Patents by Inventor Yusuke Kasaba

Yusuke Kasaba 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).

  • Publication number: 20130308326
    Abstract: There is provided a control device for controlling a vehicle lamp. The device includes: a receiver configured to receive an output value from an inclination sensor; and a controller configured to control an optical axis of the vehicle lamp based on a vehicle attitude angle that is an inclination angle of the vehicle with respect to a road surface. The controller is configured to control the optical axis in a first optical axis control mode or a second optical axis mode, wherein an optical axis angle of the optical axis is adjusted in accordance with the vehicle attitude angle in the first optical axis mode, and the second optical axis control mode is different from the first optical axis control mode. The controller controls the optical axis in the second optical axis control mode, when the vehicle attitude angle is not included in a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Kazuo GOTO, Atsushi TODA
  • Patent number: 8373401
    Abstract: A step-up/step-down DC-DC converter includes a control section to compare an output value from voltage decrease or increase sections and a preset target value. A computation circuit provides a voltage value resulting from subtracting a difference between the voltage value of the comparison result and a first preset voltage value from a first voltage value. A drive pulse generation section generates a drive pulse for turning on and off a voltage decrease switch and a voltage increase switch in response to the result of a comparison between the computation output voltage and a ramp wave. When the voltage value of the computation output voltage exists between the first voltage value and the second voltage value, the drive pulse generation section provides control to selectively switch the on and off operation of the voltage decrease switch and the on and off operation of the voltage increase switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masayasu Ito
  • Patent number: 8339046
    Abstract: A lighting control device of a lighting device for a vehicle includes a switching regulator for supplying a driving current to a semiconductor light source. The lighting control device also includes control means having a current detecting portion for detecting the driving current and serving to control dimming of the semiconductor light source in order to reduce a mean current of the driving current by repeating driving and stopping operations of the switching regulator at a high speed upon receipt of a dimming control signal. The current detecting portion has a current holding portion for holding the driving current, detected for a driving period of the switching regulator, for a stopping period after a passage of the driving period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masayasu Ito
  • Publication number: 20120310486
    Abstract: A control device of a vehicle lamp includes: a receiving section which receives an acceleration value usable to derive a tilt angle of a vehicle to a horizontal plane, wherein the tilt angle of the vehicle to the horizontal plane is represented as a total angle; and a control section which controls an optical axis adjustment of the vehicle lamp. The control section derives from the total angle a first and a second provisional vehicle posture angles based on a first and a second calculation method, respectively, corrects the first or second provisional vehicle posture angle so that a difference between the first and the second provisional vehicle posture angles becomes small, sets the corrected provisional vehicle posture angle to the vehicle posture angle, and outputs a control signal for instructing the optical axis adjustment of the vehicle lamp according to the vehicle posture angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20120303223
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the accuracy of auto-leveling control to adjust the optical axis of a vehicle lamp using an acceleration sensor. A controller stores reference values of first and second angles, updates the reference value of the second angle by treating a change of a sum angle during a vehicle stop as a change of the second angle, and updates the reference value of the first angle by treating a change of the sum angle during vehicle traveling as a change of the first angle. The controller derives a difference between a value of the sum angle and a sum of the reference values of the first and second angles, and corrects at least one of the reference values so as to reduce the difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20120294020
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle lamp includes a receiver to receive an acceleration signal indicative of an acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor, and a controller to derive an inclination angle of a vehicle relative to a horizontal plane from the acceleration signal. While the vehicle is stopped and if a change in the acceleration exceeds a threshold, the controller outputs an adjustment signal indicative of an instruction to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in accordance with a difference in the inclination angle before and after the change in the acceleration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20120268958
    Abstract: A control device (100) for controlling a vehicle lamp (210) provided in a vehicle is provided. The device includes: a receiver (102) configured to receive an acceleration signal representing an acceleration of the vehicle, from an acceleration sensor configured to detect the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein an inclination angle (?) of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane is calculated based on the acceleration signal; a controller (104) configured to: i) generate a first control signal instructing the vehicle lamp to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in response to a change of the acceleration signal, when the vehicle has already stopped; and ii) generate a second signal instructing the vehicle lamp to maintain the optical axis of the vehicle lamp, when the vehicle is traveling on a road surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20120155098
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp control apparatus is provided with: a receiving portion for receiving output values of an acceleration sensor; a control portion for deriving a variation in an inclination angle of a vehicle based on the output values of the acceleration sensor and generating a control signal for instructing an optical axis adjustment of a vehicle lamp; and a transmitting portion for transmitting the control signal to an optical axis adjusting portion of the vehicle lamp. The control portion is configured to detect an error factor of the output values occurring in the acceleration sensor based on the output values of the acceleration sensor and to correct an optical axis position of the vehicle lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
  • Publication number: 20120106179
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp controller, a vehicle lamp system having the vehicle controller, and a vehicle lamp control method are provided. The vehicle lamp controller includes a receiver configured to receive information on a detected vector from an output of an acceleration sensor, a memory in which a plurality of reference vectors are stored, the reference vectors corresponding to different pitch angles of a vehicle, a control unit configured to obtain a pitch angle of the vehicle from the detected vector and one of the reference vectors that has a smallest angle with respect to the detected vector, and to generate a control signal for adjusting an optical axis of a vehicle lamp based on the obtained pitch angle, and a transmitter configured to transmit the control signal to an optical axis adjustment portion of the vehicle lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Atsushi TODA
  • Publication number: 20120101692
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp controller, a vehicle lamp system, and a vehicle lamp control method are provided. The vehicle lamp system includes an acceleration sensor, a vehicle lamp, and the vehicle controller. The controller includes a receiver configured to receive an acceleration information detected by the acceleration sensor, a control unit configured to derive a vehicle longitudinal direction acceleration and a vehicle vertical direction acceleration from the acceleration information, and to generate a control signal for instructing an adjustment of an optical axis of the vehicle lamp, based on a variation in a ratio between a temporal change amount of the vehicle longitudinal direction acceleration and a temporal change amount of the vehicle vertical direction acceleration during at least one of an acceleration and a deceleration of a vehicle, and a transmitter configured to transmit the control signal to an optical axis adjusting portion of the vehicle lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Atsushi TODA
  • Publication number: 20110198998
    Abstract: A step-up/step-down DC-DC converter includes a control section to compare an output value from voltage decrease or increase sections and a preset target value. A computation circuit provides a voltage value resulting from subtracting a difference between the voltage value of the comparison result and a first preset voltage value from a first voltage value. A drive pulse generation section generates a drive pulse for turning on and off a voltage decrease switch and a voltage increase switch in response to the result of a comparison between the computation output voltage and a ramp wave. When the voltage value of the computation output voltage exists between the first voltage value and the second voltage value, the drive pulse generation section provides control to selectively switch the on and off operation of the voltage decrease switch and the on and off operation of the voltage increase switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masayasu Ito
  • Publication number: 20100181914
    Abstract: A lighting control device of a lighting device for a vehicle includes a switching regulator for supplying a driving current to a semiconductor light source. The lighting control device also includes control means having a current detecting portion for detecting the driving current and serving to control dimming of the semiconductor light source in order to reduce a mean current of the driving current by repeating driving and stopping operations of the switching regulator at a high speed upon receipt of a dimming control signal. The current detecting portion has a current holding portion for holding the driving current, detected for a driving period of the switching regulator, for a stopping period after a passage of the driving period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masayasu Ito
  • Publication number: 20080164818
    Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting circuit includes a power supplying portion having a half bridge inverter for converting an output of a DC power supply into AC power, and a bridge driver for driving the half bridge inverter, and a control portion for generating a control signal S1 to control a driving frequency F of the bridge driver. The control portion has a random number generating circuit for generating a random number signal and changes the driving frequency F in accordance with the random number signal at a time interval of N/F, wherein N is an integer of one or more.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ichikawa, Kotaro Matsui, Yusuke Kasaba