Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detector, an estimator and a determiner. The detector detects a candidate region of a captured image captured by a camera, the candidate region serving as a candidate for a water drop region affected by a water drop on the lens of the camera, based on an edge strength of each pixel in the captured image. The estimator estimates, based on the candidate region, a circle that includes the candidate region. The determiner determines whether or not the candidate region is part of the water drop region based on the edge strength of some of the pixels in the circle.

Abstract: An attachable matter detection apparatus according to an embodiment includes an acquirement unit, a creation unit, and a determination unit. The acquirement unit acquires a determination target area of an attachable matter from a photographic image. The creation unit creates histograms of at least an edge intensity, luminance, and saturation for the determination target area acquired by the acquirement unit. The determination unit determines whether or not the attachable matter exists in the determination target area on the basis of a ratio of frequency of each grade in each of the histograms created by the creation unit.

Abstract: A water-droplet detecting apparatus according to an embodiment includes a setting unit, a first extraction unit, a second extraction unit, and a determination unit. The setting unit sets concentric circles having a center at arbitrary one point of a captured image of an image capturing unit. The first extraction unit extracts candidate pixels based on gradients of pixels on a circumference of each of the concentric circles. The candidate pixels are candidates for pixels that are estimated to indicate a water droplet adhered to the image capturing unit. The second extraction unit extracts one or more candidate circles based on the candidate pixels extracted by the first extraction unit. The one or more candidate circles are candidates for circles that indicate a shape of the water droplet. The determination unit determines whether or not the water droplet is adhered based on an extraction result of the second extraction unit.

Abstract: There is provided a foreign substance removal control device including: an image recognizer having a processor and that detects foreign substance stuck on a lens of a camera based on an image captured by the camera; an injector that injects air or liquid to the lens of the camera; an output portion that outputs information to a user; and a controller that controls a foreign substance removal process for removing the foreign substance from the lens of the camera by causing the injector to inject the air or the liquid if the image recognizer detects the foreign substance stuck on the lens of the camera, in which the controller causes the output portion to output information which indicates that the foreign substance is stuck on the lens of the camera if the image recognizer detects the foreign substance stuck on the lens of the camera after the foreign substance removal process has been performed.

Abstract: An attachable matter detection apparatus according to an embodiment includes an acquirement unit, a creation unit, and a determination unit. The acquirement unit acquires a determination target area of an attachable matter from a photographic image. The creation unit creates histograms of at least an edge intensity, luminance, and saturation for the determination target area acquired by the acquirement unit. The determination unit determines whether or not the attachable matter exists in the determination target area on the basis of a ratio of frequency of each grade in each of the histograms created by the creation unit.

Abstract: A water-droplet detecting apparatus according to an embodiment includes a setting unit, a first extraction unit, a second extraction unit, and a determination unit. The setting unit sets concentric circles having a center at arbitrary one point of a captured image of an image capturing unit. The first extraction unit extracts candidate pixels based on gradients of pixels on a circumference of each of the concentric circles. The candidate pixels are candidates for pixels that are estimated to indicate a water droplet adhered to the image capturing unit. The second extraction unit extracts one or more candidate circles based on the candidate pixels extracted by the first extraction unit. The one or more candidate circles are candidates for circles that indicate a shape of the water droplet. The determination unit determines whether or not the water droplet is adhered based on an extraction result of the second extraction unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detector, an estimator and a determiner. The detector detects a candidate region of a captured image captured by a camera, the candidate region serving as a candidate for a water drop region affected by a water drop on the lens of the camera, based on an edge strength of each pixel in the captured image. The estimator estimates, based on the candidate region, a circle that includes the candidate region. The determiner determines whether or not the candidate region is part of the water drop region based on the edge strength of some of the pixels in the circle.

Abstract: Image processing apparatuses and methods of processing color image data that perform overdrive are provided. The apparatuses include a restoration block that restores R-, G-, and B-element values of respective pixels of previous one of successive frames based on Y-element values of the respective pixels of the previous one of the successive frames and the color image data of a current one of the successive frames. The apparatus further includes a correction block that compares the R-, G-, and B-element values of the respective pixels of the previous one of the successive frames that the restoration block restored and R-, G-, and B-element values of corresponding pixels of the current one of the successive frames and generates the corrected color image data.

Abstract: Image processing apparatuses and methods of processing color image data that perform overdrive are provided. The apparatuses include a restoration block that restores R-, G-, and B-element values of respective pixels of previous one of successive frames based on Y-element values of the respective pixels of the previous one of the successive frames and the color image data of a current one of the successive frames. The apparatus further includes a correction block that compares the R-, G-, and B-element values of the respective pixels of the previous one of the successive frames that the restoration block restored and R-, G-, and B-element values of corresponding pixels of the current one of the successive frames and generates the corrected color image data.

Abstract: A display control device includes: a differential circuit that detects a difference in luminance between a first image and a second image in units of pixels; a comparison circuit that detects whether or not the difference in luminance between the first image data and the second image data is equal to or greater than a first threshold value on the basis of the detected differential value in luminance; a controller that interpolates a pixel value, having a luminance smaller than an attention pixel of at least one of the first image and the second image, in said at least one of the first image and the second image, when a difference in luminance between an attention pixel of the first image and an attention pixel of the second image is equal to or greater than a first threshold value; and a liquid crystal panel driving unit 74 that displays the first image and the second image on a common display portion such that the first image and the second image are respectively visible from different viewing directions.

Abstract: A display control apparatus controls a multi-view display apparatus that displays separate pictures for a plurality of viewing directions on a single screen. The display control apparatus includes a control unit that controls an output of the pictures based on a relationship between the pictures.

Abstract: The invention relates to isolated genes encoding polypeptides that interact with calreticulin (CRT), plants and plant cells transformed with the CRT genes for resistance against cold stress, and methods of producing the transformed plants and cells.

Abstract: A communication device, particularly, a car-mounted information device, which makes it possible to obtain information of a transmitting source and of a receiving end linked to a navigation function relying upon end-to-end communication by using electronic mail among vehicles. The car-mounted information device comprises a cellular phone terminal connected to an external unit, a car navigation function, a modem function for transmitting and receiving data end to end between the vehicles via the cellular phone terminals, a mail transmitting/receiving function for transmitting and receiving the data using electronic mail, and a car navigation-linking function for processing the information of the electronic mail transmitted and received by linking the information to the car navigation function.

Abstract: A display system able to display a television screen and a navigation screen, giving due consideration to safe vehicle operation, provided with a screen switching unit for displaying a television screen instead of a navigation screen at least at part of a display screen during display of the navigation screen, a switching instructing unit for instructing switching to the screen switching unit when detecting that a predetermined event has occurred, or a screen area setting unit for setting a specific area in the screen for display by switching by the screen switching unit instead of the switching instructing unit.

Abstract: A display system able to display a television screen and a navigation screen, giving due consideration to safe vehicle operation, provided with a screen switching unit for displaying a television screen instead of a navigation screen at least at part of a display screen during display of the navigation screen, a switching instructing unit for instructing switching to the screen switching unit when detecting that a predetermined event has occurred, or a screen area setting unit for setting a specific area in the screen for display by switching by the screen switching unit instead of the switching instructing unit.

Abstract: An RW offset setting method which includes recording a test pattern by a write head, reading the test pattern by a read head, measuring an amplitude of a read back signal at each tracking position, finding an approximate expression of a profile of the measured amplitude, finding a tracking position, and finding a RW offset based on this tracking position, setting a RW offset for all tracks in the disk device based on the RW offsets about the plurality of tracks to be measured. A read data error recovery method that includes the steps of determining an off-track direction where the amplitude increases, searching an off-track position where the amplitude becomes a local maximum, measuring the amplitude at each off-track position reading data recorded in the data sector.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to isolate and identify a gene encoding the polypeptide that interacts with calreticulin (CRT), and to provide the gene and the use thereof. Specifically, an objective of the present invention is to provide the CRTintP gene, the transformed plants comprising the CRTintP gene, and a method of producing these transformed plants. The present inventors successfully detected a group of CRT-interacting genes using the yeast two-hybrid method. As a result, the present inventors detected the polynucleotide encoding the CRT-interacting polypeptide (named as CRTintP). Furthermore, the present inventors isolated the full-length cDNA encoding the CRTintP and revealed that the gene encoding the cDNA was novel. It was found that the expression of the CRT and CRTintP genes was significantly increased following application of cold stress in rice leaves.

Abstract: A communication device, particularly, a car-mounted information device, which makes it possible to obtain information of a transmitting source and of a receiving end linked to a navigation function relying upon end-to-end communication by using electronic mail among vehicles. The car-mounted information device comprises a cellular phone terminal connected to an external unit, a car navigation function, a modem function for transmitting and receiving data end to end between the vehicles via the cellular phone terminals, a mail transmitting/receiving function for transmitting and receiving the data using electronic mail, and a car navigation-linking function for processing the information of the electronic mail transmitted and received by linking the information to the car navigation function.

Abstract: An RW offset setting method which includes recording a test pattern by a write head, reading the test pattern by a read head, measuring an amplitude of a read back signal at each tracking position, finding an approximate expression of a profile of the measured amplitude, finding a tracking position, and finding a RW offset based on this tracking position, setting a RW offset for all tracks in the disk device based on the RW offsets about the plurality of tracks to be measured. A read data error recovery method that includes the steps of determining an off-track direction where the amplitude increases, searching an off-track position where the amplitude becomes a local maximum, measuring the amplitude at each off-track position reading data recorded in the data sector.

Abstract: A test pattern generation circuit is stored in a semiconductor memory, a writing operation is carried out with an address sequence pattern and a test data pattern generated with a clock signal obtained from an external part during a test mode, the test data pattern and the read-out data are compared from each other during a reading-out operation, a pass or non-pass discrimination signal in the memory is attained in response to whether both of them are coincided with each other or not, the pass or non-pass discrimination signal is outputted to an external terminal, the number of test signal driving signals is reduced and the number of parallel test chips is increased so as to reduce a test cost. In addition, the memory has a power supply shut-off control circuit and a stable test is carried out by shutting-off the power supply in the case that the power supply shows a short-circuited state.