Abstract: A communication conference system that enables users who have only a connecting unit via a telephone line network and users who have only an IP connecting unit to hold a talk session mutually without a need of an expensive dedicated conference server is provided. A talk session device 1 includes a network processing portion for transmitting/receiving voice information to/from other equipments via IP, and a terminal for inputting/outputting a voice signal. The talk session device 1 is connected to a handset terminal of a telephone 3 via an adaptor 2 that converts the standards (mainly a level) of the voice signal. The talk session device 1 is connected to other talk session devices via IP, and is connected to other telephones by a telephone line via the telephone 3. Accordingly, a user serving as a destination of the IP and a user serving as a destination of the telephone line are connected mutually.

Abstract: A teleconferencing apparatus includes the functions of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit and the transmitting unit transmits a sound signal formed from sound pick-up signals of a microphone array made up of microphones Mi (i=1 to N) and position information. The position information is provided by forming a plurality of sound pick-up beams directed in a specific direction and selecting the sound pick-up beam with the largest volume. In the receiving unit, a parameter calculation section sets a virtual sound source based on data of a reception signal and sets a delay parameter. A virtual sound source generation signal processing section forms a sound emission beam based on the parameters and outputs the beam to a loudspeaker SPi.

Abstract: A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus includes: a device body; a speaker array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed speaker units; and a microphone array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed microphones. By thus integrating the speaker array and the microphone array, it is possible to improve the operability of a user, to acquaint the user relatively easily with the error in the set position and to make the device compact.

Abstract: A light-emission responder can respond to input of sound, realizes versatility of response, and can be applied to various use forms. A microphone (110) converts a sound wave into an electric signal. An amplifying section (111) amplifies the electric signal and outputs it to an AGC section (112). The AGC section (112) adjusts the amplitude of the electric signal output from the amplifying section (111). A filter section (113) outputs an electric signal in a frequency band f1 out of the amplitude-adjusted electric signal to a comparing section (114). The comparing section (114) compares the input electric signal with a reference signal. If the voltage of the electric signal passing through the filter section (113) is higher than the reference voltage, the comparing section (114) outputs a signal “H”. When a signal “H” is output from the comparing section (114), a drive section (115) allows a light-emitting element (120) to emit light.

Abstract: A light-emission responder can respond to input of sound, realizes versatility of response, and can be applied to various use forms. A microphone (110) converts a sound wave into an electric signal. An amplifying section (111) amplifies the electric signal and outputs it to an AGC section (112). The AGC section (112) adjusts the amplitude of the electric signal output from the amplifying section (111). A filter section (113) outputs an electric signal in a frequency band f1 out of the amplitude-adjusted electric signal to a comparing section (114). The comparing section (114) compares the input electric signal with a reference signal. If the voltage of the electric signal passing through the filter section (113) is higher than the reference voltage, the comparing section (114) outputs a signal “H”. When a signal “H” is output from the comparing section (114), a drive section (115) allows a light-emitting element (120) to emit light.

Abstract: A voice signal transmitting/receiving apparatus includes: a device body; a speaker array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed speaker units; and a microphone array arranged in the device body and including a plurality of arrayed microphones. By thus integrating the speaker array and the microphone array, it is possible to improve the operability of a user, to acquaint the user relatively easily with the error in the set position and to make the device compact.

Abstract: An optical disc has a wobble pregroove which continues in a circumferential direction of the optical disc and wobbles in a radial direction of the optical disc such that the wobble pregroove meanders around a mean center line of meandering. Information recording process is performed by the steps of irradiating an optical beam along the wobble pregroove to form pits, thereby recording information in the form of the pits, and controlling the recording of the information in accordance with a radial distance of the wobble pregroove relative to the mean center line of meandering. Information reproducing process is performed by the steps of irradiating an optical beam along the wobble pregroove to optically detect pits which are formed along the wobble pregroove, thereby reproducing information in the form of the detected pits, and controlling the reproducing of the information in accordance with a radial distance of the wobble pregroove relative to the mean center line of meandering.

Abstract: An optical disk recording apparatus is designed for forming pits on a recording surface of an optical disk of a given type at a given recording speed by applying a laser light in the form of a sequence of multiple pulses obtained by intermittently turning on and off the laser light according to a given multi-pulse pattern. In the apparatus, a write strategy circuit is set with a pattern table and controls the turning on and off of the laser light according to a multi-pulse pattern selected from the pattern table in correspondence to a length of the pit to be formed. A storage section stores a plurality of pattern tables of different kinds, each pattern table containing a plurality of multi-pulse patterns corresponding to a plurality of lengths of the pit. A control section selects one of the pattern tables based on either of the recording speed and the type of the optical disk, and reads out the selected pattern table from the storage section and sets the read pattern table in the write strategy circuit.

Abstract: A communication conference system that enables users who have only a connecting unit via a telephone line network and users who have only an IP connecting unit to hold a talk session mutually without a need of an expensive dedicated conference server is provided. A talk session device 1 includes a network processing portion for transmitting/receiving voice information to/from other equipments via IP, and a terminal for inputting/outputting a voice signal. The talk session device 1 is connected to a handset terminal of a telephone 3 via an adaptor 2 that converts the standards (mainly a level) of the voice signal. The talk session device 1 is connected to other talk session devices via IP, and is connected to other telephones by a telephone line via the telephone 3. Accordingly, a user serving as a destination of the IP and a user serving as a destination of the telephone line are connected mutually.

Abstract: A teleconferencing apparatus includes the functions of a transmitting unit and a receiving unit and the transmitting unit transmits a sound signal formed from sound pick-up signals of a microphone array made up of microphones Mi (i=1 to N) and position information. The position information is provided by forming a plurality of sound pick-up beams directed in a specific direction and selecting the sound pick-up beam with the largest volume. In the receiving unit, a parameter calculation section sets a virtual sound source based on data of a reception signal and sets a delay parameter. A virtual sound source generation signal processing section forms a sound emission beam based on the parameters and outputs the beam to a loudspeaker SPi.

Abstract: A control unit gives acoustic environment instruction data to a picked up sound directionality control unit and an adaptive filter. According to this, the picked up sound directionality control unit generates a picked up sound signal constituted by a predetermined picked up sound directionality. The adaptive filter detects the picked up sound directionality from the acoustic environment instruction data, and reads out the filter parameter corresponding to this picked up sound directionality, from a memory. The adaptive filter sets a delay coefficient and a filter coefficient of an FIR filter, and generates a pseudo echo signal by an impulse response with respect to the received sound signal. Based on an error signal obtained by subtracting the pseudo echo signal from the picked up sound signal by an adder, the adaptive filter sets a more optimum filter parameter, and generates the next pseudo echo signal.

Abstract: An optical recording method is designed for recording data on a recordable optical disk by use of a laser beam of a present recording apparatus under a desired recording condition. The method detects identification information which is reserved in the optical disk and which is indicative of a type of a previous recording apparatus. The detected identification information is compared with a plurality of identification information which are previously stored in correspondence to various types of recording apparatuses. As results of the comparison, the method determines whether the detected identification information matches with one of the stored identification information which does not correspond to the type of the present recording apparatus. Upon the determining of matching, the method retrieves a recording condition which is previously stored in association with the matching identification information.

Abstract: A strategy process used for recording data on an optical disk is also used during DC erase is performed. Effects similar to those obtained in the case, in which a high frequency signal is superposed on a laser diode output current during the DC erase, can be obtained by performing the strategy process on the laser diode output current during the DC erase. This eliminates the necessity for generating high-level and high-frequency signals. Consequently, an apparatus can be constructed at low cost.

Abstract: Information indicative of disk-applicable recording speeds is incorporated in lead-out start time information within ATIP information that is recorded in pre-grooves located in a lead-in area of an optical disk. Once the optical disk is inserted in an optical disk recording device, the lead-out start time information is read out, so that recording is performed on the optical disk after a recording speed is automatically set to a highest settable speed value within a range specified by the read-out lead-out start time information. This arrangement can reliably prevent recording at speeds beyond predetermined limit values unique to the optical disk.

Abstract: An optical disk has a central axis and a major face extending in a radial direction from the central axis. The optical disk is rotatable around the central axis at an angular velocity and is formed with a recording layer on the major face. The recording layer is optically recordable with information and is formed with a track area containing tracks which are arranged at a predetermined track pitch in the radial direction and which are accessable by an optical beam to read or write information while the tracks move at a linear velocity relative to the optical beam. The recording layer is preliminarily recorded with control information indicative of the predetermined track pitch and/or either of a predetermined linear velocity of the tracks or a predetermined angular velocity of the disk. The control information is readily readable from the recording layer to facilitate the accessing of the tracks by the optical beam.

Abstract: An optical disk recording apparatus operates on an optical disk having circular tracks which are provisionally written with an index signal used for securing a constant linear velocity of the optical disk from an innermost circular track to an outermost circular track, and records data along the circular tracks at different linear densities on different annular zones of the optical disk. In the apparatus, a disk drive section rotates the optical disk while synchronizing the index signal successively read from the rotated optical disk with a predetermined reference clock signal to thereby maintain the constant linear velocity of the circular tracks. A clock generating section multiples or divides the reference clock signal by different rates to generate different writing clock signals in correspondence to the different annular zones of the optical disk.

Abstract: In an optical recording apparatus having an optical pickup, a rotating section is provided for rotating an optical disk which is formed thereon with a guide groove to define a spiral track having a plurality of rounds. The optical pickup has a light source for generating an optical beam and a diffractive grating for diffracting the optical beam to form a main beam and a pair of sub beams opposite with each other relative to the main beam. The optical pickup is operable for irradiating the main beam to the spiral track with accompanying the pair of the sub beams along apposite sides of the spiral track. A servo section operates the optical pickup to enable the main beam to trace the spiral track based on a tracking error signal derived from return lights of the sub beams reflected back from the optical disk. A recording section modulates the main beam for recording of information onto the spiral track while the optical dick is rotated.

Abstract: Information indicative of disk-applicable recording speeds is incorporated in lead-out start time information within ATIP information that is recorded in pre-grooves located in a lead-in area of an optical disk. Once the optical disk is inserted in an optical disk recording device, the lead-out start time information is read out, so that recording is performed on the optical disk after a recording speed is automatically set to a highest settable speed value within a range specified by the read-out lead-out start time information. This arrangement can reliably prevent recording at speeds beyond predetermined limit values unique to the optical disk.

Abstract: An optical disk recording apparatus operates on an optical disk having circular tracks which are provisionally written with an index signal used for securing a constant linear velocity of the optical disk from an innermost circular track to an outermost circular track, and records data along the circular tracks at different linear densities on different annular zones of the optical disk. In the apparatus, a disk drive section rotates the optical disk while synchronizing the index signal successively read from the rotated optical disk with a predetermined reference clock signal to thereby maintain the constant linear velocity of the circular tracks. A clock generating section multiplies or divides the reference clock signal by different rates to generate different writing clock signals in correspondence to the different annular zones of the optical disk.

Abstract: An optical disc has a wobble pregroove which continues in a circumferential direction of the optical disc and wobbles in a radial direction of the optical disc such that the wobble pregroove meanders around a mean center line of meandering. Information recording process is performed by the steps of irradiating an optical beam along the wobble pregroove to form pits, thereby recording information in the form of the pits, and controlling the recording of the information in accordance with a radial distance of the wobble pregroove relative to the mean center line of meandering. Information reproducing process is performed by the steps of irradiating an optical beam along the wobble pregroove to optically detect pits which are formed along the wobble pregroove, thereby reproducing information in the form of the detected pits, and controlling the reproducing of the information in accordance with a radial distance of the wobble pregroove relative to the mean center line of meandering.