Abstract: A semiconductor file system features a first nonvolatile memory electrically erasable, a second nonvolatile memory not electrically erasable, a volatile memory, a controller, and a control section which controls the controller wherein a physical address corresponding to a logical address specified from an external system is accessed. The first nonvolatile memory stores data for the external system to perform operations, first management information indicating correspondence between physical and logical addresses, and second management information indicating a state of the first nonvolatile memory. The second nonvolatile memory previously stores interface information. The controller determines a physical sector address.

Abstract: Polygonal data input in a first step is subjected to evaluation in which all edges of the polygon data are ranked in importance on the basis of a volume change caused by removal of that edge. The edges are sorted on the basis of an evaluation value in a third step. In a fourth step, the edge of a small evaluation value is determined to be an edge of a small influence on the general shape and is removed. In a fifth step, a new vertex is determined from the loss of vertex by the edge removal. In a sixth step, a movement of texture coordinates and a removal of the texture after the edge removal are executed on the basis of the area change of the texture due to the edge removal by a predetermined evaluating function. In a seventh step, by repeating the processes in the second to sixth steps, a polygon model approximated to a desired layer can be obtained.

Abstract: The invention provides an image connecting method, an image connecting apparatus, and a storage medium on which an image connecting program is stored, for connecting a first image and a second image such that particular connecting areas are determined for the first image and the second image and the first and second images in the connecting areas are combined together thereby connecting the first and second images into a single image including no unnatural parts. The first image and the second image are decomposed into frequency components. The connecting area is determined for each frequency component such that the connecting area becomes narrower with the increase in the frequency of the frequency component, and the first and second images are combined in the connecting area for each frequency component. After that, particular partial images in the first and second images are designated.

Abstract: A semiconductor file system features a first nonvolatile memory electrically erasable, a second nonvolatile memory not electrically erasable, a volatile memory, a controller, and a control section which controls the controller wherein a physical address corresponding to a logical address specified from an external system is accessed. The first nonvolatile memory stores data for the external system to perform operations, first management information indicating correspondence between physical and logical addresses, and second management information indicating a state of the first nonvolatile memory. The second nonvolatile memory previously stores interface information. The controller determines a physical sector address.

Abstract: A storage medium and an information processing system utilizing that storage medium capable of outputting information stored on the storage medium in a format unusable by other information devices or storage mediums. A storage medium and an information processing system utilizing that storage medium further capable of transferring information stored on the storage medium rather than copying the information so that the uniqueness of the information is assured. A storage medium comprised of a storage device for storing information, information required for encryption and encrypted information, and an I/F device for inputting and outputting information, information required for coding and store encrypted information in a storage device or from an external apparatus other than the storage device, and an encoding device for coding of information and decoding of encoded information.

Abstract: A license hub including a hub apparatus to which one or more apparatus and devices can be electrically connected, and a safe storage device for storing therein keys used to decode the encrypted contents data is added to the existing system to construct a license network. A controller of the license network acquires the information of various kinds of apparatuses and devices which are electrically connected to the license hub, and determines automatically the apparatus and/or the device suitable for executing the processing when carrying out the playback of contents or movement of the key to execute these processings.

Abstract: Distortion of normal vectors when approximating shape data with normal vectors is restrained. At step ST1, original polygon date is input. At step ST2, each edge is evaluated for performing removal of an edge. At step ST3, the evaluation values are sorted by magnitude and the edge having the minimum value is selected. At step ST4, the edge having the minimum evaluation value selected at step ST3 is removed. At step ST5, the position of vertices remaining after removal of the edge is decided. At step ST6, a normal vector which has become unnecessary on removal of the edge is removed and the remaining normal vectors are changed. At step ST7, an approximated model is drawn. The processing from steps ST2 to ST6 is repeatedly executed in accordance with a desired precision.

Abstract: An edge detecting method and an edge detecting device improve the accuracy in edge detection and extract the outline correctly even in the general image. In the case of detecting the picture element group which is changing rapidly as compared with its surroundings as the edge from within image data in which each picture element is composed of independent N numbers of dark and light data R, G, and B respectively, N sets of coefficients Wr, Wg, Wb corresponding to N numbers of dark and light data It, G, B respectively are calculated, and each picture element is judged whether it is edge or not depending upon N numbers of (lark and light data R, G, B and N sets of coefficients Wr, Wg, Wb.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for generating time-series data, an apparatus and a method for editing curves and a recording medium having a recorded program in which the corresponding relation between curves at different time junctures is obtained from given corresponding points such as to prevent the curve shape from becoming dull due to smoothing. A candidate point string extraction unit checks the relation between the input point coordinate and the corresponding relation information to set each group of input points having the corresponding relation as a corresponding point string. An interpolation curve generating unit calculates an interpolation curve C(t) interpolating the corresponding point string along the time axis.

Abstract: A control method and system when a flash memory is used. as a semiconductor disk or a main memory in an information processing system. A semiconductor file system comprises a first nonvolatile memory electrically erasable, a second nonvolatile memory not electrically erasable, a volatile memory, a controller which controls the memories, and a control section which controls the controller wherein a physical address corresponding to a logical address specified from an external system is accessed. The first nonvolatile memory stores data for the external system to perform operations, first management information indicating the correspondence between physical addresses at which the data is stored and logical addresses, and second management information indicating a state of the first nonvolatile memory. The second nonvolatile memory previously stores interface information required for inputting and outputting the data from and to the external system and read-only data of the data.

Abstract: An IC card capable of reinforcing the prevention of the electrostatic damage without causing a rise in the cost of a semiconductor integrated circuit chip. The semiconductor integrated circuit chip (2) is mounted on a card substrate (1), and plural connection terminals (3) are exposed. The connection terminals are connected to predetermined external terminals (4) of the semiconductor integrated circuit chip, first overvoltage protection elements (7, 8, 9) connected to the external terminals are integrated in the semiconductor integrated circuit chip, and second overvoltage protection elements such as surface-mount type varistors (11) connected to the connection terminals are mounted on the card substrate. The varistors are variable resistor elements having a current tolerating ability greater than that of the first overvoltage protection elements.

Abstract: An image area extracting method for extracting the desired areas from the image accurately and efficiently. The rough boundary area, in which the boundary area is roughly assigned between the desired area and areas other than the desired area, is divided into a plurality of small areas. The area extracting procedure is executed on each small area and the desired area and areas other than the desired area are detected from each small area. The boundary area mask image is formed based on the detection result and the desired area is extracted based on the boundary area mask image. Thus, the desired area can be extracted from the image accurately and efficiently.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for controlling access to a disc storage device comprising a plurality of discs storing a plurality of second data obtained by dividing first data, the disc being configured such that a number of sectors included at tracks in an outer section of the disc is greater than a number of sectors included at tracks in an inner section of the disc. In particular, the method and device for controlling disc array decides the discs storing each of a plurality of the second data, and information comprising the addresses of the second data on the disc and the size of each item of a plurality of the second data in such a manner that the time required for accessing each of a plurality of the second data stored in the disc device becomes equal, with access then being carried out to the disc device on the basis of the decided information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a picture generator and a picture generation method.

Abstract: In this invention, when the portion from which a key signal .alpha. is to be generated of picture is caused to be foreground F, the portion except for the above is caused to be background B, and pixel value of pixels constituting that picture is designated at C, the key signal .alpha. is generated so as to satisfy the relational expression C'=(F-B).alpha.'('(prime) represents differentiation). In more practical sense, a change detecting section 10 calculates change C' of pixel value between pixels constituting picture, and an F-B detecting section 30 calculates difference F-B between the foreground and the background. In addition, an integral value calculating section 40 divides the change C' by the difference F-B to integrate the result obtained by divisional operation to thereby determine key signal .alpha.. As a result, precise key signal can be obtained in this invention.

Abstract: Distortion of normal vectors when approximating shape data with normal vectors is restrained. At step ST1, original polygon date is input. At step ST2, each edge is evaluated for performing removal of an edge. At step ST3, the evaluation values are sorted by magnitude and the edge having the minimum value is selected. At step ST4, the edge having the minimum evaluation value selected at step ST3 is removed. At step ST5, the position of vertices remaining after removal of the edge is decided. At step ST6, a normal vector which has become unnecessary on removal of the edge is removed and the remaining normal vectors are changed. At step ST7, an approximated model is drawn. The processing from steps ST2 to ST6 is repeatedly executed in accordance with a desired precision.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for approximating shape data in which the degree of fineness of a desired portion is set so as to differ from that of other portions for hierarchical approximation by a facilitated designating operation. Polygon data of an original are entered and the partial degree of fineness of the polygon model is designated by the user. It is designated to which degree the model is approximated and each edge is evaluated for removing edges. The evaluated values are sorted in accordance with the magnitudes of the evaluated values and controlled responsive to designation by the user of the partial degree of approximation. An edge with the least evaluated value is selected and removed and the position of the apex points left after removing the edge are determined to see whether or not approximation has reached a desired degree of approximation. An approximated model is selected from plural hierarchies and processed for drawing or saving.

Abstract: A control method and system when a flash memory is used as a semiconductor disk or a main memory in an information processing system. A semiconductor file system comprises a first nonvolatile memory electrically erasable, a second nonvolatile memory not electrically erasable, a volatile memory, a controller which controls the memories, and a control section which controls the controller wherein a physical address corresponding to a logical address specified from an external system is accessed. The first nonvolatile memory stores data for the external system to perform operations, first management information indicating the correspondence between physical addresses at which the data is stored and logical addresses, and second management information indicating a state of the first nonvolatile memory. The second nonvolatile memory previously stores interface information required for inputting and outputting the data from and to the external system and read-only data of the data.

Abstract: There is provided a disc array control method and apparatus for controlling access to a disc drive consisting of a plurality of second data obtained by dividing a first data and a plurality of discs for storing the error correction data for the second data. Particularly, the disc array control method and apparatus of the present invention determines the information consisting of disc storing a plurality of the second data and address on the disc, data size of a plurality of second data and disc storing the error correction data and address on the disc to make equal the time required for access to a plurality of second data and error correction data and executes the access to the disc drive on the basis of the determined information. Thereby, the time required for access to the error correction data and sub-blocks can be set to equal time and the real-time property can be assured while maintaining high reliability.

Abstract: In this invention, an idea is adopted in which the pressure at a forward portion and a backward portion of valve device is steppingly dropped twice. The valve device of the present invention includes, on the axis of a spool 600, a first valve 710 located nearer an inlet port and a second valve 720 located nearer an outlet port. A throttling area made by the second valve 720 is larger than a throttling area made by the first valve 710. For example, of all the pressure difference equal to 120 kg/cm.sup.2 or more required at the forward and backward portions of the valve device, a portion in the range where the problem of an occurrence of a foreign noise is not encountered (for example, a portion ranging from 100 to 120 kg/cm.sup.2) is undertaken by the first valve 710, and the remaining portion ranging from 20 to 30 kg/cm.sup.2 is undertaken by the second valve 720.