Abstract: An earphone has a main body, a first tube portion that protrudes from the main body in a first direction, a speaker unit provided at a protruding top of the first tube portion, and a second tube portion that protrudes from the main body in a second direction that is different from the first direction. The second tube portion communicates with the first tube portion through the main body. The speaker unit is provided with a space at one side thereof. The space is formed in the first and second tube portions and extends from the protruding top of the first tube portion to a protruding top of the second tube portion through the main body.

Abstract: A focus-adjustment signal generating apparatus includes a filter to extract a high-frequency component at a specific frequency or higher from a luminance signal of an input video signal, a comparator to compare an absolute value of the high-frequency component with a specific reference value, to output a first detection signal when the absolute value is equal to or larger than the reference value whereas a second detection signal when the absolute value is smaller than the reference value, an extender to extend an output period of the first detection signal according to a period indicated by a period-length setting signal, to output an extended first detection signal, and a selector to select a first chrominance difference signal indicating a specific color in response to the extended first detection signal whereas a second chrominance difference signal indicating an achromatic color in response to the second detection signal, the first or the second chrominance difference signal being output as a focus-adjus

Abstract: A focus-adjustment signal generating apparatus includes a filter to extract a high-frequency component at a specific frequency or higher from a luminance signal of an input video signal, a comparator to compare an absolute value of the high-frequency component with a specific reference value, to output a first detection signal when the absolute value is equal to or larger than the reference value whereas a second detection signal when the absolute value is smaller than the reference value, an extender to extend an output period of the first detection signal according to a period indicated by a period-length setting signal, to output an extended first detection signal, and a selector to select a first chrominance difference signal indicating a specific color in response to the extended first detection signal whereas a second chrominance difference signal indicating an achromatic color in response to the second detection signal, the first or the second chrominance difference signal being output as a focus-adjus

Abstract: A headphone has a speaker unit with a diaphragm and a driving source that vibrates the diaphragm along a driving axis that passes through the speaker unit. The speaker unit has a first face and an opposing second face along the driving axis. The diaphragm and the driving source are installed in the speaker unit between the first and second faces. First and second weighting members are fixed as being in contact with the first and second faces, respectively. The speaker unit and the weighting members are installed in a hosing. At least either of the weighting members is fixed to the housing. The speaker unit is installed in the housing via the weighting members so that the speaker unit is not in direct contact with the housing. The weighting members have a higher specific gravity than the housing.

Abstract: A cabinet includes a first and a second sub-cabinet having a first and a second inner wall, respectively. The sub-cabinets are fixed to each other so that the inner walls face each other with a gap of a specific distance therebetween. A first and a second rib are laid on the first and second inner walls, respectively. The first and second ribs have an almost same shape as the outer shape of the first and second sub-cabinets, respectively. The first rib is placed outside the second rib at least in a specific direction among upper, lower, left and right directions of the sub-cabinets. The first and second ribs have a height in the specific direction, the height being greater than at least a half of the specific distance.

Abstract: An optical-pickup hologram element has six regions on an x-y plane, divided as follows: the first region with a first line (an x-axis) and a second line that connects points (?xa, 0) and (?xb, yb); the second region with the first and second lines and a third line connecting points (xa, 0) and (xb, yb); the third region with the first and third lines; the fourth region with the first line and a fourth line connecting the point (xa, 0) and a point (xb, ?yb); the fifth region with the first and fourth lines and a fifth line connecting the point (?xa, 0) and a point (?xb, ?yb); and the sixth region with the first and fifth lines (xa<xb and ?xb<?xa). The second and fifth, and the other regions are given astigmatism at different angles to the second line.

Abstract: A display module is equipped with a display panel having a display screen for displaying images on a front side of the panel. A panel chassis is provided on a rear side of the display panel with respect to the display screen. The display module is assembled with a plurality of fixing members. Each fixing member has a panel holder to hold the display panel as covering a portion of a periphery of the display screen and a chassis coupling member coupled to the panel chassis so that the display panel is interposed between the panel holder and the panel chassis.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus has a touch sensor provided with a first touching zone including at least a second touching zone and a third touching zone, the second and third touching zones being allocated with different functions. The electronic apparatus is controlled to perform a specific function assigned to a specific touching zone that is the second or the third touching zone when there is a first touch input at first through the specific touching zone and continuously perform the specific function even if there is a second touch input that follows the first touch input, through either the second or the third touching zone that is not the specific touching zone, as long as there is a continuous touch input through the first touching zone from the first to the second touch input with no intermission.

Abstract: A headphone set is equipped with left- and right-ear headphone units. Each unit includes a housing body having a first plane section and a second plane section that faces the first section, the sections being almost perpendicular to a cross section of a cavum conchae of a user's ear when the housing body is fit in the cavum conchae, a speaker and a microphone aligned between the sections, the speaker being located at the first section side, the microphone being located at the second section side. A sound output section is provided at the first section, to give off sounds output by the speaker to an outer space of the housing body. A sound pick-up hole is provided at the second section, through which the outer space communicates with an inner space of the housing body created between a sound pick-up section of the microphone and the second section.

Abstract: Light from an object is converted by an imaging device into an electric signal carrying an object image. A video signal is generated by a video signal processor based on the electric signal. A human face is detected by a face detector if a human is contained in the image, based on the video signal. An on-screen signal is generated by an on-screen generator for either a first or a second menu window each for use in selection among imaging modes. The first and second windows are used when no face and the face is being detected, respectively. The on-screen signal is supplied to a screen which displays one of the windows. The generator is controlled by a controller based on information, supplied by the detector, indicating whether the face is contained in the image, so that the on-screen signal is generated for the first or the second window.

Abstract: An optical pickup includes an actuator having an objective lens and an optical base on which the actuator is supported. The actuator includes a yoke having an opening, a first straight section and an opposing second straight section, the opening being interposed between the straight sections, the first and second straight sections having a first and a second bent section, respectively, as an extension of each bent section. The yoke is formed as coving the actuator with the straight sections so that the objective lens is exposed through the opening without being obstructed by the optical base. The first bent section has one contact section whereas the second bent section has two contact sections. The optical base includes an ark-like support section. The optical base supports the actuator in such a way that the contact sections are made to have contact with the ark-like support section.

Abstract: An optical pickup has a lens actuator, at least one suspension wire having a first end and an opposite second end, the lens actuator being held by the wire at the first end, and a support base to which the wire is fixed at the second end. The support base has at least one cutaway section provided as corresponding to the wire, having a concavity to receive at least partially the wire in cross section orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the wire, the concavity curving in in a direction parallel to the cross section of the wire, and a land formed around the cutaway section, the wire being soldered to the land at the second end while the wire is being received at least partially by the concavity.

Abstract: An optical disk has a first and a second intermediate disk structure. The first structure includes at least a first transparent substrate, a first recording layer, and a first reflective layer. The first substrate has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is a beam incidence surface for a laser beam in recording or reproduction of data. The second surface has a first concave section and a first convex section formed thereon. The first recording layer and the first reflective layer are stack in order on the second surface via the first concave and convex sections. The second structure includes at least a second substrate, a second reflective layer, and a second recording layer. The second substrate has a second concave section and a second convex section formed thereon. The second reflective layer and the second recording layer are stack in order on the second substrate via the second concave and convex sections.

Abstract: Each of audio signals divided into several frequency bands are amplified per frequency band in accordance with gain characteristics that covers a sound-level range from a lowest level to a highest level of each signal. The range has a low range from the lowest level to a first level, a high range from a second level to the highest level, and an intermediate range from the first to second levels between the low and high ranges. The intermediate range has a transition point having a sound level higher than the first level but lower than the second level. Each signal is amplified such that a sound level of each signal is increased from the first level to the sound level of the transition point and then lowered from the sound level of the transition point to the second level in the intermediate range in accordance with the gain characteristics. The amplified audio signals are added and outputted.

Abstract: Decoded is a first stream carrying moving-picture signals coded with a first coding scheme with a first intra-picture coding and an inter-picture coding technique, thus generating decoded moving-picture data. Picture-type information on each frame or field picture of the decoded moving-picture data is generated. The picture-type information indicates a first picture type or a second picture type. The first picture type is for each picture coded with the first intra-picture coding technique whereas the second picture type is for each picture coded with the inter-picture coding technique. The decoded moving-picture data is encoded with a second coding scheme with a second intra-picture coding technique, thus generating a second stream. Auxiliary information areas are created in the second stream. Each auxiliary information area is accessible in relation to each picture of the decoded moving-picture data. The picture-type information is inserted into the auxiliary information areas.

Abstract: An optical storage medium has a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface, light being incident via the first surface in recording or reproduction and at least two composite layers formed on the second surface of the substrate, each composite layer having at least a recording film.

Abstract: An aspheric mirror has an aspheric reflective surface symmetrical with respect to an optical axis that goes through the reflective surface and a reference plane provided in the reflective surface. The optical axis may go through the reflective surface at a non-center position on the reflective surface. The reference plane may be perpendicular to the optical axis. The reference plane may be flat enough for a beam to be reflected from the reference plane in almost specular reflection when emitted to the reference plane.

Abstract: An optical storage medium has a substrate having a first surface and a second surface on both sides. Formed on the first substrate is a layer of at least a dielectric film, a recording film and a reflected film. Formed on the second surface is a hard coat layer that includes a hardened antistatic hard coat agent containing a hard coat agent and an ionic liquid as an antistatic agent.

Abstract: An optical disc has a first transparent substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate has a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first surface is a beam incidence surface for a laser beam in recording or reproduction of data. The second surface has first concave sections and first convex sections alternately formed thereon. The first concave sections are closer than the first convex sections to the beam incidence surface. The first convex sections have first top portions and first bottom portions closer than the first top portions to the beam incidence surface. First pre-pits carrying auxiliary information related to the data is formed on the first top portions. Each first top portion has a first width orthogonal to a direction of tracks on the first substrate. A second width orthogonal to the above direction between two first top portions of adjacent first convex sections having a first concave section therebetween is narrower than the first width.

Abstract: First identification data and second identification data are read out from a phase-change optical storage medium having a light-incident surface through which a light beam is to be incident and at least a first film-laminated layer structure and a second film-laminated layer structure provided over the surface in which the first structure is provided as closer to the surface than the second structure is. Each structure has at least a recording film. The data indicates first recording requirements to the first structure. The second data indicates second recording requirements to the second structure. The first and second requirements are different from each other. Given data to be recorded is modulated into modulated data. A data-recording signal having at least one mark followed by a space is generated based on the modulated data. The mark has a mark length nT (“T” being a unit dock cycle, and “n” being a positive integer of 3 or larger but 14 or smaller).