Abstract: An interrupt control device for issuing interrupts to a central processing unit (CPU) includes an object acquiring unit for acquiring data or resource(s) for use by the CPU and an interrupt issuing unit for issuing interrupts to the CPU. The interrupt issuing unit issues each interrupt to the CPU before the object acquiring unit actually acquires the data or the resource, but the interrupt indicates that the data or the resource is available. The interrupt control device further includes a use delay unit for delaying the use of the data or resource by the CPU unit until the object acquiring unit acquires the data or the resource if the CPU which has received the interrupt requests the use of the data or the resource before the object acquiring unit acquires the data or the resource. By adjusting the exact timing of the issuance of the interrupt according to the actual delays experienced by the CPU, the overall delays associated with interrupt handling are minimized.

Abstract: An attention direction of a robot, indicated by a face, eyes or the like thereof, can be aligned with a directivity direction of a microphone array. Specifically, an acoustic signal from a sound source can be captured, and input signals for individual microphones can be generated. A direction of the sound source can be estimated from the input signals. A visual line of the robot, a posture thereof, or both, can be controlled such that the attention direction of the robot coincides with the direction of the sound source. Then, the directivity direction of the microphone array can be aligned with the attention direction. Thereafter, voice recognition can be performed with an input of a delay sum corresponding to the directivity direction.

Abstract: An interrupt control device for issuing interrupts to a central processing unit (CPU) includes an object acquiring unit for acquiring data or resource(s) for use by the CPU and an interrupt issuing unit for issuing interrupts to the CPU. The interrupt issuing unit issues each interrupt to the CPU before the object acquiring unit actually acquires the data or the resource, but the interrupt indicates that the data or the resource is available. The interrupt control device further includes a use delay unit for delaying the use of the data or resource by the CPU unit until the object acquiring unit acquires the data or the resource if the CPU which has received the interrupt requests the use of the data or the resource before the object acquiring unit acquires the data or the resource. By adjusting the exact timing of the issuance of the interrupt according to the actual delays experienced by the CPU, the overall delays associated with interrupt handling are minimized.

Abstract: A ROM bit map file indicating placement areas of transistors of a mask ROM is prepared from a layout condition of the transistors in the mask ROM and physical positions of the transistors described in a layout pattern file, a logic simulation is performed by using the ROM bit map file and connection information of the transistors, and the physical positions of the transistors are verified according to a simulation result. Therefore, even though there are a large number of transistors in the mask ROM, the physical positions of the transistors can be reliably verified.

Abstract: An attention direction of a robot, indicated by a face, eyes or the like thereof, can be aligned with a directivity direction of a microphone array. Specifically, an acoustic signal from a sound source can be captured, and input signals for individual microphones can be generated. A direction of the sound source can be estimated from the input signals. A visual line of the robot, a posture thereof, or both, can be controlled such that the attention direction of the robot coincides with the direction of the sound source. Then, the directivity direction of the microphone array can be aligned with the attention direction. Thereafter, voice recognition can be performed with an input of a delay sum corresponding to the directivity direction.