Abstract: A pattern alignment method performs alignment of the comparison source pattern or the comparison target pattern that has been subjected to the angle-scale conversion with the comparison source pattern. Angular deviations and scale factors between the comparison source pattern and the comparison target pattern are computed separately, after angle and scale conversion, the measured template matching is performed. Therefore, parallel-displacement alignment can be made faster and precise alignment is possible. Template matching processing can be minimized, and aligning can be performed precisely and rapidly.

Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring surroundings of a vehicle by displaying images taken by a plurality of cameras provided at the vehicle on a display apparatus provided in a vehicle compartment includes an image processing portion.

Abstract: An image capturing section captures a face of an observed person. A position detecting section detects, from a face image expressing the face captured by the image capturing section, one of a position expressing a characteristic of a nose and a position expressing a characteristic of a region between eyebrows. A computing section computes a past relative position of a predetermined region of the face that is based on the position detected in the past by the position detecting section. A region position detecting section detects a position of the predetermined region on the basis of the past relative position computed by the computing section and the current position detected by the position detecting section.

Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes edge image generating means for generating an edge image representing a magnitude of pixel value change per pixel in a predetermined direction in a region including an eye, based upon an image of the region; local peak value point searching means for searching a local peak value point, where the magnitude of pixel value change reaches a local peak value in the predetermined direction, in the edge image; and boundary point detecting means for detecting at least one of a first boundary point indicating a boundary between an upper eyelid and an eyeball and a second boundary point indicating a boundary between a lower eyelid and the eyeball, based upon a point which is shifted from the local peak value point in a direction towards the eyeball.

Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face-image storing apparatus for storing an image of a face of a subject, an eyelid-candidate extracting apparatus for processing the image stored in the face-image storing apparatus to extract a pair of lines, which becomes a candidate of a combination of a line corresponding to an upper eyelid and a line corresponding to a lower eyelid, a parameter calculating apparatus for calculating a parameter, which indicates a possibility that a pan of the image stored in The face-image storing apparatus, the part corresponding to the pair of lines extracted by the eyelid-candidate extracting apparatus, includes at least one of outer and inner corners of an eye, and an eyelid detecting apparatus for detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject on the basis of the parameter calculated by the parameter calculating apparatus.

Abstract: A face feature point detection apparatus includes an image capturing device, an edge calculating unit calculating edge values indicating a luminance change in a direction, and a detection target determining unit scanning an edge image, which is created by arranging the edge values for corresponding pixels based on pixel arrangement of the face images, with an image window being an aggregation of selected pixels formed in a predetermined shape, the detection target determining unit determining a position of the image window having a largest weighted sum of weighted sums to be a detection position where a detection target is present, providing that the weighted sum is calculated by multiplying the edge value which corresponds to each pixel in the image window by a predetermined value defined on a per-pixel basis and adding up all products of the edge value and the predetermined value.

Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face image storing means storing a plurality of face images of a subject captured at different timings, a change detecting means detecting changes in each face image caused by blinking after processing the plurality of face images stored by the face image storing means, and an eyelid detecting means detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject based on the changes detected by the change detecting means.

Abstract: An image processing method extracts line segment elements from grayscale captured images, so that line segments are extracted at high-speed without being influenced by contrast ratio, even if morphology processing is used. A selection processing select an area where continuous line segments possibly exist from the captured image and a morphology processing detect line segment elements in the selected area by scanning an operator. Line segments can be extracted in a plurality of directions at high-speed. Also by an extraction target area selection processing, an area of which contrast ratio is low, continuing from an area of which contrast ratio is high in the line segment growth direction is also extracted as one line segment.

Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring surroundings of a vehicle by displaying images taken by a plurality of cameras provided at the vehicle on a display apparatus provided in a vehicle compartment includes an image processing portion.

Abstract: A spark plug includes: a central electrode; an insulator surrounding the central electrode radially; a metallic shell surrounding the insulator radially; and a ground electrode having a first end connected to the metallic shell and a second end defining a side face. The ground electrode is so bent that the side face of the second end faces the central electrode. The ground electrode contains: a nickel in a range from 58% to 71% by weight, a chromium in a range from 21% to 25% by weight, an iron in a range from 7% to 20% by weight, and an aluminum in a range from 1% to 2% by weight. The ground electrode has a Vickers hardness in a range from Hv 140 to Hv 220 through a Vickers hardness test specified in Japanese Industrial Standard Z2244. A load 9.8 N is applied to the ground electrode in the hardness test.

Abstract: A spark plug includes: a central electrode; an insulator surrounding the central electrode radially; a metallic shell surrounding the insulator radially; and a ground electrode having a first end connected to the metallic shell and a second end defining a side face. The ground electrode is so bent that the side face of the second end faces the central electrode. The ground electrode contains: a nickel in a range from 58% to 71% by weight, a chromium in a range from 21% to 25% by weight, an iron in a range from 7% to 20% by weight, and an aluminum in a range from 1% to 2% by weight. The ground electrode has a Vickers hardness in a range from Hv 140 to Hv 220 through a Vickers hardness test specified in Japanese Industrial Standard Z2244. A load 9.8 N is applied to the ground electrode in the hardness test.