Abstract: An easy-to-use and user-friendly apparatus is provided that displays motivation for exercise to a user to allow the user to continue comfortably exercising. An audio signal output processor reproduces audio data and a music sound is thus emitted from a loudspeaker. The user practices exercise, such as walking or jogging, in synchronization with the tempo of the music sound. At the start of exercise, an exercise information analyzer calculates an amount of exercise of the user based on personal profile information relating to the body of the user, including the body weight, the body height, age and sex of the user received via a keyboard, and characteristic information, such as play time and tempo of reproduced music data acquired via a communication I/F and a controller. The controller outputs the amount of exercise to a display to notify the user of the amount of exercise.

Abstract: By allowing the movement of a user to affect the playback of content, the entertainment characteristic or uplifting spirits derived from content playback itself can be enhanced. The timing at which the user places his/her foot on the ground while walking or the timing at which the user shakes or changes from swinging in one direction to swinging to another direction is detected. Then, content, such as a music piece or moving pictures, is played back by allowing the timing of beats or bars of the music piece or the timing of scene changes or cut changes of the moving pictures to be synchronized with the timing of the movement of the user.

Abstract: Conditions for starting the playback of the next cut in the middle of the cut of a drama are assumed to be such that, for the first cut, a viewer/listener blinks two times in the detection time zone, and for the second cut, the pupil diameter of the viewer/listener has become 8 mm or more in the detection time zone. The CPU of a playback apparatus determines whether or not the conditions are satisfied when the cut is played back, and when the conditions are satisfied, the playback of the next cut is started even in the middle of the cut. In the case of music, when the rhythm of the respiration of the viewer/listener or the motion of the body is not in tune with the rhythm of the music, the playback of the next music is started even in the middle of the music.

Abstract: An audio signal reproducing apparatus includes a storage unit for storing digital audio data of music pieces each having a tempo corresponding to either a first tempo or a second tempo, the second tempo being different from the first tempo, if a walking tempo of a user is either the first tempo or the second tempo, a reproducing circuit for reproducing the digital audio data, a detecting unit for detecting the walking tempos of the user, a calculating circuit for calculating a change in the walking tempo detected by the detecting unit, and a control circuit for retrieving the digital audio data from the storage unit in accordance with the walking tempo detected by the detecting unit and sending the retrieved digital audio data to the reproducing circuit.

Abstract: Reproducing characteristics of an audio sound are controlled by an audio controller 8 and reproducing characteristics of a video image are controlled by a video controller 11. Whether or not a viewpoint of the user is directed to a display 13 side of a television receiver is detected by a viewpoint detector 14. On the basis of a detection signal from the viewpoint detector 14, a discriminating unit 15 discriminates which of a normal monitoring state, a “while watching” state, and the “concentration” state the present state corresponds to, and generates a control signal to control the reproducing characteristics so as to be adaptive to the state. If it is determined that the present state changes from the “while watching” state to the “concentration” state, a sound volume is reduced and the reproducing characteristics are automatically switched so as not to obstruct the concentration.

Abstract: To enable accurate body motion detection of a user according to the direction of body motion of the user (movement direction) without being affected by the wearing position and wearing direction of the device main unit. A control unit 110 performs computation processing of acceleration vectors which are detection output from a tri-axial acceleration sensor 101, and calculates an acceleration-of-gravity vector. A vertical component included in the acceleration vector is extracted by predetermined computation processing taking into consideration the calculated acceleration-of-gravity vector and the acceleration vector. The vertical direction body motion of the user can be accurately detected by analyzing the vertical component.

Abstract: There is provided a mobile phone that detects bio-information on the user and makes information communications reflecting the detected bio-information. The mobile phone (1) includes sensors (18) that detect bio-information data. The bio-information data detected by the sensors (18) are sent to a sensor data analyzer (19) in which psychology corresponding to the detected bio-information data is analyzed based on bio-information data stored in a psychology memory (20) and psychology of the user. The sensor data analyzer (19) extracts characteristic signal patterns from the bio-information data detected by the sensors (18) and analyzes psychology corresponding to the extracted signal patterns. The psychology includes, for example, “pleased and delightful”, “discouraged”, “excited”, etc. and these states of mind are stored in association with bio-information data in the psychology memory (20).

Abstract: A packaging material of the present invention, which comprises a plate member, packages an object to be packaged by sandwiching the object, and the plate member is provided with an installation portion for the object to be packaged as well as a reinforcing portion.

Abstract: A player apparatus for playing an input signal after band-extending the input signal includes: an extension controller to determine an extension start band for the input signal in accordance with information relating to the input signal; and a band divider to divide the input signal into a plurality of sub-band signals. The frequency band is extended on the basis of a plurality of the sub-band signals on a side lower than the extension start band, among the plurality of sub-band signals into which the input signal is band-divided by the band divider.

Abstract: There is provided a carriage assembly of a hard disk drive where a convex pattern that makes it possible to mount a magnetic head with high precision in parallel on a gimbal is provided on the gimbal and where it is possible to use the same convex pattern regardless of whether a U-shaped pressing member is used or a pressing member shaped like geta teeth is used as the pressing member when mounting the magnetic head on the gimbal, which makes it unnecessary to redesign the convex pattern in accordance with the construction of a magnetic disk and thereby reduces the design cost.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a head assembly improves the attachment position precision of a gimbal and a slider with a head, increases the efficiency of the attachment process, and can be carried out at low cost using small-scale equipment. The method of manufacturing includes an adhesive applying step of applying adhesive onto a gimbal; a slider setting step of setting a slider on the gimbal so that part of the adhesive sticks out from a side surface of the slider; a first hardening step of hardening the part of the adhesive that sticks out from a side surface of the slider; and a second hardening step of hardening a part of the adhesive between the gimbal and the slider.

Abstract: A portable electronic apparatus includes an acceleration detection unit, an evaluation-signal generation unit, and a control unit. The acceleration detection unit is configured to detect an acceleration generated in the portable electronic apparatus. The evaluation-signal generation unit is configured to carry out a predetermined process based on the acceleration detected by the acceleration detection unit in order to generate an evaluation signal representing the amplitude and positive or negative polarity of the acceleration. The control unit is configured to produce a result of determination as to whether or not the portable electronic apparatus has been driven to make a predetermined movement on the basis of the evaluation signal and carrying out a predetermined operation on the basis of the result of determination.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus is disclosed which includes: a main body motion determination device configured to determine whether a predetermined accelerated motion is exerted on a main body of the electronic apparatus in a predetermined axial direction; and a control device configured to control the electronic apparatus to perform a predetermined action based on a pattern of the predetermined accelerated motion determined to occur by the main body motion determination device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mobile telephone capable of successively acquiring bioindices. When plane surface where display screen serving to display guide display for operation and information is provided is caused to be casing front face as a position where bioindices can be successively measured without performing explicit acquiring operation if user uses the mobile telephone by ordinary way of use at the time of operation such as calling or mail input, etc., GSR sensors are provided at the side surface portion of the outer peripheral surface side, the corner portion and/or operation surface of operation input buttons of the telephone. In a non-foldable mobile telephone (1), GSR sensors (50a) are provided at side surface portions (14) of the outer peripheral surface side of the casing, and GSR sensors (50b) are provided at corner portions (15) of the outer peripheral surface side of the casing. Further, GSR sensors (50c) are provided on the operation surfaces of operation input buttons (12).

Abstract: A method of retrieving and selecting content includes the steps of detecting a motion tempo of a user; determining whether a time during which the detected motion tempo is continuously outside a threshold range of the motion tempo corresponding to content being played back exceeds a waiting time that is set or calculated; and retrieving and selecting content suitable for the motion tempo of the user if the motion tempo of the user is outside the threshold range for a time period longer than the waiting time.

Abstract: A playback device includes a storing unit storing a contents database in which contents including at least music and tempo information indicating the tempo of the music are correlated with each other; a playback unit for performing playback of the contents; a tempo measuring unit for measuring an exercise tempo obtained along with the body movements of a user; a searching unit for searching contents from the contents database based on the information of the measured exercise tempo by the tempo measuring unit; and a contents selecting unit for selecting the contents searched by the searching unit as contents to be played by the playback unit.

Abstract: A content reproducing apparatus is disclosed which includes: a sensor; a discrimination circuit configured to discriminate whether a movement of a user is a first movement or a second movement based on a detection output from the sensor; a storage configured to store contents; a reproduction circuit configured to reproduce the contents; and a control circuit configured to supply the reproduction circuit with contents retrieved from the storage in accordance with a discrimination output from the discrimination circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus of playing back an audio signal includes storage means for dividing exercise tempos of a user into a plurality of groups and storing digital audio data concerning music pieces, the digital audio data being associated with the plurality of groups; a playback circuit that plays back the digital audio data; detecting means for detecting an exercise tempo of the user; and a control circuit that reads out the digital audio data from the storage means to supply the readout digital audio data to the playback circuit. The control circuit determines which group, among the plurality of groups, the exercise tempo detected by the detecting means belongs to, and reads out the digital audio data concerning a music piece associated with the determined group from the storage means to supply the readout digital audio data to the playback circuit.

Abstract: An audio signal reproducing apparatus includes a storage unit for storing digital audio data of music pieces each having a tempo corresponding to either a first tempo or a second tempo, the second tempo being different from the first tempo, if a walking tempo of a user is either the first tempo or the second tempo, a reproducing circuit for reproducing the digital audio data, a detecting unit for detecting the walking tempos of the user, a calculating circuit for calculating a change in the walking tempo detected by the detecting unit, and a control circuit for retrieving the digital audio data from the storage unit in accordance with the walking tempo detected by the detecting unit and sending the retrieved digital audio data to the reproducing circuit.

Abstract: Bio-information sensors acquire bio-information about a user, and environmental condition sensors acquire environmental information about the user. A call-sound generating unit generates audio data from the bio-information and the environmental information, and the audio data is recorded in a ROM. Upon detecting a call signal transmitted from a base station, a CPU causes the call-sound generating unit to read the audio data. The CPU causes the call-sound generating unit to supply the audio data to a speaker that generates the sound from the audio data.