Patents by Inventor Takanori Namba
Takanori Namba 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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Publication number: 20240061092Abstract: A cleaner for cleaning a transmissive portion of a sensor including a light receiving unit that receives light from a detection target via the transmissive portion is not operated by a cleaner control unit within a predetermined time after the drive of the cleaner is complete.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2021Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Takanori NAMBA, Masaaki SATO, Kiyotaka MOCHIZUKI
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Patent number: 11873962Abstract: A lamp unit and a camera are disposed in a lamp housing including a translucent cover, and an aiming adjustment of the camera is enabled. The camera is provided with a lens hood for preventing light emitted from the lamp unit from being incident on the camera. The lens hood has a required gap with respect to the translucent cover and allows the camera to tilt.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2019Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba
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Patent number: 11704910Abstract: A vehicle detecting device includes a region setting unit that sets a plurality of regions of interest having different ranges on image data acquired from an image capturing device that captures an image of a space in front of a host vehicle; and a vehicle determining unit that determines, for each of the regions of interest, presence of a front vehicle based on a luminous point present in the region and that executes a determination at different frequencies in the respective regions of interest.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Osamu Endo, Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba, Masayasu Ito
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Publication number: 20220126792Abstract: A sensing system is configured to detect dirt adhering to an outer cover of a vehicle lighting device mounted on a vehicle. The sensing system is provided with: a LiDAR unit disposed in a space formed by the housing and outer cover of the vehicle lighting device, and configured to acquire point cloud data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle; a lighting device cleaner configured to remove dirt adhering to the outer cover; and a lighting device cleaner controller configured to acquire reflected light intensity information relating to the intensities of a plurality of reflected light reflected by a road surface after being emitted from the LiDAR unit, determine, on the basis of the acquired reflected light intensity information, whether or not dirt is adhering to the outer cover, and drive the lighting device cleaner in accordance with a determination that dirt is adhering to the outer cover.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2020Publication date: April 28, 2022Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke TOTSUKA, Yuta MARUYAMA, Takanori NAMBA
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Patent number: 11249172Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to control at least one of the light emission cycle and the imaging timing such that among different target distance ranges, a range of a specific distance necessary for object recognition is imaged with luminance higher than that for ranges other than the range of the specific distance.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2016Date of Patent: February 15, 2022Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba, Osamu Endo, Masayasu Ito
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Patent number: 11194023Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to set a light emission interval time to be longer than a delay time which is a time from a light emission start time point of the light emitting unit to an imaging start time point of the image acquisition unit and is required to image a longest-distance range of the target distance ranges from which the reflected light can be imaged.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2016Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba, Osamu Endo, Masayasu Ito, Yuji Higashi
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Patent number: 11187805Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to control the light emission cycle and the imaging timings such that the light emission cycle and the imaging timings are modulated by random numbers.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2016Date of Patent: November 30, 2021Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Takanori Namba, Masayasu Ito, Mitsuharu Mano
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Publication number: 20210231284Abstract: A lamp unit and a camera are disposed in a lamp housing including a translucent cover, and an aiming adjustment of the camera is enabled. The camera is provided with a lens hood for preventing light emitted from the lamp unit from being incident on the camera. The lens hood has a required gap with respect to the translucent cover and allows the camera to tilt.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2019Publication date: July 29, 2021Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba
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Patent number: 10953813Abstract: A vehicle image acquisition device includes a RGB light source unit having a red light source configured to emit red light, a green light source configured to emit green light, and a blue light source configured to emit blue light, the RGB light source unit being configured to emit respective color light at a predetermined light emission period in a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to capture reflected light returning from a target distance area at an imaging timing set according to the target distance area, and to acquire a plurality of captured images having different target distance areas, a timing controller configured to control light emission period of the respective color light and the imaging timing; and an image processor configured to combine the captured images each acquired by the respective color light to generate a color image.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2016Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Takanori Namba, Mitsuharu Mano, Masayasu Ito
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Patent number: 10933809Abstract: Provided is a vehicle lamp lighting control device which ensures proper lighting control of a lamp even when an abnormality occurs in the lamp or a camera. The vehicle lamp lighting control device includes a plurality of lamps (L-HL, R-HL) mounted on a vehicle, and each of the lamps includes a lamp unit (2) for illuminating a required region, an imaging unit (4) for imaging the required region, and a lamp control unit (5) for controlling lighting of the lamp unit (2) based on a captured image. When one lamp of the plurality of lamps is abnormal, the lamp control unit (5) of another lamp controls lighting of at least one normal lamp unit (2) of the plurality of lamps.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2017Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Takenori Wama, Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba
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Publication number: 20200369200Abstract: A vehicle detecting device includes a region setting unit that sets a plurality of regions of interest having different ranges on image data acquired from an image capturing device that captures an image of a space in front of a host vehicle; and a vehicle determining unit that determines, for each of the regions of interest, presence of a front vehicle based on a luminous point present in the region and that executes a determination at different frequencies in the respective regions of interest.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2020Publication date: November 26, 2020Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Osamu ENDO, Mitsuharu MANO, Takanori NAMBA, Masayasu ITO
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Publication number: 20200236338Abstract: A first left camera unit (1025) is accommodated in a left lamp chamber and has a first angle of view (?1). A second left camera unit (1026) is accommodated in the left lamp chamber and has a second angle of view (?2) that is wider than the first angle of view (?1). A first right camera unit (1035) is accommodated in a right lamp chamber and has a third angle of view (?3). A second right camera unit (1036) is accommodated in the right lamp chamber and has a fourth angle of view (?4) that is wider than the third angle of view (?3). An image recognizer (1043) is configured to perform image recognition based on a left image that is selected one of a first left image acquired by the first left camera unit (1025) and a second left image acquired by the second left camera unit (1026), and based on a right image that is selected one of a first right image acquired by the first right camera unit (1035) and a second right image acquired by the second right camera unit (1036).Type: ApplicationFiled: September 11, 2018Publication date: July 23, 2020Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Kosuke Mitani, Takanori Namba, Mitsuharu Mano
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Publication number: 20190359131Abstract: Provided is a vehicle lamp lighting control device which ensures proper lighting control of a lamp even when an abnormality occurs in the lamp or a camera. The vehicle lamp lighting control device includes a plurality of lamps (L-HL, R-HL) mounted on a vehicle, and each of the lamps includes a lamp unit (2) for illuminating a required region, an imaging unit (4) for imaging the required region, and a lamp control unit (5) for controlling lighting of the lamp unit (2) based on a captured image. When one lamp of the plurality of lamps is abnormal, the lamp control unit (5) of another lamp controls lighting of at least one normal lamp unit (2) of the plurality of lamps.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2017Publication date: November 28, 2019Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Takenori WAMA, Mitsuharu MANO, Takanori NAMBA
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Patent number: 10279726Abstract: Provided is a vehicular lamp including a main lamp unit, a sub lamp unit, and an imaging unit disposed in a lamp housing and configured to perform a light distribution control of the main lamp unit based on an image captured by the imaging unit. The sub lamp unit is disposed between the imaging unit and the main lamp unit. Light emitted from the main lamp unit is shaded by the sub lamp unit and suppressed from being incident on the imaging unit.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takenori Wama, Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba
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Publication number: 20190016274Abstract: A vehicle image acquisition device includes a RGB light source unit having a red light source configured to emit red light, a green light source configured to emit green light, and a blue light source configured to emit blue light, the RGB light source unit being configured to emit respective color light at a predetermined light emission period in a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to capture reflected light returning from a target distance area at an imaging timing set according to the target distance area, and to acquire a plurality of captured images having different target distance areas, a timing controller configured to control light emission period of the respective color light and the imaging timing; and an image processor configured to combine the captured images each acquired by the respective color light to generate a color image.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2016Publication date: January 17, 2019Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Takanori Namba, Mitsuharu Mano, Masayasu Ito
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Publication number: 20190004149Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to control at least one of the light emission cycle and the imaging timing such that among different target distance ranges, a range of a specific distance necessary for object recognition is imaged with luminance higher than that for ranges other than the range of the specific distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2016Publication date: January 3, 2019Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuharu MANO, Takanori NAMBA, Osamu ENDO, Masayasu ITO
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Publication number: 20190004150Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to set a light emission interval time to be longer than a delay time which is a time from a light emission start time point of the light emitting unit to an imaging start time point of the image acquisition unit and is required to image a longest-distance range of the target distance ranges from which the reflected light can be imaged.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2016Publication date: January 3, 2019Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba, Osamu Endo, Masayasu Ito, Yuji Higashi
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Publication number: 20180372869Abstract: An image acquiring apparatus for a vehicle includes a light emitting unit configured to emit pulse light to a predetermined direction, an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of different images of target distance ranges by imaging reflected light returning from the target distance ranges at imaging timings set according to the target distance ranges, and a timing controller configured to control a light emission cycle of the pulse light and the imaging timings. The timing controller is configured to control the light emission cycle and the imaging timings such that the light emission cycle and the imaging timings are modulated by random numbers.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2016Publication date: December 27, 2018Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Takanori Namba, Masayasu Ito, Mitsuharu Mano
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Publication number: 20180170240Abstract: Provided is a vehicular lamp including a main lamp unit, a sub lamp unit, and an imaging unit disposed in a lamp housing and configured to perform a light distribution control of the main lamp unit based on an image captured by the imaging unit. The sub lamp unit is disposed between the imaging unit and the main lamp unit. Light emitted from the main lamp unit is shaded by the sub lamp unit and suppressed from being incident on the imaging unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2017Publication date: June 21, 2018Inventors: Takenori Wama, Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba
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Patent number: 9423095Abstract: A vehicular lamp includes a light source, a cooling fan configured to cool the light source, a light source power supply module configured to drive the light source for emission of light, and a control module configured to execute an abnormal rotation detection of the cooling fan and to control the light source power supply module so that the quantity of light emitted from the light source is reduced in response to a detection of abnormal rotation.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2014Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazushi Yoshikawa, Tomokazu Suzuki, Takanori Namba, Toshiyuki Tsuchiya, Masato Watanabe