Patents by Inventor Kentarou Murakami

Kentarou Murakami has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20170282786
    Abstract: A blade receives light emitted from a light source and repeats a predetermined periodic motion to scan the front of a vehicle with reflected light of the emitted light. A position detector generates a position detection signal S4 indicating a timing at which a predetermined reference point of the blade passes a predetermined position. Based on the position detection signal S4, a period calculator calculates a period Tp of the periodic motion of the blade. A light intensity calculator receives light-distribution-pattern information S3 to be formed in front of the vehicle and calculates light intensity to be generated by the light source at each time based on the position detection signal S4 and the period Tp. A driver turns on a semiconductor light source so as to obtain the light intensity calculated by the light intensity calculator at each time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi TODA, Kentarou MURAKAMI, Masayasu ITO, Takao MURAMATSU, Hidetada TANAKA, Satoshi YAMAMURA
  • Patent number: 9648679
    Abstract: A lighting circuit, which is mounted in a vehicle lamp, can change the luminance at high speeds. The lighting circuit is used together with a semiconductor light source and makes up a vehicle lamp. A switching converter supplies power to the semiconductor light source. A converter controller controls the switching converter. A current detection circuit detects a current IDRV which is supplied from the switching converter to the semiconductor light source. A hysteresis comparator compares the detected current value with an upper threshold voltage and a lower threshold voltage and generates a control pulse according to the results of the comparison. A threshold voltage generating circuit receives a variable control voltage which indicates a target amount of a current and generates the upper threshold voltage and the lower threshold voltage according to the control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Takao Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20160096467
    Abstract: A lighting circuit, which is mounted in a vehicle lamp, can change the luminance at high speeds. The lighting circuit is used together with a semiconductor light source and makes up a vehicle lamp. A switching converter supplies power to the semiconductor light source. A converter controller controls the switching converter. A current detection circuit detects a current IDRV which is supplied from the switching converter to the semiconductor light source. A hysteresis comparator compares the detected current value with an upper threshold voltage and a lower threshold voltage and generates a control pulse according to the results of the comparison. A threshold voltage generating circuit receives a variable control voltage which indicates a target amount of a current and generates the upper threshold voltage and the lower threshold voltage according to the control voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Takao Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 8222839
    Abstract: A dimming control system 1 includes: light source units each having a respective LED; and a control unit connected to the light source units via power supply lines. The control unit is connected to each of the light source units in series. The control unit includes: switch portions that control dimming of the LEDs by repeating an ON/OFF operation in a predetermined cycle; current detection circuits and voltage detection circuits that detect a current or a voltage supplied via the power supply lines; and a CPU that determines there is an abnormality in the power supply lines or the light source units when a value of the detected current or voltage exceeds a predetermined range while the switch portions are ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Masayasu Ito
  • Patent number: 7741788
    Abstract: In conduction of light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4, a switching signal 101 is converted into a voltage V2 or 0V through a signal converter 26 in accordance with a logic level thereof. The voltage obtained by the conversion is compared with a voltage V1 on both ends of a resistor R1 through an operational amplifier 20 to open/close an output loop by an NMOS transistor 22, a current If of the light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4 is limited to a current If1 so as not to exceed a maximum current, and a current defined with an ON duty of the switching signal 101 is caused to flow as a mean current to the light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4 to inhibit an overshoot current from flowing to the light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4 while the output loop is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Takayoshi Kitagawa, Kentarou Murakami
  • Publication number: 20100052537
    Abstract: A dimming control system 1 includes: light source units each having a respective LED; and a control unit connected to the light source units via power supply lines. The control unit is connected to each of the light source units in series. The control unit includes: switch portions that control dimming of the LEDs by repeating an ON/OFF operation in a predetermined cycle; current detection circuits and voltage detection circuits that detect a current or a voltage supplied via the power supply lines; and a CPU that determines there is an abnormality in the power supply lines or the light source units when a value of the detected current or voltage exceeds a predetermined range while the switch portions are ON.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Masayasu Ito
  • Publication number: 20080203946
    Abstract: In conduction of light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4, a switching signal 101 is converted into a voltage V2 or 0V through a signal converter 26 in accordance with a logic level thereof The voltage obtained by the conversion is compared with a voltage V1 on both ends of a resistor R1 through an operational amplifier 20 to open/close an output loop by an NMOS transistor 22, a current If of the light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4 is limited to a current If1 so as not to exceed a maximum current, and a current defined with an ON duty of the switching signal 101 is caused to flow as a mean current to the light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4 to inhibit an overshoot current from flowing to the light emitting diodes LEDs 1 to 4 while the output loop is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Takayoshi Kitagawa, Kentarou Murakami
  • Patent number: 7385831
    Abstract: A power supply device includes: a regulator transformer; a primary switch for selectively supplying a current to the regulator transformer; a control circuit for reducing to 0, following each election made at the primary switch, the minimum value of a current output by the secondary side of the regulator transformer; and a coupling transformer for magnetically coupling routes along which a plurality of loads are connected in parallel to the secondary side of the regulator translator in a direction in which magnetic flux along each of the routes is offset by a current change. In this case, the control circuit increases the maximum value of the output current on the secondary side larger than twice of the target value of the current supplied to the loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Kentarou Murakami, Hitoshi Takeda
  • Patent number: 7327586
    Abstract: A power supply unit comprises: a voltage output section for supplying a voltage to a plurality of loads connected in parallel with each other; and a plurality of output side coils provided respectively corresponding to the plurality of loads, the plurality of output side coils being trans-connected with each other, the plurality of output side coils being connected with the corresponding loads in series. An electric current to be supplied from the voltage output section to the corresponding load flow in each output side coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Masayasu Ito
  • Patent number: 7301784
    Abstract: In a process where the energy accumulated in the transformer while a transistor is turned ON is emitted to an output circuit and an LED is illuminated with the emitted energy, a voltage generated across a resistor is monitored by a control circuit. When the current flowing through the transistor has reached a limit current value, the ON operation of the transistor is limited. When the output voltage of the output circuit has exceeded a first set voltage, the limit current value is lowered and the ON operation of the transistor is further limited. When the output voltage of the output circuit has exceeded a second set voltage, the ON operation of the transistor is forcibly stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Masayasu Ito
  • Publication number: 20060175901
    Abstract: In a process where the energy accumulated in the transformer while a transistor is turned ON is emitted to an output circuit and an LED is illuminated with the emitted energy, a voltage generated across a resistor is monitored by a control circuit. When the current flowing through the transistor has reached a limit current value, the ON operation of the transistor is limited. When the output voltage of the output circuit has exceeded a first set voltage, the limit current value is lowered and the ON operation of the transistor is further limited. When the output voltage of the output circuit has exceeded a second set voltage, the ON operation of the transistor is forcibly stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Masayasu Ito
  • Patent number: 7084571
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicular lamp that can flow an electric current having a predetermined variation ratio into each of a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting element units and can individually illuminate each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting element units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Kentarou Murakami
  • Publication number: 20050269968
    Abstract: A power supply device includes: a regulator transformer; a primary switch for selectively supplying a current to the regulator transformer; a control circuit for reducing to 0, following each election made at the primary switch, the minimum value of a current output by the secondary side of the regulator transformer; and a coupling transformer for magnetically coupling routes along which a plurality of loads are connected in parallel to the secondary side of the regulator translator in a direction in which magnetic flux along each of the routes is offset by a current change. In this case, the control circuit increases the maximum value of the output current on the secondary side larger than twice of the target value of the current supplied to the loads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Kentarou Murakami, Hitoshi Takeda
  • Publication number: 20050236999
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicular lamp that can flow an electric current having a predetermined variation ratio into each of a plurality of semiconductor light-emitting element units and can individually illuminate each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting element units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: Masayasu Ito, Kentarou Murakami
  • Publication number: 20050184588
    Abstract: A power supply unit comprises: a voltage output section for supplying a voltage to a plurality of loads connected in parallel with each other; and a plurality of output side coils provided respectively corresponding to the plurality of loads, the plurality of output side coils being trans-connected with each other, the plurality of output side coils being connected with the corresponding loads in series. An electric current to be supplied from the voltage output section to the corresponding load flow in each output side coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: August 25, 2005
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentarou Murakami, Masayasu Ito