Abstract: Provided is an FIR filter capable of obtaining predetermined characteristics with a small number of input taps, delay circuits, and multipliers and achieving an improved response and low cost. In a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a high-pass filter based on an FIR filter, a basic filter is configured that gives a basic impulse response function and has a filter coefficient determined from the impulse response function. Filters having different frequency characteristics are configured by changing the time scale or frequency scale of the basic filter. These filters having different frequency characteristics are combined in a cascade form or a step form, thereby constructing an FIR filter having a small number of taps.

Abstract: When encoding an audio signal, it is possible to efficiently encode the audio signal while maintaining high register signal components, and prevent deterioration of sound quality of decoded signal. A digital audio signal is divided into a plurality of frequency bands. The digital audio signal having been divided into each band is function-approximated for each divided band. Further, parameters of function having been function-approximated are encoded. When performing decoding process, parameters of the function of each band are used to perform function interpolation, synthesize the function-interpolated signal of each band interpolated, and decode the signal. Thus, when function-approximating each band, by suitably setting the function equation, it is possible to perform an encoding process while maintaining the high register components and perform a compression-coding process which enables reproduction with very good sound quality.

Abstract: There is provided a sound processing apparatus and a sound processing method which are capable of reproducing discrete data with a high-quality sound matching users' preferences. In a sound processing means 2, since an interpolation value reflecting a value of a variable parameter ? by which the value of a control sampling function c0(t) is multiplied can be calculated, an analog signal obtained through the interpolation performed in a sampling function sN(t) can be regulated in accordance with the variable parameter ? by changing the value of the variable parameter ?. In this way, by allowing the user to appropriately change the variable parameter ? in accordance with various conditions including music reproduction environments, sound sources, musical tones and so on, it becomes possible to reproduce high-quality-sound music in which its frequency characteristics of the analog signal have changed and a high quality desired by the user is obtained.

Abstract: It is possible to provide an image processing device, a method, and a program which can prevent image degradation which occurs when modifying the image magnification. The image processing device includes: an image input unit (10) which performs an image input; an edge direction calculation unit (24) which detects the edge direction contained in an image inputted by the image input unit (10); and an interpolation position decision unit (26), an interpolation object pixel decision unit (28), a first direction interpolation unit (30), and a second direction interpolation unit (32) which perform an interpolation process in the edge direction detected by the edge direction calculation unit (24) on the image inputted by the image input unit (10).

Abstract: There is provided a sound processing apparatus and a sound processing method which are capable of reproducing discrete data with a high-quality sound matching users' preferences. In a sound processing means 2, since an interpolation value reflecting a value of a variable parameter ? by which the value of a control sampling function c0(t) is multiplied can be calculated, an analog signal obtained through the interpolation performed in a sampling function sN(t) can be regulated in accordance with the variable parameter ? by changing the value of the variable parameter ?. In this way, by allowing the user to appropriately change the variable parameter ? in accordance with various conditions including music reproduction environments, sound sources, musical tones and so on, it becomes possible to reproduce high-quality-sound music in which its frequency characteristics of the analog signal have changed and a high quality desired by the user is obtained.

Abstract: It is possible to provide an image processing device, a method, and a program which can prevent image degradation which occurs when modifying the image magnification. The image processing device includes: an image input unit (10) which performs an image input; an edge direction calculation unit (24) which detects the edge direction contained in an image inputted by the image input unit (10); and an interpolation position decision unit (26), an interpolation object pixel decision unit (28), a first direction interpolation unit (30), and a second direction interpolation unit (32) which perform an interpolation process in the edge direction detected by the edge direction calculation unit (24) on the image inputted by the image input unit (10).

Abstract: A reverse filter operates for adding noise n(x,y) to an output of a deteriorated model of a blurring function H(x,y) to output an observed model g(x,y). The blurring function inputs a true picture f(x,y) to output a deteriorated picture. The reverse filter recursively optimizes the blurring function H(x,y) so that the input picture signal will be coincident with the observed picture. In this manner, the reverse filter extracts a true picture signal. A corresponding point is estimated, based on a fluency theory, on the true input picture signal freed of noise contained in it by the reverse filter (20). The motion information of a picture is expressed in the form of a function. A plurality of signal spaces is selected by an encoder for compression (30) for the input picture signal. The picture information is expressed by a function from one selected signal space to another.

Abstract: For each of a plural number of pixels in a reference frame, a corresponding point estimation unit (2) estimates a corresponding point in each of a plural number of picture frames differing in time. A first gray scale value generation unit (3) finds the gray scale value of each pixel from the gray scale values of the neighboring pixels for each corresponding point in each picture frame estimated. A second gray scale value generation unit (4) approximates the gray level of a locus of corresponding points, by a fluency function, from the gray scale values of the corresponding points at each picture frame estimated to find each gray scale value of the corresponding point in the picture frame for interpolation from the above function. From the gray scale value of each corresponding point in the frame for interpolation, a third gray scale value generation unit (5) generates a gray scale value of each pixel in the picture frame for interpolation.

Abstract: A signal processing device and a signal processing method are provided which can reproduce a smooth signal in the reproduction of a discrete signal having a non-uniform sample point interval. The device includes a coefficient calculation unit 4 that inputs a sample point signal E2 representative of the time of a sample point of a discrete signal E1 having a non-uniform sample point interval to obtain a coefficient of a sampling function corresponding to the discrete signal, and a reproduction signal calculation unit 5 that obtains a continuous reproduction signal E3 by calculating and outputting a function value within the sample point interval from the discrete signal and the value of the coefficient outputted by the coefficient calculation unit.

Abstract: Provided is an FIR filter capable of obtaining predetermined characteristics with a small number of input taps, delay circuits, and multipliers and achieving an improved response and low cost. In a low-pass filter, a band-pass filter, and a high-pass filter based on an FIR filter, a basic filter is configured that gives a basic impulse response function and has a filter coefficient determined from the impulse response function. Filters having different frequency characteristics are configured by changing the time scale or frequency scale of the basic filter. These filters having different frequency characteristics are combined in a cascade form or a step form, thereby constructing an FIR filter having a small number of taps.

Abstract: When encoding an audio signal, it is possible to efficiently encode the audio signal while maintaining high register signal components, and prevent deterioration of sound quality of decoded signal. A digital audio signal is divided into a plurality of frequency bands. The digital audio signal having been divided into each band is function-approximated for each divided band. Further, parameters of function having been function-approximated are encoded. When performing decoding process, parameters of the function of each band are used to perform function interpolation, synthesize the function-interpolated signal of each band interpolated, and decode the signal. Thus, when function-approximating each band, by suitably setting the function equation, it is possible to perform an encoding process while maintaining the high register components and perform a compression-coding process which enables reproduction with very good sound quality.

Abstract: There is provided a sound processing apparatus and a sound processing method which are capable of reproducing discrete data with a high-quality sound matching users' preferences. In a sound processing means 2, since an interpolation value reflecting a value of a variable parameter ? by which the value of a control sampling function c0(t) is multiplied can be calculated, an analog signal obtained through the interpolation performed in a sampling function sN(t) can be regulated in accordance with the variable parameter ? by changing the value of the variable parameter ?. In this way, by allowing the user to appropriately change the variable parameter ? in accordance with various conditions including music reproduction environments, sound sources, musical tones and so on, it becomes possible to reproduce high-quality-sound music in which its frequency characteristics of the analog signal have changed and a high quality desired by the user is obtained.

Abstract: A signal processing device which outputs a discrete signal composed of a string of the sampling values and parameters m signal. The signal processing device includes a sampling circuit which samples an input signal and outputs a discrete signal, multiple function generators which generate multiple sampling functions with parameters m different from each other, plural inner product operating units for each of parameters m that take an inner product between the input signal and each of plural sampling functions and output an inner product operating value, and a judging unit which determines parameter m providing a minimum error out of multiple errors composed of differences between the sampling value and inner product operating values output from the multiple inner product operating units and outputs the parameters m signal.

Abstract: A signal processing device which outputs a discrete signal composed of a string of the sampling values and parameters m signal. The signal processing device includes a sampling circuit which samples an input signal and outputs a discrete signal, multiple function generators which generate multiple sampling functions with parameters m different from each other, plural inner product operating units for each of parameters m that take an inner product between the input signal and each of plural sampling functions and output an inner product operating value, and a judging unit which determines parameter m providing a minimum error out of multiple errors composed of differences between the sampling value and inner product operating values output from the multiple inner product operating units and outputs the parameters m signal.

Abstract: A signal processing device which outputs a discrete signal composed of a string of the sampling values and parameters m signal. The signal processing device includes a sampling circuit which samples an input signal and outputs a discrete signal, multiple function generators which generate multiple sampling functions with parameters m different from each other, plural inner product operating units for each of parameters m that take an inner product between the input signal and each of plural sampling functions and output an inner product operating value, and a judging unit which determines parameter m providing a minimum error out of multiple errors composed of differences between the sampling value and inner product operating values output from the multiple inner product operating units and outputs the parameters.

Abstract: A signal processing device which outputs a discrete signal composed of a string of the sampling values and parameters m signal. The signal processing device includes a sampling circuit which samples an input signal and outputs a discrete signal, multiple function generators which generate multiple sampling functions with parameters m different from each other, plural inner product operating units for each of parameters m that take an inner product between the input signal and each of plural sampling functions and output an inner product operating value, and a judging unit which determines parameter m providing a minimum error out of multiple errors composed of differences between the sampling value and inner product operating values output from the multiple inner product operating units and outputs the parameters m signal.

Abstract: A signal processing device which outputs a discrete signal composed of a string of the sampling values and parameters m signal. The signal processing device includes a sampling circuit which samples an input signal and outputs a discrete signal, multiple function generators which generate multiple sampling functions with parameters m different from each other, plural inner product operating units for each of parameters m that take an inner product between the input signal and each of plural sampling functions and output an inner product operating value, and a judging unit which determines parameter m providing a minimum error out of multiple errors composed of differences between the sampling value and inner product operating values output from the multiple inner product operating units and outputs the parameters m signal.

Abstract: A signal processing device and a signal processing method are provided which can reproduce a smooth signal in the reproduction of a discrete signal having a non-uniform sample point interval. The device includes a coefficient calculation unit 4 that inputs a sample point signal E2 representative of the time of a sample point of a discrete signal E1 having a non-uniform sample point interval to obtain a coefficient of a sampling function corresponding to the discrete signal, and a reproduction signal calculation unit 5 that obtains a continuous reproduction signal E3 by calculating and outputting a function value within the sample point interval from the discrete signal and the value of the coefficient outputted by the coefficient calculation unit.

Abstract: There is provided a new signal processing device that uses functions appropriate to signal properties to acquire high-quality signals. The signal processing device includes a sampling circuit 2 that samples an input signal and outputs a discrete signal, multiple function generators 3 that generate multiple sampling functions with parameters m different from each other, plural inner product operating units 4 for each of the parameters m that take an inner product between the input signal and each of plural sampling functions and output an inner product operating value, and a judging unit 8 that determines parameter m providing a minimum error out of multiple errors composed of differences between the sampling value and inner product operating values output from the multiple inner product operating units and outputs the parameter m signal. The signal processing device outputs a discrete signal composed of a string of the sampling values and the parameter m signal.

Abstract: An image processing circuit capable of carrying out high-speed processing and improving the horizontal and vertical resolutions even with its simple structure. The pixel values a to i of a total of nine pixels, three pixels in the horizontal direction along a scanning line by three pixels in the vertical direction in which the line and adjacent lines are abreast, are extracted by a pixel value extracting section. The pixel values A1 to A4 of four pixels Q1 to Q4 generated additionally around the center pixel P5 are determined by calculation by a pixel value calculation section. These pixel values are outputted in units of one scanning line by correlating them with two scanning lines by a pixel value output section.