Abstract: A method of improving accuracy and reliability of motion estimation is described herein. In one aspect, a 2D neighborhood of phase correlation peak is approximated with an outer-product of two 1D vectors to eliminate the sub-pixel error. In another aspect, estimation of reliability is improved. In yet another aspect, two-pass phase correlation is implemented to eliminate sub-pel motion bias.

Abstract: A method and system to improve the performance of phase correlation motion estimation for low-bit-precision implementation are described herein. Phase correlation uses the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) with operations with infinite-precision constants. Since physical implementations use finite-precision arithmetic, there is some loss in precision relative to the ideal infinite-precision case. In low-complexity implementations, it is desirable to use as few bits as possible, and if the precision is too low, the performance of traditional phase correlation suffers. A pre-processing technique is applied to the data prior to taking the FFT, which minimizes the negative effects of finite precision in the FFT and allows high quality results from phase correlation. The pre-processing step is a content-dependent contrast adjustment that maps the range of the input images' pixel values to the range of input values for the FFT. There is no post-processing required after the FFT to compensate for the pre-processing step.

Abstract: Phase correlation is an established method for computing motion which relies on the ability to find peaks in a computed phase correlation surface. Two methods to improve the ability to detect peaks in the phase correlation surface are described herein. The first method applies a theoretically-derived and spatially-varying gain to the phase correlation surface. The gain compensates for peaks whose amplitudes have been decreased due to windowing effects; such effects are unavoidable in phase correlation. The second method uses concepts from matched filters to improve detection of peaks whose amplitudes are diminished due to a spreading of the peak energy into surrounding positions in the phase correlation surface. Peak detection filters allow such low-amplitude peaks to be properly detected. It is possible to use only the first method, or only the second method or both methods combined.

Abstract: The present invention provides a corrosion inhibition method which minimizes environmental adverse effects by using phosphate base anticorrosives without using zinc salt base anticorrosives and by reducing the concentration of the phosphate base anticorrosives, enables stable formation of an effective initial protective film, and does not affect water treatment after the formation of the initial protective film. In an initial protective film formation process of forming an initial protective film on a surface of an iron-based metallic member of a water system by adding anticorrosives to the water system, at least one selected from a group consisting of pyrophosphoric acids and pyrophosphates is employed as the anticorrosives and the initial protective film formation process is conducted such that the initial pH at the start of the initial protective film formation process is adjusted to be 5 or more and less than 7 so that the pH at the end of the initial protective film formation process becomes 7 or more.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing device and method, and a program whereby a subject can be imaged in a simpler manner with a desired imaging range. A size ratio calculating unit 553 calculates a size ratio between a region of interest that is a region of a subject of interest, and a partial region that is the region of a portion of the subject included in the region of interest with an imaged image that has been imaged, and a lens driving control unit 556 controls the zoom power of an imaged image according to a zoom operation by a user so that the size ratio calculated by the size ratio calculating unit 553, and a predetermined value match or generally match. The present invention may be applied to an imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A keyboard and a display screen are arranged to cover an upper side a main body of an ADF-type scanning apparatus, so that a large space can be secured to arrange the keyboard and the display screen. The display screen includes an ADF-cover opening-closing mechanism that opens and closes the display screen in conjunction with an ADF cover. The keyboard includes a keyboard raising mechanism for raising a front portion of the keyboard in the upward direction.

Abstract: A surface light-emitting device includes a transparent plate having two main surfaces and a light source. The light source is arranged adjacent to a side of the transparent plate so that the light source radiates light to the inside of the transparent plate from the side of the transparent plate. One main surface of the transparent plate is formed with a plurality of cone-shaped dimples, which reflect radiated light toward the other main surface of the transparent plate. The surface light-emitting device may further include a black sheet arranged adjacent to one main surface of the transparent plate formed with the plurality of cone-shaped dimples. The surface light-emitting device can be used as a guide device for an input/output interface unit of an automated transaction apparatus.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus performing moving-image data processing and still-image data processing in parallel includes an image pickup unit converting a ray into an electric signal and outputting an image pickup signal, a buffer unit temporarily storing the image pickup signal, a buffer controller controlling reading from the buffer unit, a first signal processing unit outputting a first transmission request, performing processing on the image pickup signal every frame timing in response to the first transmission request, and outputting moving-image data, and a second signal processing unit outputting a second transmission request, performing processing on the image pickup signal in response to the second transmission request at a predetermined timing, and outputting still-image data. The buffer controller determines whether it is possible that the image pickup signal is read without deteriorating continuity based on a data storage state of the buffer unit and the first and second transmission requests.

Abstract: A mass flow controller has: a flow rate sensor section that measures the flow rate of a fluid and outputs a flow rate measurement signal indicating the measurement value; a flow rate control valve disposed upstream or downstream of the flow rate sensor section; a calculation section that calculates a feedback control value to be supplied to the flow rate control valve by performing at least a proportional calculation on the deviation of the flow rate measurement value indicated by the flow rate measurement signal from a flow rate setting value; and an opening control signal output section that generates an opening control signal based on the feedback control value and outputs the opening control signal to the flow rate control valve. The function used for calculating the gain value in the proportional calculation differs between a changing period and a stable period.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device having: (a) a pixel array with an oblique pixel pattern in which pixels are obliquely disposed, an odd-numbered row vertical signal line in an odd-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of odd-numbered row pixels and an even-numbered row vertical signal line in an even-numbered row vertical signal line group being connected to each column of even-numbered row pixels; (b) a row selector for separately selecting an odd-numbered row and an even-numbered row of the oblique pixel pattern; (c) an odd-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the odd-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the odd-numbered row pixels between columns; (d) an even-numbered row column processing circuit group including column processing circuits and connected to the even-numbered row vertical signal line group, for adding signals of the even-numbered row pixels in pixel columns; and (d) a column s

Abstract: A flow ratio controller having: a main channel; branch channels branching from the end of the main channel; control valves respectively provided in the branch channels; a plurality of flow rate meters for measuring the flow rate of the main channel and the flow rate of each of the branch channels; a valve control section for controlling the control valve provided in one branch channel so that the pressure on the upstream side of the control valve is a given target pressure and, only when the upstream-side pressure is near or not less than the target pressure, starting control of the other control valve so that the flow rate ratios of the branch channels are predetermined ratios; and a target pressure setting section for setting the target pressure such that the smaller the flow volume is in the main channel, the lower is the target pressure.

Abstract: An image display apparatus having an electronic zoom function. The apparatus includes: imaging means capable of changing a start position of reading an image; in order for at least a part of a predetermined range of the image data to be written at the time of reading the image from a memory, writing means for extracting the predetermined range of the image and writing the extracted image in the memory; reading means for starting to read the image in the memory at the time of reading the image, converting the predetermined range of the image read from the memory into an image of a predetermined resolution, and outputting the image; and when the range of the image read is wider than a range to be expanded, control means for controlling the start position of reading so as to narrow the range of the image to be read.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing device that specifies a region including a specific subject on each input image of a plurality of continuous frames. The image processing device includes: subject map generation means that, from feature maps corresponding to features of respective pixels of the input image and representing feature amounts in respective regions of the input image, selects one feature amount of any of the feature maps for each pixel so as to thereby generate a subject map representing similarities of the respective regions of the input image to the subject; and subject region specification means that, on the basis of the subject map, specifies a subject region, which is a region most similar to the subject, in the subject map so as to thereby specify a region which includes the subject on the input image.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having an image capturing unit capturing an image, a first recording unit temporarily recording an original image signal output from the image capturing unit, a processing unit performing predetermined signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, and an instructing unit instructing the processing unit to capture a still image. When the processing unit is instructed to capture a still image by the instructing unit while performing moving image signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, the processing unit may cause the first recording unit to record the original image signal output from the image capturing unit. In addition, the processing unit may read out the recorded original image signal from the first recording unit and perform still image signal processing upon the read out original image signal while suspending the moving image signal processing.

Abstract: This invention provides a mass flow controller that can prevent a flow rate change due to a pressure change without sacrificing the speed of response to a change of a flow rate setting value and can be used in a system that can generate a crosstalk. In order to provide the mass flow controller, the mass flow controller has: a control section 5 that calculates an opening control signal to be supplied to a flow rate control valve based on a predetermined calculation formula including at least a flow rate measurement value and a flow rate setting value as parameters and outputs the opening control signal; and a pressure sensor section 4 that measures pressure of a fluid on the upstream side or the downstream side of a flow rate sensor section 2 and outputs a pressure detection signal indicating the pressure value.

Abstract: An imaging device having five color filters. The five color filters include three color filters of a R (red) filter, a G (green) filter, and a B (blue) filter of a primary color system and two color filters of a Y (yellow) filter and a C (cyan) filter of a complementary system. The G filter has a checker shape G filter so that the space information of green is obtained four times larger than that of each of the other colors.

Abstract: The invention provides a bactericidal/algicidal method including adding an oxidant-based bactericidal/algicidal agent and a stabilizer therefor to a target water system, characterized in that the amount of combined chlorine or the stabilizer in the water system is controlled by generating free residual chlorine in the water system, and a bactericidal/algicidal method including adding an oxidant-based bactericidal/algicidal agent and a stabilizer therefor to a target water system, characterized in that the amount of the oxidant-based bactericidal/algicidal agent added is controlled so that the concentration of total residual chlorine in the water system falls within a predetermined range, and the amount of combined chlorine or the stabilizer is controlled so that the concentration of free residual chlorine in the water system falls within a predetermined range.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a superior mass flow meter or the like that can flexibly cope with a change of a sample fluid such as a gas kind without requiring a special troublesome labor and that can measure a flow rate with high accuracy. The mass flow meter comprises a sensor section that detects a flow rate of a sample fluid flowing in a flow channel, a setting section that sets a flow rate characteristic function that is intrinsic to each fluid to determine a flow rate based on a flow rate detected value output by the sensor section and an instrumental error correction parameter that is independent from the flow rate characteristic function and common to multiple sample fluids to correct an instrumental error of each mass flow meter, and a flow rate calculating section that calculates a flow rate measurement value of the sample fluid by applying the flow rate characteristic function and the instrumental error correction parameter to the flow rate detected value.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus having an image capturing unit capturing an image, a first recording unit temporarily recording an original image signal output from the image capturing unit, a processing unit performing predetermined signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, and an instructing unit instructing the processing unit to capture a still image. When the processing unit is instructed to capture a still image by the instructing unit while performing moving image signal processing upon the original image signal output from the image capturing unit, the processing unit may cause the first recording unit to record the original image signal output from the image capturing unit. In addition, the processing unit may read out the recorded original image signal from the first recording unit and perform still image signal processing upon the read out original image signal while suspending the moving image signal processing.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for imaging an image using a solid-state image pickup device includes a first linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon a color component of an image signal obtained by imaging using coefficients capable of improving color reproducibility; a second linear matrix operation unit configured to perform matrix conversion upon the color component using coefficients capable of achieving noise component reduction; a signal combining unit configured to combine image signals output from a plurality of signal processing systems each of which includes one of the first or second linear matrix operation units; and a combination ratio setting unit configured to set a combination ratio so that, when a subject is bright, an image signal output from the signal processing system that includes the first linear matrix operation unit can be combined in an amount larger than the image signals output from the other signal processing systems.