Abstract: Information is gotten which indicates the number of pixels composing every frame represented by an input signal indicative of a sequence of pictures including bidirectionally predictive coded pictures. A desired decoding picture rate is set in response to a predetermined decoding capability and the pixel number. A part of the input signal which is indicative of at least one among the bidirectionally predictive coded pictures is discarded in response to the desired decoding picture rate, and hence a non-discarded part of the input signal is generated. The non-discarded part of the input signal is decoded into a first decoding-resultant signal at a decoding picture rate equal to the desired decoding picture rate. A decoding-resultant signal portion corresponding to the discarded part of the input signal is interpolated in response to the first decoding-resultant signal. The interpolated decoding-resultant signal portion and the first decoding-resultant signal are combined into a reproduced signal.

Abstract: A cutting-free bronze alloy which is substantially free of lead contains 1 to 13 wt. % of tin, not larger than 18 wt. % of zinc, 0.5 to 6 wt. % of bismuth, 0.05 to 3 wt. % of antimony, not larger than 1 wt. % of phosphorus, less than 0.4 wt. % of lead, and the balance being copper. The alloy may further contain 0.1 to 3 wt. % of nickel. When 3 to 8 wt. % of tin and 6 to 10 wt. % of zinc are present, the alloy is particularly suitable for use as a plumbing faucet and fixture. Likewise, when 8.5 to 13 wt. % of tin and not larger than 1 wt. % of zinc are present, the alloy is suitable for use as a sliding member.

Abstract: A first interlaced video signal of a first number of scanning lines is converted into a second interlaced video signal of a second number of scanning lines. The first and second numbers are different from each other. The first interlaced video signal is converted into a first progressive video signal of the first number of scanning lines by interpolating the first interlaced video signal with scanning lines which have been decimated from the first interlaced video signal. The first number of scanning lines of the first progressive video signal is converted into the second number of scanning lines by re-sampling, to generate a second progressive video signal of the second number of scanning lines. The second progressive video signal is then converted into the second interlaced video signal by decimating the second number of scanning lines of the second progressive video signal.

Abstract: A first bit stream of moving picture that has been encoded by motion-compensated prediction is converted to a second bit stream of moving picture. A bit stream of first motion vector data is separated from the first bit stream. The first motion vector corresponds to a first block size or first accuracy of motion compensation. A portion or all of the first bit stream is decoded by motion-compensated prediction at the first blok size or the first accuracy of motion compensation using the first motion vector data to obtain a decoded picture or a decoded signal at an intermediate processing stage. A bit stream of second motion vector data is formed by motion-compensated prediction using the first motion vector data. The second motion vector data corresponds to a second block size that is different from the first block size or second accuracy of motion compensation that is different from the first accuracy of motion compensation.

Abstract: Moving-picture bitstreams are switched at a predetermined switching timing to form a successive moving-picture bitstream. Each bitstream carries first pictures to be used as reference pictures for inter-picture prediction and second pictures other than the first pictures. Buffer occupancy indicator at decoder buffer is obtained on each picture carried by the successive moving-picture bitstream. A difference in buffer occupancy just before and just after the switching timing is obtained based on the buffer occupancy data to set a decimation rate and a decimation period on the second pictures so that the difference in buffer occupancy just before and just after the switching timing becomes small. The second pictures only are decimated from the successive moving-picture bitstream at the decimation rate within the decimation period, thus obtaining an output moving-picture bitstream having an adjusted buffer occupancy in accordance with the decimation.

Abstract: A bitstream of moving pictures which has been processed by motion-compensated interframe prediction is converted into another bitstream. The input bitstream is separated into first codes of a predetermined number of intra-coded frames, second codes of frames to be used as reference frames for interframe prediction and third codes of frames other than the frames of the first and second codes. The first and the second codes are decoded to reproduce a first and a second video signal, respectively. The first video signal is encoded by interframe predictive coding using the second video signal as a reference video signal to obtain re-encoded codes. The re-encoded, the second and the third codes are multiplexed to obtain a bitstream for which a video encoding method for the input bitstream is converted. The input bitstream may be separated into first codes of frames not to be used as reference frames for interframe prediction and second codes of frames to be used as the reference frames.

Abstract: A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp (101) includes a translucent airtight container (1), a pair of electrodes (2) and (2′) mounted in the airtight container (1) and arranged at both ends and so that a distance of one of the electrodes from the sealing portions (1a) and (1a′) becomes longer than that of the other electrode, a mercury emission body (5) filled in the airtight container and discharge medium including mercury discharged from the mercury emission body (5) and inert gas. A cold spot is formed at one sealing portion (1a) of the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp (10) and mercury is filled by the mercury emission body (5) and therefore, there is almost no excess mercury existing in the tube (1), luminous flux starts up fast, mercury collected in the cold spot scarcely moves to other portion, and the lamp characteristic is stabilized.

Abstract: Scanning lines decimated from an interlaced image signal are interpolated to convert the interlaced image signal into a first progressive image signal. The first progressive image signal is sub-sampled in a vertical direction to obtain a second progressive image signal with scanning lines less than scanning lines of the first progressive image signal. And, the second progressive image signal is coded to obtain a compressed code train (bit stream). The compressed code train can be stored in a storage medium. The code train is decoded to reproduce the second progressive image signal. And, an image format of the second progressive image signal is converted in a vertical direction into another format in which scanning lines are decimated to reproduce the interlaced image signal.

Abstract: The process for producing alicyclic monoketones (hydroxyphenylcyclohexanone derivatives) according to the present invention comprises hydrogenating substituted bisphenols such as bisphenol A in a solvent in the presence of a palladium/alkali metal catalyst in which palladium and an alkali metal are both supported on a carrier to obtain alicyclic monoketones such as 2-(4-oxocyclohexyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane. The process for producing alicyclic diketones according to the present invention comprises hydrogenating substituted bisphenols such as bisphenol A in a solvent in the presence of a palladium/alkali metal catalyst in which palladium and an alkali metal are both supported on a carrier to obtain alicyclic diketones such as 2,2-bis(4-oxocyclohexyl)propane and 4,4′-bicyclohexanone.

Abstract: First pictures are coded by a variable picture rate coding, the first pictures being set at a predetermined interval, to be used as reference pictures for inter-picture prediction of an incoming moving picture and second pictures different from the first pictures are coded. The first pictures are coded by intra-picture coding or unidirectional inter-picture predictive coding, thus obtaining a first bitstream. A coding picture rate is set in accordance with motion activity of the incoming moving picture. Pictures that have remained after decimation of the second pictures are coded in accordance with the picture rate by bidirectional inter-picture predictive coding using the first pictures or locally-decoded pictures of the first pictures as the reference pictures, thus obtaining a second bitstream. The first and the second bitstreams and data indicating the picture rate are multiplexed.

Abstract: First pictures, set at a predetermined interval, to be used as reference pictures for inter-picture prediction of an incoming moving picture and second pictures different from the first pictures are coded. The first pictures are coded by intra- picture coding or unidirectional inter-picture predictive coding. The second pictures are coded by bidirectional inter-picture predictive coding using the first pictures or locally-decoded pictures of the first pictures as the reference pictures, to obtain a moving-picture bitstream. Motion activity is obtained on the incoming moving picture. The moving-picture bitstream is multiplexed with the information of motion activity. An incoming first moving-picture bitstream having bitstreams of the first and the second pictures coded as above at a first code transfer rate is converted into a second moving-picture bitstream at a second code transfer rate. Motion activity is obtained on the incoming first moving-picture bitstream.

Abstract: A moving picture signal is encoded by motion-compensated prediction using motion vectors for each motion-compensated block of the moving picture signal. The motion vectors are arranged into motion vector groups for each predetermined number of motion vectors. A code table is selected among a plurality of code tables for each motion vector group for encoding the motion vectors. Code table selection information is then output. The motion vectors is encoded by variable-length coding using the selected code table in accordance with the code table selection information. The code table selection information, the encoded motion vectors and an encoded predictive error signal are then multiplexed. A moving picture bit stream encoded as above is decoded. The moving picture bit stream is demultiplexed into the motion vectors, the code table selection information and the encoded predictive error signal.

Abstract: A moving picture signal is encoded by motion-compensated prediction using motion vectors for each motion-compensated block of the moving picture signal. The motion vectors are arranged into motion vector groups for each predetermined number of motion vectors. A code table is selected among a plurality of code tables for each motion vector group for encoding the motion vectors. Code table selection information is then output. The motion vectors is encoded by variable-length coding using the selected code table in accordance with the code table selection information. The code table selection information, the encoded motion vectors and an encoded predictive error signal are then multiplexed. A moving picture bit stream encoded as above is decoded. The moving picture bit stream is demultiplexed into the motion vectors, the code table selection information and the encoded predictive error signal.

Abstract: An input first video signal is converted by video format conversion into a second video signal to be encoded. The number of effective scanning lines of the second video signal is different from the number of effective scanning lines of the first video signal. The first video signal is further converted into a third video signal for which spatial aliasing noise is suppressed. The motion of each picture carried by the third video signal is estimated to obtain first motion vector data. The motion of the second video signal is searched using the first motion vector data to obtain second motion vector data. The second video signal is then encoded by motion-compensated prediction using the second motion vector data.

Abstract: A decoder for decoding video data through motion-compensated prediction coding and a method of motion-compensated-predictive-coding video data are disclosed.

Abstract: Modulated and coded signals sequentially transmitted by orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing transmission are calibrated on the basis of a reference signal to obtain sequential first calibrated signals. Amplitude and phase differences of the sequential first calibrated signals are detected. The sequential first calibrated signals are calibrated on the basis of the amplitude and phase differences to obtain sequential second calibrated signals. The second signals are then decoded to obtain sequential decoded signals.

Abstract: A coding/decoding apparatus performs predictive coding/decoding with motion compensation. A plurality of motion vectors are unified corresponding to motion of portions of a picture to obtain a motion vector group arranged in two-dimensional block. Motion vectors in the group are converted into one-dimension to obtain another motion vector group arranged in one-dimension. A motion vector value in the other group is predicted from another motion vector in the same group to obtain a motion vector predictive residue. The motion vector predictive residue is then coded with variable-length codes including zero run length codes to obtain a bitstream per motion vector group. The bitstream of motion vector groups composed of variable-length codes including zero run length codes are decoded to obtain a fixed-length motion vector predictive residue.

Abstract: An encoding apparatus includes a selector for periodically selecting fields of an interlaced video signal to be converted to respective progressive scanning frames, by a scanning converter which doubles the number of scanning lines per field. The apparatus encodes these frames by intra-frame encoding or unidirectional predictive encoding using preceding ones of the frames, and encodes the remaining fields of the video signal by bidirectional prediction using preceding and succeeding ones of the progressive scanning frames for reference. The resultant code can be decoded by an inverse process to recover the interlaced video signal, or each decoded field can be converted to a progressive scanning frame to thereby enable output of a progressive scanning video signal.

Abstract: An image encoding apparatus for application to images expressed as respective frames of a digital video signal, whereby an image is converted into an array of blocks with specific blocks predetermined as being independent internally encoded blocks and the remainder as predictively encoded blocks, with predicted pixel signal values for a predictively encoded block being derived by interpolation from pixel signal values of at least one pair of blocks which have been already encoded and enclose that predictively encoded block along the row or column directions or both the row and column directions. Encoding efficiency is enhanced by applying Discrete Sine Transform processing along the interpolation direction, when encoding an array of prediction error signal values derived for a block, and by executing adaptive prediction by determining an optimum interpolation direction, when there are two possible directions for deriving predicted pixel signal values for a block.

Abstract: In a video motion compensation encoding apparatus in which each of periodically selected pictures is encoded as successive blocks of picture elements, by encoding of the prediction error amounts obtained for each block in conjunction with variable-length encoding by a motion vector encoder of motion vectors which are utilized in motion compensation processing to derive the prediction error amounts, each of these motion vectors is selected by a comparator-controlled switch either as an estimated motion vector derived by a conventional type of motion estimation section or as a predicted motion vector derived by a motion vector prediction section based on previously encoded motion vectors, with the estimated motion vector being selected only if it is found that an amount of prediction error which would occur from using the predicted motion vector is significantly greater than that which would result from using the estimated motion vector.