Relatively Movable Light Source Patents (Class 340/815.77)
  • Patent number: 8340368
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a face detection system for a vehicle. At least one first lighting unit is configured to radiate infrared light onto a left side of a driver's face. At least one second lighting unit is configured to radiate infrared light onto a right side of the driver's face. An image capturing unit separately captures the driver's face onto which the infrared light is radiated from the first and second lighting units. A control unit acquires left and right images of the face from the image capturing unit, and obtains a difference image between the acquired left and right images, thus determining whether the driver is inattentive in looking ahead. The system stably performs the face detection function with no or less effect by external optical environments as well as reduced computational load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Byoung Joon Lee, Eui Yoon Chung
  • Patent number: 8269637
    Abstract: An alarm system notification device that comprises a single strobe, an input selector, and a controller is disclosed. The single strobe may be configured to operate at a first wavelength band in a first configuration and at a second wavelength band in a second configuration, the first wavelength band being different from the second wavelength band. The configuration of the single strobe (either in the first or second configuration) is determined based on a command that is input by the input selector. In response to receiving the command, the controller may control the single strobe so that the single strobe is configured to operate at one of the first wavelength band in the first configuration or the second wavelength band in the second configuration as indicated in the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: SimplexGrinnell LP
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Savage, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8055023
    Abstract: A plurality of lighting units are positioned forwardly of the driver seat in the cabin of a vehicle for applying infrared radiations in respective directions to the vehicle driver seated on the driver seat. The intensities of the emitted infrared radiations are controlled according to respective basic controlled variables depending on the illuminance in the vehicle cabin. The position and orientation of the face of the vehicle driver are recognized from an image captured of the vehicle driver by an imaging device, and the basic controlled variables are corrected according to the recognized position and orientation, thereby adjusting the intensities of the infrared radiations emitted from the lighting units and a balance of the infrared radiations emitted from the lighting units. Thereafter, the illuminance in the vehicle cabin and the recognized position and orientation change, then corrective coefficients for the basic controlled variables are updated depending on the changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Goto, Rokuro Okada
  • Patent number: 8049632
    Abstract: An alarm system notification device that comprises a single strobe, an input selector, and a controller is disclosed. The single strobe may be configured to operate at a first wavelength band in a first configuration and at a second wavelength band in a second configuration, the first wavelength band being different from the second wavelength band. The configuration of the single strobe (either in the first or second configuration) is determined based on a command that is input by the input selector. In response to receiving the command, the controller may control the single strobe so that the single strobe is configured to operate at one of the first wavelength band in the first configuration or the second wavelength band in the second configuration as indicated in the command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: SimplexGrinnell LP
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Savage, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7855658
    Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling light, including retrieving accelerations along an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis with a 3-axis accelerometer sensor; matching the retrieved accelerations with RGB values; and transforming the RGB values and displaying a color of the transformed RGB values. The 3-axis accelerometer sensor retrieves the accelerations Ax, Ay, and Az along the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis and calculates a velocity Vi along the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis using the accelerations Ax, Ay, and Az, with i denoting directions x, y, and z, Vi=Vio+Ait expressing a terminal velocity in the direction i, Vio denoting an initial velocity in the direction i, Ai denoting the acceleration in the direction i, and t denoting time, thereby allowing variation of brightness to be controlled in eight modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Inventor: Chris Chang
  • Patent number: 7319229
    Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for illuminating a sample, e.g., during an inspection of such sample for defects. In one aspect, the illumination apparatus includes a bundle of fibers that each has a first end and a second end. The illumination apparatus further includes an illumination selector for selectively transmitting one or more incident beams into one or more corresponding first ends of the optical fibers so that the selected one or more incident beams are output from one or more corresponding second ends of the fibers. The illumination apparatus also includes a lens arrangement for receiving the selected one or more incidents beams output from the corresponding one or more second ends of the fibers and directing the selected one or more incident beams towards the sample. The lens arrangement and the fibers are arranged with respect to each other so as to image an imaging plane of the sample at the second ends of the fibers. In one aspect, the incident beams are laser beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: KLA-Tencor Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Mehdi Vaez-Iravani, Guoheng Zhao, Stanley E. Stokowski