Abstract: Disclosed are a vector quantization device and others capable of adaptively adjusting a vector space of a code vector for quantization of a second stage by using a quantization result of a first stage and improving the quantization accuracy.

Abstract: An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a sheet feeding apparatus. The system includes: a first conveying unit conveying to the image forming apparatus a recording material; a second conveying unit conveying to an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus the recording material; a detector detecting a recording material type while the second conveying unit halts conveying the recording material; a first controller, based on detection by the detector, determining a speed for conveying the recording material to the image forming unit, and conveying the recording material at the conveying speed; and a second controller controlling recording material conveying speeds of the first conveying unit. Before the recording material reaches the second conveying unit, the second controller maintains a first conveying speed, and after the recording material reaches the second convey unit, maintains a second conveying speed determined by the first control unit.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a surface-treated steel sheet which contains no Cr, which is excellent in wet resin adhesion, and which can be used as an alternative to a conventional tin-free steel sheet and to provide a resin-coated steel sheet produced by coating the surface-treated steel sheet with resin. A surface-treated steel sheet including an adhesive layer which is disposed on at least one surface of the steel sheet and which contains Ti and at least one selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe, Ni, V, Cu, Mn, and Zn, the ratio of the total amount of Co, Fe, Ni, V, Cu, Mn, and Zn to the amount of Ti contained therein being 0.01 to ten on a mass basis, and a method for producing the surface-treated steel sheet.

Abstract: There is disclosed an audio encoding device capable of realizing effective encoding while using audio encoding of the CELP method in an extended layer when hierarchically encoding an audio signal. In this device, a first encoding section (115) subjects an input signal (S11) to audio encoding processing of the CELP method and outputs the obtained first encoded information (S12) to a parameter decoding section (120). The parameter decoding section (120) acquires a first quantization LSP code (L1), a first adaptive excitation lag code (A1), and the like from the first encoded information (S12), obtains a first parameter group (S13) from these codes, and outputs it to a second encoding section (130). The second encoding section (130) subjects the input signal (S11) to a second encoding processing by using the first parameter group (S13) and obtains second encoded information (S14).

Abstract: Disclosed is a vector quantizer capable of improving the quantization accuracy of vector quantization to switch over the codebook of the vector quantization of a first stage depending on the type of feature having a correlation with a vector to be quantized. In the quantizer, a classifier (101) selects a classification code vector indicating the type of feature having the correlation with the vector to be quantized from a plurality of classification code vectors. A switch (102) selects a first codebook corresponding to the type from a plurality of first codebooks. An error minimizing section (105) selects a first code vector closest to the vector to be quantized from a plurality of first code vectors constituting the selected first codebook. An additivity factor determining section (106) selects an additivity factor vector corresponding to the type from a plurality of additivity factor vectors.

Abstract: Disclosed is a vector quantizer in which, in multistage vector quantization, the vector quantization of the following stage can be performed adaptively to the result of the vector quantization of the preceding stage to improve the accuracy of the quantization at less calculation amount and bit rate.

Abstract: An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a sheet feeding apparatus. The system includes: a first conveying unit conveying to the image forming apparatus a recording material; a second conveying unit conveying to an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus the recording material; a detector detecting a recording material type while the second conveying unit halts conveying the recording material; a first controller, based on detection by the detector, determining a speed for conveying the recording material to the image forming unit, and conveying the recording material at the conveying speed; and a second controller controlling recording material conveying speeds of the first conveying unit. Before the recording material reaches the second conveying unit, the second controller maintains a first conveying speed, and after the recording material reaches the second convey unit, maintains a second conveying speed determined by the first control unit.

Abstract: A method for analyzing a metallic material includes the steps of electrolyzing a metal sample in an electrolyte; removing the electrolyzed metal sample from the electrolyte; immersing the metal sample removed from the electrolyte into a dispersive solution that is different from the electrolyte to separate at least one selected from the group consisting of a precipitate and an inclusion deposited on the metal sample; and analyzing the at least one selected from the group consisting of a precipitate and an inclusion extracted into the dispersive solution.

Abstract: It is an object to disclose an adaptive sound source vector quantizing device, etc. that can be configured to improve quantizing accuracy in adaptive sound source vector quantization to be carried out for every sub-frame.

Abstract: There are provided an iron composition including a milk protein and an iron preparation, which is stable in the presence of a substance having a property of releasing iron from the composition or reducing the released iron, and foods or drinks, animal feeds, and medicines blended with the iron composition. A milk protein such as skim milk is blended into an iron preparation, thereby producing the iron composition which is stable in the presence of a substance having a property of releasing iron from the composition or reducing the released iron (e.g., vitamin C or citric acid).

Abstract: An optical disk device includes an optical pick-up module including a rotating portion rotating an optical disk; a carriage mounting at least a light source and being provided movably within the optical pick-up module; and a cover having an opening formed thereon, a light being radiated from the light source through the opening toward the outside of the cover; and a tray supporting the optical pick-up module. The tray includes an optical disk attachment region portion opposed to the optical disk and an outside portion provided on an outside of the optical disk attachment region portion. The outside portion has a ledge along its portion adjacent to the circular perimeter of the optical disk.

Abstract: A speech coding apparatus includes a base layer coder that codes an input signal and generates first coded information. A base layer decoder decodes the first coded information and generates a first decoded signal. The base layer decoder also generates long term prediction information comprising information representing long term correlation of speech or sound. An adder obtains a residual signal representing a difference between the input signal and the first decoded signal. An enhancement layer coder calculates a long term prediction coefficient using the residual signal obtained in the adder and a long term prediction signal fetched from a previous long term prediction signal sequence based on the long term prediction information. The enhancement layer coder further codes the long term prediction coefficient and generates second coded information.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adaptive sound source vector quantization device capable of reducing deviation of the quantization accuracy of the adaptive sound source vector quantization of each sub-frame when performing an adaptive sound source vector quantization in a sub-frame unit by using a greater information amount in a first sub-frame than in a second sub-frame.

Abstract: A voice and musical tone coding apparatus is provided that can perform high-quality coding by executing vector quantization taking the characteristics of human hearing into consideration. In this voice and musical tone coding apparatus, a quadrature transformation processing section (201) converts a voice and musical tone signal from time components to frequency components. An auditory masking characteristic value calculation section (203) finds an auditory masking characteristic value from a voice and musical tone signal. A vector quantization section (202) performs vector quantization changing a calculation method of a distance between a code vector found from a preset codebook and a frequency component based on an auditory masking characteristic value.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adaptive sound source vector quantization device capable of improving quantization accuracy of adaptive sound source vector quantization while suppressing increase of the calculation amount in CELP sound encoding which performs encoding in sub-frame unit.

Abstract: Provided is an adaptive sound source vector quantization device which can always perform a pitch cycle search with a resolution appropriate for any section of the pitch cycle search range of a second sub-frame when a pitch cycle search range of the second sub-frame changes in accordance with a pitch cycle of a first sub-frame. The device includes a first pitch cycle instruction unit (111), a search range calculation unit (112), and a second pitch cycle instruction unit (113). The first pitch cycle instruction unit (111) successively instructs pitch cycle search candidates in a predetermined search range having a search resolution which transits over a predetermined pitch cycle candidate for the first sub-frame. The search range calculation unit (112) calculates a predetermined range before and after the pitch cycle of the first sub-frame as the pitch cycle search range for the second sub-frame, if the predetermined range includes the predetermined pitch cycle search candidate.

Abstract: There is provided a communication device for effectively encoding an audio/music signal while maintaining a predetermined quality by controlling the transmission bit rate of the transmission side considering the use environment of the reception side. In this device, a transmission mode decision unit (101) detects an environment noise contained in the background of the audio/music signal in the input signal and decides the transmission mode controlling the transmission bit rate of the signal transmitted from a communication terminal device (150), which is a communication terminal of the partner side, according to the environment noise level. A signal decoding unit (103) decodes encoded information transmitted from the communication terminal device (150) via a transmission path (110) and outputs the obtained signal as an output signal.

Abstract: A signal decoding apparatus preventing substantial noise from being produced when transmission error occurs during decoding of scalable-coded information. In this signal decoding apparatus, a coded information operation section (601) performs error detection for base layer coded information, first enhancement layer coded information and second enhancement layer coded information using transmission error detection bits. A decoding operation control section (602) performs ON/OFF control of control switches (606, 607) in accordance with pattern information indicating error detection results and bit rate patterns, and controls the sampling frequencies of sampling frequency adjustment sections (608, 609). A base layer decoding section (603), first enhancement layer decoding section (604) and second enhancement layer decoding section (605) perform decoding of coded information or frame loss compensation processing, depending on error detection results and bit rates.

Abstract: A vector quantizing device for dividing a sequence of vectors and quantizing them with an enhanced performance of vector quantization by using information on the correlation between the high and low order that the vector sequence has. The vector quantizing device (100) creates a predicted vector by prediction using a first quantization divided vector, creates the difference between the divided vector and the predicted vector as a predicted residual vector, and determines a second code by converting the predicted residual vector into a quantized vector. A vector dequantizing device (150) creates a predated vector by prediction using a first quantization divided vector, creates a second quantization divided vector by adding the predicted vector and the predicted residual vector, and creates a quantized vector by connecting the first and second quantization divided vectors.

Abstract: At step S301, since none of conveyance sensors 114, 116 and 121 detect residual paper, a CPU 203 notifies a CPU 201 that it is in a residual paper check start instruction waiting mode. At step S302, since a conveying path sensor 111 in an optional paper feed unit 101 does not detect residual paper, the CPU 202 notifies the CPU 201 that it is in a residual paper check start instruction waiting mode. At step S303, since an inlet sensor 122 of an optional paper output unit 103 does not detect residual paper, the CPU 204 notifies the CPU 201 that it is in a residual paper check start instruction waiting mode. After confirming that all the units are in the waiting mode, the CPU 201 issues a residual paper check start instruction to all the units simultaneously to improve usability by reducing initializing time.