Hitachi, Ltd.

Sony Corporation

Takao Oosawa

Hiroki Kitagawa

Masayuki Ohki

Jun Furuya

Atsuhiko Urushihara

Shigeyuki Itoh

Shigeyuki Ito

Joji Nishiyama

Etsuro Hirose

Atsuhiko Urushibara

Hajime Kasai

The present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program enabling accurate calculation of a remaining amount of a tape. In a cassette shell, a memoryfor storing information indicative of a total length of a magnetic tapeis incorporated. A remaining-tape-amount calculation apparatuscalculates a length of the tape as an amount of being wound around a reel-and a reel-on an assumption of a thickness of the tape being constant, and, for example, corrects a calculated tape length of the tape being retained wound around the reel-using a ratio of the total length of the magnetic tape, read out from the memory, to a sum of the calculated tape length of the tape being retained wound around the reel-and the tape length of the tape being put on wound around the reel-to calculate a remaining amount of the magnetic tape, which is recordable or reproducible. Incidentally, it is possible to apply the present invention to a VTR.

Signal processing apparatus and method, record medium, and program

A telephone for transferring electronic money between money cards has on the top thereof two card inlets of two internal card reader/writers, a display window, a ten-key set used to dial a telephone number or enter an amount of electronic money transaction, telephone function keys, and mode selection keys. It can be operated to transfer electronic money between two money cards inserted in the card inlets, or between a money card inserted in one of the card inlets and another money card linked through the telephone line, thereby enabling person-to-person, person-to-bank, and person-to-retailer transactions based on electronic money.

Telephone used for electronic money card transaction and method of operation of the same

In a value box in an electronic money system with a high reliability which is excellent in usage efficiency and maintenance, a front door and a rear door are provided before and after a main body portion and an indicator is provided to show operating states of a door locking key and a whole value box, particularly, a state in which a trouble or the like has occurred in the value box and a maintenance is necessary is provided for the front door. A communication line for transmitting information regarding power source lines and electronic money for a number of IC card readers/writers provided in the main body is connected to the rear door. The front door can be opened by hinges. A number of IC card readers/writers are enclosed in the main body portion. IC card inserting slots of IC cards for those IC card readers/writers are arranged and provided in the front surface of the main body portion at two upper and lower stages. An IC card operation indicator is provided in correspondence to each IC card inserting slot.

Holding apparatus for a plurality of IC cards facilitating transactions

An IC card reader/writer having a body which includes an IC insertion slot and an operation display section. The body is separable into an upper cover and a lower portion. The upper cover and the lower portion are displaced from each other to form a step on the side of the body formed with the IC card insertion slot. Further, a rack recessed from the step is formed on the portion of the body having the IC card insertion slot. Furthermore, the surface of the upper cover is curved upward in the direction away from the IC card insertion slot in such a manner as to increase the thickness progressively toward the side of the body far from the IC card insertion slot, and a display section is located on the slope of the curved portion. The operating area of the IC card reader/writer has function keys.

IC card reader/writer and method of operation thereof

An IC card reader/writer having a body which includes an IC insertion slot and an operation display section. The body is separable into an upper cover and a lower portion. The upper cover and the lower portion are displaced from each other to form a step on the side of the body formed with the IC card insertion slot. A recessed portion recessed from the step is formed on the portion of the body having the IC card insertion slot. The surface of the upper cover is curved upwardly in a direction away from the IC card insertion slot in such a manner as to increase the thickness progressively toward the side of the body far from the IC card insertion slot, and a display section is located on the slope of the curved portion. The operating area of the IC card reader/writer is provided with function keys.

An electronic-money card is used for carrying out transactions such as depositing, drawing, cash exchanging and transfers of electronic money in an automatic teller machine. A plurality of menus showing a variety of transactions are displayed so that the user to select one of the menus. If the deposit menu is selected, menus for cash and electronic money are displayed to request the user to select whether the money to be deposited is cash or electronic money. If the user selects the electronic-money deposit menu, the user is requested to enter a cash card and a password number. Once the password number is entered, the validity of the user is verified. After the validity of the user has been verified, the user is requested to enter an IC card and to specify the amount of electronic money to be deposited. Electronic money of the specified amount is drawn from the IC card and deposited in an account of the user by transferring the drawn electronic money to an electronic value box in a bank business system by way of a communication line. Thus, the transaction to deposit electronic money can be carried out in combination with a cash card in an automatic teller machine.

Growing community of inventors

Niiza, Japan

Takao Oosawa