Patents Assigned to Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11878622
    Abstract: A left vehicle lamp includes a lamp housing, a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing, an illumination unit that is disposed inside a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp power bar, a radar) configured to acquire a radar data indicating a surrounding environment of a vehicle by emitting radio waves toward the outside of the vehicle, and a light guide member that is disposed in a manner of facing the radar so as to hide at least a part of the radar from the outside of the vehicle and is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar. The radar is disposed outside the housing. The light guide member is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Katsurada, Yuichi Watano, Yuta Maruyama, Osamu Kuboyama, Akihito Horikawa, Kosei Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20240019102
    Abstract: A socket housing having an engaging portion that is engaged with a predetermined member; a substrate having a base plate formed by a resin material and a wiring pattern formed in at least a surface on one side, in a thickness direction, of the base plate; a light-emitting element that is connected to the wiring pattern; an annular frame that is formed on the substrate and covers the light-emitting element; a sealing resin that is packed inside the frame and seals the light-emitting element; and an electronic component joined to a land that is formed on an outer circumferential side of the frame. The frame is formed as a resin material having fluidity applied to the substrate is hardened. A clearance between the frame and the land or a clearance between the frame and the electronic component, whichever is smaller, is set to be 0.1 mm or larger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki ICHIKAWA, Atsushi OZAWA, Tomoyuki NAKAGAWA, Toru ITO, Tetsuya SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20240017663
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp system includes a light distribution control device that controls a first lamp unit and a second lamp unit. The light distribution control device forms a combined high-illuminance pattern in a region where no target is present. Meanwhile, the light distribution control device forms a combined shading pattern in regard to a forward vehicle. Furthermore, in regard to a specific target, the light distribution control device controls the first lamp unit so as to form an illuminance fixed pattern, controls the second lamp unit so as to form an illuminance fixed pattern or to form an illuminance adjusted pattern, and forms a combined mid-illuminance pattern by superposing the light distribution patterns that the first lamp unit and the second lamp unit form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takao MURAMATSU, Yuta MARUYAMA, Yuichi WATANO
  • Patent number: 11872964
    Abstract: This vehicle cleaner unit is provided with: a cylinder unit comprising a cylinder which forms a chamber, a discharge port through which the chamber opens to the outside, and a piston which reciprocates inside of the cylinder and discharges from the discharge port a cleaning medium inside of the chamber; a power unit comprising a motor, a power transmission mechanism which transmits rotary motion of the motor to the piston to cause the piston to reciprocate, and a housing which houses the motor and the power transmission mechanism; and a casing which houses the cylinder unit and the power unit. The cylinder unit and the power unit are supported by the casing with rubber members interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masayuki Kondo
  • Patent number: 11873962
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba
  • Patent number: 11872928
    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: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsushi Uesugi, Kentarou Murakami, Yuki Kubo, Tatsuro Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11872604
    Abstract: The present invention is provided with: an outer housing configured from a housing having an opening, and a translucent cover closing the opening; a substrate disposed inside of the outer hosing; a camera module, which has an image pickup element, and is disposed on the substrate; and a light emitting element, which is provided as a light source, and is disposed on the substrate. Consequently, since the camera module and the light emitting element are disposed on the substrate that is disposed inside of the outer housing, the number of configuration components is small, thereby achieving reduction of the number of components, and size reduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Tatara, Toshihiro Okamura
  • Patent number: 11873964
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Maruyama, Yoshihiro Katsurada, Yuichi Watano, Osamu Kuboyama
  • Patent number: 11872932
    Abstract: An automotive lamp includes a first semiconductor light source and a second semiconductor light source configured to emit different colors, and to mix the two colors, so as to generate mixed-color light. A first driving circuit supplies a first driving current stabilized to a first target amount to the first semiconductor light source. A second driving circuit supplies a second driving current stabilized to a second target amount to the second semiconductor light source. Upon detecting an abnormal non-lighting state in the first semiconductor light source, the first abnormal state detection circuit stops the operation of the second driving circuit. Upon detecting an abnormal non-lighting state in the second semiconductor light source, the second abnormal state detection circuit stops the operation of the first driving circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11865968
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a turn lamp, a nonvolatile memory, a signal processing device, and a drive circuit. The turn lamp includes a plurality of light emitting elements that independently controllable to be turned on and off. The nonvolatile memory stores a parameter related to control of the plurality of light emitting elements. The signal processing device generates, based on the parameter, a plurality of turn-on commands indicating turn-on states of the plurality of light emitting elements at each time point by executing a software program. The drive circuit drives each of the plurality of light emitting elements based on the plurality of turn-on commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuichi Miyashita
  • Publication number: 20240003512
    Abstract: An automotive lamp includes a first lamp unit, a second lamp unit, and a third lamp unit. The first lamp unit illuminates a first region having its longitudinal direction in the horizontal direction and having its upper edge defining a horizontal cutoff line in the low-beam mode and the high-beam mode. The second lamp unit illuminates a second region having its longitudinal direction in an oblique direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction and having its upper edge defining an oblique cutoff line in the low-beam mode and the high-beam mode. The third lamp unit illuminates a third region having its longitudinal direction in an oblique direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction and having its lower edge parallel to the oblique cutoff line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki ICHIKAWA, Shoji FUJITA
  • Patent number: 11858410
    Abstract: A front left lamp includes a housing, an outer cover which covers an opening of the housing, a lighting unit disposed in a space formed by the housing and the outer cover, and a corner cube reflector, which is configured to increase radar radio wave reflectance and is disposed to face the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuta Maruyama
  • Publication number: 20230415638
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp system includes an illuminance variable lamp, a lamp-mounted camera, and a lamp control unit. After acquiring position information of a low accuracy region from a vehicle control unit, the lamp control unit acquires illuminance of the low accuracy region by referring to information acquired by the lamp-mounted camera, controls the illuminance variable lamp so as to increase the illuminance of the low accuracy region if the illuminance of the low accuracy region is less than a threshold, and/or controls the illuminance variable lamp so as to decrease the illuminance of the low accuracy region if the illuminance of the low accuracy region is equal to or greater than the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi WATANO, Takao MURAMATSU
  • Publication number: 20230415637
    Abstract: A light distribution control device controls formation of a light distribution pattern by a light distribution variable lamp. The light distribution control device controls the light distribution variable lamp so as to reduce an illuminance of light that illuminates a non-traveling road when a vehicle reaches a first location a predetermined distance before a forked road, while a normal light distribution pattern is formed that includes, in an illumination range thereof, a side illuminating a traveling road of the vehicle at the forked road and a side illuminating the non-traveling road, and to form a guiding light distribution pattern in which an illuminance of light that illuminates the traveling road is higher than the illuminance of the light that illuminates the non-traveling road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirohiko OSHIO, Yuichi WATANO, Koji ISHIHARA, Takashi TERAYAMA, Tatsuma KITAZAWA, Takao MURAMATSU, Shuji MATSUURA
  • Patent number: 11850992
    Abstract: Provided is a lighting device capable of forming an optimal light distribution pattern in a situation in which vehicle travel is being automatically controlled. Provided is a lighting device (100) in which a region having the highest luminous intensity on a virtual projection plane (VP) when the virtual projection plane (VP) is divided into three equal parts from lowest to highest luminous intensity is isolated in the left and right directions by a V line, and at least a portion of the region having the highest luminous intensity is located in a first central portion (M1) of the virtual projection plane (VP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Tatara, Toshihiro Okamura, Takeshi Masuda
  • Publication number: 20230408055
    Abstract: A composite vehicle lamp includes: a lamp unit; and a lamp housing configured to house a plurality of the lamp units. Each of the plurality of the lamp units has: a light source; and an optical system configured to emit light from the light source in a desired light distribution. The plurality of the lamp units includes: one light-guide-type lamp unit having a light guide; and another light-guide-type lamp unit having another light guide whose form is different from that of the one light-guide-type lamp unit. The one light-guide-type lamp unit and the another light-guide-type lamp unit are turned on as lamps having the same function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shohei KANEZUKA, Haruka Morii
  • Patent number: 11845092
    Abstract: A vehicle washing device includes: a cylinder including a cylinder tube to which a washing fluid is supplied; a piston including a piston tube that is movably inserted into the cylinder tube and opens at both ends; and a spray nozzle that is mounted at a leading end, in an extension direction, of the piston tube protruding from the cylinder tube. The spray nozzle is configured to spray the washing fluid, supplied through the inside of the piston tube, toward an object-to-be-washed. The outer circumference of the spray nozzle is fitted on the inner circumference of the piston tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Yasuhiro Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 11846400
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: a first light source and a second light source having light emission colors different from each other; and a light guide body that receives and emits light from the first light source and the second light source. The light guide body includes an incident portion on which the light is incident, a reflecting portion that reflects the light incident from the incident portion, and an emitting portion that emits the light reflected by the reflecting portion. The reflecting portion includes a plurality of first light distribution control surfaces that reflects the light from the first light source toward a predetermined direction and a plurality of second light distribution control surfaces that reflects the light from the second light source toward the predetermined direction. The plurality of first and second light distribution control surfaces are alternately arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kimiaki Yoshino
  • Patent number: 11841504
    Abstract: An image display device has a first image projection unit configured to emit light for forming a first image, an image forming optical unit configured to form the first image at a first distance and cause the first image to be incident on a viewpoint of a user, and a rotation support unit configured to rotatably hold the image forming optical unit with a fulcrum point as a rotation center.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoichi Ogata
  • Patent number: RE49776
    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: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda