Patents by Inventor Koji Imaeda
Koji Imaeda 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).
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Patent number: 10202067Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a first control apparatus that controls a first lamp mounted in a vehicle and a second control apparatus that controls a second lamp mounted in the vehicle. The first control apparatus starts light-on/off control of the first lamp under a condition that a light-on/off command is inputted, turns on/off the first lamp such that a light quantity of the first lamp is gradually changed over a first transition time from the start of light-on/off control to when the light quantity of the first lamp reaches a target and light-on/off is completed, and inputs an auxiliary light-on/off command to the second control apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2015Date of Patent: February 12, 2019Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuhisa Okumura, Koji Imaeda
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Patent number: 9713979Abstract: A vehicular headlamp apparatus includes: a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle; light distribution pattern switching means for switching light distribution pattern of the headlamp between a plurality of light distribution patterns which include, at least, a high beam and a low beam; detecting means for detecting a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; controlling means for controlling the light distribution pattern switching means based on a detection result of the detecting means; and turning radius acquiring means for acquiring a turning radius of the own vehicle during running. Moreover, when the turning radius of the own vehicle acquired by the turning radius acquiring means is less than a predetermined value, the controlling means inhibits the switching of the light distribution pattern of the headlamp to a higher side.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2013Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Koji Imaeda, Hajime Kasai, Kiyotaka Mochizuki, Tatsuya Takagaki
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Patent number: 9656594Abstract: Speed of a vehicle is acquired from a speed detecting device, and then a beam switching threshold, according to the acquired speed, of an irradiation direction of a headlight is initially set. When the number of appearance (i.e. frequency of appearance) of a light source in a predetermined time detected by a light source detection means have become the beam switching threshold or more, the headlight is switched to a low beam. When a predetermined time (beam switching prohibition time Tp) has been passed after the irradiation direction of a headlight was switched to the low beam, the irradiation direction of the headlight is switched to a high beam.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2016Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Koji Imaeda
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Publication number: 20170015237Abstract: A vehicle control system includes a first control apparatus that controls a first lamp mounted in a vehicle and a second control apparatus that controls a second lamp mounted in the vehicle. The first control apparatus starts light-on/off control of the first lamp under a condition that a light-on/off command is inputted, turns on/off the first lamp such that a light quantity of the first lamp is gradually changed over a first transition time from the start of light-on/off control to when the light quantity of the first lamp reaches a target and light-on/off is completed, and inputs an auxiliary light-on/off command to the second control apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2015Publication date: January 19, 2017Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuhisa Okumura, Koji Imaeda
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Patent number: 9527433Abstract: A control apparatus, which controls a headlight unit, repeatedly performs a process of measuring brightness ahead of the own vehicle using a luminance sensor. For example, when a curved road region is present ahead of the own vehicle, measurement is made of the brightness of a road surface or a guardrail of a specified region (region to which light from a headlight unit of a forward vehicle is emitted) in the road region. Then, a variation (?) in a measurement value of the brightness from a previous measurement value is calculated. When the variation (?) is equal to or more than a threshold TH, a vehicle yet to emerge is predicted to emerge in a forward view of the own vehicle to thereby switch a lighting mode for the light emitted from the headlight unit to another mode so that the emergence area is darkened.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2014Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Koji Imaeda, Yoshikazu Hatada
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Patent number: 9469242Abstract: In a headlamp light distribution control device, a light source configured by a pair of lamps mounted in a forward vehicle is extracted from an image of the forward vehicle if a distance to the forward vehicle is less than a predetermined value, and the number of the extracted light sources is judged. When the number of the extracted light sources is two, an irradiation direction of a headlamp is controlled such that a shielded area is set in an irradiation area to prevent an area including the lamp of the forward vehicle from being irradiated. When the number of the extracted light sources is one, the irradiation direction is controlled such that a shielded area is set in the irradiation area to have a margin in right and left directions larger than the shielded area set when the number of the extracted light sources is two.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2014Date of Patent: October 18, 2016Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Koji Imaeda, Kentarou Shiota
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Publication number: 20160288697Abstract: Speed of a vehicle is acquired from a speed detecting device, and then a beam switching threshold, according to the acquired speed, of an irradiation direction of a headlight is initially set. When the number of appearance (i.e. frequency of appearance) of a light source in a predetermined time detected by a light source detection means have become the beam switching threshold or more, the headlight is switched to a low beam. When a predetermined time (beam switching prohibition time Tp) has been passed after the irradiation direction of a headlight was switched to the low beam, the irradiation direction of the headlight is switched to a high beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2016Publication date: October 6, 2016Inventor: Koji IMAEDA
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Patent number: 9436881Abstract: An apparatus predicts a turn of a vehicle based on a picked-up image of a forward view of the vehicle. The forward view is imaged by an on-vehicle sensor to repeatedly acquire images. The acquired images include position coordinate information of a light source and information indicating whether the light source is a light source of a preceding vehicle or a light source of an oncoming vehicle. Based on such information, it is determined whether or not the light source is a light source of an oncoming vehicle newly appeared in the images and the light source is in a predetermined area near the left end or in a predetermined area near the right end in the images. When the determination result is affirmative, it is determined that there is a curve in the traveling direction of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2012Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Koji Imaeda
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Patent number: 9387796Abstract: Speed of a vehicle is acquired from a speed detecting device, and then a beam switching threshold, according to the acquired speed, of an irradiation direction of a headlight is initially set. When the number of appearance (i.e. frequency of appearance) of a light source in a predetermined time detected by a light source detection means have become the beam switching threshold or more, the headlight is switched to a low beam. When a predetermined time (beam switching prohibition time Tp) has been passed after the irradiation direction of a headlight was switched to the low beam, the irradiation direction of the headlight is switched to a high beam.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2012Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Koji Imaeda
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Publication number: 20160023591Abstract: A control apparatus, which controls a headlight unit, repeatedly performs a process of measuring brightness ahead of the own vehicle using a luminance sensor. For example, when a curved road region is present ahead of the own vehicle, measurement is made of the brightness of a road surface or a guardrail of a specified region (region to which light from a headlight unit of a forward vehicle is emitted) in the road region. Then, a variation ? in a measurement value of the brightness from a previous measurement value is calculated. When the variation ? is equal to or more than a threshold TH, a vehicle yet to emerge is predicted to emerge in a forward view of the own vehicle to thereby switch a lighting mode for the light emitted from the headlight unit to another mode so that the emergence area is darkened.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2014Publication date: January 28, 2016Inventors: Koji Imaeda, Yoshikazu Hatada
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Publication number: 20150251586Abstract: A vehicular headlamp apparatus includes: a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle; light distribution pattern switching means for switching light distribution pattern of the headlamp between a plurality of light distribution patterns which include, at least, a high beam and a low beam; detecting means for detecting a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; controlling means for controlling the light distribution pattern switching means based on a detection result of the detecting means; and turning radius acquiring means for acquiring a turning radius of the own vehicle during running. Moreover, when the turning radius of the own vehicle acquired by the turning radius acquiring means is less than a predetermined value, the controlling means inhibits the switching of the light distribution pattern of the headlamp to a higher side.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2013Publication date: September 10, 2015Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Koji Imaeda, Hajime Kasai, Kiyotaka Mochizuki, Tatsuya Takagaki
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Publication number: 20150028742Abstract: In a headlamp light distribution control device, a light source configured by a pair of lamps mounted in a forward vehicle is extracted from an image of the forward vehicle if a distance to the forward vehicle is less than a predetermined value, and the number of the extracted light sources is judged. When the number of the extracted light sources is two, an irradiation direction of a headlamp is controlled such that a shielded area is set in an irradiation area to prevent an area including the lamp of the forward vehicle from being irradiated. When the number of the extracted light sources is one, the irradiation direction is controlled such that a shielded area is set in the irradiation area to have a margin in right and left directions larger than the shielded area set when the number of the extracted light sources is two.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 13, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Koji IMAEDA, Kentarou SHIOTA
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Publication number: 20150016678Abstract: An apparatus predicts a turn of a vehicle based on a picked-up image of a forward view of the vehicle. The forward view is imaged by an on-vehicle sensor to repeatedly acquire images. The acquired images include position coordinate information of a light source and information indicating whether the light source is a light source of a preceding vehicle or a light source of an oncoming vehicle. Based on such information, it is determined whether or not the light source is a light source of an oncoming vehicle newly appeared in the images and the light source is in a predetermined area near the left end or in a predetermined area near the right end in the images. When the determination result is affirmative, it is determined that there is a curve in the traveling direction of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2012Publication date: January 15, 2015Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Koji Imaeda
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Patent number: 8884522Abstract: An extraction unit extracts a forward vehicle from an acquired image of the forward area image. A judgment unit extracts a lamp of the forward vehicle from the image of the extracted forward vehicle if a distance to the forward vehicle is less than a predetermined value, and judges whether the extracted lamp is actually two lamps or a single lamp. A control unit controls an irradiation direction of a headlamp such that a first shielded area is set in an irradiation area to prevent an area including the lamp of the forward vehicle from being irradiated if judged that the extracted lamp is actually two lamps, and such that a second shielded area is set in the irradiation area to have a margin in right and left directions larger than the first shielded area if judged that the extracted lamp is really only a single lamp.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2012Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Koji Imaeda
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Publication number: 20140169010Abstract: Speed of a vehicle is acquired from a speed detecting device, and then a beam switching threshold, according to the acquired speed, of an irradiation direction of a headlight is initially set. When the number of appearance (i.e. frequency of appearance) of a light source in a predetermined time detected by a light source detection means have become the beam switching threshold or more, the headlight is switched to a low beam. When a predetermined time (beam switching prohibition time Tp) has been passed after the irradiation direction of a headlight was switched to the low beam, the irradiation direction of the headlight is switched to a high beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2012Publication date: June 19, 2014Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Koji Imaeda
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Publication number: 20130026916Abstract: An extraction unit extracts a forward vehicle from an acquired image of the forward area image. A judgment unit extracts a lamp of the forward vehicle from the image of the extracted forward vehicle if a distance to the forward vehicle is less than a predetermined value, and judges whether the extracted lamp is actually two lamps or a single lamp. A control unit controls an irradiation direction of a headlamp such that a first shielded area is set in an irradiation area to prevent an area including the lamp of the forward vehicle from being irradiated if judged that the extracted lamp is actually two lamps, and such that a second shielded area is set in the irradiation area to have a margin in right and left directions larger than the first shielded area if judged that the extracted lamp is really only a single lamp.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2012Publication date: January 31, 2013Applicant: Denso CorporationInventor: Koji Imaeda