Panasonic

About: Panasonic is a company organization based out in Kadoma, Ôsaka, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Signal & Layer (electronics). The organization has 49129 authors who have published 71118 publications receiving 942756 citations. The organization is also known as: Panasonikku Kabushiki-gaisha & Panasonic.

A robust algorithm for word boundary detection in the presence of noise

Abstract: The authors address the problem of automatic word boundary detection in quiet and in the presence of noise. Attention has been given to automatic word boundary detection for both additive noise and noise-induced changes in the talker's speech production (Lombard reflex). After a comparison of several automatic word boundary detection algorithms in different noisy-Lombard conditions, they propose a new algorithm that is robust in the presence of noise. This new algorithm identifies islands of reliability (essentially the portion of speech contained between the first and the last vowel) using time and frequency-based features and then, after a noise classification, applies a noise adaptive procedure to refine the boundaries. It is shown that this new algorithm outperforms the commonly used algorithm developed by Lamel (1981) et al. and several other recently developed methods. They evaluated the average recognition error rate due to word boundary detection in an HMM-based recognition system across several signal-to-noise ratios and noise conditions. The recognition error rate decreased to about 20% compared to an average of approximately 50% obtained with a modified version of the Lamel et al. algorithm. >

Circuit component built-in module, radio device having the same, and method for producing the same

Abstract: A circuit component built-in module capable of mounting the circuit component with high density and having high heat releasing property and the high reliability. The circuit component built-in module 100 includes the insulating substrate 101 made of a first mixture 105 and a second mixture 106, wiring patterns 102a and 102b formed on one principal surface and another principal surface of the insulating substrate 101, a circuit component 103a electrically connected to the wiring pattern 102a and sealed with the second mixture 106 in an internal portion of the insulating substrate 101, the inner via conductor 104 electrically connecting the wiring pattern 102a and 102b.

Fabrication of nickel and chromium nanoparticles using the protein cage of apoferritin

Abstract: The iron storage protein, apoferritin, has a cavity in which iron is oxidized and stored as a hydrated oxide core. The size of the core is about 7 nm in diameter and is regulated by the cavity size. The cavity can be utilized as a nanoreactor to grow inorganic crystals. We incubated apoferritin in nickel or chromium salt solutions to fabricate hydroxide nanoparticles in the cavity. By using a solution containing dissolved carbon dioxide and by precisely controlling the pH, we succeeded in fabricating nickel and chromium cores. During the hydroxylation process of nickel ions a large portion of the apoferritin precipitated through bulk precipitation of nickel hydroxide. Bulk precipitation was suppressed by adding ammonium ions. However, even in the presence of ammonium ions the core did not form using a degassed solution. We concluded that carbonate ions were indispensable for core formation and that the ammonium ions prevented precipitation in the bulk solution. The optimized condition for nickel core formation was 0.3 mg/mL horse spleen apoferritin and 5 mM ammonium nickel sulfate in water containing dissolved carbon dioxide. The pH was maintained at 8.65 using two buffer solutions: 150 mM HEPES (pH 7.5) and 195 mM CAPSO (pH 9.5) with 20 mM ammonium at 23 degrees C. The pH had not changed after 48 h. After 24 h of incubation, all apoferritins remained in the supernatant and all of them had cores. Recombinant L-ferritin showed less precipitation even above a pH of 8.65. A chromium core was formed under the following conditions: 0.1 mg/mL apoferritin, 1 mM ammonium chromium sulfate, 100 mM HEPES (pH 7.5) with a solution containing dissolved carbon dioxide. About 80% of the supernatant apoferritin (0.07 mg/mL) formed a core. In nickel and chromium core formation, carbonate ions would play an important role in accelerating the hydroxylation in the apoferritin cavity compared to the bulk solution outside.

Remote maintenance system

Abstract: A remote maintenance system 100 in which a center server 120 that is located in a service center for performing maintenance of an electrical appliance 102 and a home server 101 that is located in each house and monitors a status of the electrical appliance 102 in the house are connected via a communication network 140, wherein (A) the home server 101 includes an electrical appliance management unit 108 that acquires a status value of the electrical appliance 102, a communication unit 105 that receives from the center server 120 a failure model which is information defining a method of deriving a decision whether the electrical appliance 102 is failed or not from the status value, and a failure deciding unit 106 that decides whether the electrical appliance is failed or not based on the acquired status value and the received failure model using qualitative reasoning, and (B) the center server 120 includes a failure model updating unit 127 that updates a failure model and send the updated failure model to the home server 101 via a communication unit 125.

Micro-patch antenna connected to circuits chips

Abstract: An antenna apparatus comprises: a first chip having: a substrate; a ground film on the substrate; a dielectric film on the ground film; a micro-patch antenna on the dielectric film; a microstrip line extending from the micro-patch antenna; and an in/output microstrip line on the dielectric film; a second chip having a circuit for effecting an operation with the antenna; and a connecting portion for fixing the second chip to the first chip by providing mechanical and electrical connection (flip-chip bonding) between the circuit and the microstrip line and between the circuit and the in/output microstrip line. The substrate comprises a silicon, a GaAs substrate, or a dielectric substrate. The antenna may be provided on the bottom surface of the substrate and be provided on a third substrate also connected by the flip-chip bonding wherein the second chip and the antenna is connected using a through hole. Instead of the through hole, the antenna is coupled to the circuit portion electromagnetically. The substrate may have a hollow portion and the second chip may be accommodated in the hollow portion and the antenna may be provided on a third chip covering the second chip.