Patents by Inventor Ryu Mizuno
Ryu Mizuno 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: 11603033Abstract: A control apparatus (1) for vehicle headlight including a rear end detection unit (3, 7) that detects a rear end (117) of a preceding vehicle (111) and a light blocking area setting unit (7) that sets a light blocking area (123) that includes the rear end within a light illumination area of a headlight (101, 103) of an own vehicle (107), wherein the light blocking area setting unit sets the light blocking area such that a spreading extent (125, 127) of the light blocking area outside the rear end is wider on a side in which a front end of the preceding vehicle is present than on the opposite side with reference to the rear end as viewed from the own vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2015Date of Patent: March 14, 2023Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Ryu Mizuno
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Patent number: 10391924Abstract: A lighting device control system (1, 101, 201) includes an instruction signal generation unit (3) that generates an instruction signal for the control of the states of a lighting device (13, 15) mounted to a vehicle, and a control unit (5, 7) that controls the state of the lighting device according to the instruction signal. The instruction signal generation unit generates a plurality of instruction signals. The control unit controls the state of the lighting device according to the states of the plurality instruction signals.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2015Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Ryu Mizuno, Hajime Kasai
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Patent number: 10246004Abstract: A vehicle headlight control apparatus controls headlights of a vehicle including LEDs. The vehicle headlight control apparatus includes: drivers and each of which gradually changes a luminance of the LEDs between a predetermined on state and a predetermined off state over a switching time period; and a lamp ECU that determines the switching time period in a changeable manner.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2016Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Ryu Mizuno, Shinichi Futamura, Tatsuya Takagaki, Takatoshi Nakagawa, Kiyotaka Mochizuki, Takao Muramatsu
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Patent number: 10126640Abstract: A headlight control apparatus (1) for performing control on a headlight device (7) which includes a pair of headlight units (3, 5) each including a light source (9) and an image forming section (16R, 16G, 16B) capable of forming an image and disposed in a light path of light from the light source to illuminate light (101, 105) for projecting the image onto a road surface, wherein the headlight control apparatus forms the image in the image forming section such that a first image (103) projected onto the road surface by one of the headlight units includes a second image (107) projected onto the road surface by the other headlight unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2015Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Ryu Mizuno
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Patent number: 10099603Abstract: A pitch angle calculation device includes a first acceleration acquisition unit that acquires an acceleration Gx in a longitudinal axis (x) direction of a vehicle; a second acceleration acquisition unit that acquires an acceleration Gy in a vertical axis (y) direction of a vehicle; a third acceleration acquisition unit that acquires an acceleration ? in an advancement direction of a vehicle; and a pitch angle calculation unit that calculates a pitch angle ? formed between the longitudinal axis direction and the vertical axis direction by using the acceleration Gx, the acceleration Gy and the acceleration ?.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2015Date of Patent: October 16, 2018Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Ryu Mizuno
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Patent number: 10059252Abstract: A lamp ECU acquires, from a sensor, a position of a target light source of a forward vehicle when viewed from a sensor mounting position, calculates, on a basis of an amount of position deviation between a lighting fixture mounting position and the sensor mounting position, a parallax-corrected direction of a target position, based on the acquired position of the target light source, when viewed from the lighting fixture mounting position, and outputs a light shielding range on a basis of the calculated parallax-corrected direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2016Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryu Mizuno, Shinichi Futamura, Tatsuya Takagaki, Takatoshi Nakagawa
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Publication number: 20180170243Abstract: A vehicle headlight control apparatus controls headlights of a vehicle including LEDs. The vehicle headlight control apparatus includes: drivers and each of which gradually changes a luminance of the LEDs between a predetermined on state and a predetermined off state over a switching time period; and a lamp ECU that determines the switching time period in a changeable manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 24, 2016Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Ryu Mizuno, Shinichi Futamura, Tatsuya Takagaki, Takatoshi Nakagawa
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Publication number: 20180170241Abstract: A lamp ECU acquires, from a sensor, a position of a target light source of a forward vehicle when viewed from a sensor mounting position, calculates, on a basis of an amount of position deviation between a lighting fixture mounting position and the sensor mounting position, a parallax-corrected direction of a target position, based on the acquired position of the target light source, when viewed from the lighting fixture mounting position, and outputs a light shielding range on a basis of the calculated parallax-corrected direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2016Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Ryu Mizuno, Shinichi Futamura, Tatsuya Takagaki, Takatoshi Nakagawa
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Publication number: 20180111544Abstract: A lighting device control system (1, 101, 201) includes an instruction signal generation unit (3) that generates an instruction signal for the control of the states of a lighting device (13, 15) mounted to a vehicle, and a control unit (5, 7) that controls the state of the lighting device according to the instruction signal. The instruction signal generation unit generates a plurality of instruction signals. The control unit controls the state of the lighting device according to the states of the plurality instruction signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2015Publication date: April 26, 2018Inventors: Ryu MIZUNO, Hajime KASAI
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Patent number: 9944220Abstract: A vehicle headlight control device that controls a light distribution of headlight, includes: an obtaining section that obtains a distance from a driver's vehicle to a forward vehicle and the position of a forward vehicle; and a light distribution control section that changes the light distribution of the headlight based on the position of the forward vehicle, and set an illumination region, and a non-illumination region provided in a vicinity of the forward vehicle so as to include the forward vehicle and a margin distance from an end of a body of the forward vehicle. The light distribution control section determines a distance, in a vehicle width direction, between: a boundary between the illumination region and the non-illumination region; and each of left and right lateral ends of the forward vehicle, such that the greater the distance is, the less the distance in the vehicle width direction is.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2016Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Tatsuya Takagaki, Ryu Mizuno, Kiyotaka Mochizuki
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Patent number: 9868386Abstract: An absolute pitch is outputted from an inclination sensor. A gradient related quantity is outputted from a gradient related quantity detection sensor for detecting a gradient related quantity that can specify a gradient of a road surface. The absolute pitch angle and the gradient related quantity are acquired by a vehicle headlight control apparatus. Based on the absolute pitch angle and the gradient related quantity, a pitch angle of a vehicle with respect to a road surface is calculated by the vehicle headlight control apparatus. Based on the pitch angle, an optical axis direction of the head lamp is controlled by the vehicle headlight control apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2012Date of Patent: January 16, 2018Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Tomoyuki Kamitani, Ryu Mizuno
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Patent number: 9656595Abstract: A light control system is provided. In the system, an processor sets a maximum light quantity of a lighting device according to the curvature radius of the road the own vehicle travels. The processor then controls the light quantity of the lighting device so as to be equal to or less than the maximum light quantity. According to the system, a maximum light quantity of the lighting device is set according to a curvature radius. Accordingly, a light quantity is appropriately set so as not to dazzle the driver of another vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2014Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Yuki Uchida, Ryu Mizuno
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Publication number: 20170043705Abstract: A headlight control apparatus (1) for performing control on a headlight device (7) which includes a pair of headlight units (3, 5) each including a light source (9) and an image forming section (16R, 16G, 16B) capable of forming an image and disposed in a light path of light from the light source to illuminate light (101, 105) for projecting the image onto a road surface, wherein the headlight control apparatus forms the image in the image forming section such that a first image (103) projected onto the road surface by one of the headlight units includes a second image (107) projected onto the road surface by the other headlight unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2015Publication date: February 16, 2017Applicant: DENSON CORPORATIONInventor: Ryu Mizuno
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Publication number: 20170043703Abstract: A pitch angle calculation device includes a first acceleration acquisition unit that acquires an acceleration Gx in a longitudinal axis (x) direction of a vehicle; a second acceleration acquisition unit that acquires an acceleration Gy in a vertical axis (y) direction of a vehicle; a third acceleration acquisition unit that acquires an acceleration ? in an advancement direction of a vehicle; and a pitch angle calculation unit that calculates a pitch angle ? formed between the longitudinal axis direction and the vertical axis direction by using the acceleration Gx, the acceleration Gy and the acceleration ?.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2015Publication date: February 16, 2017Inventor: Ryu Mizuno
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Publication number: 20170028904Abstract: A control apparatus (1) for vehicle headlight including a rear end detection unit (3, 7) that detects a rear end (117) of a preceding vehicle (111) and a light blocking area setting unit (7) that sets a light blocking area (123) that includes the rear end within a light illumination area of a headlight (101, 103) of an own vehicle (107), wherein the light blocking area setting unit sets the light blocking area such that a spreading extent (125, 127) of the light blocking area outside the rear end is wider on a side in which a front end of the preceding vehicle is present than on the opposite side with reference to the rear end as viewed from the own vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2015Publication date: February 2, 2017Inventor: Ryu Mizuno
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Patent number: 9487123Abstract: A vehicular headlamp apparatus includes: a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle; illumination range changing means for changing an illumination range of the headlamp; detecting means for detecting a position of a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; controlling means for controlling the illumination range changing means based on the position of the forward vehicle detected by the detecting means; and determining means for determining whether or not the position of the forward vehicle is within the illumination range. When the position of the forward vehicle is determined as being within the illumination range, the apparatus changes the illumination range so as to have the position of the forward vehicle fall outside the illumination range.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2013Date of Patent: November 8, 2016Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryu Mizuno, Hajime Kasai, Tatsuya Takagaki
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Publication number: 20160250964Abstract: A vehicle headlight control device that controls a light distribution of headlight, includes: an obtaining section that obtains a distance from a driver's vehicle to a forward vehicle and the position of a forward vehicle; and a light distribution control section that changes the light distribution of the headlight based on the position of the forward vehicle, and set an illumination region, and a non-illumination region provided in a vicinity of the forward vehicle so as to include the forward vehicle and a margin distance from an end of a body of the forward vehicle. The light distribution control section determines a distance, in a vehicle width direction, between: a boundary between the illumination region and the non-illumination region; and each of left and right lateral ends of the forward vehicle, such that the greater the distance is, the less the distance in the vehicle width direction is.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2016Publication date: September 1, 2016Applicants: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION, KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Tatsuya TAKAGAKI, Ryu MIZUNO, Kiyotaka MOCHIZUKI
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Patent number: 9415718Abstract: The vehicular headlight apparatus includes a control means configured to change a light illumination area following a position of a detected target object until a shift angle between a reference direction and a direction to the target object with respect to a headlight is calculated to exceed a maximum limit shift angle, and configured to, when a vehicle speed is detected to exceed a predetermined threshold value, set the maximum limit shift angle to a small deflection angle, and change the present light illumination area to a low-beam light illumination area covered by the headlight in a low-beam state if the shift angle is calculated to exceed the maximum limit shift angle set to the small deflection angle.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2014Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Shinichi Futamura, Ryu Mizuno, Koichi Masuda
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Publication number: 20160096466Abstract: Provided is a novel control technology for a light device for a vehicle. The control device starts an alighting illumination process after a vehicle stops so as to ensure the driver's field of view when alighting the vehicle. When the alighting illumination process is started, the control device stands by until the driver alights the vehicle (S110). When the driver alights the vehicle, it is determined whether the vehicle is in the premises of the driver's home, and whether it is nighttime (S120, S130). If the determinations are both affirmative (Yes in S130), a lighting control process is started (S140). In the lighting control process, an area forward of the driver as he or she advances is illuminated with a head lamp while the range of irradiation of light by the head lamp is switched in accordance with the movement of the driver, until the driver enters the home or continuously stays out of the field of view of an external camera.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2014Publication date: April 7, 2016Inventors: Kazuhisa Okumura, Ryu Mizuno
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Publication number: 20160001696Abstract: A light control system is provided. In the system, an processor sets a maximum light quantity of a lighting device according to the curvature radius of the road the own vehicle travels. The processor then controls the light quantity of the lighting device so as to be equal to or less than the maximum light quantity. According to the system, a maximum light quantity of the lighting device is set according to a curvature radius. Accordingly, a light quantity is appropriately set so as not to dazzle the driver of another vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2014Publication date: January 7, 2016Inventors: Yuki Uchida, Ryu Mizuno