Hitachi, Ltd.

Yuji Toda

Kiyoshi Inoue

Yoshio Sakai

Hirohiko Sagawa

Masahiro Abe

Hideaki Takahashi

Hiromi Inaba

Soshiro Kuzunuki

Kiyoshi Nakamura

Masaru Ohki

Akira Ichikawa

Takanori Shimura

Kotaro Hirasawa

Kenji Yoneda

Yasunari Obuchi

Kazuhiko Sagara

Atsuya Fujino

Toshimitsu Tobita

Masao Nakazato

Masakatsu Tanaka

Yuzo Morita

Noboru Arabori

Takaaki Ueshima

Tomoko Sakiyama

Kiyoshi Arai

Hiroshi Sakou

Eiji Oohira

Masato Suzuki

Shinji Okazaki

Masao Takatoo

Shigeru Kakumoto

Tsutomu Sano

Toshiyuki Yoshimura

Masanobu Itoh

Chieko Onuma

Miyahiko Orita

Morio Kanasaki

Tadaaki Mishima

Katutaro Masuda

Mitsuo Saito

Tatsuhiko Takahashi

Katsutaro Masuda

A sign language interpretation apparatus for performing sign language recognition and sign language generation generates easily read sign language computer graphics (CG) animation by preparing sign language word CG patterns on the basis of actual motion of the hand through the use of a glove type sensor to generate natural sign language CG animation, and by applying correction to the sign language word CG patterns. Further, in the sign language interpretation apparatus, results of translation of inputted sign language or voice language are confirmed and modified easily by the individual input persons, whereby results of translation of the inputted sign language or voice language are displayed in a combined form desired by the user to realize smooth communication. Also, candidates obtained as a result of translation are all displayed and can be selected easily by the input person with a device such as a mouse. Further, when a polysemous word is available, the word is displayed while being changed in its display form, and other expressions are confirmed and modified with the mouse.

Sign language generation apparatus and sign language translation

Elevator group supervisory control method and system for group supervisory control of a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of floors. The method and apparatus of the invention permits the inputting of qualitative requests (guidance), from the user, concerning elevator operation into the group supervisory control system. Qualitative requests concerning elevator operation are set in the form of guidance (or request) targets. The thus set request targets are converted into control targets for the elevators. Actual group supervisory control is executed using the control targets.

Method and system of controlling elevators and method and apparatus of

In continuous sign language recognition, reference sign language patterns of good quality are generated. Continuous sign language patterns and reference sign language patterns are efficiently compressed. The compressed continuous sign language patterns are sequentially and directly matched with the compressed reference sign language patterns to recognize the sign language at high speed and with high precision. A reference sign pattern generating unit generates a reference sign language pattern by normalizing sample patterns while taking into consideration of their nonlinear compression/expansion and by calculating an average of the sample patterns. A continuous sign language recognition unit recognizes a continuous sign language at high speed by sequentially matching the continuous sign language of time sequential patterns with reference sign language patterns while allowing nonlinear expansion and compression in the time domain. A sign language translation system is provided in which a sign language as well as the facial expression or emotion of a sign language user is recognized and converted into a spoken language with emotion, and transferred in the form of texts, voices, sign languages of another type to a particular partner among a plurality of unknown system users.

Sign recognition apparatus and method and sign translation system using

In a sign-language learning system, the data of sign-language desired by a learner can be outputted quickly and accurately and, moreover, in the display method matching the requirements of individual learners, and the individual learners can easily make additional registration. The sign-language data are stored in a sign-language dictionary, and desired sign-language data are searched on the basis of an entry word or contents by a dictionary search device. The searched sign-language data are displayed in a display output device in accordance with a requirement of a learner by image synthesis. The sign-language data are registered by a dictionary registration device.

Sign language learning system and method

A high density storage medium which stores predetermined information by matching it on one-to-one basis with multiple levels of depth or height formed in predetermined plural areas of substrate surface, a storing method, a reading method and various systems using them have been disclosed.

High density storage of information on a substrate with multiple depth

Elevator group supervisory control method and system for group supervisory control of a plurality of elevators serving a plurality of floors. The method and apparatus of the invention permits the inputting of qualitative requests (guidance), from the user, concerning elevator operation into the group supervisory control system. Qualitative requests concerning elevator operation are set in the form of guidance (or request) targets. The thus set request, targets are converted into control targets for the elevators. Actual group supervisory control is executed using the control targets.

An elevator car and a counterweight is suspended on a sheave by means of a rope in a well-rope faashion. In dependence on the number of passengers on the car, the sheave is applied with an unbalance torque making appearance between the car and counterweight. Upon starting of the elevator operation by releasing a brake, upward or backward bouncing of the car takes place due to the unbalance torque. For preventing such bouncing of the car, a start compensation is performed by generating a motor torque which can cancel out the unbalance torque in precedence to the releasing of the brake. The brake is installed swingably on a winding equipment. Displacement of the brake during actuation thereof indicates the presence of the unbalance torque. By taking advantage of this displacement, the start compensation is carried out by increasing the motor torque progressively in the direction depending on the displacement and by holding the motor torque constant at a value attained when the displacement becomes smaller than a predetermined value.

Elevator control apparatus

An image processing apparatus having a character extraction unit for extracting an area whose density distribution characteristic meets a predetermined condition such as a binarization threshold and a size and a type of local filtering, from an input image of multiple gray levels, and extracts an object area as an output image from the input image by using the characteristic extraction unit. An area designation means designates an area having a uniform density distribution and containing the object area, to the input image. Condition determination means determines the condition for the characteristic extraction unit based on the density distribution characteristic of the input image in the designated area. In an image processing expert system, the image characteristics of the object image and the background in the area designated by the area designation means are evaluated and analyzed and the inquiry in the form of message is effected to quantize the evaluation of the image characteristic. As a result, the area extraction procedure can be easily executed by the interaction with an operator.

Image processing apparatus

An elevator apparatus includes an electric motor for driving the elevator apparatus, an elevator cage adapted to be lifted or lowered by the electric motor, a brake device for holding and retaining an elevator driving system, including the electric motor, and a malfunction detecting device responsive to the application of a torque to a retainer section of the brake device during the lifting or lowering of the elevator cage.

Elevator apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Hitachi, Japan

Yuji Toda