Abstract: Aspects of the present invention are directed towards identifying users in a room by an intelligent personal assistant for automatic control of certain devices controlled by the assistant. The assistant may have a retractable, reflector that is used to identify persons in the vicinity of the assistant when the retractable, reflector is in an extended position. The retractable, reflector may additionally be stowed inside the assistant to stop processing visual information in the vicinity of the assistant.

Abstract: A medical tool includes: a tool main unit configured to be driven in response to a power supply; a first power supply configured to be removable from the tool main unit; and a second power supply having a smaller power capacity than the first power supply, and configured to be charged by the first power supply. The tool main unit is configured to be driven by receiving power supply from one of the first power supply and the second power supply.

Abstract: Provided is an imaging apparatus, including: an imaging optical system including a plurality of lenses; and an image plane which is disposed on an image side of the imaging optical system and is curved so that a concave surface thereof faces an object side of the imaging optical system. The imaging optical system includes an aperture stop. In the imaging optical system, a lens closer to the object side than the aperture stop and a lens closer to the image side than the aperture stop have different positive powers. A focal length of the imaging optical system is substantially equal to a distance from an exit pupil of the imaging optical system to the image plane. A radius of curvature of the image plane is substantially equal to the focal length of the imaging optical system.

Abstract: A display device is described and includes a fixing unit, through which the display device is capable of being worn on a head of a user; a processing unit configured to obtain a first image to be displayed; an image transmission unit configured to transmit the first image to a display unit, which is configured to display the first image obtained by the processing unit; a connection unit configured to connect the fixing unit and at least a first portion of the display unit, wherein the connection unit at least has a first state, in which at least the first portion is located in the user's visual region and faces the user; an image capturing unit configured to capture a second image; and the processing unit being further configured to generate the first image based on the second image.

Abstract: Panoramic imaging systems including rotatable minors are provided. A panoramic imaging system includes a rotatable platform, an imaging device mounted to the rotatable platform, and a minor rotatably mounted to the rotatable platform. The mirror is positioned in an optical path of the imaging device. The mirror and the imaging device are oriented such that the minor and imaging device are in the same plane, an optical axis of the imaging device is substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotatable platform, and an axis of rotation of the minor is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotatable platform when the mirror is in an initial position.

Abstract: An imaging device (300), a lighting control system (400) including the imaging device (300), and a method for aligning with a reference image lighting of a site (220) illuminated by least one light source (240) are provided. The imaging device (300) and/or the lighting control system (400) include at least one processor (410) configured to control the imaging device (300) and the light source (240). The imaging device (300) has an array of reflectors (320) including selectable reflectors; a lens configured to receive image rays (330) for forming an image including pixels and provide the image rays (330) to the array of reflectors (320) for reflection as reflected rays (355); and a detector (310) configured to receive the reflected rays (355) and detect characteristics of each pixel of the image for form a resolved image. The processor (410) is further configured to sequentially select each reflector (350) of the array of reflectors (320) for reflecting the reflected rays (355) towards the detector (310).

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a mounting apparatus for mounting a panoramic mirror in front of the focal point of a camera. The mounting apparatus comprises a conical optical stage configured to contact the mirror at an end point along the longitudinal axis. An optical masking spike is also disclosed which can be disposed along the longitudinal axis and extend at least partially into the interior of the conical optical stage. The conical optical stage and optical masking spike provide improved stability of the overall optic and reduce unwanted glare in images reflected to the camera.

Abstract: There is provided a light emitting device that is capable of changing the illumination angle in the transverse and vertical directions. An emission unit includes at least an arc tube being elongated in a longitudinal direction thereof, and a reflection umbrella. A light-permeable optical unit is arranged in front of the emission unit at a side thereof closer to a subject in such a manner that a relative distance between the optical unit and the emission unit is variable. The optical unit includes a plurality of light refracting sections provided at a central portion thereof and arranged in the longitudinal direction of the arc tube, and reflection surfaces provided at the opposite sides of the light refracting sections in the longitudinal direction thereof for reflecting luminous fluxes emitted from the emission unit toward a subject. The light distribution characteristics in transverse and vertical directions can be varied by changing the interval between the emission unit and the optical unit.

Abstract: To provide an omnidirectional visual camera having a simple configuration and which can pick up omnidirectional images covering an angle of 360° around an axis. This camera comprises a reflecting member and a camera section. The reflecting member is composed of a rotating surface portion, a cylindrical portion and a joining section, which are integrally formed of a transparent material.

Abstract: A camera system is provided for acquiring an image of a scene with a wide angle such as an omni-directional scene with a high resolution and for acquiring an image of a dynamic object. The camera system includes a reflecting mirror, a first imaging unit, and a second imaging unit. The reflecting mirror has a mirror surface disposed around a center axis and spread on one side of the center axis to form an opening portion. The first imaging unit is provided within a plane composed of an outer surface of the reflecting mirror and a plane extending from the outer surface of the reflecting mirror on the opening portion side. The second imaging unit is disposed opposite to the mirror surface of the reflecting mirror, and includes a number of cameras disposed on the same circumference centered at the center axis of the reflecting mirror in such a manner as to be spaced from each other at equal intervals.

Abstract: A panoramic imaging system includes a convex reflector, a camera, a transparent cylinder for mounting the convex reflector to the camera, and a first radially-oriented planar member positioned in the transparent cylinder between the convex reflector and the camera. A second radially-oriented planar member can be positioned in the transparent cylinder between the convex reflector and the camera. The first and second radially-oriented planar members would preferably lie in perpendicular planes, however, they may lie in non-perpendicular planes. A mirror mount for a panoramic imaging system includes a convex reflector, a transparent cylinder for supporting the convex reflector, means for connecting a camera to the transparent cylinder, and a first radially-oriented planar member positioned in the transparent cylinder between the convex reflector and the camera. A method of reducing unwanted reflections in the panoramic imaging system is also included.

Abstract: A panoptic camera system that can be used to capture all the light from a hemisphere viewing angle is disclosed. The panoptic camera comprises a main reflecting mirror that reflects light from an entire hemisphere onto an image capture mechanism. The main reflecting mirror consists of a paraboloid shape with a dimple on an apex. The surface area around the dimple allows the main reflector to capture light from behind an image capture mechanism or a second reflector. When two panoptic camera systems that capture the light from an entire hemisphere are placed back to back, a camera system that “sees” light from all directions is created. A stereo vision panoramic camera system is also disclosed. The stereo vision panoramic camera system comprises two panoramic camera systems that are separated by a known distance. The two panoramic camera systems are each placed in a “blind spot” of the other panoramic camera system.

Abstract: A panoptic camera system that can be used to capture all the light from a hemisphere viewing angle is disclosed. The panoptic camera comprises a main reflecting mirror that reflects light from an entire hemisphere onto an image capture mechanism. The main reflecting mirror consists of a paraboloid shape with a dimple on an apex. The surface area around the dimple allows the main reflector to capture light from behind an image capture mechanism or a second reflector. When two panoptic camera systems that capture the light from an entire hemisphere are placed back to back, a camera system that “sees” light from all directions is created. A stereo vision panoramic camera system is also disclosed. The stereo vision panoramic camera system comprises two panoramic camera systems that are separated by a known distance. The two panoramic camera systems are each placed in a “blind spot” of the other panoramic camera system.

Abstract: A panoramic camera has a camera housing rotatable about an axis of rotation that defines a viewpoint which points along a radial optical path that object rays traverse as the camera is rotated about its axis; a lens assembly having an optical path and a front nodal point mounted for rotation with the camera housing with the optical path of the lens offset from the radial optical path; a specular assembly including an object specular member along the radial optical path mounted for rotation with the housing that cooperates with the lens assembly for gathering object rays that traverse the radial optical path and for deviating them along the optical path of the lens assembly in such a way that the front nodal point of the lens subassembly virtually appears to lie on the axis of rotation thereby eliminating image smearing; and has an ambient light responsive controller including an ambient light sensor mounted for rotation with the camera housing for automatically varying the speed of rotation in direct relation

Abstract: A multi-direction camera comprising a mirror 3 having a plurality of reflecting surfaces 31 and 32 disposed in front of a lens 4. The lens 4 receives light reflected from the mirror 3 from a plurality of directions and forms an image by the image sensor 7. The mirror 3 can be moved linearly by an actuator 8. The arrangement of the mirror 3 and lens 4 allows the camera to image road conditions of multiple directions at the same time. The camera can also image a road condition in a single direction with a wider scope manually or automatically when the road condition in that direction needs to be confirmed preponderantly.

Abstract: A method for pattern classification and, in particular, a method which distributes the classification criteria across a neural network. The classification criteria for a pattern class is stored distributively in the neural network in two aspects. First, it manifests itself as one or more levels of templates, each of which represents a fuzzily unique perspective of the pattern class. Second, the template at each level is represented by a set of fuzzy windows, each of which defines a classification criterion of a corresponding feature of the pattern class.