Patents by Inventor Takahiro Kamioka
Takahiro Kamioka 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: 8351648Abstract: An apparatus is provided to control an angle of a light axis of light from headlights mounted on a vehicle. In the apparatus, images of a field of view in front of the vehicle are captured, and the captured images are used to detect taillights of a preceding vehicle. A illumination target position is set by using, as a positional reference, a position of the detected taillights in the captured images, and the angle of the light axis so that the light axis is directed to the illumination target position. The command is provided to an angle changing device, where the provided command depends on the angle calculated. The angle changing device changes the direction of the light axis of the light at an angle commanded by the command.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Takahiro Kamioka, Yasutoshi Horii, Junichi Hasegawa, Kenji Kobayashi
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Patent number: 8242934Abstract: A light control system identifies in the processing that discriminates light sources in the acquired image as either luminous objects or reflective objects, each pixel obtained that constitutes the acquired image being classified into a plurality of groups according to the brightness of each pixel, and generates a histogram showing the relation of the brightness and the number of pixels of each group that are matched with each group. Then, when the number of pixels corresponding to the brightest group is less than the number of pixels corresponding to the other groups, the existence of the luminous object in the acquired image is determined, and when the number of pixels corresponding to the brighter group is more than the number of pixels corresponding to the other groups, the existence of the reflective object in the acquired image is determined.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2009Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Takahiro Kamioka
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Patent number: 8232895Abstract: A vehicle detection apparatus detects oncoming vehicles, and the illumination angle of the headlight is changed downwardly when oncoming vehicles are detected. When detecting the oncoming vehicles, the vehicle detection apparatus detects brightness or area for the every light source in an acquired image repeatedly, and detects as a variable light source any light source of which brightness or area changes within a reference time beyond a predetermined variation reference value. Then, when a variable light source is detected, it is determined that vehicles exist in the acquired image.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Takahiro Kamioka
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Patent number: 8019512Abstract: In a system for controlling a headlight of a vehicle to be controlled, a distance detector detects a distance between the controlled vehicle and an other vehicle ahead thereof. A determiner determines a first target direction for an optical axis of the headlight in a vertical direction when it is assumed that the optical axis of the headlight passes through a target located at the detected distance with respect to the controlled vehicle. The target has a predetermined height above a predetermined reference point. The predetermined height of the target is unchanged irrespective of change in the detected distance. A first adjuster adjusts the direction of the optical axis of the headlight in the vertical direction so that the direction of the optical axis is matched with the determined first target direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 29, 2008Date of Patent: September 13, 2011Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Takahiro Kamioka, Yasutoshi Horii, Junichi Hasegawa
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Patent number: 7985010Abstract: In a system for controlling a headlight of a vehicle to be controlled, a dazzling level determiner determines a parameter value of a dazzling level of a driver of an other vehicle ahead of the controlled vehicle based on information associated with a relative positional relationship between the controlled vehicle and the other vehicle. The dazzling level represents a possibility that the driver of the other vehicle feels dazzling to light irradiated from the headlight of the controlled vehicle. A light-quantity adjuster adjusts a quantity of light to be irradiated from the headlight of the controlled vehicle based on the determined parameter value of the dazzling level.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2008Date of Patent: July 26, 2011Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Takahiro Kamioka, Atsushi Yamamoto, Yasutoshi Horii
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Publication number: 20100102990Abstract: A light control system identifies in the processing that discriminates light sources in the acquired image as either luminous objects or reflective objects, each pixel obtained that constitutes the acquired image being classified into a plurality of groups according to the brightness of each pixel, and generates a histogram showing the relation of the brightness and the number of pixels of each group that are matched with each group. Then, when the number of pixels corresponding to the brightest group is less than the number of pixels corresponding to the other groups, the existence of the luminous object in the acquired image is determined, and when the number of pixels corresponding to the brighter group is more than the number of pixels corresponding to the other groups, the existence of the reflective object in the acquired image is determined.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2009Publication date: April 29, 2010Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Takahiro Kamioka
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Publication number: 20100091513Abstract: A vehicle detection apparatus detects oncoming vehicles, and the illumination angle of the headlight is changed downwardly when oncoming vehicles are detected. When detecting the oncoming vehicles, the vehicle detection apparatus detects brightness or area for the every light source in an acquired image repeatedly, and detects as a variable light source any light source of which brightness or area changes within a reference time beyond a predetermined variation reference value. Then, when a variable light source is detected, it is determined that vehicles exist in the acquired image.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2009Publication date: April 15, 2010Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventor: Takahiro Kamioka
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Publication number: 20090086497Abstract: In a system for controlling a headlight of a vehicle to be controlled, a dazzling level determiner determines a parameter value of a dazzling level of a driver of an other vehicle ahead of the controlled vehicle based on information associated with a relative positional relationship between the controlled vehicle and the other vehicle. The dazzling level represents a possibility that the driver of the other vehicle feels dazzling to light irradiated from the headlight of the controlled vehicle. A light-quantity adjuster adjusts a quantity of light to be irradiated from the headlight of the controlled vehicle based on the determined parameter value of the dazzling level.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2008Publication date: April 2, 2009Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Takahiro KAMIOKA, Atsushi Yamamoto, Yasutoshi Horii
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Publication number: 20090067184Abstract: An apparatus is provided to control an angle of a light axis of light from headlights mounted on a vehicle. In the apparatus, images of a field of view in front of the vehicle are captured, and the captured images are used to detect taillights of a preceding vehicle. A illumination target position is set by using, as a positional reference, a position of the detected taillights in the captured images, and the angle of the light axis so that the light axis is directed to the illumination target position. The command is provided to an angle changing device, where the provided command depends on the angle calculated. The angle changing device changes the direction of the light axis of the light at an angle commanded by the command.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2008Publication date: March 12, 2009Applicant: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Takahiro Kamioka, Yasutoshi Horii, Junichi Hasegawa, Kenji Kobayashi
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Publication number: 20090043458Abstract: In a system for controlling a headlight of a vehicle to be controlled, a distance detector detects a distance between the controlled vehicle and an other vehicle ahead thereof. A determiner determines a first target direction for an optical axis of the headlight in a vertical direction when it is assumed that the optical axis of the headlight passes through a target located at the detected distance with respect to the controlled vehicle. The target has a predetermined height above a predetermined reference point. The predetermined height of the target is unchanged irrespective of change in the detected distance. A first adjuster adjusts the direction of the optical axis of the headlight in the vertical direction so that the direction of the optical axis is matched with the determined first target direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 29, 2008Publication date: February 12, 2009Applicant: DENSO CorporationInventors: Takahiro Kamioka, Yasutoshi Horii, Junichi Hasegawa