Abstract: An in-vehicle camera apparatus having improved object visibility of a shaded area in a photographed image includes a shaded area calculation section for calculating a shaded area of interest in a photographed image based on luminance characteristics data of a generated photographed image, a luminance increase amount calculation section for calculating a luminance increase amount for the shaded area of interest, a luminance adjustment section for increasing the luminance of the photographed image based on the luminance increase amount, and a photographed image output section for outputting a luminance-adjusted photographed image adjusted by the luminance adjustment section to an in-vehicle image processing section.

Abstract: There is disclosed a calibration target detection apparatus that can be obtained at a low cost and without increasing storage capacity, is the apparatus being provided with: a light measurement region setting unit for setting a long light measurement region; a light-measuring unit for detecting light measurement information of the light measurement region; a profile generation unit for generating a first profile, wherein the long light measurement region taking a predetermined one direction as a long direction is scanned along the other direction orthogonal to the one direction, and the change in the light measurement information in the other direction is shown; and a second profile, wherein the long light measurement region taking the other direction as the long direction is scanned along the one direction, and the change in the light measurement information in the one direction is shown; and a position calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of a characteristic point of the first and second profiles,

Abstract: A data thinning unit prepares thinned images by extracting only one component in raw data of each of a standard image and reference image, a block extracting unit extracts a search block and a template block for finding residual differences, a luminance difference comparing unit obtains a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of luminance values of each block, and, when smaller than a threshold value, excludes this from a scope of acquisition of residual differences. The residual difference acquiring unit acquires residual differences from blocks which were not excluded, a block selecting unit selects a predetermined number of blocks having small residual differences, and a hand shake (blur or unintentional movement) acquiring unit finds a position of the template block at which the residual difference becomes the minimum, calculates a center value of all positions, and defines the same as the amount of hand shake.

Abstract: Provided is a target location determination device that is able to accurately recognize a color pattern as well as reducing the calculation load, even when using a color camera and a color target. The target location determination device is provided with a grayscaling profile storage portion that stores a grayscaling profile according to which the luminance difference between a first monochrome color converted from a first color and a second monochrome color converted from a second color of a target is greater than the luminance difference between the first color and the second color, and a grayscaling portion that converts color image data into grayscale image data using the grayscaling profile.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for taking an image of a face includes an imaging element having sensitivity for a near-infrared range and a visible range, a first optical filter provided between the face and the imaging element to reduce an intensity of a visible light entering the imaging element and a near-infrared light irradiating portion for irradiating the face with a near-infrared light.

Abstract: According to an aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle surrounding confirmation apparatus includes a narrow-field-of-view image generating portion generating a narrow-field-of-view image, showing a portion of a vehicle surrounding, from a captured image of the vehicle surrounding obtained by an image capturing portion, an obstacle recognizing portion recognizing an obstacle existing at the vehicle surrounding, a determining portion determining whether or not the obstacle, recognized by the obstacle recognizing portion, is included within the narrow-field-of-view image, an obstacle image extracting portion extracting an area, in which an image of the obstacle is shown, from the captured image as an obstacle image, when the obstacle, recognized by the obstacle recognizing portion, is not determined to be included within the narrow-field-of-view image, and a display image generating portion generating a display image from the narrow-field-of-view image and the obstacle image, thereby outputting the generated displ

Abstract: There are provided a face image pickup device and a face image pickup method which can stably acquire a face image by appropriate illumination, and a program thereof. The face image pickup device comprises a camera which picks up an image of a face of a target person, an illumination light source which illuminates the face of the target person with near-infrared light having an arbitrary light amount, and a computer. The computer detects an area including an eye from the face image of the target person picked up by the camera. The computer measures a brightness distribution in the detected area. Thereafter, the computer controls the illumination light source so as to change the amount of near-infrared light based on the measured brightness distribution.

Abstract: A surrounding recognition assisting device for a vehicle includes an image receiving portion for receiving a captured footage, which is configured with plural frames captured by an image capturing device for capturing a view around the vehicle, a target image area-detecting portion for detecting an image area including a picture element belonging to a predetermined color space corresponding to a display color of a direction indicator within a target frame out of plural frames, as a target image area, a residual image generating portion for applying a predetermined weighting to an image within the target image area to generate a residual image, and a display image generating portion for superimposing the residual image on at least one of frames following the target frame so that the residual image is superimposed on the frame at a corresponding coordinate to generate a display image to be displayed on a display device.

Abstract: There is disclosed a calibration target detection apparatus that can be obtained at a low cost and without increasing storage capacity, is the apparatus being provided with: a light measurement region setting unit for setting a long light measurement region; a light-measuring unit for detecting light measurement information of the light measurement region; a profile generation unit for generating a first profile, wherein the long light measurement region taking a predetermined one direction as a long direction is scanned along the other direction orthogonal to the one direction, and the change in the light measurement information in the other direction is shown; and a second profile, wherein the long light measurement region taking the other direction as the long direction is scanned along the one direction, and the change in the light measurement information in the one direction is shown; and a position calculation unit for calculating, on the basis of a characteristic point of the first and second profiles,

Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus includes a case having a case body and a case cover, a plurality of substrates held in the case in a thickness direction of the substrates, and a plurality of support portions formed at the case body, the plurality of support portions constituting a plurality of support portion groups, the support portions including end surfaces whose heights in the thickness direction are the same in each of the support portion groups, the heights of the end surfaces of the support portions in one of the plurality of support portion groups being different from the heights of the end surfaces of the support portions in the other of the plurality of support portion groups, one of the substrates including a peripheral edge portion having guide grooves into which the support portions in one of the plurality of support portion groups are inserted.

Abstract: A data thinning unit prepares thinned images by extracting only one component in raw data of each of a standard image and reference image, a block extracting unit extracts a search block and a template block for finding residual differences, a luminance difference comparing unit obtains a difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of luminance values of each block, and, when smaller than a threshold value, excludes this from a scope of acquisition of residual differences. The residual difference acquiring unit acquires residual differences from blocks which were not excluded, a block selecting unit selects a predetermined number of blocks having small residual differences, and a hand shake (blur or unintentional movement) acquiring unit finds a position of the template block at which the residual difference becomes the minimum, calculates a center value of all positions, and defines the same as the amount of hand shake.

Abstract: Every time a camera transmits a picked-up face image to an ECU, the ECU detects a face area from the transmitted face image, and corrects an exposure time so as to have brightness most appropriate to determine a facial direction and the condition of eyes at the detected face area. The corrected exposure time is notified to the camera, and the camera picks up an image of the face of a driver at the notified exposure time. Accordingly, the ECU analyzes a face image which is periodically picked up with the most appropriate brightness regardless of a change in an environment, and determines whether or not a driver is doing a hazardous driving.

Abstract: There are provided a face image pickup device and a face image pickup method which can stably acquire a face image by appropriate illumination, and a program thereof. The face image pickup device comprises a camera which picks up an image of a face of a target person, an illumination light source which illuminates the face of the target person with near-infrared light having an arbitrary light amount, and a computer. The computer detects an area including an eye from the face image of the target person picked up by the camera. The computer measures a brightness distribution in the detected area. Thereafter, the computer controls the illumination light source so as to change the amount of near-infrared light based on the measured brightness distribution.

Abstract: An eyelid detecting apparatus includes an image capturing portion for capturing a face image, a red-eye effect detecting portion for detecting a red-eye effect in which a light appears red at the pupil in the face image, the light entering through the pupil, reflecting on a choroidea of the eye, and exiting from the pupil, an eyelid detecting portion for detecting an upper eyelid and a lower eyelid in the face image on the basis of an edge appearing on a boundary between a bright portion and a dark portion and the eyelid detecting portion ignoring the edge of a red-eye effect occurring pupil so as not to be considered as the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid when the red-eye effect detecting portion detects the red-eye effect.

Abstract: According to an aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle surrounding confirmation apparatus includes a narrow-field-of-view image generating portion generating a narrow-field-of-view image, showing a portion of a vehicle surrounding, from a captured image of the vehicle surrounding obtained by an image capturing portion, an obstacle recognizing portion recognizing an obstacle existing at the vehicle surrounding, a determining portion determining whether or not the obstacle, recognized by the obstacle recognizing portion, is included within the narrow-field-of-view image, an obstacle image extracting portion extracting an area, in which an image of the obstacle is shown, from the captured image as an obstacle image, when the obstacle, recognized by the obstacle recognizing portion, is not determined to be included within the narrow-field-of-view image, and a display image generating portion generating a display image from the narrow-field-of-view image and the obstacle image, thereby outputting the generated displ

Abstract: A surrounding recognition assisting device for a vehicle includes an image receiving portion for receiving a captured footage, which is configured with plural frames captured by an image capturing device for capturing a view around the vehicle, a target image area-detecting portion for detecting an image area including a picture element belonging to a predetermined color space corresponding to a display color of a direction indicator within a target frame out of plural frames, as a target image area, a residual image generating portion for applying a predetermined weighting to an image within the target image area to generate a residual image, and a display image generating portion for superimposing the residual image on at least one of frames following the target frame so that the residual image is superimposed on the frame at a corresponding coordinate to generate a display image to be displayed on a display device.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for taking an image of a face includes an imaging element having sensitivity for a near-infrared range and a visible range, a first optical filter provided between the face and the imaging element to reduce an intensity of a visible light entering the imaging element and a near-infrared light irradiating portion for irradiating the face with a near-infrared light.

Abstract: An eyelid detecting apparatus includes an image capturing portion for capturing a face image, a red-eye effect detecting portion for detecting a red-eye effect in which a light appears red at the pupil in the face image, the light entering through the pupil, reflecting on a choroidea of the eye, and exiting from the pupil, an eyelid detecting portion for detecting an upper eyelid and a lower eyelid in the face image on the basis of an edge appearing on a boundary between a bright portion and a dark portion and the eyelid detecting portion ignoring the edge of a red-eye effect occurring pupil so as not to be considered as the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid when the red-eye effect detecting portion detects the red-eye effect.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for easily and promptly erasing an image (including a character) formed on a printed article with a low cost, and an apparatus employing such method. A printed article bearing an image formed on a surface including an inorganic pigment is exposed to a reactive gas generated by creeping discharge or corona discharge induced by a voltage applied between a pair of opposed electrodes, whereby the image is erased.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for easily and promptly erasing an image (including a character) formed on a printed article, and an apparatus employing such method. A printed article bearing an image formed on a surface including an inorganic pigment is exposed to a reactive gas, generated by creeping discharge or corona discharge induced by a voltage application between a pair of opposed electrodes, whereby the image is erased.