Patents by Inventor Ken Nishioka

Ken Nishioka 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: 20170257611
    Abstract: An oscillating mirror element includes a mirror portion, a drive portion that drives the mirror portion, a strain sensor capable of detecting an amount of displacement of the mirror portion, and a base including a mirror beam portion provided with the mirror portion, a sensor beam portion provided with the strain sensor, and a body portion that supports the mirror beam portion and the sensor beam portion and is provided with the drive portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Fuminori TANAKA, Takeshi INODA, Ken NISHIOKA, Jun AKEDO
  • Patent number: 9709878
    Abstract: This projector includes a laser beam generation portion, an image projection portion including a scanning portion and projecting an image on a projection area, a beam receiving portion receiving the laser beam reflected by a detection object and a control portion detecting an operation performed on the projected image with the detection object on the basis of the moving state of the detection object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shintaro Izukawa, Ken Nishioka, Atsuhiko Chikaoka
  • Publication number: 20170150109
    Abstract: This display includes a control portion controlling a laser beam generation portion to output a first laser beam including a region of relaxation oscillation to a partial first image forming element included in a plurality of image forming elements and to output a second laser beam including no region of relaxation oscillation to a second image forming element, other than the first image forming element, included in the plurality of image forming elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Applicant: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Nishioka, Atsuhiko Chikaoka, Kenji Nagashima, Takatoshi Nishimura, Yasunori Higashiyama
  • Patent number: 9652085
    Abstract: A spatial input device includes a light beam scanner that emits light beams toward a spatially projected image while scanning the light beams, a photodetector that detects the light beams that have been reflected by an input object within a detection range, and a controller that counts a scan line number indicative of a number of the light beams that have been detected by the photodetector, and detects a position of the input object according to the counted scan line number using a table that specifies correlation between positions of the input object and scan line numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Nishioka
  • Publication number: 20170115741
    Abstract: An input device is provided that comprises a display component, a detector, and a controller. The display component displays an image. The detector detects a first motion and a second motion. In the first motion, a pointer is slid over a first operation screen that lies in an imaginary plane including at least part of a spatial image that is a virtual image of the image formed in space. In the second motion, the pointer is moved into a second operation screen that lies in the imaginary plane and is different from the first operation screen. The controller executes a first operation to select the image when the first motion is detected, and executes a second operation to execute content of the selected image when the second motion is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventors: Ken NISHIOKA, Toshiki HATORI
  • Patent number: 9602789
    Abstract: This display includes a control portion controlling a laser beam generation portion to output a first laser beam including a region of relaxation oscillation to a partial first image forming element included in a plurality of image forming elements and to output a second laser beam including no region of relaxation oscillation to a second image forming element, other than the first image forming element, included in the plurality of image forming elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken Nishioka, Atsuhiko Chikaoka, Kenji Nagashima, Takatoshi Nishimura, Yasunori Higashiyama
  • Publication number: 20160342283
    Abstract: A spatial input device includes a light beam scanner that emits light beams toward a spatially projected image while scanning the light beams, a photodetector that detects the light beams that have been reflected by an input object within a detection range, and a controller that counts a scan line number indicative of a number of the light beams that have been detected by the photodetector, and detects a position of the input object according to the counted scan line number using a table that specifies correlation between positions of the input object and scan line numbers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventor: Ken NISHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20160298954
    Abstract: A position sensing device includes at least one light receiver, and a processor. The light receiver receives lights that are emitted from a plurality of light exit positions of a scanning light source component to scan a predetermined area and are reflected by a sensing object within the predetermined area. The processor controls the scanning light source component, and senses position of the sensing object based on a light reception signal of the light receiver. The processor further determines from which of the scanning lights the light reception signal is obtained, and senses the position of the sensing object based on optical paths of the scanning lights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Atsuhiko CHIKAOKA, Ken NISHIOKA, Kenji NAGASHIMA, Kazuhiro TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 9457708
    Abstract: A rear combination lamp is structured to include: a door side lamp portion having a first LED, a first housing and a first lens; and a fender side lamp portion having a second LED, a second housing and a second lens. Further, a first lamp side leg portion is provided at the first lens. Moreover, a second lamp side leg portion that extends along the first lamp side leg portion, and an extending portion that extends toward the door side lamp portion side from a second housing side end portion of the second lamp side leg portion, are provided at the second lens. A distal end of this extending portion is disposed further toward the door side lamp portion side than the first lamp side leg portion, and the distal end of the extending portion is fixed to the second housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Noritake, Ken Nishioka
  • Patent number: 9454264
    Abstract: A manipulation input device includes a projection component, a photodetector and an inclination determination component. The projection component projects an image on a projection surface by scanning light from a light source. The photodetector detects as scattered light the light reflected by a manipulation object. The inclination determination component acquires, for a plurality of scan lines of the light, position information of the manipulation object that is specified based on scanning angle information when the photodetector has detected the scattered light, and width information of the manipulation object that corresponds to a continuous detection duration during which the photodetector continuously detects the scattered light. The inclination determination component determines inclination of the manipulation object based on at least one of a temporal change in a plurality of sets of the width information and a temporal change in a plurality of sets of the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuhiko Chikaoka, Ken Nishioka, Shintaro Izukawa
  • Patent number: 9423914
    Abstract: A spatial input device includes a light beam scanner that emits light beams toward a spatially projected image while two-dimensionally scanning the light beams, a photodetector that detects the light beams that have been reflected by an input object within a detection range, with the detection range extending inward of the spatial input device relative to the image, and a controller that counts a scan line number indicative of a number of the light beams that have been detected by the photodetector, and detects a depth position of the input object based on the scan line number. The controller further detects the depth position of the input object based on a depth conversion table, with the depth conversion table specifying depth layer levels corresponding to scan line numbers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Nishioka
  • Patent number: 9405407
    Abstract: A projector includes a light source, a projection component, a photodetector, and an inclination calculator. The light source outputs light. The projection component projects an image on a projection surface by scanning the light outputted by the light source at an angle to the projection surface. The photodetector detects, as a reflected light, the light that has been scanned by the projection component and reflected by a detection object within a light detection range of the photodetector. The light detection range is set to a predetermined range in a direction perpendicular to the projection surface. The inclination calculator calculates an inclination angle of the detection object in a sub-scanning direction of the light based on a position of the detection object on the projection surface and a number of times the reflected light is detected while scanning in the sub-scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shintaro Izukawa, Ken Nishioka, Atsuhiko Chikaoka
  • Publication number: 20160162120
    Abstract: A spatial input device includes a light beam scanner that emits light beams toward a spatially projected image while two-dimensionally scanning the light beams, a photodetector that detects the light beams that have been reflected by an input object within a detection range, with the detection range extending inward of the spatial input device relative to the image, and a controller that counts a scan line number indicative of a number of the light beams that have been detected by the photodetector, and detects a depth position of the input object based on the scan line number. The controller further detects the depth position of the input object based on a depth conversion table, with the depth conversion table specifying depth layer levels corresponding to scan line numbers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventor: Ken NISHIOKA
  • Patent number: 9292133
    Abstract: A spatial input device includes a light beam scanner, a photodetector, and a controller. The light beam scanner is configured to emit light beams toward a spatially projected image while two-dimensionally scanning the light beams. The photodetector is configured to detect the light beams that have been reflected by an input object within a detection range. The detection range extends inward of the spatial input device relative to the image. The controller is configured to count a scan line number indicative of a number of the light beams that have been detected by the photodetector, and to detect a depth position of the input object based on the scan line number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Ken Nishioka
  • Patent number: 9249944
    Abstract: It is provided a vehicle rear lamp structure that can effectively utilize light that is illuminated from a light source. A door side lamp portion of a rear combination lamp has a housing that supports an incandescent bulb for a back lamp, and a lens that covers the incandescent bulb for the back lamp by being fixed to the housing, and transmits light illuminated from the incandescent bulb for the back lamp. Further, a garnish is mounted to the door side lamp portion. A surface at the lens side of the garnish reflects light, that is illuminated from the incandescent bulb for the back lamp, toward a vehicle rear side. Due thereto, light illuminated from the incandescent bulb for the back lamp can be utilized effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji Noritake, Ken Nishioka
  • Publication number: 20150378441
    Abstract: An input apparatus includes: a light source that emits detection light toward a first direction, and raster scans a detection interface defined in space, with the detection light; a first light sensor that is disposed closer to the light source than the detection interface, and detects first reflected light which is the detection light that has been reflected; a second light sensor that detects second reflected light which is the detection light that has been reflected off an instructing body that has entered a detection region extending from the detection interface toward the light source; and a control unit that detects a coordinate value of the instructing body using received-light data obtained by the first light sensor and the second light sensor receiving light at the same timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: December 31, 2015
    Inventor: Ken NISHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20150370416
    Abstract: An input device includes an irradiation component that emits scanning light relative to an input region of a projected image, a light receiver that receives reflected light of the scanning light to output detection signal, a detector that detects an input operation relative to the input region based on the detection signal from the light receiver; and a controller that sets an irradiation parameter of the scanning light from the irradiation component based on the input region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventor: Ken NISHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20150370415
    Abstract: An image display device includes an image display component, a projection component that forms an optical image corresponding to an image displayed by the image display component, a distance measurement component having a detector that detects an indicator for performing an touch operation relative to the optical image to acquire distance information from the detector to the indicator, and a controller that determines whether or not the indicator has performed the touch operation relative to the optical image based on the distance information and relative movement information between the distance measurement component and at least one of the image display component and the projection component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuhiro TAKAHASHI, Atsuhiko CHIKAOKA, Ken NISHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20150354774
    Abstract: A rear combination lamp is structured to include: a door side lamp portion having a first LED, a first housing and a first lens; and a fender side lamp portion having a second LED, a second housing and a second lens. Further, a first lamp side leg portion is provided at the first lens. Moreover, a second lamp side leg portion that extends along the first lamp side leg portion, and an extending portion that extends toward the door side lamp portion side from a second housing side end portion of the second lamp side leg portion, are provided at the second lens. A distal end of this extending portion is disposed further toward the door side lamp portion side than the first lamp side leg portion, and the distal end of the extending portion is fixed to the second housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuji NORITAKE, Ken NISHIOKA
  • Publication number: 20150350616
    Abstract: This display includes a control portion controlling a laser beam generation portion to output a first laser beam including a region of relaxation oscillation to a partial first image forming element included in a plurality of image forming elements and to output a second laser beam including no region of relaxation oscillation to a second image forming element, other than the first image forming element, included in the plurality of image forming elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Publication date: December 3, 2015
    Applicant: FUNAI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ken Nishioka, Atsuhiko Chikaoka, Kenji Nagashima, Takatoshi Nishimura, Yasunori Higashiyama