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 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: A method of driving an image display apparatus having a display section having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each of a plurality of frames of a digital video signal are converted into a plurality of subframes having different display periods each shorter than a one-frame period, in order to display the video signal at a plurality of gradation levels. The pixels in the display section are driven by turning on or off the subframes according to a first subframe pattern to give each of the gradation levels to pixels in odd columns and odd rows and pixels in even columns and even rows among the pixels in the display section and a second subframe pattern to give each of the gradation levels to pixels in odd columns and even rows and pixels in even columns and odd rows among the pixels in the display section.

Abstract: A stacker is composed of a bottom plate, a containing section for storing a plurality of cards by stacking it on the bottom plate and a guiding section for guiding each card entering into the containing section. The guiding section is composed of a sidewall for restricting movement of an entering card when entering into the stacker in a first moving direction and a slanted section for slanting the card against the first moving direction. The slanted card moves in a second moving direction intersecting with the first moving direction at approximately a right angle by the gravitational force.

Abstract: An audio signal encoding apparatus includes a device for compressing multiple-channel digital audio signals into compression-resultant multiple-channel signals respectively. The multiple-channel digital audio signals relate to a sampling frequency and a quantization bit number. The compression-resultant multiple-channel signals, a signal representative of the sampling frequency, and a signal representative of the quantization bit number are formatted into a formatting-resultant signal. The formatting-resultant signal contains a sub packet and a sync information portion. The sub packet contains at least portions of the compression-resultant multiple-channel signals. The sync information portion contains the signal representative of the sampling frequency and the signal representative of the quantization bit number.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording and reproducing an information signal on and from an optical disc includes a memory. The information signal is written into the memory. The information signal is read out from the memory. An optical head generates a laser beam in response to the readout information signal, and applies the laser beam to the optical disc to record the readout information signal on the optical disc. A test signal is recorded on a position of the optical disc near a recording position thereof via the optical head during the writing of the information signal into the memory. The test signal is reproduced from the optical disc. The reproduced test signal is evaluated to generate an evaluation result. An intensity of the laser beam is optimized in response to the evaluation result.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording and reproducing an information signal on and from an optical disc includes a memory. The information signal is written into the memory. The information signal is read out from the memory. An optical head generates a laser beam in response to the readout information signal, and applies the laser beam to the optical disc to record the readout information signal on the optical disc. A test signal is recorded on a position of the optical disc near a recording position thereof via the optical head during the writing of the information signal into the memory. The test signal is reproduced from the optical disc. The reproduced test signal is evaluated to generate an evaluation result An intensity of the laser beam is optimized in response to the evaluation result.

Abstract: An ear piece to be detachably attached to a sound tube protruding from a housing of an earphone has a base portion with a through hole. The through hole has an inner wall with a first, a second, and a third portion continuously provided in order when viewed from the housing. The first portion protrudes inwardly and has a first distance from a protruding inner surface of the first portion to an axis line passing through the cross section of the base portion and the through hole. The second portion has a circumferential inner surface having a second distance longer than the first distance to the axis line. The third portion is formed continuously with the second portion, having a circumferential inner surface with a third distance longer than the second distance to the axis line.

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: An apparatus for embedding a watermark into contents data includes a parameter converting device for converting a parameter of first contents data to generate second contents data. A mixing device operates for embedding parameter information into the second contents data as watermark information. The parameter information represents a condition of the conversion of the parameter by the parameter converting device. The watermark information may include copyright information.

Abstract: A recording medium includes first information selected from a plurality of information patterns and second information selected from another plurality of information patterns for the true-false judgement. A true-false judging device performs a statistic analysis when any coincidence is found between the readout combination of the first and second information and registered combination patterns, to identify an inspected recording medium as a forged product based on the result of the statistic analysis.

Abstract: Audio data representative of a music piece is converted into data components in respective different frequency bands for every unit time interval to generate time frequency data pieces assigned to the respective different frequency bands. From the generated time frequency data pieces, detection is made as to each sustain region in which an effective data component in one of the frequency bands continues to occur during a reference time interval or longer. A feature quantity is calculated from at least one of (1) a number of the detected sustain regions and (2) magnitudes of the effective data components in the detected sustain regions. The music piece is classified in response to the calculated feature quantity.

Abstract: Audio data representative of a music piece is converted into data components in respective different frequency bands for every unit time interval to generate time frequency data pieces assigned to the respective different frequency bands. From the generated time frequency data pieces, detection is made as to each sustain region in which an effective data component in one of the frequency bands continues to occur during a reference time interval or longer. A feature quantity is calculated from at least one of (1) a number of the detected sustain regions and (2) magnitudes of the effective data components in the detected sustain regions. The music piece is classified in response to the calculated feature quantity.

Abstract: An information recording medium having at least a read only area and a recording and reproducing area is composed of at least: a substrate; a recording layer formed on the substrate so as to record and reproduce information; and a light transmission layer having transparency formed on the recording layer. The information recording medium is further characterized in that a wobbling groove corresponding to the read only area and another wobbling groove corresponding to the recording and reproducing area is formed on the substrate without overlapping with each other, the recording and light transmitting layers are continuously adhered over at least two areas of the read only area and the recording and reproducing area, reflectivity of the recording layer is more than 5%, and a push-pull signal output T3 reproduced from the read only area and another push-pull signal output T4 reproduced from the recording and reproducing area before recording satisfies relations of T3?0.1, T4?0.1 and 1.5?T3/T4?0.5.

Abstract: A headphone housing has a first and a second summit in cross section. A sound emitter protrudes from the housing in side section. In the cross section, the first summit protrudes as being away from a point of intersection of an axis line of the sound emitter, that is horizontal and vertical to the side and cross sections, respectively, and a first straight line going through a cord guide located in an outer edge of the cross section, in a first side with respect to the first line and in a second side far from the cord guide with respect to a second straight line going through the point and intersecting with the first line. The second summit protrudes as being away from the point in the second side and in a third side, the opposite of the first side with respect to the first line.

Abstract: Basic depth models indicate depth values of a plurality of basic scene structures. Statistical amounts of pixel values in predetermined areas in a non-3D image are calculated to generate evaluation values. The basic depth models are combined into a combination result according to a combination ratio depending on the generated evaluation values. Calculation is made as to a skin-color intensity indicative of a degree of a skin color at each pixel of the non-3D image. Depth estimation data is generated from the combination result, the non-3D image, and the calculated skin-color intensity. A texture of the non-3D image is shifted in response to the generated depth estimation data to generate a different-viewpoint picture signal. The generated different-viewpoint picture signal and a picture signal representative of the non-3D image make a stereo pair representing a pseudo 3D image.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording and reproducing an information signal on and from an optical disc includes a memory. The information signal is written into the memory. The information signal is read out from the memory. An optical head generates a laser beam in response to the readout information signal, and applies the laser beam to the optical disc to record the readout information signal on the optical disc. A test signal is recorded on a position of the optical disc near a recording position thereof via the optical head during the writing of the information signal into the memory. The test signal is reproduced from the optical disc. The reproduced test signal is evaluated to generate an evaluation result. An intensity of the laser beam is optimized in response to the evaluation result.

Abstract: A plurality of basic depth models indicate depth values of a plurality of basic scene structures. Statistical amounts of pixel values in predetermined areas in a non-3D image are calculated to generate first evaluation values. A statistical amount of pixel values in a whole of the non-3D image is calculated to generate a second evaluation value. The basic depth models are combined into a combination result according to a combination ratio depending on the generated first evaluation values. Depth estimation data is generated from the combination result and the non-3D image. A texture of the non-3D image is shifted in response to the generated depth estimation data and the generated second evaluation value to generate a different-viewpoint picture signal. The generated different-viewpoint picture signal and a picture signal representative of the non-3D image make a stereo pair representing a pseudo 3D image.

Abstract: Calculation is made about standard deviations of portions of high-frequency components GH, RH, and BH along respective predetermined directions. The portions of the high-frequency components GH, RH, and BH represent a prescribed number of pixels including an interpolation pixel located at a position corresponding to none of photosensor pixels in G, R, and B image sensors. The smallest one is detected among the calculated standard deviations. The predetermined direction relating to the detected smallest standard deviation is labeled as a highest-correlation direction in which the highest correlation occurs. Interpolation is implemented in response to portions of the high-frequency components GH, RH, and BH which correspond to the highest-correlation direction to generate a high-frequency interpolation-result signal RGBHI for the interpolation pixel and other pixels.

Abstract: An optical disc includes a data area, a first test recording area, a second test recording area, and a recording information management area. The first test recording area extends inward of the data area, and has a portion which has undergone test recording. The second test recording area extends outward of the data area, and has a portion which has undergone test recording. The recording information management area includes an address information area storing an address of the portion of the first test recording area and an address of the portion of the second test recording area. The recording information management area may further include a recording condition information area storing information representing a condition of the test recording the portion of the first test recording area has undergone and information representing a condition of the test recording the portion of the second test recording area has undergone.

Abstract: In a reproduction apparatus, for reproducing an original signal conveyed as main data by a data medium such as a recording disk or broadcasting system, with medium protection data which are specific to the data medium being conveyed together with the main data, the apparatus includes a section for generating apparatus protection data which are specific to the reproduction apparatus, a section for combining the apparatus protection data with the medium protection data to define a protection level, and a section for applying the protection level to restrict reproduction of the original signal, with stepwise variations in restriction occurring in accordance with changes in protection level. The medium protection data may include information for specifying restricted reproduction of portions of the original signal, such as by producing degraded resolution within specified regions of specified frames of a video signal.