Patents Assigned to Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20220191072
    Abstract: An automobile includes an automotive lamp and an in-vehicle controller. A sensor generates image data. An encoder divides the image data into multiple data frames, and encodes the data frame thus divided. A scrambler scrambles the data frame thus encoded using a reproducible pseudo-random signal. A serializer converts the output of the scrambler into serial data. A transmitter transmits the serial data to the in-vehicle controller via a cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroto TAHARA
  • Publication number: 20220176916
    Abstract: Of the moving directions of the piston, the direction in which high-pressure air is delivered is a delivery direction, and the direction in the opposite direction from the delivery direction is a force accumulation direction. The piston is moved in the force accumulation direction by the moving mechanism, and moved in the delivery direction by the biasing force of the biasing spring in response to the release of the moving force exerted by the moving mechanism. The cylinder is provided with: a piston supporting portion that supports the piston; and a connection protrusion that has a delivery path for delivering the high-pressure air to the nozzle. The inner surface of an end of the piston supporting portion in the delivery direction is formed as a closed surface. The delivery path is located further toward the force accumulation direction than the closed surface is.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Kato, Takayoshi Mochizuki, Akinobu Kubota, Yasuhiro Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20220176869
    Abstract: A front left lamp (7a) includes a housing (24a), an outer cover (22a) which covers an opening of the housing (24a), a lighting unit (42a) disposed in a space (Sa) formed by the housing (24a) and the outer cover (22a), and a corner cube reflector (25a), which is configured to increase radar radio wave reflectance and is disposed to face the housing (24a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuta Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20220176870
    Abstract: An automotive lamp includes a variable light distribution lamp and a controller. When a first light distribution pattern is to be changed to a second light distribution pattern, and when a difference in the number of shaded portions between the first light distribution pattern and the second light distribution pattern is one, the controller switches a control method for gradually changing the light distribution pattern according to a position relation between the shaded portions included in the first light distribution pattern and the shaded portions included in the second light distribution pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi UESUGI, Kentarou MURAKAMI, Yuki KUBO, Tatsuro HAYASHI
  • Patent number: 11351912
    Abstract: A vehicle headlight system that can be used together with a vehicle control unit (3) that switches from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode on the basis of external information about a vehicle (1), wherein the system has a headlight (100) mounted on the vehicle (1), and a lamp control unit (4) that controls the headlight (100), the lamp control unit (4): controlling the headlight (100) so as to form a first light distribution pattern (P) when the vehicle control unit (3) is executing the autonomous driving mode; controlling the headlight (100) so as to form a second light distribution pattern (Q) when the vehicle control unit (3) is executing the manual driving mode; and controlling the headlight so as to form a third light distribution pattern (R) that irradiates at an illuminance equal to or greater than the illuminance of the first light distribution pattern (P) and/or irradiates a range equal to or greater than the irradiation region of the first light distribution pattern (P), when transi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ishida
  • Patent number: 11353188
    Abstract: An optical unit includes a light source and a rotary reflector that rotates about an axis of rotation while reflecting light emitted from the light source. The rotary reflector is disposed such that the axis of rotation of the rotary reflector intersects a horizontal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Satoshi Yamamura
  • Patent number: 11353186
    Abstract: A vehicular headlight includes: a first light emitting element (55) that emits a first light (L1); a second light emitting element (63) that emits a second light (L2); a shade (43); and a projection lens (20), in which an upper surface of the shade (43) has a first reflection surface (43a) that reflects another part of the first light (L1) to the projection lens (20) side, and a lower surface of the shade has a second reflection surface (43b) that reflects another part of the second light (L2) to the projection lens (20) side, and a front end (43c) of the shade (43) has a step (43cs) in an up and down direction corresponding to a shape of a cut line of a light distribution pattern of the low beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makiko Suetsugu, Hiroki Kawai, Akira Hanada, Kenichi Takada, Yuusuke Mochiduki
  • Patent number: 11346520
    Abstract: A rotating reflector is a resin rotating reflector including: a rotating part; and a blade provided around the rotating part and functioning as a reflecting surface, wherein the rotating part has a hole in which a rotary shaft is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Nakanishi, Teppei Muramatsu, Hidetada Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11350505
    Abstract: A semiconductor light source includes multiple light-emitting elements coupled in series. A driving circuit receives an input voltage, and supplies a driving current to the semiconductor light source. A bypass circuit is coupled to a part of the multiple light-emitting elements. When a low-voltage state occurs, the bypass circuit is set to the enabled state, thereby bypassing the driving current. An auxiliary power supply circuit is coupled in series with the part of the multiple light-emitting elements. When an expected current does not flow through the auxiliary power supply circuit after the bypass circuit is set to the disabled state, a judgement unit judges that an open-circuit fault has occurred in the part of the multiple light-emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11344926
    Abstract: A foreign substance removing device includes: a cylinder including a support portion; a piston configured to send out a fluid flowing into the cylinder; a spring configured to urge the piston; and a mechanism configured to apply a moving force to the piston. A direction in which the fluid is sent out is a first direction. The piston is moved in the first direction by an urging force of the spring. An operation portion of the piston is formed with a convex or concave portion. The support portion is formed with an insertion concave portion into which the convex portion is capable of being inserted or an insertion convex portion capable of being inserted into the concave portion. A compression space is formed in the moving space when the piston is moved in the first direction and the convex portion or the insertion convex portion is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masayuki Kondo
  • Publication number: 20220161762
    Abstract: A sensor is configured to output a signal corresponding to information in an outside area of the vehicle. A defogging device is configured to supply at least one of water, a compound, hot air, charged particles, ultrasonic waves, and infrared radiations to at least a portion of a detection area of the sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Inoue
  • Publication number: 20220163189
    Abstract: A condenser lens includes an exit surface divided into a plurality of light controlling surfaces. The exit surface includes a first exit region and a second exit region. The first exit region includes a plurality of first light controlling surfaces arrayed in a predetermined direction. The second exit region is located side by side with the first exit region and includes a plurality of second light controlling surfaces arrayed in the predetermined direction. A border between adjacent first light controlling surfaces and a border between adjacent second light controlling surfaces are out of alignment in the predetermined direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenta MUKOJIMA
  • Patent number: 11339942
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a light source and a plate-shaped light guide including a first plate surface on which a plurality of reflective elements are formed and a second plate surface. The plate-shaped light guide is configured to totally reflect light from the light source by the plurality of reflective elements. The plurality of reflective elements are arranged in a state of being continuously arranged along a line extending in a direction, and are arranged in a plurality of rows on the line. The plate-shaped light guide is configured to allow the light from the light source to reach a position of the line from a first direction. Each of the reflective elements has a substantially concave curved surface shape, and as compared to reflective elements constituting a first row, reflective elements constituting a second row is formed at a deeper position from the first plate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akihito Horikawa
  • Patent number: 11339944
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: a first light guide including a first light guiding portion having a first light emitting surface and a first light incident surface; a second light guide including a second light guiding portion having a second light emitting surface and a second light incident surface; and a first reflector configured to reflect a part of light emitted from the first light emitting surface. The first light guiding portion and the second light guiding portion are disposed on opposite sides across the first reflector, the first light guiding portion is positioned on a light emitting direction side of the second light guiding portion, and a part of the second light guiding portion is positioned outside the first light guiding portion in the light guide direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miki Koizumi, Kyouhei Akiyama
  • Patent number: 11341604
    Abstract: A two-dimensional conversion unit converts point cloud data D1 acquired by a three-dimensional sensor into two-dimensional data with the distance as the pixel value. A convolutional neural network receives the image data as its input, and judges the position of and the category of an object included in the point cloud data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kensuke Arai
  • Patent number: 11338721
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp is provided on a vehicle capable of traveling around a corner by inclining a vehicle body in a turning direction. The vehicle lamp includes a headlamp mounted on a front portion of the vehicle, and a combination lamp disposed on a vehicle body cover in a region adjacent to the headlamp so as to be visible from the front of the vehicle. The combination lamp includes a plurality of light emitting segments. Depending on arrangement locations, the light emitting segments differ in at least one of the shape of, the size of, the color of, and a distance between the light emitting segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keisuke Fujii
  • Patent number: 11338723
    Abstract: An automotive lamp is capable of controlling a light distribution pattern PTN based on an image captured by a camera unit. The automotive lamp is capable of switching between multiple control modes designed with different combinations of the spatial resolution of the light distribution pattern PTN and the update speed of the light distribution pattern PTN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshinori Shibata
  • Publication number: 20220154905
    Abstract: A light source module is switchable between a high beam and a low beam, and is mounted on a vehicle. A first light source is arranged such that its output light is irradiated to a low-beam region by a first optical system. A second light source is arranged such that its output light is irradiated to a high-beam region by a second optical system. A lighting circuit supplies a driving current to the first light source in response to a turn-on instruction for either the high beam or the low beam. Furthermore, the lighting circuit supplies the output current to the second light source in response to a turn-on instruction for the high beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki ICHIKAWA, Norikazu SAITO, Atsushi OZAWA
  • Patent number: 11333743
    Abstract: A translucent cover (1012) defines a lamp chamber (1013) together with a housing (1011) while forming a portion of an outer face of a vehicle. A LiDAR sensor (1161) is disposed in the lamp chamber (1013) to detect external information of the vehicle. A half mirror (1162) is disposed in the lamp chamber (1013) so as to cover the LiDAR sensor (1161) from a side where the translucent cover (1162) is disposed. The translucent cover (1012) has a first transparency to visible light. The half mirror (1162) has a second transparency to the visible light that is lower than the first transparency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Hori, Norimasa Yamamoto, Akitaka Kanamori, Akinori Matsumoto, Teruaki Yamamoto, Minami Katagiri, Yoshiaki Fushimi, Naoki Takii, Yasuyuki Kato
  • Patent number: RE49082
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda