Sony Corporation

Iwatsu Electric Company Ltd.

Ntt Corporation

Masaru Miyamoto

Hiroshige Okamoto

Noboru Murabayashi

Tsutomu Seki

Shunji Yoshimura

Sho Murakoshi

Akira Nakayama

Daisuke Negi

Atsushi Fujimoto

Yoko Takahashi

Koichi Ichimura

Takayuki Adachi

Atsuko Tsukimura

Shinya Oi

An information provision device includes: a simulation execution unit that executes a simulation of a movement of moving bodies on multiple routes from a point of departure to a destination on a basis of setting data that accounts for different means of transportation; a simulation result analysis unit that obtains, as a simulation result, information related to a number and a density of the moving bodies on each of the routes from the point of departure to the destination on a basis of a result of the simulation execution unit executing the simulation; and an information provision unit that provides information based on the simulation result obtained by the simulation result analysis unit.

Information presenting device, information presenting method, and information presenting program

An information processing system includes a recording apparatus and a portable device, wherein the recording apparatus includes a recording control section, a selection section, a creation section, a digest information transfer control section, an operation information reception control section, and an operation information reflection section, and wherein the portable device includes a digest information reception control section, and an operation information transfer control section.

Information processing system, recording apparatus, portable device, information processing method, and program

An information signal processing method is provided which is to be used for special playback operations to make summary (digest) playback of image/voice data signals of a broadcast program. The method includes the steps of detecting a voice level or predetermined voice characteristic of each predetermined section from a predetermined image/voice information signal or an image/voice information signal resulted from predetermined band compression of the predetermined image/voice information signal and processing the voice signal as a predetermined segment section correspondingly to the result of detection and a predetermined set value; extracting predetermined characteristic data of each section of an image signal from the image/voice information signal and generating predetermined characteristic data indicative of an image feature of the predetermined section from the characteristic data; segmenting the image/voice information signal correspondingly to the image characteristic data, a signal resulted from segmentation of the voice and a predetermined time length or section length setting data; and recording a predetermined voice characteristic signal extracted from the voice signal on the basis of a segment of the image/voice information signal and the image feature data into a predetermined recording medium or predetermined data memory.

Information signal processing method and apparatus, and computer program product

There is provided an information signal processing method used when performing a special reproduction operation for digest reproduction of a video/audio information signal of a broadcast program. The method includes: a step for reading data from the video/audio characteristic data of each predetermined section of a predetermined video/audio information signal and additional information data concerning the video/audio information signal or a predetermined recording medium containing these data; a step for creating a predetermined first information meaning for each predetermined section of the video/audio information signal from the read data; a step for connecting a plurality of sections for which the first predetermined meaning has been created so as to perform creation of a predetermined second information meaning or a predetermined evaluation processing for a predetermined section according to the signal of the first meaning creation processing; and a step for setting a predetermined reproduction section or a predetermined reproduction time according to the signal subjected to the evaluation processing.

An information signal processing method is provided which is destined for processing feature data and making summary (digest) playback and various chapter data-based operations efficiently to attain a high effectiveness of the summary (digest) playback or chapter processing with the feature data. The method includes an information signal processing method, comprising the steps of making first predetermined recording of first predetermined information recorded in a predetermined recording medium into the recording medium or another recording medium so that the first predetermined information becomes second predetermined information corresponding to a predetermined setting of processing when in a predetermined mode of operation; and making, along with the first predetermined recording, second predetermined recording of third predetermined information so that the third predetermined information becomes fourth information when it is possible to detect that the third predetermined information associated with the first predetermined information has been recorded when in the predetermined mode of operation.

The present invention provides a database production method including: a representative image selection step of selecting certain images each as a representative image which represents an image content from the image content; a display processing step of causing a display apparatus to display the representative image; an operation inputting step of allowing a user to input image text information corresponding to the representative image; and a database production step of registering representative characteristic information extracted from the representative image in accordance with a predetermined extraction method and the image text information inputted at the operation inputting step in an associated relationship with each other to produce a database for acquiring, using arbitrary image characteristic information for each image extracted from an arbitrary image content in accordance with the extraction method, substance character information corresponding to an image which the arbitrary image content has.

Database production method, database production program, database production apparatus and image content recording apparatus

Disclosed herein is a signal processing apparatus including a first feature detection unit configured to detect a plurality of first feature data each representing a different feature from video and audio signals of a content; a setting unit configured to set a weight for each of the plurality of first feature data detected by the first feature detection unit, the weight corresponding to the feature for detecting data on the basis of said first feature data, the weight being varied either from one content to another or from one content genre to another; and a second feature detection unit configured to detect a plurality of second feature data each representing a different feature on the basis of the plurality of first feature data for which the weights have been set by the setting unit.

Signal processing apparatus, signal processing method, and program

A scene switching point detector includes: a feature-information generating unit that generates feature information indicating a feature of each of target frames; a backward-similarity calculating unit that sets each of the target frames as a similarity calculation frame in order and calculates backward similarity on the basis of the feature information of the similarity calculation frame and the feature information of the target frames temporally located before the similarity calculation frame; a forward-similarity calculating unit that sets each of the target frames as a similarity calculation frame in order and calculates forward similarity on the basis of the feature information of the similarity calculation frame and the feature information of the target frames temporally located after the similarity calculation frame; and a scene switching point detector that detects the target frame forming a scene switching point on the basis of the backward similarity and the forward similarity.

Scene switching point detector, scene switching point detecting method, recording apparatus, event generator, event generating method, reproducing apparatus, and computer program

A content data processing device includes: a stability score computing unit to compute a stability score corresponding to the stability of an image for each frame, based on the image data of each frame making up content data; and a playing segment selecting unit to select a playing segment from the content data based on the stability score computed with the stability score computing unit.

Content data processing device, content data processing method, program, and recording/ playing device

Letting fp be the frequency of a pixel clock, fs be the audio sampling frequency, and fa be the frequency of an audio clock to be reproduced, fa=384 fs=(N/M)fp, where N and M are frequency dividing ratios between the pixel clock and the audio clock of a frequency corresponding to the audio sampling frequency. When fs=48 kHz, M=27000 and N=18432, and when fs=44.1 kHz, M=30000 and N=18816. A VCO control unit detects a change in the audio sampling frequency fs from a control voltage Vctl output from a loop filter or from the frequency fo of an output clock of an oscillating unit, and then selects one of at least two VCOs.

Digital transmission system and clock reproducing device

An AV signal transmission/reception apparatus and a digital signal transmission system and method. A reception apparatus and method that can reproduce an audio reference clock of a plurality of different frequencies from a video reference clock. A pixel clock is divided by a divider into a signal of a constant frequency for phase comparison by a phase comparator. A sample frequency (Fs) decoder determines division ratio information based on Fs information representing the frequency of an audio clock transmitted from a transmission unit. The division ratio information is supplied to a first variable divider and a second variable divider. As a result, even if the frequency of the audio clock changes, the oscillation frequency of the a VCO unit can be kept constant, and the second variable divider can output a signal of a constant frequency for keeping constant the frequency of the signal transmitted to the phase comparator.

Digital signal transmission system and method, transmission apparatus and method, and reception apparatus and method

Letting fp be the frequency of a pixel clock, fs be the audio sampling frequency, and fa be the frequency of an audio clock to be reproduced, fa=384fs=(N/M)fp, where N and M are frequency dividing ratios between the pixel clock and the audio clock of a frequency corresponding to the audio sampling frequency. When fs=48 kHz, M=27000 and N=18432, and when fs=44.1 kHz, M=30000 and N=18816. A VCO control unit detects a change in the audio sampling frequency fs from a control voltage Vctl output from a loop filter or from the frequency fo of an output clock of an oscillating unit, and then selects one of at least two VCOs.

A decision feed back equalizer provides two feedback routines for one symbol-preceding decided data. The signal space is separated into decidable areas and uncertainty areas. Within each of decidable area the distance between any point and the signal point is small. Within each uncertainty area the distance between any point and the signal point is large. If the symbol-preceding equalized signal is in a decidable area, the piece of decided data is fed back, as it is presumed to be correct. If the symbol-preceding equalized signal exists in an uncertainty area, the piece of decided data is not fed back, as it is presumed to be in error. Here the one piece data is selected from all the predicted symbol-preceding decided data so that the instant equalized data is now in the decidable area. This piece of decided data is now fed back.

Decision feedback equalizer

An contour correcting circuit for correcting the contour without deterioration of image quality of the video signal, comprising a first HPF for extracting the high frequency signal component of the video signal supplied from an input terminal Tin, a second HPF for differentiating the output of the first HPF additionally, and a correlator for synthesizing the output signals of the output and the inverted output of said first HPF, and the output of the second HPF to form a signal having a predetermined signal waveform, wherein the correlator forms a signal waveform of the preshoot portion and overshoot portion with the first order differential output which is relatively static at the inflection point of the video signal, synthesizes a second order differential waveform so as to be a sharp signal waveform at the middle portion, and performs sharpness processing of the video signal by use of the contour correction signal.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Masaru Miyamoto