Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an insulating substrate, a first semiconductor layer formed of silicon and positioned above the insulating substrate, a second semiconductor layer formed of a metal oxide and positioned above the first semiconductor layer, a first insulating film formed of a silicon nitride and positioned between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and a block layer positioned between the first semiconductor film and the second semiconductor layer, the block layer hydrogen diffusion of which is lower than that of the first insulating film.

Abstract: A removable medium includes a data separator configured to separate data input from a digital camera which is an external apparatus into storage data and display data, a data storage configured to store the storage data as a content, and a medium information display configured to display the display data as an image. The medium information display includes, for example, electronic paper in order to, even after the removable medium is removed from the digital camera, continue to display an image as it was displayed immediately before the removal of the removable medium. The removable medium further has a function of outputting the display data of the medium information display to the outside.

Abstract: In order to cope with format conversion of user data, the bit rate value and VBV (Video Buffering Verifier) buffer size value in a sequence header of an input code and the VBV delay value in a picture header of the input code are modified to obtain an intermediate code (305 to 309), and additional information (300) is generated for distinguishing GOP (Group of Pictures) user data (307) from the other main data. A VBV buffer simulation is performed using this additional information (300) to multiplex the GOP user data in a picture user data region to a data amount such that the operation does not fail, whereby an output code is generated.

Abstract: On an operation monitor, a portion of an image captured by a wide-angle optical system which is to be zoomed in is selected, and an image in the area is captured by a telephoto optical system. Then, both of the images are multiplexed in a signal processor, and the multiplexed images are recorded on a recording medium.

Abstract: A priority control value, which is smaller as the priority of access by each of requesters is higher, decreases with the lapse of time when an access request is issued. When the access is completed, the priority control value increases by a priority decrease value (PERIOD). When there is no access request, the priority control value decreases to a reference priority value (TMIN) and is then maintained at the reference priority value. Access permission is given to the one of the requesters issuing requests which has the smallest priority control value. As a result, proper arbitration is performed at a high speed with a simple hardware configuration.

Abstract: A format converter for converting the format of input contents data from a first format standard to a second format standard includes an extraction section (30), a judgment section (40), a determination section (60) and a conversion section (70). The extraction section (30) extracts information related to encoding of the input contents data. The judgment section (40) judges whether or not the contents data satisfies a constraint placed by the second format standard based on the extracted information. The determination section (60) determines whether or not decoding of the contents data is necessary for the format conversion based on the judgment result. The conversion section (70) performs the format conversion by converting data structure when it is determined that the decoding is unnecessary.

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: Even in the case of copying contents data on a recording medium not compliant with copyright protection, in order to enable the data to be moved to a recording medium compliant with copyright protection, key data to encrypt the contents data is generated per contents data and held in a contents encrypting key memory section 106 in the recording/reproducing device. The contents data is encrypted by the key data in a contents encrypting section 103, while at the same time the key data is encrypted in a key encrypting section 107, both data being recorded together on the HDD 111 not complying with copyright protection. When the contents data is moved to a DVD-RAM 112 of the copyright protection non-compliant recording medium, the key data held in the contents encrypting key memory section 106 is deleted and the contents data cannot be reproduced even by the HDD-DVD recorder 102.

Abstract: In a recording/playback terminal used for recording, on a recording medium, a plurality of target contents sent from a content server in which a plurality of contents are accumulatively stored such that each of the target contents is stored in a compressed state, a capacity determining section for determining a compression mode of each of the target contents to be recorded so that all the target contents can fit on the recording medium is provided. A content obtaining section for obtaining, from the content server, the target contents each of which is compressed in the compression mode determined by the capacity determining section is further provided. The target contents obtained by the content obtaining section are recorded on a recording medium.

Abstract: Feature amount information of video data in a hard disk is calculated by a decoder and a feature amount extraction section. An icon reflecting the feature amount information is generated by an icon generation section and is presented to the user. A feature amount index control section pairs the feature amount information received from the feature amount extraction section with a position in the hard disk of the video data, and records the pair as index information, so that the speed of image retrieval is improved.

Abstract: A priority control value, which is smaller as the priority of access by each of requesters is higher, decreases with the lapse of time when an access request is issued. When the access is completed, the priority control value increases by a priority decrease value (PERIOD). When there is no access request, the priority control value decreases to a reference priority value (TMIN) and is then maintained at the reference priority value. Access permission is given to the one of the requesters issuing requests which has the smallest priority control value. As a result, proper arbitration is performed at a high speed with a simple hardware configuration.

Abstract: A digital motion picture decoding apparatus comprising an input buffer memory for storing coded data to be decoded, a reproduced picture memory for storing the decoded picture data to be displayed, and a display picture deciding means for deciding a reproduced picture to be output from the picture data stored in the reproduced picture memory, further comprises: a program changing means for changing the type of the coded data to be decoded; a program change detecting means for detecting from the output of the program changing means that the type of the coded data to be decoded is changed; and a display state maintaining means for controlling the picture data output from the reproduced picture memory so as to maintain the display state of the reproduced picture which is currently displayed according to the decision of the display picture deciding means, when it is detected from the output of the program change detecting means that the change of the type of the coded data to be decoded makes the coded data not c

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: When a digitized broadcast is recorded in a storage medium, a required capacity of the storage medium is firstly calculated on the basis of a bit-rate of digitized broadcast data and a recording time which is known in advance. If the remaining capacity of the storage medium is smaller than the required capacity of the storage medium, for example, a frame rate decimation and pixel reduction are performed upon a broadcast to be newly stored, a re-encoding processing is performed for the broadcast and then the resultant broadcast is stored in the storage medium. If the remaining storage capacity of the storage medium is larger than the required capacity of the storage medium and thus remains, a frame interpolation and pixel interpolation are performed for the broadcast to be stored and then a re-encoding processing is performed for the resultant broadcast in order to improve its image quality. As a result, recording of the broadcast data in the storage medium can be ensured.

Abstract: An audio visual data recording/reproducing device, including: a fixed recording media recording/reproducing section for recording/reproducing audio visual data to/from a fixed recording medium provided fixedly; an external recording media recording/reproducing section for recording/reproducing audio visual data to/from a removable external recording medium; a control information reading section for reading out, from the external recording medium, control information regarding at least one of a method for recording audio visual data to the external recording medium and a method for reproducing audio visual data from the external recording medium; and a control section for controlling, based on the control information, at least one of an operation of recording audio visual data to the external recording medium and an operation of reproducing audio visual data from the external recording medium.

Abstract: When a digitized broadcast is recorded in a storage medium, a required capacity of the storage medium is firstly calculated on the basis of a bit-rate of digitized broadcast data and a recording time which is known in advance. If the remaining capacity of the storage medium is smaller than the required capacity of the storage medium, for example, a frame rate decimation and pixel reduction are performed upon a broadcast to be newly stored, a re-encoding processing is performed for the broadcast and then the resultant broadcast is stored in the storage medium. If the remaining storage capacity of the storage medium is larger than the required capacity of the storage medium and thus remains, a frame interpolation and pixel interpolation are performed for the broadcast to be stored and then a re-encoding processing is performed for the resultant broadcast in order to improve its image quality. As a result, recording of the broadcast data in the storage medium can be ensured.

Abstract: A digital motion picture decoding apparatus comprising an input buffer memory for storing coded data to be decoded, a reproduced picture memory for storing the decoded picture data to be displayed, and a display picture deciding means for deciding a reproduced picture to be output from the picture data stored in the reproduced picture memory, further comprises: a program changing means for changing the type of the coded data to be decoded; a program change detecting means for detecting from the output of the program changing means that the type of the coded data to be decoded is changed; and a display state maintaining means for controlling the picture data output from the reproduced picture memory so as to maintain the display state of the reproduced picture which is currently displayed according to the decision of the display picture deciding means, when it is detected from the output of the program change detecting means that the change of the type of the coded data to be decoded makes the coded data not c

Abstract: An image coding apparatus includes a coding unit 100 for generating a code A, a coding unit 110 for generating a code B, an image reproduction unit 200, an image reproduction memory 204, and a motion vector detection unit 300. The motion vector detection unit 300 detects a motion vector using an image in the image reproduction memory 204, whereby the coding unit 100 generates the code A, while the image reproduction unit 200 reconstructs an image on the basis of output from the coding unit 100 and stores the image in the image reproduction memory 204. In the operation for generating the code B, the coding unit 110 is employed as a coding unit for generating the code B, while commonly employing the image reproduction memory 204, the motion vector detection unit 300, and the image reproduction unit 200 as employed in the generation operation for code A.

Abstract: In order to cope with format conversion of user data, the bit rate value and VBV (Video Buffering Verifier) buffer size value in a sequence header of an input code and the VBV delay value in a picture header of the input code are modified to obtain an intermediate code (305 to 309), and additional information (300) is generated for distinguishing GOP (Group of Pictures) user data (307) from the other main data. A VBV buffer simulation is performed using this additional information (300) to multiplex the GOP user data in a picture user data region to a data amount such that the operation does not fail, whereby an output code is generated.

Abstract: A decoding device 1 decodes a bit stream including a plurality of packets. Data corresponding to an access unit includes a first data portion 150a-1 and a second data portion 150a-2. The decoding device 1 includes a packet regeneration section 10 for receiving a first packet 130 and a second packet 130 following the first packet 130, and when the first packet 130 includes the first data portion 150a-1 and the second packet 130 includes the second data portion 150a-2, producing a new packet 164 including the data corresponding to the access unit by combining the first data portion 150a-1 and the second data portion 150a-2. The decoding device 1 also includes a decoding section 40 for decoding the data corresponding to the access unit. The new packet 164 includes information indicating a length of the data corresponding to the access unit.