Abstract: An image encoding device includes a first prediction parameter determination section (53) for selecting, for each of prediction units belonging to a first group, a prediction parameter from a basic set; a second prediction parameter determination section (55) for selecting, for each of prediction units belonging to a second group, a prediction parameter from a reduced set (i) including at least a part of the prediction parameter(s) selected by the first prediction parameter determination section (53) and (ii) is constituted by a prediction parameter(s), the number of which is not more than the number of prediction parameters included in the basic set; and a prediction parameter encoding section (243) for encoding (i) information indicating which one of prediction parameters is selected by the first prediction parameter determination section (53) and (ii) information indicating which one of prediction parameters is selected by the second prediction parameter determination section (55).

Abstract: A prediction control unit determines whether to use intra-prediction method or a method of prediction based on reduced image in which a predicted image is generated using a locally decoded image of a block as an object of coding that has been coded and reduced, according to the amount of high-frequency component contained in the block as the object of coding. When use of intra-prediction method is determined, locally decoded images of previously-encoded neighboring blocks stored in a frame memory are down-sampled by a down-sampling unit and subjected to intra-prediction by an intra-prediction unit, and coding is done using the prediction data. When use of prediction method based of reduced image is determined, inter-layer prediction is done using neighboring images obtained by reading locally decoded images resulting from a process of a lower layer from the frame memory, and coding is done using the prediction data.

Abstract: An image encoding apparatus of the present invention includes a TM prediction section (105) that generates a predicted image for each of prediction units. This TM prediction section (105) uses, as a template, a rectangular region on the decoded image, which rectangular region faces a longer side of a subject rectangular region, and searches for a region having a highest correlation with the template out of regions on a decoded image obtained by parallel shifting a rectangular region in a longer side direction, the rectangular region facing a longer side of the template opposite to a side of the template that faces the subject rectangular region, to generate the predicted image on the subject rectangular region. This allows for accomplishing an image encoding apparatus having high encoding efficiency, even in a case in which an image to be encoded includes an edge whose curvature varies.

Abstract: Information relating to program contents is distributed in accordance with scheduled times. Program information formed of multiple items that are assigned a relevance ratio with respect to a program are managed. Programs related to a base program are searched for each of the items based on the relevance ratio with respect to the base program. A search result of the related programs is arranged in order of items having a decreasing relevance ratio with respect to the base program to create a base program related information page.

Abstract: A robot includes a traveling rail supported by struts, and a robot body attached to a slider that slides on the traveling rail. A robot controller includes a speed calculation device for calculating moving speeds of the robot hand portion on the coordinate axes of a rectangular coordinate system set for the robot controller; a comparator device for comparing the moving speeds on the coordinate axes calculated by the speed calculation device with threshold values on the coordinate axes of the rectangular coordinate system, respectively; and a halting device for halting the robot in case at least any one of the moving speeds is higher than the corresponding threshold value.

Abstract: While maintaining a high degree of freedom in choosing partition sizes and transformation sizes adapted for local characteristics of videos, the amount of metadata is decreased. A video encoding apparatus (10) divides an input video into blocks of a prescribed size and encodes the video block by block. The video encoding apparatus is provided with: a prediction parameter determining portion (102) that decides the block partition structure; a predictive image producing portion (103) that generates predictive images, partition by partition, as prescribed by the partition structure; a transform coefficient producing portion (107) which applies one of the frequency transformations included in a prescribed transformation preset to prediction residuals, i.e. the differences between predictive images and the input video; a transform restriction deriving portion (104) which generates the list of transform candidate, i.e.

Abstract: A robot control unit (30) comprises: a setting means (40) for setting operating ranges of each shaft and a working tool of the robot (20); a storage means (33) for storing an inertial running distance of the robot decided by at least one of the operating speed of the robot and the weight of the working tool; and an arriving range calculation means (36) for calculating an arriving range to which the robot arrives according to the operating range, which has been set by the setting means, and the inertial running distance stored by the storage means. Due to the foregoing, while consideration is being given to the inertial running distance of a robot, the arriving range of the robot is made. Further, a display means (41) for displaying the arriving range may be provided. In the case where each shaft of the robot and the working tool deviate from the operating range, a stopping means (34) for stopping the robot may be provided.

Abstract: A robot system including a robot arm driven by a servo motor; and a robot controller controlling an operation of the robot arm. The robot system further comprises a first detection section detecting a rotation amount of the servo motor; a second detection section attached to a tip portion of the robot arm, and detecting a velocity or acceleration of the tip portion of the robot arm; a computation section computing the velocity or acceleration of the tip portion of the robot arm based on values detected by the first detection section, and computing a deviation between this computed velocity or acceleration and the velocity or acceleration detected by the second detection section; and an emergency stop section for bringing the servo motor to an emergency stop when a magnitude of the deviation computed by the computation section is greater than a reference value.

Abstract: Information about each of broadcast programs is subdivided into multiple items including program attributes and the other program association schemes for management. To each item, a relevance ratio with respect to a program is assigned. For example, the next broadcast schedule has the highest relevance ratio with respect to the program, the relevance ratio with respect to the program is high in order of cast, titles, and genre, and so on. Then, a database search is done for programs related to the base program for each item, the search results are arranged in order of decreasing relevance ratio with respect to the base program, and a base program related information page is created. Without deadening a user's interest inspired by watching a program, information related to the program being watched is given, and a user can be guided smoothly to the next preselected recording operation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a program sending controlling apparatus, including: a retaining section adapted to retain a playlist in which cues which are progressing units of a program are disposed in a time series; an apparatus controlling section adapted to control on-air of a broadcasting-related apparatus based on the playlist; an editing section adapted to edit the playlist; a detection section adapted to detect, in response to editing carried out for the playlist corresponding to the program, presence or absence of a syntax error in the playlist; and a display controlling section adapted to cause the playlist corresponding to the program to be displayed and cause, when the syntax error is detected, an error indication to be displayed at a position of that one of the cues of the displayed playlist which corresponds to the detected syntax error.

Abstract: A division mode adapted to the characteristic of an image is enabled to be selected from among a plurality of the division modes while suppressing an increase in side information. An image encoder (1) divides an input image into a plurality of macro blocks and performs encoding processing in units of macro blocks.

Abstract: Blood pressure values measured in four limbs are plotted on first to fourth linear axes which extend from an origin in an upper right direction, an upper left direction, a lower left direction, and a lower right direction respectively, and a rectangle composed of vertices which are determined by the plotted blood pressure values is illustrated to present the blood pressure values. This allows a specific measured value in each site to be easily known, and the relationships between the blood pressure values in the four limbs are intuitively understood from the shape of the rectangle.

Abstract: A content introduction screen linked to relevant sites can easily be created. A content-information input screen is displayed. When content information has been completely input, then, link elements are extracted from the content information. Then, one of the link elements is selected. A site related to the link element is searched for. A content introduction screen in which the input content information is linked to the searched site is generated and displayed. Metadata, including the content information, the URL, etc., which are used to generate the content introduction screen, is stored.

Abstract: This invention corrects a motion-compensated image by a method suitable for the local characteristics of the moving image, while preventing an increase in an amount of encoded data. A moving image encoding device of this invention includes three motion-compensated image correcting sections (11, 12, 13) employing respective different correction methods. The moving image encoding device is configured so as to be capable of selecting one of motion-compensated images (109) corrected by the respective correction sections, the selected one of the motion-compensated images (109) being used as a predicted image (106).

Abstract: This invention relates to an information providing system which is designed to be able to realize secondary utilization of broadcasting contents, along with copyright of the broadcasting contents being protected. A broadcasting receiving and picture recording device 5-1 records broadcasting contents that a broadcasting device 4 broadcasted, and a terminal 6-1 edits the broadcasting contents which were recorded, and generates corresponding metadata. The metadata is transmitted from the terminal 6-1 to a metadata delivery server 2 through Internet 1, and registered. The metadata delivery server 2, on the basis of utilization availability information of broadcasting contents which is held in advance, in case that the broadcasting content that the metadata targets can be utilized, registers the metadata. The registered metadata is delivered through the Internet 1 on the basis of a request of a terminal 6-2. This invention is applied to an information providing system which delivers the metadata.

Abstract: A program delivery control system includes: a storage section that stores a playlist indicating a play order of items forming a program; an apparatus control section that controls an apparatus on the basis of the playlist stored in the storage section and that causes the storage section to store error information sent from the apparatus in correlation with the apparatus that issued the error information; and a playlist display control section that performs control so as to display the playlist stored in the storage section on a screen with an item being played indicated as such and, in a case where the error information is stored, with an item for which the apparatus that issued the error information is necessary provided with an error indication.

Abstract: A moving image encoder includes a luminance variation detection/compensation section (127). The luminance variation detection/compensation section (127) includes: a reference block surrounding image preparing section (140); a target block surrounding image preparing section (141); a luminance variation compensated image preparing section (142) for compensating for a luminance variation between frames in accordance with a result of comparison between pixels in a reference block surrounding area and those in a target block surrounding area; a luminance variation determining section (144); and a predicted image selecting switch (143). This enables the moving image encoder and a moving image decoder to compensate local luminance variations between frames while minimizing an increase in additional information (side information).

Abstract: Each bulletin board is set for the purpose of an argument and information exchange concerning a specific television program. In writing a remark in the bulletin board, a user registers information for specifying a program/scene referred to by the remark together with remark contents. The reference information consists of a broadcasting station at the time when a program is broadcasted and time when a reference part is broadcasted. The reference information is shaped into a predetermined format and transmitted to a terminal apparatus of the user. In the terminal apparatus, it becomes possible to start reproduction of a pertinent program/scene from recorded contents on the based on the received reference information. The terminal apparatus can support creation of information such as a comment concerning each scene in program contents and transmission and reception work of this type of information.

Abstract: A prediction control unit determines whether to use intra-prediction method or a method of prediction based on reduced image in which a predicted image is generated using a locally decoded image of a block as an object of coding that has been coded and reduced, according to the amount of high-frequency component contained in the block as the object of coding. When use of intra-prediction method is determined, locally decoded images of previously-encoded neighboring blocks stored in a frame memory are down-sampled by a down-sampling unit and subjected to intra-prediction by an intra-prediction unit, and coding is done using the prediction data. When use of prediction method based of reduced image is determined, inter-layer prediction is done using neighboring images obtained by reading locally decoded images resulting from a process of a lower layer from the frame memory, and coding is done using the prediction data.

Abstract: A transmission apparatus having a function of establishing a connection of a path that is a signal communications channel in a communications network includes a masking part configured to mask an alarm detected after the connection of the path is established in the transmission apparatus; an alarm status detection part configured to detect a change in the status of the alarm; and an unmasking part configured to unmask the alarm masked by the masking part in response to the alarm status detection part detecting the change in the status of the alarm.