Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method includes an input device to which image data is inputted, a recorder which records the inputted image data into a recording medium, an eraser which erases the recorded image data in the recording medium, a protector which protects from an erasure setting so as to protect from erasure by the eraser of the recorded image data, and a display which displays a list of reduced images of a plurality of image data recorded in the recording medium. While the recorder is controlled utilizing a filing system and the list of reduced images of the plurality of image data recorded in the recording medium is displayed, the display is controlled so as to display a mark indicating that protection from erasure is set with respect to the recorded image data for which protection from erasure is set by the protector.

Abstract: A bit stream generation apparatus includes: an analysis unit which specifies, for each overlay position, an overlay position for overlaying, onto the first bit stream, respective bits of supplementary information which is a bit string, and also specifies replacement data for the replacement in accordance with the supplementary information, by analyzing a data structure of a first bit stream; a transformation table creation unit which creates a transformation table indicating the overlay position and the replacement data specified by the analysis unit; and an adding unit which generates a second bit stream by adding, to the first bit stream, the transformation table created by the transformation table creation unit.

Abstract: A reproduction equipment converts an identification code of the reproduction equipment into a plurality of signal sequences using a correspondence table and embeds the obtained plurality of signal sequences in AV signals as a digital watermark. A reproduction equipment specifying equipment compares correlation values of the AV signals, containing the digital watermark embedded therein with all signal sequences contained in a correspondence table. A comparison of the correlation values with a previously set threshold value determines the embedded signal sequences and the identification code of the reproduction equipment which may be extracted.

Abstract: A justification/authentication personal certificate system stores in a remote database a counterpart of an identifier and a digital watermark contained in the personal certificate. The personal certificate includes the digital watermark embedded in an authentic image such as a facial photograph, a retinal scan, or a fingerprint. When the personal certificate is used, the authentic image is read from the personal certificate, and the digital watermark information is extracted. The digital watermark information and the identifier are compared with the counterparts stored in the database. If the extracted digital watermark information is identical to the information in the database, then the personal certificate is judged to be unjustifiable. In one embodiment, at least one of the identifier and digital watermark are changed each time the system justifies the personal certificate.

Abstract: A digital image and speech recording and reproducing apparatus is arranged to quickly and simply retrieve, classify, and erase a great deal of data for improving the operativity in small-sized equipment. The apparatus includes a recording and reproducing unit for a moving image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a still image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a digital speech signal operated in synchronous to the image, a display for displaying the image for said moving image signal or said still image signal, a recording condition recording unit for recording recording conditions containing data information about recorded data for distinguishing said moving image from said still image and recording time information for recording an image or a speech.

Abstract: A seat back lock is included in a seat back of a vehicle. A knob is provided at the top of the seat back. A passenger in the vehicle pushes down the knob to cause the seat back to move from a standing position to a folding position on a seat. In the standing position, a striker extending from the body of the vehicle engages with a hook of the seat back lock. The seat back lock comprises a binding lever and a warning lever connected to the knob. Whenever the strike engages with the hook, the binding lever, directly contacts the striker. If the striker incompletely engages with or disengages from the hook, the knob is pulled down by the warning lever to expose an indicator to permit the passenger to visually recognize it.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an information embedding/tamper detecting apparatus and method capable of distinguishing between changes caused by image processing and intentional image tampering, and further capable of localizing, on a regional basis, a tampered position on an image. A tamper-detection-information embedding apparatus 1 divides the image into a plurality of frequency bands to obtain transform coefficients, and then generates a pseudo-random number series by using key data, and further generates authentication data. The key data and the authentication data are embedded in the transform coefficients of MRA and MRR, respectively. the image in which the information is embedded is reconstructed by using MRA and MRR. A tamper-detecting apparatus 2 extracts the key data from MRA obtained by dividing the image into frequency bands and generates the authentication data assumed to have been embedded, and further extracts the embedded information from MRR.

Abstract: A digital image signal is transformed in frequency, thereby providing partitioned frequency components. Characteristic information is calculated in accordance with a coefficient at a first frequency domain that is selected from among the partitioned frequency components. A coefficient at a second frequency domain is handled in accordance with predetermined rules, thereby embedding the characteristic information into the coefficient at the second frequency domain. The second frequency domain is selected from among areas that differ from the first frequency domain. The frequency coefficients that exhibit several frequency components are encoded in a predetermined manner, thereby producing compressed image data.

Abstract: A bit stream is decoded to generate first quantized DCT-coefficients. The first quantized DCT-coefficients are inversely quantized using a first quantization table, thereby generating DCT-coefficients. The resulting DCT-coefficients are quantized using a second quantization table, thereby generating second quantized DCT-coefficients. Elements in the second quantization table are smaller in value than those in the first quantization table. Predetermined additional information is embedded into the second quantized DCT-coefficients. The second quantized DCT-coefficients having the additional information embedded therein are encoded to produce a bit stream having the additional information embedded therein. The second quantization table is set to be smaller in value than the first quantization table.

Abstract: Embedding data to be embedded as a digital watermark is acquired. Packing data is formed in which the embedding data is repeatedly connected three times or more sequentially without interval. Real embedding information is formed such that a redundancy bit with a fixed length that is used for an error correction of an information bit is added immediately after the information bit in which the packing data is subdivided into data each having a fixed length. The real embedding information is embedded into the image data itself. The embedding mechanism for the information is not easily understood, and security level is high.

Abstract: In a latch apparatus, a latch mechanism arranged at a vehicle body or a door, holds the door towards the vehicle body in a half closed state and a fully closed state. An open lever, a door opening action of which cancels the half closed state or the fully closed state of the door held by the latch mechanism, is arranged to be interlocked with the latch mechanism and to be able to swing. A first handle lever performs an opening action based on an opening operation of a first operation handle. A second handle lever performs an opening action based on an opening operation of a second operation handle. A cancel lever coupled to a closer apparatus that brings the door in the half closed state to the fully closed state, is caused to abut on the open lever to perform a canceling action, thereby disabling a drive of the closer apparatus.

Abstract: An inherent information-generating unit is operable to generate inherent information inherent to each frame image that forms part of moving image data. An information-embedding unit is operable to embed inherent information on a specific frame image as tampering-detecting information into a different frame image in which the inherent information is to be embedded. The specific frame image is temporally separated in position from the different frame image.

Abstract: In an embedding apparatus, a transform section divides an original image into a plurality of blocks to perform orthogonal transform every block. An embedding section embeds a pseudo-random number sequence mapped with inherent digital information in part of a transform coefficients sequence obtained by the orthogonal transform using a weight sequence. In an extracting apparatus, a calculation section reads transform coefficients sequences for respective blocks from the data including the pseudo-random number sequence embedded therein in a predetermined order, and calculates an inner product between the transform coefficients sequences and a pseudo-random number sequence. A determination section determines that the pseudo-random number sequence has been embedded when the inner product is greater than a predetermined threshold value. A generation section extracts inherent digital information mapped with the determined pseudo-random number sequence.

Abstract: A digital image signal is divided into blocks. Each of the divided blocks is subjected to orthogonal transformation. As a result, the divided blocks are transformed into several frequency components. One or more frequency components are selected in accordance with a characteristic amount that is extracted from the several frequency components. Values of the selected frequency components are operated under a predetermined rule in accordance with an embedment signal that is generated from embedment information.

Abstract: An apparatus for embedding information in a signal includes a band dividing device, a block divider, a quantization portion, a signal replacement portion, a mean difference addition portion, a mean calculation portion, and a band synthesis portion. The band dividing device divides the signal into transform coefficients over a plurality of frequency bands. The block divider divides one frequency band into a plurality of blocks in accordance with a previously determined block size. The quantization portion calculates for each block, a mean value M of the transform coefficients in the block, and subjects the mean value M to linear quantization, using a previously determined quantization step-size Q to calculate a quantization value. The signal replacement portion replaces the quantization value for each block, on the basis of the quantization value and the value of the information to be embedded.

Abstract: A digital information embedding apparatus comprises a band divider, a block divider, a key generator, an information embedder and a band synthesizer. The band divider divides the digital image signal into a plurality of frequency bands to obtain wavelet coefficients. The block divider divides the frequency band in which the digital information is to be embedded into a plurality of blocks in a predetermined block size. The key generator respectively generates secondary keys having different values from a key having a predetermined value using a predetermined function. The information embedder specifies the block in the embedding object region based on each of the generated secondary keys, and respectively embeds the corresponding information composing the digital information in the wavelet coefficients in the specified block in the embedding object region. The band synthesizer reconstructs a digital image signal.

Abstract: A characteristic amount is retained and calculated from an entered video signal. Embedment intensity is retained and calculated from the retained characteristic amount. Embedment information is embedded as digital watermarks into the entered video signal in accordance with the retained embedment intensity of the previous frame or field that is located at a position earlier in time than a target image subject to digital watermark embedment. As a result, an output signal of video having the digital watermarks embedded therein is produced. The digital watermarks are embedded into the target image with reference to another image located at a position earlier in time than the target image. Such digital watermark embedment suppresses a delay in output of an output image with reference to an input image.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a simple apparatus for and a simple method of embedding and extracting digital information with little clue to a third party as to embedded digital information with less effort, and the embedded information is securely reconstructed thereby. To embed digital information, a band division portion receives a digital image signal, and then divides the same into ten frequency band signals through discrete wavelet transform so as to compute wavelet coefficients. A mapping portion maps inherent digital information to a pseudo-random number string. An information embedding portion embeds the mapped pseudo-random number string in a string structured by every or some of the computed wavelet coefficients in MRR (signals exclusive of an LL3 signal). A band synthesis portion synthesizes the embedded LL3 digital image signal.

Abstract: An input image is divided into local regions, each of which is formed by a macro block. Embedment intensity is determined for each of the local regions using a calculated characteristic amount and a compression bit rate. Digital watermarks are embedded at the determined embedment intensity into the input image at each of the local regions thereof. The input image is encoded, thereby providing a compressed bit stream that has the digital watermarks embedded therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for embedding information in a signal includes a band dividing device, a block divider, a quantization portion, a signal replacement portion, a mean difference addition portion, a mean calculation portion, and a band synthesis portion. The band dividing device divides the signal into transform coefficients over a plurality of frequency bands. The block divider divides one frequency band into a plurality of blocks in accordance with a previously determined block size. The quantization portion calculates for each block, a mean value M of the transform coefficients in the block, and subjects the mean value M to linear quantization, using a previously determined quantization step-size Q to calculate a quantization value. The signal replacement portion replaces the quantization value for each block, on the basis of the quantization value and the value of the information to be embedded.