Abstract: Disclosed herein is a noise removing apparatus, including: an object sound emphasis section adapted to carry out an object sound emphasis process for observation signals of first and second microphones to produce an object sound estimation signal; a noise estimation section adapted to carry out a noise estimation process for the observation signals to produce a noise estimation signal; a post filtering section adapted to remove noise components remaining in the object sound estimation signal using the noise estimation signal; a correction coefficient calculation section adapted to calculate, for each frequency, a correction coefficient for correcting the post filtering process based on the object sound estimation signal and the noise estimation signal; and a correction coefficient changing section adapted to change those of the correction coefficients which belong to a frequency band suffering from spatial aliasing such that a peak appearing at a particular frequency is suppressed.

Abstract: A mechanical noise suppression apparatus includes: a framing section adapted to divide an input signal into frames of a predetermined time length; a Fourier transform section adapted to transform framed signals obtained by the framing section into a frequency spectrum of a frequency domain; a mechanical noise reduction section adapted to correct the frequency spectrum of the input signal obtained by the Fourier transform section based on frequency spectrum information of mechanical noise to suppress the mechanical noise; an inverse Fourier transform section adapted to return the frequency spectrum corrected by the mechanical noise reduction section into framed signals of a time domain; and a frame synthesis section adapted to carry out frame synthesis of the framed signals of frames obtained by the inverse Fourier transform section to obtain an output signal in which the mechanical noise is suppressed.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a audio signal processing apparatus including, an amplitude detector configured to detect a noise start point of an audio signal including a noise signal by comparing an amplitude value of the audio signal with a threshold value, a frequency feature calculator configured to calculate a frequency feature representing at least a frequency characteristic of the audio signal after the noise start point, and a noise determiner configured to determine a leg continuously including high-frequency components equal to or higher than a reference frequency in the audio signal after the noise start point as a noise leg based on the frequency feature.

Abstract: A sound processing apparatus includes a target sound emphasizing unit configured to acquire a sound frequency component by emphasizing target sound in input sound in which the target sound and noise are included, a target sound suppressing unit configured to acquire a noise frequency component by suppressing the target sound in the input sound, a gain computing unit configured to compute a gain value to be multiplied by the sound frequency component using a gain function that provides a gain value and has a slope that are less than predetermined values when an energy ratio of the sound frequency component to the noise frequency component is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and a gain multiplier unit configured to multiply the sound frequency component by the gain value computed by the gain computing unit.

Abstract: A voice processing device includes a zone detection unit which detects a voice zone including a voice signal or a non-steady sound zone including a non-steady signal other than the voice signal from an input signal and a filter calculation unit that calculates a filter coefficient for holding the voice signal in the voice zone and for suppressing the non-steady signal in the non-steady sound zone according to the detection result by the zone detection unit, in which the filter calculation unit calculates the filter coefficient by using a filter coefficient calculated in the non-steady sound zone for the voice zone and using a filter coefficient calculated in the voice zone for the non-steady sound zone.

Abstract: A method of obtaining directivity in an optical waveguide includes the steps of falling incident light on surface of diffuse reflection members arranged at a center portion of the optical waveguide, generating a first table relative to an amount of emitted light that is acquired at a circumference of the optical waveguide by controlling at least one of an image control factor for changing an image of the incident light and a coordinate control factor for changing coordinates of the incident light with them being changed, and generating a second table relative to a pattern of the light which is incident to the diffuse reflection member by seeking for a combination of the image and the coordinates of the light based on the generated first table.

Abstract: An optical selector switch contains an optical waveguide that includes a first optical waveguide portion having a first light-transmissivity, a second optical waveguide portion having a second light-transmissivity, reflecting members that reflect light, and a light-dividing device that reflects and transmits light; at least one light-emitting unit that emits the light toward the first optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide; and at least one light-receiving unit that receives the light which is incident to the first optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide from the light-emitting unit, based on a directivity due to an angle of the incident light to the first optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide, wherein the incident light to the first optical waveguide portion is emitted radially toward the circumference of the second optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A sound processing device includes: a nonlinear processing unit that outputs a plurality of sound signals including sound sources existing in predetermined areas by performing a nonlinear process for a plurality of observed signals that are generated by a plurality of sound sources and are observed by a plurality of sensors; a signal selecting unit that selects a sound signal including a specific sound source from among the plurality of sound signals output by the nonlinear processing unit and the observed signal including the plurality of sound sources; and a sound separating unit that separates a sound signal including the specific sound source that is selected by the signal selecting unit from the observed signal selected by the signal selecting unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup element capable of transmitting pixel signals read from a pixel unit as optical signals at high speed, an optical apparatus, a signal processing apparatus, and a signal processing system. The solid-state image pickup element 1A includes a pixel unit 10A which converts light into electric signals, an A/D convertor 11A which converts the signals read from the pixel unit 10A into digital signals, an optical communication unit 12A which converts the signals digitalized by the A/D convertor 11A into optical signals and outputs the optical signals, a timing generator 13A which generates a driving clock used to synchronize processes of inputting/outputting signals performed by the pixel unit 10A, the A/D convertor 11A, and the optical communication unit 12A, and a controller 16A which controls reading of signals.

Abstract: In the sending and receiving of a signal through an optical waveguide, an unknown substrate connected to the optical waveguide can be recognized.

Abstract: An optical selector is provided which enables reliable transmission of a signal from a single or plurality of light output sections to a single or plurality of light input sections.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel unit configured to convert light into an electrical signal; a substrate having a first side on which the pixel unit is formed and a second side opposite the first side; an optical communication unit disposed on the first side of the substrate, and configured to convert a signal read out from the pixel unit into an optical signal and output the optical signal; and a cooling unit disposed on the second side of the substrate and below at least a forming area of the optical communication unit, the forming area being an area where the optical communication unit is formed, and configured to cool or dissipate heat generated in the optical communication unit and transferred through the substrate.

Abstract: A solid-state imager includes a pixel unit for converting incident light into an electrical signal, a substrate bearing the pixel unit formed thereon, an analog-to-digital converter, formed on the substrate, for converting a signal read from the pixel unit into a digital signal, an optical communication unit, arranged on the bottom surface of the substrate opposite the surface of the substrate bearing opposite the top surface of the substrate bearing the pixel unit receiving the incident light, for converting the digital signal converted by the analog-to-digital converter into a light signal and outputting the light signal, and a signal line for transferring the digital signal, converted by the analog-to-digital converter, to the optical communication unit arranged on the bottom surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel unit configured to convert light into an electrical signal, an A/D converter configured to convert a signal read from the pixel unit into a digital signal, a light modulation unit configured to modulate an externally input light beam using the signal digitized by the A/D converter and output a signal light beam based on the signal read from the pixel unit, a timing generation unit configured to generate a synchronization signal used for synchronizing input and output of signals of the pixel unit, the A/D converter, and the light modulation unit, and a controller configured to control readout of the signal.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel section formed on a substrate and having an effective pixel area that converts incident light into an electric signal, and an optical black area placed around the effective pixel area; an optical communication section placed near a predetermined optical black area of the optical black area, and converts a signal read from the pixel section into an optical signal for output; a dark current level supplying section that generates an estimated dark current level varying with a pixel position from which a signal is read, on the basis of a dark current level acquired from the predetermined optical black area, and outputs the estimated dark current level in synchronization with a signal read timing from the effective pixel area; and a noise compensation section that subtracts the estimated dark current level from a signal read from the effective pixel area.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel portion configured to convert light into an electric signal; a substrate where the pixel portion is formed; an A/D conversion unit configured to convert a signal read out from the pixel portion into a digital signal; and an optical communication unit configured to convert a signal digitized by the A/D conversion unit into an optical signal, and output the optical signal, with the single optical communication unit or a plurality of the optical communication units being disposed grouped in the vicinity portion of the substrate around the pixel portion.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel portion configured to convert light into an electric signal; a substrate where the pixel portion is formed; an optical communication unit configured to convert a signal read out from the pixel portion into an optical signal, and outputs the optical signal, which is disposed in one surface where the pixel portion is formed of the substrate; and a light shielding portion configured to shield, of signal light to be output from the optical communication unit, light that directs to the pixel portion, and light to be leaked from the optical communication unit, which is disposed around the optical communication unit.

Abstract: An optical selector switch contains an optical waveguide that includes a first optical waveguide portion having a first light-transmissivity, a second optical waveguide portion having a second light-transmissivity, reflecting members that reflect light, and a light-dividing device that reflects and transmits light; at least one light-emitting unit that emits the light toward the first optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide; and at least one light-receiving unit that receives the light which is incident to the first optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide from the light-emitting unit, based on a directivity due to an angle of the incident light to the first optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide, wherein the incident light to the first optical waveguide portion is emitted radially toward the circumference of the second optical waveguide portion of the optical waveguide.

Abstract: A method of obtaining directivity in an optical waveguide includes the steps of falling incident light on surface of diffuse reflection members arranged at a center portion of the optical waveguide, generating a first table relative to an amount of emitted light that is acquired at a circumference of the optical waveguide by controlling at least one of an image control factor for changing an image of the incident light and a coordinate control factor for changing coordinates of the incident light with them being changed, and generating a second table relative to a pattern of the light which is incident to the diffuse reflection member by seeking for a combination of the image and the coordinates of the light based on the generated first table.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image exposure apparatus which has a light emitting chip including a plurality of light emitting elements, a base plate for mounting the chip thereon, a lens for imaging light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements on an exposure surface, an electrode disposed in the vicinity of the lens, and an insulative protecting member for protecting the chip, wherein a gap is provided between the electrode and the protecting member.