Abstract: An image processing apparatus receives sound signals that are respectively output by a plurality of microphones, and detects a sound arrival direction from which sounds of the sound signals are traveled. The image processing apparatus calculates a sound level of sounds output from the sound arrival direction, and causes an image that reflects the sound level of sounds output from the sound arrival direction to be displayed in vicinity of an image of a user who is outputting the sounds from the sound arrival direction.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus receives sound signals that are respectively output by a plurality of microphones, and detects a sound arrival direction from which sounds of the sound signals are traveled. The image processing apparatus calculates a sound level of sounds output from the sound arrival direction, and causes an image that reflects the sound level of sounds output from the sound arrival direction to be displayed in vicinity of an image of a user who is outputting the sounds from the sound arrival direction.

Abstract: A drawn image sharing apparatus for allowing images drawn on plural drawing objects to be shared among the drawing objects includes an image receive unit configured to receive an image transmitted from one or more other drawn image sharing apparatuses; an image display unit configured to display the image received by the image receive unit on a drawing object; a shared area image acquiring unit configured to acquire an image of a shared area of the image displayed by the image display unit; a difference image generating unit configured to generate a difference image indicating a difference in the shared area between the image displayed by the image display unit and the image acquired by the shared area image acquiring unit; and an image transmit unit configured to transmit the difference image to the one or more other drawn image sharing apparatuses.

Abstract: A matching device includes a first storing unit, a second storing unit, and a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a control unit and a circuit unit. In the circuit unit, a first circuit including distance calculating circuits that calculate distances between unknown characters and dictionary characters and a selecting circuit that selects P distances having smallest values and character codes corresponding to the distances is configured, and then a second circuit including a permutation circuit that outputs distances in order from one having a smallest value and outputs character codes corresponding to the distances is configured.

Abstract: A matching device includes a first storing unit, a second storing unit, and a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a control unit and a circuit unit. In the circuit unit, a first circuit including distance calculating circuits that calculate distances between unknown characters and dictionary characters and a selecting circuit that selects P distances having smallest values and character codes corresponding to the distances is configured, and then a second circuit including a permutation circuit that outputs distances in order from one having a smallest value and outputs character codes corresponding to the distances is configured.

Abstract: A mark representing information of a multivalued level is recorded in each of cells arranged in a recording medium. Upon reproducing the multivalued level from a reproduction signal of the recording medium, the multivalued level of a present cell is judged by referring to a judged multivalued level of a preceding cell preceding the present cell or an ensuing cell ensuing the present cell, or by referring to the judged multivalued levels of both the preceding cell and the ensuing cell.

Abstract: An information recording method and an information recording apparatus are disclosed, wherein x-bit long binary data are converted into m multi-level data of n levels (x is an integer equal to or greater than 3, m is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and n is an integer equal to or greater than 3). The x-bit long binary data are treated as a word, where two or more words constitute a row of data sequence. Two or more rows of data sequence constitute an error correction block, each row having address information attached. The multi-level data, to which the error correction block is added, are recorded in an information recording medium.

Abstract: A method of recording data as presence/absence of marks on an information recording medium includes a step of obtaining data pieces, each of which has size of one block and is made by adding error-correction-purpose data to information data, a step of attaching to each of the data pieces a synchronizing signal that includes a portion having the marks and a portion having no mark, a step of recording the data pieces on the information recording medium in units of the one block inclusive of the synchronizing signal, and a step of placing a concatenation point at a predetermined position within the synchronizing signal when adding, or writing in an overwriting manner, the data pieces in units of the one block, the concatenation point defining a position at which said adding or said writing starts.

Abstract: A multi-level data processing method converts a binary data into a multi-level data having n bits per symbol, where n is an integer satisfying n?2. A {(n?1)×m}-bit binary data is arranged in upper (n?1) bits of multi-level data of m symbols, where m is an integer satisfying m?2, and a (m?k)-bit binary data is converted into m bits according to a predetermined conversion rule and arranged in a lower 1 bit of the multi-level data of m symbols, where k is an integer satisfying m>k?1, so as to convert a (n×m?k)-bit binary data into 1 set of multi-level data made up of m symbols.

Abstract: A mark representing information of a multivalued level is recorded in each of cells arranged in a recording medium. Upon reproducing the multivalued level from a reproduction signal of the recording medium, the multivalued level of a present cell is judged by referring to a judged multivalued level of a preceding cell preceding the present cell or an ensuing cell ensuing the present cell, or by referring to the judged multivalued levels of both the preceding cell and the ensuing cell.

Abstract: A method of generating an efficient sequence of “nm+m?1” level random numbers, each sub-sequence of “m” successive random numbers thereof having a different pattern, including the steps of generating a sequence of n-level random numbers based on an initial value, a number being generated at a time, determining whether a pattern of a sub-sequence is “used”, if the pattern of the sub-sequence is “used”, setting a different value to the initial value, if the pattern of the sub-sequence is not “used”, accepting the newly generated number and marking the pattern as “used”. All of the steps are repeated until all of “nm” patterns are exhausted. Since the newly generated number is rejected if the pattern of the sub-sequence is “used”, the sequence becomes the shortest one of which all of “nm” patterns are exhausted.

Abstract: A mark representing information of a multivalued level is recorded in each of cells arranged in a recording medium. Upon reproducing the multivalued level from a reproduction signal of the recording medium, the multivalued level of a present cell is judged by referring to a judged multivalued level of a preceding cell preceding the present cell or an ensuing cell ensuing the present cell, or by referring to the judged multivalued levels of both the preceding cell and the ensuing cell.

Abstract: A mark representing information of a multivalued level is recorded in each of cells arranged in a recording medium. Upon reproducing the multivalued level from a reproduction signal of the recording medium, the multivalued level of a present cell is judged by referring to a judged multivalued level of a preceding cell preceding the present cell or an ensuing cell ensuing the present cell, or by referring to the judged multivalued levels of both the preceding cell and the ensuing cell.

Abstract: A recording medium with a data format is provided. The data format includes frames and an ECC block. Each of the frames includes a plurality of n-level data, n being an integer satisfying n?3, a clock mark that is n-level data for sampling the n-level data, and a frame sync that is n-level data for indicating a break point of the n-level data of a predetermined amount. The ECC block is a data block for error correction using a product code. The ECC block is formed by binary data of J×K words, where J is a natural number indicating the number of valid binary data in each frame, and K is a natural number indicating the number of frames when the n-level data are converted into binary data.

Abstract: A method of recording data as presence/absence of marks on an information recording medium includes a step of obtaining data pieces, each of which has size of one block and is made by adding error-correction-purpose data to information data, a step of attaching to each of the data pieces a synchronizing signal that includes a portion having the marks and a portion having no mark, a step of recording the data pieces on the information recording medium in units of the one block inclusive of the synchronizing signal, and a step of placing a concatenation point at a predetermined position within the synchronizing signal when adding, or writing in an overwriting manner, the data pieces in units of the one block, the concatenation point defining a position at which said adding or said writing starts.

Abstract: An information recording method whereby information data are recorded in an information recording medium includes the steps of: adding address data to the information data of a specific amount of units so that binary data are formed, converting the binary data to multi-level data, and adding other multi-level data for detecting the address data; and thereby the information data are recorded.

Abstract: An information recording method and an information recording apparatus are disclosed, wherein x-bit long binary data are converted into m multi-level data of n levels (x is an integer equal to or greater than 3, m is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and n is an integer equal to or greater than 3). The x-bit long binary data are treated as a word, where two or more words constitute a row of data sequence. Two or more rows of data sequence constitute an error correction block, each row having address information attached. The multi-level data, to which the error correction block is added, are recorded in an information recording medium.

Abstract: A data recording method is disclosed that is suitable for multi-level recording and suitable for correction of randomly occurring errors. In the recording method, sector address data are appended to user data in units of sectors, plural user data sets and the sector address data are separated and arranged to form a data block, and recording is performed so that error correcting data associated with a product code are appended to data including the user data in the data block.

Abstract: In a data processing method of converting (n×m?1)-bit data to multi-level data of m symbols of n bits per symbol, n and m being integers satisfying n?2 and m?2, respectively, the m symbols each comprising n-bit data are arranged in m columns in an n×m matrix, with a value of each of the m symbols being set to an even or odd number, by creating the m symbols each including (n?1)-bit data of the (n×m?1)-bit data, arranging the m symbols in the m columns so that the {(n?1)×m}-bit data is arranged in upper-side {(n?1)×m} bits of the n×m matrix, and converting the remaining (m?1)-bit data of the (n×m?1)-bit data to m-bit data so that the m-bit data is arranged in a row in lower-side m bits of the n×m matrix.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus, which includes a binary/multi-level data converting unit converting binary data into multi-level data, a test data generating unit generating test data forming part of the multi-level data, a data recording unit recording the multi-level data including the test data to an information recording medium, a signal reproducing unit outputting reproduction signals of the multi-level data including the test data from the information recording medium, a test data examining unit examining the reproduction signals of the multi-level data including the test data to determine whether the test data is normal, a waveform equalization unit equalizing a waveform of the examined test data when the test data examining unit determines that the test data is normal, and a multi-level determining unit determining multi-level data by referring to a pattern table generated using the examined test data.