Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Koubun Sakagami

Akihiko Shimizu

Masafumi Tanaka

Yuichi Kadokawa

Eiichi Maeda

Kazunori Takatsu

Yasuhide Fujiwara

Hiroyuki Miyata

An image processing apparatus receives sound signals that are respectively output by a plurality of microphones, and detects a sound arrival direction from which sounds of the sound signals are traveled. The image processing apparatus calculates a sound level of sounds output from the sound arrival direction, and causes an image that reflects the sound level of sounds output from the sound arrival direction to be displayed in vicinity of an image of a user who is outputting the sounds from the sound arrival direction.

Apparatus, system, and method of image processing, and recording medium storing image processing control program

A matching device includes a first storing unit, a second storing unit, and a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a control unit and a circuit unit. In the circuit unit, a first circuit including distance calculating circuits that calculate distances between unknown characters and dictionary characters and a selecting circuit that selects P distances having smallest values and character codes corresponding to the distances is configured, and then a second circuit including a permutation circuit that outputs distances in order from one having a smallest value and outputs character codes corresponding to the distances is configured.

Matching device

A mark representing information of a multivalued level is recorded in each of cells arranged in a recording medium. Upon reproducing the multivalued level from a reproduction signal of the recording medium, the multivalued level of a present cell is judged by referring to a judged multivalued level of a preceding cell preceding the present cell or an ensuing cell ensuing the present cell, or by referring to the judged multivalued levels of both the preceding cell and the ensuing cell.

Information reproducing method judging a multivalued level of a present cell by referring to judged multivalued levels of a preceding cell and an ensuing cell

An information recording method and an information recording apparatus are disclosed, wherein x-bit long binary data are converted into m multi-level data of n levels (x is an integer equal to or greater than 3, m is an integer equal to or greater than 2, and n is an integer equal to or greater than 3). The x-bit long binary data are treated as a word, where two or more words constitute a row of data sequence. Two or more rows of data sequence constitute an error correction block, each row having address information attached. The multi-level data, to which the error correction block is added, are recorded in an information recording medium.

Information recording method and an information recording apparatus

A method of recording data as presence/absence of marks on an information recording medium includes a step of obtaining data pieces, each of which has size of one block and is made by adding error-correction-purpose data to information data, a step of attaching to each of the data pieces a synchronizing signal that includes a portion having the marks and a portion having no mark, a step of recording the data pieces on the information recording medium in units of the one block inclusive of the synchronizing signal, and a step of placing a concatenation point at a predetermined position within the synchronizing signal when adding, or writing in an overwriting manner, the data pieces in units of the one block, the concatenation point defining a position at which said adding or said writing starts.

Method and apparatus for recording information in concatenated manner

A multi-level data processing method converts a binary data into a multi-level data having n bits per symbol, where n is an integer satisfying n&#x2267;2. A {(n&#x2212;1)&#xd7;m}-bit binary data is arranged in upper (n&#x2212;1) bits of multi-level data of m symbols, where m is an integer satisfying m&#x2267;2, and a (m&#x2212;k)-bit binary data is converted into m bits according to a predetermined conversion rule and arranged in a lower 1 bit of the multi-level data of m symbols, where k is an integer satisfying m&#x3e;k&#x2267;1, so as to convert a (n&#xd7;m&#x2212;k)-bit binary data into 1 set of multi-level data made up of m symbols.

Multi-level data processing method and apparatus

A method of generating an efficient sequence of 'n+m&#x2212;' level random numbers, each sub-sequence of 'm' successive random numbers thereof having a different pattern, including the steps of generating a sequence of n-level random numbers based on an initial value, a number being generated at a time, determining whether a pattern of a sub-sequence is &#x201c;used&#x201d;, if the pattern of the sub-sequence is &#x201c;used&#x201d;, setting a different value to the initial value, if the pattern of the sub-sequence is not &#x201c;used&#x201d;, accepting the newly generated number and marking the pattern as &#x201c;used&#x201d;. All of the steps are repeated until all of &#x201c;n&#x201d; patterns are exhausted. Since the newly generated number is rejected if the pattern of the sub-sequence is &#x201c;used&#x201d;, the sequence becomes the shortest one of which all of &#x201c;n&#x201d; patterns are exhausted.

Method of generating an efficient sequence of multi-level random numbers used for an information recording medium

A recording medium with a data format is provided. The data format includes frames and an ECC block. Each of the frames includes a plurality of n-level data, n being an integer satisfying n&#x2267;3, a clock mark that is n-level data for sampling the n-level data, and a frame sync that is n-level data for indicating a break point of the n-level data of a predetermined amount. The ECC block is a data block for error correction using a product code. The ECC block is formed by binary data of J&#xd7;K words, where J is a natural number indicating the number of valid binary data in each frame, and K is a natural number indicating the number of frames when the n-level data are converted into binary data.

Recording medium suitable for recording/reproducing multi-level data

In a data processing method of converting (n&#xd7;m&#x2212;1)-bit data to multi-level data of m symbols of n bits per symbol, n and m being integers satisfying n&#x2267;2 and m&#x2267;2, respectively, the m symbols each comprising n-bit data are arranged in m columns in an n&#xd7;m matrix, with a value of each of the m symbols being set to an even or odd number, by creating the m symbols each including (n&#x2212;1)-bit data of the (n&#xd7;m&#x2212;1)-bit data, arranging the m symbols in the m columns so that the {(n&#x2212;1)&#xd7;m}-bit data is arranged in upper-side {(n&#x2212;1)&#xd7;m} bits of the n&#xd7;m matrix, and converting the remaining (m&#x2212;1)-bit data of the (n&#xd7;m&#x2212;1)-bit data to m-bit data so that the m-bit data is arranged in a row in lower-side m bits of the n&#xd7;m matrix.

Data processing method, circuit, and apparatus with increased accuracy

An electronic camera includes an image converting device, a voice converting device, an image data compressing and expanding device, a voice data compressing and expanding device, a single digital/analog converter, a sample-holding device for sample-holding and outputting the analog sound signals, a pedestal level generating device for generating signals indicative of pedestal levels, a change-over switching device for connecting the voice data compressing and expanding device to the sample-holding means when causing the pedestal level generating device to output the signals indicative of pedestal levels and for connecting the image data compressing and expanding device to the single digital/analog converter when causing the pedestal level generating device to prevent the outputting of the signals indicative of the pedestal level.

Electronic camera for photographing and recording an image and for

An image data processing apparatus includes a converter for subjecting each block to a discrete cosine transform (DCT) to convert blocks into DCT coefficients, a first memory for temporarily storing the DCT coefficients, a second memory for storing threshold values of a quantization matrix which is used for quantizing the DCT coefficients, a quantizing part for quantizing the DCT coefficients, a differential part for obtaining a difference in D.C. components of quantized DCT coefficients related to present and previous blocks, a zero detector for detecting whether or not A.C. components of the quantized DCT coefficient are zero coefficients, a counter for counting a number of successive zero coefficients of the A.C. components, a coder for subjecting the D.C. and A.C. components to a Huffman coding to output a coded D.C. and A.C. components, a first register for storing an address of an arbitrary DCT coefficient, a comparator for comparing an address where the DCT coefficient is stored in the first memory and the address in the first register, and a second register for holding the DCT coefficient output from the converter when the two compared addresses match.

Image data processing apparatus

A coder unit includes a coding circuit for converting information supplied from an external unit into code data having a length corresponding to the information, a connecting circuit for successively connecting to each other the code data obtained by the coding circuit and for outputting connected data obained by the connecting of the code data, a determination circuit for determining whether or not a number of bits of the connected data output from the connecting circuit has reached a predetermined value, and an output circuit for outputting a bit string code included in the connected data output from the connecting means as parallel data when the determination means determines that the number of bits of the connected data has reached the predetermined value, the bit string code being formed of bits starting from a leading end bit of the connected data, a number of bits of the bit string code being equal to the predetermined value.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Koubun Sakagami