Patents by Inventor Akio MISAWA

Akio MISAWA has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220075190
    Abstract: A HUD 1 comprises an image display device 30 including an LCD panel 31c, a virtual image optical system 40 forming an optical path L of an image light emitted from the LCD panel, and an outer housing 50 wherein: the outer housing includes an outer case 51 accommodating the virtual image optical system and having the image display device attached thereto, an upper cover 52 covering an upper portion from which the image light is emitted in the outer case, and a bottom cover 60 covering a bottom portion of the outer case; the bottom cover accommodates the image display device and the bottom surface of the outer case when fixed to the outer case such that the image display device to isolate them form an external space of the outer housing; and fins 63 is formed on an outer surface thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: March 10, 2022
    Applicant: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Go HORIUCHI, Akio MISAWA
  • Publication number: 20220066209
    Abstract: The head-up display device includes a display element that emits image light and a virtual image optical system. The virtual image optical system includes a lens unit and a free curved surface mirror disposed along the emission direction of the image light in this order from a position close to the display element. The display element is disposed with a tilting attitude with respect to the optical axis of the lens unit with an end on the housing aperture side in an emission surface being close to an incidence surface in the lens unit and with an end on the opposite side of the housing aperture in an emission surface being apart from an incidence surface in the lens unit. The lens unit has an optical characteristic of optically enlarging an optical path length difference according to a virtual image distance difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Akio MISAWA, Nozomu SHIMODA, Yuji FUJITA, Shigeki HOSHINO
  • Patent number: 11199700
    Abstract: The head-up display device includes a display element that emits image light and a virtual image optical system. The virtual image optical system includes a lens unit and a free curved surface mirror disposed along the emission direction of the image light in this order from a position close to the display element. The display element is disposed with a tilting attitude with respect to the optical axis of the lens unit with an end on the housing aperture side in an emission surface being close to an incidence surface in the lens unit and with an end on the opposite side of the housing aperture in an emission surface being apart from an incidence surface in the lens unit. The lens unit has an optical characteristic of optically enlarging an optical path length difference according to a virtual image distance difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Akio Misawa, Nozomu Shimoda, Yuji Fujita, Shigeki Hoshino
  • Publication number: 20210291658
    Abstract: An information display apparatus is provided. The information display apparatus includes: a display configured to display video information of a virtual image; and a virtual image optical system configured to display a virtual image at a front of conveyance by reflecting light emitted from the display. The system includes a concave mirror and an optical element. The optical element is arranged between the display and the concave mirror, and is configured to correct distortion of the virtual image obtained in accordance with a viewpoint position of a driver. The information display apparatus further includes means for forming the virtual image generated by reflecting a video light flux by means of front and back surfaces of the windshield in front of a position of a driver's line of sight in a region where a virtual image distance exceeds a driver's determination limit range or a region around the determination limit range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji HIRATA, Masahiko YATSU, Chohei ONO, Masayuki FUKUI, Yasuhiko KUNII, Akio MISAWA, Kanei KAKU
  • Publication number: 20210271076
    Abstract: A head-up display comprises an image display device, a virtual image optical system, a housing with a housing opening, an antiglare plate covering the housing opening, a camera for capturing an image of a face area including an eye of a driver, a viewpoint detection device for detecting a viewpoint of the driver based on the image captured by the camera, and a main controller. The camera is installed on a position outside the housing and withdrawn from an optical path of the image light emitted through the housing opening, as well as in an orientation for capturing an image of an area where a face including the eye of the driver is reflected on the antiglare plate. The main controller controls to adjust an emission direction of the image light based on a viewpoint position of the driver detected by the viewpoint detection device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chohei ONO, Akio MISAWA
  • Patent number: 10989929
    Abstract: The head-up display apparatus includes: a vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire various kinds of vehicle information which can be detected by a vehicle; a controller configured to control display of a video image based on the vehicle information; a video image display configured to form the video image based on an instruction from the controller; a mirror configured to reflect the video image formed by the video image display to project onto the windshield; a mirror driver configured to change an angle of the mirror based on an instruction from the controller; and a display distance adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a display distance of the virtual image with respect to the driver, and the controller adjusts the angle of the mirror via the mirror driver based on the vehicle information such that the virtual image can be displayed with respect to the driver overlapped with the scenery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nagano, Kazuomi Kaneko, Maki Hanada, Akio Misawa, Kazuyuki Takizawa
  • Publication number: 20210041707
    Abstract: A head up display apparatus includes: an image display apparatus having a light source and a display element and forming an image; an image-light projecting means displaying a virtual image onto a forward part of a vehicle by projecting the image light emitted from the image display apparatus to be reflected on a windshield 3; and a point-of-view detecting system 6 sensing a point of view of the driver. In the head up display apparatus, the image-light projecting means includes a means generating illumination light entirely made of single-color visible light emitted to a face of the driver in a predetermined state of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Akio MISAWA, Yuji FUJITA, Eiji TAKATSUKA
  • Publication number: 20210020145
    Abstract: An information display apparatus capable of reducing the viewpoint movement of a driver and achieving safer driving in consideration of the relationship between the traveling speed and the stopping distance of a vehicle is provided. The information display apparatus is configured to display image information in a transportation and comprises a HUD apparatus disposed between a windshield of the transportation and an instrument panel of the transportation. The HUD apparatus detects a viewpoint position of a driver; and displays a virtual image of the image information in front of the transportation by reflecting light emitted from the HUD apparatus to display the image information by the windshield. The HUD apparatus is configured to set a display position of the virtual image in accordance with movement of the viewpoint position of the driver who is driving the transportation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Applicant: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji HIRATA, Akio MISAWA, Takumi NAKADA
  • Patent number: 10890763
    Abstract: Provided is an information display apparatus that significantly improves light resistance with respect to sunlight. The information display apparatus, which displays video-image information on a projection surface by a virtual image, includes in a housing partly having an opening: a video-image-light generator that generates video-image light for displaying the video-image information; a video-image-light processor that performs a predetermined optical processing to a video image generated by the video-image-light generator; and a projector that projects, onto the projection surface through the opening of the housing, the video-image light optically processed by the video-image-light processor so that a viewer is capable of virtually recognizing the video-image information as a virtual image in front of the projection surface, wherein a light path in the housing is provided with a suppressor selectively suppressing a P-polarizing component of light in a visible light region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Hirata, Masahiko Yatsu, Toshinori Sugiyama, Akio Misawa, Shigeki Hoshino, Kazuomi Kaneko, Tatsuya Nakazawa, Takumi Nakada, Yuki Nagano, Tomoki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10866415
    Abstract: A head-up display apparatus displays a virtual image suitably overlapped with actual scenery in accordance with a running condition of a vehicle. The head-up display apparatus acquires various kinds of vehicle information which can be detected by a vehicle and the display of the video image is based on the vehicle information. A mirror is configured to reflect the video image formed by the video image display to project onto the windshield. A mirror driver is configured to change an angle of the mirror and a display distance adjusting mechanism is configured to adjust a display distance of the virtual image with respect to the driver. The angle of the mirror is adjusted via the mirror driver based on the vehicle information such that the virtual image can be displayed with respect to the driver to be overlapped with the scenery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nagano, Takumi Nakada, Maki Hanada, Akio Misawa, Souta Sato
  • Patent number: 10769831
    Abstract: A head up display superimposes a virtual image on an actual view in accordance with a traveling status of a vehicle. Vehicle information containing a lean of the vehicle in a pitch direction is detected by a first posture sensor, and a lean in a roll direction is detected by a second posture sensor. A controller controls display of video on the basis of the vehicle information. A mirror reflects the video to project the video to a windshield or combiner. A mirror driver changes an angle and/or a position of the mirror. At least one of a display state of the virtual image in a display area for the video or the angle and/or the position of the mirror via the mirror driver is adjusted by the controller on the basis of the lean in the pitch direction and/or the lean in the roll direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Nozomu Shimoda, Yuji Fujita, Takeshi Arakawa, Akio Misawa
  • Patent number: 10705333
    Abstract: A head-up display apparatus is provided which enables a wide viewing angle in spite of being a type that reflects image light on a windshield. Accordingly, a head-up display apparatus (110) includes an image formation unit (10) that displays image information, and a projection optical system that includes an eyepiece optical system 5 reflecting light emitted from the image formation unit (10) for display of a virtual image. The eyepiece optical system (5) includes a first optical element (51) having a negative refractive power, a second optical element (52) having a positive refractive power, and a concave reflecting mirror (54), and is configured to arrange the first optical element (51), the second optical element (52) and the reflecting mirror (53) in this order from the image formation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiko Yatsu, Akio Misawa, Yuki Nagano
  • Patent number: 10578864
    Abstract: The head-up display device projects a virtual image and includes: an image processor that processes an image to be displayed as a virtual image; an image display that projects the processed image; and a display controller that controls the displaying of the image display. The image display includes: a projector that projects an image; a diffusion plate that forms the image projected by the projector; and a lens that guides the image formed by the diffusion plate. The diffusion plate is constituted by a plurality of functional liquid crystal films that are located at different distances from the lens. The display controller is configured such that, by controlling a transmissive state and a white state of each functional liquid crystal film, the position and distance for displaying the virtual image can be changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Misawa, Maki Hanada, Yuji Fujita
  • Publication number: 20200064640
    Abstract: The head-up display apparatus includes: a vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire various kinds of vehicle information which can be detected by a vehicle; a controller configured to control display of a video image based on the vehicle information; a video image display configured to form the video image based on an instruction from the controller; a mirror configured to reflect the video image formed by the video image display to project onto the windshield; a mirror driver configured to change an angle of the mirror based on an instruction from the controller; and a display distance adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a display distance of the virtual image with respect to the driver, and the controller adjusts the angle of the mirror via the mirror driver based on the vehicle information such that the virtual image can be displayed with respect to the driver overlapped with the scenery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Yuki NAGANO, Kazuomi KANEKO, Maki HANADA, Akio MISAWA, Kazuyuki TAKIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20190369393
    Abstract: The head-up display device includes a display element that emits image light and a virtual image optical system. The virtual image optical system includes a lens unit and a free curved surface mirror disposed along the emission direction of the image light in this order from a position close to the display element. The display element is disposed with a tilting attitude with respect to the optical axis of the lens unit with an end on the housing aperture side in an emission surface being close to an incidence surface in the lens unit and with an end on the opposite side of the housing aperture in an emission surface being apart from an incidence surface in the lens unit. The lens unit has an optical characteristic of optically enlarging an optical path length difference according to a virtual image distance difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Akio MISAWA, Nozomu SHIMODA, Yuji FUJITA, Shigeki HOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20190346676
    Abstract: Provided is an information display apparatus that significantly improves light resistance with respect to sunlight. The information display apparatus, which displays video-image information on a projection surface by a virtual image, includes in a housing partly having an opening: a video-image-light generator that generates video-image light for displaying the video-image information; a video-image-light processor that performs a predetermined optical processing to a video image generated by the video-image-light generator; and a projector that projects, onto the projection surface through the opening of the housing, the video-image light optically processed by the video-image-light processor so that a viewer is capable of virtually recognizing the video-image information as a virtual image in front of the projection surface, wherein a light path in the housing is provided with a suppressor selectively suppressing a P-polarizing component of light in a visible light region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Koji HIRATA, Masahiko YATSU, Toshinori SUGIYAMA, Akio MISAWA, Shigeki HOSHINO, Kazuomi KANEKO, Tatsuya NAKAZAWA, Takumi NAKADA, Yuki NAGANO, Tomoki YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10339843
    Abstract: A display device configured to project a display image including at least any one of a first image or a second image is provided. A horizontal direction of the first image is longer than a vertical direction thereof. A vertical direction of the second image is longer than a horizontal direction thereof. The display device includes: a controller configured to generate a display image obtained by changing a width of at least any one of the first image or the second image in accordance with a deviation amount between the display image and a ghost image, the ghost image being visually recognized so as to deviate in a deviation direction with respect to the display image; and an image display configured to emit display light for projecting the display image generated by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akio Misawa, Yuki Nagano, Yuji Fujita
  • Patent number: 10310257
    Abstract: A head-up display device that displays information including a video in a part of a field of view of an operator (407) includes a video display device (420) that is arranged at a position deviated from the field of view of the operator and generates and projects video light for projecting the information and a transparent screen (410) that is arranged in a part of the field of view of the operator, and transmit light from the field of view and reflects projection light from the video display device in a direction of the operator. A solid-state light source device (421) that reflects and mixes light emitted from a plurality of light-emitting cells (40) and emits the light obtained by the mixing in a predetermined direction is used as a light source constituting the video display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Hirata, Masahiko Yatsu, Akio Misawa
  • Publication number: 20190139286
    Abstract: A head up display superimposes a virtual image on an actual view in accordance with a traveling status of a vehicle. Vehicle information containing a lean of the vehicle in a pitch direction is detected by a first posture sensor, and a lean in a roll direction is detected by a second posture sensor. A controller controls display of video on the basis of the vehicle information. A mirror reflects the video to project the video to a windshield or combiner. A mirror driver changes an angle and/or a position of the mirror. At least one of a display state of the virtual image in a display area for the video or the angle and/or the position of the mirror via the mirror driver is adjusted by the controller on the basis of the lean in the pitch direction and/or the lean in the roll direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Nozomu SHIMODA, Yuji FUJITA, Takeshi ARAKAWA, Akio MISAWA
  • Publication number: 20190129172
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a head-up display apparatus further reduced in size, the head-up display apparatus having: an image display apparatus including a light source and a display element; and a virtual image optical system in which light emitted from the image display apparatus is reflected by a windshield or a combiner of the vehicle so that a virtual image is displayed in front of the vehicle, wherein the virtual image optical system has a concave mirror and a distortion correcting lens, and the distortion correcting lens is disposed between the image display apparatus and the concave mirror, the concave mirror is disposed in a housing including an outer case along a shape of an effective light path area of the image light from the image display apparatus, and the image display apparatus is attached to part of an outer periphery of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Akio MISAWA, Nozomu SHIMODA, Kazuomi KANEKO, Koji HIRATA, Toshinori SUGIYAMA