Abstract: A system for estimating audience state using the video signal relative to an imaged audience and audio signal according to voices from the audience generated in an input unit. A characteristic amount detection unit detects information on a movement amount, movement periodicity, a volume, voice periodicity of the audience, and a frequency component of voices from the audience based on the video signal or the audio signal. An estimation unit estimates an audience state based on the detected result. An output unit outputs the estimated result of the audience state. The audience state can be easily estimated without observing the audience state by a person.

Abstract: Video signal relative to an imaged audience and audio signal according to voices from the audience are generated in an input unit. A characteristic amount detection unit detects information on a movement amount, movement periodicity, a volume, voice periodicity of the audience, and a frequency component of voices from the audience based on the video signal or the audio signal. An estimation unit estimates an audience state based on the detected result. An output unit outputs the estimated result of the audience state. The audience state can be easily estimated without observing the audience state by a person.

Abstract: The present invention relates to image processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program for providing reliable tracking of a tracking point. When a right eye 502 of a human face 504 serving as a tracking point is tracked in a frame n?1 and when a tracking point 501 appears as in a frame n, the tracking point 501 continues to be tracked. When, as in a frame n+1, the right eye 502 serving as the tracking point 501 disappears due to the rotation of the face 504 of an object to be tracked, the tracking point is transferred to a left eye 503, which is a different point of the face 504 serving as the object including the right eye 502. The present invention is applicable to a security camera system.

Abstract: In a communication system having at least three communication devices communicating with each other, a seating-order determination device for generating seating-order information for information sent from each communication device and for transmitting the seating-order information to each communication device is provided. Each communication device controls the output position of each information according to the seating-order information to output the information sent from the other communication devices in a seating order corresponding to the seating-order information. The seating order is always automatically changed to the most appropriate condition according to the progress of a conference and the state of conversations to provide the user with a comfortable conference environment and a comfortable communication environment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to image processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program for providing reliable tracking of a tracking point. When a right eye 502 of a human face 504 serving as a tracking point is tracked in a frame n?1 and when a tracking point 501 appears as in a frame n, the tracking point 501 continues to be tracked. When, as in a frame n+1, the right eye 502 serving as the tracking point 501 disappears due to the rotation of the face 504 of an object to be tracked, the tracking point is transferred to a left eye 503, which is a different point of the face 504 serving as the object including the right eye 502. The present invention is applicable to a security camera system.

Abstract: Video signal relative to an imaged audience and audio signal according to voices from the audience are generated in an input unit. A characteristic amount detection unit detects information on a movement amount, movement periodicity, a volume, voice periodicity of the audience, and a frequency component of voices from the audience based on the video signal or the audio signal. An estimation unit estimates an audience state based on the detected result. An output unit outputs the estimated result of the audience state. The audience state can be easily estimated without observing the audience state by a person.

Abstract: In a communication system having at least three communication devices communicating with each other, a seating-order determination device for generating seating-order information for information sent from each communication device and for transmitting the seating-order information to each communication device is provided. Each communication device controls the output position of each information according to the seating-order information to output the information sent from the other communication devices in a seating order corresponding to the seating-order information. The seating order is always automatically changed to the most appropriate condition according to the progress of a conference and the state of conversations to provide the user with a comfortable conference environment and a comfortable communication environment.

Abstract: In a communication system having at least three communication devices communicating with each other, a seating-order determination device for generating seating-order information for information sent from each communication device and for transmitting the seating-order information to each communication device is provided. Each communication device controls the output position of each information according to the seating-order information to output the information sent from the other communication devices in a seating order corresponding to the seating-order information. The seating order is always automatically changed to the most appropriate condition according to the progress of a conference and the state of conversations to provide the user with a comfortable conference environment and a comfortable communication environment.

Abstract: Video signal relative to an imaged audience and audio signal according to voices from the audience are generated in an input unit. A characteristic amount detection unit detects information on a movement amount, movement periodicity, a volume, voice periodicity of the audience, and a frequency component of voices from the audience based on the video signal or the audio signal. An estimation unit estimates an audience state based on the detected result. An output unit outputs the estimated result of the audience state. The audience state can be easily estimated without observing the audience state by a person.

Abstract: A teleconferencing system has a group determination information generating section for detecting the attention degree of a participant HM with respect to a monitor device corresponding to each of the other teleconferencing devices TCD and then generating information for grouping the other teleconferencing devices TCD corresponding to the individual monitor devices on the basis of the result of detection, and an information processing section for carrying out grouping based on the information, then generating group information indicating to which group each participant HM belongs, and processing image data and/or audio data from each of the grouped teleconferencing devices TCD on the basis of the group information.

Abstract: A direction detector section detects an eye direction or face direction of a conference attendant from image data picked up by a camera, and supplies information to an attention level detector section. Based on the information supplied from the direction detector section, the attention level detector section operates information (parameter) of a attention level to adjust sound data and/or image data of the other conference attendants inputted from the other remote conference apparatuses. An adjusting section adjusts corresponding sound data and/or image data by using information of the attention level supplied from the attention level detector section, and the data are outputted as sound from loudspeakers and displayed on monitor sections. In this manner, speech of each of the conference attendants can be heard easily and an image of each conference attendant can be watched easily.

Abstract: In a communication system having at least three communication devices communicating with each other, a seating-order determination device for generating seating-order information for information sent from each communication device and for transmitting the seating-order information to each communication device is provided. Each communication device controls the output position of each information according to the seating-order information to output the information sent from the other communication devices in a seating order corresponding to the seating-order information. The seating order is always automatically changed to the most appropriate condition according to the progress of a conference and the state of conversations to provide the user with a comfortable conference environment and a comfortable communication environment.

Abstract: In a system and a method for remotely controlling a slave manipulator easily and highly accurately, operations of three master manipulators are consolidated, and one slave manipulator is remotely controlled in accordance with the consolidation result, thereby ensuring that the slave manipulator is moved along a target path.

Abstract: In a system and a method for remotely controlling a slave manipulator easily and highly accurately, operations of three master manipulators are consolidated, and one slave manipulator is remotely controlled in accordance with the consolidation result, thereby ensuring that the slave manipulator is moved along a target path.

Abstract: An image signal converting apparatus for converting a first image signal into a second image signal, where the first and second image signals include a plurality of pictures of different frames. A motion detector is operable to detect motion of the first image signal between a first frame and a second frame, and processing circuitry produces the second image signal based on an assumption of a pixel at a position corresponding to the detected motion. The apparatus may be employed to produce an output signal of either the same resolution as the first image signal with aliasing distortion reduced or eliminated, or with higher resolution in vertical and/or horizontal directions.

Abstract: A video image encoder estimates a quantization noise curve which will result from quantizing a coefficient data block and uses the estimated quantization noise curve and a specified minimum noise value to select the quantization step size actually used to quantize the coefficient data block, The quantization step size is also selected as a function of transmission buffer occupancy so as to limit the amount of encoded data to a predetermined rate,

Abstract: A video image encoder estimates a quantization noise curve which will result from quantizing a coefficient data block and uses the estimated quantization noise curve and a specified minimum noise value to select the quantization step size actually used to quantize the coefficient data block. The quantization step size is also selected as a function of transmission buffer occupancy so as to limit the amount of encoded data to a predetermined rate.