Patents Assigned to Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
  • VEHICULAR LAMP AND VEHICULAR LAMP CONTROL METHOD
    Publication number: 20220349547
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a light source, a lighting control unit configured to control an emission timing of light emitted from the light source, and a rotary scanning unit configured to repeatedly perform scanning with the light emitted from the light source while rotating. The vehicle lamp illuminates a predetermined region with scan light. The rotary scanning unit performs plural repetitive scans in one rotation. The lighting control unit detects a rotation cycle of the rotary scanning unit, and controls the emission timing of the light source at a timing obtained by equally dividing the detected rotation cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Takii, Naohisa Tatara
  • Vehicle lamp, lamp unit, and reflector module
    Patent number: 11486557
    Abstract: To provide a vehicle lamp that, without providing an additional light blocking member, is capable of blocking light emission that is not routed via a lens or reflector for light distribution control, with a simple and compact configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakanishi, Teppei Muramatsu
  • VEHICLE INFRARED LAMP SYSTEM, VEHICLE INFRARED SENSOR SYSTEM, VEHICLE INFRARED-SENSOR-EQUIPPED LAMP, AND OPTICAL-SENSOR-EQUIPPED LAMP
    Publication number: 20220338327
    Abstract: A vehicle infrared lamp system mounted on a vehicle equipped with an infrared camera includes: an infrared light source; a rotating reflector; an other-vehicle position acquisition unit configured to acquire position information of another vehicle; and a control unit configured to control a lighting state of the infrared light source based on the position information of the other vehicle acquired by the other-vehicle position acquisition unit such that a dimming region where radiant intensity of infrared light is lower than radiant intensity of any other region is formed on at least a part of the other vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuyuki MOCHIZUKI
  • Lighting circuit of automotive lamp
    Patent number: 11477871
    Abstract: A lighting circuit turns on a plurality of semiconductor light sources. Multiple current sources are each coupled to a corresponding semiconductor light source. A switching converter supplies a driving voltage VOUT across each of multiple series connection circuits each formed of the semiconductor light source and the current source. A converter controller employing a ripple control method turns on a switching transistor of the switching converter in response to a voltage across any one of the multiple current sources decreasing to a bottom limit voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ichikawa, Ryosuke Matsuhana, Satoshi Kikuchi, Naoki Kawabata, Norito Takahashi
  • Optical unit with light source for light distribution and electromagnetic wave generator for detecting surrounding objects and vehicular lamp having the same
    Patent number: 11473750
    Abstract: The optical unit includes a light source, an electromagnetic wave generator, a first reflector configured to reflect emitted light emitted from the light source and electromagnetic waves emitted by the electromagnetic wave generator in a first reflection region whose reflection direction is changed periodically, and a second reflector configured to reflect first reflected light reflected by the first reflector and first electromagnetic waves again in a second reflection region whose reflection direction is changed periodically. The first reflector is configured to scan the second reflection region with the first reflected light and the first electromagnetic waves. The second reflector is configured to form a light distribution pattern by performing scanning with second reflected light, and to detect a surrounding object by performing scanning with second electromagnetic waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akitaka Kanamori
  • Sensor system, sensor module, and lamp device
    Patent number: 11467284
    Abstract: A LiDAR sensor (41) is configured to sense information of an outside of a vehicle. An ultrasonic sensor (42) is configured to sense information of the outside of the vehicle in a different manner from the LiDAR sensor (41). A first bracket (43) supports the LiDAR sensor (41) and the ultrasonic sensor (42). A first sensor actuator (44) is configured to adjust a sensing reference position of the LiDAR sensor (41) relative to the first bracket (43). A second sensor actuator (45) is configured to adjust a sensing reference position of the ultrasonic sensor (42) relative to first bracket (43). A first bracket actuator (46) is configured to adjust at least one of a position and a posture of the first bracket (43) relative to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Teruaki Yamamoto, Yusuke Kasaba, Takashi Hori, Yoshiaki Fushimi
  • Illuminating lamp for vehicle
    Patent number: 11465553
    Abstract: When a pedestrian who is crossing a road or is about to cross a road is detected and it is determined that there is a risk of the own vehicle coming into contact with the pedestrian, a figure rendering forming optical unit provided in a housing of a head lamp emits a spot of light having a predetermined width and a predetermined length to a road surface ahead in a crossing direction including the pedestrian or the like. Accordingly, the pedestrian or the like knows the presence of an approaching vehicle and a driver knows the presence of the pedestrian or the like who is crossing a road or is about to cross a road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Mochizuki, Naoki Tatara, Norihiko Kobayashi
  • Lamp unit and vehicle lamp
    Patent number: 11465554
    Abstract: Problem: To provide a light source unit that can be housed in a narrow space, can be curved to match the shape of the space, and can emit linear light in a desired lighting pattern, and a vehicle lamp equipped with this light source unit. Solution: A light source unit 1 is comprised of a strip of translucent film 3 in which LEDs 2 are embedded and strips of lenses 4 that cover the translucent film 3 on the top and back surfaces thereof. The lenses 4 are provided with a light collecting portion 41 that collects the light from the LEDs 2 and a reflective portion 42 that changes the direction of the light incident from the light collecting portion 41 on the surface opposite the surface on which the light collecting portion 41 is provided. The LEDs 2 are arranged linearly along the longitudinal direction of the translucent film 3, and each can be independently controlled for lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromi Nakamura
  • VEHICLE LAMP, RADAR MODULE, AND VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20220316678
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: a lamp housing; a lamp cover covering an opening of the lamp housing; an illumination unit disposed in a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; a radar configured to acquire radar data indicating surroundings of a vehicle by emitting an electromagnetic wave outside the vehicle; and a concealing part that faces the radar to conceal the radar from the outside of the vehicle and is configured to let the electromagnetic wave emitted from the radar through. The concealing part is formed integrally with the lamp cover. A boundary between the concealing part and the lamp cover is out of a field of view of the radar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Maruyama, Yoshihiro Katsurada, Yuichi Watano, Osamu Kuboyama
  • Semiconductor light emitting device and manufacturing method of semiconductor light emitting device
    Patent number: 11462659
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor light emitting device including a growth substrate; a pillar-shaped semiconductor layer formed on the growth substrate; and a buried semiconductor layer formed to cover the pillar-shaped semiconductor layer, wherein the pillar-shaped semiconductor layer has an n-type nanowire layer formed at a center, an active layer formed on an outermore side than the n-type nanowire layer, a p-type semiconductor layer formed on an outermore side than the active layer and a tunnel junction layer formed on an outermore side than the p-type semiconductor layer, and wherein at least a part of the pillar-shaped semiconductor layer is provided with a removed region formed by removing from the buried semiconductor layer to a part of the tunnel junction layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., MEIJO UNIVERSITY, TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Kamiyama, Tetsuya Takeuchi, Motoaki Iwaya, Isamu Akasaki, Lu Weifang, Naoki Sone, Kazuyoshi Iida, Ryo Nakamura, Masaki Oya
  • VEHICLE LAMP SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20220305980
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp system mounted on a vehicle includes an in-vehicle sensor includes an IR light source, a scanning unit, an infrared camera, a region setting unit for comparing information acquired from the in-vehicle sensor and information acquired by the infrared camera and setting a dimming area and/or an emphasis area, and a lamp control unit for controlling an applied power amount and turning on and off of the IR light source such that a specific region is irradiated with the infrared rays emitted from the IR light source based on output of the region setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuyuki MOCHIZUKI
  • VEHICLE LAMP SYSTEM AND VEHICLE LAMP
    Publication number: 20220307668
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a first light source, a second light source, a scanning unit, an optical sensor and a control unit. The scanning unit scans light emitted from the second light source such that the light emitted from the second light source irradiates a linear region that extends in a horizontal direction. The scanning unit includes a reflector in which a portion that reflects light of the first light source toward a front side of the lamp and a portion that reflects light of the second light source toward the front side are the same, or a reflector in which a portion that reflects the light of the first light source toward the front side and a portion that reflects the light of the second light source toward the front side are integrated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2020
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuyuki MOCHIZUKI
  • Vehicle lamp
    Patent number: 11454539
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: a first light source configured to irradiate visible light; a second light source configured to emit infrared light; a rotating reflector configured to be rotated while reflecting the visible light and the infrared light, and scan the visible light and the infrared light along a horizontal direction on a virtual vertical screen; a light receiving unit configured to receive the infrared light emitted from the second light source and reflected by a target object; and a controller configured to control an irradiation area of the visible light based on the infrared light received by the receiving unit. When determined that there is an abnormality in at least one of the second light source or the light receiving unit, the controller is configured to control the irradiation area based on the surrounding information of the vehicle obtained from outside the vehicle lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fahin Syed Ahmed, Takao Muramatsu, Hitoshi Gotoh
  • VEHICLE DETECTING DEVICE, VEHICLE LAMP SYSTEM, VEHICLE DETECTING METHOD, LIGHT DISTRIBUTION CONTROLLING DEVICE, AND LIGHT DISTRIBUTION CONTROLLING METHOD
    Publication number: 20220289101
    Abstract: A vehicle detecting device includes: a camera that includes an image sensor and a first filter, the image sensor including a plurality of imaging elements including a first imaging element group and a second imaging element group, the first filter keeping an amount of light entering the first imaging element group lower than an amount of light entering the second imaging element group; an image generating unit that generates a first image based on information obtained from the first imaging element group and a second image based on information obtained from the second imaging element group; and a detecting unit that detects a front vehicle based on the first image and the second image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takehito IRIBA
  • Optical unit
    Patent number: 11441753
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a first light source, a second light source, a rotary reflector that rotates about an axis of rotation while reflecting first light emitted from the first light source, and a projection lens that projects the first light reflected by the rotary reflector into a light illuminating direction of the optical unit to form a first light distribution pattern. The second light source is disposed such that second light emitted from the second light source enters the projection lens without being reflected by the rotary reflector. The projection lens is configured to project the second light into the light illuminating direction of the optical unit to form a second light distribution pattern such that the second light distribution pattern overlaps an end portion of the first light distribution pattern in a right-left direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Sakurai, Hidetada Tanaka
  • Lamp unit and power supply attachment
    Patent number: 11441767
    Abstract: A lamp unit includes: a light emitting element; a reflector that reflects light emitted from the light emitting element toward a unit front; and a heat sink that supports the light emitting element and the reflector, in which a power supply attachment for supplying power to the light emitting element is attached to the heat sink, the power supply attachment is fastened to the heat sink at two left and right positions of the power supply attachment, and a connector portion of the power supply attachment is formed inside two left and right fastening positions so as to extend to a unit rear side relative to a rear end position of the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Matsunaga, Yuji Sugiyama, Yukio Nomura
  • VEHICULAR LAMP
    Publication number: 20220282844
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp (1) includes a lamp unit (20), the lamp unit (20) including a light source (41) and a reflection device (50) serving as a light distribution pattern formation unit, wherein the light distribution pattern formation unit is irradiated with light (L) emitted from the light source (41) and emits light (LF) and is further capable of changing a light distribution pattern of the light (LF) to be emitted, and the lamp unit (20) adjusts an emission direction of the light (LF) to be emitted from the lamp unit (20) according to a change in the light distribution pattern of the light (LF) to be emitted from the reflection device (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke NAKADA, Takanobu TOYOSHIMA
  • Optical unit
    Patent number: 11435051
    Abstract: Provided is an optical unit capable of preventing unintended light distribution and having a small assembly error while using a plurality of light sources and a plurality of lenses. An optical unit (10) includes: a plurality of light sources (26); a plurality of first lenses (30) integrally formed, respectively arranged to correspond to each of the light sources (26), condensing light from the corresponding light sources (26), and forming corresponding light source images on a predetermined virtual plane; a second lens (12) projecting projected images of the light source images forward; and a light-shielding member (31) extending between two adjacent first lenses (30) in the first lenses (30), and shielding light passing through one first lens (30) so as not to enter the other first lens (30), in which the light-shielding member (31) and the first lenses (30) are integrally formed by two-color molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenta Mukojima
  • Vehicle lamp system
    Patent number: 11427123
    Abstract: This vehicle lamp system, which is used together with a vehicle control unit that controls the travel state of a vehicle and a mode determination unit that can determine an automatic driving mode of another vehicle, comprises a lamp mounted on the vehicle, and a lamp control unit which, depending on the mode signal outputted by the mode determination unit, controls the lamp in different ways (for example, displaying an arrow with road surface rendering).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Iwasaki
  • Vehicle cleaner system and vehicle including vehicle cleaner system
    Patent number: 11427163
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system includes: a window washer configured to clean a front window of a vehicle; a lamp cleaner configured to clean a headlamp; a sensor cleaner configured to clean a sensor that detects information outside the vehicle; and a cleaner control unit configured to operate at least one of the window washer, the lamp cleaner, and the sensor cleaner in accordance with input of a signal. The cleaner control unit is configured to operate the window washer, the lamp cleaner, and the sensor cleaner such that at least two or more of a number of operations of the window washer, a number of operations of the lamp cleaner, and a number of operations of the sensor cleaner are different in accordance with a predetermined number of signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akinobu Kubota, Masayuki Kondo, Kazuki Kawamura, Masaru Sakai