Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus that extracts a body present in the surroundings of a vehicle as an object, based on an image captured by an infrared imaging device, including a binarized object extraction device that extracts a binarized object from image data obtained by binarizing a gray scale image of the image; a region setting device that sets a region including the binarized object on the gray scale image; a luminance status quantity calculation device that calculates a luminance status quantity of the region set by the region setting device; a luminance distribution determination device that determines whether or not a predetermined luminance distribution exists in the region based on the luminance status quantity calculated by the luminance status quantity calculation device; and an object type determination device that determines a type of the object based on a determination result of the luminance distribution determination device.

Abstract: A vehicle surroundings monitoring apparatus, includes: an infrared imaging device that captures an image; a binarized object extraction device that extracts a binarized object by binarizing the image; an extraction region setting device that sets, as an extraction region, a region adjacent to one of an upper end and a lower end of the binarized object extracted by the binarized object extraction device; a search region setting device that sets a search region around the extraction region; a similar object extraction device that, when an object having a shape similar to that of the object in the extraction region is present in the search region, extracts the object in the search region as a similar object; and an identical object determination device that determines whether or not the object in the extraction region and the similar object in the search region are identical.

Abstract: A positive-tone radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising: (A) a carbazole derivative shown by the following formula (1), (B) a photoacid generator containing a sulfonimide compound and an iodonium salt compound as essential components, and (C) an acid-dissociable group-containing resin which is insoluble or scarcely soluble in alkali, but becomes soluble in alkali when the acid-dissociable group dissociates is disclosed. wherein R1 and R2 are individually halogen atom, methyl, cyano, or nitro group, X is a C1-20 organic group, and h and i are 0-4. The resin composition is useful as a chemically amplified positive-tone resist excelling in focal depth allowance, sensitivity, resolution, pattern profile, and PED stability.

Abstract: A vehicle environment monitoring device identifies objects from an image taken by an infrared camera. Object extraction from images is performed in accordance with the state of the environment as determined by measurements extracted from the images as follows: N1 binarized objects are extracted from a single frame. Height of a grayscale objects corresponding to one of the binarized objects are calculated. If a ratio of the number of binarized objects C, where the absolute value of the height difference is less than the predetermined value ?H, to the total number N1 of binarized objects, is greater than a predetermined value X1, the image frame is determined to be rainfall-affected. If the ratio is less than the predetermined value X1, the image frame is determined to be a normal frame. A warning is provided if it is determined that the object is a pedestrian and if a collision is likely.

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 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: This invention provides a polymer polyol composition (I) comprising a polyol (A) and polymer particles (B) dispersed in (A), the polymer particles (B) being formed by polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated compound (b) in a polyol, wherein the content of (B) in (I) is from 35 to 75 mass %, based on the mass of (I), and the amount of soluble polymers (P) dissolved in (A) is not more than 5 mass %, based on the mass of (A), and provides methods for producing the polymer polyol composition (I). Further, this invention provides a method for producing a foamed or non-foamed polyurethane resin, which method comprises reacting a polyol component with a polyisocyanate component in the presence or absence of a blowing agent, wherein the above polymer polyol composition is used at least as a portion of the polyol component.

Abstract: A head-up display on a vehicle, which calls the attention of the driver or passenger to a dangerous object and makes the driver or passenger reliably recognize a communicated alarm, comprises: an image display device for displaying an image taken by a camera; a detecting device for detecting a target object; a switching device for manually switching between a display state and a warm-up state; and a warning device for outputting a control signal based on the detected result, thereby making the image display device display the image. The brightness for displaying the image according to the control signal is higher than the brightness for displaying the image according to a manual operation of the switching device.

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: 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.

Abstract: This invention provides a polymer polyol composition (I) comprising a polyol (A) and polymer particles (B) dispersed in (A), the polymer particles (B) being formed by polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated compound (b) in a polyol, wherein the content of (B) in (I) is from 35 to 75 mass %, based on the mass of (I), and the amount of soluble polymers (P) dissolved in (A) is not more than 5 mass %, based on the mass of (A), and provides methods for producing the polymer polyol composition (I). Further, this invention provides a method for producing a foamed or non-foamed polyurethane resin, which method comprises reacting a polyol component with a polyisocyanate component in the presence or absence of a blowing agent, wherein the above polymer polyol composition is used at least as a portion of the polyol component.

Abstract: This invention provides a polymer polyol composition (I) comprising a polyol (A) and polymer particles (B) dispersed in (A), the polymer particles (B) being formed by polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated compound (b) in a polyol, wherein the content of (B) in (I) is from 35 to 75 mass %, based on the mass of (I), and the amount of soluble polymers (P) dissolved in (A) is not more than 5 mass %, based on the mass of (A), and provides methods for producing the polymer polyol composition (I). Further, this invention provides a method for producing a foamed or non-foamed polyurethane resin, which method comprises reacting a polyol component with a polyisocyanate component in the presence or absence of a blowing agent, wherein the above polymer polyol composition is used at least as a portion of the polyol component.

Abstract: The present invention provides an infrared image-processing apparatus capable of binarization processing in response to the change of the brightness histogram. The image-processing unit of the image-processing apparatus executes a binarization processing for an infrared image using a threshold brightness value determined in the previous processing, and calculates the 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 Min_TH, the threshold brightness value ITH is reduced by subtracting a predetermined ratio. Similarly, when the binarization area ratio P is above a predetermined value &bgr; (%), and the threshold brightness value does not agree with 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 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. The device includes a binary object extraction unit which subjects a gray scale image of the image captured by the infrared camera member to a binary thresholding method, and extracts a binary object from the gray scale image; a gray scale object extraction unit which extracts a gray scale object, a range of the gray scale object including the binary object, from the gray scale image based on change in luminance of the gray scale image, and a pedestrian determination unit which sets a search area in an area including the gray scale object, and recognizes a pedestrian in the gray scale image based on a luminance dispersion in the search area.

Abstract: An image processing unit determines the size of a circumscribed quadrangle of the target object, and predicts the overlap of the two different objects. Next, the target object is divided into two divided regions L_b and R_b containing the left and right edges of the target object respectively, and by performing a correlation calculation between the left image and the right image captured by the stereo camera for each of the divided regions, the parallaxes of the respective divided regions L_b and R_b can be determined. Then, if the absolute value of the difference between the parallaxes of the respective divided regions L_b and R_b is greater than a predetermined value, a determination is made that different objects are overlapping within the target object, and the target object is divided for recognition, and the distance to the respective objects is calculated independently.

Abstract: The invention provides a vehicle information providing apparatus that determines and displays the range of presence of a person based on the characteristics of images recorded by infrared cameras. The image processing unit carries out brightness change search processing in the infrared camera image zone represented by a gray scale using a search area wherein the size of a first detected area detected by binarization and correlation operation serves as the reference. In addition, the parallax between the first detected area and the searched area having a change in brightness is compared, a search area having a parallax that differs from that of the first searched area is eliminated, and the search area having a parallax identical to that of the first detected area is provided a highlighted display as an object identical to that of the fires detected area.

Abstract: A position detecting device for a vehicle detects the position of an object in a real space coordinate system. A plurality of objects are extracted from an image obtained by cameras, and a pitching-dependent correction amount is calculated based on amounts of displacement in position of the plurality of objects in a direction of height. Positions of the plurality of objects are corrected based on the pitching-dependent correction amount.

Abstract: The present invention provides a vehicle zone monitoring apparatus that eliminates artificial structures based on shape identification using a reference image from an infrared image photographed by a photographing device provided in the vehicle, and detects remaining objects as physical bodies that move, such as pedestrians and animals. The vehicle zone monitoring apparatus that detects the physical bodies present in the vicinity of the vehicle from infrared images photographed by infrared cameras 2R and 2L provided on the vehicle comprises an object extracting device that extracts object images that emit infrared radiation from the infrared image and an artificial structure identifying device that identifies whether or not an object is an artificial structure by comparing the object image extracted by the object image extracting device to a reference image that comprises a straight line pattern or a right angle pattern.