Abstract: An image generation apparatus increases an adjustment amount of a luminance distribution to a target value B at a time t0 at which an amount of light entering the eyes of a user changes to such a degree that the change has an influence on an action of photoreceptor cells, to thereby cause a head-mounted display to display an image 310b having a luminance increased from that of an original image 310a. The image generation apparatus gradually decreases the adjustment amount of the luminance distribution during a restoration period ?t in such a manner that an image 310c having the original luminance distribution is displayed at a later time t1.

Abstract: A computer 12 of an image processing apparatus 11 acquires a moving image including a minor axis cross section of a carotid artery and a cross section of surrounding tissues around the carotid artery and estimates, from images of two temporally different frames of the acquired moving image, an optical flow of each point included in an area corresponding to a carotid artery wall and an optical flow of each point included in an area corresponding to the surrounding tissues. Based on the estimated optical flow of each point, the computer 12 calculates an amount of displacement of the carotid artery and the surrounding tissues with respect to a radial direction of the carotid artery depending on a change in internal pressure of the carotid artery.

Abstract: A computer 12 of an image processing apparatus 11 acquires ultrasound B-mode images of consecutive frames to estimate a carotid artery wall at a carotid artery minor axis cross section included in an ultrasound B-mode image of a predetermined frame. The computer 12 also uses, as a template image, the ultrasound B-mode image, which includes the estimated carotid artery wall and surrounding tissues of the carotid artery wall and estimates the size of the diameter of the carotid artery wall so as to minimize a margin of error between a transformed template image, which is created by transforming the template image, and the acquired ultrasound B-mode image of each frame, thereby acquiring the time change of the carotid artery wall.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation apparatus searches a matching link within a tolerance range from a travel locus of a vehicle based on map data when the vehicle makes a turn, and the vehicle position is shifted to the matching link that is found in the search. After matching the vehicle position to the matching link, the vehicle position is returned to a pre-matching position when the vehicle is determined to have entered a facility for facilitating subsequent processing. By returning to the pre-matching position, the vehicle position can be processed and displayed accurately in the subsequent processing due to use of the vehicle position referring to the pre-matching position instead of a position after the matching control.

Abstract: A computer 12 of an image processing apparatus 11 acquires ultrasound B-mode images of consecutive frames to estimate a carotid artery wall at a carotid artery minor axis cross section included in an ultrasound B-mode image of a predetermined frame. The computer 12 also uses, as a template image, the ultrasound B-mode image, which includes the estimated carotid artery wall and surrounding tissues of the carotid artery wall and estimates the size of the diameter of the carotid artery wall so as to minimize a margin of error between a transformed template image, which is created by transforming the template image, and the acquired ultrasound B-mode image of each frame, thereby acquiring the time change of the carotid artery wall.

Abstract: A computer 12 of an image processing apparatus 11 acquires a moving image including a minor axis cross section of a carotid artery and a cross section of surrounding tissues around the carotid artery and estimates, from images of two temporally different frames of the acquired moving image, an optical flow of each point included in an area corresponding to a carotid artery wall and an optical flow of each point included in an area corresponding to the surrounding tissues. Based on the estimated optical flow of each point, the computer 12 calculates an amount of displacement of the carotid artery and the surrounding tissues with respect to a radial direction of the carotid artery depending on a change in internal pressure of the carotid artery.

Abstract: An image processing device acquires an ultrasound B-mode image sequence and creates an evaluation function of a mode of the longitudinal sectional shape of the carotid artery rendered in a frame following the frame that has already been modeled, thereby optimizing the evaluation function. The image processing device estimates and models the position and shape of the longitudinal sectional shape of the carotid artery for the following frame based on the optimization result, and performs the same for the subsequent frames. The image processing device outputs a variation of the carotid artery diameter in response to heartbeats based on the modeling result.

Abstract: The blood vessel imaging system includes a carriage for moving in a row direction an ultrasonic probe having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers arranged along a column direction and along the row direction. A computer repeats intermittent movement control for the carriage in shorter distance than a row pitch of the ultrasonic transducers along the row direction for each of a plurality of predetermined periods. Three-dimensional image processing or four-dimensional image processing is performed on the basis of a two-dimensional image and position information, the two-dimensional image being generated by making original image information, which is obtained by the ultrasonic transducers, two-dimensional in an ultrasonograph. The computer generates the images of a maximum diameter, a minimum diameter, and the difference between the maximum diameter and the minimum diameter for each measurement site in a carotid artery on the basis of the image processing result.

Abstract: A vehicle navigation apparatus searches a matching link within a tolerance range from a travel locus of a vehicle based on map data when the vehicle makes a turn, and the vehicle position is shifted to the matching link that is found in the search. After matching the vehicle position to the matching link, the vehicle position is returned to a pre-matching position when the vehicle is determined to have entered a facility for facilitating subsequent processing. By returning to the pre-matching position, the vehicle position can be processed and displayed accurately in the subsequent processing due to use of the vehicle position referring to the pre-matching position instead of a position after the matching control.

Abstract: When a corridor operation is conducted in a car navigation system, a stoppable place where a vehicle is able to stop is retrieved before a map disk is removed. The stoppable place is a place that is located along a route to a destination and also as close as possible to a regional boundary of map data clipped out from the map disk to an external memory. When the stoppable place is retrieved, route guiding is performed so that the retrieved stoppable place is regarded as a temporary destination. Therefore, re-setting the map disk can be safely achieved by stopping the vehicle at the stoppable place, which helps prevent usability of the corridor operation from deteriorating.

Abstract: When a corridor operation is conducted in a car navigation system, a stoppable place where a vehicle is able to stop is retrieved before a map disk is removed. The stoppable place is a place that is located along a route to a destination and also as close as possible to a regional boundary of map data clipped out from the map disk to an external memory. When the stoppable place is retrieved, route guiding is performed so that the retrieved stoppable place is regarded as a temporary destination. Therefore, re-setting the map disk can be safely achieved by stopping the vehicle at the stoppable place, which helps prevent usability of the corridor operation from deteriorating.