Abstract: Provided is a sound collection apparatus, including: a substantially spherical base on which at least N recess portions are provided in a surface thereof with a predetermined interval therebetween; and N microphones. N is an integer of 2 or greater. The microphones are installed on an inner bottom surface side of the recess portions one by one. Intervals between sound collecting portions of adjacent microphones are substantially equal to each other.

Abstract: A conversation support system supports conversation of passengers in an automobile. Seats of at least two or more rows are placed in the automobile, and the conversation support system includes a speech switching control part configured to designate a desired sound pickup and reproduce area based on designation by a first passenger sitting in a first seat, a first target speech emphasizing part configured to output a signal obtained by emphasizing speech emitted from the designated sound pickup and reproduce area to a loud speaker corresponding to the first seat, and a second target speech emphasizing part configured to output the signal obtained by emphasizing speech, which is collected with a microphone corresponding to the first seat and which is emitted from the first seat, to a loud speaker corresponding to the sound pickup and reproduce area.

Abstract: Provided is a sound collection loudspeaker apparatus that makes it possible to intuitively distinguish which talker is talking, and improve the comfort of conversations, when performing in-vehicle conversation and conversations with people outside of a vehicle. The sound collection loudspeaker apparatus is installed in a vehicle. Two or more sound collection and amplification positions are assumed to be present inside the vehicle.

Abstract: A first noise level, which is an estimated value of a magnitude of a noise component included in a first sound collection signal obtained from a first microphone which collects sound emitted from a first sound collection and amplification position is obtained, a second noise level, which is an estimated value of a magnitude of a noise component included in a second sound collection signal obtained from a second microphone which collects sound emitted from a second sound collection and amplification position is obtained, a ratio of a reproduced noisy sound level, which is an estimated value of a magnitude of noise at a position of a passenger at the second sound collection and amplification position in a case where the first noise level is reproduced from a second speaker placed at the second sound collection and amplification position, with respect to a second noisy sound level, which is an estimated value of a magnitude of noise corresponding to the second noise level at the position of the passenger at the

Abstract: Operations are appropriately changed in accordance with the use method. A keyword detection unit 11 generates a keyword detection result indicating a result of detecting an utterance of a predetermined keyword from an input voice. A voice detection unit 12 generates a voice section detection result indicating a result of detecting a voice section from the input voice. A sequential utterance detection unit 13 generates a sequential utterance detection result indicating that a sequential utterance has been made if the keyword detection result indicates that the keyword has been detected and if the voice section detection result indicates that the voice section has been detected.

Abstract: Provided is a sound pickup loudspeaker apparatus that has a mechanism for detecting situations in which sound amplification should not be performed and stopping sound amplification from a speaker. The sound pickup loudspeaker apparatus is installed in a vehicle. At least a sound pickup position and a sound amplification position are assumed to be present in the vehicle.

Abstract: Provided is a sound pickup loudspeaker apparatus which suppresses the influence of feedback produced when adding a speaker while also reducing a sense of unnaturalness in a sound image. The sound pickup loudspeaker apparatus collects a target sound emitted from a first seat in the vehicle, plays back the collected target sound to a listener seated in a second seat in the vehicle from a second sound amplifying device disposed in a direction different from the first seat from the perspective of the listener, and furthermore plays back the collected target sound to the listener from a first sound amplifying device disposed in the same direction as the first seat from the perspective of the listener.

Abstract: An object is to provide a sound collection apparatus capable of collecting a sound with a higher SN rate than before through use of a reflected sound. The sound collection apparatus is installed in a vehicle. The vehicle includes a seat for a passenger to sit on, and a reflective structure that reflects a sound emitted by a passenger sitting in the seat. The sound collection apparatus includes a first microphone arranged at a position where a direct sound that is a sound emitted by the passenger is readily collected, and a second microphone arranged at a position where a reflected sound that is a sound emitted by the passenger and reflected by the reflective structure is readily collected.

Abstract: An acoustic signal is separated based on a difference in the distance from a sound source to a microphone. By using a filter obtained by associating a value corresponding to an estimated value of a short-distance acoustic signal which is obtained by using “a predetermined function” from a second acoustic signal derived from signals collected by “a plurality of microphones” and is emitted from a position close to “the plurality of microphones” with a value corresponding to an estimated value of a long-distance acoustic signal which is emitted from a position far from “the plurality of microphones”, a desired acoustic signal representing at least one of a sound emitted from a position close to “a specific microphone” and a sound emitted from a position far from “the specific microphone” is acquired from a first acoustic signal derived from a signal collected by “the specific microphone”.

Abstract: A howling suppression apparatus includes: an integration processing part that obtains the maximum value among L values corresponding to n-th frames of L i-th signals, for i=1, 2, . . . , L, L being any integer equal to or greater than 2, the L i-th signals being frequency-domain signals obtained from sound signals collected by multiple microphones; and a howling suppression processing part that performs howling suppression processing on at least any of the L i-th signals using the maximum value.

Abstract: A noise estimation parameter learning device is provided according to which even in a large space causing a problem of the reverberation and the time frame difference, multiple microphones disposed at distant positions cooperate with each other, and a spectral subtraction method is executed, thereby allowing the target sound to be enhanced.

Abstract: A voice communication technique by which superior echo canceling can be realized even in use of non-directional microphones is provided.

Abstract: A rolled aluminum alloy material is provided with excellent strength and press workability and with which a poor and patchy appearance is less likely to occur after the alumite treatment. The rolled aluminum alloy material can be utilized for components of a bicycle crank. The rolled aluminum alloy material has a component composition comprising 0.6-1.4 wt % of Mg, 0.3-1.0 wt % of Si, 0.1-0.5 wt % of Cu, 0.02-0.4 wt % of Cr, and 0.1-0.6 wt % of Mn, and Al and inevitable impurities as the remainder.

Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable technique for the evaluation of ischemic conditions. A preferred embodiment is a nuclear medicine measurement protocol in which the administration of a radiopharmaceutical agent and radiation measurement are performed twice at rest and under stress. In the nuclear medicine measurement protocol, radiation collection is performed without radiopharmaceutical agent administration before the second radiopharmaceutical agent administration, and the result is used to correct the nuclear medicine measurement result after the second radiopharmaceutical agent administration.

Abstract: This aluminum alloy plate for bus bars contains Si, Fe, Ti and B respectively in specific amounts, with the balance being made up of Al and unavoidable impurities. With respect to this aluminum alloy plate for bus bars, the number density of intermetallic compounds having maximum lengths of 2 ?m or more is 400-1,500 compounds/mm2 in a cross-section of ¼ of the plate thickness; and the electrical conductivity is 58-62% IACS.

Abstract: Provided is a 5xxx aluminum alloy sheet for forming, which sheet has low elongation anisotropy (in-plane anisotropy) and excellent press formability while having strength maintained at high level. This aluminum alloy sheet is an Al—Mg alloy sheet having a specific chemical composition. In the texture of the sheet, the orientation densities of Brass orientation and S orientation relative to a random orientation are controlled and minimized, where the orientation densities are expressed by orientation distribution functions. This allows the aluminum alloy sheet to have lower elongation anisotropy to thereby have better press formability.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy comprising more than 3.5% and up to 6.0% of Mg, 0.02 to 1.0% inclusive of Cu, 0.02 to 0.1% inclusive of Cr, and a remainder made up by Al and unavoidable impurities, wherein the contents of Si and Fe in the unavoidable impurities are limited to 0.05% or less and 0.05% or less, respectively, and wherein the number of intermetallic compound particles contained in the aluminum alloy and having a maximum length of 4 ?m or more is 50 particles or less per 1 mm2 of an arbitrary cross-sectional area of the aluminum alloy. An aluminum alloy is provided, which has excellent anodic-oxidation-treatability and can be used for providing an anodic-oxidation-treated aluminum alloy member having high withstand voltage properties and such excellent heat resistance that the occurrence of cracking under high temperatures conditions can be prevented.

Abstract: Provided is a highly reliable technique for the evaluation of ischemic conditions. A preferred embodiment is a nuclear medicine measurement protocol in which the administration of a radiopharmaceutical agent and radiation measurement are performed twice at rest and under stress. In the nuclear medicine measurement protocol, radiation collection is performed without radiopharmaceutical agent administration before the second radiopharmaceutical agent administration, and the result is used to correct the nuclear medicine measurement result after the second radiopharmaceutical agent administration.

Abstract: Provided is a novel technique for quantitatively evaluating tracer accumulation for nuclear medicine examinations of the heart. In a preferred embodiment, the radiation count information obtained by myocardial nuclear medicine measurement is normalized using a value relating to the size of the heart. In a preferred embodiment, the pixel value of each pixel of myocardial nuclear medicine image data is converted into standardized uptake values (SUV) capable of being represented by [SUV=Tissue radioactivity concentration/(Administered radiation dose/Value relating to size of heart)]. The value relating to the size of the heart may be a myocardial weight, for example.

Abstract: A signal processing technique the noise suppressing performance of which is more improved than conventional one is provided. A first component extraction unit 14 extracts a non-stationary component ^?S(A)(?, ?) derived from a sound coming from a target area and a stationary component ^?S(B)(?, ?) derived from an incoherent noise from a power spectrum density ^?S(?, ?) of the target area through processing of time average. A second component extraction unit 15 extracts a non-stationary component ^?N(A)(?, ?) derived from an interference noise and a stationary component ^?N(B)(?, ?) derived from an incoherent noise from a power spectrum density ^?N(?, ?) of a noise area.