An image-correspondence position detection device comprising an extractor 12 for extracting a sampling image of specific size from a pair of images, correlation calculator 114 for generating a correlation value line and calculating an integer correlation position and a decimal correlation position while sequentially shifting the extraction position, measured correlation value calculator 118 for calculating a measured correlation value for a partial area at the integer correlation position, estimated correlation value calculator 116 for calculating an estimated correlation value assuming uniform shifting in each pixel of similar sampling images by the difference between the integer correlation position and the decimal correlation position for the partial area, and a correspondence degree calculator 120 for calculating the degree of correspondence between pixels in the partial area from the measured correlation value and the estimated correlation value.

A distance measuring apparatus applicable to a mobile body such as an automotive vehicle which detects a position of an obstacle (a target object) without influence of an ambient environment such as a white line and determines positions of lateral ends of the obstacle is disclosed. In the distance measuring apparatus, a pair of electronic cameras are mounted on the mobile body, optical axes of both of the cameras being mutually parallel to each other and being directed toward a forward direction or toward a rearward direction and horizontal axes of their photograph planes being aligned to the same line. Using a new stereophotographic image processing, deriving a parallax for each window from a calculated difference in position between one image and another image, voting to each position in a table of parallax x lateral position, calculating a distance to the obstacle on the basis of the value of the parallax at any one of horizontal positions in the table at which a result of voting indicates a higher value, deriving a horizontal range on the one image on the basis of the horizontal positions of respective windows corresponding to any positions in the table at each of which the result of voting indicates the higher value, deriving a vertical range at each end of which a histogram value of histograms indicates a higher value, and, selecting any one of present longitudinal edges located in the vicinity of each end of the horizontal range from among searched longitudinal edges.

A method for processing a stereo image is provided which includes the steps of setting a specified area of a base window with reference to a point for obtaining a corresponding point in the base image; setting a reference window having the same size as that of the base window in the reference image; evaluating the difference between the base window and the reference window while scanning the reference window along an epipolar line; determining the position of the reference window having the minimum difference as a stereo corresponding point; measuring parallax from the difference between the position of the base window and the position of the reference window; calculating the reliability of the corresponding point (parallax) by first reliability based on the sharpness of the peak of the evaluation-value distribution of the difference of patterns between the base window and the reference window and second reliability based on the shape of the peaks; and outputting the value of the reliability of the parallax together with information on the parallax.

A digital camera simulates the use of fill flash. The camera takes a series of photographs of a scene at various focus distances. The photographs are stored, along with their corresponding focus distances. The photographs are analyzed to determine the distance to objects at various locations of the scene. Regions of a final photograph are selectively adjusted in brightness based on the distance information to simulate the effect that would have resulted had fill flash been used.

A passive electro-optical range and total velocity measuring system having first and second cameras positioned along a common baseline. Control systems activate the first and second cameras at a first instance to capture a target image of a target at location T.sub.1 and at a second instance to capture a target image of the target at location T.sub.2. A range computer calculates ranges from the first camera, the second camera, and a baseline midpoint to a target at location T.sub.1 and location T.sub.2. An angles computer calculates target displacement. A velocity computer calculates total total target velocity, track velocity, and cross-track velocity. The present invention also includes a method for measuring the range and total velocity of a target using a passive electro-optical system.