Abstract: An audio reproducing apparatus has a correction coefficient holding means (6) for holding at least one set of correction coefficients (K0) based on an inverse characteristic (H0) of a transfer characteristic from a speaker means (10) to a listening position (13). The correction coefficients are derived by convolution of an arbitrary transfer characteristic (H00) and the inverse characteristic (H0). The correction coefficients (K0) held by the correction coefficient holding means (6) are convolved with the audio signal in the non-recursive digital filter means (5) to generate output. The audio reproducing apparatus can realize an arbitrary acoustic characteristic easily, with a simple structure. Not just high fidelity audio reproduction, but also recreation of intended sound quality is enabled.

Abstract: When a vehicle navigation system is manipulated by taking pictures of a user hand motion and gesture with a camera, as the number of apparatuses and operational objects increases, the associated hand shapes and hand motions increase, thus causing a complex manipulation for a user. Furthermore, in detecting a hand with the camera, when the image of a face having color tone information similar to that of a hand appears in an image taken with a camera, or outside light rays such as sun rays or illumination rays vary, detection accuracy is reduced. To overcome such problems, a manipulation input device is provided that includes a limited hand manipulation determination unit and a menu representation unit, whereby a simple manipulation can be achieved and manipulation can accurately be determined. In addition, detection accuracy can be improved by a unit that selects a single result from results determined by a plurality of determination units, based on images taken with a plurality of cameras.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a method of efficiently detecting music scenes from television broadcasts. A music-segment detection method according to the present invention includes a data input step of inputting data including an audio and video signals; a plurality of candidate-music-segment detection steps of detecting candidate music-segments from the audio signal based on criteria different from each other; and a music-segment detection step of detecting a music segment based on the plurality of detected candidate music-segments. Thereby, high detection accuracy can be ensured for a wide variety of music with various tones, such as rock, popular ballad, and classic.

Abstract: There are provided with a video recording apparatus and a scene change extraction method, by which a scene change can be extracted from a video while recording the video. The video recording apparatus 100 includes an encoder 101 for encoding video data PIN, an HDD 105 for storing an encoded stream outputted from the encoder 101, a stream controller 103 for transferring the encoded stream outputted from the encoder 101 to the HDD 105, a scene change extractor 110 for decoding the encoded stream outputted from the encoder 101 and extracting a scene change in the decoded video data, and a recording controller 102 for receiving an encoding-completion notification IEN on a unit-of-encoding basis of the encoded stream from the encoder 101 and outputting a scene change extraction instruction CSC to the scene change extractor 110.

Abstract: A computer implemented method detects scene boundaries in videos by first extracting feature vectors from videos of different genres. The feature vectors are then classified as scene boundaries using a support vector machine. The support vector machine is trained to be independent of the different genres of the videos.

Abstract: A system and method summarizes multimedia stored in a compressed multimedia file partitioned into a sequence of segments, where the content of the multimedia is, for example, video signals, audio signals, text, and binary data. An associated metadata file includes index information and an importance level for each segment. The importance information is continuous over as closed interval. An importance level threshold is selected in the closed interval, and only segments of the multimedia having a particular importance level greater than the importance level threshold are reproduced. The importance level can also be determined for fixed-length windows of multiple segments, or a sliding window. Furthermore, the importance level can be weighted by a factor, such as the audio volume.

Abstract: A method detects events in multimedia. Features are extracted from the multimedia. The features are sampled using a sliding window to obtain samples. A context model is constructed for each sample. The context models form a time series. An affinity matrix is determined from the time series models and a commutative distance metric between each pair of context models. A second generalized eigenvector is determined for the affinity matrix, and the samples are then clustered into events according to the second generalized eigenvector.

Abstract: A broadcast receiver includes a first video signal selector which outputs a video signal of a main-picture; a second video signal selector which outputs a video signal of a sub-picture; a first audio signal selector which outputs an audio signal of the main-picture; a second audio signal selector which outputs an audio signal of the sub-picture; a first video processor which generates a third video signal from the video signals of the main-picture and/or sub-picture; a feature quantity generator which generates a feature quantity of the audio signal of the sub-picture in accordance with a result of comparison between data corresponding to the audio signal of the sub-picture and sound class model data created beforehand; a determination processor which determines a scene as a specified scene; and a controller which controls the whole components in accordance with the specified scene.

Abstract: A recording medium (100) for a reservation of video recording of a program holds encoded compressed video information (1531) related to the program, a reservation set command (331) for setting a reservation of the program, and program attribute information (323) including at least a video recording reservation start date and time. When a viewer makes a selection to set a reservation of video recording while watching a preview video (200) based on the encoded compressed video information of the recording medium in a video recording/reproducing apparatus, the video recording/reproducing apparatus acquires the program attribute information (332) in accordance with the reservation set command (331) in the recording medium (100), thereby setting a reservation of video recording.

Abstract: A method refines labeled training data audio classification of multimedia content. A first set of audio classifiers is trained using labeled audio frames of a training data set having labels corresponding to a set of audio features. Each audio frame of the labeled training data set is classified using the first set of audio classifiers to produce a refined training data set. A second set of audio classifiers is obtained using audio frames of the refined training data set, and highlights are extracted from unlabeled audio frames using the second set of audio classifiers.

Abstract: A method detects events in multimedia. Features are extracted from the multimedia. The features are sampled using a sliding window to obtain samples. A context model is constructed for each sample. The context models form a time series. An affinity matrix is determined from the time series models and a commutative distance metric between each pair of context models. A second generalized eigenvector is determined for the affinity matrix, and the samples are then clustered into events according to the second generalized eigenvector.

Abstract: A system and method summarizes multimedia stored in a compressed multimedia file partitioned into a sequence of segments, where the content of the multimedia is, for example, video signals, audio signals, text, and binary data. An associated metadata file includes index information and an importance level for each segment. The importance information is continuous over as closed interval. An importance level threshold is selected in the closed interval, and only segments of the multimedia having a particular importance level greater than the importance level threshold are reproduced. The importance level can also be determined for fixed-length windows of multiple segments, or a sliding window. Furthermore, the importance level can be weighted by a factor, such as the audio volume.

Abstract: A system and method summarizes multimedia stored in a compressed multimedia file partitioned into a sequence of segments, where the content of the multimedia is, for example, video signals, audio signals, text, and binary data. An associated metadata file includes index information and an importance level for each segment. The importance information is continuous over as closed interval. An importance level threshold is selected in the closed interval, and only segments of the multimedia having a particular importance level greater than the importance level threshold are reproduced.

Abstract: A system and method summarizes multimedia stored in a compressed multimedia file partitioned into a sequence of segments, where the content of the multimedia is, for example, video signals, audio signals, text, and binary data. An associated metadata file includes index information and an importance level for each segment. The importance information is continuous over as closed interval. An importance level threshold is selected in the closed interval, and only segments of the multimedia having a particular importance level greater than the importance level threshold are reproduced. The importance level can also be determined for fixed-length windows of multiple segments, or a sliding window. Furthermore, the importance level can be weighted by a factor, such as the audio volume.

Abstract: A speaker system includes an acoustic horn disposed in a cabinet. The acoustic horn is cone-shaped, is composed of a porous sound absorbing material, and has an aperture for interconnecting a space at the rear of a speaker unit and a space in the acoustic horn. A sound absorbing member or a passive radiator is disposed at the aperture.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a corrugated foamed plastic sheet includes an extruder and a die provided at the extrusion end of the extruder. The die has a plurality of grooves provided on one of its surfaces which make contact with the foamed sheet being produced. The grooves extending from the resin feed inlet toward the resin exit of the die.