Abstract: A cumulative error D is calculated by sequentially adding up errors, each representing a difference between a given average target number Ba and a number Bg of bits generated during every predetermined period of a coded bit stream. In determining a number Bt of bits allocated to a compression coder, a provisionally allocated bit number Bst is preset based on a coding complexity X such that a number of bits allocated to a scene with a high coding complexity exceeds the average target number Ba as for a frame just after the change of scenes. And if the cumulative error D exceeds a predetermined value, the provisionally allocated bit number Bst is corrected in accordance with the magnitude of the cumulative error D so as to be reducible to, but not less than, the average target number Ba. As for frames within the same scene on the other hand, a previously allocated bit number Bt is sequentially updated such that the cumulative error D does not exceed a predetermined maximum value Dmax.

Abstract: A cleaning agent for use in the manufacture of a semiconductor device comprising an aqueous solution containing a quarternary ammonium salt and a fluoro compound, or an aqueous solution containing a quarternary ammonium salt and a fluoro compound, as well as an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of amides, lactones, nitriles, alcohols and esters. In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, after forming a mask with a photoresist, a wiring structure is formed by dry etching of a conductive layer, wherein a protecting deposition film has been formed on side walls of the conductive layer. Use of the cleaning agent enables the protecting deposition film to be removed in a highly reliable manner with the surface of the conductive layer being decontaminated and cleaned such that no corrosion of the conductive layer occurs.

Abstract: A coder of the present invention is adapted to reproduce a signal of quality at a low coding rate even when a video or audio signal continuously supplied thereto should be coded in real time. The coder includes: a quantizer for quantizing the input signal; an encoder for encoding the output of the quantizer and outputting coded data; and a quantization parameter supply circuit for supplying a quantization parameter to the quantizer. If a scene change detector has detected a scene change, the supply circuit supplies a quantization parameter, which has been determined adaptively to a scene newly appearing after the scene change, to the quantizer. Otherwise, the supply circuit supplies a quantization parameter, which has been determined at such a value as to stabilize a coding rate, to the quantizer. In this manner, an average coding rate can be controlled and coding processing can be performed adaptively to individual scenes.

Abstract: A coder of the present invention is adapted to reproduce a signal of quality at a low coding rate even when a video or audio signal continuously supplied thereto should be coded in real time. The coder includes: a quantizer for quantizing the input signal; an encoder for encoding the output of the quantizer and outputting coded data; and a quantization parameter supply circuit for supplying a quantization parameter to the quantizer. If a scene change detector has detected a scene change, the supply circuit supplies a quantization parameter, which has been determined adaptively to a scene newly appearing after the scene change, to the quantizer. Otherwise, the supply circuit supplies a quantization parameter, which has been determined at such a value as to stabilize a coding rate, to the quantizer. In this manner, an average coding rate can be controlled and coding processing can be performed adaptively to individual scenes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recording apparatus that records audio/video signals in real time in a recording format facilitating high-speed search. A compressed stream (VOB) generated by an audio/video encoder 101 is stored in a recording buffer memory 102. When data of one VOB is stored in the recording buffer memory 102, a navigation pack is generated from attribute information of VOBUs constituting the VOB, the generated navigation pack is inserted at the head of each VOBU, and then the data is recorded on a recording medium 106.

Abstract: An authoring system variously processes a bitstream carrying information about moving picture data, audio data, and subpicture data constituting titles having a sequence of related content, generates a bitstream constituting a title with content corresponding to a user selection, efficiently records the generated bitstream to a specific recording medium, and reproduces title content corresponding to a user selection from the bitstream thus generated. Editing content input by a user using a keyboard or other device for the multimedia bitstream content is the source data is converted to authoring encoding parameters. Whether certain conditions determined by the data structure and other considerations of the authoring system are met is determined, and if the conditions are not satisfied, feedback is given to the user to prompt re-entry of the editing information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved non-aqueous electrolyte cell comprising an anode, a cathode and a separator spirally wound so that the anode is disposed on the outer side of the cathode to form an electrode assembly. The outermost end of the cathode is wrapped with an electrically insulating material, the anode has a section provided with an anode current collector in the vicinity of the outermost end thereof, and the section is positioned beyond the wrapped outermost end of the cathode. A reaction suppressing layer is present between a cathode section in the vicinity of the outermost end and the anode positioned on the inner side thereof, thereby only the outer side of the cathode section substantially reacts with the anode. This cell ensures disconnection of remaining non-reacted anode component from the current collector when forcedly discharged at the last stage of discharge, causing little capacity loss.

Abstract: A video data recording apparatus detects a change in an attribute of a signal input with video data, generates management information showing a position in which the change was detected, and records the management information to a recording medium. The video data playback apparatus reads and plays back the video data up to the position shown in the management information recorded on the recording medium.

Abstract: A digital recording apparatus that obtains a digital stream including a plurality of frames, while recording the digital stream on a digital recording medium. This apparatus obtains, during recording, an instruction for a procedure in which a recording area is changed to another recording area which is not necessarily continuos with the recording area. When the instruction is obtained, the apparatus executes the procedure only when the number of frames which are recorded in the recording area is a predetermined number or more.

Abstract: To provide users with reliable remaining recordable time of a recording medium, calculation for the remaining recordable time is performed by dividing a free area size of the recording medium by a standard bit rate used for compressing video streams, where the free area size is obtained by subtracting an amount of already recorded stream data in the recording medium and an estimate error value from a capacity of the recording medium.

Abstract: A digital video recording apparatus reduces the audio output level before and during changes in an audio encoding condition (stereo, monaural, etc.). One embodiment of the digital video recording apparatus multiplexes video and audio signals to produce an output stream. A video recording control means controls the apparatus according to user input and design.

Abstract: An aqueous resist stripping composition contains (a) an oxidizing agent, (b) a chelating agent, (c) a water-soluble fluorine compound, and optionally (d) an organic solvent. Also provided is a process of stripping resist films and resist residues remaining after etching treatment utilizing the aqueous resist stripping composition. In the process, corrosion of semiconductor materials, circuit-forming materials, insulating films, etc. is minimized and the rinsing is sufficiently made with only water without needing organic solvent such as alcohol.

Abstract: In a central mechanism for a tire vulcanizer in accordance with the present invention, after a tire has been vulcanized (a bladder is expanded), a clamp rod is elevated to elevate a lower ring and separate it from a housing. After that, the clamp rod is turned so that a claw of a claw mechanism between the lower ring and the clamp rod can pass through. Then, a pin fixing a post to an upper ring is pulled out, and a bladder assembly is hung and carried out of the vulcanizer to replace the bladder and O-rings. After the bladder and other parts have been replaced, the bladder assembly is hung and mounted to the vulcanizer so that the hole for the claw mechanism of the lower ring is aligned with the upper end of the clamp rod. At this time, when the claw of the claw mechanism passes through, the lower ring is supported by the elevated clamp rod, and the lower ring and a supply/discharge opening of the housing is aligned with each other.

Abstract: A recording medium includes an audio data group including a plurality of types of audio data; audio reproduction time information for regulating a time to reproduce each of the plurality of types of audio data; a display data group including a plurality of types of display data; and display reproduction time information for regulating a time to reproduce each of the plurality of types of display data.

Abstract: A degree of a difficulty of encoding a video signal in a given period of time is detected and converted with a specific transform characteristic to produce an allocated amount of codes. The video signal is quantized and variable length encoded to produce a second coded data. A quantizing parameter is determined so that a difference between a code length of the second coded data in the given period of time and the allocated amount of codes is minimized.

Abstract: An encoding method for producing specific encoded data by calculating the data occupancy of a decoding buffer memory of a particular size that is used when decoding the encoded data during reproduction, defining the allocated code size of a particular period based on the calculation result, and compression coding the signal of a particular period to the allocated code size. The data occupancy is calculated on the assumption that virtual encoded data is transferred to the decoding buffer memory following the transfer of the first-encoded data to the decoding buffer memory. The data occupancy when the last data in the first encoded data is decoded is calculated as the final buffer occupancy Be. The data occupancy when the encoding process producing the second encoded data is begun is an initial buffer occupancy Bi where the initial buffer occupancy Bi is less than the final buffer occupancy Be, and thus allocated code size is defined based on the change in the data occupancy.

Abstract: There are disclosed a cleaning agent for removing a fluorine-compound gas such as hydrogen fluoride, fluorine, tungsten hexafluoride, silicon tetrafluoride and boron trifluoride which agent comprises a molded article produced by using strontium hydroxide as a principal component, an organic binding agent as a molding agent and the hydroxide of an alkaline earth metal other than strontium as a molding aid; and a process for cleaning a harmful gas which comprises feeding a harmful gas containing a fluorine-compound gas into a column packed inside with the above cleaning agent to remove the fluorine-compound gas; and exhausting a gas substantially free from the fluorine-compound gas. The above cleaning agent is capable of removing the fluorine-compound gas in high efficiency without causing any danger, thereby making itself well suited to the cleaning of the gases exhausted, for example, from semiconductor manufacturing industries.

Abstract: A tire-handling apparatus is provided for moving a tire into and out of a tire processor, such as a tire-curing press. The apparatus utilizes tire-gripping members, such as a plurality of shoes, which may be moved between an extended and a retracted position for gripping and releasing the tire respectively. Also included are operating members for properly operating the gripping members between their respective positions. The operating apparatus includes at least two cylinders having piston rods extending from first ends thereof. The second ends of the cylinders are mounted in series to permit the shoes for mounting the tire to be easily extended and retracted without substantial tire deformation, regardless of the size of the tire.

Abstract: N pieces of quantized data are generated by quantizing video signals in quantizing widths proportional to N temporary quantizing parameters Q(i). N temporary coded bit streams S(i) are generated by variable length coding the N pieces of quantized data. A code quantity B(i, j) of the temporary coded bit streams S(i) is measured in a second specific period t(j) which is one of n periods divided from a first specific period T. A function f(q, j) is estimated by relating a quantizing parameter q having continuous values and a code quantity b(j) of coded bit streams in the second specific period t(j) with the function of b(j)=f(q, J), by using the temporary quantizing parameter Q(i) and the code quantity B(i, j). An assigned code quantity bt(j) to be assigned to the second specific period t(j) is determined so that a code quantity of the coded bit streams in the first specific period T may be equal to a specified assigned code quantity BT assigned in the first specific period T.

Abstract: An encoding method for producing specific encoded data by calculating the data occupancy of a decoding buffer memory of a particular size that is used when decoding the encoded data during reproduction, defining the allocated code size of a particular period based on the calculation result, and compression coding the signal of a particular period to the allocated code size. The data occupancy is calculated on the assumption that virtual encoded data is transferred to the decoding buffer memory following the transfer of the first-encoded data to the decoding buffer memory. The data occupancy when the last data in the first encoded data is decoded is calculated as the final buffer occupancy Be. The data occupancy when the encoding process producing the second encoded data is begun is an initial buffer occupancy Bi where the initial buffer occupancy Bi is less than the final buffer occupancy Be, and thus allocated code size is defined based on the change in the data occupancy.