Abstract: An apparatus and a method for taking a panoramic photograph are provided. While a lens of the apparatus is rotated, an angular velocity sensor such as a gyroscope outputs an angular velocity and calculates therefrom a rotation angle of the lens. Accordingly, a user can capture sequential image segments for the panoramic photograph at suitable rotation angles. Since unintended rotations due to a user's hand trembling as well as user's intended rotations can be detected, it may be easy to align overlapped portions of adjacent images and thereby to obtain suitable images for panoramic photograph combination. Also, a user can be informed of a capturable section and a rotating direction by using the calculated angular velocity, so the apparatus may promote a user's convenience and without the need for a burdensome tripod.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for recognizing a specific subject from a still image or a moving image at a high speed. An object of the apparatus and the method is to reduce the amount of information required for image recognition. One feature vector value is extracted by using one feature template for dividing an image into a plurality of areas, and learning and image recognition is performed with respect to a subject to be recognized in the image using the extracted feature vector value.

Abstract: A step detecting apparatus and method in a personal navigator where acceleration signals in at least two directions are acquired from an accelerometer sensor, as a pedestrian moves. Variances of the acceleration signals are calculated and summed. The variance sum is compared with a threshold. If the variance sum is greater than the threshold, it is determined that a detected step is a walking step. If the variance sum is less than the threshold, it is determined that the detected step is a mark-time step.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a location of a movement distance measuring apparatus are provided. The apparatus and method determine whether the movement distance measuring apparatus is mounted at the waist of a pedestrian or is located in a pocket and uses a different step length estimation algorithm, e.g. a different step length estimation parameter coefficient, corresponding to the determined mounting position. The determination of whether the movement distance measuring apparatus is mounted to the waist of a pedestrian or is located in a pocket is performed on the basis of a gyro sensor.

Abstract: A device and method for estimating an adaptive pace depending on a user with a different pace. An adaptive pace estimation device includes a GPS receiver for receiving position information from a GPS satellite; an acceleration sensor for measuring vibrations due to walking to output an acceleration value; a memory for storing an instruction data set with a walking pattern representative value updated in accordance with an instruction corresponding to at least one walking pattern group; and an instruction data generator for calculating a mean value of input walking pattern data and updating a value approximate to the mean value of the input walking pattern data and the walking pattern representative value as a walking pattern representative value.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for estimating a step length of a user are provided. The apparatus and method use a step length estimation algorithm, e.g. a step length estimation parameter coefficient, according to a movement state of a user, i.e. whether the movement state is a walking state or a running state. The movement state of the user is determined on the basis of an acceleration variance value of an acceleration signal output from an accelerometer. Accordingly, the apparatus and method prevent errors in step length determinations.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a location of a movement distance measuring apparatus are provided. The apparatus and method determine whether the movement distance measuring apparatus is mounted at the waist of a pedestrian or is located in a pocket and uses a different step length estimation algorithm, e.g. a different step length estimation parameter coefficient, corresponding to the determined mounting position. The determination of whether the movement distance measuring apparatus is mounted to the waist of a pedestrian or is located in a pocket is performed on the basis of a gyro sensor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a method and apparatus for preventing separation of accompanying persons by using a first apparatus and a second apparatus connected through a short-range wireless communication network. The method includes: calculating self-locations of the first and second apparatuses; exchanging the self-locations with each other; calculating a distance between the first and second apparatuses using the self-locations; outputting, if the distance between the first and second apparatuses exceeds a pre-set distance, an alarm for warning a separation state and designating current locations of the first and second apparatuses as absolute locations; detecting self-travel routes from the absolute locations of the first and second apparatuses; exchanging the detected self-travel routes with each other; and displaying the travel routes of counterparts.

Abstract: A device and method for estimating an adaptive pace depending on a user with a different pace. An adaptive pace estimation device includes a GPS receiver for receiving position information from a GPS satellite; an acceleration sensor for measuring vibrations due to walking to output an acceleration value; a memory for storing an instruction data set with a walking pattern representative value updated in accordance with an instruction corresponding to at least one walking pattern group; and an instruction data generator for calculating a mean value of input walking pattern data and updating a value approximate to the mean value of the input walking pattern data and the walking pattern representative value as a walking pattern representative value.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for step detection in a personal navigation system is disclosed. In the apparatus acceleration signals are obtained from an acceleration sensor in a movement direction and a gravity direction relative to a user. Sliding window summing data for the acceleration signals output from the acceleration sensor in the movement direction and the gravity direction are calculated so as to obtain a sum of the sliding window summing data. Then, a zero crossing point is detected based on differential sliding window summing data. A difference of a detection time between a present zero crossing point and a previous zero crossing point is compared with a threshold value, thereby detecting steps of the user based on the distinct signal pattern for walk. The step detection apparatus distinguishes zero crossing detection caused by chattering (e.g.

Abstract: A step detecting apparatus and method in a personal navigator where acceleration signals in at least two directions are acquired from an accelerometer sensor, as a pedestrian moves. Variances of the acceleration signals are calculated and summed. The variance sum is compared with a threshold. If the variance sum is greater than the threshold, it is determined that a detected step is a walking step. If the variance sum is less than the threshold, it is determined that the detected step is a mark-time step.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for normalizing an image of a driver's face in a predetermined size on the center of a monitor by automatically controlling a lens when the image of the driver's face is detected. The apparatus includes a lens for photographing a driver's face, a first motor for moving the lens in a forward or rearward direction in order to adjust a zoom parameter, a second motor for moving the lens in a horizontal or vertical direction in order to adjust a pan parameter or a tilt parameter, and a controller for extracting an initial face area from a photographed image and controlling operations of the first motor and the second motor according to the extracted initial face area.

Abstract: Provided is a vehicle detection/tracking device that allows vehicle detection and then tracking using a camera focusing around a camera-mounted vehicle. To this end, an optical flow is acquired from video data input through a camera mounted in a vehicle during driving of the vehicle. A background optical flow, an optical flow generated by driving the vehicle, is acquired. The acquired optical flow and the acquired background optical flow are compared, and a vehicle candidate area is detected through an optical flow for an object around the vehicle. In particular, template matching is performed on the vehicle candidate area for vehicle detection and a detected vehicle can be tracked by continuously comparing the detected optical flow and the background optical flow.

Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for recognizing a specific subject from a still image or a moving image at a high speed. An object of the apparatus and the method is to reduce the amount of information required for image recognition. One feature vector value is extracted by using one feature template for dividing an image into a plurality of areas, and learning and image recognition is performed with respect to a subject to be recognized in the image using the extracted feature vector value.

Abstract: A device for detecting a driver's eye image, which includes a camera for photographing a driver who is sitting in a car and outputting a photographed facial image of the driver, an eye template storing section for storing an eye template in the form of a standard human eye, and a control section for detecting an eye image from the driver's facial image inputted from the camera using the stored eye template. The device can rapidly obtain a driver's eye image for a drowsy driver warning system.