Abstract: A cellular phone includes a key input determination unit, key input information storage unit, program storage unit, time decision unit, download execution unit, download execution unit, and program update unit. The key input determination unit determines whether a key input is done, and outputs a determination result as determination information. The key input information storage unit stores every hour the determination information input from the key input determination unit. The program storage unit stores a program. The time decision unit decides time for issuing a program download request to a server, on the basis of the determination information stored in the key input information storage unit when the program stored in the program storage unit needs to be updated. The download execution unit downloads the program at the time determined by the time decision unit. The program update unit updates the program in the program storage unit in accordance with the downloaded program.

Abstract: A portable telephone has a key operation unit in which a plurality of small keys is arranged close to each other. A user sometimes depresses a plurality of keys at the same time. The portable telephone stores data regarding frequency of key determination made by the user in the past when the plurality of keys was depressed at the same time, with regard to a combination of these keys. When the plurality of keys is depressed at the same time, a key which has been most frequently determined is selected, and a number or the like corresponding to the key is displayed. Further, once the key is determined, data regarding the frequency of determination of the key is updated.

Abstract: In playback of data recorded on an optical disk, an error minimization circuit holds a plurality of ideal values for partial response (PR) equalization as equalization targets, and updates tap coefficients of a finite impulse response (FIR) filter so that the errors between the outputs of the FIR filter reflecting the output of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the equalization targets are minimized. An error detection circuit and an addition/weighting circuit generate a signal representing the errors between the outputs of the FIR filter and the equalization targets as a parameter signal correlated with the error rate of played-back data. The quality of the analog signal is adjusted so that the parameter signal is minimized, to thereby optimize the margin of the error rate of played-back data.

Abstract: A digital equalization apparatus is provided with an analog low pass filter for removing a high-frequency component from an input analog signal, a non-linear analog to digital (A/D) converter for non-linearly sampling the analog signal to output a digital signal, and an equalizer 2 for waveform-equalizing the digital signal outputted from the non-linear A/D converter. The non-linear A/D converter non-linearly A/D converts the analog signal so that, with a center value of amplitude of the analog signal being a reference, resolution per least significant bit (LSB) becomes higher as an input center of the non-linear A/D converter is closer to the center value while the resolution per LSB becomes lower as the input center of the non-linear A/D converter is farther from the center value.

Abstract: An exhaust system includes a first exhaust pipe group, a first catalyst device, and a second exhaust pipe group. A first coupling pipe of the first exhaust pipe group includes spaces in communication with respective first exhaust pipes. A second coupling pipe of the second exhaust pipe group includes spaces in communication with respective second exhaust pipes. The first exhaust pipe group and the second exhaust pipe group are joined such that the respective spaces are opposed to one another, with the first catalyst device interposed therebetween.

Abstract: In a jitter detection apparatus, a playback RF signal 3 detected from an optical disc medium 1 is subjected to waveform shaping, and thereafter, converted into a digital RF signal 6 with a sampling clock having a cycle twice as long as a cycle of a channel clock. Thereafter, an offset variation in a high-frequency band is corrected by an offset correction circuit 9, and data which are missing in the time direction are restored by a Nyquist interpolation filter 23. Then, positions where jitter is to be extracted are selected from an output signal of the Nyquist interpolation filter 23, by a jitter detection preprocessing circuit 28, according to the playback speed of the optical disc medium 1 and the arithmetic capacity of a digital signal operation circuit 29, whereby highly accurate jitters can be extracted by using the digital signal operation circuit 29.

Abstract: An optical disc recording/playback apparatus is provided with a first AD converter 35 for shaping a push-pull signal 14 detected from an optical disc medium 1 by a light difference signal shaping circuit 21, and converting the signal into a digital sampling signal 38 using a sampling clock 37 synchronized with a channel frequency; a series of means for detecting wobble amplitude information 77 during recording from the digital sampling signal 38; a series of means for detecting address polarity information 60 and address position information during playback; and a recording laser power control circuit 113 for controlling a recording laser power to a power suited for recording on the basis of the wobble amplitude information.

Abstract: A cellular phone includes a key input determination unit, key input information storage unit, program storage unit, time decision unit, download execution unit, download execution unit, and program update unit. The key input determination unit determines whether a key input is done, and outputs a determination result as determination information. The key input information storage unit stores every hour the determination information input from the key input determination unit. The program storage unit stores a program. The time decision unit decides time for issuing a program download request to a server, on the basis of the determination information stored in the key input information storage unit when the program stored in the program storage unit needs to be updated. The download execution unit downloads the program at the time determined by the time decision unit. The program update unit updates the program in the program storage unit in accordance with the downloaded program.

Abstract: An optical disk device is provided with a first analog-to-digital converter for converting a push-pull signal detected from an optical disc medium into a digital sampling signal according to a sampling clock in the vicinity of a channel frequency, an address polarity information detection circuit for detecting address polarity information from the digital sampling signal, and an address position information detection circuit 58 for detecting address position information from the digital sapling signal while maintaining continuity. Therefore, it is possible to detect the address polarity information and the address position information stably and accurately even during high-speed recording/playback.

Abstract: An information reproduction apparatus and method according to the present invention are provided so as to solve the problem that signal quality is degraded in a normal signal part when always performing a correction of a transient in reproducing information recorded in a medium, and the sag cancellation controller (103) detects whether the pickup output signal (S101) is normal or abnormal, and the sag cancellation part (104) performs a correction of a transient only during a period when the pickup output signal (S101) is detected as abnormal, thereby preventing degradation of signal quality, which is caused by performing a correction of a transient on a normal signal part, and an appropriate correction of a transient can be performed on an abnormal signal part, thereby enabling a stable reproduced signal (S104) to be obtained.

Abstract: An automatic gain control device comprises a variable gain amplifier (VGA) for increasing the amplitude of an input analog signal that has a plurality of CAPA having different signal characteristics; an A/D converter for sampling the output from the VGA to convert it into a digital signal; a signal discriminator for detecting the signal length of the digital signal; an amplitude information extractor for extracting amplitude information of a digital signal having a desired signal length on the basis of the detected signal length and a control gate signal supplied from the outside; an AGC controller for generating a control signal for controlling the VGA on the basis of the amplitude information; and a D/A converter for converting the control signal into an analog signal to be output to the VGA.

Abstract: When generating a sampling clock of an A/D converter for digitizing a playback signal from an optical disc, an over sampling clock generated by a PLL is used. Further, zerocross position information and reference information of a playback digital signal that is obtained by A/D conversion using the over sampling clock are converted into those synchronized with the channel bit clock by an operation cycle conversion unit, and then supplied to a PRML signal processing unit and a level judgement binarization unit.

Abstract: A portable telephone has a key operation unit in which a plurality of small keys is arranged close to each other. A user sometimes depresses a plurality of keys at the same time. The portable telephone stores data regarding frequency of key determination made by the user in the past when the plurality of keys was depressed at the same time, with regard to a combination of these keys. When the plurality of keys is depressed at the same time, a key which has been most frequently determined is selected, and a number or the like corresponding to the key is displayed. Further, once the key is determined, data regarding the frequency of determination of the key is updated.

Abstract: An optical disc device serving as an information memory and reproduction device includes: an A/D converter for performing sampling to an analog signal to convert the analog signal into a first digital signal, which has been offset-adjusted, using an n times higher frequency than that of a channel clock (where n is 2 or a larger integer than 2); and a digital equalizer for digitally performing wave-form equalization of a reproduction signal, which has been converted into the first digital signal, and outputting a second digital signal. In this manner, wave-form equalization is performed to the digital signal which has been A/D converted, so that a small circuit configuration can be obtained. Moreover, oversampling is performed, thus equivalently improving a resolution when A/D conversion is performed.

Abstract: An asymmetry detection apparatus includes: a clock signal generator for generating a clock signal based on a reproduced signal; an A/D converter for sampling the reproduced signal in synchronization with the clock signal; a determiner for determining whether a level of each of a plurality of sampled data obtained by the sampling operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined level; and a detector for detecting asymmetry in the reproduced signal by using predetermined ones of the sampled data based on an output from the determiner.

Abstract: A digital equalization apparatus is provided with an analog LPF 4 for removing a high-frequency component from an input analog signal, a non-linear A/D converter for non-linearly sampling the analog signal to output a digital signal, and an equalizer 2 for waveform-equalizing the digital signal outputted from the non-linear A/D converter. The non-linear A/D converter non-linearly A/D converts the analog signal so that, with a center value of amplitude of the analog signal being a reference, resolution per LSB becomes higher as an input center of the non-linear A/D converter is closer to the center value while the resolution per LSB becomes lower as the input center of the non-linear A/D converter is farther from the center value.

Abstract: An optical disc drive usable with discs to which data is continuously recorded and discs having a sector format can quickly resume playback signal output after passing imperfection causing potential reading errors, and plays disc with few read errors. A detection signal generator detects DC level fluctuation in the playback signal read from the disc and generates a detection signal tracking the DC level fluctuation. A selector selects a detection signal or a null signal without valid polarity based on the detection signal generated by the detection signal generator and input to the selector. A clamping unit performs a clamping process to suppress DC level fluctuation in the playback signal based on the detection signal when the selection unit selects the detection signal, and does not perform the clamping process when the selection unit selects the null signal. A signal processor performs specific signal processes based on clamping unit output.