Abstract: By a control device, a control method, or a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program, an optical sensor that detects an echo of irradiation light irradiated to a detection area is controlled, distance image data representing a distance value to a reflective target is acquired, intensity image data representing an intensity value of the echo is acquired, a flare pixel region in which flare imaging is predicted in a periphery of a target pixel region is estimated, and the distance value of the flare pixel region is removed. A detection timing of the echo in the flare pixel region overlaps with a detection timing of the echo in the target pixel region in the distance image data.

Abstract: The apparatus includes: a hydrogen generation container provided with a magnesium-based hydride accommodation part accommodating magnesium-based hydride; a reaction water tank storing water or an aqueous solution; the pipes connected to the reaction water tank and the hydrogen generation container; a pump operating to suction water or the aqueous solution from the reaction water tank and then exhaust it through the pipes to the hydrogen generation container; a pressure gauge measuring the pressure in the inside of the hydrogen generation container; and a control unit, on the basis of the pressure value of the pressure gauge, controlling the amount of water caused to flow through the pipes by the pump.

Abstract: The apparatus includes: a hydrogen generation container provided with a magnesium-based hydride accommodation part accommodating magnesium-based hydride; a reaction water tank storing water or an aqueous solution; the pipes connected to the reaction water tank and the hydrogen generation container; a pump operating such as to suction water or the aqueous solution from the reaction water tank and then exhaust it through the pipes to the hydrogen generation container; a pressure gauge measuring the pressure in the inside of the hydrogen generation container; and a control unit, on the basis of the pressure value of the pressure gauge, controlling the amount of water caused to flow through the pipes by the pump.

Abstract: An ore containing crystal water (bond water) is heated to dehydrate the crystal water in the form of water vapor, thereby rendering the ore porous to generate a porous ore. Next, the porous ore is forced into contact with a dry-distilled gas (organic gas) obtained by dry-distillation of an organic substance such as wood and the like or an organic liquid such as tar and the like. An organic compound such as tar and the like contained in the dry-distilled gas or organic liquid adheres to the surface of the porous ore. Next, the porous ore adhered with an organic compound is heated at 500° C. or higher, to generate an ore in which a part of an oxide of an element such as iron and the like contained is reduced by carbon in the organic compound.

Abstract: A method of producing magnesium-based hydrides is provided that can enhance production efficiency while securing safety. An Mg ingot including Mg is cut to make a number of Mg flakes. An accumulated matter made by accumulating a number of Mg flakes are compressed and shaped to form a compressed matter of Mg flakes. The compressed matter of Mg flakes is placed in hydrogen gas such that Mg reacts with hydrogen gas, to produce magnesium-based hydrides. Since the Mg flakes have a low risk of explosion, this allows safer production of magnesium-based hydrides. Moreover, compression of the Mg flakes causes distortion in the flakes, which makes it easy for Mg to react with hydrogen gas, allowing enhancement in yield of magnesium-based hydrides.

Abstract: There is provided an external-use composition that is incorporated with a hydrogen storing metal alloy keeping the hydrogen and generating the hydrogen, and that has the antioxidant effect, anti-inflammation effect and antiallergic effect. There is provided a skin external-use composition that is incorporated with a fine particle of hydrogen storing alloyed metal, such as magnesium hydride.

Abstract: A first heat treatment is carried out in which a material powder comprising magnesium is kept in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas and the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas are maintained in the temperature-pressure region in which single Mg and H2 coexist in a thermodynamically stable state, whereby the coating on the surface of the material powder is removed. Next, a second heat treatment is carried out in which the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas are changed and maintained in the temperature-pressure region in which MgH2 exists in a thermodynamically stable state. Hence, Mg from which the coating is removed reacts promptly with H2, and MgH2 is produced at high yield. Magnesium-based hydrides containing high purity MgH2 can thus be obtained by supplying energy less than that required for the related art that requires an activation treatment.

Abstract: A method of producing magnesium-based hydrides is provided that can enhance production efficiency while securing safety. An Mg ingot including Mg is cut to make a number of Mg flakes. An accumulated matter made by accumulating a number of Mg flakes are compressed and shaped to form a compressed matter of Mg flakes. The compressed matter of Mg flakes is placed in hydrogen gas such that Mg reacts with hydrogen gas, to produce magnesium-based hydrides. Since the Mg flakes have a low risk of explosion, this allows safer production of magnesium-based hydrides. Moreover, compression of the Mg flakes causes distortion in the flakes, which makes it easy for Mg to react with hydrogen gas, allowing enhancement in yield of magnesium-based hydrides.

Abstract: An ore containing crystal water (bond water) is heated to dehydrate the crystal water in the form of water vapor, thereby rendering the ore porous to generate a porous ore. Next, the porous ore is forced into contact with a dry-distilled gas (organic gas) obtained by dry-distillation of an organic substance such as wood and the like or an organic liquid such as tar and the like. An organic compound such as tar and the like contained in the dry-distilled gas or organic liquid adheres to the surface of the porous ore. Next, the porous ore adhered with an organic compound is heated at 500° C. or higher, to generate an ore in which a part of an oxide of an element such as iron and the like contained is reduced by carbon in the organic compound.

Abstract: A dynamic contour extracting means detects, using a dynamic contour extraction method generally known as SNAKE, a contour of a recognition object included on an image by the following steps: a curve with control points is disposed in an image; an internal energy Eint indicating smoothness of the curve, an image energy Eimage, and an external energy Eext are summed up; and the curve is modified so that the summed total energy becomes the minimum. Here, a template is stored for including disposition information of primary control points that are bound to be moved only in a vertical or horizontal direction based on a road shape. The dynamic contour extracting means moves the primary control points based on the template. The primary control points can be rapidly moved owing to their limited movement direction.

Abstract: A driver's gaze distribution is detected. Based on the detected distribution, an image corresponding to a driver's visual-field is extracted from images photographed by a front monitor camera and is accumulated. A first driver's gaze probability distribution necessary for steering operation is computed based on the accumulated images, and a second driver's gaze probability distribution that is expected is computed based on visual characteristics within the images. An ideal gaze probability distribution is obtained by adding up the first and the second probability distributions. Presence of a risk is determined when the difference between the driver's gaze and the ideal gaze probability distribution becomes a given threshold. A windshield display or a speaker outputs the determined result.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrogen production apparatus having a simple structure for efficiently producing hydrogen. The hydrogen production apparatus 10 comprises a reactor 12 for reacting silicon (which may be waste silicon) and an aqueous basic hydroxide solution, a hydrogen absorbing alloy 20 for storing hydrogen produced by the reaction, and a reservoir/filter 14 which retains a solid or liquid product generated in the reactor 12 and filters a solution or suspension containing the solid or liquid product so as to separate the product from water.

Abstract: A first heat treatment is carried out in which a material powder comprising magnesium is kept in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas and the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas are maintained in the temperature-pressure region in which single Mg and H2 coexist in a thermodynamically stable state, whereby the coating on the surface of the material powder is removed. Next, a second heat treatment is carried out in which the temperature and pressure in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas are changed and maintained in the temperature-pressure region in which MgH2 exists in a thermodynamically stable state. Hence, Mg from which the coating is removed reacts promptly with H2, and MgH2 is produced at high yield. Magnesium-based hydrides containing high purity MgH2 can thus be obtained by supplying energy less than that required for the related art that requires an activation treatment.

Abstract: A powder preparing device has a filtering device which processes CMP waste water and a vacuum dry-freezing device which dries a slurry which is concentrated to a high concentration by the filtering device. A membrane module in which at least one gel filtering film in which a gel layer is formed on a surface of a filtering membrane having a pore size of 0.25 ?m is provided is placed within the filtering device. A pump sucks waste water from within the gel filtering membrane of the membrane module. The high-concentration slurry obtained by the filtering device may be supplied for various uses without further processing, or a powder may be obtained by transporting the high-concentration slurry to the vacuum dry-freezing device using a transporting pump and applying a drying process.

Abstract: A driver's gaze distribution is detected. Based on the detected distribution, an image corresponding to a driver's visual-field is extracted from images photographed by a front monitor camera and is accumulated. A first driver's gaze probability distribution necessary for steering operation is computed based on the accumulated images, and a second driver's gaze probability distribution that is expected is computed based on visual characteristics within the images. An ideal gaze probability distribution is obtained by adding up the first and the second probability distributions. Presence of a risk is determined when the difference between the driver's gaze and the ideal gaze probability distribution becomes a given threshold. A windshield display or a speaker outputs the determined result.

Abstract: A map image processing method and apparatus produces a birds-eye view in real time from a two-dimensional map image. In this method and apparatus, a map image having a wider area than a display area displayed on the display device is drawn and stored. When a scroll display is instructed, a part of the two-dimensional map image is sequentially read, and a display processing operation is sequentially executed. A birds-eye view is obtained by processing the two-dimensional map image. A display processing operation is applied to the birds-eye view. Since the birds-eye view is formed by simply processing the two-dimensional map image, the birds-eye view image can be produced in high speeds and can be scrolled in a smooth display mode.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus draws an image, stores the drawn image in a memory, reads image data from the memory along a raster direction, and executes a processing operation required for a display with respect to the read image data to output the processed image data to a display device. A display processing unit executes a processing operation including a coordinate calculation with respect to the image data read out along the raster direction. As a result, the image can be formed at high speed even under transition state of displayed images.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrogen production apparatus having a simple structure for efficiently producing hydrogen. The hydrogen production apparatus 10 comprises a reactor 12 for reacting silicon (which may be waste silicon) and an aqueous basic hydroxide solution, a hydrogen absorbing alloy 20 for storing hydrogen produced by the reaction, and a reservoir/filter 14 which retains a solid or liquid product generated in the reactor 12 and filters a solution or suspension containing the solid or liquid product so as to separate the product from water.

Abstract: A dynamic contour extracting means detects, using a dynamic contour extraction method generally known as SNAKE, a contour of a recognition object included on an image by the following steps: a curve with control points is disposed in an image; an internal energy Eint indicating smoothness of the curve, an image energy Eimage, and an external energy Eext are summed up; and the curve is modified so that the summed total energy becomes the minimum. Here, a template is stored for including disposition information of primary control points that are bound to be moved only in a vertical or horizontal direction based on a road shape. The dynamic contour extracting means moves the primary control points based on the template. The primary control points can be rapidly moved owing to their limited movement direction.

Abstract: An image data compressing apparatus comprises a color selecting unit, a data separating unit and a data compressing unit. The selecting unit selects an arbitrary color contained in an original map image. The separating unit separates the original image data into a modified color data and a selected position data. The compressing unit compresses these data separately from each other to improve data compression efficiency. The modified color data may be data in which a color of a background portion is made equal to a color of a road, and the background color may be a color which is most popularly used.