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Showing papers by "Panasonic published in 2007"


Patent
14 Jun 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a table correlating a basic TF as a combination of parameters such as TB size used for transmitting only user data, an allocation RB quantity, a modulation method, and an encoding ratio, with a derived TF having user data of different TB size by combining L1/L2 control information.
Abstract: Provided are a radio transmission device and a radio transmission method capable of improving downlink and uplink throughput even when performing dynamic symbol allocation. In the device and the method, BS and MS share a table correlating a basic TF as a combination of parameters such as TB size used for transmitting only user data, an allocation RB quantity, a modulation method, and an encoding ratio, with a derived TF having user data of different TB size by combining L1/L2 control information. Even when multiplexing L1/L2 control information, Index corresponding to the basic TF is reported from BS to MS.

344 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The worldwide opening of a massive amount of unlicensed spectra around 60 GHz has triggered great interest in developing affordable 60-GHz radios, andpects addressed in this paper include global regulatory and standardization, justification of using the 60- GHz bands,60-GHz consumer electronics applications, radio system concept, 60-hz propagation and antennas, and key issues in system design.
Abstract: The worldwide opening of a massive amount of unlicensed spectra around 60 GHz has triggered great interest in developing affordable 60-GHz radios. This interest has been catalyzed by recent advance of 60-GHz front-end technologies. This paper briefly reports recent work in the 60-GHz radio. Aspects addressed in this paper include global regulatory and standardization, justification of using the 60-GHz bands, 60-GHz consumer electronics applications, radio system concept, 60-GHz propagation and antennas, and key issues in system design. Some new simulation results are also given. Potentials and problems are explained in detail.

270 citations


Patent
25 Oct 2007
TL;DR: A picture encoding method is a method of predictively encoding an input picture with reference to pictures stored in a picture buffer, decoding the encoded input picture, judging whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for reference as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: A picture encoding method of the present invention is a picture encoding method of predictively encoding an input picture with reference to pictures stored in a picture buffer, decoding the encoded input picture, judging whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for reference and whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for output which needs to be stored until its display time, and storing, in the picture buffer, the picture for reference and the picture for output based on the determination result.

210 citations


Patent
31 Oct 2007
TL;DR: The video signal recording and reproducing apparatus of as mentioned in this paper includes a receiving section for receiving a television signal, an image compression section for compressing an amount of information per unit time of the received continuous video signal; a writing section for intermittently writing a compressed video signal, obtained as an output of the image compression, onto a hard disk apparatus via a magnetic head; a reading section for reading out the written compressed video signals from the hard disk device via the magnetic head.
Abstract: The video signal recording and reproducing apparatus of the invention includes: a receiving section for receiving a television signal; an image compression section for compressing an amount of information per unit time of the received continuous video signal; a writing section for intermittently writing a compressed video signal, obtained as an output of the image compression section, onto a hard disk apparatus via a magnetic head; a reading section for intermittently reading out the written compressed video signal from the hard disk apparatus via the magnetic head; a decoding section for restoring the read compressed video signal into an original video signal; a display section for displaying the restored video signal; and a control section for controlling the writing section and the reading section such that writing the video signal onto the hard disk apparatus and reading an arbitrary video signal, which was previously written onto the hard disk apparatus, from the hard disk apparatus are performed apparently simultaneously and continuously.

209 citations


Patent
23 Jan 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, an insulator is connected to the back surface of a photoelectric conversion part, and a first through-hole electrode penetrating the insulator and electrically connected to a first collector electrode, and then a second throughhole electrode connecting to a second collector electrode.
Abstract: Solar cells each include: an insulator connected to a back surface of a photoelectric conversion part; a first through-hole electrode penetrating the insulator, and electrically connected to a first collector electrode; and a second through-hole electrode penetrating the insulator, and electrically connected to a second collector electrode. In addition, a wiring member is disposed on the insulator.

168 citations


Patent
18 May 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, an electronic device stores right information in a right temporary storage unit 59 and judges whether or not use of the content is permitted, in a process of decoding a frame.
Abstract: In order to play back a content while managing the right on use of the content, such as a total time of playback of the content, an electronic device stores right information in a right temporary storage unit 59 and judges whether or not use of the content is permitted, in a process of decoding a frame. Also, the electronic device updates the right information stored in the right temporary storage unit 59. When the frame to be played back is the one at apredeterminedposition in order, the electronic device stores the right information stored in the right temporary storage unit 59 into a storage area 20.

167 citations


Patent
21 Feb 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a probabilistic intrusion detection analyzer is used to generate a likelihood score indicative of whether the system calls being monitored were produced by a computer system whose security has been compromised.
Abstract: Selected system calls are monitored to generate frequency data that is input to a probabilistic intrusion detection analyzer which generates a likelihood score indicative of whether the system calls being monitored were produced by a computer system whose security has been compromised. A first Bayesian network is trained on data from a compromised system and a second Bayesian network is trained on data from a normal system. The probabilistic intrusion detection analyzer considers likelihood data from both Bayesian networks to generate the intrusion detection measure.

166 citations


Patent
29 Nov 2007
TL;DR: A solar cell module includes two solar cells, each including an photoelectric conversion body 10a, 10b having first and second main faces and generating photogenerated carriers, and a wiring member 2a for electrically connecting the first electrode of one of the solar cells to the second electrode of the other solar cell as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A solar cell module includes: two solar cells, each including an photoelectric conversion body 10a, 10b having first and second main faces and generating photogenerated carriers, a first electrode provided on the first main face, and a second electrode provided on the first or second main face and having a polarity opposite to that of the first electrode; and a wiring member 2a for electrically connecting the first electrode of one of the two solar cells to the second electrode of the other solar cell. The first electrode has a plurality of finger electrodes for collecting the photogenerated carriers generated in the photoelectric conversion body 10a and a bus-bar electrode 11a for collecting the photogenerated carriers collected by the plurality of finger electrodes. The wiring member 2a is connected onto the bus-bar electrode 11a of the one solar cell through a connection layer 13 formed of a conductive resin containing conductive material. The connection layer 13 is also in contact with the first main face of the photoelectric conversion body 10a.

164 citations


Patent
Kaoru Sato1, Toshiyuki Morii1
14 Dec 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, an adaptive sound source vector quantization (SAVQ) device was proposed to perform pitch cycle search with a resolution appropriate for any section of the search range of a second sub-frame.
Abstract: Provided is an adaptive sound source vector quantization device which can always perform a pitch cycle search with a resolution appropriate for any section of the pitch cycle search range of a second sub-frame when a pitch cycle search range of the second sub-frame changes in accordance with a pitch cycle of a first sub-frame. The device includes a first pitch cycle instruction unit (111), a search range calculation unit (112), and a second pitch cycle instruction unit (113). The first pitch cycle instruction unit (111) successively instructs pitch cycle search candidates in a predetermined search range having a search resolution which transits over a predetermined pitch cycle candidate for the first sub-frame. The search range calculation unit (112) calculates a predetermined range before and after the pitch cycle of the first sub-frame as the pitch cycle search range for the second sub-frame, if the predetermined range includes the predetermined pitch cycle search candidate. In the predetermined range, the search resolution transits over a boundary defined by the predetermined pitch cycle. The second pitch cycle instruction unit (113) successively instructs the pitch cycle search candidates in the search range for the second sub-frame.

164 citations


Patent
19 Sep 2007
TL;DR: In this article, a mobile terminal (MN) which is located in a first cell, on system information of a second cell, changes the frequency to the second frequency so as to acquire the system information based on the previously received scheduling information.
Abstract: Method for informing a mobile terminal (MN), which is located in a first cell, on system information of a second cell. In particular, pointers to the system information are transmitted from the base station of the first cell to the mobile node, while the mobile node is located in the first cell. The MN processes said pointer, comprising e.g. information on the transmission format and timing of system information in the second cell. Using an acquisition gap assigned by the network, the MN changes the frequency to the second frequency so as to acquire the system information based on the previously received scheduling information. Thus, the acquisition time for important system information may be reduced, as no Master Information Block on the second frequency has to be processed first, in order to acquire the system information.

161 citations


Patent
12 Jan 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a compound eye camera module where an optical filter array (2) and a light shielding block (6) are arranged between a lens module (7) and imaging regions (4a-4d).
Abstract: A compound eye camera module where an optical filter array (2) and a light shielding block (6) are arranged between a lens module (7) and imaging regions (4a-4d). The optical filter array (2) has optical filters (2a-2d). The light shielding block (6) has light shielding walls (61a-61d) forming openings (6a-6d) independent from each other. The lens module (7) integrally has lenses (1a-1d) arranged on a single plane. First sliding surfaces (66-69) are provided on the light shielding block. The lens module is provided with second sliding surfaces (56-59) sliding on the first sliding surface, and the lens module is provided so that it can rotate relative to the light shielding block with an axis normal to the imaging regions as the center axis of the rotation. The compound eye camera module is small sized, thin, and low cost.

Patent
Zhong Xue1, Sheng Mei Shen1, Teck Wee Foo1, Chak Joo Lee1, Shinya Kadono1 
30 Oct 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a deblocking filter is used to remove block noise from every block in a compressed video signal, but removing block noise requires a significant load on the deblocking filters.
Abstract: Mosaic-shaped block noise occurs when a compressed video signal is reproduced This block noise is removed, but removing block noise from every block using a deblocking filter imposes a significant load on the deblocking filter This load is therefore reduced by determining whether coding distortion removal (deblocking) is necessary, and applying a deblocking filter only when needed

Patent
23 Mar 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose an authentication relay system that enables registration of a slave apparatus to a network, even when communication ranges between a master and a slave to be registered are restricted and both or one of the registration messages is not reached.
Abstract: It is an object to provide an authentication relay apparatus, authentication relay system, and authentication relay method which enables registration of a slave apparatus to a network, even when communication ranges between a master apparatus and a slave apparatus to be registered are restricted and both or one of the registration messages is not reached. A representative registration apparatus 100 includes: a master and slave apparatus supporting control section 101 which generates, according to a registration message received from a master apparatus or a slave apparatus, a registration message to be transmitted to the master apparatus or the slave apparatus; a communication range switching section 104 for switching a transmission range of a message to be transmitted; and a communication range determining section 107 which determines, according to a destination of a registration message generated by the master and slave apparatus supporting control section 101, a transmission range of the registration message thus generated, so as to provide instructions to the communication range switching section 104.

Patent
10 Dec 2007
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed an improved scheme for configuring control channels, in particular control channels related to the transmission of user data, by aligning the size of the control channel information of different formats to an equal number of coded control channel bits and/or modulation symbols.
Abstract: The invention relates to a method, apparatus and system for configuring control channels in a mobile communication network and a mobile station. In order to suggest another improved scheme for configuring control channels, in particular control channels related to the transmission of user data the invention suggests aligning the size of the control channel information of different formats to an equal number of coded control channel information bits and/or modulation symbols for each control channel. The control channels may comprise scheduling related control information. According to another aspect of the invention, a more flexible solution is proposed that may allow for taking different geometries of mobile stations within a cell into account. Similar to the aspect above, the size of the control channel information is aligned by means of modulation and/or coding, however the control channel information is aligned to one out of a set of numbers of coded control channel information bits and/or modulation symbols for each control channel.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a new index FCI is proposed for estimating the effect of feeling of contrast quantitatively under any light sources, which is derived using a simple transformation of the gamut area, constituted by a specially selected four-color combination in CIE LAB color space.
Abstract: “Visual clarity” or “feeling of contrast” of object colors under illumination is affected significantly by changing color-rendering property of light source used. Though the feeling of contrast is considered one of the most important characteristics on color-rendering properties of light sources, it cannot be estimated adequately by using the present Ra method. The new index FCI is proposed for estimating the effect of feeling of contrast quantitatively under any light sources. The FCI is derived using a simple transformation of the gamut area, which is constituted by a specially selected four-color combination in CIE LAB color space. The FCI correlates well with the illuminance ratio for equal feeling of contrast (or equal visual clarity) on various light sources reported so far. Using the FCI together with the present CIE Ra, the color-rendering capability of a light source can be well clarified. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 32, 361–371, 2007

Patent
25 Jan 2007
TL;DR: In this article, a controller executes local generation and local consumption pathways of: supplying power from a solar cell to an appliance, and charging a storage cell with power that remains after subtracting power consumed by the appliance from the solar cell power.
Abstract: A controller executes local generation and local consumption pathways of: supplying power from a solar cell to an appliance, and charging a storage cell with power that remains after subtracting power consumed by the appliance from the solar cell power. In the absence of excess power, the storage cell and solar cell supply power. Power supply from a commercial electrical grid covers a power shortage that remains after subtracting solar cell power and storage cell power from the power consumed by the appliance. The controller also executes a second excess power selling mode pathway wherein excess power flows into the commercial electrical grid, and an assist mode wherein all solar cell power flows into the commercial electrical grid, and storage cell power flows to the appliance.

Patent
12 Feb 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a power source bus line is connected to the power source part via a FPC, and the line resistance of the bus line can be reduced by supplying electricity to both ends.
Abstract: The present invention overcomes image defects such as the brightness inclination or smears by reducing the line resistance of a power source bus line which supplies electricity to organic EL elements. A plurality of pixels which are arranged in a matrix array is connected to power source lines, and the plurality of power source lines are connected to a power source bus line. Both ends of the power source bus line are connected to a power source part via a FPC. By supplying electricity to both ends of the power source bus line from the power source part, the line resistance of the power source bus line can be reduced.

Patent
Yasuhiro Uemoto1, Masahiro Hikita1, Tetsuzo Ueda1, Tsuyoshi Tanaka1, Daisuke Ueda1 
01 Mar 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a control region having p-type conductivity and a region of the third nitride semiconductor layer located between the gate electrode and each of the source electrode and the drain electrode is formed with a high resistive region having a higher resistance than the control region.
Abstract: A nitride semiconductor device includes: a first nitride semiconductor layer; a second nitride semiconductor layer formed on the first nitride semiconductor layer and having a wider band gap than the first nitride semiconductor layer; and a third nitride semiconductor layer formed on the second nitride semiconductor layer. A region of the third nitride semiconductor layer located below the gate electrode is formed with a control region having a p-type conductivity, and a region of the third nitride semiconductor layer located between the gate electrode and each of the source electrode and the drain electrode is formed with a high resistive region having a higher resistance than the that of the control region.

Patent
03 May 2007
TL;DR: In this article, the flux flux is supplied to the bumps of the plurality of components in a bundle using a transfer coating method to ensure an optimal amount of application quantity of a paste.
Abstract: First components and second components in which bumps are formed on the lower surface thereof and laminate structures are formed by mounting them to stack with each other on a circuit board 13 are picked up from a component supply unit 1 using a placement head 16, and by lifting and lowering the placement head 16 holding the first components and the second components relative to a paste transfer device 5 supplying a flux 10 in the manner such as coating films having two types of different thicknesses, the flux 10 is supplied to the bumps of the plurality of components in a bundle using a transfer coating method With such a configuration, it is possible to efficiently perform a component mounting with a satisfactory adhesiveness by ensuring an optimal amount of application quantity of a paste

Patent
15 May 2007
TL;DR: In this article, a method for recognizing a named entity included in natural language, comprising the steps of: performing gradual parsing model training with the natural language to obtain a classification model, performing gradually parsing and recognition according to the obtained classification model to obtain information on positions and types of candidate named entities; performing a refusal recognition process for the candidate named entity; and generating a candidate named Entity lattice from the refusal-recognition-processed candidate namedEntity, and searching for a optimal path.
Abstract: The present invention provides a method for recognizing a named entity included in natural language, comprising the steps of: performing gradual parsing model training with the natural language to obtain a classification model; performing gradual parsing and recognition according to the obtained classification model to obtain information on positions and types of candidate named entities; performing a refusal recognition process for the candidate named entities; and generating a candidate named entity lattice from the refusal-recognition-processed candidate named entities, and searching for a optimal path. The present invention uses a one-class classifier to score or evaluate these results to obtain the most reliable beginning and end borders of the named entities on the basis of the forward and backward parsing and recognizing results obtained only by using the local features.

Patent
Taro Imagawa1, Takeo Azuma1
17 Apr 2007
TL;DR: In this article, an image generation apparatus includes an image receiving unit which receives a first video sequence including frames having a first resolution and a second video sequence having a second resolution which is higher than the first resolution.
Abstract: An image generation apparatus includes an image receiving unit which receives a first video sequence including frames having a first resolution and a second video sequence including frames having a second resolution which is higher than the first resolution. Each frame of the first video sequence is obtained with a first exposure time, and each frame of the second video sequence is obtained with a second exposure time which is longer than the first exposure time. The image generation apparatus also includes an image integration unit which generates, from the first video sequence and the second video sequence, a new video sequence including frames having a resolution which is equal to or higher than the second resolution, at a frame rate which is equal to or higher than a frame rate of the first video sequence. The new video sequence is generated by reducing a difference between a value of each frame of the second video sequence and a sum of values of frames of the new video sequence which are included within an exposure period of the frame of the second video sequence.

Patent
25 Sep 2007
TL;DR: In this article, a component crimping apparatus control method is proposed to enable a measuring tool to directly measure a temperature of a part pressed by a pressing head, which can be used to measure the pressure of the part.
Abstract: To provide a component crimping apparatus control method which enables a measuring tool to directly measure a temperature of a part pressed by a pressing head. The component crimping apparatus control method is applied to a component crimping apparatus which crimps a component onto a plate-shaped work, and causes a measuring tool shaped identically as the work to measure a temperature or a pressure of a pressed part in a pressing process of pressing a component onto the work using a heated pressing head. The method includes acquiring information indicating whether or not the measuring tool is held in the component crimping apparatus, and, in the case where the information indicating that the measuring tool is held is acquired, positioning the measuring tool identically as the work, and executing the pressing process on the component to be attached to the measuring tool after the positioning.

Patent
07 Feb 2007
TL;DR: In this article, a method and scheduling apparatus for reserving radio resources in radio resource block units in a mobile communication system for a plurality of users is proposed, where individual resource blocks are reserved for individual users for a reservation period that comprises a plurality time slots (or sub-frames).
Abstract: The invention relates to a method and scheduling apparatus for reserving radio resources in radio resource block units in a mobile communication system for a plurality of users. Further, another aspect of the invention is the indication of a radio resource reservation in radio resource block units in a mobile communication system to one of a plurality of mobile terminals. To provide a new mechanism allowing an efficient utilization of radio resources the invention proposes a resource reservation mechanism that reserves radio resources for a plurality of users in resource block units. Thereby, individual resource blocks are reserved for the individual users for a reservation period that comprises a plurality of time slots (or sub-frames). Further, the resource block reservations for the users overlap at least partially among the users, i.e. individual ones of the resource blocks are reserved for plural users.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined a simulation method for vertical sound localization, and to clarify which peaks and notches in head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) play a role as spectral cues.

Patent
Kiyoshi Arita1, Hiroshi Haji1
05 Oct 2007
TL;DR: In this article, a film layer 6 formed from a die attach film and a UV tape was provided as a mask on a semiconductor wafer, boundary trenches 7 for partitioning semiconductor elements 2 formed on a circuit pattern formation surface 1a are formed in the film layer.
Abstract: After a film layer 6 formed from a die attach film 4 and a UV tape 5 has been provided as a mask on a semiconductor wafer 1, boundary trenches 7 for partitioning semiconductor elements 2 formed on a circuit pattern formation surface 1a are formed in the film layer 6, thereby making a surface 1c of a semiconductor wafer 1 exposed. The exposed surface 1c of the semiconductor wafer 1 in the boundary trenches 7 is etched by means of plasma of a fluorine-based gas, and the semiconductor wafer 1 is sliced into semiconductor chips 1' along the boundary trenches 7.

Patent
27 Apr 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a search article estimation apparatus is provided that is capable of estimating an article that a user is trying to search for, even when the user cannot accurately provide information on the article that the user wants to find.
Abstract: A search article estimation apparatus is provided that is capable of estimating an article that a user is trying to search for, even when the user cannot accurately provide information on the article that the user wants to search for. The state of access to a storage equipment by the user and a change in articles in the storage equipment during the access are checked by a sensing apparatus. If there is no change in articles, then a search state detection means determines that the user has performed an article search but has been unable to find the article. Furthermore, a search article estimation means refers to a storage location database and estimates an article that should originally be stored in the storage equipment, to be the article that the user is searching for.

Patent
14 Jun 2007
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a display apparatus which enables high-accuracy, hands-free operation, while adopting a low-cost configuration, which includes an obtainment unit that obtains a display element which is information to be displayed to the user, a determining unit that determines a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the displayed display element can not be seen by the user; a display unit that displays the display element at the determined display position; a detection unit that detects a direction of change when an orientation of the user's head is
Abstract: The present invention provides a display apparatus which enables high-accuracy, hands-free operation, while adopting a low-cost configuration. The display apparatus according to the present invention includes: an obtainment unit that obtains a display element which is information to be displayed to the user; a determining unit that determines a display position of the obtained display element, at which a portion of the obtained display element can not be seen by the user; a display unit that displays the display element at the determined display position; a detection unit that detects a direction of change when an orientation of the user's head is changed; a selection unit that selects the display element to be displayed in the detected direction of change; and an execution unit that executes a predetermined process related to the selected display element.

Patent
28 Jun 2007
TL;DR: In this article, a voice input device includes a command storage section that stores a command in which one representative command name is associated with at least one paraphrased command name, a voice acquisition section that acquires voice spoken by a user, a command recognition section that refers to the command storage and to recognize a paraphrase command name based on the voice acquired by the voice acquisition, an execution section that executes a command corresponding to the paraphrasing command name recognized by the command recognition, and a display control section that displays the display control when the execution section executes the command corresponding
Abstract: A voice input device, in which a content spoken by a user is reflected on a confirmation screen when executing the content, allows the user to confirm that a command, corresponding to the content which is spoken by the user who intended for the execution, is executed after being recognized by the voice input device The voice input device includes a command storage section that stores a command in which one representative command name is associated with at least one paraphrased command name, a voice acquisition section that acquires voice spoken by a user, a command recognition section that refers to the command storage section and to recognize a paraphrased command name based on the voice acquired by the voice acquisition section, an execution section that executes a command corresponding to the paraphrased command name recognized by the command recognition section, and a display control section that displays the paraphrased command name recognized by the command recognition section when the execution section executes the command corresponding to the paraphrased command name

Proceedings ArticleDOI
15 Apr 2007
TL;DR: This paper describes the scalable coder - G.729.1 - which has been recently standardized by ITU-T for wideband telephony and voice over IP (VoIP) applications and which can operate at 12 different bit rates from 32 down to 8 kbit/s with wideband quality starting at 14 k bit/s.
Abstract: This paper describes the scalable coder - G.729.1 - which has been recently standardized by ITU-T for wideband telephony and voice over IP (VoIP) applications. G.729.1 can operate at 12 different bit rates from 32 down to 8 kbit/s with wideband quality starting at 14 kbit/s. This coder is a bitstream interoperable extension of ITU-T G.729 based on three embedded stages: narrowband cascaded CELP coding at 8 and 12 kbit/s, time-domain bandwidth extension (TDBWE) at 14 kbit/s, and split-band MDCT coding with spherical vector quantization (VQ) and pre-echo reduction from 16 to 32 kbit/s. Side information - consisting of signal class, phase, and energy - is transmitted at 12, 14 and 16 kbit/s to improve the resilience and recovery of the decoder in case of frame erasures. The quality, delay, and complexity of G.729.1 are summarized based on ITU-T results.

Patent
04 May 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, a corrected gradation derivation method was proposed to enhance the feeling of depth of a 2D image through the addition of shadow component on the input image based on brightness information and the estimated normal direction and edge information.
Abstract: It is an object to easily, and using existing devices, perform shadow enhancement that achieves an increase in the feeling of depth of 2D video. The input image data are first converted into brightness information by a brightness information calculation portion. Then, based on that brightness information, the normal direction and the edge information in the pixel targeted for processing are estimated by a normal direction estimation portion. A corrected gradation derivation portion then performs correction processing such as the addition of shadow component on the input image based on the brightness information and the estimated normal direction and edge information to create a processed image that has a feeling of depth, and then an output portion converts this to a predetermined image format and outputs it. In this way, it is possible to easily increase the feeling of depth of a 2D image through the addition of shadow, for example, in accordance with the characteristics of the input image.