Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting a rolling shutter effect in images of an environmental region (9) of a motor vehicle (1) captured by an image sensor of at least one camera (4) of the motor vehicle (1) comprising a plurality of sensor lines (15), including the following steps: a) determining a first position (P1) on a sensor plane (13) of the image sensor corresponding to a feature (14) when capturing a first image and identifying a second position (P2) on the sensor plane (13) corresponding to the feature (14) when capturing a second image, b) determining a motion vector (v) characterizing a displacement of the feature (14) on the sensor plane (13) between the first position (P1) and the second position (P2), c) determining a vertical span (?y) of the motion vector (v) characterizing a number of sensor lines (15) at least partially covered by the motion vector (v), d) detecting the rolling shutter effect based on the vertical span (?y).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting an object (12) alongside a road (10) of a motor vehicle (1) based on at least two images (13) of an environmental region (9) of the motor vehicle (1) consecutively captured by at least one vehicle-side camera (4) for extrinsic calibration of the at least one camera (4), wherein the images (13) at least partially display a texture of a road surface (11) and wherein the following steps are performed: a) determining at least two mutually corresponding blocks (14) based on the at least two images (13); b) determining respective motion vectors for each of the at least two pairs of mutually corresponding blocks (14); c) determining a depth information concerning the at least two images (13) based on the at least two motion vectors; d) detecting the object (12) based on the depth information. The invention also relates to a computing device (3), a driver assistance system (2) as well as a motor vehicle (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for motion estimation between two images of an environmental region (9) of a motor vehicle (1) captured by a camera (4) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the following steps are performed: a) determining at least two image areas of a first image as at least two first blocks (B) in the first image, b) for each first block (B), defining a respective search region in a second image for searching the respective search region in the second image for a second block (B) corresponding to the respective first block (B); c) determining a cost surface (18) for each first blocks (B) and its respective search region; d) determining an averaged cost surface (19) for one of the at least two first blocks (B) based on the cost surfaces (18); d) identifying a motion vector (v) for the one of the first blocks (B) describing a motion of a location of the first block (B) in the first image and the corresponding second block (B) in the second image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for motion estimation between two images of an environmental region (9) of a motor vehicle (1) captured by a camera (4) of the motor vehicle (1), wherein the following steps are performed: a) determining at least two image areas of a first image as at least two first blocks (B) in the first image, b) for each first block (B), defining a respective search region in a second image for searching the respective search region in the second image for a second block (B) corresponding to the respective first block (B); c) determining a cost surface (18) for each first blocks (B) and its respective search region; d) determining an averaged cost surface (19) for one of the at least two first blocks (B) based on the cost surfaces (18); d) identifying a motion vector (v) for the one of the first blocks (B) describing a motion of a location of the first block (B) in the first image and the corresponding second block (B) in the second image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting an object (12) alongside a road (10) of a motor vehicle (1) based on at least two images (13) of an environmental region (9) of the motor vehicle (1) consecutively captured by at least one vehicle-side camera (4) for extrinsic calibration of the at least one camera (4), wherein the images (13) at least partially display a texture of a road surface (11) and wherein the following steps are performed: a) determining at least two mutually corresponding blocks (14) based on the at least two images (13); b) determining respective motion vectors for each of the at least two pairs of mutually corresponding blocks (14); c) determining a depth information concerning the at least two images (13) based on the at least two motion vectors; d) detecting the object (12) based on the depth information. The invention also relates to a computing device (3), a driver assistance system (2) as well as a motor vehicle (1).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting a rolling shutter effect in images of an environmental region (9) of a motor vehicle (1) captured by an image sensor of at least one camera (4) of the motor vehicle (1) comprising a plurality of sensor lines (15), including the following steps: a) determining a first position (P1) on a sensor plane (13) of the image sensor corresponding to a feature (14) when capturing a first image and identifying a second position (P2) on the sensor plane (13) corresponding to the feature (14) when capturing a second image, b) determining a motion vector (v) characterizing a displacement of the feature (14) on the sensor plane (13) between the first position (P1) and the second position (P2), c) determining a vertical span (?y) of the motion vector (v) characterizing a number of sensor lines (15) at least partially covered by the motion vector (v), d) detecting the rolling shutter effect based on the vertical span (?y).

Abstract: A low temperature method for reducing and purifying refractory metals, metal compounds, and semi-metals using a catalyst. Using this invention, TiO2 can be reduced directly to Ti metal at room temperature. The catalyst is an ion in an electrolyte that catalyzes the rate of the reduction of a compound MX to M, wherein M is a metal or a semi-metal; MX is a metal compound, a semi-metal compound, or a metal or semi-metal dissolved as an impurity in M; and X is an element chemically combined with or dissolved in M.

Abstract: An integrated accessory for a host device includes a media decoder, a battery coupled to the media decoder operationally to provide power to the media decoder, and a connector to couple the accessory to a host device. Within the integrated accessory, the battery is coupled to the connector so as to allow the battery operationally to provide power to the host device, in addition to the media decoder. In one embodiment, the battery, the media decoder and the connector are integrated within a housing that is configured to be removably coupled to the host device. The host device may be a portable device (e.g., a notebook computer, PDA, a mobile phone, a wristwatch, a camera, etc.).