Patents by Inventor Nobutaka Tezuka

Nobutaka Tezuka 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: 11681037
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a lamp chamber, an automatic operation marker lamp unit, and a sensor device. The lamp chamber includes a lamp body and an outer lens, and the automatic operation marker lamp unit and the sensor device are integrated in the lamp chamber. The automatic operation marker lamp unit informs surroundings that a vehicle is being driven automatically, and a sensor device detects information around the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Tezuka, Yuichi Watano, Shigeyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10836305
    Abstract: A marker lamp system includes a sensor configured to detect information around a vehicle, a projector configured to project an image onto a road surface around the vehicle, a controller configured to control the projector based on a detecting result of the sensor, and a marker lamp having a light emitting area surrounding the sensor and the projector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Tezuka, Yuichi Watano, Shigeyuki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20200209385
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a lamp chamber, an automatic operation marker lamp unit, and a sensor device. The lamp chamber includes a lamp body and an outer lens, and the automatic operation marker lamp unit and the sensor device are integrated in the lamp chamber. The automatic operation marker lamp unit informs surroundings that a vehicle is being driven automatically, and a sensor device detects information around the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Nobutaka Tezuka, Yuichi Watano, Shigeyuki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20200207258
    Abstract: A marker lamp system includes a sensor configured to detect information around a vehicle, a projector configured to project an image onto a road surface around the vehicle, a controller configured to control the projector based on a detecting result of the sensor, and a marker lamp having a light emitting area surrounding the sensor and the projector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Inventors: Nobutaka Tezuka, Yuichi Watano, Shigeyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8628226
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp unit has a plurality of projection lenses configured to project light from at least one light source. The plurality of projection lenses is configured and arranged such that each of the projection lenses includes an outer peripheral portion that faces and extends along the outer peripheral portion of an adjacent one of the projection lenses. The outer peripheral portion of each of the projection lenses touches or lies close to the outer peripheral portion of the adjacent one of the projection lenses such that light emitting areas of the plurality of projection lenses as a whole are visually recognized as a single light emitting area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takahashi, Nobutaka Tezuka
  • Publication number: 20110199776
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp unit has a plurality of projection lenses configured to project light from at least one light source. The plurality of projection lenses is configured and arranged such that each of the projection lenses includes an outer peripheral portion that faces and extends along the outer peripheral portion of an adjacent one of the projection lenses. The outer peripheral portion of each of the projection lenses touches or lies close to the outer peripheral portion of the adjacent one of the projection lenses such that light emitting areas of the plurality of projection lenses as a whole are visually recognized as a single light emitting area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toru TAKAHASHI, Nobutaka TEZUKA
  • Patent number: 7722235
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp is provided. The vehicle headlamp includes a projection-type light source unit housed in a lamp chamber. The light source unit includes a projection lens; a shade; a light emitting diode (LED) light source; a reflector; and an optical element. The LED light source includes a substrate; an LED chip disposed on the substrate such that the LED chip is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the light source unit; and a cover member. A region of the cover member includes concave and convex portions so as to diffuse light transmitted through the cover member. The reflector reflects and guides the light from the LED light source onto a rear focus of the projection lens. The optical element guides the diffused light transmitted through the cover toward a front side of the vehicle headlamp so as to form an overhead light distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Mochizuki, Nobutaka Tezuka
  • Patent number: 7535406
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp 1 including a lamp unit 13 provided inside a lamp chamber 7 so that the optical axis direction of lamp unit 13 is adjustable with the use of a tilting movement adjustment mechanism 15. The lamp chamber 7 is formed by a lamp body 3 and a transparent front cover 5 attached to the front opening of the lamp body 3, while the lamp unit 13 is formed by a reflector 9 and a light source 11. A millimeter wave radar device 25 is installed in the vehicular lamp, and it is composed of a controlling unit 25B and an antenna unit 25A that are provided separately from each other so that the controlling unit is attached to the lamp body and the antenna unit is attached to the lamp unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuo Teranishi, Nobutaka Tezuka, Toshinao Daicho, Takashi Hori
  • Publication number: 20090122567
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp is provided. The vehicle headlamp includes a projection-type light source unit housed in a lamp chamber. The light source unit includes a projection lens; a shade; a light emitting diode (LED) light source; a reflector; and an optical element. The LED light source includes a substrate; an LED chip disposed on the substrate such that the LED chip is oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the light source unit; and a cover member. A region of the cover member includes concave and convex portions so as to diffuse light transmitted through the cover member. The reflector reflects and guides the light from the LED light source onto a rear focus of the projection lens. The optical element guides the diffused light transmitted through the cover toward a front side of the vehicle headlamp so as to form an overhead light distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhisa MOCHIZUKI, Nobutaka TEZUKA
  • Publication number: 20080180965
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp having a light source unit 30 provided inside a lamp chamber formed by a lamp body 10 and a front cover 20, wherein a millimeter wave radar 40 is provided inside the lamp chamber, and a light guide plate 60 is provided between the front cover 20 and the millimeter wave radar 40, and the light guide plate 60 is illuminated by the light source of the lamp or by a dedicated light source provided solely for the light guide plate 60.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Inventors: Hiromi Nakamura, Yuichi Shibata, Yoshinao Daicho, Nobutaka Tezuka, Motohiro Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20080158045
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp 1 including a lamp unit 13 provided inside a lamp chamber 7 so that the optical axis direction of lamp unit 13 is adjustable with the use of a tilting movement adjustment mechanism 15. The lamp chamber 7 is formed by a lamp body 3 and a transparent front cover 5 attached to the front opening of the lamp body 3, while the lamp unit 13 is formed by a reflector 9 and a light source 11. A millimeter wave radar device 25 is installed in the vehicular lamp, and it is composed of a controlling unit 25B and an antenna unit 25A that are provided separately from each other so that the controlling unit is attached to the lamp body and the antenna unit is attached to the lamp unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Inventors: Yasuo Teranishi, Nobutaka Tezuka, Yoshinao Daicho, Takashi Hori
  • Publication number: 20060002126
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp including partitions 11 and 12, 13 that demarcate the interior of a lamp chamber 3 defined by a lamp body 1 and an outer lens 2 into a plurality of regions 31 to 33, a light source 62a disposed in at least one of the regions, an inner lens 5 provided to cover the partitions, a means for guiding a part of the light emitted from the light source 62a into the inner lens 5. In addition to one region demarcated by the partitions is brought into a lit state by light directly emitted from the light source 62a, the inner lens 5 is lit by the light from the light source 62a that is guided into and radiates from the inner lens surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Publication date: January 5, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroya Koizumi, Nobutaka Tezuka, Hajime Takeda, Hidenori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6382822
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp having an inner lens is described. In an implementation, an annular wall 18A surrounding an optic axis Ax of a reflector 14 is formed on the inner lens 18 disposed between am outer lens 16 and a reflecting surface 14a of the reflector 14. The inner lens 18 is divided by the annular wall 18A into an internal zone 18B and an external zone 18C which may be different from each other in convex-concave lens shape. The internal zone 18B may be formed of a translucent lens, and a plurality of grid-type lens elements 18Cs may be formed over the entire rear surface of the external zone 18C. Thus, an observer viewing the interior of a lighting chamber from a location in front of the lamp will see that the internal zone 18B and the external zone 18C, which are divided by the annular wall 18A, are significantly different. The configuration of elements provides a vehicular lamp that is visually attractive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gen Maekawa, Nobutaka Tezuka