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.

Abstract: The technique is implemented by a vehicular device for performing dialogs with the driver. This device has: a communication portion for communicating with a server; an output portion for outputting speech information to the driver; an input portion for inputting information based on speech uttered by the driver; and a controller for controlling the communication portion, the output portion, and the input portion. When trigger information for starting a dialog process in the vehicular device or in the server is generated, the controller receives information indicative of the type of a first dialog forming a starting point of the dialog process and information indicative of the type of a second dialog forming an ending point of the dialog process from the server and carries out the dialog process based on the received information. The second dialog is different in type from the first dialog.

Abstract: A video encoding control method for controlling encoding of an input video signal. The method includes the steps of detecting an underflow of a decoder buffer; if the underflow of the decoder buffer has been detected, suppressing an amount of generated code by skipping an encoding target picture or by encoding the encoding target picture so as to produce a minimum amount of generated code; after suppressing the amount of generated code, comparing a current rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer with a predetermined threshold for the rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer; and performing a control for continuously suppressing the amount of code generated for each encoding target image by using the above step of suppressing the amount of generated code until the rate of occupancy in the decoder buffer exceeds the threshold based on a result of the above comparison.

Abstract: In a video encoding control method of the present invention, each picture is encoded in units of encoding-order picture groups such as GOPs, and when CPB underflow has occurred, an encoding parameter such as a quantization parameter and filter strength of a pre-filter is changed in such a manner that a generated bit rate is reduced, and an encoding-order picture group that is being encoded is re-encoded from its first picture using the changed encoding parameter.

Abstract: A video encoding control method encodes an input video signal by controlling a generated bit rate so a hypothetical buffer in a decoder does not overflow or underflow includes: sequentially encoding each picture in an encoding-order picture group in accordance with a predetermined encoding parameter, the encoding-order picture group including a predetermined number of pictures and being a collection of successive pictures in the order of encoding; calculating a quantization statistic of each picture based on quantization parameter information used to encode each picture each time each picture is encoded, and checking whether the quantization statistic exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and if the quantization statistic exceeds the predetermined threshold value, changing the encoding parameter so the generated bit rate resulting from encoding is reduced and performing re-encoding from a first picture of an encoding-order picture group that is being encoded using the changed encoding parameter.

Abstract: A power supply system is provided that can reduce the maximum value of the amount of power per unit time supplied to a load and a power storage portion and that can increase the amount of power stored in the power storage portion. The power supply system (1) includes the power storage portion (11) and a charge-discharge control portion (51) that controls the charge and discharge of the power storage portion (11). The power supply system (1) supplies power to an EV charge portion (311) that is one of power storage portions (31). The charge-discharge control portion (51) charges the power storage portion (11) when a power or a current consumed by the EV charge portion (311) is equal to or less than a predetermined magnitude.

Abstract: A main object is to provide a method, a membrane module and a purified water manufacturing device that demonstrate a performance of manufacturing water stably for a long period of time and lower a salt concentration in purified water. In the method, raw water is made to flow along one surface of a gas-permeable membrane, vapor permeated through the gas-permeable membrane is condensed, and the purified water is obtained.

Abstract: A quantization control method used in a video encoding which encodes a video image and performs control for making an encoding bit rate approach a predetermined target bit rate. The quantization control method includes measuring a differential amount of code between a target amount of code and an amount of generated code; determining whether or not a predetermined condition has occurred; determining, when it is determined that the condition has occurred, a variation for an amount of feedback which increases or decreases a quantization step size, and changing the amount of feedback based on the determined variation; and increasing or decreasing the quantization step size based on the measured differential amount of code and the changed amount of feedback. If there are a plurality of the predetermined conditions, a final variation for the amount of feedback may be determined by applying a specific operation to variations for the amount of feedback, which are determined for the individual conditions.

Abstract: A method for driving an internal combustion engine is a method for reducing nitrogen oxides in emissions of the internal combustion engine, and includes a process of introducing air, which has a low oxygen concentration and contains no emissions, into the internal combustion engine, and a process of mixing humidifying water with a hydrocarbon fuel and injecting the mixture into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine as an emulsion fuel.

Abstract: A motion vector predictive encoding method, a motion vector decoding method, a predictive encoding apparatus, a decoding apparatuses, and storage media storing motion vector predictive encoding and decoding programs are provided, thereby reducing the amount of generated code with respect to the motion vector, and improving the efficiency of the motion-vector prediction. If the motion-compensating mode of the target small block to be encoded is the global motion compensation, the encoding mode of an already-encoded small block is the interframe coding mode, and the motion-compensating mode of the already-encoded small block is the global motion compensation, then the motion vector of the translational motion model is determined for each pixel of the already-encoded small block, based on the global motion vector (steps S1-S5). Next, the representative motion vector is calculated as the predicted vector, based on the motion vector of each pixel of the already-encoded small block (step S6).

Abstract: Disclosed is a power supply device which acquires data of the amount of environmental load material emitted from a power supply, and controls operations on the basis of the data.

Abstract: A code amount control method used in a video encoding method for performing code amount control by estimating a generated code amount for an encoding target picture. The control method includes steps of computing a feature value of the encoding target picture and stores the value into a storage device; extracting a feature value of a previously-encoded picture stored in the storage device and used for generated code amount estimation; comparing the feature values of the encoding target picture and the previously-encoded picture; and a step performed according to a result of the comparison. If it is determined that difference between both feature values is larger than a predetermined criterion value, the amount of code generated for the encoding target picture is estimated using no result of encoding of the previously-encoded picture, and otherwise the relevant generated code amount is estimated based on a result of the encoding.

Abstract: Setting a reference pixel signal from a decoded pixel signal in intra-prediction in which a prediction signal is generated in the same frame, acquiring prediction mode identification information that identifies an intra-prediction mode, generating a prediction signal based on the reference pixel signal and the prediction mode identification information, making a determination regarding correction of the prediction signal using a reference pixel having a shorter distance from a pixel that is a prediction target in the intra-prediction mode identified by the prediction mode identification information, and correcting the generated prediction signal according to a result of the determination are included in order to provide an image encoding method and an image decoding method capable of improving subjective image quality and coding efficiency using a closer decoded pixel in an intra-prediction process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a membrane element, a gas separation device, and an internal combustion engine capable of improving gas separation performance. A gas separation device 1 including membrane elements 2 includes rigid members 32 arranged in a direction intersecting folds of a pleated structure 26 in open regions R1 and R2 of the pleated structure 26 surrounded by a reinforcement frame 27. The open regions R1 and R2 are each separated into a supply region and an exhaust region of gas by an elastic epoxy resin adhesive S provided between the rigid member 32 and the pleated structure 26.

Abstract: When a power supply is cut off on updating programs, improper data remains since the power source to be supplied to the vehicle-mounted device is unstable. The check for the improper data and restoration processing are required for a reactivation processing implemented by an update processing unit so that the update is completed correctly, therefore, the user is waited. In contrast, the update processing also implemented by the update processing unit for a time period during which the power source becomes unstable is interrupted, and implemented for the time period during which the power source voltage is stable. The power source voltage is considered to be unstable based on a function of the vehicle speed, brake pedal actuation, parking brake actuation, and/or power source activation. In consequence, the update processing is carried on steadily without making the user wait.

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: A service provision system comprises a first terminal, a service computer, and a user registration module. The first terminal includes an application management module to which second identification information is assigned, for managing the application to which first identification information is assigned, and an anonymous personal data transmission module for transmitting the anonymous personal data including the first identification information and the second identification information. The user registration module transmits user registration data including the second identification information and third identification information, in a case of inputting third identification information.

Abstract: When an effect parameter of an effector is changed, if only a switching operation is provided to bypass the original audio signals, which are input signals of the effector, during the period required for making that change, the output sound level may drastically change before and after the switching causing one to feel a sense of discomfort. In order to eliminate such a drawback, a gain adjustment circuit is provided in a bypass channel that outputs the original audio signals by bypassing the effector. The gain adjustment circuit is controlled in accordance with a rate of the output signal level of the effector and the original audio signal level, and the output signal level of the bypass channel is adjusted thereby. Consequently, a fluctuation in the output sound level before and after switching of the output signals can be eliminated.

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: The technique is implemented by a vehicular device for performing dialogs with the driver. This device has: a communication portion for communicating with a server; an output portion for outputting speech information to the driver; an input portion for inputting information based on speech uttered by the driver; and a controller for controlling the communication portion, the output portion, and the input portion. When trigger information for starting a dialog process in the vehicular device or in the server is generated, the controller receives information indicative of the type of a first dialog forming a starting point of the dialog process and information indicative of the type of a second dialog forming an ending point of the dialog process from the server and carries out the dialog process based on the received information. The second dialog is different in type from the first dialog.