Sony Corporation

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Yasuhiko Kato

Masao Watari

Satoshi Fujimura

Kazuo Ishii

Hiroaki Ogawa

Hisashi Yokoyama

Miyuki Tanaka

Makoto Akabane

Takashi Sasai

Masanori Omote

Yasuharu Asano

Kazuo Watanabe

Masakazu Hattori

Katsuki Minamino

Toshihiko Miyake

Kiyonobu Kojima

Naoki Fujisawa

Junji Ooi

Naohiro Yokoo

Tetsuya Kagami

Takeshi Ikai

Masahiro Fujita

Syuji Yonekura

Sotsuo Miyoshi

Hiroshi Kakuda

Hidetoshi Okada

Utaha Shizuka

Nobuyuki Kihara

Hiroaki Kitano

Yoshikazu Takahashi

Naoyasu Hosonuma

Yohei Sakuraba

Yusuke Iwahashi

Kenichiro Kobayashi

Hitoshi Honda

Ai Kato

Shuji Yonekura

Akihiko Fujinaka

Eiji Numata

A voice processing apparatus includes a band dividing portion dividing a first voice signal generated by a first microphone and a second voice signal generated by a second microphone into predetermined frequency bands, a sound source segregating portion segregating an echo component of a voice emitted by a first sound source included in a voice emitted by a second sound source in each of the predetermined frequency bands based on the power of the first and second microphones, and a band synthesis portion synthesizing the first and second voice signals from which the echo component of the first sound source has been segregated by the sound source segregating portion into a voice signal including the voice emitted by the first sound source and a voice signal including the echo component of the first sound source.

Voice processing apparatus, voice processing system, and voice processing program

An audio processor of a loud speech communication system including a speaker and a microphone is provided. The audio processor includes: an adaptive filter wherein an amount of update in a learning event is set to an arbitrary value, and a filter coefficient is serially determined corresponding to the set amount of update; a semi-fixed filter adapted to an echo cancellation process of an audio input signal input from the microphone; adaptive filter assessment unit that calculates a length of an update vector based on the filter coefficient determined by the adaptive filter and a length of an update vector based on a filter coefficient set in the semi-fixed filter and that performs assessment of the filter coefficients in accordance with the update vectors; and coefficient specifying unit that sets an optimal filter coefficient among the filter coefficients into the semi-fixed filter in accordance with the result of the assessment of the filter coefficients performed by the adaptive filter assessment unit.

Audio processor

A microphone apparatus for processing and outputting an output signal of a microphone array including at least nine microphones includes a directivity function processing circuit that converts the output signal of the microphone array into a unidirectional signal and that outputs the unidirectional signal. The directivity function processing circuit expands a directivity function whose variable is an incident angle of an acoustic wave into a Fourier series up to at least third order. The variable in the expanded expression is produced from output signals of the microphones forming the microphone array.

Microphone apparatus

The present invention is intended to perform text-to-speech conversion by replacing URLs and electronic mail addresses included in the text data of electronic mail by registered predetermined words. A mail watcher application control section executes the processing for converting electronic mail received by a MAPI mailer into speech data. The mail watcher application control section outputs URLs and electronic mail addresses included in the text data of electronic mail supplied from the MAPI mailer to a URL and mail address filter to replace them by registered predetermined names. Of the entered texts, the URL and mail address filter compares the URL or mail address included in the entered text with those registered in the URL and mail address table. If a the URL or mail address of the entered text is found matching, the URL and mail address filter replace it by the registered name and outputs it to the mail watcher application control section.

Information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program for converting text data to audio data

A setting window that is displayed when a mail tab is selected includes check boxes for selecting items to read when an electronic mail is read, and a check box and a drop-down list box for setting automatic checking of electronic mails. Contents corresponding to checked boxes among the check boxes are converted into speech data. Furthermore, the contents corresponding to the checked boxes among the check boxes, except for the body of the electronic mail, are used for generating a title to be added when the speech data is output to an external apparatus, etc. If none of the check boxes is checked, a predetermined character string is set as a title.

Text-to-speech synthesis system and associated method of associating content information

A picture-information transmission apparatus including a file select means for selecting a predetermined file saved in a state of associating picture information with word information upon detection of execution of a predetermined operation, and a transmission-information creation means for creating transmission information for transmitting information of a predetermined file selected by the file select means to a predetermined partner, wherein the transmission information is created at the same time as the predetermined file is selected in a batch operation when the predetermined operation is executed.

Method and system for creating an e-mail by automatically constituting a text and an attached file of the e-mail basing on at least one words or sentences and picture stored in a single picture file

A virtual electronic pet and a pet-type robot that changes emotional state and instinct state according to surrounding information and internal information. The electronic pet behaves according to the emotional state and the instinct state. Transmission/reception of the internal state of the electronic pet (pet characteristic information) is made possible among the virtual electronic pet, the pet-type robot, and a personal computer. Thus, the action of the electronic pet is implemented by each device in accordance with the internal state of the electronic pet affected by other equipment.

Electronic pet system, network system, robot, and storage medium

The invention provides a communication apparatus, a communication method and a program storage medium. The communication apparatus includes a word-generating means for recognizing a voice and generating a first word and a second word, which correspond to the voice, a word-collating means for collating the first word generated by the word-generating means with pieces of information on a communication destination stored in advance and outputting a specific piece of information on a communication destination corresponding to the first word, a program-activating means for confirming the fact that the second word generated by the word-generating means is a predetermined word and activating a communication program corresponding to the predetermined word, and a communication-destination-setting means for adopting the specific piece of information on a communication destination output by the word-collating means as information on a communication destination of the communication program activated by the program-activating means. In the communication apparatus, data for identifying a communication partner can be set with ease.

Communication apparatus, communication method and program storage medium

Two types of voice can be set for reading text data of an electronic mail. A user selects a detailed setting button associated with one of the voice types to display a voice setting window, in which setting for the voice can be made individually. A drop-down list box include preset voice types such as woman, man, child, robot, and alien, and also names of voice types corresponding to phonemes created by the user, allowing selection thereof. In relation to a voice selected from the drop-down list box, reading speed, voice pitch, and strength of stress are set according to positions of setting levers.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, recording medium, and program

A first magnetic substance and a second magnetic substance are arranged opposite to each other with a gap left therebetween; a holding member being arranged in the gap; a magnetic field generator being secured to the holding member; the generator being arranged adjacent to the first magnetic substance or the second magnetic substance, thereby increasing an magnetic attraction generated by a magnetic force between the generator and the first magnetic substance or the second magnetic substance. A slide between a sliding portion of a supporting member and that of the holding member is permitted only on the magnetic substance side to which the magnetic field generator stands close, which relaxes the requirements of dimensional accuracy such as the height of the holding member.

Position detecting device

The invention provides a communication apparatus, a communication method and a program storage medium. The communication apparatus includes a word-generating means for recognizing a voice and generating a first word and a second word, which correspond to the voice, a word-collating means for collating the first word generated by the word-generating means with pieces of information on a communication destination-stored in advance and outputting a specific piece of information on a communication destination corresponding to the first word, a program-activating means for confirming the fact that the second word generated by the word-generating means is a predetermined word and activating a communication program corresponding to the predetermined word, and a communication-destination-setting means for adopting the specific piece of information on a communication destination output by the word-collating means as information on a communication destination of the communication program activated by the program-activating means. In the communication apparatus, data for identifying a communication partner can be set with ease.

In an information processing apparatus, a portable device, an electronic pet apparatus, recording medium storing information processing procedures and an information processing method, various kinds of data is transmitted via a network, and in addition, words can be catalogued via voice. Further, various responses are made in accordance with user authentication, voice inputs and responses are classified into categories which are used as a basis for generating a response. Furthermore, the emotion of the electronic pet can be changed on the basis of a past history.

Information processing apparatus, portable device, electronic pet apparatus recording medium storing information processing procedures and information processing method

The invention relates to a mounting device for mounting an exhaust gas recirculation valve connected to an exhaust gas reflux passage of an engine. A valve housing is mounted on a cooling water circulating part from an engine block, as well as the valve housing forms a part of a cooling water passage. Therefore, an intense heat of the exhaust gas can be absorbed in and radiated by the cooling water. In this manner, an abnormal over heat of a stepping motor due to the intense heat of the exhaust gas is prevented without forming any cooling water passage around the valve housing.

Mounting device for exhaust gas recirculation valve

An information processing apparatus including an image-sensing controller controlling image-sensing so as to take a picture upon detection of execution of a first operation, a word generator recognizing speech upon detection of execution of a second operation and generating a word or a phrase corresponding to the recognized voice, and a portion associating the word or a phrase with the picture. Accordingly a word, a generated phrase or the like can be easily associated with an image-sensed still picture (with ease).

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yasuhiko Kato