Patents Assigned to Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20190107986
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle display device such that the responsiveness of communication between a main microcomputer and a sub microcomputer is improved. The vehicle display device is equipped with a main microcomputer that generates information data and a sub microcomputer that generates an image to be displayed on a display element on the basis of the information data. Between the main microcomputer and the sub microcomputer, at least a signal line for data transmission and a signal line for chip select signal transmission are connected so as to allow communication between the main microcomputer and the sub microcomputer. The vehicle display device synchronizes a first timer counter counted by the main microcomputer and a second timer counter counted by the sub microcomputer, in response to the tip select signal transmitted to the sub microcomputer by the main microcomputer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Applicant: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusuke OHARA, Yutaka KANEKO
  • Patent number: 10229594
    Abstract: The present invention suppresses movement of the line of sight of a user, reports the degree of potential risk, and contributes to the safe operation of a vehicle. A vicinity-monitoring unit detects a specific object in the vicinity of the vehicle. A display unit displays a mark image, which is visible to the user and is disposed continuously or intermittently on a trajectory, in a manner so as to surround the specific object at least partially. A control unit calculates the risk potential in relation to the specific object and alters, in accordance with the calculated risk potential, the line density of the mark image disposed on the trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20190049729
    Abstract: Provided is a display device for a vehicle that can rapidly execute preparation completion for display of vehicle information. The display device for a vehicle is provided with a processing unit, a display, and a rotational drive unit that can rotate a reflector on a prescribed axis. The processing unit includes an estimating unit that estimates planned start of the vehicle by a crew, and when the vehicle is planned to be started, the angle of rotation of the rotational drive unit moves from an initial angle corresponding to an initial position (position of point of origin) of the reflector to a first intermediate angle (first stopping position) between the initial angle and a final angle corresponding to the normal operating position of the reflector. After the vehicle has been actually started, the angle of rotation of the rotational drive unit moves to a final angle from the first intermediate angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki HONMA, Yuki MASUYA
  • Publication number: 20190025582
    Abstract: The present invention displays multiple images at different locations in the depth direction, while suppressing a decline in display quality, using projected light emitted from a single projector. A projector 20 emits first projection light L1 and second projection light L2 that have a first projection distance P1. A projection distance lengthening unit 251 having a negative refractive power is positioned along the path of the first projection light L1 between the projector 20 and a first screen 23, and causes an image to be formed on the first screen 23 by lengthening the projection distance P of the first projection light L1. A projection distance shortening unit 252 having a positive refractive power is positioned along the path of the second projection light L2 between the projector 20 and a second screen 24, and causes an image to be formed on the second screen 24 by lengthening the projection distance P of the second projection light L2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuo MOROHASHI, Megumi SATO
  • Patent number: 10185152
    Abstract: A vehicle display device includes: a viewpoint position acquisition unit acquiring a user viewpoint position of a user seated in a driver seat of a vehicle; a forward information acquisition unit acquiring forward information of the vehicle; an image generation unit generating an image obtained by reflecting the forward information included within a prescribed area among the forward information acquired by the forward information acquisition unit; an image display unit having a display surface capable of displaying the image generated; and a projection unit projecting the image toward a vehicle's translucent member such that a virtual image is visible to the user. The image generation unit determines the position and the size of a first image element to be displayed, among image elements included in the generated image, on the display surface, according to the user viewpoint position in the vertical direction acquired by the viewpoint position acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ayako Yamamura
  • Patent number: 10162176
    Abstract: Provided is a head-up display device with which it is possible to display an image easily recognized by a user. A display for a display mechanism in the head-up display device includes: a light source unit capable of generating light that is the origin of a scanning line; a scan unit for scanning light in a first direction and in a second direction using a first scan element and a second scan element, respectively; a processing unit for generating a first drive signal having a frequency that matches the resonance frequency of the first scan element; and a drive unit for executing a resonance mode that is based on the first drive signal. The processing unit generates a second drive signal having a variable display waveform that is dependent on the resonance frequency, fixed first non-display waveforms that are not dependent on the resonance frequency, and a variable second non-display waveform that is dependent on the resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Yamakawa, Makoto Hada
  • Publication number: 20180364474
    Abstract: Provided is a display device capable of reliably moving a micromirror to a parking position when operation is stopped. A head-up display device drives a DMD element on the basis of electric power from a battery power supply. The head-up display device is provided with: a DMD controller for performing control of the DMD element on the basis of the electric power from the battery power supply; a voltage monitoring circuit for monitoring the voltage of the battery power supply; and a backup power supply for supplying power to the DMD controller as a backup of the battery power supply. When the voltage of the battery power supply which has been monitored by the voltage monitoring circuit falls to or below a threshold value, the DMD controller moves the DMD element to the parking position on the basis of the electric power from the backup power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki HONMA, Makoto HADA
  • Publication number: 20180356630
    Abstract: In this head-up display, which is capable of displaying virtual images having different display distances, visibility of the virtual images is ensured even when the position of the point of view changes. An imaginary first virtual image display surface, which is capable of displaying a first virtual image on a surface, and an imaginary second virtual image display surface, which is tilted farther toward the horizontal direction than the first virtual image display surface in a position so that at least a part of the imaginary second virtual image display surface is farther from a viewer than the first virtual image display surface, and which is capable of displaying a second virtual image on a surface, are generated. In accordance with a viewpoint position 300 of the viewer, the displays of the first virtual image and/or the second virtual image are changed so that the first virtual image and the second virtual image do not overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Publication date: December 13, 2018
    Applicant: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuki MASUYA
  • Patent number: 10147395
    Abstract: There has been room for improvement in terms of increasing the life of display elements which have occurrences of irreversible bright point defects and black point defects and shortened lives of display elements when DMDs, which are reflective display devices, are used in high temperature environments such as being installed in vehicles. In the present invention, a display control means displays a display image in display elements. An illumination control means drives various illumination means in each subframe into which a frame of the display image is temporally divided, by a field sequential system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto Hada, Yuichi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10139620
    Abstract: Provided is a head-up display capable of displaying a plurality of virtual images presented at different distances while increasing the design flexibility in the display device for creating the virtual images. The head-up display comprises: a first display surface disposed to extend the light path of first image light emitted toward a viewer and a second display surface disposed to make the light path of second image light emitted shorter than that of the first image light; a first concave reflector for reflecting the first image light and the second image light; and a second concave reflector for reflecting the image light reflected from the first concave reflector. The first concave reflector is configured such that the first image light and the second image light intersect with each other in the vertical direction between the first concave reflector and the second concave reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yamazoe, Takuro Hirokawa
  • Patent number: 10133161
    Abstract: A projection display device includes a first substrate on which a red light source is mounted, a second substrate on which a green light source is mounted, a third substrate on which a blue light source is mounted, a housing to which the first through third substrates are attached, an optical member accommodated inside the housing, and a light modulating element; light emitted inside the housing from the red light source, the green light source, and the blue light source being distributed by the optical member, the distributed light being converted to a prescribed display image by the light modulating element, and the light being projected outside the housing. The first through third substrates are made of metal or of filler-containing plastic compounded with a filler having high thermal conductivity, and the housing is made of metal or a filler-containing plastic compounded a filler having high thermal conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akinori Koiida, Yuichi Takahashi, Takuro Hirokawa, Takayuki Hatano
  • Patent number: 10118489
    Abstract: This head-up display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on an instrument panel of a vehicle. A display means that emits display light is contained in a chassis having a light transmissive cover having a curved surface, and the display light emitted by the display means is output from the light transmissive cover. The curved surface of the light transmissive cover is curved so that the side on the front side of the vehicle is lower than the side on the back side of the vehicle, and that the curved surface is inclined toward the left-right direction of the vehicle so that a corner of the curved surface is lowest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Genichiro Sato, Takanori Shigeno, Hiroyuki Furusawa
  • Patent number: 10120189
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a heads-up display device able to efficiently orient image light towards a viewer by means of a simple configuration. The heads-up display device is provided with: a projection unit that emits projection light depicting a display image; a first reflection unit and second reflection unit that reflect the projection light exiting the projection unit towards a transmissive screen; and the transmissive screen that outputs image light towards an observer by transmitting/scattering the projection light. By adjusting the angle of the light axis of the projection light entering the transmissive screen by rotating the first reflection unit and second reflection unit, the angle of the image light exiting the transmissive screen is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Maiko Saito, Yuichi Takahashi, Takuro Hirokawa, Takashi Yamazoe, Kazuo Morohashi
  • Patent number: 10114218
    Abstract: The problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a head up display device capable of counteracting sunlight without using a shutter or a reflection type polarizing film. A first concave mirror has a curvature to cause the reflected display light to intersect vertically before reaching a second mirror, and a second concave mirror serves to reflect the received display light. A case is provided with a first shield and a second shield extending near an intersecting point to sandwich a light path between the first and second concave mirrors. The first and second shields can block external light entering into the case from outside the case and proceeding toward the first concave mirror after being reflected from the second concave mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Yamazoe, Takuro Hirokawa
  • Patent number: 10094968
    Abstract: A vehicular display device includes a facing member having a hole formed therein, an edge-light light guide that guides lights emitted from LEDs, a diffusion member that diffuses light leaking from the edge-light light guide, and a convex light guide having a main part interposed between the diffusion member and the facing member, and a projecting portion projecting into the hole. The lights emitted from the LEDs are guided to the edge-light light guide. The lights guided to the edge-light light guide are diffused by the diffusion member to enter the convex light guide, and leaves from the projecting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignees: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD., HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kominato, Atsushi Arisa
  • Patent number: 10067345
    Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing a head-up display device with which the display quality of a display object can be improved. A mirror holder 30 supporting a concave mirror is equipped with a protruding piece that protrudes from the approximate center of the holder width, which is defined along a rotational axis, and this protruding piece is moved by a position adjustment means. Stress acting on the mirror holder from the protruding piece is uniform in the left and right directions from the center of the mirror holder. Consequently, twisting at the location of the mirror holder is significantly reduced, so the driver is able to view a display object for which distortion has been suppressed, and the display quality of the display object is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norihiko Ushida, Yoshiyuki Okamoto
  • Patent number: 10052953
    Abstract: Provided is an information provision apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus capable of providing information that fits the situation of the vehicle to a user. An information provision apparatus for a vehicle is provided with a vehicle-mounted device which comprises a report means for reporting various kinds of information including vehicle information to a user, and a control means for operating the report means, and is connected to an external device via a connection means. Upon receiving a manipulation input signal indicating that a start switch of the vehicle is turned on, the control means operates the report means in order to report to the user that a communication connection between the vehicle-mounted device and the external device is not established, until the communication connection is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kaneko, Hiroki Kirino, Yasuyuki Fujitsuka, Yuki Ishizuki, Yoshiyuki Nogami
  • Patent number: 10046705
    Abstract: Provided is a blind spot assist device capable of more easily showing the image of a blind-spot zone continuously with the image directly viewed by a viewer. The blind spot assist device shows the image of the blind-spot zone blocked by an obstacle, and is provided with a pair of parallel plane mirrors to which light representing the image is incident, the pair of parallel plane mirrors comprising a semitransparent plane mirror and a plane mirror opposed to each other. The semitransparent plane mirror is provided on the viewer side for reflecting part of the light and transmitting part of the light. The plane mirror reflects the light to the semitransparent plane mirror. The pair of plane parallel mirrors is provided in such a manner that the width in a direction perpendicular to the travel direction of the light decreases gradually toward the travel direction of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kanae Haruyama, Masato Obata, Yuichi Takahashi, Keiichi Nagano
  • Patent number: 10029570
    Abstract: Provided is a display apparatus capable of having excellent yield. This display apparatus is provided with: a light source that outputs light for lighting a liquid crystal display element; an optical element (a first light collecting lens or the like) that is disposed on an optical axis of the light source, said optical element being disposed between the light source and the liquid crystal display element; and a case body that houses the optical element. The case body has: an upper opening opened toward the Z axis direction; a bottom section that is positioned on the opposite side to the upper opening in the Z axis direction; and a groove section (a groove section or the like), which is positioned between the upper opening and the bottom section, extends in the Z axis direction, and is recessed in the X axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taisuke Sato, Hiroyuki Furusawa, Takanori Shigeno
  • Patent number: 10031341
    Abstract: A head-up display device includes: a cover having a light-transmissive light exit part; a first case mating with the cover and having a light entry part for entry of display light and a housing part housing a reflecting member; a light source unit outside the housing part; and a second case covering the light source unit and fastened to the first case. The device has a heat radiator of higher rigidity than the second case, having a wall part that externally projects from the housing part through the intervening light entry part, the light source unit affixed to the wall part to diffuse the heat from the light source unit; and includes a mating part in which the second case and the wall part mate together, the second case fastened to the heat radiator at locations to either side of the mating part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: NIPPON SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Azuma