Abstract: In a code amount estimating method, when encoding quantized values of coefficients of a larger-sized orthogonal transformation than an orthogonal transformation size assigned to a variable length encoding table, the quantized values are rearranged in a one-dimensional form, so as to obtain run-level sets. The number of groups is computed based on a proportion between an orthogonal transformation area corresponding to the orthogonal transformation size assigned to the variable length encoding table and an orthogonal transformation area for an encoding target. The Run-Level sets are classified into groups having the number of groups. Each Run is divided by the number of groups, and the obtained quotient is set as Run. A code length of each Run-Level set in each group is determined by referring to the variable length encoding table. The amount of generated code is estimated to be the total sum of the code lengths of all groups.

Abstract: A video encoding device, which uses intra encoding and inter encoding with motion compensation with respect to an input video signal, includes a determination unit which determines whether the input video signal to be encoded corresponds to a stationary region, a region having minute motion, or a region having normal motion, a first encoding unit which performs inter encoding of a motion vector (0, 0) with respect to a region determined as a stationary region by the determination unit, a second encoding unit which performs motion search and inter encoding in a limited search range with respect to a region determined as a region having minute motion by the determination unit, and a third encoding unit which performs motion search and inter encoding in a normal search range with respect to a region determined as a region having normal motion by the determination unit.

Abstract: An EGR device for an internal combustion engine comprises: an EGR path through which a part of exhaust gas is recirculated from the exhaust gas conduit of an internal combustion engine as EGR gas to the intake path; and an EGR valve that is disposed within the EGR path and adjusts the flow rate of the EGR gas flowing through the EGR path. An curved structure EGR path from a position at which the EGR valve is disposed until a joining section (8d) merging with an intake manifold is a curved structure having a turned-back section which is curved in a cross-sectional view cutting a plane parallel to an installation plane on which the internal combustion engine is mounted. The position at which the EGR valve is disposed is higher than the joining section, and the EGR path of the curved structure slopes downward from the EGR valve side.

Abstract: The computational complexity of a denoising filter is reduced while suppressing a reduction in coding efficiency. In a video encoding/decoding apparatus which uses a loop filter, a deviation degree calculating unit calculates the degree of deviation between a denoising target pixel and a surrounding pixel using a decoded image. A template shape setting unit limits a template shape so that its size is proportional to the degree of deviation relative to the maximum value of the degree of deviation in the decoded image. When noise of the target pixel is removed, weighted in accordance with the degree of similarity between a template of the target pixel and a template of each of search points in a search shape and the weighted sum of pixel values at the search points, the loop filter performs template matching using the limited template shape and removes noise of the target pixel.

Abstract: A program manager operating on a smartphone transmits information of an onboard apparatus and a program ID list of the smartphone to the server. The server determines the possibility of an expansion of one or more programs, and the difference between charge/free provisioning of the program. If a function expansion condition of the program is met, the server transmits it to the smartphone. The program manager of the smartphone inquires as to possibility/impossibility of expansion, and a password (when there is a charge), and transmits the authentication information and the password (if there is a charge), which are produced from an onboard apparatus ID, a random number, secret data unique to the onboard apparatus, etc., to the server. The server transmits function expansion data to the smartphone, when succeeding the authentication, and the program management portion executes the function expansion of the program.

Abstract: Localized stress concentration is minimized in a metal gasket (1).

Abstract: Before software for a routing protocol in a second wireless terminal receives a routing packet between a first wireless terminal and the second wireless terminal that are both included in an ad hoc network, stability determining software determines whether or not a link between the first wireless terminal, which is the source of the routing packet, and the second wireless terminal is stable. When the link is determined to be stable, the software for the routing protocol in the second wireless terminal processes the routing packet. This allows building of a route using only a stable link between adjacent nodes.

Abstract: An input/output limitation information storage unit stores input/output limitation information in which limitation processing for limiting operation input to the application and display output from the application is prescribed by associating the limitation processing with the application. A determination unit acquires a vehicle state of a vehicle, and determines the limitation processing to be applied to the operation input to the application and the display output from the application on the basis of the application running on the terminal device, the vehicle state, and the input/output limitation information. The limitation unit performs the limitation processing determined by the determination unit for the operation input detected by the input control unit and transmitted to the communication control unit, and the display output received by the communication control unit and transmitted to the output control unit.

Abstract: An image encoding apparatus capable of reducing the computational complexity in intra-prediction of an encoding optimization process is provided. The image encoding apparatus includes a reference pixel generation unit that generates reference pixels from predicted pixels of neighboring pixels and pixels of an original image for intra-prediction directions, a pseudo intra-predicted pixel generation unit that generates pseudo intra-predicted pixels from the reference pixels and the intra-prediction directions, a coding cost calculation unit that calculates coding costs for the intra-prediction directions from errors between the pseudo intra-predicted pixels and the pixels of the original image and generated bit amounts when the pseudo intra-predicted pixels are generated, and an intra-prediction direction setting unit that sets an intra-prediction direction corresponding to the lowest coding cost among the coding costs as an optimal intra-prediction direction.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, an edge direction detection unit calculates an edge direction using a denoising target image. A search shape setting unit sets a search shape in which the number of search points along the direction perpendicular to the edge direction is smaller than the number of search points along the edge direction, using the calculated edge direction as an index used for limiting the search shape. When noise of a target pixel is removed with a weight in accordance with the degree of template similarity between a template for the target pixel and a template for each of search points within a search shape and the weighted sum of pixel values at the search points, a filter execution unit executes a process of performing template matching on only search points within the set search shape and removing the noise of the target pixel.

Abstract: An image encoding method that encodes an image so as to optimize estimated values of processing units which are a coding unit, a prediction unit, and a transform unit by selecting sizes of the individual processing units. The method includes a division step that divides an image having a size of the coding unit into a plurality of blocks; an activity computation step that computes activities pertaining to the individual blocks; and a transform unit size determination step that determines, based on the computed activities, a size pattern of the transform unit within the image having the size of the coding unit.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus for operating a vehicle, when the vehicle is running, and an application is instructed through voice. An in-running operation acceptance/denial list is produced, i.e., a list of words meaning an operation to be inhibited from being executed during the time when the vehicle is running. A command acceptance/denial executing portion of the onboard apparatus determines if the command corresponding to the content, which a user speaks, can be operated or not, during the time when the vehicle is running, by referring this list and a title of the command operable through voices included in the application, and when the vehicle is running, an execution of that command is instructed to an application controller portion, if being determined operable, by referring to a running condition of the vehicle, and if being determined inoperable, the execution of that command is not instructed to the application controller portion.

Abstract: A mobile communication system (100) in which a SON is implemented includes a load control unit (150). The load control unit (150) obtains D-SON apparatus information including at least a load state of the D-SON apparatus (190) from the D-SON apparatus (190) and also adjusts, based on the obtained D-SON apparatus information, a timing for instructing the D-SON apparatus (190) to execute the C-SON process so that a load on the D-SON apparatus is not concentrated on a time axis. In such a mobile communication system, it is possible to attempt to stabilize an operation of the entire SON even when the load on the D-SON apparatus is heavy.

Abstract: Compared to conventional intra divided-picture encoding, deterioration in the coding efficiency is suppressed and the encoding computational complexity and the decoding computational complexity are reduced. A divided picture generating unit divides an input encoding target picture into blocks of the same size and generates divided pictures having the same size by collecting pixels having the same relative position within each block. An intra divided-picture encoding processing unit performs intra divided-picture encoding on part of the divided pictures. An inter divided-picture encoding processing unit performs inter divided-picture encoding using another encoded divided picture as a reference picture. When there are a plurality of candidates for the reference picture, a correlation direction calculating unit obtains a combination in which a correlation of a pixel on an original picture is high among combinations of encoded divided pictures and their reference pictures.

Abstract: A service management apparatus is provided that allows management of a shared license among devices, including a user storage unit storing a user and at least one associated terminal; a license information storage unit storing a license including a terminal to be permitted to use a predetermined service and license information for identifying a setting limitation; a setting request reception unit receiving a setting request for the license including information for identifying the terminal that has issued the setting request and the user; an associated terminal identification processing unit identifying the terminal that is associated with the user included in the request; a license identification processing unit identifying the license that each terminal to be identified is permitted to use and is settable to the terminal that has issued the request; and a license setting processing unit setting the identified license to the terminal that has issued the request.

Abstract: The computational complexity when a block configuration in an encoding target region is determined is reduced while the degradation of coding efficiency is suppressed. A video encoding apparatus includes a block selecting unit which selects each of blocks obtained by recursively dividing an encoding target block as a target block in a predetermined sequence, a block size acquiring unit which acquires the smallest block size in an adjacent block for the selected target block, an evaluation value calculating unit which calculates an evaluation value of the target block if a block size of the target block matches any one of the acquired block size, the block size one level higher than the acquired block size, and the block size one level lower than the acquired block size, and a block configuration determining unit which determines a combination of the blocks constituting the region within the encoding target block based on the evaluation value.

Abstract: A video encoding apparatus and a corresponding method for applying orthogonal transformation to a prediction error signal between a video signal of an encoding target area and a predicted signal for the video signal, and quantizing an obtained orthogonal transformation coefficient by using a preset quantization step size so as to encode the coefficient. A prediction error power which is a power of the prediction error signal is computed. For input information such as the computed prediction error power, the preset quantization step size, and an upper limit of an amount of code generated for the encoding target area, it is determined whether or not an amount of code generated when performing quantization using the preset quantization step size exceeds the upper limit. An encoding process is changed based on a result of the determination.

Abstract: Provided are a method for reducing a nitrogen oxide in an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, a membrane module, an apparatus for reducing a nitrogen oxide from an internal combustion engine using the membrane module, and an internal combustion engine apparatus. A method for reducing a nitrogen oxide in an exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: a step of bringing pressurized air into contact with one surface of a steam permeable membrane (11), and allowing water to flow along the other surface of the steam permeable membrane (11) to moisturize the pressurized air; and a step of introducing the moisturized air into the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus for operating a vehicle, when the vehicle is running, and an application is instructed through voice. An in-running operation acceptance/denial list is produced, i.e., a list of words meaning an operation to be inhibited from being executed during the time when the vehicle is running. A command acceptance/denial executing portion of the onboard apparatus determines if the command corresponding to the content, which a user speaks, can be operated or not, during the time when the vehicle is running, by referring this list and a title of the command operable through voices included in the application, and when the vehicle is running, an execution of that command is instructed to an application controller portion, if being determined operable, by referring to a running condition of the vehicle, and if being determined inoperable, the execution of that command is not instructed to the application controller portion.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a charging system that levels the amount of grid power that is used, and that is capable of reducing power rates, even if charging has been frequently conducted without limiting the time zones in which charging is conducted. [Solution] A charging system is provided with: a storage unit that is charged by consuming grid power supplied by a power company, and that supplies the stored power through discharge; and a charging unit that charges batteries by consuming power supplied by grid power and the storage unit. Power companies set a power rate that is higher the greater the maximum value of the amount of power supplied for each unit of time is. Furthermore, at least a single charge carried out by the charging unit is carried out over two units of time, and the storage unit supplies power to the charging unit in at least one unit of time other than said two units of time.