Abstract: A structure for attaching a stereoscopic camera to a vehicle, by which a plurality of cameras are attached to a body frame of the vehicle in order to stereoscopically capture images surrounding the vehicle; and the same structure includes a lateral stay for coupling the plurality of cameras with each other; and brackets for fixing the lateral stay or the plurality of cameras on the body frame, which are provided at a plurality of points, spaced from each other, of the lateral stay, or at the plurality of cameras fixed on the lateral stay; wherein the rigidity of at least a part of the brackets is lower than the bending rigidity of the lateral stay.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical system that is capable of providing a zoom lens having improved image-formation capability with a reduced number of lenses, and fabricating a slim yet high-performance digital or video camera. The optical system comprises a cemented lens having a cementing surface on its optical axis. Air contact surfaces on the light ray entrance and exit sides of the cemented lens G2 are aspheric, and at least one cementing surface in the cemented lens G2 satisfies condition (1). 6.4<|(r/R)|??(1) Here r is the axial radius of curvature of the cementing surface, and R is the maximum diameter of the cementing surface.

Abstract: The invention provides a zoom lens that comprises a reduced number of lens elements, is compact and simplified, and has high image-formation capability, thereby achieving thorough size reductions in video cameras or digital cameras, and an electronic imaging system using the same. The zoom lens comprises, in order from its object side, a lens group A (G1) having negative refracting power and a lens group B (G2) having positive refracting power. For zooming, the lens groups A and B are designed to move. The lens group B is composed of three meniscus lenses, each convex on its object side.

Abstract: In a multi-link rear suspension (A) in which a wheel support (11) is connected to a vehicle body through five links (6-10) and vehicle body side ends of the links are provided with rubber bushes (26), respectively, the lower end of a damping device (14) formed by coaxially arranging a coil spring (12) and a damper (13) is pivoted to a portion of the wheel support (11) located toward the inside of the vehicle body so that the vertical reaction force of the damping device (14) produces a moment Mn toward negative camber on a rear wheel (2). The moment Mn is set to be always larger than a moment Mp toward positive camber produced by a side force on the outside rear wheel (2) during vehicle cornering until limit maneuvering conditions of the outside rear wheel due to the side force are reached. The damping device (14) is disposed with respect to a suppositive king pin axle K so that the vertical reaction force thereof produces a moment toward toe-in on the rear wheel (2).

Abstract: A process for preparing optically active nitro compounds and cyano compounds represented by the chemical formula (C) using a metal complex, which is obtained by reaction of an optically active nitrogen-containing compound and a periodic table group VIII metal complex, in the asymmetric Michael reaction of a compound represented by the chemical formula (A) and a compound represented by the chemical formula (B) according to the claim 1.

Abstract: The invention relates to a zoom optical system wherein various aberrations are corrected while the total thickness of a lens arrangement upon received at a collapsible lens mount is reduced thereby ensuring compactness, high image-formation capabilities, and high zoom ratios at the wide-angle end, and an imaging system that incorporates the same. The zoom optical system comprises a first lens group G1 of negative refracting power and a second lens group G2 of positive refracting power. The first lens group G1 comprises a negative single lens comprising at least one aspheric surface and a positive single lens with an air separation interposed between the negative single lens and the positive single lens. The second lens group G2 comprises a positive lens, a cemented lens consisting of a positive lens and a negative lens and a positive lens, and comprises at least one aspheric surface. Zooming is carried out by varying a spacing between the respective lens groups.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to enhance the performance of an image pickup system comprising a zoom lens by developing an unheard-of design of the configuration of lens surfaces used in the zoom lens, thereby achieving wide-angle arrangements and reductions in the number of lens components used in such a way as to be compatible with various zoom lenses. A zoom lens used on the image pickup system comprises a plurality of lens groups G1 to G4 including a first lens group G1 having negative power and a second lens group G2 having positive power. For zooming, the spaces between the respective lens groups are designed to be variable. The zoom lens further comprises an aperture stop S, and at least one lens group having negative power comprises a negative lens component that is concave on its side facing the aperture stop. The aspheric surface is configured to have refracting power that decreases with an increasing distance from the axial axis of the zoom lens.

Abstract: The invention provides a zoom lens system which has a zoom ratio of about 3, a wide field angle on the wide-angle end and a small F-number and enables satisfactory image-formation capability to be obtained. The zoom lens system comprises a first lens group G1 having negative power, an aperture stop, a second lens group G2 having positive power and a third lens group G3 having positive power. For zooming, the first and second lens groups G1 and G2 move on the optical axis with a varying spacing between adjacent lens groups while the third lens group G3 remains fixed. During zooming, the stop moves in unison with the second lens group. The first lens group consists of a negative, a negative and a positive lens and the third lens group consists of one lens. The first lens group further comprises a lens having an aspherical surface satisfying condition (1), and the third lens group further comprises a lens having an aspherical surface satisfying condition (2).

Abstract: A zoom optical system suited for use in an electronic image pickup apparatus comprising a first negative lens unit, a second positive lens unit and a third positive lens unit, in which a magnification is changed from a wide position to a tele position by moving at least the first lens unit and the second lens unit so as to change an airspace between the first lens unit and the second lens unit and widen an airspace between the second lens unit and the third lens unit, the second lens unit comprises a biconvex lens element and a cemented meniscus lens component having a convex surface on the object side, and each lens unit has a small thickness.

Abstract: A device for monitoring around a vehicle capable of detecting objects present around the vehicle based on an image captured by at least one infrared camera member provided with the vehicle. An area which is inferred to correspond to the pedestrian's head is established as a reference area. Two object areas are established above the reference area so as to correspond to spaces above the shoulders in both sides of the pedestrian's head. An area which corresponds to the head and the shoulders in an infra-red ray image is acknowledged. Other object area which is inferred to correspond to the shoulders and arms of the pedestrian is established. If a distance from an entire pedestrian and a distance from an area which corresponds to the shoulders and arms are equal, it is acknowledged that a binary object including the area which corresponds to the shoulders and arms indicates a pedestrian.

Abstract: A highly efficient process is provided for producing an optically active compound having high optical purity by an asymmetric reaction using as a catalyst a transition metal complex having an optically active nitrogen-containing compound as an asymmetric ligand.

Abstract: A vehicle environment monitoring system for an automotive vehicle, is capable of accurately detecting the movement of an object existing in an external environment of the vehicle, and determining the probability of collision between the object and the vehicle, thereby appropriately warning the driver. A running speed of the vehicle is detected, and a distance between the object and the vehicle is calculated, based on the image obtained by the imaging device. A relative speed between the object and the vehicle is calculated according to the calculated distance. It is determined whether or not there is a significant probability that the vehicle may collide with the object, based on the running speed of the vehicle and the distance therebetween on condition that the relative speed is in the vicinity of the running speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention provides a zoom lens system which has a zoom ratio of about 3, a wide field angle on the wide-angle end and a small F-number and enables satisfactory image-formation capability to be obtained. The zoom lens system comprises a first lens group G1 having negative power, an aperture stop, a second lens group G2 having positive power and a third lens group G3 having positive power. For zooming, the first and second lens groups G1 and G2 move on the optical axis with a varying spacing between adjacent lens groups while the third lens group G3 remains fixed. During zooming, the stop moves in unison with the second lens group. The first lens group consists of a negative, a negative and a positive lens and the third lens group consists of one lens. The first lens group further comprises a lens having an aspherical surface satisfying condition (1), and the third lens group further comprises a lens having an aspherical surface satisfying condition (2).

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging system in which, while high image quality is maintained with the influence of diffraction minimized, the quantity of light is controlled, and which enables the length of the zoom lens to be cut down. The imaging system comprises a zoom lens comprising a plurality of lens groups G1 and G2 wherein the spacing between individual lens groups is varied to vary a focal length and an aperture stop located in an optical path for limiting at least an axial light beam diameter, and an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom lens. The aperture stop has a fixed shape, and a filter S2 for performing light quantity control by varying transmittance is located on an optical axis of a space located at a position different from that of a space in which the aperture stop is located.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing infrared cameras includes: a front plate which has holes arranged in line, and which is adapted to emit an amount of infrared light; and a back plate which is disposed in parallel to and behind the front plate as viewed from infrared cameras to be tested, and which is adapted to emit a different amount of infrared light when compared with the front plate. The back plate is disposed at lower portions of pillars. On the other hand, the front plate is made vertically movable in front of the back plate and along the pillars. By being controlled by a controller, the front plate is movable from the ground height to a level corresponding to approximately two times the height of the back plate.

Abstract: An image analysis device installed on a vehicle for detecting objects that are likely to affect the vehicle. An image processing unit included in the image analysis device sets a seeking area in a left-hand image of the field, and calculates a moving increment for seeking “Step” using a variable “n”. A correlation calculation process is sequentially executed in the seeking area set in the left-hand image of the field while moving a reference image stepwise at the moving increment “Step” so as to obtain a correlation area that gives the highest degree of correlation, and then a new seeking area is set, which consists of the correlation area and horizontally arranged two areas that sandwich the correlation area, and the moving increment “Step” is decreased in order to reduce the amount of calculation.

Abstract: An infrared image-processing apparatus capable of binarization processing in response to the change of the brightness histogram includes an image-processing unit which executes a binarization processing for an infrared image using a threshold brightness value determined in a previous processing, and calculates an area ratio P. When the binarization area ratio P is below a prescribed value &agr; (%), and if the threshold brightness value is not the minimum threshold brightness value Mm_TH, the threshold brightness value ITH is reduced by subtracting a predetermined ratio. Similarly, when the binarization area ratio P is above predetermined value &bgr; (%), and the threshold brightness value is not the maximum threshold brightness value Max_TH, the threshold brightness value is increased by incrementing a prescribed value to the threshold brightness value ITH.

Abstract: A process for producing an optically active amino alcohol is provided that includes a step in which a nitro ketone or a cyano ketone is reacted with a hydrogen-donating organic or inorganic compound in the presence of a transition metal compound catalyst having an optically active nitrogen-containing compound as an asymmetric ligand to give an optically active nitro alcohol or an optically active cyano alcohol, and a step in which the above optically active alcohol is further reduced to efficiently produce an optically active amino alcohol.

Abstract: In a multi-link rear suspension (A) in which a wheel support (11) is connected to a vehicle body through five links (6-10) and vehicle body side ends of the links are provided with rubber bushes (26), respectively, the lower end of a damping device (14) formed by coaxially arranging a coil spring (12) and a damper (13) is pivoted to a portion of the wheel support (11) located toward the inside of the vehicle body so that the vertical reaction force of the damping device (14) produces a moment Mn toward negative camber on a rear wheel (2). The moment Mn is set to be always larger than a moment Mp toward positive camber produced by a side force on the outside rear wheel (2) during vehicle cornering until limit maneuvering conditions of the outside rear wheel due to the side force are reached. The damping device (14) is disposed with respect to a suppositive king pin axle K so that the vertical reaction force thereof produces a moment toward toe-in on the rear wheel (2).

Abstract: An image recognition system recognizes correspondence between object images contained respectively in two images obtained by two infrared ray cameras. One of the two images is set to a reference image and another of the two images to a comparison image. A correlation parameter indicative of a correlation between a reference pattern contained in the reference image and containing an object image and each pattern contained in the comparison image and identical in shape to the reference pattern is calculated by using a luminance value indicative of a luminance of the reference pattern and a luminance value indicative of a luminance of the each pattern contained in the comparison image. Based on the calculated correlation parameter, a pattern having a highest correlation with the reference pattern is extracted from the comparison image as a corresponding pattern which corresponds to the reference pattern.