Abstract: A traffic environment recognition system includes units for image-processing and information-merging, a radar unit. A network is connected to the image-processing unit. The radar, information-merging, and a vehicle control unit control the traveling operation of the vehicle. The image-processing unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth, relative speed and width of a preceding vehicle, and the lane position of the host vehicle. The radar unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth and relative speed of the preceding vehicle. The information-merging unit receives recognition results provided by the image-processing unit. The radar unit through the network, merges and identifies those results. When the recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and the radar unit relate to the same vehicle, output information is produced by the information-merging unit to identify the vehicles as one and the same vehicle and sends the output information through the network to the vehicle control unit.

Abstract: In conventional systems using an onboard camera disposed rearward of a vehicle for recognizing an object surrounding the vehicle, the object is recognized by the camera disposed rearward of the vehicle. In the image recognized by the camera, a road surface marking taken by the camera appears at a lower end of a screen of the image, which makes it difficult to predict a specific position in the screen from which the road surface marking appears. Further, an angle of depression of the camera is large, and it is a short period of time to acquire the object. Therefore, it is difficult to improve a recognition rate and to reduce false recognition. Results of recognition (type, position, angle, recognition time) made by a camera disposed forward of the vehicle, are used to predict a specific timing and a specific position of a field of view of a camera disposed rearward of the vehicle, at which the object appears.

Abstract: An image processing system including an imaging unit mounted on a subject vehicle, and an image analysis unit that acquires images photographed by the imaging unit. The image analysis unit acquires plural images with different exposures that the imaging unit photographed, detects light spots emitted from the other vehicles from the plural images with different exposures, and detects positions of the other vehicles. The plural images are an image photographed with a first exposure, and an image photographed with a second exposure greater than the first exposure. The image analysis unit extracts a first area containing a first color component from the image photographed with the first exposure to determine the first area to be a first three-dimensional object, and extracts a second area containing a second color component from the image photographed with the second exposure to determine the second area to be a second three-dimensional object.

Abstract: A traffic environment recognition system includes units for image-processing and information-merging, a radar unit. A network is connected to the image-processing unit. The radar, information-merging, and a vehicle control unit control the traveling operation of the vehicle. The image-processing unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth, relative speed and width of a preceding vehicle, and the lane position of the host vehicle. The radar unit recognizes headway distance, the azimuth and relative speed of the preceding vehicle. The information-merging unit receives recognition results provided by the image-processing unit. The radar unit through the network, merges and identifies those results. When the recognition results provided by the image-processing unit and the radar unit relate to the same vehicle, output information is produced by the information-merging unit to identify the vehicles as one and the same vehicle and sends the output information through the network to the vehicle control unit.

Abstract: An obstacle detection apparatus more accurately detects a moving obstacle present around a motor vehicle. With this system, desired feature quantities of an obstacle present in a coverage of a first sensor are calculated and then stored into a storage device, and when the obstacle moves from the coverage of the first sensor to a coverage of a second sensor, a relative distance to the obstacle is calculated from the above-stored feature quantities of the obstacle and from the desired feature quantities of the obstacle, obtained by analyzing the recognition results of the second sensor that have been processed by a processor which processes the recognition results.

Abstract: In a plasma processing method, a conductor of an electrostatic chuck (ESC) and an electrode are electrically grounded prior to starting the plasma processing. A DC voltage with a polarity is applied to the conductor at a first time point after loading a substrate on the electrode. Then, the electrode is switched from an electrically grounded state to an electrically floating state at a second time point. A RF power is then applied to the electrode at a third time point. The application of the RF power is stopped at a fourth time point after a specified time has lapsed from the third time point. Then, the electrode is switched from the electrically floating state to the electrically grounded state at a fifth time point. Thereafter, the application of the DC voltage is stopped and the conductor is restored to a ground potential at a sixth time point.

Abstract: An electric vacuum cleaner includes a first dust separation device configured to separate sucked dust, a first dust collection section for collecting the separated dust, a second dust separation device configured to separate the dust, a dust removing device configured to remove the dust adhering to the second dust separation device, a second dust collection section for accumulating the removed dust, a partition wall for zoning the first dust collection section and the second dust collection section and an introduction opening for introducing the removed dust into the second dust collection section; the partition wall includes a communication opening for communicating the first dust collection section to the second dust collection section and an opening and closing member for closing either of the introduction opening or the communication opening and switching the closing to the other by rotating, and the opening and closing member closes the introduction opening with a negative pressure by an electric fan and

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes an radio frequency (RF) power supply for applying an RF power for generating a plasma to at least one of an upper and a lower electrode which are disposed to face each other in a processing chamber, a high voltage power supply for applying a high voltage to the lower electrode to electrostatically adsorb the substrate to be held thereon and a control unit for controlling the RF power supply and the high voltage power supply. The control unit controls the high voltage power supply so as to apply a high voltage equal to or less than ?1500 V to the lower electrode.

Abstract: A traveling lane detector according to the present invention includes: an imaging unit mounted on a vehicle to take a road surface image; and an image processor performing image processing on the image to detect lane marks on the road surface. The image processor judges whether the vehicle is crossing the lane marks, and, when the vehicle is not crossing any of the lane marks, defines first and second windows, in the image, for detecting the lane marks located respectively on left and right parts of a road surface in front of or behind the vehicle, performs image processing on the image in each of the windows to detect the lane marks, and, when the vehicle is crossing any of the lane marks, defines a third window including the currently-crossed lane mark in the image, performs image processing on the image in the third window to detect the lane mark.

Abstract: A virtual vehicle which approaches to a monitor-side vehicle and a virtual background are defined in a camera image, and a region in which a virtual vehicle moves fast with respect to a virtual background is defined as a first region F1, and a region in which a virtual vehicle moves slowly with respect to a virtual background is defined as a second region F2. Then, the first region F1 and the second region F2 are applied to an actual camera image. In the first region F1 in which a virtual vehicle moves fast, a monitored vehicle is detected by a movement aspect of feature portions in the region, and in the second region F2 in which a virtual vehicle moves slowly, a monitored vehicle is detected by pattern recognition.

Abstract: A detector includes an image pickup unit mounted on a vehicle to obtain an image of an object; and a detecting unit for detecting an object in an object detecting area at a predetermined distance from the image pickup unit. The image pickup unit may include a monocular camera, and the predetermined distance may be fixed or may be varied according to the running speed of the vehicle. The detecting unit may detect objects respectively in plural object detection areas respectively at different distances from the image pickup unit.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to detect a three-dimensional object by use of a single-eyed camera with a higher degree of accuracy by eliminating false detection of an obstacle, which is caused by a detection error of a vehicle speed sensor or that of a rudder angle sensor. A top view of a first image including a road surface image is created. The first image is imaged by a camera mounted to a vehicle. Then, a top view of a second image is created. The second image is imaged at a timing different from the timing when the first image is imaged. The two top views are associated with each other on the basis of a characteristic shape on the road surface. In each overlapped portion of the two top views, an area in which a difference occurs is identified as an obstacle.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vehicle detection apparatus has a first and a second sensors to detect vehicles ahead of the host vehicle, and a judgment part to judge that, in the case where the second sensor detects an object which the first sensor has detected, the object is a vehicle. The judging part judges the object as a vehicle in the case where it has once judged the object as a vehicle even though the second sensor does not detect the object in the next judgment. The first and second sensors should preferably be a radar and a camera, respectively.

Abstract: The invention provides an image processing system capable of precisely locating the positions of the light spots covering near headlights through far tail lamps by using one camera. The invention, discriminating the headlights and tail lamps from noise lights such as a traffic light, streetlight, and vending machine, enhances the vehicle detection performance at night. The system includes an image input means that inputs images in front of a vehicle, an image analysis means that analyzes the images inputted by the image input means. The image input means has a means of photographing more than two images with different exposures. The image analysis means analyzes the images photographed by the image input means to transform them into the position information of the vehicles traveling in front.

Abstract: An image processing system including an imaging unit mounted on a subject vehicle, and an image analysis unit that acquires images photographed by the imaging unit. The image analysis unit acquires plural images with different exposures that the imaging unit photographed, detects light spots emitted from the other vehicles from the plural images with different exposures, and detects positions of the other vehicles. The plural images are an image photographed with a first exposure, and an image photographed with a second exposure greater than the first exposure. The image analysis unit extracts a first area containing a first color component from the image photographed with the first exposure to determine the first area to be a first three-dimensional object, and extracts a second area containing a second color component from the image photographed with the second exposure to determine the second area to be a second three-dimensional object.

Abstract: An in-vehicle running-environment recognition apparatus including an input unit for inputting an image signal from in-vehicle imaging devices for photographing external environment of a vehicle, an image processing unit for detecting a first image area by processing the image signal, the first image area having a factor which prevents recognition of the external environment, an image determination unit for determining a second image area based on at least any one of size of the first image area, position thereof, and set-up positions of the in-vehicle imaging devices having the first image area, an environment recognition processing being performed in the second image area, the first image area being detected by the image processing unit, and an environment recognition unit for recognizing the external environment of the vehicle based on the second image area.

Abstract: Disclosed is an obstacle detection apparatus to detect more accurately a moving obstacle present around a motor vehicle. With this system, desired feature quantities of an obstacle present in a coverage of a first sensor are calculated and then stored into a storage device, and when the obstacle moves from the coverage of the first sensor to a coverage of a second sensor, a relative distance to the obstacle is calculated from the above-stored feature quantities of the obstacle and from the desired feature quantities of the obstacle, obtained by analyzing the recognition results of the second sensor that have been processed by a processor which processes the recognition results.

Abstract: A lane marker recognition method comprises the steps of inputting an image including a lane marker, extracting luminance change points in the image, and estimating the position of the lane marker using the extracted edge points. The edge extracting step includes calculating an angle of orientation of each of the edges and the lane marker position estimating step includes extracting edge points that are oriented toward a vanishing point of a road, from among the edge points extracted in the edge extracting step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a headlight control apparatus which suppresses a feeling of strangeness given to a driver of an own vehicle by hunting due to reflector light while preventing a preceding vehicle and an on-coming vehicle from being dazzled, based on a video image obtained by a camera. The headlight is controlled by detecting the position of a light spot in the image captured by the camera to perform irradiation with a pattern which reduces the light quantity of a certain area above the detected light spot. Thereby, even if hunting occurs due to the reflector light, the irradiation light quantity of an entire irradiation area of the headlight does not vary, but only the irradiation light quantity for a partial area above a reflector varies, and therefore, the feeling of strangeness given to the driver can be suppressed.

Abstract: An image processing device of the present invention performs a task to execute an image processing This image processing device comprises a picture frame assigning unit that assigns an identification number to the image data to be collected by a picture collection device, an image capture requested picture of checking unit that checks whether the image data to which the identification number is assigned is identical with the image data that is requested by the task, an requested picture frame image collection notification unit that notifies the task of the image data having been collected which the task requests, if the image data to which the picture frame number is assigned is identical with the image data which the task requests, and an image capture requested picture frame receiving unit receives an image collection request from the task.