Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Other

Denso Corporation

Tatsuya Oike

Kenji Yamada

Yoshitaka Tomatsu

Masayuki Imanishi

Kazutoshi Nishizawa

Katsuhiko Hibino

Kutsuhiko Hibino

Satoshi Itou

An image filter produces an emphasized output in response to a brightness change between a dark portion and a bright portion of a picked-up image, with a sign of the emphasized output reversing according to a transitional direction of the brightness change between the dark portion and the bright portion. An image filter produces an output representing an angular momentum of respective pixels about a central pixel in a predetermined processing zone set on the picked-up image. The angular momentum is defined by vectorial quantities of pixel values. An image filter produces an output representing an accumulative absolute value of the respective pixels in the predetermined processing zone. An output difference between the image filters and is obtained as an index representing a lane mark.

Apparatus and method for preprocessing a picked-up image, lane mark recognizing system, related vehicle traveling control system, and recording media

A lane mark recognition apparatus for a vehicle is provided which recognizes a lane mark printed on a road using an image of a frontal view captured by a CCD camera. The apparatus identifies a location in the image on which a string model construct converges as a location of the lane mark. The string model utilizes a string construct that is made up of a plurality of node-type string components and lines connecting adjacent string components. The string components are movable within the image by an attractive force produced based on a measure of a picture property of the lane mark. Each of the connecting lines is modeled as an elastic member, which produces a reactive force against deformation of the string model so as to maintain geometry of the whole of the string model.

Lane mark recognition system and vehicle traveling control system using the same

A dehumidifying apparatus with an electronic refrigeration unit includes a thermoelectric unit, a DC power source, and absorbing and liberating heat exchangers. The thermoelectric unit includes a plurality of N-type thermoelectric elements, heat absorbing electrodes, P-type thermoelectric elements, and heat liberating electrodes electrically connected in series. The DC power source supplies DC current to the N-type and P-type thermoelectric elements serially connected through the heat absorbing and heat liberating electrodes. The absorbing and liberating heat exchanger are integrated with the heat absorbing and liberating electrodes, respectively. A heat liberating surface of the liberating heat exchanger is formed at a position different from the absorbing heat exchanger. The absorbing and liberating heat exchangers include heat absorbing and liberating fins, respectively. A notch is formed in one side of each of the heat liberating fins so that a part of a heat absorbing fin fits the notch. The heat absorbing fins are set in a position corresponding to a notch of a corresponding heat liberating fin so that a part of the heat absorbing fin overlaps a part of the heat liberating fin. The overlapped portions are used for the heat absorbing and heat liberating electrodes.

Dehumidifying apparatus with electronic refrigeration unit

A thermoelectric transducer apparatus comprises a group of thermoelectric elements having N-type elements and P-type elements alternately arranged in a single line and a number of alternately arranged heat-absorbing-type and heat-liberating-type plate electrodes to electrically and serially connect said N- and P-type elements. Each of said heat-absorbing-type plate electrodes is extended to form a pair of integral heat-absorbing heat exchanger plates projecting in a direction from said group of elements, said pair of heat-absorbing heat exchanger plates having a pair of first plane areas extending in parallel with the group of elements and oppositely from each other and a pair of second plane areas extending from the respective first plane areas to leave the groups of elements, the outer surface of each of said second plane areas of each heat-absorbing heat exchanger plate being respectively bonded to the adjacent second plane areas of the neighboring heat-absorbing heat exchanger plates by means of insulating adhesive agent. Each of said heat-liberating-type plate electrodes has a pair of first plane areas and a pair of second plane areas all similar to those of each heat-absorbing p-type plate electrode. First and second partition walls for separating the cooled and coolant fluids of the thermoelectric transducer apparatus are formed by serially connecting the first plane areas of said heat-absorbing heat exchanger plates and those of said heat-liberating heat exchanger plates.

Growing community of inventors

Okazaki, Japan

Tatsuya Oike