Nec Corporation

Honda Elesys Co., Ltd.

Sholin Kyo

Kazuyoshi Ohtsuka

A vehicle area detector correctly detects a vehicle area. The vehicle area detector detects a vehicle area in a vehicle candidate area having a high probability of existence of a vehicle in an image produced by imaging means mounted on a vehicle. For the correct detection of the vehicle area, the detector includes a horizontal symmetry evaluator to evaluate a degree of horizontal symmetry with respect to a degree of gradation in the image of the area, a variance evaluator to evaluate a degree of variance in the degree of gradation in the image of the area, a lower-area mean gradation evaluator to evaluate a difference in the degree of gradation of an image between a lower area of a vehicle candidate area and an area in the proximity of a lower edge of the candidate area exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and an area determining unit to determine a vehicle candidate area as the vehicle area in accordance with results of evaluation from the symmetry evaluator, the variance evaluator, and the lower-are mean gradation evaluator.

Vehicle area detecting apparatus and vehicle area determining method

Car sensing method and car sensing apparatus

In an image processing system or method, an image element memorizing device memorizes image elements which are image data that are subjects of process. An image element processing state memorizing device memorizes present processing states of the image elements in the image element memorizing device. A detecting device detects, in response to the present processing states, a pointer of one of the image elements that is capable of being processed by the image processing system. A temporary pointer memorizing device memorizes the pointer from the detecting device. A calculating device reads the pointer from the temporary pointer memorizing device to process an image in response to the image element of the pointer which is read.

Simple image processing system and method capable of reducing occurrence of unwanted overhead

An image processing apparatus is provided with a linear processor array which includes a plurality of linearly coupled processing elements. The apparatus further includes a plurality of local memories each of which takes a form of one-dimensional pixel data memories. The local memories are respectively assigned to the plurality of processing elements. Further, the local memories are arranged so as to store in combination a two-dimensional pixel image to be processed. A plurality of buffers are respectively assigned to the processing elements. Each buffer stores pixel location information of at least one center pixel from which a unique pixel value is to be propagated if the center pixel exists on a corresponding local memory. With the arrangement mentioned above, in order to accelerate pixel data propagation in the two-dimensional pixel image, a plurality of register units are respectively assigned to the plurality of processing elements. Each register can be accessed by the adjoining processing elements and has first to third memory fields. The first memory field receives the at least one center pixel from the associated buffer. The second memory field stores the unique pixel data. The third memory field stores pixel positions which surround the center pixel and to which the unique pixel data should be propagated.

Apparatus for implementing pixel data propagation using a linear processor array

In an image processing system or method, an image element memorizing device memorizes image elements which are image data that are subjects of process. An image element processing state memorizing device memorizes present processing states of the image elements in the image element memorizing device. A detecting device detects, in response to the present processing states, a pointer of one of the image element that is capable of being processed by the image processing system. A temporary pointer memorizing device memorizes the pointer from the detecting device. A calculating device reads the pointer from the temporary pointer memorizing device to process an image in response to the image element of the pointer which is read.

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Tokyo, Japan

Sholin Kyo