Abstract: An image shot by a shooting unit is stored in a shot image storing unit. An expected shooting state storing unit stores expected shooting state information which represents an expected shooting state of an object to be shot. A guide direction determining unit references the image stored in the shot image storing unit and the expected shooting state information, and determines in which direction the object to be shot, which is shot by the shooting unit, is to be guided. A guide direction instruction outputting unit notifies a user of a result of the determination made by the guide direction determining unit.

Abstract: A processor with a personal verification function has a mouse used by a hand to operate a terminal (personal computer or personal computer main body) and being able to output a photographic blood vessel image obtained by photographing a blood vessel image of the palm of the hand, and a verifying unit carrying out personal verification at a desired time on the basis of the photographic blood vessel image outputted from the mouse and a registration blood vessel image. The mouse has a radiating unit radiating near-infrared light toward the palm of the hand, and a photographing unit photographing the photographic blood vessel image with reflected light from the palm of the hand. The processor with a personal verification function and an operating device make possible personal authentication and personal identification at any time, and are operable within a saved-space without placing a burden on the user.

Abstract: A controller obtains sensor information from sensors mounted on a vehicle running on a road, and an information offer selector allows the driver of the vehicle to select on a screen whether to provide the sensor information to a center apparatus. If the driver allows provision of the sensor information, then the sensor information is transmitted to the center apparatus via radio communications. Thus, only the sensor information that is allowed by the driver is provided to the other vehicles.

Abstract: A 3D shape generation apparatus is provided, which restores and generates 3D shapes with high precision and high efficiency, even when the shape is complex and has many feature points. If necessary, a captured image input portion for inputting a captured image, a feature point derivation portion for deriving feature points, and a visibility information derivation portion for deriving visibility information that indicates which feature points are visible from which capturing viewpoint precede an input portion. A feature point placement portion places 3D feature points in a virtual space. A visible face assigning portion assigns faces to the 3D feature points. Based on the visibility information, virtual lines are drawn between the feature points and the capturing viewpoints, and faces that intersect with the lines are eliminated because they should not be present, thereby attaining an approximate 3D shape.

Abstract: An image display method is provided, with which a large number of images to be searched can be displayed quickly in a 3D space, with easy to understand image rendering and little strain on the user's eyes.

Abstract: An image production processing apparatus includes an input visual point image storage portion for storing body images obtained by taking pictures of a body from a plurality of visual points so that each of the body images corresponds to one of the plurality of visual points, an input feature point storage portion for storing positions of feature points, corresponding to each other, on the body images stored in the input visual point image storage portion, an input visual point storage portion for storing positions of the visual points from which the pictures of the body are taken to obtain the body images stored in the input visual point image storage portion, a visual point selecting portion for selecting a predetermined number of visual points from among the visual points stored in the input visual point storage portion when a visual point is specified, and an image producing portion for producing an body image from the specified visual point from the body images from the selected visual points, based on re

Abstract: A three-dimensional measuring method obtains three-dimensional information related to an image including one or a plurality of objects based on input information which describes the image. The method includes the steps of (a) selecting information necessary for calculating marks of presumed information from the input information, where each of the marks are used to evaluate the appropriateness of the presumed information, (b) calculating marks of each pixel of the image based on the information selected by the step (a) and based on feedback information which is derived from an internal state, where the internal state includes information related to the object for each pixel of the image, (c) adding the marks for each pixel calculated in the step (b) for each object so as to obtain a total mark, (d) arbitrarily changing the internal state so as to reduce the total mark, and (e) outputting the internal state in which the total mark is a local minimum as the three-dimensional information.

Abstract: A first guide groove and a second guide groove are formed on a device housing at predetermined positions in such a manner that a first pin disposed at one end of a movable member is displaceably fitted into the first guide groove and a second pin disposed at the other end of the same is displaceably fitted into the second guide groove. To slidably displace the first pin along the first guide groove, a cam is operatively connected to a geared motor. An arm 41 having a frictional member attached to the uppermost end thereof is fixedly secured to the movable member.