Sony Corporation

Atsushi Ichise

Kenji Inoue

Yoshiyuki Kondo

Masatoshi Hirayasu

Hiroyuki Kobayashi

Hideo Tomita

Kenichi Kikuchi

Atsushi Matsuzaki

Audio signals are compressed by selecting either a first compression mode providing high-quality sound and a relatively long processing time or a second compression mode having a shorter processing time in accordance with the contents of the audio input signals, for example, whether the signals are audio signals such as music or voice signals such as an announcement. By providing selectable compression time periods music can be enjoyed in high-quality sound, while the announcement of a message can be delivered satisfactorily without the loss of any information.

Signal compressing and transmitting apparatus

A system and method for providing service in a passenger vehicle having a plurality of passaenger seats. Tree-structured menu data are transmitted from a head end apparatus to a plurality of terminal units (each provided at one of the passenger seats) and the menu data are displayed at each terminal unit. Request signals indicating menu times selected by the passengers are returned to the head end apparatus, where they may be centrally processed and displayed, in order to provide improved service for the passengers.

Passenger vehicle service system

An information transmission system for transmitting signals from a transmitting side through a single transmission line to a plurality of terminal units. When the terminal units are interrupted by a command signal from the transmitting side, transmission of ordinary information signals to the terminal units is inhibited. When the terminal units are released from the interrupt mode, transmission of ordinary information signals automatically resumes, so that the ordinary information signals are reproduced from the point in time point at which they were interrupted. Normal operation of the terminal units is partially or totally inhibited during the interrupt mode. The system may be embodied in a passenger vehicle, in which a terminal unit is provided at each of a plurality of passenger seats.

Message delivery system operable in an override mode upon reception of a

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Tokyo, Japan

Atsushi Ichise