Abstract: A digital data distribution system that comprises a broadcasting station and an end station. The broadcasting station broadcasts a broadcast signal repetitively modulated with a digital information signal. The digital information signal includes a file group composed of body files containing any or all of audio, graphics and text information. The end system includes a receiver, a user interface, a memory, a controller and a reproduction section. The receiver receives the broadcast signal from the broadcasting station and demodulates the digital information signal from the broadcast signal to generate a digital bit stream. The user interface allows a user to select at least one of the body files for storage as a selected body file. The memory is substantially smaller than the file group. The controller identifies the selected body file in the digital bit stream and causes the selected body file to be stored in the memory.

Abstract: In the method, speech files each representing speech information are provided. At least one of the speech files is a hyperspeech file that represents speech information and includes a hot spot specification specifying a hot spot in the speech information. The hot spot identifies additional speech information. The hot spot specification comprises a hot spot definition defining the hot spot and an identifier identifying another of the speech files that represents the additional speech information. A speech information presentation operation is iteratively performed until the desired speech information is presented. In this operation, a speech file retrieval operation that retrieves one of the speech files is performed, any hot spot specification in the speech file is extracted, a speech signal is generated from the speech file, and the speech information is presented in response to the speech signal.

Abstract: Useful life extension for a data storage system in which either or both of read/write probes and storage areas are components subject to wear caused by the access operations. An access counter counts an access count for each component subject to wear. A data exchange module operates in response to the access count for one of the components subject to wear reaching a first threshold to perform a data exchange in which data stored in a first storage area are exchanged with data stored is a second storage area. When the components subject to wear are the storage areas, the first storage area is the storage area whose access count reached the first threshold value, and the second storage area is a storage area whose access count is less than the first threshold value.

Abstract: A high-data density, high-data rate scanning memory device reads and writes data using a plurality of probes. The scanning memory device comprises a memory composed of a matrix of cell arrays each containing a submatrix of memory cells, a plurality of probes having a one-to-one correspondence to each cell array, and a positioning device that operates to simultaneously change the positions of probes relative to the cell arrays. Each of the cell arrays has a cell array status memory for storing information designating whether the cell array is functional or whether the cell array is defective. If the number of defective memory cells detected within each cell array exceeds some predetermined number, the cell array is designated as defective. Defective cell arrays are logically replaced by functional cell arrays. Error correction is applied to the data to reduce reading and writing errors by the scanning memory device and to maintain the integrity of data stored in the memory.

Abstract: A high-data density, high-data rate scanning memory device reads and writes data using a plurality of probes. The scanning memory device comprises a memory composed of a matrix of cell arrays each containing a submatrix of memory cells, a plurality of probes having a one-to-one correspondence to each cell array, and a positioning device that operates to simultaneously change the positions of probes relative to the cell arrays. Each of the cell arrays has a cell array status memory for storing information designating whether the cell array is functional or whether the cell array is defective. If the number of defective memory cells detected within each cell array exceeds some predetermined number, the cell array is designated as defective. Defective cell arrays are logically replaced by functional cell arrays. Error correction is applied to the data to reduce reading and writing errors by the scanning memory device and to maintain the integrity of data stored in the memory.

Abstract: A method for expressing image data and for image restoration does not depend on the format of input/output devices, does not suffer from block distortion in the restored image, provides superior scale ability, and can be easily applied to motion pictures. The distribution of a pixel feature, such as luminance or chrominance, in a two dimensional (x,y) image space is expressed by contours, i.e. an isoluminance line or a line of equal color difference, on a curved surface with the feature along a z-axis. When restoring image data, regions between contours of the feature and regions in which peaks or saddles exist, even if the contours do not accompany them, are feature interpolated, and said curved surface is reproduced as a surface of a polyhedron, wherein the contour is a contour of a cross-sectional area of a curved surface that represents an image in x-y-z space in which the two-dimensional image on x-y plane is combined with the feature along the z-axis.

Abstract: A difference vector indicating movement of a pen between two adjacent sampled points is divided into macro movement and micro movement components. The macro and micro components are coded independently of each other so as to provide effective coding. In the case of coding the difference vector, the magnitude of the difference vector is coded in accordance with the types of zones (zone number k) and relative pel address within the zone. In order to improve the coding efficiency, a zone number difference is used instead of the zone number. Furthermore, the direction of the difference vector is expressed by a quadrant which includes this difference vector. In order to further improve the coding efficiency, a quadrant number difference is used instead of the quadrant number.

Abstract: A color picture is separated into three color component pictures, which are divided respectively by first, second and third block coding means into blocks and encoded. In the first block coding means, one of the color component pictures is encoded, for each block, into gray level codes representing gray level components in the block and a resolution code representing the distribution of the gray level codes in the block. In this case, when the gray level in the block undergoes a little change, an average gray level can be used as the gray level code and the resolution code can be omitted. The second and third block coding means may be identical in construction with the first block coding means. The resolution code of the block obtained by the first block coding means can also be employed in the coding of the corresponding blocks by the second and third block coding means.