Abstract: A vibrator that is capable of vibrating without using an electrode and has good detection sensitivity is provided. A carbon-based material vibrator for vibration by light irradiation has a biological substance or a substance capable of identifying a biological substance immobilized on the vibrator. The vibrator may not include a counter electrode for applying a voltage to the vibrator. The carbon-based material may be graphite. A thermal conductivity ?1 in a plane direction of the carbon-based material is 100 times or more than a thermal conductivity ?2 in a thickness direction of the carbon-based material.

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: A master controller of a battery charge and discharge control apparatus is a device performing charge and discharge control on a group of a predetermined number of battery arrays, the battery arrays being connected together in parallel. The master controller acquires an entire charge or discharge instruction intended for the entire battery array group, starts charging or discharging each of the battery arrays at a uniform charge or discharge power value, acquires a charge or discharge status of each of the battery arrays after the beginning of the charge or discharge and compares the charge or discharge status with a predetermined charge or discharge set value for the entire battery array group, and changes the charge or discharge power value of each of the battery arrays based on a result of the comparison.

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: A recharging system that recharges batteries is provided with a recharging unit that recharges the batteries by consuming power that is supplied. The recharging unit has the ability to recharge the batteries by consuming system power supplied by a power company. The power company sets power rates that are higher the larger the maximum amount of power supplied per unit of time, and a single charge performed by the recharging unit begins in the preceding unit of time among adjacent units of time, and finished in the following unit of time among the adjacent units of time.

Abstract: A master controller of a battery charge and discharge control apparatus is a device performing charge and discharge control on a group of a predetermined number of battery arrays, the battery arrays being connected together in parallel. The master controller acquires an entire charge or discharge instruction intended for the entire battery array group, starts charging or discharging each of the battery arrays at a uniform charge or discharge power value, acquires a charge or discharge status of each of the battery arrays after the beginning of the charge or discharge and compares the charge or discharge status with a predetermined charge or discharge set value for the entire battery array group, and changes the charge or discharge power value of each of the battery arrays based on a result of the comparison.

Abstract: A receiver has a tuner for receiving a TV broadcast program and a modem for receiving an e-mail. Also, the receiver outputs a message if there exists any unopened e-mail. In addition, the receiver has a camera for sending a videophone image. A viewer in front of the receiver is recognized, and it is determined whether or not the recognized viewer matches the addressee of the unopened e-mail. If a result of the determination is negative, a message output operation is prohibited.

Abstract: A motion picture decoding apparatus according to the invention includes: a coefficient reducing circuit for removing orthogonal transform coefficients for high horizontal frequencies from a certain sized block of orthogonal transform coefficients obtained from an input signal, thereby reducing the number of transform coefficients to half; an inverse orthogonal transformation circuit for performing an inverse orthogonal transform operation by using the transform coefficients reduced by the coefficient reducing circuit, thereby obtaining, on a block-by-block basis, reconstructed image data or time-axis prediction error data horizontally compressed to ½; an adder for generating reconstructed image data horizontally compressed to ½, based on the time-axis prediction error data provided by the inverse orthogonal transformation circuit and on predetermined reference image data; and one or more than one reference image memories for storing reconstructed image data which is included in the reconstructed image data pr

Abstract: A receiver has a tuner for receiving a TV broadcast program and a modem for receiving an e-mail. Also, the receiver outputs a message if there exists any unopened e-mail. In addition, the receiver has a camera for sending a videophone image. A viewer in front of the receiver is recognized, and it is determined whether or not the recognized viewer matches the addressee of the unopened e-mail. If a result of the determination is negative, a message output operation is prohibited.

Abstract: A motion picture decoding apparatus according to the invention includes: a coefficient reducing circuit for removing orthogonal transform coefficients for high horizontal frequencies from a certain sized block of orthogonal transform coefficients obtained from an input signal, thereby reducing the number of transform coefficients to half; an inverse orthogonal transformation circuit for performing an inverse orthogonal transform operation by using the transform coefficients reduced by the coefficient reducing circuit, thereby obtaining, on a block-by-block basis, reconstructed image data or time-axis prediction error data horizontally compressed to ½; an adder for generating reconstructed image data horizontally compressed to ½, based on the time-axis prediction error data provided by the inverse orthogonal transformation circuit and on predetermined reference image data; and one or more than one reference image memories for storing reconstructed image data which is included in the reconstructed

Abstract: Apparatus for providing MPEG data through which any MPEG decoder, without containing special functionality, can decode and display a slow motion picture. Specifically, to do so, the apparatus when, operating in a normal play mode, provides picture data included in original MPEG data, but when operating in a slow motion mode, provides not only the picture data, included in the original MPEG data, but also dummy data for repeatedly displaying the picture data several times in accordance with a slow motion speed.

Abstract: In tracing a tape with a signal recording head to form tracks having digital data recorded thereon, a plurality of tracks provide each of blocks, and a usual playback data area NA and trick playback areas TH and TL are arranged on each of the tracks included in each block. The trick playback areas are enlarged to provide increment areas TA with a decrease in the bit rate of usual playback data. In recording image data as to a plurality of programs on a tape conjointly, signal recording tracks are formed on the tape, and a usual playback data area and a trick playback data area are formed on each of the tracks or on one track per plurality of tracks, as arranged longitudinally of the track, whereby the image data as to programs A to D is conjointly recorded on the same tape.

Abstract: In the event of recording a picture signal for left eye and a picture signal for right eye, a picture signal for one of right and left eyes limited in band by a low pass filter as being an additional signal and a picture signal for the other eye as being a primary signal, and the additional signal together with the primary signal are recorded on recording medium.

Abstract: An output from a solid state image sensing device spatially modulated by a color filter is A/D converted and stored in a field memory. Digital signals read from the field memory during electronic zooming are successively delayed by 1H period by means of first, second and third 1H delay elements connected in series. The output from the field memory and outputs from the first, second and third 1H delay elements are separated into luminance components and line sequential color components by first to fourth Y/C separating circuits, respectively. A first set of three primary color signals are calculated based on outputs from the first, second and third Y/C separating circuits, and a second set of three primary color signals are calculated based on outputs from the second, third and fourth Y/C separating circuits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic focusing camera in which an automatic focusing operation is performed by detecting a high frequency component of a video signal obtained from an image sensor device at every predetermined period, and has a theme that the automatic focusing operation can be performed within an extremely short time. To this end, by a search means, a focus lens is moved from a first position to a second position with relatively coarse steps to obtain a focus evaluating value for each step. In a first method, after the focus lens is moved to the vicinity of a lens position corresponding to a maximum focus evaluating value obtained by the search means, the focus lens is moved with small incremental steps to find a true maximum focus evaluating value.

Abstract: Supplied selectively to a recording system circuit of a VTR are a first component signal comprising three primary color signals R, G and B and a second component signal comprising a luminance signal Y and two types of color difference signals P.sub.B and P.sub.R. The first and the second component signals pass through a group of LPFs (1, 2, 3) having the same pass characteristics and then are A/D converted at the same sampling clock. The component signal converted into a digital signal is applied to a matrix circuit 11. Respective coefficients of the matrix circuit are switched according to a type of the inputted component signal, and as a result, a second digital component signal is always outputted at a fixed delay time from the matrix circuit. Two color signal data which are over-sampled included in the second digital component signal are applied to decimation digital filters 14 and 15 to reduce data densities thereof.

Abstract: A reproduced video signal of a VTR is applied to a jitter compensation circuit (100). The applied reproduced video signal is A/D converted by a phase modulated clock and after subjected to the adjustment of timing, the signal is written into a memory (4). A burst signal period is specified based on a timing of a horizontal synchronizing signal in the reproduced video signal and a jitter amount is detected based on a sampling phase of the A/D converted burst. Jitter compensation data is calculated based on this jitter amount. On this occasion, latest jitter compensation data is obtained based on the detected jitter amount and the jitter compensation data one horizontal period before. A timing for starting to write the A/D converted video data into the memory is defined based on high-order data of the calculated jitter compensation data, thereby cancelling large jitter components.

Abstract: An automatic focusing circuit in a video camera separates a high frequency component from the video signal obtained in an image sensing circuit 4 for every field. After the separated high frequency component is integrated in an integration circuit 10, the result is converted into a digital value by an A/D converter 11 and is applied to a holding circuit 12 as a focus evaluating value. The holding circuit 12, which comprises first to fifth memories coupled in series, always holds the newest successive five focus evaluating values. The largest focus evaluating value is detected by the maximum value detecting circuit 18 for every field and is applied to a memory 19. The maximum value is compared with the maximum value one field before held in a memory 20 in a comparator circuit 21. If the newest maximum value in the memory 19 is decreased, a focusing motor control circuit 22 inverts the rotational direction of the focusing motor 3.

Abstract: In an automatic focusing apparatus of a video camera, a first focus evaluating value which steeply changes and a second focus evaluating value which gently changes relative to the position of a lens, are detected in response to a video signal obtained in an image sensing circuit (4). A switching circuit (19) alternately selects the first and second focus evaluating values every one field to apply the same to in-focus state detecting circuits (20, 21), respectively. The in-focus state detecting circuits (20, 21), together with a focusing motor control circuit (10), perform an automatic focusing operation by hill-climbing control. In addition, a calculating circuit (22) calculates the relative ratio of the first focus evaluating value to the second focus evaluating value.

Abstract: In an automatic focusing circuit of a video camera, automatic focusing operation is performed by a focus evaluating value formed in response to a video signal obtained by an image sensing circuit (4). A first focusing motor control circuit (15) controls the rotation of a focusing motor (3) so that a focusing lens (1) is once fixed in the position where the focus evaluating value takes the maximum value. A second focusing motor control circuit (17) changes the focusing motor (3), by a predetermined very small amount, to determine the slope of the focus evaluating value, which change is repeated until inversion of the slope, that is, the maximal point is detected. As a result, the position of the focusing lens is corrected at the maximal point of the focus evaluating value. When the correction amount exceeds a predetermined value, first automatic focusing operation by the first focusing motor control circuit (15) is resumed.