Abstract: A signal processing method divides a first signal of two signals to be compared in similarity into smaller regions, selects one of the regions, and calculates the correlation of the selected one with the other second signal. The method finds a time difference, an expansion factor, and a similarity in one region in which the maximum similarity as the square of the correlation is obtained, and performs integration in the position represented by the time difference and the expansion factor of values based on similarities. The method performs similar processing on all the regions, and evaluates similarity by, in a peak where the integrated value of similarities is a maximum, compares its magnitude with a threshold value. The region corresponding to the peak can be extracted.

Abstract: There is provided a call voice processing apparatus including an input correction unit that corrects characteristics of a first input sound input from a first input apparatus to characteristics of a second input sound input from a second input apparatus, a sound separation unit that separates the second input sound into a plurality of sounds, a sound type estimation unit that estimates sound types of the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit, a mixing ratio calculation unit that calculates a mixing ratio of each sound in accordance with the sound type estimated by the sound type estimation unit, a sound mixing unit that mixes the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit in the mixing ratio calculated by the mixing ratio calculation unit, and an extraction unit that extracts a specific sound from the first input sound corrected by the input correction unit.

Abstract: There is provided a sound processing apparatus including an input correction unit that corrects a difference between characteristics of a first input sound input from a first input apparatus and characteristics of a second input sound input from a second input apparatus, a sound separation unit that separates the first input sound corrected by the input correction unit and the second input sound into a plurality of sounds, a sound type estimation unit that estimates sound types of the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit, a mixing ratio calculation unit that calculates a mixing ratio of each sound in accordance with the sound type estimated by the sound type estimation unit, and a sound mixing unit that mixes the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit in the mixing ratio calculated by the mixing ratio calculation unit.

Abstract: There is provided a sound processing apparatus including a sound separation unit that separates an input sound into a plurality of sounds caused by a plurality of sound sources, a sound type estimation unit that estimates sound types of the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit, a mixing ratio calculation unit that calculates a mixing ratio of each sound in accordance with the sound type estimated by the sound type estimation unit, and a sound mixing unit that mixes the plurality of sounds separated by the sound separation unit in the mixing ratio calculated by the mixing ratio calculation unit.

Abstract: It is targeted that CMs by e.g., television broadcast be detected automatically, an access site to detailed contents of a specified one of the CMs be acquired automatically, and connection be made automatically to the access site to enable accessing to the detailed information. A broadcasting station 302 sends out airing signals containing CMs. A consumer terminal (303) detects these CMs from the aired signals and connects to an access site information furnishing device (305) based on the airing time and the airing channel of the detected CM to acquire the access site information of the distribution terminal (301) for e.g., an article of commerce owning the detailed information pertinent to the CM. Based on the access site information, the consumer terminal (303) accesses the distribution terminal (301) to acquire the detailed information pertinent to the CM.

Abstract: A stop lamp switch including: an enclosure; a reed switch disposed in the enclosure; a magnet, disposed in the enclosure, a magnetic field of which opens and closes the contacts of the reed switch; an actuating shaft that is movable along an axial direction of the enclosure; a blocking member provided on the actuating shaft, that moves with the movement of the actuating shaft, between a first position, at which the magnetic field from the magnet directed toward the first reed switch is blocked, and a second position, at which the blocking of the magnetic field from the magnet directed toward the first reed switch is no longer blocked.

Abstract: A magnetic resolver includes: a plurality of columnar cores disposed on an annular plate; a coil portion disposed around each of the columnar cores; and an annular rotor having a sinusoidal profile that rotates in a plane parallel to the top faces of the columnar cores around a rotation axis that passes through the center of the annular plate. The coil portion may be formed of a patterned coil formed on an annular substrate that has a plurality of through holes made therein through which the plurality of cores are passed, the patterned coil being formed around the through hole.

Abstract: A signal recording and reproducing apparatus includes an encoder encoding an input signal to produce a first group of encoded data, and a second group of encoded data used for reproducing a signal of higher quality than a signal resulting from decoding of the first group of encoded data, a recording unit recording record-data, including the first group and the second group of encoded data, into a recording medium, a reproducing unit reproducing the record-data from the recording medium, a decoder decoding at least the first group of encoded data out of the record-data from the reproducing unit, and a controller controlling an operation of each part of the recording and reproducing apparatus, and the controller performs control so as to cause the recording unit to erase the second group of encoded data according to a command to increase the amount of free storage capacity of the recording medium.

Abstract: This invention is a signal recording/reproducing apparatus (1) for searching for a reproduction position desired by a user from a recorded video signal and/or audio signal and reproducing the signal. The apparatus has a feature vector generating unit (30). When recording a video signal/audio signal, the feature vector generating unit (30) generates a feature vector characterizing the video signal and/or audio signal and also records this feature vector to a recording unit (10). When the recorded video signal/audio signal is reproduced, a registration unit (40) registers feature vectors near a position designated by the user, as bookmarks.

Abstract: A speech encoding method and apparatus in which an input speech signal is divided in terms of blocks or frames as encoding units and encoded in terms of the encoding units, whereby explosive and fricative consonants can be impeccably reproduced, while there is an attenuation of the occurrence of foreign sounds being generated at a transient portion between voiced (V) and unvoiced (UV) portions, so that the speech with high clarity devoid of “stuffed” feeling may be produced. The encoding apparatus includes a first encoding unit for finding residuals of linear predictive coding (LPC) of an input speech signal for performing harmonic coding and a second encoding unit for encoding the input speech signal by waveform coding. The first encoding unit and the second encoding unit are used for encoding a voiced (V) portion and an unvoiced (UV) portion of the input signal, respectively.

Abstract: The input signal can be quickly and accurately classified and a descriptor can be generated according to the result of classification. Then, the input signal can be retrieved on the basis of the result of classification or the descriptor. A signal processing apparatus comprises a time block splitting section 3 for splitting an audio signal into blocks that are typically 1 second long, a feature extracting section 4 for extracting a characteristic quantity of 18 degrees on the signal attribute from the audio signal in each block and a vector quantizing section 5 for carrying out an operation of categorical classification for the audio signal of each block by means of a vector quantization technique that uses a VQ code book 8 and a characteristic vector formed from the characteristic quantity of 18 degrees. The vector quantizing section 5 outputs a classification label obtained as a result of the categorical classification and a descriptor indicating the reliability of the label.

Abstract: A sound processing apparatus includes a sound determination portion operable to determine whether an input sound includes a first sound emitted from a particular source based on location information of the source, a sound separation portion operable to separate the input sound into the first sound and a second sound emitted from a source different from the particular source if the sound determination portion determines that the input sound includes the first sound, and a sound mixing portion operable to mix the first sound and the second sound separated by the sound separation portion at a prescribed volume ratio.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a cut change based on a similarity between a first image and a second image, includes a unit for generating one of a luminance histogram and a color histogram of each of the first image and the second image, a unit for generating a spatial correlation image representing a correlation between spatial layouts of the first image and the second image, a unit for calculating a histogram similarity representing a similarity between the histogram of the first image and the histogram of the second image, a unit for calculating a spatial correlation image similarity representing a similarity between the spatial correlation image of the first image and the spatial correlation image of the second image, and a unit for determining whether a border between the first image and the second image is a cut change based on the histogram similarity and the spatial correlation image similarity.

Abstract: Amplitude, phase and frequency of a sine wave to be generated are calculated on the basis of feature quantity s1 delivered to feature quantity detecting means (2), and are sent to initialization means (3). The initialization means (3) calculates first two points of the sine wave to send the points thus calculated to oscillator (sine wave generating means) (4) as initial value s4. The oscillator (4) sequentially calculates values of respective sample points of waveform by using recurrence formula in accordance with initial value or values instructed from the initialization means (3) to thereby generate a sine wave signal. Thus, sine wave generation is performed without performing modulo-addressing.

Abstract: A speaker of encoded speech data recorded in a semiconductor storage device in an IC recorder is to be retrieved easily. An information receiving unit 10 in a speaker retrieval apparatus 1 reads out the encoded speech data recorded in a semiconductor storage device 107 in an IC recorder 100. A speech decoding unit 12 decodes the encoded speech data. A speaker frequency detection unit 13 discriminates the speaker based on a feature of the speech waveform decoded to find the frequency of conversation (frequency of occurrence) of the speaker in a preset time interval. A speaker frequency graph displaying unit 14 displays the speaker frequency on a picture as a two-dimensional graph having time and the frequency as two axes.

Abstract: An echo removing apparatus for reducing the echo caused by sound returning from a speaker to a microphone of a small-sized communication terminal, such as a portable telephone. The echo removing apparatus includes a filter unit for outputting a pseudo echo signal estimating an echo component returning to the microphone based upon a generated sound signal supplied to the speaker, a subtractor for subtracting the pseudo echo signal supplied from the filter unit from the sound generated collection signal supplied from the microphone and a first characteristics conversion unit for converting frequency characteristics of sound generated collection signals from the microphone on the frequency axis. The characteristics of the filter unit are controlled for minimizing an error component between an output signal of the first characteristics conversion unit and an output signal of the filter unit.

Abstract: An audio signal processing method for repairing an anomalous state such as noise, a discontinuity, and a break of sound, comprising detecting the anomalous state of an audio signal, deleting the audio signal in the anomalous segment, deducing the correct audio signal by referring to the waveform of the audio signal before and after the deleted segment, generating a repair signal for repairing the signal in the deleted segment based on the deduced result, inserting the repair signal into the deleted segment, and connecting it to the audio signal before and after the deleted segment.

Abstract: A holding structure of an electronic component includes a first resin mold formed by resin insert molding with a terminal. The first resin mold possesses a positioning portion for positioning the electronic component to be electrically connected to the terminal. The holding structure includes a second resin mold formed by resin insert molding with the terminal and surrounding the first resin mold and the electronic component. The electronic component has been positioned by the first resin mold and has been electrically connected to the terminal.

Abstract: An audio signal processing method for repairing an anomalous state such as noise, a discontinuity, and a break of sound, comprising detecting the anomalous state of an audio signal, deleting the audio signal in the anomalous segment, deducing the correct audio signal by referring to the waveform of the audio signal before and after the deleted segment, generating a repair signal for repairing the signal in the deleted segment based on the deduced result, inserting the repair signal into the deleted segment, and connecting it to the audio signal before and after the deleted segment.

Abstract: An audio signal processing method for repairing an anomalous state such as noise, a discontinuity, and a break of sound, comprising detecting the anomalous state of an audio signal, deleting the audio signal in the anomalous segment, deducing the correct audio signal by referring to the waveform of the audio signal before and after the deleted segment, generating a repair signal for repairing the signal in the deleted segment based on the deduced result, inserting the repair signal into the deleted segment, and connecting it to the audio signal before and after the deleted segment.