Abstract: A vehicle surrounding monitoring device includes a first capturing device provided at a side of a vehicle in order to capture a first image, a second capturing device provided at front relative to the first capturing device in order to capture a second image, a displaying device for displaying the first image and the second image and for monitoring a vehicle surrounding, an image process device by which a borderline between the first image and the second image is defined in a combined image of the first image and the second image so as to be identical with a straight line connecting a position of the first capturing device and a position of the second capturing device.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for taking an image of a face includes an imaging element having sensitivity for a near-infrared range and a visible range, a first optical filter provided between the face and the imaging element to reduce an intensity of a visible light entering the imaging element and a near-infrared light irradiating portion for irradiating the face with a near-infrared light.

Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face image storing means storing a plurality of face images of a subject captured at different timings, a change detecting means detecting changes in each face image caused by blinking after processing the plurality of face images stored by the face image storing means, and an eyelid detecting means detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject based on the changes detected by the change detecting means.

Abstract: There are provided a face image pickup device and a face image pickup method which can stably acquire a face image by appropriate illumination, and a program thereof. The face image pickup device comprises a camera which picks up an image of a face of a target person, an illumination light source which illuminates the face of the target person with near-infrared light having an arbitrary light amount, and a computer. The computer detects an area including an eye from the face image of the target person picked up by the camera. The computer measures a brightness distribution in the detected area. Thereafter, the computer controls the illumination light source so as to change the amount of near-infrared light based on the measured brightness distribution.

Abstract: An eye detecting device includes an image generating device for generating a face image, a nostril detecting portion for detecting a nostril in the face image, an eye searching area setting portion for setting an eye searching area in the face image based on a position of the nostril detected by the nostril detecting portion, and an eye searching portion for searching an eye within the eye searching area set by the eye searching area setting portion.

Abstract: A vehicle surrounding monitoring device includes a first capturing device provided at a side of a vehicle in order to capture a first image, a second capturing device provided at front relative to the first capturing device in order to capture a second image, a displaying device for displaying the first image and the second image and for monitoring a vehicle surrounding, an image process device by which a borderline between the first image and the second image is defined in a combined image of the first image and the second image so as to be identical with a straight line connecting a position of the first capturing device and a position of the second capturing device.

Abstract: A face feature point detection apparatus includes an image capturing device, an edge calculating unit calculating edge values indicating a luminance change in a direction, and a detection target determining unit scanning an edge image, which is created by arranging the edge values for corresponding pixels based on pixel arrangement of the face images, with an image window being an aggregation of selected pixels formed in a predetermined shape, the detection target determining unit determining a position of the image window having a largest weighted sum of weighted sums to be a detection position where a detection target is present, providing that the weighted sum is calculated by multiplying the edge value which corresponds to each pixel in the image window by a predetermined value defined on a per-pixel basis and adding up all products of the edge value and the predetermined value.

Abstract: There are provided a face image pickup device and a face image pickup method which can stably acquire a face image by appropriate illumination, and a program thereof. The face image pickup device comprises a camera which picks up an image of a face of a target person, an illumination light source which illuminates the face of the target person with near-infrared light having an arbitrary light amount, and a computer. The computer detects an area including an eye from the face image of the target person picked up by the camera. The computer measures a brightness distribution in the detected area. Thereafter, the computer controls the illumination light source so as to change the amount of near-infrared light based on the measured brightness distribution.

Abstract: Every time a camera transmits a picked-up face image to an ECU, the ECU detects a face area from the transmitted face image, and corrects an exposure time so as to have brightness most appropriate to determine a facial direction and the condition of eyes at the detected face area. The corrected exposure time is notified to the camera, and the camera picks up an image of the face of a driver at the notified exposure time. Accordingly, the ECU analyzes a face image which is periodically picked up with the most appropriate brightness regardless of a change in an environment, and determines whether or not a driver is doing a hazardous driving.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for taking an image of a face includes an imaging element having sensitivity for a near-infrared range and a visible range, a first optical filter provided between the face and the imaging element to reduce an intensity of a visible light entering the imaging element and a near-infrared light irradiating portion for irradiating the face with a near-infrared light.

Abstract: A face feature point detection apparatus includes an image capturing device, an edge calculating unit calculating edge values indicating a luminance change in a direction, and a detection target determining unit scanning an edge image, which is created by arranging the edge values for corresponding pixels based on pixel arrangement of the face images, with an image window being an aggregation of selected pixels formed in a predetermined shape, the detection target determining unit determining a position of the image window having a largest weighted sum of weighted sums to be a detection position where a detection target is present, providing that the weighted sum is calculated by multiplying the edge value which corresponds to each pixel in the image window by a predetermined value defined on a per-pixel basis and adding up all products of the edge value and the predetermined value.

Abstract: An eyelid detection apparatus includes a face image storing means storing a plurality of face images of a subject captured at different timings, a change detecting means detecting changes in each face image caused by blinking after processing the plurality of face images stored by the face image storing means, and an eyelid detecting means detecting a position of an eyelid of the subject based on the changes detected by the change detecting means.

Abstract: An eye detecting device includes an image generating device for generating a face image, a nostril detecting portion for detecting a nostril in the face image, an eye searching area setting portion for setting an eye searching area in the face image based on a position of the nostril detected by the nostril detecting portion, and an eye searching portion for searching an eye within the eye searching area set by the eye searching area setting portion.

Abstract: A vehicle surrounding monitoring device includes a first capturing device provided at a side of a vehicle in order to capture a first image, a second capturing device provided at front relative to the first capturing device in order to capture a second image, a displaying device for displaying the first image and the second image and for monitoring a vehicle surrounding, an image process device by which a borderline between the first image and the second image is defined in a combined image of the first image and the second image so as to be identical with a straight line connecting a position of the first capturing device and a position of the second capturing device.