Patents Assigned to Koito Manufacturing Co.
  • Patent number: 11681037
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a lamp chamber, an automatic operation marker lamp unit, and a sensor device. The lamp chamber includes a lamp body and an outer lens, and the automatic operation marker lamp unit and the sensor device are integrated in the lamp chamber. The automatic operation marker lamp unit informs surroundings that a vehicle is being driven automatically, and a sensor device detects information around the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Nobutaka Tezuka, Yuichi Watano, Shigeyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11679742
    Abstract: A vehicular system includes a first in-vehicle sensor having a first cleaning target surface which is provided on a design part forming an appearance of a vehicle and arranged so as to face an exterior of the vehicle. The first cleaning target surface is arranged at an inner side of the vehicle than an immediate upper portion of the first cleaning target surface. The immediate upper portion is constituted by a protrusion provided in a rear bumper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masaru Sakai, Masaaki Sato
  • Publication number: 20230184902
    Abstract: A vehicular light source system includes: first and second laser emitters configured to emit first and second lasers; a thermometer configured to measure peripheral temperature; and a light source controller. The strength of the first laser at a temperature lower than a threshold temperature is higher than that of the second laser at that temperature. The strength of the first laser at a temperature higher than the threshold temperature is lower than that of the second laser at that temperature. The light source controller is configured to control the first and the second laser emitters such that: the strength of the first laser becomes higher than that of the second laser if the peripheral temperature is lower than the threshold temperature; and the strength of the second laser becomes higher than that of the first laser if the peripheral temperature is higher than or equal to the threshold temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro ONODA, Hidemichi SONE
  • Patent number: 11678424
    Abstract: Problem: To provide an autonomous driving indication system that allows a pedestrian or another vehicle to clearly discriminate driving states of an autonomous driving vehicle and provide a vehicle communication system capable of sending an appropriate message to a pedestrian from a vehicle according to the probability of the pedestrian crossing the road. Means to Solve the Problem: Left and right headlamps (3) are each provided with a first communication lamp (6) and a second communication lamp (7) for indicating an autonomous driving state of a vehicle (1). The first and second communication lamps (6) and (7) are each comprised of a plurality of light emitting segments, and each light emitting segment is caused to flash by a lamp ECU. When flashing the light emitting segments, the lamp ECU controls the change in the brightness of the light emitting segments according to the driving state of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoki Tatara
  • Patent number: 11676394
    Abstract: A processing unit recognizes an object based on image data. An object recognition unit identifies the object based on the image data. A conversion unit is configured as a neural network provided as an upstream stage of the object recognition unit. The conversion unit converts a first image IMG acquired by the camera into a second image, and inputs the second image to the object recognition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ryota Ogura
  • Patent number: 11674658
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp includes a reflector having plural reflecting surfaces arranged in a left-right direction, and n light sources which are arranged in the left-right direction and emit light toward any one of the reflecting surfaces. At least two adjacent light sources are provided as a common light source which emits light toward a same reflecting surface. n illumination patterns which illuminate different regions in the left-right direction are formed by light emitted from the n light sources, respectively, and are taken as a first to n-th illumination patterns in this order in the left-right direction. At least half of areas of illumination patterns of an immediately-following number and an immediately-preceding number overlap each other in the left-right direction. Focal lengths of the plural reflecting surfaces are set such that adjacent illumination patterns which do not overlap each other are formed by light emitted from the common light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shoji Fujita
  • Publication number: 20230179841
    Abstract: A gating camera divides a field of view in a depth direction into multiple ranges, and generates multiple slice images that correspond to the multiple ranges. An illumination apparatus emits probe light. A controller controls a timing of emission of the probe light L1 by the illumination apparatus and a timing of image capture by a first image sensor and a second image sensor. The controller controls the first image sensor and the second image sensor such that they receive reflected light from different respective ranges in response to one emission of the probe light from the illumination apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji ITABA, Jun KANO
  • Patent number: 11667268
    Abstract: A vehicle cleaner system includes: a cleaner unit configured to be mounted on a vehicle and to discharge a cleaning medium to an external sensor that acquires information outside the vehicle so as to clean the external sensor; and a cleaner control unit configured to control the cleaner unit. The cleaner control unit is configured to acquire weather information, and control the cleaner unit such that at least one of a type of the cleaning medium, a discharge amount of the cleaning medium, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning medium, the number of times of discharge of the cleaning medium per unit time, and a discharge time of the cleaning medium varies according to the weather information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11667234
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp system includes a vehicle lamp, a first imaging device structured to be disposed outside a lamp room, and generate a first image, a second imaging device structured to be housed in the lamp room, and generate a second image, and a light distribution control device. The light distribution control device includes an information processor structured to acquire from an outside or generate information of a first light shielding part, and decide a second light shielding part, a control executer structured to execute light distribution control for forming a light distribution pattern including the second light shielding part, and a control regulator structured to control the vehicle lamp to form a light distribution pattern including the first light shielding part when at least one condition of a condition (i) to a condition (iv).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Maruyama, Takehito Iriba, Yoshihiro Katsurada, Yuichi Watano, Takuya Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20230167963
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: a lamp body that has an opening in a direction of light radiation; a front cover that covers the opening to define a housing and includes, on an inner surface, an anti-fogging film mainly composed of a synthetic resin; a light source that is disposed in the housing; and a silicone resin part that is disposed in the housing. A content of D3 to D20 cyclic low molecular weight siloxanes in the silicone resin part is 0 ppm to 300 ppm in terms of mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Nagahashi, Hideki Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20230167960
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp (1) includes a light source unit (20), and a meta-lens (30) in which a plurality of cells (33) including a nanostructure (35) smaller than a longest wavelength of light (L) emitted from the light source unit (20) are arranged, the meta-lens (30) having a main surface (31s) as a meta region through which the light L emitted from the light source unit (20) passes, and the main surface (31s) as the meta region changes a phase distribution of the light (L) passing through the main surface (31s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuya Motohashi
  • Patent number: 11655968
    Abstract: A light-emitting module includes: a semiconductor light-emitting element; a circuit board on which a lighting control circuit configured to perform control to turn on and off the semiconductor light-emitting element is provided; and an element metal plate on which the semiconductor light-emitting element is mounted. The circuit board is a resin substrate in which a wiring portion connecting the semiconductor light-emitting element and the lighting control circuit is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suzuki, Tomoyuki Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20230151942
    Abstract: A vehicle headlight (10) includes a light source unit (30) including a plurality of light emitting elements (35), a reflector (39) that scans light from the plurality of light emitting elements (35) to form a light distribution pattern (350), and a control unit (60). The control unit (60) controls the light source unit (30) such that the light amount of light emitted from some light emitting elements to a predetermined region (AR) overlapping a target object does not change and the light amount of light emitted from other some light emitting elements to the predetermined region (AR) overlapping the target object changes among the light emitting elements that emit light to the predetermined region (AR) overlapping the target object in the superimposition region (PA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta MARUYAMA, Hidetada TANAKA
  • Publication number: 20230156341
    Abstract: A gated camera divides a depth direction into a plurality of ranges and generates a plurality of slice images corresponding to the plurality of ranges. An illumination device radiates probe light. A controller controls a light emission timing of the illumination device and an exposure timing of an image sensor. An image processing device generates a slice image based on a sensor image transmitted from the image sensor. The image processing device selects M (M ? 2) pixel values in ascending order of pixel values for each line of the sensor image, calculates an average value of the M pixel values, and subtracts the average value from each pixel value of the corresponding line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daiki KATO, Masayuki TAKAHASHI, Koji ITABA, Shun TANEMOTO
  • Patent number: 11648870
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp (1) includes a lamp fitting (10), and a control unit (CO) configured to, when a signal indicating detection of a preceding vehicle (80) is input, control the lamp fitting (10) such that a total luminous flux amount of light emitted to a first region (211) and a second region (212), and widths (W211 and W212) in the first region (211) and the second region (212) change according to a position of the preceding vehicle (80) with respect to a vehicle (100), in which the first region (211) overlaps a whole of a visual recognition unit of the preceding vehicle (80), and edges (212R and 212L) of the second region (212) on both sides in the left-right direction are located on a preceding vehicle (80) side with respect to edges (211R and 211L) of the first region (211) on both sides in the left-right direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuta Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11653434
    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: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ichikawa, Ryosuke Matsuhana, Satoshi Kikuchi, Naoki Kawabata, Norito Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11651684
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting system provided in a vehicle includes: a lighting unit configured to emit light toward outside of a vehicle; and a lighting control unit configured to control the lighting unit such that the lighting unit visually presents, to an oncoming vehicle present ahead of the vehicle, predetermined information on traveling support of the oncoming vehicle, based on a vehicle width of the oncoming vehicle and a road width in a lateral region of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Shibata, Naoki Takii, Misako Kamiya, Norihisa Sutou, Masao Okawa
  • Publication number: 20230142677
    Abstract: A vehicle headlight (1) includes a first lamp unit (10), a second lamp unit (20), a region determination unit (55), and a control unit (CO). A first irradiation spot (S1f) overlaps with a second irradiation spot (S2). The control unit (CO) controls the first lamp unit (10) so that an amount of the light of a light emitting element (13f) corresponding to the first irradiation spot (S1f) overlapping with a predetermined region (80) is reduced, and controls the second lamp unit (20) so that an amount of the light of a light emitting element (23) corresponding to the second irradiation spot (S2) overlapping with the predetermined region (80) is reduced or becomes 0, and light is emitted from the light emitting element (23) corresponding to the second irradiation spot (S2) overlapping with the first irradiation spot (S1f) and not overlapping with the predetermined region (80).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Atsushi SUGIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230141840
    Abstract: A light distribution controller includes a computation unit that extracts an index value from a predetermined region to be processed within an image, a pattern determiner that determines a light distribution pattern such that the index value approaches a maximum value, and a lamp controller that controls a light distribution variable lamp so as to form the light distribution pattern. The index value is at least one of a mean intensity of HOG feature values of a plurality of pixels of the region to be processed or an edge gray level proportion indicating, in a local binary pattern (LBP) histogram of the plurality of pixels, a proportion of the number of pixels belonging to a gray level of an edge portion to a total number of the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2023
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshinori SHIBATA
  • Patent number: 11644174
    Abstract: To improve design characteristics when the light fixture is turned on in a vehicle light fixture including a plate-shaped light guide. The plate-shaped light guide (32) is configured such that light from five light sources (40A1, 40A2, 40A3, 40A4 and 40A5) is totally reflected by a plurality of reflective elements (32s) formed on a first plate surface (32a) on a rear surface side of the plate-shaped light guide, and then emitted forward of a light fixture unit from a second plate surface (32b) of the plate-shaped light guide. At that time, five light emitting regions (32A1, 32A2, 32A3, 32A4 and 32A5) are arranged at intervals in a horizontal direction in the plate-shaped light guide (32), and then the reflective elements (32s) are arranged in a state of being continuously side by side along a line L extending in a direction intersecting the horizontal direction in each of the light emitting regions (32A1 to 32A5). Each reflective element (32s) is formed in a substantially concave spherical surface shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Akihito Horikawa