Abstract: A displacement detecting apparatus includes: a detector which detects displacement, which is spatial displacement over time, of each of a plurality of measurement points which have been set on an object, using a plurality of images of the object captured at a plurality of time points; an extractor which extracts characteristic displacement specific to the object, based on the displacement detected by the detector; and a calculator which calculates overall displacement indicating displacement of the entirety of the object, from the characteristic displacement extracted by the extractor.

Abstract: A super-resolution processing method for increasing a resolution of a captured image includes: irradiating a subject with a patterned light beam having a spatiotemporal resolution higher than a spatiotemporal resolution of the captured image, the spatiotemporal resolution being at least one of spatial resolution and temporal resolution; generating the captured image by capturing an image of the subject irradiated with the patterned light beam; and generating a high-resolution image having a spatiotemporal resolution higher than the spatiotemporal resolution of the captured image, using the captured image.

Abstract: Image processing device includes a correction unit and a determination unit. The correction unit performs correction for suppressing image fluctuations on each of a plurality of input images using a correction parameter and outputs results of the correction as a plurality of corrected images. The determination unit (i) calculates a first distribution and a second distribution. The first distribution represents a frequency distribution of edge angles in a given input image of the plurality of input images. The second distribution represents a frequency distribution of edge angles in a given corrected image that is the given input image corrected by the correction unit and is output. The determination unit (ii) performs a first determination that determines presence or absence of fluctuations in the given input image using the first and the second distributions calculated, and (iii) performs updating of the correction parameter using results of the first determination.

Abstract: The illumination apparatus according to the present disclosure emits illumination light to an object which is to be captured by an imaging apparatus that captures an imaging area for every predetermined capturing unit. The illumination apparatus includes a controller that acquires imaging information including a scanning timing from the imaging apparatus to calculate an imaging range of the imaging apparatus at each the scanning timing, determines an illumination range at each the scanning timing using a distance to the imaging apparatus from the object present within the imaging range and a positional relation between the imaging apparatus and the illumination apparatus, and controls emission of the illumination light to the determined illumination range in synchronization with the scanning timing.

Abstract: An image processing method which includes obtaining a normal image captured with all polarization components of light from an object, and a polarization image captured with specific polarization components out of all the polarization components of the light. The method further includes generating a difference image between the normal image and the polarization image; calculating, using pixel values of the difference image, a coefficient to be multiplied by at least one of a pixel value of the normal image and a pixel value of the polarization image; and synthesizing the normal image and the polarization image using a pixel value obtained by multiplying the coefficient by the at least one of the pixel value of the normal image and the pixel value of the polarization image to generate a synthesized image.

Abstract: The position estimation device that estimates a position of a moving object on a road surface includes an illuminator, an imager, and a controller. The illuminator illuminates the road surface. The imager has an optical axis non-parallel to an optical axis of the illuminator, and images the illuminated road surface. The controller acquires road surface information including a position and a corresponding feature of a road surface to the position. The controller determines a matching region from a road surface image captured by the imager, extracts a feature of the road surface from the road surface image in the matching region, and estimates the position of the moving object by performing matching processing between the extracted feature of the road surface and the road surface information. Furthermore, the controller determines validity of the matching region, and performs the matching processing when determining the matching region is valid.

Abstract: A zoom magnification calculation device associates a plurality of delay times with a plurality of zoom magnifications. The zoom magnification calculation device inputs, from the image-capturing device, i) an instruction for capturing the image of the object with one of the plurality of zoom magnifications, ii) a first relative distance from the object to the transportation vehicle at a time, iii) a moving speed of the transportation vehicle. The zoom magnification calculation device calculates, based on the inputting of the instruction using i) one of the plurality of the delay times associated with the one of the plurality of the zoom magnifications, ii) the first relative distance, and iii) the moving speed, a second relative distance in which the transportation vehicle becomes closer to the object than the first relative distance, and calculates an adjusted zoom magnification corresponding to the second relative distance.

Abstract: A zoom magnification calculation device associates a plurality of delay times with a plurality of zoom magnifications. The zoom magnification calculation device inputs, from the image-capturing device, i) an instruction for capturing the image of the object with one of the plurality of zoom magnifications, ii) a first relative distance from the object to the transportation vehicle at a time, iii) a moving speed of the transportation vehicle. The zoom magnification calculation device calculates, based on the inputting of the instruction using i) one of the plurality of the delay times associated with the one of the plurality of the zoom magnifications, ii) the first relative distance, and iii) the moving speed, a second relative distance in which the transportation vehicle becomes closer to the object than the first relative distance, and calculates an adjusted zoom magnification corresponding to the second relative distance.

Abstract: The image processing method includes: obtaining a normal image captured with all polarization components of light from an object, and a polarization image captured with specific polarization components out of all the polarization components of the light; generating a difference image between the normal image and the polarization image; calculating, using pixel values of the difference image, a coefficient to be multiplied by at least one of a pixel value of the normal image and a pixel value of the polarization image; and synthesizing the normal image and the polarization image using a pixel value obtained by multiplying the coefficient by the at least one of the pixel value of the normal image and the pixel value of the polarization image to generate a synthesized image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: a separation unit configured to separate image data into a luminance signal and a color difference signal; a decision unit configured to decide a reference pixel, which is referenced for a pixel of interest included in the image data; a luminance noise reduction unit configured to reduce luminance noise in the luminance signal of the image data; a weight calculation unit configured to calculate a weight of the reference pixel based on similarity of luminance included in the luminance signal having been subjected to noise reduction by the luminance noise reduction unit between a first area containing the pixel of interest and a second area containing the reference pixel; and a color noise reduction unit configured to reduce color noise in the color difference signal for the pixel of interest by using the weight of the reference pixel.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises: a separation unit configured to separate image data into a luminance signal and a color difference signal; a decision unit configured to decide a reference pixel, which is referenced for a pixel of interest included in the image data; a luminance noise reduction unit configured to reduce luminance noise in the luminance signal of the image data; a weight calculation unit configured to calculate a weight of the reference pixel based on similarity of luminance included in the luminance signal having been subjected to noise reduction by the luminance noise reduction unit between a first area containing the pixel of interest and a second area containing the reference pixel; and a color noise reduction unit configured to reduce color noise in the color difference signal for the pixel of interest by using the weight of the reference pixel.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a solid-state image sensor comprises: pixels arranged in columns and rows; read signal lines each connected to pixels arranged in a row direction; and output signal lines each connected to pixels arranged in a column direction. The read signal lines are classified into a first type of read signal lines each connected to a group of pixels on which R and B rays are incident, and a second type of read signal lines each connected to a group of pixels on which G rays are incident. Two pixels (R, B) on two adjacent columns are arranged on two opposite sides with respect to the first type of read signal line. Two pixels (Gr, Gb) on two adjacent columns are arranged on two opposite sides with respect to the second type of read signal line.

Abstract: An image processor includes: a first calculator configured to calculate similarity between a first region including a target pixel and a second region including a reference pixel and calculate a multiplication coefficient which increases as the similarity increases; a second calculator configured to calculate a random number; a sum-of-products arithmetic unit configured to multiply a pixel value of each reference pixel by the multiplication coefficient and the random number and compute a sum of the products; a coefficient summation unit configured to multiply the multiplication coefficient by the random number and compute a sum of the products; and a division unit configured to divide the result of the sum-of-products arithmetic unit by the result of the coefficient summation unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus 100 includes a light emitting part 103 configured to irradiate a subject(s) with light; an imaging part 101 configured to image the subject(s); the imaging part 101, a distance information acquiring part 102, and a distance calculating part 203 each configured to acquire a distance to the subject(s); a shadow estimating part 204 configured to estimate, based on the distance acquired by the imaging part 101, the distance information acquiring part 102, and the distance calculating part 203, a shadow(s) generated by the light from the light emitting part 103 in an image shot by using the imaging part 101; and a shadow correcting part 205 configured to correct the shadow(s) estimated by the shadow estimating part 204 such that the shadow(s) is lightened.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an image sensor includes pixels arranged in columns and rows, read signal lines connected to pixels arranged in the row direction. Each pixel is read in either a first exposure time or in a second exposure time shorter than the first exposure time. Each of a first type of read signal lines is connected to a group of pixels associated with the first exposure time, and each of a second type of read signal lines is connected to a group of pixels associated with the second exposure time. In two vertically adjacent horizontal pixel lines, the first type of read signal line is shared by two horizontally adjacent pixels associated with the first exposure time, and the second type of read signal line is shared by two horizontally adjacent pixels associated with the second exposure time.

Abstract: The image generation device generates a new moving picture of a subject based on first and second moving pictures shot with a single-chip color image sensor, which detects two light rays including first and second color components, respectively, to represent the first and second color components of the subject. As the first moving picture has been shot in a longer exposure time than the second moving picture, the first picture has a lower frame rate than the second picture. The image generation device includes: a getting section which gets video signals representing the first and second moving pictures, respectively; a processing section which generates a new moving picture with as high a frame rate as the second moving picture based on the respective video signals representing the first and second moving pictures gotten; and an output section which outputs the new moving picture.

Abstract: An image processor includes: a first calculator configured to calculate similarity between a first region including a target pixel and a second region including a reference pixel and calculate a multiplication coefficient which increases as the similarity increases; a second calculator configured to calculate a random number; a sum-of-products arithmetic unit configured to multiply a pixel value of each reference pixel by the multiplication coefficient and the random number and compute a sum of the products; a coefficient summation unit configured to multiply the multiplication coefficient by the random number and compute a sum of the products; and a division unit configured to divide the result of the sum-of-products arithmetic unit by the result of the coefficient summation unit.

Abstract: An image capture device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an image capture section 20 for reading a pixel signal of a first color component at a low frame rate and reading a pixel signal of a second color component at a high frame rate, and a frame rate correction section 22. The image capture section 20 performs non-destructive read of the pixel signal of the first color component in synchronization with the timing at which the pixel signal of the second color component is read during a charge accumulation time period defined by the first frame rate.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an image sensor includes, a bank 301 of charge-coupled devices, and charge sensing amplifiers 302, each of which transforms electric charges extracted from an associated pixel into an electrical signal. After the electric charges accumulated in every pixel have been extracted to the charge-coupled devices 301 at the same time, a color component with a high resolution is output to a horizontal transfer path 316 via the charge sensing amplifiers 302 and then output to a device outside of the image sensor. Thereafter, pixel signals representing another low-resolution color component are vertically added together on the bank 301 of charge-coupled devices. Those pixel signals are horizontally added together on the horizontal transfer path 316 and output. The image obtained by this image sensor is then input to an image processing section, thereby obtaining an output color image with a high resolution and a high frame rate.

Abstract: An image generation device includes an image acquisition section for acquiring the first and second moving images having different resolutions and different frame rates or different exposure times; a light amount determination section for determining whether each pixel is saturated or blocked-up-shadowed; and an image processing section for generating, from the moving images, a new moving image having a frame rate which is equal to or higher than the frame rate of the moving images and having a resolution of each frame image which is equal to or higher than the resolution of the moving images. For a pixel not determined as being saturated or being blocked-up-shadowed, the image processing section generates a new moving image fulfilling a first condition; and for a pixel determined as being saturated or being blocked-up-shadowed, the image processing section generates a new moving image which does not fulfill the first condition.