Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to a sensor and apparatus for vehicle height and slant measurement which can include a light source, and two cameras with respective lenses. The light source can be configured to emit light towards a road, and both cameras can be configured to receive the image of the road that is illuminated by the light from the light source and to thereby create image data. The apparatus can include a control circuit that can geometrically measure a vehicle height in accordance with the image data. The sensor can also receive image data from different points and from two light sources, and the apparatus can detect a vehicular lean using the different vehicle heights. Thus, because the sensors of the disclosed subject matter do not necessarily include a moving part as in the conventional sensor, the sensors can be easily attached to a vehicle body and can also be used for a vehicular lean detection.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter is directed to solid state cameras and sensor systems that include a pickup surface thereof with both a distance detecting area for measuring a distance from a moving object and a movement detecting area for detecting the object's movement. The device can also include an optical communication area for communicating with an outside communication device. Therefore, the device enables a single pickup surface to include at least the following three functions: distance measurement; movement detection; and optical communication. The above-described sensor systems can output a control signal for collision avoidance with stationary or moving obstacle(s) by using the solid state camera. Because the sensor system can be integrated as a single chip IC with a small size, the system is useful as a sensor device in a vehicle, a robot, and the like.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to a method and apparatus for position judgment, which can include a plurality of light sources and a photo-detector. The plurality of light sources can be configured to emit a plurality of pulsed lights towards an object from different directions, and a photo-detector can be configured to serially detect the light reflected from the object. A determination of whether the object is moving further away or coming closer to the apparatus can be judged by calculating at least one of a position, an area and a brightness of the object from the reflected light and comparing the data with the previous data for the same value(s). Thus, because the method of the disclosed subject matter does not require a measurement of time as in the conventional methods, the method can result in providing a similar apparatus with a simple configuration and at a low cost, and can be used as a sensor for detecting an obstacle and the like in a vehicle, alarm system, etc.

Abstract: A car side-view camera has, on the side of a car, a side turn lamp housing containing a compound-eye imaging device and a near-infrared lamp forming the camera. The compound-eye imaging device has 6 imaging units in 2 rows 3 columns. Three imaging units in one row are provided with an infrared cut filter. The imaging units in left and right columns are provided with rectangular prisms to shift light entrance zones left and right. The microprocessor sets the near-infrared lamp in off-state for image capture during the day to combine 3 unit images by the imaging units with the infrared cut filter into a panoramic image, and switches the near-infrared lamp to on-state for image capture at night to combine 3 unit images by the imaging units without the infrared cut filter into a panoramic image. This camera can stably obtain a clear image regardless of day or night.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to a sensor and apparatus for vehicle height and slant measurement which can include a light source, and two cameras with respective lenses. The light source can be configured to emit light towards a road, and both cameras can be configured to receive the image of the road that is illuminated by the light from the light source and to thereby create image data. The apparatus can include a control circuit that can geometrically measure a vehicle height in accordance with the image data. The sensor can also receive image data from different points and from two light sources, and the apparatus can detect a vehicular lean using the different vehicle heights. Thus, because the sensors of the disclosed subject matter do not necessarily include a moving part as in the conventional sensor, the sensors can be easily attached to a vehicle body and can also be used for a vehicular lean detection.

Abstract: A conventional keyless entry system uses a radio wave as an unlocking or locking signal and is therefore substantially non-directional. For example, when an unlocking operation is performed, keys of all doors are unlocked, so that for example in a vehicle having a certain slide door or a kick-up door, an occupant of the vehicle may forget to lock the door. According to the presently disclosed subject matter a keyless entry system for locking and unlocking lock(s) of a vehicle can include an infrared light projector having a narrow radiation angle, and a light receiving/emitting unit corresponding to operating conditions of keys/locks. The light receiving/emitting unit can include a combination of a light receiving element for receiving the infrared light and a light emitting element for indicating the position of a key/lock which is operated correspondingly to the infrared light received by the light receiving element.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter relates to a method and apparatus for position judgment, which can include a plurality of light sources and a photo-detector. The plurality of light sources can be configured to emit a plurality of pulsed lights towards an object from different directions, and a photo-detector can be configured to serially detect the light reflected from the object. A determination of whether the object is moving further away or coming closer to the apparatus can be judged by calculating at least one of a position, an area and a brightness of the object from the reflected light and comparing the data with the previous data for the same value(s). Thus, because the method of the disclosed subject matter does not require a measurement of time as in the conventional methods, the method can result in providing a similar apparatus with a simple configuration and at a low cost, and can be used as a sensor for detecting an obstacle and the like in a vehicle, alarm system, etc.

Abstract: The disclosed subject matter is directed to solid state cameras and sensor systems that include a pickup surface thereof with both a distance detecting area for measuring a distance from a moving object and a movement detecting area for detecting the object's movement. The device can also include an optical communication area for communicating with an outside communication device. Therefore, the device enables a single pickup surface to include at least the following three functions: distance measurement; movement detection; and optical communication. The above-described sensor systems can output a control signal for collision avoidance with stationary or moving obstacle(s) by using the solid state camera. Because the sensor system can be integrated as a single chip IC with a small size, the system is useful as a sensor device in a vehicle, a robot, and the like.

Abstract: A multi-input optical switch can include a base plate that carries at least one photo sensor and multiple LEDs which are arranged at positions separated by approximately the same angular interval. A first mask can be formed in an approximately cylindrical shape and can include multiple through holes. A second mask can be formed as an approximately flat light blocking plate, and can include a translucent area. A translucent light guiding body can include an approximately flat plate portion, a protruded portion which extends downward from a center portion of the plate portion, a rod portion which extends upward from the center portion of the plate portion, a first total reflection surface and a second total reflection surface. A third mask can be provided with a tubular cup shape that diverges downward, and has an opening at a bottom end, a step portion at an intermediate position thereof, and at least one through hole on an upper cylindrical wall above the step portion.

Abstract: A multi-input optical switch can include a base plate that carries at least one photo sensor and multiple LEDs which are arranged at positions separated by approximately the same angular interval. A first mask can be formed in an approximately cylindrical shape and can include multiple through holes. A second mask can be formed as an approximately flat light blocking plate, and can include a translucent area. A translucent light guiding body can include an approximately flat plate portion, a protruded portion which extends downward from a center portion of the plate portion, a rod portion which extends upward from the center portion of the plate portion, a first total reflection surface and a second total reflection surface. A third mask can be provided with a tubular cup shape that diverges downward, and has an opening at a bottom end, a step portion at an intermediate position thereof, and at least one through hole on an upper cylindrical wall above the step portion.

Abstract: An object movement tracking apparatus and its method tracks an object with an unknown initial position and which object is continually moving, the apparatus for recovering a tracking process even when the tracking has failed and includes an observing device such as a video camera for observing a scene at a video frame rate. Time-sequentially acquired image data from the observing device are stored in an image memory device and the data processed in parallel. During data processing, an object recognition module selects a frame memory based on predetermined information. An estimated value of position/posture of the object are calculated from the image data and transmitted. A movement tracking module receives transmitted data from the object recognition module, replacing a current frame with a next frame and waits until image data in the next frame are inputted.

Abstract: After stereo image is inputted (S1), the tracing point corresponding to the silhouette of a curved object observed by the stereo image is selected on the basis of the information on the present position of the object (S2), using a three-dimensional geometric model. And the corresponding points on the silhouette corresponding to respective tracing points are sampled from the stereo image (S3), and their three-dimensional coordinates are measured (S4). Then, from the group of the three-dimensional coordinates of tracing points and corresponding points, the position/posture of the object concerned and the measurement error are determined (S5), to discriminate the error (S6).

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide an object movement tracking apparatus and its method capable of dealing with an object with an unknown initial position and a continually moving object and capable of recovering a tracking process even when the tracking is failed.

Abstract: A wet-type plate-making machine is disclosed in which the amount of a developer in a developing tank and the toner concentration of the developer are maintained constant. In accordance with the detection values of two liquid level detection switches mounted in the developing tank, the developer is supplied from a developer refill pump thereby to maintain a constant amount of developer. The toner concentration of the developer is maintained constant by supplying the toner from a toner refill pump when the detection value of a concentration detection unit of light-transmission type is low, and by supplying the developer from a developer refill pump when the detection value of the concentration detection unit is high. In the case where the developer concentration or the toner concentration fails to change in this control operation, an alarm signal is outputted indicating that the developer bottle or the toner bottle, as the case may be, is empty.

Abstract: A method of processing image information is disclosed, for recognizing the position and attitude of an object with a high speed treatment and improved recognition accuracy. The method comprised of the steps of entry of a stereoscopic image of an object, extraction of edges of the object, and dividing it into segments based on the local feature of the image, adding the apex information to the segments to produce the recognition data, verifying the recognition data with reference to an object model based on local geometric features to detect a corresponding candidate; finely adjusting each of corresponding candidates based on an entire geometric features; and detecting the position and attitude of the object on the basis of recognition including the initial verification and the fine adjustment.

Abstract: A method of processing image information is disclosed, for detecting the movement of an object with a simplifed system structure, and high speed treatment. The method is comprised of the steps of entry of a stereoscopic image of an object, extraction of edges of the object, and dividing it into segments based on the local feature of the image. On each segment, tracing points (sampling points) are selected, the inter-frame correlation of selected points is obtained, the three-dimensional coordinates of the points are measured, and thus the position and attitude of the object are detected, wherein the inter-frame correlation is performed by evaluating the similarity between frames based on correlation between the tangential direction of tracing points and the luminance value of the surface.