Patents by Inventor Kentarou YAMASAKI

Kentarou YAMASAKI 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).

  • Patent number: 11987169
    Abstract: Provided is an optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp. The optical axis adjustment device adjusts an optical axis of a headlamp unit to be mounted in a vehicle, and the optical axis adjustment device includes: an engine temperature acquirer; a displacement amount calculator; a speed information acquirer; and an optical axis adjuster. The engine temperature acquirer acquires a temperature in an engine compartment of the vehicle. The displacement amount calculator calculates a displacement amount of the optical axis based on the acquired temperature. The speed information acquirer acquires speed information including a travel speed and a travel time of the vehicle. The optical axis adjuster adjusts the optical axis of the headlamp unit on a basis of the calculated displacement amount and the acquired speed information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Noriaki Asano
  • Patent number: 11890983
    Abstract: An optical axis adjustment device for a headlamp unit to be mounted in a vehicle is configured to adjust an optical axis of the headlamp unit. The optical axis adjustment device includes an engine temperature acquirer, a displacement amount calculator, and an optical axis adjuster. The engine temperature acquirer is configured to acquire a temperature in an engine compartment of the vehicle. The displacement amount calculator is configured to calculate a displacement amount of the optical axis on a basis of the acquired temperature. The optical axis adjuster is configured to adjust the optical axis of the headlamp unit on a basis of the calculated displacement amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Noriaki Asano
  • Patent number: 11634157
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is configured to be switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving. The lamp controller is configured to start a lighting control of the automated driving indicator lamp that has been off, before the vehicle makes a departure by the automated driving, on the condition that the vehicle is about to make the departure by the automated driving from a parked or stopped state with the automated driving indicator lamp off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Makoto Kinoshita, Keisuke Takayama, Yuta Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20230095564
    Abstract: An optical axis adjustment device for a headlamp unit to be mounted in a vehicle is configured to adjust an optical axis of the headlamp unit. the optical axis adjustment device includes an engine temperature acquirer, a displacement amount calculator, an operation information acquirer, and an optical axis adjuster. The engine temperature is configured to acquirer acquire a temperature in an engine compartment of the vehicle. The displacement amount calculator is configured to calculate a displacement amount of the optical axis on a basis of the temperature. The operation information acquirer is configured to acquire operation information indicating an operation status of a cooling device for the engine. The optical axis adjuster is configured to adjust the optical axis of the headlamp unit on a basis of the displacement amount and the operation information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Noriaki ASANO
  • Publication number: 20230098061
    Abstract: An optical axis adjustment device for a headlamp unit to be mounted in a vehicle is configured to adjust an optical axis of the headlamp unit. and the optical axis adjustment device includes a load information acquirer, a displacement amount calculator, and an optical axis adjuster. The load information acquirer is configured to acquire load information indicating a load on an engine of the vehicle. The displacement amount calculator is configured to calculate a displacement amount of the optical axis on a basis of the load information. The optical axis adjuster is configured to adjust the optical axis of the headlamp unit on a basis of the displacement amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Noriaki ASANO
  • Publication number: 20230102156
    Abstract: Provided is an optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp. The optical axis adjustment device adjusts an optical axis of a headlamp unit to be mounted in a vehicle, and the optical axis adjustment device includes: an engine temperature acquirer; a displacement amount calculator; a speed information acquirer; and an optical axis adjuster. The engine temperature acquirer acquires a temperature in an engine compartment of the vehicle. The displacement amount calculator calculates a displacement amount of the optical axis based on the acquired temperature. The speed information acquirer acquires speed information including a travel speed and a travel time of the vehicle. The optical axis adjuster adjusts the optical axis of the headlamp unit on a basis of the calculated displacement amount and the acquired speed information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Noriaki ASANO
  • Publication number: 20230103077
    Abstract: An optical axis adjustment device for a headlamp unit to be mounted in a vehicle is configured to adjust an optical axis of the headlamp unit. The optical axis adjustment device includes an engine temperature acquirer, a displacement amount calculator, and an optical axis adjuster. The engine temperature acquirer is configured to acquire a temperature in an engine compartment of the vehicle. The displacement amount calculator is configured to calculate a displacement amount of the optical axis on a basis of the acquired temperature. The optical axis adjuster is configured to adjust the optical axis of the headlamp unit on a basis of the calculated displacement amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Noriaki ASANO
  • Patent number: 11603039
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving. On the occasion of switching of a driving state of the vehicle from the automated driving to manual driving, the lamp controller switches off the automated driving indicator lamp after changing a lighting state of the automated driving indicator lamp from a first lighting state during the execution of the automated driving to a second lighting state different from the first lighting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Makoto Kinoshita, Keisuke Takayama, Yuta Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20230065315
    Abstract: A vehicle posture calculation device includes an electronic control unit for a vehicle. The electronic control unit acquires a position and orientation of the vehicle from information of a global positioning system receiver. The electronic control unit extracts, as at least one feature point, a position of a landmark in an image acquired with a camera. The electronic control unit acquires at least one calculated reference point and calculate an inclination angle of the vehicle. The at least one calculated reference point is acquired by calculating a position of the landmark to be captured in the image with the camera. The position of the landmark is calculated from a three-dimensional map and the position and the orientation of the vehicle that are acquired. The inclination angle is calculated from displacement between the at least one feature point and the at least one calculated reference point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventor: Kentarou YAMASAKI
  • Patent number: 11524708
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The travel controller controls the travel of the vehicle by automated driving in a normal movement mode and in an automatic parking mode. The normal movement mode includes allowing the vehicle to travel, and the automatic parking mode includes parking the vehicle by the automated driving in a parking lot. The lamp controller controls a lighting state of the automated driving indicator lamp during the execution of the automated driving to a first lighting state in the normal movement mode, and to a second lighting state different from the first lighting state in the automatic parking mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Makoto Kinoshita, Keisuke Takayama, Yuta Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 11485282
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving. The lamp controller acquires, during the execution of the automated driving, attribute information regarding a place being traveled by the vehicle. The lamp controller makes a lighting control of the automated driving indicator lamp during the execution of the automated driving, in accordance with the place being traveled by the vehicle executing the automated driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Makoto Kinoshita, Keisuke Takayama, Yuta Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 11465556
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes an automated driving indicator lamp, one or more lamps, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is configured to be switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving of the vehicle. The one or more lamps are provided on the vehicle separately from the automated driving indicator lamp. The lamp controller is configured to start to switch on the automated driving indicator lamp that has been off, before starting to switch on the one or more lamps, on the condition that the vehicle is about to make a departure by the automated driving from a parked or stopped state with the automated driving indicator lamp and the one or more lamps off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Makoto Kinoshita, Keisuke Takayama, Yuta Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 11338828
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The lamp controller switches off the automated driving indicator lamp during the execution of automated driving, on the condition that the vehicle executing the automated driving is traveling in an exclusive place for the automated driving. On the condition that a surrounding moving body is present around the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling by the automated driving in the exclusive place for the automated driving, with the automated driving indicator lamp off, the lamp controller switches the automated driving indicator lamp back on during the execution of the automated driving, in accordance with attributes of the surrounding moving body with respect to the exclusive place for the automated driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Makoto Kinoshita, Keisuke Takayama, Yuta Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 11208036
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The travel controller controls travel of the vehicle while switching a travel control state between automated driving and manual driving. The automated driving indicator lamp is switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of the automated driving. The lamp controller makes a control to switch on the automated driving indicator lamp to indicate that the travel control state is the automated driving, during execution of the automated driving in which the travel controller controls the travel of the vehicle by the automated driving. The lamp controller changes, during the execution of the automated driving, a lighting state of the automated driving indicator lamp in response to a change in the travel control state or a change in travel environment, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Makoto Kinoshita, Keisuke Takayama, Yuta Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20210094584
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The lamp controller switches off the automated driving indicator lamp during the execution of automated driving, on the condition that the vehicle executing the automated driving is traveling in an exclusive place for the automated driving. On the condition that a surrounding moving body is present around the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling by the automated driving in the exclusive place for the automated driving, with the automated driving indicator lamp off, the lamp controller switches the automated driving indicator lamp back on during the execution of the automated driving, in accordance with attributes of the surrounding moving body with respect to the exclusive place for the automated driving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Makoto KINOSHITA, Keisuke TAKAYAMA, Yuta MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20210094465
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The travel controller controls travel of the vehicle while switching a travel control state between automated driving and manual driving. The automated driving indicator lamp is switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of the automated driving. The lamp controller makes a control to switch on the automated driving indicator lamp to indicate that the travel control state is the automated driving, during execution of the automated driving in which the travel controller controls the travel of the vehicle by the automated driving. The lamp controller changes, during the execution of the automated driving, a lighting state of the automated driving indicator lamp in response to a change in the travel control state or a change in travel environment, or both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Makoto KINOSHITA, Keisuke TAKAYAMA, Yuta MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20210094466
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving. The lamp controller acquires, during the execution of the automated driving, attribute information regarding a place being traveled by the vehicle. The lamp controller makes a lighting control of the automated driving indicator lamp during the execution of the automated driving, in accordance with the place being traveled by the vehicle executing the automated driving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Makoto KINOSHITA, Keisuke TAKAYAMA, Yuta MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20210094585
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving. The lamp controller acquires, during the execution of the automated driving, information regarding a surrounding moving body present around the vehicle. The lamp controller makes a lighting control of the automated driving indicator lamp during the execution of the automated driving, in response to presence of any surrounding moving body around the vehicle executing the automated driving.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Makoto KINOSHITA, Keisuke TAKAYAMA, Yuta MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20210094467
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving. On the occasion of switching of a driving state of the vehicle from the automated driving to manual driving, the lamp controller switches off the automated driving indicator lamp after changing a lighting state of the automated driving indicator lamp from a first lighting state during the execution of the automated driving to a second lighting state different from the first lighting state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Makoto KINOSHITA, Keisuke TAKAYAMA, Yuta MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20210094573
    Abstract: An automated driving enabled vehicle includes a travel controller, an automated driving indicator lamp, and a lamp controller. The automated driving indicator lamp is configured to be switched on perceptibly from outside the vehicle on the occasion of automated driving. The lamp controller is configured to start a lighting control of the automated driving indicator lamp that has been off, before the vehicle makes a departure by the automated driving, on the condition that the vehicle is about to make the departure by the automated driving from a parked or stopped state with the automated driving indicator lamp off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Kentarou YAMASAKI, Makoto KINOSHITA, Keisuke TAKAYAMA, Yuta MURAMATSU