Abstract: A recognition object detecting portion detects a recognition object existing in each of images which are captured in series at different time points by a camera. Images of the detected recognition object are stored in a memory. A recognition object condition judging portion determines whether image areas of the recognition object are recognizable. A movement amount detecting portion detects a movement amount of the recognition object by using the image areas of the recognition object stored in the memory. A sub-area detecting portion detects a sub-area to be recognized, by using the image areas of the recognition object read out from the memory, in accordance with the movement amount of the recognition object. A recognition portion performs recognition processing on the sub-areas. A recognition result integration portion integrates recognition results of the sub-areas including recognized characters and/or recognized patterns and the corresponding reliabilities, respectively.

Abstract: To improve recognition accuracy of a traveling direction of a vehicle by accurately detecting a marking on a road surface which is photographed by a camera while a road environment where a vehicle travels is changing. A car navigation system 100 detects an image of a light-irradiated portion which is unnecessary for the recognition of a road marking, in an image behind a vehicle captured by a camera 6 mounted on the vehicle, clips out image areas in a predetermined shape excluding the detected image area, and sequentially stores the clipped images in a storage unit 7b. Then, the new clipped image and the clipped image already stored in the storage unit 7b are combined, and an image of a road marking is detected and recognized from the composite image.

Abstract: In an update management apparatus, a detection unit detects an update of one or more kinds of data included in a data set stored in a storage unit. A management unit generates a symbol sequence including a plurality of symbols corresponding to the respective plural kinds of data, and stores the symbol sequence as information indicating a version of the data set. The management unit modifies the symbol sequence indicating the previous version to change a symbol Q1 to Q2, which corresponds to the kind of data whose update has been detected, out of the plurality of symbols, to generate a new symbol sequence indicating the updated version.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cathode for hydrogen generation comprising a cathode substrate having provided thereon a catalytic layer, wherein the catalytic layer contains at least three components of platinum, cerium and lanthanum in amounts of 50 to 98 mol %, 1 to 49 mol % and 1 to 49 mol %, respectively, in the form of metal, metal oxide or metal hydroxide.

Abstract: An inputting device which includes an image input section for inputting an image of a containing areas in which information to be inputted is filled in and patterns representing at least reference positions to define the positions of corresponding areas and size information of corresponding areas; a memory section for storing the image of the input by the image input section; a pattern recognizing section for detecting the reference positions from the patterns in the image which is stored in the memory section and recognizing size information of the areas; an area specifying section for specifying the positions of the areas from the reference positions detected by the pattern recognizing section and the size information of the areas; and an area inputting section for inputting images in the areas defined by the area specifying section.

Abstract: A recognition object detecting portion detects a recognition object existing in each of images which are captured in series at different time points by a camera. Images of the detected recognition object are stored in a memory. A recognition object condition judging portion determines whether image areas of the recognition object are recognizable. A movement amount detecting portion detects a movement amount of the recognition object by using the image areas of the recognition object stored in the memory. A sub-area detecting portion detects a sub-area to be recognized, by using the image areas of the recognition object read out from the memory, in accordance with the movement amount of the recognition object. A recognition portion performs recognition processing on the sub-areas. A recognition result integration portion integrates recognition results of the sub-areas including recognized characters and/or recognized patterns and the corresponding reliabilities, respectively.

Abstract: An image evaluation device includes: a partial area extracting section extracting plural partial areas from an original image; an extracted image generating section generating an extracted image corresponding to each of the partial areas and having pixels whose pixel values correspond to a gradient of pixel values in the image; an autocorrelation calculating section calculating plural autocorrelation coefficients for each extracted images; a representative coefficient value calculating section calculating a representative coefficient value for each of the autocorrelation coefficients among the partial areas; and a checking section checking the quality of the image based on a distribution of the representative coefficient values.

Abstract: To improve recognition accuracy of a traveling direction of a vehicle by accurately detecting a marking on a road surface which is photographed by a camera while a road environment where a vehicle travels is changing. A car navigation system 100 detects an image of a light-irradiated portion which is unnecessary for the recognition of a road marking, in an image behind a vehicle captured by a camera 6 mounted on the vehicle, clips out image areas in a predetermined shape excluding the detected image area, and sequentially stores the clipped images in a storage unit 7b. Then, the new clipped image and the clipped image already stored in the storage unit 7b are combined, and an image of a road marking is detected and recognized from the composite image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus include: a storage unit storing an image of a processing target; a tangent calculating unit extracting contours as a bent lines represented by sets of contour points from an image read from the storage unit and computing tangents to the extracted contour; a projecting unit projecting computed tangents to axes in directions orthogonal to the corresponding tangents, and computing coordinates of intersections where the tangents intersect the axes; and a rectangle calculating unit selecting intersections with maximum values and minimum values of coordinates among intersections computed by the projecting unit for each direction of the axis, and computing a rectangle formed by a pair of parallel tangents passing through two intersections with maximum values and minimum values selected for a first axis and another pair of tangents passing through two intersections with maximum values and minimum values selected for a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

Abstract: An image-forming apparatus in which a replacement part is loaded includes a discrimination unit that discriminates whether or not identification data registered in the loaded replacement part correspond to either inherent data or group data registered in the image-forming apparatus; a determination unit that, when no correspondence is found in the discrimination unit, determines in accordance with a registration condition whether or not a value of the identification data is registered as the group data; and an establishment unit that establishes approval or disapproval of use of the loaded replacement part on the basis of a result of discrimination performed in the discrimination unit or determination performed in the determination unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a background density distribution estimating part 12 that estimates density distribution of background pixels; an area density distribution estimating part 13 that estimates density distribution in each of areas into which an input image is divided; an entry existence judging part 14 that judges the existence or not of the entry of predetermined information based on the density distribution of the background pixels and the density distribution in the relevant area; and a judgment result output part 15 that outputs a judgment result indicating whether or not there exists the entry of the predetermined information in the area being the judgment target of the entry existence judging part 14.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cathode for hydrogen generation comprising a cathode substrate having provided thereon a catalytic layer, wherein the catalytic layer contains at least three components of platinum, cerium and lanthanum in amounts of 50 to 98 mol %, 1 to 49 mol % and 1 to 49 mol %, respectively, in the form of metal, metal oxide or metal hydroxide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a replacement part equipped with a storage device installed therein. The apparatus has a code adding part adding an error detecting code to target data to be written in the storage device, and an encrypting part encrypting the data having the error detecting code added thereto in the code adding part, to generate encrypted data. In addition, the apparatus has a writing part writing the encrypted data to the storage device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a membrane-electrode assembly which comprises: at least one rod-form or tubular electrode; a tubular diaphragm disposed around the periphery of the electrode; and a wire-form counter electrode disposed around the periphery of the diaphragm, the diaphragm being fixed to the rod-form or tubular electrode with the wire-form counter electrode to thereby form an electrode chamber having a gas/liquid passage between the diaphragm and the rod-form or tubular electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a SOI substrate having a SOI layer, a buried oxide layer and a support substrate; multiple first separation trenches on the SOI layer; multiple MOS transistors, each of which is surrounded with one first separation trench; a second separation trench on the SOI layer including n-ply field trenches; and multiple field regions such that a k-th field region is surrounded with a k-th field trench. One MOS transistor is disposed in each field region. The MOS transistors are connected in series. The first MOS transistor has a gate terminal as an input terminal. The n-th MOS transistor is connected to the power source potential through an output resistor. The n-th field region has an electric potential, which is fixed to the power source potential.