) that inhibits the video (25) and/or audio (32) circuits if the received codes are not permitted codes. A second tuner 40 is provided which is controlled by the processor (27) to cycle through the available channels and for each channel the processor determines the classification codes being transmitted and notes those channels which have non-permitted (or permitted) classification codes.

Abstract: An electric discharge tube or discharge lamp comprising a scandate dispenser cathode which is composed of a cathode body and a coating having an emissive surface, said cathode body including a matrix of at least one refractory metal and/or a refractory alloy and a barium compound which is in contact with the matrix material to supply barium to the emissive surface by means of a chemical reaction with said matrix material, and the coating containing one or more multilayers which may include a bottom layer of tungsten and/or a tungsten alloy, an intermediate layer of rhenium and/or a rhenium alloy and a top layer of scandium oxide, a mixture of scandium oxide and rare-earth metal oxides, a scandate and/or a scandium alloy, is characterized by a long service life and a high emission-current density.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for playing back information digitally stored on an optical record carrier, comprising a control circuit by means of which the display and/or reproduction of information, particularly video and/or audio information is selectable and/or controllable, a parameter memory for storing navigation parameters during playback of a record carrier, wherein the apparatus comprises a first non-volatile memory (9) which is controllable by means of the control circuit (6), the first non-volatile memory (9) is provided for storing navigation parameters, the navigation parameters are stored together with record carrier identification information allowing assignment of the navigation parameters to the relevant record carrier (3), and at the start of a playback process of a record carrier, the navigation parameters assigned to said record carrier (3) are readable from the first non-volatile memory (9) and writable into the parameter memory (6a).

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the verification of time-dependent, user-specific signals which includes means for generating a set of feature vectors which serve to provide an approximative description of an input signal and are associated with selectable sampling intervals of the signal; means for preparing an HMM model for the signal; means for determining a first probability value which describes the probability of occurrence of the set of feature vectors, given the HMM model, and a threshold decider for comparing the first probability value with a threshold value and for deciding on the verification of the signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a bipolar ESD protection comprising a protection transistor with a short-circuited base emitter (18, 19). Due to the snap-back effect, the transistor can switch from the normal high-ohmic condition to a low-ohmic condition in the case of ESD. To improve the protection performance, the protection structure is provided with a trigger element comprising a second transistor (26, 27, 28) with a lower breakdown voltage. The base (26) and the emitter (28) of the second transistor are connected to the base of the protection transistor. To increase the current carrying capability of the protection device, the trigger transistor is designed so as to be a vertical transistor.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes a thin film magnetic head (20) with eight write units (21-28) positioned adjacent to each other in a transversal direction (y) to write data in parallel tracks on a magnetic tape (10). Switching arrangement 70 has a switch (SW) to switch from a normal mode to a combination mode. In the normal mode the switch is in a first position (D1) and the switching arrangement (70) couple a first data signal (S1) to a first write unit (21), a second data signal (S2) to a second write unit (22) etc., so that in the normal mode eight tracks (T21-T28) are written on the tape resulting in a first track density. In the combination mode the switch is in a second position (D2) and the switching arrangement couples the first data signal (S1) to the first and second write units (21 and 22), the second data signal (S2) to the third and fourth write units (23 and 24) etc.

Abstract: For “Super Audio CD” (SACD) the DSD signals are losslessly coded, using framing, prediction and entropy coding. Besides the efficiently encoded signals, a large number of parameters, i.e. the side-information, has to be stored on the SACD too. The smaller the storage capacity that is required for the side-information, the better the overall coding gain is. Therefore coding techniques are applied to the side-information too so as to compress the amount of data of the side information.

Abstract: In a driving circuit (2,3) for a semiconductor switching element (1), a storage time (Ts) of the semiconductor switching element (1) is measured (2) to control the semiconductor switching element (1) such that the storage time (Ts) is kept substantially constant.

Abstract: A data processing arrangement comprises various data processors (P) and a memory arrangement (MA) for supplying input data (Di) to the data processors (P) and for storing output data (Do) from the data processors (P). The following steps are alternately carried out: a configuring step (CS) and a processing step (PS). In a configuration step (CS), the data processing arrangement is configured such that each data processor (P) will process a block (B) of data contained in the memory arrangement (MA) and then stop processing data. In a processing step (PS), the blocks (B) of data are processed in the respective data processors (P). A subsequent configuring step (CS) is carried out only when each data processor (P) has processed its block (B) of data (∀P: B=PROC>CS). Such a data processing arrangement allows great versatility because different data processing chains can be realized without this requiring relatively complicated software.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a display and a keyboard having a fixed part and a movable part. The movable part moves between an open position and a closed position. The size of the electronic device remains unchanged when the movable part is in the open and closed positions. The movable part covers a portion of the display in the open position, and has back keys which cover the display portion and are inaccessible by the user. In the closed position, the entire display is exposed, and front keys of the movable part are inaccessible and cover keys of the fixed part.

Abstract: A DC/DC up/down converter (10), comprising first and second input terminals (20, 21); first and second output terminal (30, 31); a coil (L); first switching means (S1) operatively connected to provide a conduction path from said first input terminal (20) to said coil (L) second switching means (S2) operatively connected to provide a conduction path from said first switching means (S1) and said coil (L) to said second input terminal (21); third switching means (S3) operatively connected to provide a conduction path from said coil (L) to said first output terminal (30); fourth switching means (S4) operatively connected to provide a conduction path from said coil (L) and said third switching means (S3) to said second output terminal (31); control means (11) operatively connected for controlling said switching means (S1, S2, S3, S4); reference voltage means (12) for providing a reference voltage (Vr); and comparator means (13) for providing a comparison signal (Vc) for said control means (11) in response to compa

Abstract: A method and arrangement is disclosed for creating a high-resolution still picture. A sequence of lower-resolution pictures is subjected to motion-compensated predictive encoding, preferably by an MPEG encoder producing an IPPP. sequence of encoded pictures. The relatively small differences between successive pictures, which are due to motion of the image sensor or motion in the scene, become manifest in motion vectors with sub-pixel accuracy. The high-resolution picture is then created from the decoded pictures and the motion vectors generated by the encoder. The invention is particularly applicable in electronic still picture cameras with a storage medium. The MPEG encoder takes care of data compression, and the decoder also allows playback of the original moving video sequence.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of estimation of the motion parameters of a camera. It is applied to a sequence of successive video frames subdivided into blocks and includes the following steps of extracting from the sequence vectors corresponding to the motion between two frames, motion vectors forming the camera velocity field, preprocessing the camera velocity field thus obtained, in order to reduce the amount of data and the heterogeneousness of the extracted motion vectors, estimating for each pair of frames, from the preprocessed field, camera features between the two considered frames, and undertaking, on the basis of said estimation, a long term motion analysis to obtain motion descriptors corresponding to the estimated camera motion parameters.

Abstract: An information organization and retrieval system that efficiently organizes documents for rapid and efficient search and retrieval based upon topical content is presented. The information organization and retrieval system is optimized for the organization and retrieval of only those documents that are relevant to a given set of predefined topics. If a document does not have a topic that is included in the given set of topics, the document is excluded from the provided service. In like manner, if a document includes a topic that is specifically banned from the provided service, it is excluded. In this paradigm, the provider purposely limits the scope of the provided search and retrieval services, but in so doing provides a more efficient and effective service that is targeted to an expected user demand.

Abstract: A processing device is disclosed that includes an instruction memory for storing virtual machine instructions, such as Java byte codes. A processor of the processing device includes a predetermined microcontroller core for executing native instructions from a predetermined set of microcontroller specific instructions. The native instructions differ from the virtual machine instructions. The processor may request re-feeding of a plurality of native instructions. For instance, the processor may have a pipeline and/or instruction cache which after an interrupt needs to be re-filled. The processing device includes a pre-processor with a converter for converting at least one virtual machine instruction, fetched from the instruction memory, into at least one native instruction. A feeding means of the pre-processor feeds native instructions to the microcontroller core and re-feeds native instructions in response to the processor requesting re-feeding of a number of native instructions.

Abstract: A mirror projection system for use in a step-and-scan lithographic projection apparatus in which a mask pattern (15) is repetitively scan-imaged on a number of areas of a substrate (20) by means of a beam (b) of EUV radiation having a circular segment-shaped cross-section. This system, which is easier to manufacture at lower cost than a projection system with six or more imaging mirrors, has only five imaging mirrors (5-9) with a good numerical aperture and an acceptable image-ringfield width. An EUV lithographic projection apparatus provided with the new projection system has a wafer throughput which is approximately 50% higher than that of an apparatus provided with a six-mirror projection system. Moreover, it has a compact construction.

Abstract: A changer apparatus for information discs comprises a stacking unit for stacking at least two holder compartments, adapted to hold one information disc each, in at least two stacking positions, the holder compartments being coupled to at least one spindle having a screwthread and the holder compartments being movable in a vertical direction by rotation of the spindles, an upper stacking zone and a lower stacking zone of the stacking unit being provided for stacking the holder compartments, and the changer apparatus having a play position for reading information stored on the information discs and/or writing information on the information discs.