Abstract: By adopting a method of requesting a band for each plurality of calls, or a method of requesting a band independently of origination or termination of a call, a method of reducing the frequency of origination of a call is provided. A first aspect may provide that a gate keeper requests security and release of a band not every call, but collectively for a plurality of calls, and the security and the release of a band are requested at frequency less than that of origination or termination of calls. A second aspect may provide that an estimated value of a time series change in necessary band is previously set in a gate keeper, and security and release of a band required for communication are requested depending on a time, but independently of origination and termination of a call.

Abstract: Out of viewers of the same content, multi-user talking service is provided to only viewers who wish to enjoy the content in a large number of people. Only when an address of a terminal 4, 5 that has transmitted a request for participation in multi-user talking is registered in a viewer management DB (which manages viewers of contents), a content distribution/multi-user talking service center 1 registers the above-mentioned address into a participant management DB (which manages participants in multi-user talking) associating the address with identification information of a content that is registered in association with the address in question in the viewer management DB. Then, for each content, respective pieces of talking data received from addresses registered in association with identification information of said content in the participant management DB are synthesized to generate multi-user talking data, and generated multi-user talking data is transmitted to each of said addresses.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus according to the present invention allows the period of generation of a load signal NRD, the load value in counter circuits 21 and 31, and the comparative value in pulse generator circuits 22 and 32 to be changed corresponding to the multiplication rate of a PLL circuit 14. Accordingly, the pulse width and the phase length of the signals generated in signal generator circuits 12A and 12B are enhanced in the controllable accuracy by increasing the multiplication rate of the PLL circuit 14. Hence, even if the driving frequency is lowered, the pulse width and the phase length of the signals generated in signal generator circuits 12A and 12B can favorably be maintained in the controllable accuracy.

Abstract: A network system having a plurality of interconnected networks each having a policy server. The policy server sets a quality-guaranteed path in the network according to a policy held in the policy server. The policy server includes a policy holding unit to hold a policy defining a quality that can be guaranteed in its own network, a policy publicizing unit to make public the policy held in the policy holding unit to the policy servers of other networks, a guaranteed quality calculation unit to calculate a quality that can be guaranteed for the path between the local network and the other network, and a quality-guaranteed path setting unit to provide a quality-guaranteed path.

Abstract: A network system having a plurality of interconnected networks each having a policy server. The policy server sets a quality-guaranteed path in the network according to a policy held in the policy server.

Abstract: An audio gateway is provided for receiving an internet relay request and a number called in a call from a telephone via the internet. An audio data gateway is selected using the number called, and relay operations are performed with the selected destination audio data gateway. The relay audio data is multiplexed for streams based on multiple relay requests having the same relay destination so that the relay audio data in these streams are multiplexed into a single relay stream.

Abstract: By adopting a method of requesting a band for each plurality of calls, or a method of requesting a band independently of origination or termination of a call, a method of reducing the frequency of origination of a call is provided. A first aspect may provide that a gate keeper requests security and release of a band not every call, but collectively for a plurality of calls, and the security and the release of a band are requested at frequency less than that of origination or termination of calls. A second aspect may provide that an estimated value of a time series change in necessary band is previously set in a gate keeper, and security and release of a band required for communication are requested depending on a time, but independently of origination and termination of a call.

Abstract: A gateway (GW) for relaying a communication between a public telephone network and a routing server for managing use status of the GW and a network are provided on the internet. When a connection request is received, the GW issues a request to retrieve a route in which the costs are minimum and a necessary bandwidth can be reserved. The routing server retrieves the route of the minimum costs using the bandwidth reservation status of the internet and the partner's telephone number and notifies the request issued GW of the address of the partner GW. The costs at that time point may be notified to the user and the user selects whether the communication is performed or not. By managing the current connection information established by each GW, if a necessary bandwidth cannot be reserved, an audio compression ratio may be changed.

Abstract: Out of viewers of the same content, multi-user talking service is provided to only viewers who wish to enjoy the content in a large number of people. Only when an address of a terminal 4, 5 that has transmitted a request for participation in multi-user talking is registered in a viewer management DB (which manages viewers of contents), a content distribution/multi-user talking service center 1 registers the above-mentioned address into a participant management DB (which manages participants in multi-user talking) associating the address with identification information of a content that is registered in association with the address in question in the viewer management DB. Then, for each content, respective pieces of talking data received from addresses registered in association with identification information of said content in the participant management DB are synthesized to generate multi-user talking data, and generated multi-user talking data is transmitted to each of said addresses.

Abstract: A neighborhood select circuit of an image processing apparatus includes a comparator receiving a predetermined signal and output data from a contour enhancement unit for comparing the received inputs and providing a comparison result signal according to the comparison result, a neighborhood maximum value-minimum value circuit and neighborhood minimum value-maximum value circuit receiving data output from the contour enhancement unit, and a selector for receiving the output from the neighborhood maximum value-minimum value circuit, the neighborhood minimum value-maximum value circuit and the comparator. In the neighborhood maximum value-minimum value circuit, the target pixel data in the data output from the contour enhancement unit is substituted with the maximum data in the data of the surrounding pixels, and the target pixel data subjected to the process is substituted with the minimum value in the data of the surrounding pixels.

Abstract: In a digital copying machine, a ground in a document image is removed according to the type of document by referring to a histogram of reflectance data on a document image prepared for each line. A ground peak or a gradation level having the largest frequency in the histogram is determined. Further, frequencies are obtained in three windows appropriate for extracting characteristic quantities for ground, background and characters. A window for the ground quantity is determined according to the ground peak, and a ground range for removing the ground is determined by using the ground peak and the three frequencies. Then, the gradation data are corrected according to the ground range, and an image is formed on a sheet of paper according to the corrected gradation data. Thus, a ground can be removed by analyzing the histogram without a prescan.

Abstract: In a digital copying machine, a ground in a document image is removed according to the type of document by referring to a histogram of reflectance data on a document image prepared for each line. A ground peak or a gradation level having the largest frequency in the histogram is determined. Further, frequencies are obtained in three windows appropriate for extracting characteristic quantities for ground, background and characters. A window for the ground quantity is determined according to the ground peak, and a ground range for removing the ground is determined by using the ground peak and the three frequencies. Then, the gradation data are corrected according to the ground range, and an image is formed on a sheet of paper according to the corrected gradation data. Thus, a ground can be removed by analyzing the histogram without a prescan.

Abstract: A device for detecting a pressure in a combustion chamber comprises a combustion pressure sensor arranged in a cylinder head gasket so that a pressure detecting surface of the sensor is disposed substantially in parallel to a surface of a cylinder head or a cylinder block, and a pressure inlet is provided above the pressure detecting surface to introduce the combustion pressure to the pressure detecting surface. Due to the position of the pressure inlet above the pressure detecting surface, the tightening force of cylinder head bolts is not applied to the pressure detecting surface of the sensor, and thus the reliability of the pressure detection is improved.

Abstract: An engine vibration sensor for detecting the engine vibration as an electric signal including a vibrator set to resonate at a specific frequency of vibration of an engine to which it is attached, the vibrator being composed of at least one piezoelectric plate and having a root and a vibrator element; means for increasing the cross-sectional area of the vibrator element to make the second moment of area of the root of the vibrator relatively larger than that of the vibrator element; a base to be connected to an engine body; and a clamp for retaining the root firmly between the clamp and the base. The clamp may be provided with a projection having a flat surface for retaining the root of the vibrator. This construction prevents a change in the effective length of the vibrator element, thereby stabilizing the characteristics of the resonant frequency of the vibrator.