Abstract: An image processor (10) has a window selector for choosing a detection window within the image, and a self similarity computation part (40) for determining self-similarity information for a group of the pixels in any part of the detection window, to represent an amount of self-similarity of that group to other groups in any other part of the detector window, and for repeating the determination for groups in all parts of the detection window, to generate a global self similarity descriptor for the detection window. A classifier (50) is used for classifying whether an object is present based on the global self-similarity descriptor. By using global self-similarity rather than local similarities more information is captured which can lead to better classification. In particular, it helps enable recognition of more distant self-similarities inherent in the object, and self-similarities present at any scale.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for heating a fiber-reinforced polymer forming at least part of a hollow vessel, in particular, a high-pressure gas tank made of a fiber-reinforced polymer, the method comprising the steps of filling said vessel with a flowable polar material, in particular, a flowable polar liquid such as water, and irradiating said vessel with microwaves so as to cause at least a dielectric heating of the flowable polar material within the vessel.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and a device for curing a thermosetting polymer. The method comprises the steps of irradiating the thermosetting polymer with microwaves at a first power level so as to heat up the thermosetting polymer by dielectric heating, and when the thermosetting polymer reaches a first predetermined temperature, irradiating the thermosetting polymer with microwaves at a second power level, substantially higher than the first power level, to further heat up the thermosetting polymer by dielectric heating. The device comprises an enclosure for receiving the thermosetting polymer, a microwave emitter for emitting microwave radiation into the enclosure, and a control unit for controlling a microwave emission power of the microwave emitter according to the abovementioned method.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for heating a polymer article reinforced with electrically conductive embedded fibers, comprising the steps of applying an outer, electrically non-conductive coating so as to cover exposed electrically conductive fibers, and irradiating the coated, fiber-reinforced thermosetting polymer article with microwaves within a predetermined frequency range so as to heat up the coated, fiber-reinforced thermosetting polymer article by dielectric heating.

Abstract: The present specification concerns a sputtering magnetron assembly 104,204,304 comprising a rotatable tubular target cathode 105,205,305 and a magnetic field generating device 106,206,306 installed within the tubular target cathode 105,205,305. At least part of the magnetic field generating device 106,206,306 is configured to move within the tubular target cathode 105,205,305 so as to maintain within a predetermined range a magnetic field strength H at an outer surface 110,210,310 of the tubular target cathode 105,205,305 during erosion of said outer surface. The present specification also relates to a physical vapour deposition method using such a sputtering magnetron assembly 104,204,304.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle or traffic control method and to a vehicle or traffic control system. The vehicle or traffic control method comprises the steps: a) estimating actual and/or future behavior of a first traffic participant and of a second traffic participant, respectively, the second traffic participant being different from the first traffic participant, b) estimating a trajectory to be taken by the first traffic participant and/or a trajectory to be taken by the second traffic participant, c) determining risk of collision of the first traffic participant relative to the second traffic participant by calculating information adapted for risk assessment of collision of the first traffic participant relative to the second traffic participant, and d) controlling the behavior of the first traffic participant based on the information provided after step a), step b) and/or step c).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for operating on images are described, in particular methods and apparatus for interest point detection and/or description working under different scales and with different rotations, e.g. for scale-invariant and rotation-invariant interest point detection and/or description. The present invention can provide improved or alternative apparatus and methods for matching interest points either in the same image or in a different image. The present invention can provide alternative or improved software for implementing any of the methods of the invention. The present invention can provide alternative or improved data structures created by multiple filtering operations to generate a plurality of filtered images as well as data structures for storing the filtered images themselves, e.g. as stored in memory or transmitted through a network. The present invention can provide alternative or improved data structures including descriptors of interest points in images, e.g.

Abstract: An optical rangefinder based on time-of-flight measurement, radiates pulsed light toward an object (70), and receives reflected light from the object, the receiver operating in a photon counting mode, so as to generate a pulse for a detected photon. There is a variable probability of a photon detection on the receiver, and a controller (370, 380, 390; 365, 470, 475, 380, 390; 570, 580, 590, 390) controls the photon detection probability of the receiver, based on a light level. By controlling the detection probability according to a light level, the receiver can have an increased dynamic range, and without the expense of using optical components. This can apply even while detecting very weak signals since the receiver can still be in a photon counting mode while the detection probability is controlled. The light level can be indicated by an output of the receiver itself, or by another detector external to the receiver.

Abstract: Method for processing a sequence of at least two image datasets each having at least two pixels, each pixel having an intensity value by calculating a structure tensor for each pixel in an image dataset included in the sequence of image datasets; calculating values in a summation kernel based on the structure tensor for each pixel in the image dataset; calculating a weighted intensity value for each pixel in the first image dataset, using as weights the values in the summation kernel; storing the weighted intensity value for each pixel in the image dataset as a processed intensity value for each corresponding pixel in a processed output image dataset; rotating a local coordinate system in which the summation kernel is described so that the coordinate axes of said local coordinate system coincide with the directions of the eigenvectors of the structure tensor.

Abstract: A signal processor (30) for a submillimeter wavelength active radar system (10, 20, 30) processes signals received and downconverted by the radar system, the downconverted signals corresponding to a given pixel of the field of view having time varying amplitude and phase components which have a periodic component which is dependent on content. Information about the content is discriminated from the periodic component. By using phase rather than only amplitude, there is additional information in the downconverted signals. The phase is more sensitive to changes in the content such as objects, background and atmospheric conditions, than amplitude alone. The phase information enables the periodic component to be retained which can be characteristic of the content owing to content flutter, changes in submillimeter standing waves and interference fringes in received reflections of submillimeter illumination if surface layers have a thickness of a number of half wavelengths.

Abstract: An antenna (80,90) has a one dimensional or multidimensional array of elements (20,40), wherein spacings between successive elements of at least part of the array are non periodic and correspond to a series of multiples of a unit spacing, the multiples following a Fibonacci sequence. Two dimensional arrays can be arranged as a Fibonacci grid or as a Fibonacci square tiling. The number of elements can be reduced for a given measure of resolution, while still enabling the signal being transmitted or received to have a peak in a single unique direction and thus form a beam. Furthermore, since there will be some elements clustered close together and a few which are well spaced, it can be more suitable for vehicles (30) than a regularly spaced array. It can be used as a transmit antenna or as a receive antenna for a submillimeter radar system.

Abstract: A submillimeter wavelength radar system has a receiver (20, 27, 90) for receiving and downconverting signals from content in a field of view of the system and a signal processor (30) arranged to determine information about the content from the downconverted signals, the radar system being arranged to obtain signals of the same points in the field of view from different illumination or receiving angles by having multiple illumination or receive positions, and the signal processor being arranged to use the determined information from the signals from the two or more angles to determine location or orientation of the content. By using information from different angles, it becomes possible to address or overcome the drawback of submillimeter wavelengths that most of the reflection is specular and so only surfaces of an object facing the radar system are detectable, meaning that many objects are unrecognisable.