Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a data storage section configured to store an image data of a streaked pattern image as a gray-scale image and a direction distribution data indicating a direction distribution of a streaked pattern noise in a first area of the streaked pattern image; and a first image enhancing section configured to execute a first image enhancing process in the first area. The direction distribution data relates a first position as a position of a first pixel in the first area and a first direction as a direction of the streaked pattern noise in the first position. The first image enhancing section determines a first reference area as a local area which contains the first pixel based on the first direction such that the first reference area is contained in the first area, and calculates a post-process density as a density after the first image enhancing process in the first pixel based on a first density histogram in the first reference area.

Abstract: A first fine particle-containing solution is deposited on an appropriate substrate, and dried to form a first fine particle aggregate layer. Polymer particles are deposited on the first fine particle aggregate layer, and are supplied with a second fine particle-containing solution such that the polymer particles are immersed in the second fine particle-containing solution. The second fine particle-containing solution is dried to form a second fine particle aggregate layer containing a large number of the polymer particles embedded. A first structure precursor is completed at this stage. Then, the first structure precursor is separated from the substrate, and thermally treated. Thus, the production of a first solid electrolyte structure, which has a porous solid electrolyte portion and a dense solid electrolyte portion integrated, is completed.

Abstract: An integrally cast steel piston for internal engines, the cast steel having (a) a composition comprising 0.8% or less of C, 3% or less of Si, 3% or less of Mn,0.2% or less of S, 3% or less of Ni, 6% or less of Cr, 6% or less of Cu, and 0.01-3% of Nb, the balance being substantially Fe and inevitable impurities, or (b) a composition comprising 0.1-0.8% of C, 3% or less of Si, 3% or less of Mn, 0.2% or less of S, 10% or less of Ni, 30% or less of Cr, 6 % or less of Cu, and 0.05-8% of Nb, the balance being substantially Fe and inevitable impurities, by mass.

Abstract: To provide a character noise eliminating apparatus that can eliminate a character noise when a fingerprint ridgeline area has a higher density than a character noise area. A character noise eliminating apparatus includes a device for repeating a processing in which a binary image is generated by binarizing an image with a binarization threshold that is inputted by an operator and the binary image is displayed on a data display device, and determining the character noise area, a device for setting density conversion area layers inside and outside the character noise area, and a device for setting a neighboring pixel group within the same density conversion area layer as the density conversion area layer to which a target pixel belongs as a reference area of the target pixel, with respect to pixels in the density conversion area layers, and generating a density converted image applying a local image enhancement.

Abstract: To provide a noise eliminating apparatus and the like that can eliminate an atypical shaped background noise. A character noise eliminating apparatus includes a character noise area detecting device for detecting a character noise area which is an area corresponding to a character noise from an image, a density conversion area layer determining device for setting a plurality of density conversion area layers inside and outside the character noise area, and a density converting device for setting a neighboring pixel group within the same density conversion area layer as the density conversion area layer to which a target pixel belongs as a reference area of the target pixel, with respect to pixels in the density conversion area layers, and generating a density converted image applying a local image enhancement.

Abstract: Areas, allowed to overlap, are set for respective pixels in an image, and a maximum density value and a minimum density value, among inherent density values of the pixels in each area, are extracted and specified as maximum and minimum density values common to the pixels in the area. Among the density values specified from the overlapping areas, the largest minimum density value is set as a local minimum value and the smallest maximum density value is set as a local maximum value to thereby generate a minimum density plane and a maximum density plane including the pixels having the values. The density values of the pixels at the corresponding positions in the minimum density plane and the maximum density plane are corresponded to the common minimum and maximum values set separately, to thereby linearly convert the whole. Thereby, the pixel density values of the original image are linearly converted simultaneously.

Abstract: A streaked pattern image analyzing apparatus for use in an analysis of a fingerprint and the like for aiding in the identification as to whether or not an applied first streaked pattern image matches a second streaked pattern image. The apparatus comprises an image distortion modification unit for modifying data on one of the first streaked pattern image and the second streaked pattern image such that a point on a first streaked pattern image which resides on a skeleton thinned from a streak of the streaked pattern image and having a corresponding point on the second streaked pattern image is brought closer to a point on a skeleton of the second streaked pattern image corresponding to the point, and an image display unit for displaying the streaked pattern image modified by the image distortion modifying unit and the other streaked pattern image.

Abstract: To provide a line noise eliminating apparatus and the like, with which the picture quality of the area that has no line noise is not deteriorated, and a line noise having no periodicity can be eliminated. The line noise eliminating apparatus includes: an image binarizing device which generates a binary image by an input image; a line noise reliability calculating device which calculates an edge feature quantity for each of black-pixel consecutive areas in the rotated images, and calculates line noise reliability based on the edge feature quantities; a line noise area determining device which determines the line noise areas that correspond to each of the rotation angle candidates based on the line noise reliability; a density converting device which generates a density-converted image by applying local image enhancement on an area that corresponds to the line noise area of the input image so as to generate a density-converted image.

Abstract: A streaked pattern image matching method that matches a first streaked pattern image and a second streaked pattern image includes steps of: extracting data of skeleton pixels that indicate skeletons, which are lines obtained by thinning the streaks of each streaked pattern image; establishing correspondences between skeleton pixels by specifying pixels from among skeleton pixels of the second streaked pattern image that correspond to skeleton pixels of the first streaked pattern image; and, based on skeleton pixels of the first streaked pattern image for which the process of establishing correspondence has been carried out, rating the degree of matching between the first streaked pattern image and the second streaked pattern image and calculating a score that represents the degree of matching.

Abstract: A brake system for a vehicle is comprised of a first brake system that mechanically applies a braking force to wheels according to a master cylinder hydraulic pressure outputted from a master cylinder which receives a brake manipulation force of a driver, and a second brake system that apply a braking force to other wheels according to at least a braking state of the first brake system.

Abstract: A presentation character member is rotated on its axis of rotation while being illuminated with light. The presentation character member has a presentation character which is rotated on the axis of rotation of the presentation character member. The presentation character is symmetrical or asymmetrical with respect to a predetermined axis which may coincide with the axis of rotation of the presentation character member. According to the above, a three-dimensional pseudo-image of the presentation character is formed and presented.

Abstract: To enable extraction of a specific area (pattern area) that includes a characteristic part of the inherent pattern of individual fingerprint from an inputted fingerprint image of a human being or other creature. The pattern area is extracted as the minimum area that is surrounded by a right pattern area slope, a left pattern area slope, and pattern area bases. The right (left) pattern area slope is a fingerprint ridge which runs towards the outside on the right (left) side from the start point that is located on the upper side of the center point of the fingerprint image, and satisfies a prescribed condition. The pattern area base is a fingerprint ridge which runs on the lower side of the center and satisfies a prescribed condition.

Abstract: A ridge direction extraction device capable of extracting ridge directions accurately even in direction unstable areas is provided. In the ridge direction extraction device, a zone direction extractor calculates ridge directions and direction confidence of each zone, and a high confidence zone area determiner determines a high confidence zone area. A direction expectation calculator selects a propagation candidate zone and a reference zone, and calculates direction expectation of the ridge direction of the propagation candidate zone based on the ridge direction and distance of the reference zone. A propagation zone direction extractor recalculates the direction confidence calculated by the zone direction extractor based on the direction expectation of each propagation candidate zone, and extracts the ridge direction of a propagation candidate zone based on the direction confidence recalculated.

Abstract: A fingerprint recognition system for extracting minutiae from a fingerprint image. The fingerprint recognition system generates a corrected image from the input fingerprint image by: eliminating incipient ridges/pores from the fingerprint image by using the density pattern of the pixels of ridge lines/valley lines in the direction orthogonal to the length direction of the ridge lines. The minutiae are extracted from the corrected image.

Abstract: An integrally cast steel piston for internal engines, the cast steel having (a) a composition comprising 0.8% or less of C, 3% or less of Si, 3% or less of Mn, 0.2% or less of S, 3% or less of Ni, 6% or less of Cr, 6% or less of Cu, and 0.01-3% of Nb, the balance being substantially Fe and inevitable impurities, or (b) a composition comprising 0.1-0.8% of C, 3% or less of Si, 3% or less of Mn, 0.2% or less of S, 10% or less of Ni, 30% or less of Cr, 6% or less of Cu, and 0.05-8% of Nb, the balance being substantially Fe and inevitable impurities, by mass.

Abstract: A brake system for a vehicle is comprised of a first brake system that mechanically applies a braking force to wheels according to a master cylinder hydraulic pressure outputted from a master cylinder which receives a brake manipulation force of a driver, and a second brake system that apply a braking force to other wheels according to at least a braking state of the first brake system.

Abstract: In a fingerprint image, this fingerprint matching method extracts as skeleton stability the area of a zone which is drawn around a pre-determined attention point and which does not contain any minutiae that are bifurcations or endpoints in ridges forming a fingerprint pattern, and calculates similarity by collating said skeleton stability thus extracted with skeleton stability already registered.

Abstract: A brake system for a vehicle is comprised of a first brake system that mechanically applies a braking force to wheels according to a master cylinder hydraulic pressure outputted from a master cylinder which receives a brake manipulation force of a driver, and a second brake system that apply a braking force to other wheels according to at least a braking state of the first brake system.

Abstract: The plain four-finger image determination device includes a cut-out unit which cuts out a fingerprint image of each finger from a plain four-finger image, an extraction unit which extracts a core of a fingerprint from each cut-out fingerprint image and a ridge line direction in the vicinity of the core of the fingerprint, an evaluation unit which makes hand determination and determination of a kind of finger based on a relationship of heights of cores of the fingerprints in the respective fingers, an evaluation unit which makes hand determination and determination of a kind of finger based on a combination of tendencies of ridge line directions each determined for each fingerprint of each finger, and a determination unit which makes ultimate hand determination and determination of a kind of finger based on confidence obtained by merging confidences of both the determination results.

Abstract: A print image synthesizing device compensates for distortion of at least one of a first print impression of an object and a second print impression of the same object to approximate the first print impression and the second print impression with each other. Portions of the first print impression and the second print impression are selected to generate one synthesized print image of the object.