283 results about "Narrow angle" patented technology

This invention relates to the production of a beam of light comprised of many microbeams, controlled by incoming radiation, employing a sensor to determine the location of light sources forward of the apparatus and using that information to control the intensity, and / or the angular position, of one or more narrow-angle microbeams, which are part of a large number of beams comprising the overall output beam.

The invention relates to an automatic-tracking and automatic-zooming method for acquiring iris images. The method includes the following steps: a camera with wide angle of view, a camera with narrow angle of view (long focus) and an infrared light source are closely installed on a controllable tripod head which drives the two cameras and the infrared light source to rotate simultaneously; a system adopts the camera with wide angle of view to continuously detect facial images of human; when the facial image is available, eye images of human are detected to obtain the exact locations of human eyes; and then the tripod head is controlled to rotate up and down or left and right, which allows that the camera with narrow angle of view and the infrared light source aim at the human eyes; user distance and picture quality are determined simultaneously to control the camera to automatically zoom; when clear iris images are acquired, image processing and iris recognition are carried out and the user identity is determined. A system device comprises a computer, the controllable tripod head, the camera with wide angle of view, the camera with narrow angle of view, the infrared light source, a power supply, an image grabbing card and other auxiliary equipments.

A system and method combines videos for display in real-time. A set of narrow-angle videos and a wide-angle video are acquired of the scene, in which a field of view in the wide-angle video substantially overlaps the fields of view in the narrow-angle videos. Homographies are determined among the narrow-angle videos using the wide-angle video. Temporally corresponding selected images of the narrow-angle videos are transformed and combined into a transformed image. Geometry of an output video is determined according to the transformed image and geometry of a display screen of an output device. The homographies and the geometry of the display screen are stored in a graphic processor unit, and subsequent images in the set of narrow-angle videos are transformed and combined by the graphic processor unit to produce an output video in real-time.

A mobile communication base station determines the oncoming direction of a radio wave with a simple arrangement and transmits a narrow angle beam in this direction. Received signals from a pair of wide angle beam antennae 21-1 and 21-2 having an equal configuration and a common orientation and which are located close to each other are fed to a direction finder receiver 22 and a communication receiver 15. By utilizing the fact that the both received signals have a coincident amplitude, a phase difference between the received signals is detected. The oncoming direction of the received radio wave (or the direction of a mobile station) is determined on the basis of the phase difference. A beam switcher 12 is controlled so as to connect a transmitter 13 to a narrow angle beam antenna (one of 11-1 to 11-4) which is directed in the oncoming direction thus determined.

An apparatus for identifying location of a scene which is viewed via a remotely operated system includes a first TV camera operated to observe a scene through a narrow angle lens and a second TV camera to observe the scene through a wide angle lens. At least the first TV camera has a dual mode image pick up device which executes either color mode or a black and white mode. Both TV cameras are moved co-jointly. The apparatus has a processor which combines video signals generated by both TV cameras. At least one of the TV cameras has a switchover unit which switches the modes of the image pick up device from one mode to another and back. The processor activates the switching from one to another mode by comparing video signals generated by the first and second TV cameras with a reference signal.

A mobile communication base station determines the oncoming direction of a radio wave with a simple arrangement and transmits a narrow angle beam in this direction. Received signals from a pair of wide angle beam antennae 21 - 1 and 21 - 2 having an equal configuration and a common orientation and which are located close to each other are fed to a direction finder receiver 22 and a communication receiver 15 . By utilizing the fact that the both received signals have a coincident amplitude, a phase difference between the received signals is detected. The oncoming direction of the received radio wave (or the direction of a mobile station) is determined on the basis of the phase difference. A beam switcher 12 is controlled so as to connect a transmitter 13 to a narrow angle beam antenna (one of 11 - 1 to 11 - 4 ) which is directed in the oncoming direction thus determined.

Disclosed are an optical compensator element, which can realize switching between a wide angle of visibility and a narrow angle of visibility through a simple operation, and a liquid crystal display using the same. An optical compensation layer 4B′ comprising, for example, a liquid crystal material having positive dielectric anisotropy sealed between two substrates comprising a transparent electrode and an aligning film stacked on top of each other is provided. An optical compensation layer 4A as a negative C plate and the optical compensation layer 4B′ are stacked in that order on a homeotropically aligned liquid crystal cell 2A to constitute a liquid crystal display 1. Upon the application of voltage to the optical compensation layer 4B′, a narrow angle of visibility is provided, while, when no voltage is applied, a wide angle of visibility is provided.

The angle of fuel spray at the time of pre-injection is set to a wider angle of spray and the angle of fuel spray at the time of main injection is set to a narrower angle of spray. The pre-injection timing is set so that when fuel spray after the pre-injection is diffused in a cylinder and stratified, the stratified fuel spray is ignited by a rise in the pressure in the cylinder in association with movement of a piston from the bottom dead center to the top dead center. The main injection timing is set so that when the spray stratified by the pre-injection is burned, the fuel spray injected by the main injection passes through the combustion zone while being ignited in the combustion zone, reaches a combustion chamber of the piston, and is burned in the combustion chamber.

An optical test head comprises a block of material with a plurality of optical paths extending therethrough. At least one of the optical paths is an input optical path for receiving laser light and holding a lens for focusing the laser light on a workpiece that is proximate the head. At least another of the optical paths is an output path for receiving light that is reflected off of the workpiece and providing that light to a detector. (In one embodiment, several detectors are provided to direct specularly reflected light, narrow angle scattered light, wide angle scattered light and back scattered light to associated detectors.) Other optical elements can be affixed within or to the block of material. The test head can be used without requiring the individual optical elements to be aligned or adjusted.

A driving support apparatus includes: an image sensing device that photographs side region of a vehicle and rearward region of a vehicle while altering an angle of view; a display unit that displays video images photographed by the image sensing device so as to be visible to a driver of the vehicle; a display determination device that determines a running state of the vehicle, and determines whether or not an alteration of the display angle of view is required; and an angle of view adjustment device that switches the angle of view of the image sensing device, in accordance with a display method decided by the display determination device, between either one of a wide angle that enables the side region and the rearward region to be photographed, and a narrow angle that only allows the rearward region to be photographed.

A system for validating each of a plurality of radio frequency identification tags disposed on a web in close proximity to one another to ensure proper functioning thereof includes a narrow angle radio frequency identification tag reading station which reads a designation of each radio frequency identification tag individually in order to generate a first list of tag designations read thereby and a wide angle radio frequency identification tag reading station which reads designations of a plurality of radio frequency identification tags simultaneously from a long range in order to generate a second list of tag designations read thereby. The system also includes a processor which compares the first list of tag designations with the second list of tag designations and evaluates the functionality of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags based at least in part upon the comparison.

A coaxial narrow angle dark field imaging system is provided. The system utilizes a telecentric lens to illuminate objects with symmetric coaxial narrow angle dark field illumination. The illumination technique is particularly suited to highlight minor features or defects on planar specular objects. In particular, the coaxial light source directs light rays towards a telecentric lens which redirects the light rays towards the substantially planar specular object. The light rays are reflected back through the telecentric lens towards a camera. To the extent that the light rays are reflected from a planar specular portion of the object the light rays are blocked by a telecentric stop. Light rays reflected from a defect or feature in the planar specular object will pass through an aperture in the stop to a camera.

An imaging system for obtaining a wide field of view comprises a plurality of imaging devices each having a defined field of view and each of the imaging devices having a mechanism for capturing an image at a selected time instant. The imaging devices are positioned such that the field of view of each device overlaps the field of view of each adjacent device. A control module simultaneously actuates each of the imaging devices to capturing an image within the field of view of all devices concurrently. The resulting images from each of the devices are merged to produce a wide field of view image.

Compact narrow angle lens systems that may be used in small form factor cameras. The lens system may include six lens elements with refractive power, and may provide lower F-numbers while maintaining or improving imaging quality and package size when compared to other compact lens systems. Total track length of the lens system may be 6.5 millimeters or less, for example 5.9 or 6 millimeters. Focal length of the lens system may be 7.0 millimeters or less, for example 6.6 millimeters. The lens system may include an aperture stop located behind the front vertex of the lens system, for example between the first and second lens elements, that effectively moves the ideal principal point of the camera to in front of the front vertex. The lens system may provide a focal ratio of 2.8 or less, for example 2.6 or 2.4.

A disk drive includes a voice coil motor (VCM) having a narrow coil angle and a magnet magnetized with two or three pole pairs. The VCM magnet may define first, second and third sections, the second section being magnetically polarized in an axial direction that is opposite to that of the first and third sections. The first radial leg of the VCM coil faces the second section and the second radial leg faces the third section when the head is positioned at a non-operational position. The first radial leg faces the first section and the second radial leg faces the second section when the head is reading and / or writing to the data portion of the disk. Alternatively, the VCM magnet defines first and second sections that are magnetized in opposite axial directions. The first and second radial legs of the VCM coil respectively face the first and the second sections when the head is positioned over the data portion of the disk and only the first radial leg faces the second section when the head is at a non-operational position.

A switchable view angle control device includes an electrically switchable zenithal bistable liquid crystal display view angle control liquid crystal device (ZBD view angle control LCD) that is operable in a first state and a second state; a front polarizer located on a viewing side of the switchable ZBD view angle control LCD; and a polarized light source located on a non-viewing side of the switchable ZBD view angle control LCD that emits light that is polarized in a first direction. When the switchable ZBD view angle control LCD in the first state, the view angle control device operates in a narrow angle view mode in which the polarization of the light from the polarized light source is changed by the switchable ZBD view angle control LCD to be polarized in a second direction that is at least partially absorbed by the front polarizer, and on-axis light passes through the switchable ZBD view angle control LCD and the front polarizer. When the switchable ZBD view angle control LCD is in the second state, the view angle control device operates in a wide angle view mode in which the polarization state of the light from the polarized light source is not changed by the switchable ZBD view angle control LCD and passes through the front polarizer.

In an image-capturing device having multiple optical systems, power consumption is reduced and operativity by the user is improved. The image-capturing device has an optical system having a relatively wide angle of view, and an optical system having a relatively narrow angle of view. An image processing system displays an image obtained by the optical system on a display device, crops, from the image of the optical system, an image corresponding to an image-capturing area according to an amount of operation of a zoom operation lever by the user, and displays the cropped image on the display device. When the user operates a release button, the image processing system and a lens control system drive the optical system to an angle of view corresponding to the image-capturing area and stores an image obtained by the optical system in a storage device. Information obtained by means of the optical system is used for focus adjustment, etc. of the optical system. When the image corresponding to the image-capturing area is cropped and displayed, the image is displayed in consideration of parallax between the optical systems.

An objective is to obtain a backlight in which a decrease in brightness at a peripheral portion associated with the change of viewing distance is reduced. The backlight is comprised with an optical member 107 for transforming beams projected from light sources 117A and 117B into beams having a narrow-angle light distribution in which rays having intensity of no less than a predetermined value are localized within a predetermined angle range centered in the normal direction of a display surface 106b of a liquid crystal display panel 106, and for projecting the transformed beams in the direction of the liquid crystal display panel 106; and a light distribution control member 83 for receiving the beams that are projected from the optical member 107 and that have the narrow-angle light distribution, and for projecting the received beams in the direction of the liquid crystal display panel 106, wherein a plurality of concaves 109 are provided at the light distribution control member 83 for transforming a beam, from among the beams having the narrow-angle light distribution, that enters a peripheral portion of the liquid crystal display panel 106 so that the narrow-angle light distribution of the entered beam is broadened compared to that of a beam that enters a central portion of the liquid crystal display panel 106; and curvature radiuses of the plurality of concaves are formed so that a curvature radius of a concave located at a peripheral portion of the light distribution control member 83 is smaller than a curvature radius of a concave located at a central portion of the light distribution control member 83.

A lighting unit can include an LED light source, and a lens body light exiting surface greater in width than in thickness. The lens body can include a first optical system, a second optical system, and a third optical system. The first optical system can include: a lens section; a first light incident surface; a first total reflection surface; and a second total reflection surface. The second optical system can include: a second light incident surface; a third total reflection surface; and a fourth total reflection surface. The third optical system can include a third light incident surface and a fifth total reflection surface. The optical systems can direct light emitted by the source at wide or narrow angles to exit the lens body substantially parallel to the optical axis. A space can be formed between the lens section and the first light incident surface.

If a display mode is set to a narrow angle enlargement image mode, an enlargement image area is inputted via a touch panel. A transformation is made to compress an image of a not-enlargement image area other than the enlargement image area, and a narrow angle enlargement image is generated to enable simultaneously displaying, as a narrow angle enlargement image, (i) the enlarged image in the enlargement image area and (ii) the compressed image in the not-enlargement image area. When a warning target is detected, a corresponding image area is enlarged. An audio alarm is outputted via a speaker. Further, a new narrow angle enlargement image is generated so as to merge the initial narrow angle enlargement image with an image of enlarging the image area of the warning target. A display window including the new narrow angle enlargement image is then displayed in a display device.

If it is determined that a course change at a branch point is necessary and a vehicle is traveling on a road in which a lane is added to correspond to a road which is taken after the course change (road before the branch point), “direction guidance” is provided before a road section in which the lane is added (added lane section) and “lane guidance” is provided in the added lane section. As above, by switching the “direction guidance” and the “lane guidance” depending on whether the vehicle has reached the added lane section or not, and by providing either one of the guidances, a driver can recognize the guidance without confusion. Particularly, when the branch point is branched off at a narrow angle and when the added lane is a lane dedicated to the road which is taken after the course change, by providing the lane guidance, instead of the direction guidance indicating left or right, the guidance becomes easier to understand.

Low profile, side-emitting LEDs (10) are described, where all light is efficiently emitted within a relatively narrow angle generally parallel to the surface of the light- generating active layer (14). The LEDs enable the creation of very thin backlights for backlighting an LCD. In one embodiment, the LED is a flip chip with the n and p electrodes (18) on the same side of the LED, and the LED is mounted electrode-side down on a submount (22). A reflector (34) is provided on the top surface of the LED so that light impinging on the reflector is reflected back toward the active layer (14) and eventually exits through a side surface of the LED. A waveguide layer (30) and / or one or more phosphors layers are deposed between the semiconductor layers (12, 14, 16) and the reflector for increasing the side emission area for increased efficiency. Side-emitting LEDs with a thickness of between 0.2-0.4 mm can be created.

In a display device, white LEDs and bluish white LEDs are arranged in alternating fashion on the light-incident surface side of a light-guide plate. On the light-exit side of the light-guide plate is disposed a transparent / scattering switching element switchable between a state of scattering incident light, and a state of transmitting light unchanged without scattering. During a narrow-angle display, only the white LEDs are lit, and the transparent / scattering switching element is placed in the transparent state, while during a wide-angle display, both the white LEDs and the bluish white LEDs are lit, and the transparent / scattering switching element is placed in the scattering state.

A surveillance camera system includes a first camera 5 having an angle of view θ1, a second camera 6 which is a combination of two camera modules 6a, 6b each having an angle of view θ2, a third camera 7 which is a combination of three camera modules 7a, 7b, 7c each having an angle of view θ3, and a local camera 8 having an angle of view θs. The first to third cameras 5 to 7 act as area surveillance cameras to which the optimum shooting distance is set, respectively. The local camera 8 takes a shot of a local area, which is set in a shooting area of the third camera 7, at the narrowest angle of view θs. The respective cameras take a shot individually under automatic exposure control.

A thin, linear or planar lighting apparatus with a hollow cavity having a uniform luminance distribution over a lighting surface. The lighting apparatus includes a light source configured to emit light having a narrow-angle light intensity distribution characteristic, a diffuser plate disposed in a position spaced apart by a predetermined distance from an optical axis of the light emitted from the light source, and a reflection member. The reflection member includes a level surface substantially parallel to the optical axis and an inclined surface inclined to the optical axis at a predetermined angle so that a uniform illuminance distribution over a lighting surface is achieved. A hollow region is formed between the diffuser plate and the reflection member, and the diffuser plate is illuminated with light reflected off the level surface and the inclined surface via the hollow region.

An object tracing device, an object tracing system and an object tracing method are disclosed, which traces a truly suspicious object even when a new suspicious object comes into an area to be monitored after a suspicious object has been started to be traced. In the object tracing device, an object-identifying part identifies a plurality of objects in a wide-angle picture taken by a first picture-taking device; a chronological-information-creating part creates chronological information of the identified objects; an object-selecting part selects an object having a selecting condition identical with that of the object defined as the object to be traced; and a control part drives a second picture-taking device taking a picture of a narrower angle than a first picture-taking device does and controls the picture-taking device in taking a picture of the selected object.

The present invention relates to an integrated active surveillance system, which can automatically identify targets of interest, take the magnified images of such targets, and store and transmit the images to remote monitors. The system contains: one image-taking device, which includes one camera module to take the wide-angle image of the surveillance area and magnified narrow-angle images of targets of interest; one image process device, which is connected to the image-taking device, screening wide-angle images to search for the targets of interest, and the magnified images of the targets are taken; one memory device, which is connected to the image process device, saving both the wide-angle images and magnified images; one transmitting device, which is connected to the memory device, transmitting image data to at least one remote monitor; and one control device, which is connected to all devices mentioned above, to coordinate the image-taking directions, image data processing, storing, and transmitting.

An image processing apparatus permits a user to readily recognize a current state of an angle of view. When an angle of view is switched from a wide-angle to a narrow-angle, range display is performed for a predetermined time prior to the switching. Range display includes a narrow-angle image frame formed with lines indicating a border of an image displayed for a predetermined time prior to the switching. After the predetermined time, a narrow-angle image is displayed and the range display is no longer displayed. The range display allows a user to readily recognize that the wide-angle image has been switched to the narrow-angle image by recognizing to what area in a pre-switching wide angle of view image the post-switching narrow-angle image corresponds.

The present invention provides apparatus and methods for pro-active, intelligent fire suppression and / or control using a micro-controller that is communicatably connected to at least one fire-energy detection sensor and to at least one fire suppression device. The present invention provides apparatus and methods for sensing the exact direction of a fire as well as a regional location of a fire. The present invention provides apparatus and methods for directing a fire suppressant at the source of the flame. As depicted in FIG. 1a, the present invention provides fine protection apparatus (10) for identifying the existence of a fire hazard and for determining the exact direction and regional location of the file hazard by using multiple infrared (IR) detectors. A first IR detector (20) with a wide angle view of an area of coverage corresponding to an area requiring fire protection will be continuously queried by a micro-controller (100). During normal operation, the wide-angle IR detector (20) will be located in no specific position but will be generally pointed towards the area requiring fire protection. The present invention further provides a second IR detector (30) with a narrow-angle field of view that is mounted on a movable platform (45) comprising an elevation manipulator (50) and an azimuthal manipulator (60). The elevation manipulator (50) of the movable platform (45) is connected to a second stepper-motor (91). The second stepper-motor (91) controls the elevation manipulator (50). The outer edge of the circumference of the azimuthal manipulator (60) of the movable platform (45) forms a first cog wheel (61). The first cog wheel (61) contacts a second cog wheel (62) which is connected to and driven by a first stepper-motor (90).

A radar includes fixed beam radar transmitter and receiver antennae that utilize mixed polarization to optimize the object detection field-of-view through an intervening plastic fascia. The transmitter antenna transmits radar energy with slant polarization, a first receiver antenna designed for short-range wide-angle object detection passes only horizontally polarized radar energy, and a second receiver antenna designed for long-range narrow-angle object detection passes only vertically polarized radar energy.