Sony Corporation

Masaki Oguro

Ken Iizuka

Naofumi Yanagihara

Keiji Kanota

Teruhiko Kori

Tadashi Ezaki

Hiroshi Fukuda

Akira Takano

Masahiko Sato

Hajime Inoue

Yukio Kubota

Fumihiro Nagasawa

Masato Yamaguchi

Yoichirou Senshu

Masanori Kimura

Hisato Shima

Hiroshi Okada

Shinji Nakamura

Hiroshi Yoshioka

Shinichi Fukushima

Kazuyuki Ogawa

Hiroshi Ota

Ichiro Okamoto

Hiroyuki Ishimaru

Shunji Motohashi

Hajime Kawakami

Masahiro Negamune

Ken Iizuki

The invention provides an input device which includes a gripping part, a pointing part, and at least one depressible part furnished in such a manner that while holding the gripping part by hand, a user may manipulate the pointing and depressible parts with fingertips to perform the same kinds of operations as those of a mouse. The input device may include a rotating and/or a pivoting part and at least one operating element which provide a still wider variety of functions when operated.

Input device and information processing apparatus

An image processing apparatus and method for facilitating a still image copying operation between a plurality of storage media. Under the control of the controller , a DV/digital video data converter , a digital video data/analog converter , and a digital video data/JPEG converter convert input digital video data into a still image, convert the still image into digital video data or an analog video signal, and convert an input analog video signal into a still image. Under the control of the controller , a PC card interface stores the still image into a PC card and reads the still image therefrom. Under the control of the controller , a Memory Stick interface stores a still image into a Memory Stick and reads the still image therefrom.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and information providing medium

A signal conversion apparatus having a memory-stick connector for mounting a memory stick, a PC-card connector for mounting a PC card, and a cover for shielding and exposing the memory-stick connector and the PC-card connector from and to the external world. The cover has an opening for allowing a memory stick to be removed from or mounted on the memory-stick connector with the cover put in a state of shielding the memory-stick connector and the PC-card connector from the external world. As a result, it is possible to prevent the wrong storage medium from being removed from or mounted on the signal conversion apparatus.

Information processing apparatus

Copy protecting television broadcast program signals which are received and recorded in a format that reserves recording areas for accessory information relating to the format and reserves other recording areas for digital image signals. When the input signals received for recording are determined to be television broadcast program signals, a generation limiting signal inserted therein is set to a copy protect state and is recorded to inhibit copying.

Apparatus and method for TV broadcast copy protection

During recording, a multilingual indication is generated when at least two of the audio channels of a digital audio signal are associated with a common program, and the multilingual indication is combined with the digital audio signal. During reproduction, a display is activated when a multilingual indication indicates that at least two of the audio channels included in a digital audio signal are associated with a common program.

Digital audio channels with multilingual indication

An application ID is recorded in a timing sector at an entrance end of a track on a recording medium for stipulating a data structure for the respective track including a determined number of areas into which the remainder of the track is divided, the positioning of those areas, and the arrangements of Sync. blocks and error correcting codes (ECC) in the areas. Further, each of the areas into which the track is divided in addition to the timing sector is provided with a respective application ID for determining the data structure in the respective area.

Method for recording and reproducing CRT various types of data so as to permit the use of the same mechanical and servo systems thereof

A video signal recording apparatus digitally records on a storage medium a video signal comprising an image signal, an audio signal, and an audio-associated information signal, the audio-associated information signal is included in a vertical blanking period of the video signal, the audio-associated information is collected, formatted, and digitally recorded in an area separate from areas where the image signal and audio signal are recorded.

Method and apparatus for digitally recording and reproducing data recorded in the vertical blanking period of video signal

Magnetic recording apparatus are provided for recording signals on a magnetic tape. A recording head records signals in successive tracks on the tape and a tape transport transports a magnetic tape past the recording head in a recording direction. In one embodiment, absolute track addresses are recorded in at least some of the tracks, the absolute track address of each track corresponding to a distance of the track from a start position of the magnetic tape. Recording is initiated from a track having a predetermined absolute track address corresponding to a predetermined distance from the start position. In a further embodiment, the tape transport transports the tape initially by a distance necessary to establish a stable running state, and thereafter transports the tape a further distance while recording reproduction control signals so that during reproduction a stable running state may be achieved. Thereafter, information to be output is recorded.

Video tape recording apparatus

Video tape recording apparatus for recording reproduction control

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Masaki Oguro