Abstract: A recording/reproduction apparatus includes a first recording medium (a flash memory) having a first time that is required for the first recording medium to go from a low-power consumption state to a state in which recorded video data can be read out, and a second recording medium (an HDD or a DVD drive) having a second time that is required for the second recording medium to go from a low-power consumption state to a state in which recorded video data can be read out, where the second time is longer than the first time. When a video content is reproduced from the second recording medium in the low-power consumption state, the first recording medium is caused to go to a readable state while the second recording medium is not in a readable state, and a leading portion of the content is reproduced from the first recording medium.

Abstract: A content providing device of the present invention includes an access destination specifying portion for specifying an access destination; a control information obtaining portion for obtaining control information via a network from the access destination specified by the access destination specifying portion; a video content obtaining portion for obtaining video content available to an unspecified large number of people via a route other than from the access destination; and a video content displaying portion for displaying the video content by using the control information.

Abstract: An image coding apparatus for generating two different types of coded data from a single piece of image data comprises a memory in which the input image data and the like are stored, a motion detector, a first encoder, and a second encoder. The second encoder performs quantization, variable-length coding, and control of generated code amount by settings different from those of the first encoder, on the basis of the output from a DCT, thereby generating second coded data that is different from first coded data generated by the first encoder. Therefore, it is possible to provide an image coding apparatus having no increase in circuit scale and processing time when generating plural pieces of coded data from a single input image.

Abstract: An arithmetic operation means sequentially calculates estimation errors for respective candidate blocks based on pixel data of an odd-numbered or even-numbered field of a reference image frame and pixel data of an odd-numbered or even-numbered field of a current image block. A field comparator obtains the minimum estimation error from among the calculated estimation errors to detect a field motion vector. An AE storage stores a plurality of estimation errors calculated by the arithmetic operation means for one of predetermined combinations. An adder adds together the estimation errors calculated by the arithmetic operation means and a corresponding one of the plurality of estimation errors stored in the AE storage to calculate estimation errors on a frame-by-frame basis. A frame comparator obtains the minimum estimation error from among the estimation errors calculated on a frame-by-frame basis to detect a frame motion vector.

Abstract: In order to realize a picture compression processing with a higher efficiency than ever in motion vector detection for motion picture compression coding, an improvement is provided to motion vector selection process when a plurality of candidate blocks having evaluation values of the same correlation degree have been detected from a search area. When there are a plurality of candidate blocks within the search area which have the highest correlation degree with the coding block, a difference is calculated between each of a plurality of motion vectors corresponding to the plurality of candidate blocks, respectively, and the best motion vector which is variable-coded immediately before the best motion vector which is being determined. Based on the calculated difference, the best motion vector is selected from among the plurality of motion vectors.

Abstract: When an input picture is inputted to a video interface and stored in a reordering memory, the input time is recorded utilizing a reference time generator and a frame sync signal, and a frame memory to be encoded by an encoding unit is designated using the time information. Therefore, an encoder, which can perform stable encoding even when intervals of vertical sync signals are varied, is realized.

Abstract: The address generation unit 166 generates a write address for each picture data to be written in the frame memory 169. The memory control unit 165 writes picture data which have the same Y address and consecutive X addresses to the first bank and the second bank alternately per one-page mode length, and further writes picture data which have the same X address and adjacent Y addresses to the different banks. The memory control unit 165 determines a minimum area which consists of an odd number of page mode lengths and includes picture data of a square area having the same Y address, and reads the determined area from the two storage areas alternately per Y address.

Abstract: The address generation unit 166 generates a write address for each picture data to be written in the frame memory 169. The memory control unit 165 writes picture data which have the same Y address and consecutive X addresses to the first bank and the second bank alternately per one-page mode length, and further writes picture data which have the same X address and adjacent Y addresses to the different banks. The memory control unit 165 determines a minimum area which consists of an odd number of page mode lengths and includes picture data of a square area having the same Y address, and reads the determined area from the two storage areas alternately per Y address.

Abstract: This invention relates to a detection system for detecting presence of moving objects such as vehicles, etc. through utilization of ultrasonic energy which includes a predetermined location provided in memory unit and having stored therein time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto from a road surface, circuitry for computing difference a between immediately preceding time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto stored in the predetermined memory location and current time from transmission of ultrasonic energy and reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto, circuitry for storing in the predetermined memory location the current time from transmission of ultrasonic energy till reception of reflected energy corresponding thereto when the difference a is less than a predetermined time .alpha.