Abstract: A monitoring method for moving vehicles allows the presence of danger to be determined from the magnitude of an optical flow vector. The optical flow vector is detected as a movement of a single point on an object taken over two images, with one image taken at a preceding time and the other image taken at succeeding time in a series of images. A long and narrow window set in a radial direction from a focus of expansion (FOE) of the earlier image is moved in the same direction on the latter image. An optical flow vector of a target point is defined by a vector connecting the midpoint of a location of a subsequent window and the midpoint of a location at which the long and narrow window is set in the earlier image. The location of the subsequent window is determined by minimizing the sum of absolute values of differences in luminance between the long and narrow window and an area of the latter image overlapping such long and narrow window.

Abstract: A fluorescent display device capable of controlling impinge of electrons emitted from cathodes on phosphor layers and accomplishing satisfactory luminous display while preventing leakage luminance, the fluorescent display device is so constructed that a display section and a control electrode are arranged on substantially the same plane and the control electrode is provided with a plurality of apertures and arranged on the phosphor layer through an insulating layer of substantially the same pattern. Also, a method for manufacturing a fluorescent display device is disclosed which is capable of decreasing a manufacturing cost and improving productive efficiency while providing a fluorescent display device exhibiting such an advantage as described above.

Abstract: An optical recording and/or reproducing apparatus is operable to transmit at a high speed a long-play program comprising video and/or audio signals and has a capability of recording the program during a playback mode at a normal reproducing speed of the program. At a transmitter side, a digital data of the program is divided on a time-sharing basis and is then reproduced from an optical disc at a high transfer rate simultaneously with a plurality of channels of optical read/write heads so that, when the digital data is transmitted, the length of time during which the transmission occupies a transmission line can be reduced. On the other hand, at a receiver side, the transmitted signals are recorded on the optical disc at a high transfer rate simultaneously using plural channels of optical read/write heads.

Abstract: A signal line changeover circuit includes a first signal processing block having a first emitter follower for outputting a signal, a second signal processing block having a second emitter follower for outputting a signal, and a switch block having a first terminal connected to an output terminal of the first emitter follower through a first signal line, a second terminal connected to an output terminal of the second emitter follower through a second signal line, a third terminal for outputting a signal, a selection switch for alternatively connecting the first and second terminals to the third terminal, a first switch connected between the first terminal and a power line and turned on when the selection switch selects the second terminal and a second switch connected between the second terminal and the power line and turned on when the selection switch selects the first terminal.

Abstract: A device for reading identification marks on an electrical cable (1), including at least one group of signs written longitudinally one after the other on the external surface of a longitudinal portion of the sheath (4) of the cable, includes a lighting assembly (30) and a camera (25) which are capable of forming the image of a longitudinal line of the external surface of the longitudinal sheath portion in order to form, longitudinal line by longitudinal line, the complete peripheral image of the external surface of the longitudinal sheath portion.

Abstract: In an electronic endoscope system, an imaging device images a subject at a first frame frequency. A signal generating unit receives image signals of the subject imaged by the imaging device to generate signals of a standard TV system having a second frame frequency that is approximately n/m-fold (where, n and m are natural numbers, and n is unequal to m) of the first frame frequency. Then, a timing control unit synchronizes the first frame frequency of the imaging device with the second frame frequency using a predetermined timing signal output by the signal generating unit. The timing controller can also synchronize a first frame frequency of a color field sequential illumination unit with a second frame frequency using a predetermined timing signal.

Abstract: A screen encore method capable of displaying again (encore) a block of pictures designated by a user or a last picture with a single key by software control, without adding hardware, so that the inventive system is highly improved both in its function and quality.

Abstract: A moving image coding apparatus comprises: an intraframe coding circuit for carrying out band compression of moving image data by intraframe coding; an interframe coding circuit for carrying out band compression of moving image data by interframe coding; a block division circuit for dividing data in each frame into a plurality of blocks each of which includes a predetermined number of pixels; and a coding switch circuit for switching a coding operation which is carried out in the coder, so that coding is carried out by the intraframe coding circuit for moving image data of a predetermined portion of pixels in each of the plurality of blocks, and coding is carried out by the interframe coding circuit for moving image data of a remaining portion of pixels in each of the plurality of blocks.

Abstract: A companding technique takes advantage of spatial masking in order to avoid problems from noise and/or distortion introduced when storing or transmitting video signals. A forward companding or encoding part of the technique divides a video frame into separate portions. A local average is calculated for each portion. For each pixel or picture element within a portion, the average of that portion is subtracted and the result is subjected to a non-linear forward process which emphasizes those video signals which are close to the local average and which de-emphasizes those video signal portions which are relatively different from the local average. An encoded output is applied to a medium and, upon recovery from the medium, the recovered signal is subjected to a decode process including a non-linear reconstruction process which is the inverse of the non-linear process applied at the encode stage.

Abstract: In an apparatus for optically recording data on and reproducing it from an optical disk, the level of a laser beam in reproducing mode is subjected to feedback control and the level of a laser beam in recording mode is controlled in accordance with the output of a capacitor which stores the level of the laser beam in reproducing mode. This apparatus monitors the output of a photodetector in a feedback circuit, which receives reflection light from the optical disk, and disables emission of a laser beam when a predetermined amount of light is not detected in recording or reproducing mode.

Abstract: A camcorder (1) has a VCR portion (2) including a video tape drive (2a), and a camera portion (3) including a lens block (4). The VCR portion and camera portion are rotatably connected (11) for movement to a configuration convenient for photographing (FIG. 2 ) and to a compact configuration convenient for carrying (FIG. 1 ). A switch (1010) switches between a camera mode in the photographing configuration and a VCR mode in the carrying configuration. In the camera mode, the VCR portion records video signals from the lens block on the video tape and, in a VCR operation mode, the VCR portion only plays back previously recorded video tapes. The switch is mounted within one of the VCR and camera portions such that the switch is not accessible from the outside. During rotation, a linkage (100) moves a lens cover (12) between lens covering and exposing positions.

Abstract: A cursor moving system includes a designated-area management unit for processing for display on a screen of areas to be designated by a cursor. A cursor position management unit processes movement of a cursor indication position on the screen according to a cursor moving operation by a pointing device. A cursor position determination unit searches for a designated area to which the cursor belongs now, and another designated area existing in a travelling direction of the cursor, based on information on a current position of the cursor and information on a travelling direction of the cursor received from the cursor position management unit in response to the pointing device. It also determines whether or not the nearest designated area existing in a travelling direction is separated from the current designated area.

Abstract: A computer system having a computer keyboard for use with software for playing games or solving puzzles is disclosed, which includes software for playing a puzzle game, a central processing unit for processing the software, a monitor for the display of information receiving from the central processing unit and a keyboard connected to the central processing unit for manipulating information displayed on the monitor. The keyboard includes a keypad having a rectangular pattern of keys for a direct exchange of positions occupied by two partial pictures. The direct exchange is carried out by depressing any two keys of the keypad, thus, permitting the exchange of partial pictures not necessarily located within a common row or a common column, nor located at an end of a row or an end of a column. The exchange of partial pictures corresponds to the keys so depressed within a rectangular picture displayed on said monitor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pulse generation circuit and drive scheme for row selection pulses in a symmetric control scheme of AC-excited thin-film electroluminescent (ACTFEL) displays. The circuit comprises a supply voltage source for feeding the circuit with the supply voltages, a circuit ground to establish the ground potential, two control inputs for controlling the pulse-generating circuit, an output for routing the row selection pulses to the display acting as the load, and an essentially symmetric circuit with respect to the circuit ground for generating the opposite-polarity row selection pulses.

Abstract: A triode type electrophoretic display (10) includes a pair of substantially identical glass faceplates (12, 14) sealed to a pair of interstitial spacers (16a, 16b) to form a fluid-tight envelope for containing an electrophoretic fluid. An anodized black screen or mesh element (28) is sandwiched between the spacers and is opaque when viewed by the naked eye, thereby providing enhanced background coloration and contrast with pigment particles suspended in the fluid. The mesh (28) occupies an intermediate position relative to the extreme limits of travel of the particles as controlled by grid (18) and cathode (20) deposited upon one faceplate (14) on one side and the anode (26) deposited upon the other faceplate (12) on the other side. The screen (28) is porous, permits particles to pass through it, and is biased electrically to assist in moving the particles during formation of a displayed image.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing device, which records and reproduces information on and from a rewritable recording medium having absolute addresses and including an information recording area wherein information entered from external devices is recorded and a Table of Contents area wherein additional address information with respect to the information recorded in the information recording area is recorded. The TOC area contains the absolute addresses of the recording positions of each information recorded in the information recording area. A display section graphically and independently displays the recorded and unrecorded ranges of the information recording area according to the absolute addresses recorded in the TOC area with respect to the recording positions of each piece of information.

Abstract: A still picture filing apparatus comprising still picture preparation circuit for preparing a plurality of still pictures and adding identification data to each of such still pictures; still picture memory for storing the plural still pictures with the identification data added thereto respectively; still-picture transmission data preparation circuit for preparing still-picture transmission data indicative of a still picture transmission sequence in accordance with the identification data; transmission command signal generation circuit for generating a transmission command signal to instruct transmission of the still pictures; and a controller responsive to the transmission command signal outputted from the transmission command signal generation circuit and reading out the still pictures from the still picture memory in conformity to the transmission sequence indicated by the still-picture transmission data obtained from the still-picture transmission data preparation circuit.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling picture quality of a video reproducing apparatus, wherein the circuit optimally compensates the frequency characteristic at different magnitudes according to the degree of minuteness of the reproduced video signal. The circuit for controlling picture quality in a video reproducing apparatus is composed of a picture controller for varying the frequency characteristic of the reproduced video signal, a comb filter for detecting the quantity of correlations between scanning lines of the reproduced video signal, a high band component detector for detecting the high band component signal from the reproduced video signal, and a mixing circuit for combining the outputs of the comb filter and the high band component detector and supplying the result to a picture quality controller, thereby controlling variation in the frequency characteristics of the reproduced video signal.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image display system for reading out image data stored in an image memory and displaying the image data on multiple image planes and the vertical scrolling operation can be independently effected for each of the image planes displayed on the multiple image plane display basis. That is, assuming that two image planes are displayed on upper and lower areas, display starting addresses lying in the vertical direction of the upper and lower image planes and stored in registers are loaded into a counter via a switch in a display period of the upper and lower image planes to generate addresses in the vertical direction of the upper and lower image planes. The vertical scrolling operation only for one of the upper and lower image planes can be effected by sequentially updating the display starting addresses lying in the vertical direction of the upper and lower image planes and held in one of the registers.

Abstract: A method for writing data to an EPID display includes loading data for a line of pixels onto the grid lines of the EPID. Instead of writing that single line fully by enabling the associated cathode row with a logical "1" voltage for the time necessary to cause complete pigment particle migration, the associated cathode line and at least the next adjacent cathode line are enabled for a shorter duration than is required for fully writing the lines. The grid is then loaded with data corresponding to the next line of pixels and the set of cathode lines enabled is shifted by one line, such that at least one cathode line previously enabled is enabled for a subsequent time whereby particle migration for writing is made more complete where the grid data is constant from one row of pixels to the next.