Abstract: A process for manufacturing a gas sensor including a detecting element having an electrode containing a precious metal formed on a surface of a solid electrolyte, comprising: a first step of applying a nuclei of a precious metal having a catalyzing action on a gas to be measured; and a second step of growing the nuclei, wherein the first step uses a physical vapor deposition method.

Abstract: An inputting/designating section inputs a multimedia object or designates a multimedia object previously stored in a database. A feature-value-determining section determines the feature value of the input or designated multimedia object. A weighting-factor-determining section determines the determined feature-value weighting factor of the multimedia object. A similarity-retrieval section retrieves the similarity of the multimedia object previously stored in the database by using the determined feature value and the determined feature-value weighting factor. A displaying section displays a multimedia object similar to the multimedia object designated by the inputting/designating section in accordance with the result of similarity retrieval. A similarity-ranking-changing section changes similarity rankings of the displayed multimedia object.

Abstract: In a scene recognition photographing device of the present invention, a feature quantity of an acquired image acquired from an image pickup element is calculated from the acquired image. Plural types of reference feature information having a feature quantity serving as a reference at the time of determining a composition are stored as a database in an internal memory or a storage device. Moreover, a camera control unit retrieves reference feature information having a feature quantity similar to the feature quantity of the acquired image from among the reference feature information by comparing the calculated feature quantity and the reference feature information. Then, information relating to composition is displayed on a display device on the basis of a result of comparison between the acquired image and the retrieved reference feature information.

Abstract: An electronic camera detects a person's face image from an object image obtained by photographing an object, executes an enlarging process on the detected face image so as to obtain a face image whose face size is suitable, and displays the face image which is enlarged into the suitable size on a display device. When a plurality of people are present on the object image, the enlarged face images are switched by an image operating switch. As a result, the switched face image is displayed on the display device.

Abstract: An object retrieval method used is characterized as follows. When a user selects objects, the dispersion between the objects is found with respect to each of a plurality of feature quantities. Within a retrieval range of objects, the dispersion between the objects is found with respect to each of a plurality of feature quantities. Both dispersions are compared for each feature quantity. As a result of the comparison, there may be a feature quantity which causes more converged dispersion in the selected objects. This feature quantity is provided with a weight larger than any other feature quantities to weight each feature quantity. An object is retrieved from the retrieval range based on the weighted feature quantities.

Abstract: An electronic camera of the present invention has a function for photographing combined images including plural continuously photographed images. A continuous photographing mode according to a moving subject is selected by a photographing mode selection unit. A continuous photographing interval, a maximum continuous photographing number, and a number of precaptured images to be obtained are set by a system controller according to the continuous photographing mode selected by the photographing mode selection unit. When a release button is depressed, continuous photographing is carried out under the photographing conditions of the continuous photographing mode selected by the mode selection unit.

Abstract: A three-dimensional model search method includes a step of producing a plurality of two-dimensional images obtained by observing a three-dimensional model as an object of search from points of view different from one another. In a first value extraction step, the respective feature values of the two-dimensional images are extracted from the plurality of two-dimensional images. In a search key input step, a two-dimensional image as a search key is inputted. In a second extraction step, the feature value is extracted from the two-dimensional image as the search key. In a similarity search step, the feature values extracted in the first and second extraction steps are used to carry out similarity search, and a three-dimensional model which is similar to the search key is outputted.

Abstract: A plurality of directional control valves are included in a valve main body 1. Each of the directional control valves is provided with a spool 2, actuator ports 3,4, a communication passage 7, a parallel passage 6, a tandem passage 5, a first check valve 8 for permitting a flow of pressure fluid from the parallel passage 6 toward the communication passage 7, and a second check valve 9 for permitting a flow of pressure fluid from the tandem passage 5 toward the communication passage 7. For example, the first check valve 8 is slidably arranged in the second check valve 9, the second check valve 9 is provided with a through-hole 14 formed in communication with the communication passage 7, and a plug 11 is arranged in threaded engagement with the valve main body 1 such that an end portion of the first check valve 8 and an end portion of the second check valve 9 are covered by the plug 11.

Abstract: A hydraulic ride control system for a working vehicle such as a wheel loader is provided with boom cylinders, an actuator control valve for controlling a pressure in bottom pressure chambers of the boom cylinders, an accumulator connected to the bottom pressure chambers of the boom cylinders via a connection line, an opening control valve having a pilot chamber to selectively communicating or cutting off the connection line depending on a pressure in the pilot chamber, and a selector unit for selectively feeding a pressure to or draining a pressure from the pilot chamber. The selector unit comprises a controller for variably controlling an opening of the opening control valve.

Abstract: A feature quantity calculation device to calculate a feature quantity for a 3-D object from 3-D object data contained in the 3-D object includes a 3-D object data input module to input the 3-D object data, a 3-D object data analysis module to analyze the input 3-D object data, a volume data conversion module to convert the analyzed 3-D object data to volume data, and a feature quantity calculation module to calculate a feature quantity from the converted volume data.

Abstract: A 3D model similar to the specified 3D model is retrieved from a plurality of 3D models stored as objects to be retrieved in a database by using various feature values calculated from the selected 3D model. At that time, when at least one of the selected 3D model and a subelement which is a part of the selected 3D model is specified as a retrieval key, the feature values of the subelements included in the 3D model specified as the retrieval key and data on information about the relationship between the subelements are acquired. In addition, the feature values of the subelements included in the 3D models stored as objects to be retrieved in the database and data on information about the relationship between the subelements are acquired.

Abstract: A similar image retrieving means has a region of interest setting portion, a feature quantity calculation portion, a similarity calculation portion and an image selection portion. A part of the three-dimensional image of the retrieval object is set as a region of interest. The feature quantity calculation portion calculates the quantity of the region of interest. The similarity calculation portion calculates the similarity between the retrieval object and the three-dimensional image data stored in advance by comparing the feature quantity of the region of interest of the retrieval object which quantity is calculated with the feature quantity calculation means with the three-dimensional image data where the region of interest is set which is stored in advance in the image database, and the feature quantity of this region of interest is calculated. The image selection portion selects similar images in an order of decreasing similarity from the image database.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a gas sensor including a detecting element having an electrode containing a precious metal formed on a surface of a solid electrolyte, comprising: a first step of applying a nuclei of a precious metal having a catalyzing action on a gas to be measured; and a second step of growing the nuclei, wherein the first step uses a physical vapor deposition method.

Abstract: A three-dimensional model search method includes a step of producing a plurality of two-dimensional images obtained by observing a three-dimensional model as an object of search from points of view different from one another. In a first value extraction step, the respective feature values of the two-dimensional images are extracted from the plurality of two-dimensional images. In a search key input step, a two-dimensional image as a search key is inputted. In a second extraction step, the feature value is extracted from the two-dimensional image as the search key. In a similarity search step, the feature values extracted in the first and second extraction steps are used to carry out similarity search, and a three-dimensional model which is similar to the search key is outputted.

Abstract: When retrieving similar multimedia object data from a multimedia object database on the basis of the retrieval condition set by a user, a retrieval condition setting area for retrieval condition setting is displayed as an independent area. Then, a retrieval condition is set on the basis of multimedia object data which has been set in or which has been input to the retrieval condition setting area.

Abstract: An automatic index making system for an electronic catalog comprises an object input section configured to enter an image object which enables generation of at least two or more different images by setting a virtual view point to read an image, a generated image specification section configured to output specified information, and a two-dimensional image generation section configured to electronically analyze the image object entered by the object input section, based on the specified information from the generated image specification section to generate a two-dimensional image. The system further comprises an index data creation section configured to create index data by use of the two-dimensional image generated by the two-dimensional image generation section, and an index output section configured to output an index by use of the index data created by the index data creation section.

Abstract: A system in which various feature values possessed by a multimedia object are used to search for a similar object comprises a feature value calculation section configured to calculate one or more types of feature values from the multimedia object which is registered. The system further comprises a category setting section configured to set a category, which is based on the feature value calculated by the feature value calculation section, on a database storing the multimedia object. Further, the system comprises a registration section configured to associate with the multimedia object which is registered, the feature value calculated by the feature value calculation section and the category set by the category setting section and to register the multimedia object, the feature value, and the category into the database.

Abstract: A three-dimensional position and orientation sensing apparatus including: an image input section which inputs an image acquired by an image acquisition apparatus and showing at least three markers having color or geometric characteristics as one image, three-dimensional positional information of the markers with respect to an object to be measured being known in advance; a region extracting section which extracts a region corresponding to each marker in the image; a marker identifying section which identifies the individual markers based on the color or geometric characteristics of the markers in the extracted regions; and a position and orientation calculating section which calculates the three-dimensional position and orientation of the object to be measured with respect to the image acquisition apparatus, by using positions of the identified markers in the image input to the image input section, and the positional information of the markers with respect to the object to be measured.

Abstract: A surgical operation navigation apparatus comprises a medical image storage section that stores three-dimensional information of a subject measured by a medical image diagnosis unit. A modification information storage section modifies and stores the three-dimensional information of the subject based on predicted modification of the subject. A morphological shape measuring instrument measures a three-dimensional morphological shape of the subject. A morphological shape information storage section compares a three-dimensional morphological shape of a subject with three-dimensional information, and selects and outputs three-dimensional information of the subject that is the most analogous to the morphological shape of the subject. A data image generating section generates data image from the selected, outputted three-dimensional information of the subject.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor is disposed downstream from a catalyst for purifying exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine and which can suppress an influence of unburnt hydrocarbon on an output voltage. After forming a platinum thin film on the outer periphery of a zirconia ceramic body, only a detection electrode of the ceramic body is dipped in a silver nitrate aqueous solution of 0.1 mol/l, and the silver nitrate is pyrolyzed through a heat treatment. Subsequently, a platinum reference electrode is formed on the inner periphery of the ceramic body. To protect the silver-doped detection electrode, a protective layer is formed on the surface of the detection electrode. By the exposure to combustion gas and through aging, a detection element is formed, and set into a metal case together with a cylindrical heater, to complete an oxygen sensor to be disposed downstream from a CNG engine catalyst.