Abstract: A control system comprises a memory storing a sequence of sensor data received from one or more sensors. The control system has a processor which processes the sensor data to compute a sequence of derived sensor data values. An autoencoder receives the sequence of derived sensor data values and computes a forward prediction of the sequence of derived sensor data values, the autoencoder having been trained imposing a relationship on positions of the derived sensor data values encoded in a latent space of the autoencoder. A processor initiates control of an apparatus using the forward prediction.

Abstract: The invention includes a system and method for obtaining high-resolution 3D images of objects. The system includes three cameras and three light sources that have different wavelengths (e.g. a red light source, a blue light source and a green light source). Each camera simultaneously captures a color image of the object. A processor separates each of the red light images, the blue light images and the green light images into separate monochrome images using each of the red light source, blue light source and green light source. The quality of the images are not subject to limited resolution of conventional RBG images. Because three different wavelengths of light are used, the surface can be accurately imaged, regardless of its characteristics (e.g. reflectivity and transparency). The system is well suited for industrial uses that require a high volume of objects, particularly those of mixed material, to be rapidly inspected for defects as small as a few microns.

Abstract: In the present disclosure, a method of decoding a video signal and a device therefor are disclosed. Specifically, a method of decoding an image based on an inter prediction mode includes deriving a motion vector of an available spatial neighboring block around a current block; deriving a collocated block of the current block based on the motion vector of the spatial neighboring block; deriving a motion vector in a sub-block unit in the current block based on a motion vector of the collocated block; and generating a prediction block of the current block using the motion vector derived in the sub-block unit, wherein the collocated block may be specified by the motion vector of the spatial neighboring block in one pre-defined reference picture.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a gesture recognition method and device, a gesture control method and device and a virtual reality apparatus, the gesture recognition method includes: obtaining a hand image, acquired by each lens of a binocular camera, of a user; recognizing, through a pre-constructed recognition model, a first group of hand bone points from the obtained hand image, to obtain a hand bone point image in which the first group of recognized hand bone points is marked on a hand region of the hand image; obtaining, according to the obtained hand bone point image, two-dimensional positional relations and three-dimensional positional relations between various bone points in a second group of hand bone points as hand gesture data of the user; and recognizing a gesture of the user according to the hand gesture data.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus performs first determination of determining whether a blurring state of a region in a captured image corresponding to an element of three-dimensional shape data of an object satisfies a condition and performs second determination of, in a case where the blurring state is determined to satisfy the condition, determining whether the region is visible or invisible from an image capture apparatus having captured the captured image and, in a case where the blurring state is determined not to satisfy the condition, determining that the region is invisible. The information processing apparatus generates information used in generating a virtual viewpoint image, based on a determination result by the second determination.

Abstract: A three-dimensional display device includes a display panel, an optical element, an acquisition unit, and a controller. The display panel includes an active area. The optical element defines a light beam direction of image light emitted from the active area. The acquisition unit acquires a position of a first eye of a user and a position of a second eye of the user. The controller drives the active area to display the image mixture. The active area includes a plurality of subpixels. The controller determines a first visible region. The controller determines a second visible region. The controller determines a first subpixel based on the first visible region. The controller determines a second subpixel based on the second visible region. The controller drives a third subpixel which is the first subpixel and also is the second subpixel, to display a third image.

Abstract: One embodiment is a navigation system for an aircraft including a positioning system to generate information related to a position of the aircraft, a group of cameras mounted to a body of the aircraft, each camera of the group of cameras to simultaneously capture images of a portion of an environment that surrounds the aircraft, and a processing component coupled to the positioning system and the group of cameras, the processing component to determine a current position of the aircraft based on the information related to the position of the aircraft and the images.

Abstract: A method for detecting cheating by a first user engaging in an examination activity in an extended reality (XR) environment includes creating an audiovisual recording while the first user is engaged in the examination activity in the XR environment and displaying an interactive version of the recording to a second user to review for possible cheating by the first user during the examination activity.

Abstract: There is provided a parallax detecting apparatus. A first obtainment unit obtains a first viewpoint image and a second viewpoint image that have different viewpoints from each other in a first direction. A second obtainment unit obtains displacement information that specifies a displacement amount in a second direction between positions in the first viewpoint image and the second viewpoint image corresponding to a same position in a shooting range. The displacement amount varies in conformity with a parallax amount between the positions. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. A calculation unit performs correlation calculation processing with respect to each of a plurality of reference regions corresponding to a plurality of reference positions in the second viewpoint image. A detection unit detects a parallax amount at a base position in the first viewpoint image based on calculated correlations.

Abstract: An image processing method includes: (a) receiving a to-be-processed image; (b) obtaining a target brightness of the to-be-processed image; (c) creating a histogram curve of the to-be-processed image; (d) clipping the histogram curve according to a clipping value; (e) obtaining a mapping function of the clipped histogram curve; (f) obtaining a mapped image mapped according to the mapping function; (g) obtaining an average brightness of the mapped image; (h) obtaining a difference between the target brightness and the average brightness; and (i) if the difference is greater than a threshold, adjusting the clipping value and repeating steps (d) to (i) until the difference is less than the threshold. Thus, if the to-be-processed image does not reach the target brightness, the image processing device automatically repeats steps (c) to (i) until the to-be-processed image reaches the target brightness.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of innovations in the area of encoding pictures or portions of pictures (e.g., slices, coding tree units, or coding units) and determining whether and how certain filtering operation should be performed and flagged for performance by the decoder in the bitstream. In particular examples, various implementations for setting the sample adaptive offset (SAO) syntax elements in the H.265/HEVC standard are disclosed. Although these examples concern the H.265/HEVC standard and its SAO filter, the disclosed technology is more widely applicable to other video codecs that involve filtering operations (particularly multi-stage filtering operations) as part of their encoding and decoding processes.

Abstract: A method includes receiving video data of a user, the video data comprising a first captured image and a second captured image, generating a two-dimensional planar proxy of the user, determining a pose comprising a location and orientation of the two-dimensional planar proxy within a three-dimensional virtual environment, rendering one or more display images for one or more displays of an artificial-reality device based on the two-dimensional planar proxy having the determined pose and at least one of the first and second captured images, displaying the rendered one or more display images using the one or more displays, respectively, determining that a viewing angle of the artificial-reality device relative to the two-dimensional planar proxy exceeds a predetermined maximum threshold, and based on the determination that the viewing angle exceeds the predetermined maximum threshold, ceasing to display the one or more display images.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an interface, a light projector and a processor. The interface may be configured to receive pixel data. The light projector may be configured to generate a structured light pattern. The processor may be configured to process the pixel data arranged as video frames comprising the structured light pattern, perform computer vision operations to detect a size of a face area of the video frames, determine a scale ratio in response to the size of the face area, extract the structured light pattern from the video frames, generate a downscaled structured light image and generate a depth map in response to the downscaled structured light image and a downscaled reference image. A downscale operation may be performed in response to the scale ratio to generate the downscaled structured light image. The scale ratio may enable the generation of the downscaled structured light image with sufficient depth pixels.

Abstract: A head-up display system includes a three-dimensional display device, an optical member, and an accelerometer. The three-dimensional display device includes a display panel, an optical element, and a controller. The display panel displays an image. The optical element defines a traveling direction of image light emitted from the display panel. The optical member reflects the image light from the three-dimensional display device toward a user's eye. The optical member is at a fixed position relative to the three-dimensional display device. The accelerometer detects acceleration of the three-dimensional display device. The controller controls a position of the image on the display panel based on the acceleration.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a display device configured to output an image, a parallax optical element configured to provide a light corresponding to the image output from the display device, to an eyebox of a user, and a processor configured to adjust a parameter of the parallax optical element based on a change of a look down angle (LDA) between the eyebox and a virtual image plane formed by the display device and the parallax optical element.

Abstract: A system and methods for a CODEC driving a real-time light field display for multi-dimensional video streaming, interactive gaming and other light field display applications is provided applying a layered scene decomposition strategy. Multi-dimensional scene data is divided into a plurality of data layers. One or more polygons representative of corresponding portions of objects in the scene are obtained for each layer and used to determine a view-independent representation. This view independent representation and data layers are sampled using a plenoptic sampling scheme and rendered using hybrid rendering to encode light fields corresponding to each data layer. The resulting compressed, (layered) core representation of the multi-dimensional scene data is produced at predictable rates, reconstructed and merged at the light field display in real-time by applying view synthesis protocols, including edge adaptive interpolation, to reconstruct pixel arrays in stages (e.g.

Abstract: A method (400) for configuring a distributed microphone system is disclosed. The distributed microphone system comprises a plurality of microphone devices connected via a network.

Abstract: A system and method for volume rendering a light field, wherein the light field data is subjected to a layering scheme introducing a partitioning of the hogels into subsets. Each subset corresponding to a sub-volume of the layer volume, corresponds to the sub-region of the layer. Novel partitioning of the data combined with an efficient local memory caching technique, plenoptic downsampling strategies to reduce memory bandwidth requirements and volume rendering algorithm to produce a rendered light field image. A reduction in the total number of samples required can be obtained while still maintaining the quality of the resulting image. A method is also provided to order memory accesses aligned with ray calculations in order to maximize access coherency. Real-time layered scene decomposition can be combined with surface rendering method to create a hybrid real-time rendering method that supports rendering of scenes containing superimposed volumes and surfaces.

Abstract: A method of measuring light intensity for imaging using a light detector array comprising a plurality of light detectors arranged to generate an output corresponding to an intensity of incident light. In a first measurement mode the light detector array generates a first plurality of output signals, each generated by one group of proximate light detectors, each group comprising a light detector pair, the first plurality of output signals each corresponding to a difference between the light intensity detected by the light detectors of the group, and generating a light intensity measurement for each group from each received output signal of the first plurality of output signals. In a second measurement mode the light detector array generates a second plurality of output signals, and a light intensity measurement is generated for each light detector from the second plurality of output signals.

Abstract: A system configured to perform scalable video encoding is provided. The system includes a memory; and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to: receive inter-layer data and a current picture, wherein the current picture has a base layer; upsample the inter-layer data to generate residual data and reconstruction data, wherein the inter-layer data includes a base mode flag; and encode the current picture to an enhanced layer using the upsampled inter-layer data based on a block type of the base layer and the base mode flag.

Abstract: A head-up display system includes a three-dimensional display device, an optical member, and an accelerometer. The three-dimensional display device includes a display panel, an optical element, and a controller. The display panel displays an image. The optical element defines a traveling direction of image light emitted from the display panel. The optical member reflects the image light from the three-dimensional display device toward a user's eye. The optical member is at a fixed position relative to the three-dimensional display device. The accelerometer detects acceleration of the three-dimensional display device. The controller controls a position of the image on the display panel based on the acceleration.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an alarm portion, a storage configured to store information on a ground clearance, a camera configured to obtain a surrounding image including a front image and a rear image of the vehicle, and a controller configured to, when an object in front of the vehicle is recognized based on the front image obtained by the camera, determine a height of the object based on the front image obtained by the camera, and when the ground clearance is greater than the height of the object by comparing the height of the object with the ground clearance, and when the object is not recognized in a rear side of the vehicle based on the rear image obtained by the camera, configured to control the alarm portion to output a warning alarm.

Abstract: A passenger tracking system includes a multiple of sensors for capturing depth map data of objects. A processing module in communication with the multiple of sensors to receive the depth map data, the processing module uses the depth map data to track an object and calculate passenger data associated with the tracked object to generate a passenger tracking list that tracks each individual passenger in the passenger data from an origin lobby to a destination lobby and through an in-car track between the origin lobby and the destination lobby.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a passenger transport system in the form of an escalator or a moving walkway. The system can include a stationary access region, a transport belt made up of a plurality of tread units, a transition region in which combing structures of the transport belt adjoin static comb structures of the access region, and an illuminating device having at least one light source for emitting light in the visible spectrum. The illuminating device can be configured such that at least a first portion of the light emitted is focused to predominantly illuminate an elongate transition surface which includes the transition region.

Abstract: A super-resolution stereoscopic visualization processing system encompasses a base map database storing the 5 m-DEM base map, the 5 m-DEM mesh reading unit, a geographic-coordinates XYZ-point file, a plane-rectangular coordinate converter, a plane-rectangular XYZ-point file, a rasterization processor, a fine grid-cell memory, a smoothing processor, a smoothing image memory, a consideration-distance grid-number calculator, a red stereoscopic-visualization image generator, a red stereoscopic-visualization image memory, wherein a super-resolution red stereoscopic-visualization image of 5 m-DEM is obtained on a screen of a display.

Abstract: Data that is predicted across pictures in a video sequence is managed by separating the data into multiple data types. Instead of keeping all data associated with a decoded picture, such as picture sample values and motion vector data, data associated with a decoded picture is split by data type to enable storing only a subset of all data associated with a decoded picture.

Abstract: A learning device receives, for each target, learning data that represents the source of generation of a tensor including a plurality of elements which multi-dimensionally represent the features of the target over a period of time set in advance. When the target satisfies a condition set in advance, the learning device identifies the period of time corresponding to the condition in the learning data. Subsequently, the learning device generates a weighted tensor corresponding to the learning data that is at least either before or after the concerned period of time.

Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging system and associated methods for mapping in-focus image data from two-dimensional (“2D”) images of a scene to a three-dimensional (“3D”) model of the scene. The imaging system receives the 2D images and the 3D model, determines the depth of field (“DOF”) and the field of view (“FOV”) for each 2D image, and selects a subset of 3D model constructs that form the FOV and are within the DOF of a particular 2D image. The imaging system determines pixels of the particular 2D image that represent a same set of points in the scene as the subset of 3D model constructs, and maps the visual characteristics from those pixels to non-positional elements of the subset of 3D model constructs.

Abstract: An image processing method includes obtaining two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of an object, extracting luminance and depth information from the three-dimensional image to generate luminance and depth image for the object, graying the two-dimensional image to obtain a single-channel grayscale image, selecting at least three same-location points from each of the grayscale and luminance image, calculating a coordinate transformation matrix between the grayscale and luminance images based on coordinates of the at least three same-location points in each of the grayscale and luminance images, and aligning the two-dimensional image with the luminance and depth images based on the coordinate transformation matrix to obtain fused image data. The fused image data includes color information of the two-dimensional image and the luminance and depth information of the three-dimensional image.

Abstract: A display module and a method for driving the same, a display apparatus, and a vehicle are provided. The display module includes a backlight component, and a display component and a light-adjusting component that are located at a side of the backlight component facing toward a light-emitting direction of the display module. The backlight component includes a first light guide structure and a light regulating structure. The light-adjusting component includes first and second electrodes, and a first liquid crystal. The display module has a sharing mode and an anti-peeping mode. In the sharing mode, the first electrode and the second electrode are not energized, and the first liquid crystal is in a wide viewing angle state. In the anti-peeping mode, the first electrode and the second electrode drive the first liquid crystal to be in a narrow viewing angle state.

Abstract: Eyewear such as sunglasses may include display-optimized lenses. The lenses may be optimized for viewing an external display and/or for viewing a display in the head-mounted device while also providing sun protection for the user's eyes. The lenses may include a polarizer and a color filter that are designed for a given target display. Lenses that are optimized for a display that emits linearly polarized light may include a linear polarizer. Lenses that are optimized for a display that emits circularly polarized light may include a circular polarizer. The circular polarizer may include a quarter wave plate and a linear polarizer. The color filter may have a transmission spectrum curve with peaks corresponding to the primary colors of the target display so that the color and brightness of display light is preserved while the brightness of sunlight is reduced.

Abstract: A system for generating three-dimensional (3D) images from captured images of a target when executing digital magnification. A controller executes a digital magnification on the first image of the target captured by the first image sensor and on the second image captured by the second image sensor of the target. The controller crops the first image and the second image to overlap a first portion of the target captured by the first image sensor with a second portion of the target captured by the second image sensor. The controller adjusts the cropping of the first image and the second image to provide binocular overlap of the first portion of the target with the second portion of target. The displayed cropped first image and the cropped second image display the 3D image at the digital magnification to the user.

Abstract: A lens apparatus includes a first optical system, a second optical system disposed in parallel with the first optical system, and a lens mount attachable to a camera body. Each of the first optical system and the second optical system has a first optical axis, a second optical axis, and a third optical axis in order from an object side to an image side. A distance between the first optical axis of the first optical system and the first optical axis of the second optical system is longer than a diameter of the lens mount, and a distance between the third optical axis of the first optical system and the third optical axis of the second optical system is shorter than the diameter of the lens mount.

Abstract: A method to detect cheating on an examination in an extended reality environment, such as by a user taking an examination via a virtual reality headset, includes detecting an activity of the user during the examination that triggers a notification of possible cheating by the user to an individual monitoring for cheating and displaying the user taking the examination in the extended reality environment to the individual monitoring for cheating on a display of computing hardware, such as via another virtual reality headset, mobile computing device, or computer device connected to an online network.

Abstract: An eye tracking system may comprise an image display configured to display a stereo image of a surgical field to a user, a right eye tracker configured to measure data about a first gaze point of a right eye of the user, and a left eye tracker configured to measure data about a second gaze point of a left eye of the user. The eye tracking system may also comprise at least one processor configured to process the data about the first gaze point and the second gaze point to determine a viewing location in the displayed stereo image at which a three-dimensional gaze point of the user is directed.

Abstract: The present invention provides an omnidirectional distance measuring device that covers a wide detection range and does not require adjustment of each of the detection areas of a plurality of distance measuring sensors. In the omnidirectional distance measuring device, a plurality of distance measuring sensors that measure a distance to a target are disposed radially around a central axis so as to be close to each other. The plurality of distance measuring sensors are integrally configured such that a detection center direction of each of the plurality of distance measuring sensors is inclined by a predetermined angle from a plane perpendicular to the central axis. As the distance measuring sensor, a TOF sensor that measures a distance based on a flight time of light or a stereo camera that measures a distance using parallax of a pair of cameras is used.

Abstract: A target image corresponding to a novel view may be synthesized from two source images, corresponding source camera poses, and pixel attribute correspondences between the two source images. A particular object in the target image need only be visible in one of the two source images for successful synthesis. Each pixel in the target image is defined according to an identified pixel in one of the two source images. The identified source pixel provides attributes such as color, texture, and feature descriptors for the target pixel. The source and target camera poses are used to define geometric relationships for identifying the source pixels. In an embodiment, the pixel attribute correspondences are optical flow that defines movement of attributes from a first image of the two source images to a second image of the two source images.

Abstract: A display module includes a display panel having a plurality of pixels and a display driver configured to drive a partial portion of the plurality of pixels that are positioned in an alignment mark area to display an alignment mark in the alignment mark area. A stereoscopic lens including a base is disposed on the display module. A plurality of lenses is disposed on the base and includes at least one flat portion surrounded by the plurality of lenses and overlapping the alignment mark area.

Abstract: A sensor package that is configured by molding a frame to a mounting substrate by insert molding and that prevents adhering to components and terminals and reduces damage to the mounting substrate. The sensor package includes an image sensor, a mounting substrate to which the image sensor is mounted, a frame provided in the mounting substrate so as to surround the image sensor, and a cover attached to the frame so as to cover the image sensor. The mounting substrate includes terminals electrically connected with the image sensor and a groove provided in a predetermined depth between an area in which the frame is provided and the terminals.

Abstract: An in-stream disparity processing system comprises a delay block having an input for receiving an input stream of disparity cost vectors, and configured to provide a delayed stream of disparity cost vectors at an output of the delay block, by delaying the input stream by a predetermined amount; and a processing block having a cost input connected to receive the delayed stream of disparity cost vectors and a smoothing input connected to receive the input stream of disparity cost vectors, and configured to apply cost smoothing to the delayed stream based on the input stream, so as to generate, at an output of the processing block, a stream of reverse pass disparity cost vectors.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating an offline map are disclosed. The method includes: obtaining 1st to nth environmental images sequentially collected by a camera of a vehicle when the vehicle is traveling on a target road section; selecting ith to jth environmental images from the 1st to Nth environmental images, performing a first batch of three-dimensional modeling on the ith to jth environmental images to obtain first posture information of the camera and a first world coordinate; performing a second batch of three-dimensional modeling in parallel on the 1st to (i?1)th environmental images and (j+1)th to Nth environmental images, based on the first posture information and the first world coordinate, to obtain a second world coordinate and to obtain a third world coordinate; and generating an offline map of the target road section according to the world coordinate.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a diffusing element configured to couple portions of a light beam back into a laser diode. The system includes a diode laser driven into a chaotic regime by a combination of a diffuser and a modulated drive current such that it emits light across a frequency spectrum having an envelope between 3 and 10 nanometers wide. The system further includes a diffusing element at least 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm away from the diode laser to couple portions of the light beam back into the laser diode. Another embodiment is directed to using the diffusing element to illuminate a flat panel display or a spatial light modulator.

Abstract: A system for facilitating shared XR experiences is configurable to access a first spatial map of a first physical environment associated with a first user and identify one or more first physical aspects of the first physical environment based on the first spatial map. The system is also configurable to access a second spatial map of a second physical environment associated with a second user and identify one or more second physical aspects of the second physical environment based on the second spatial map. The system is also configurable to define a first XR experience region for the first physical environment based on the second physical aspects of the second physical environment, or define a second XR experience region for the second physical environment based the first physical aspects of the first physical environment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a display design wherein the space between the pixels of a display panel, the black matrix, is not magnified together with other content. The visibility of particularly smaller objects such as e.g. letters is thus increased.

Abstract: A moving efficiency of a work machine decreases if an obstacle, an entrance prohibiting region, and the like are arranged inside a region, if a positioning precision of the work machine is relatively low, and the like. A control apparatus includes a control section to control a movement of a moving object based on at least one of a completion level of map information indicating a region where a moving object is permitted to enter and a location estimation precision of a moving object.

Abstract: A method for detecting a parallax problem in sensor data from two sensors, wherein the sensors are spaced apart at different positions and at least partly capture the same environment, and one of the sensors provides distance information items. The method includes receiving the acquired sensor data from the sensors; receiving or estimating sensor visual range information items from the other of the sensors; assigning measured values in the acquired sensor data of the one sensor to measured values corresponding to each of them from the other sensor, the assignment taking into account respective imaging conditions; comparing the distance information items and the received or estimated sensor visual range information items on each of the measured values of the sensor data, wherein a parallax problem is detected in response to a distance exceeding a threshold criterion; and outputting a comparison result.

Abstract: A spline-based animation process creates an animation sequence. The process receives a plurality of frames that illustrate a figure based on a design template (e.g., which includes a skeleton having segments). The process further identifies a spine segment, generates hip, shoulder, and head segments at respective positions relative to the spine segment, identifies limb and facial feature segments, and converts the segments into respective splines bound between endpoints. The process further determines changes between frames for respective splines and animates movement of the figure over a sequence of frames based on the changes.

Abstract: Methods of determining the depth of a scene and associated systems are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method can include augmenting depth data of a scene captured with a depth sensor with depth data from one or more images of the scene. For example, the method can include capturing image data of the scene with a plurality of cameras. The method can further include generating a point cloud representative of the scene based on the depth data from the depth sensor and identifying a missing region of the point cloud, such as a region occluded from the view of the depth sensor. The method can then include generating depth data for the missing region based on the image data. Finally, the depth data for the missing region can be merged with the depth data from the depth sensor to generate a merged point cloud representative of the scene.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided repair of physical structures include: generating a two dimensional difference image from a first three dimensional model of at least one actual three dimensional surface of a manufactured object, and a second three dimensional model of at least one source three dimensional surface used as input to a manufacturing process that generated the manufactured object; obtaining from an image-to-image translation based machine learning algorithm, trained using pairs of input images representing deformed and deformed plus surface defected added versions of a nominal three dimensional surface, a translated version of the two dimensional image; generating from the translated version of the two dimensional image a third three dimensional model of at least one morphed three dimensional surface corresponding to the at least one source three dimensional surface.

Abstract: A processing system including at least one processor may detect a location and an orientation of an augmented reality endpoint device of a user at a venue, identify a permission zone of the venue within a field of view of the augmented reality endpoint device in accordance with the location and the orientation of the augmented reality endpoint device, determine at least one condition for the user to access the permission zone, and present, via the augmented reality endpoint device, first visual information associated with the at least one condition for the user to access the permission zone, where the first visual information associated with the at least one condition is presented within the field of view and comprises at least one feature indicative of an association with the permission zone.