What is claimed is:
1. A surveillance apparatus comprising:
input means for inputting images in a time series;
background image memory means for registering a plurality of background images from said images;
difference image memory means for calculating a minimum value of difference degree of an absolute value of a difference between said background image and an image afresh inputted for each pixel and storing said difference; and
judgment means for judging an existenceabsence of an invading object on the basis of said difference degree.
2. A surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said background image comprises a single or a plurality of pixel values registered for each pixel.
3. A surveillance apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
said background image is registered or erased for each pixel;
erasing is determined on the basis of a period from a registration time of said pixel to a time at which said pixel is last looked up, and a period from a time at which said pixel is last looked up to a present time;
when registration is made, a new pixel value is written to an empty region if said empty region exists in said background image memory means, and if said empty region does not exist, importance of each pixel value of a corresponding pixel is calculated and is overwritten to an image value having the lowest degree of importance.
4. A surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, which further includes:
memory means for recording said image inputted afresh when said judgment means judges that an invading object exists.
5. A surveillance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
said difference image memory means includes minimum value image memory means for storing a minimum value image comprising an absolute value of a difference for each pixel and block-wise mean image memory means for dividing said minimum value image into blocks, and calculating and storing a mean value of an absolute value of a difference for each block; and
said judgment means judges an existenceabsence of an invading object on the basis of a time series change of said mean value.
6. A recording medium having recorded thereon a surveillance program executed by a computer including inputoutput means, a CPU and a memory, said program comprising the steps of:
inputting in a time series images from said inputoutput means;
registering a plurality of background images from said images into said memory;
calculating a minimum value of difference degree of an absolute value of a difference between said background image and an image inputted afresh for each pixel, and storing said minimum value in said memory; and
judging an existenceabsence of an invading object on the basis of said difference degree.
7. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said background image comprises a single or a plurality of pixel values registered for each pixel.
8. A recording medium according to claim 7, wherein:
said surveillance program includes a step of erasing said background image;
in said erasing step, a pixel to be erased is decided on the basis of a period from a registration time of each of said pixel values to a time at which it is last looked up, and a period from the time at which it is last looked up to a present time; and
in said registration step, a new pixel value is written to an empty region if said empty region exists in said background image memory means, and if said empty region does not exist, a degree of importance for each pixel value of a corresponding pixel is calculated and is overwritten to a pixel value having the lowest degree of importance.
9. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein when said surveillance program further includes a step of recording said image inputted afresh when said judgment means judges that an invading object exists.
10. A recording medium according to claim 6, wherein said surveillance program further includes the steps of:
storing a minimum value image comprising an absolute value of a difference for each pixel; and
dividing said minimum value image into blocks, and calculating and storing a mean value of an absolute value of a difference for each of said blocks; and wherein:
said judgment step judges an existenceabsence of an invading object on the basis of a time series change of said mean value.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A hoe equipped excavator, comprising:
a base;
a boom pivotally mounted at one end on the base;
a stick pivotally coupled at one end to an other end of the boom;
a tool pivotally coupled to an other end of the stick;
a boom link plate pivotally coupled to the boom, wherein the boom is shaped like a boomerang consisting of an angular curve having first and second tapered ends and the boom link plate is coupled to the boom near an apex of the boomerang and the first tapered end is opposite of the base;
a lift cylinder coupled between the base and the boom link plate and operable to pivot the boom through a first circumferential range, wherein the lift cylinder couples to the boom link plate on a concave side of the boom; and
an adjustment cylinder directly coupled between the boom link plate and the first tapered end of the boom opposite of the base and operable to extend outward from a retracted position to pivot the boom beyond the first circumferential range, wherein the adjustment cylinder couples to the boom link plate on the concave side of the boom.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a stick cylinder pivotally coupled at one end to an outer surface of the boom and operable to pivot the stick.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein a point of connection of the lift cylinder to the base is spaced forwardly from a point at which the boom is pivotally mounted on the base.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the boom is shaped such that it has a convex side and a concave side.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the connection points of the lift cylinder and adjustment cylinder to the boom link plate are on the concave side of the boom.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the lift and adjustment cylinders comprise fluid-actuated, cylinders.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustment cylinder comprises a fixed length strut.
8. A method of actuating a boom, comprising:
pivotally mounting a boom at one end on a base;
pivotally coupling a stick at one end to an other end of the boom;
pivotally coupling a tool to an other end of the stick;
pivotally coupling a boom link plate to the boom, wherein the boom is shaped like a boomerang consisting of an angular curve having first and second tapered ends and the first tapered end is opposite of the base and wherein pivotally coupling comprises coupling the boom link plate near an apex of the boomerang;
coupling a lift cylinder between the base and the boom link plate, wherein coupling the lift cylinder comprises coupling the lift cylinder to the boom link plate on a concave side of the boom;
directly coupling an adjustment cylinder between the boom link plate and the first tapered end of the boom opposite of the base, wherein coupling the adjustment cylinder comprises coupling the adjustment cylinder to the boom link plate on the concave side of the boom;
pivoting the boom through a first circumferential range via actuation of the lift cylinder; and
pivoting the boom beyond the first circumferential range via actuation of the adjustment cylinder, wherein actuating the adjustment cylinder comprises extending the adjustment cylinder outward from a retracted position.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising pivotally coupling a stick cylinder at one end to an outer surface of the boom and pivoting the stick via actuation of a tool control cylinder.
10. The method of claim 8, further comprising coupling the lift cylinder to the base such that a point of connection of the lift cylinder is spaced forwardly from a point at which the boom is pivotally mounted on the base.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the boom is shaped such that it has a convex side and a concave side.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising causing the connection points of the lift cylinder and adjustment cylinder to the boom link plate to be on the concave side of the boom.
13. A system for actuating a boom of a hoe equipped excavator, comprising:
a boom pivotally coupled to a base;
a boom link plate pivotally coupled to the boom at a first pivot point, wherein the boom is shaped like a boomerang consisting of an angular curve having first and second tapered ends and the first pivot point is proximate an apex of the boomerang and the first tapered end is opposite of the base;
a lift cylinder coupled between the base and the boom link plate;
an adjustment cylinder directly coupled between the boom link plate and within the first tapered end of a distal portion of the boom opposite the base;
the coupling points of the lift cylinder and adjustment cylinder to the boom link plate exist on the lower side of the boom; and
wherein the lift cylinder and the adjustment cylinder, in conjunction with the rotation of the boom link plate around the first pivot point, are operable to extend outward from a retracted position to pivot the boom through a greater circumferential range than if the lift cylinder was coupled between the base and the boom at the first pivot point.
14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a stick pivotally coupled at one end to the other end of the boom; and
a stick cylinder pivotally coupled at one end to an outer surface of the boom and operable to pivot the stick.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein a point of connection of the lift cylinder to the base is spaced forwardly from a point at which the boom is pivotally mounted on the base.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the lift and adjustment cylinders comprise fluid-actuated, cylinders.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein the adjustment cylinder comprises a fixed length strut.
18. A hoe equipped excavator, comprising:
a base;
a boom pivotally mounted at one end on the base, wherein the boom is shaped like a boomerang consisting of an angular curve having first and second tapered ends and the first tapered end is opposite of the base;
a stick pivotally coupled at one end to an other end of the boom;
a tool pivotally coupled to an other end of the stick;
first and second boom link plates each pivotally coupled to the boom near an apex of the boomerang, a boom link plate comprising three bushings, wherein a first bushing comprises a master spline operable to align the first boom link plate with the second boom link plate;
first and second lift cylinders each coupled between the base and the boom link plate and operable to pivot the boom through a first circumferential range, wherein a lift cylinder couples to a second bushing of the boom link plate on a concave side of the boom; and
first and second adjustment cylinders each directly coupled between the boom link plate and the first tapered end of the boom opposite the base and operable to extend outward from a retracted position to pivot the boom beyond the first circumferential range, wherein an adjustment cylinder couples to a third bushing of the boom link plate on the concave side of the boom.