Patents by Inventor Masashi Yamazaki
Masashi Yamazaki 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).
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Patent number: 8979334Abstract: A automotive headlamp apparatus is configured such that, when there is a forward vehicle positioned in a predetermined first area, a control unit controls a shading unit so as to generate a single additional light distribution pattern selected from multiple additional light distribution patterns such that exposure of the forward vehicle to illumination is shielded, and when there is a forward vehicle positioned in a predetermined second area, the control unit controls the shading unit so as to generate a single additional light distribution pattern selected from multiple additional light distribution patterns, and controls a driving unit so as to swivel the optical axis of a lamp unit, such that the forward vehicle is not exposed to illumination.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2012Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Patent number: 8983734Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the accuracy of auto-leveling control to adjust the optical axis of a vehicle lamp using an acceleration sensor. A controller stores reference values of first and second angles, updates the reference value of the second angle by treating a change of a sum angle during a vehicle stop as a change of the second angle, and updates the reference value of the first angle by treating a change of the sum angle when the vehicle is stopped as a change of the first angle. The controller derives a difference between a value of the sum angle and a sum of the reference values of the first and second angles, and corrects at least one of the reference values so as to reduce the difference.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2012Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Patent number: 8905604Abstract: A vehicle lamp control apparatus is provided with: a receiving portion for receiving output values of an acceleration sensor; a control portion for deriving a variation in an inclination angle of a vehicle based on the output values of the acceleration sensor and generating a control signal for instructing an optical axis adjustment of a vehicle lamp; and a transmitting portion for transmitting the control signal to an optical axis adjusting portion of the vehicle lamp. The control portion is configured to detect an error factor of the output values occurring in the acceleration sensor based on the output values of the acceleration sensor and to correct an optical axis position of the vehicle lamp.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Patent number: 8858046Abstract: A control apparatus of a vehicle lamp is provided with a reception section (228L1, 228R1), a control section (228, 228L, 228R) and a transmission section (228L3, 228R3). The reception section (228L1, 228R1) receives a tilt angle of a vehicle relative to a horizontal plane from a tilt detection device (316). The control section (228, 228L, 228R) corrects the tilt angle obtained from the tilt detection device (316) based on correction information obtained from a first pre-recorded reference acceleration vector information (S1) of the vehicle being in a first state and a second pre-recorded reference acceleration vector information (S2) of the vehicle being in a second state different from the first state only in a pitch angle, and also determines an optical axis position of the vehicle lamp. The transmission section (228L3, 228R3) transmits the determined optical axis position to an optical axis adjustment section (236).Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2011Date of Patent: October 14, 2014Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Kazuo Goto, Toshikazu Tomono
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Patent number: 8838343Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 25, 2011Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Patent number: 8820986Abstract: There is provided a control device for controlling a vehicle lamp provided in a vehicle. The device includes: a receiver configured to receive an inclination angle of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane from an inclination detector; a controller configured to: i) generate a first control signal instructing the vehicle lamp to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in response to a change of the inclination angle, when the vehicle has already stopped; and ii) generate a second control signal instructing the vehicle lamp to maintain the optical axis of the vehicle lamp, when the vehicle is traveling on a road surface; and a transmitter configured to transmit the first control signal or the second control signal to an optical axis adjuster provided in the vehicle lamp.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2011Date of Patent: September 2, 2014Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Kazuo Goto, Toshikazu Tomono
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Patent number: 8814402Abstract: A control device (100) for controlling a vehicle lamp (210) provided in a vehicle is provided. The device includes: a receiver (102) configured to receive an acceleration signal representing an acceleration of the vehicle, from an acceleration sensor configured to detect the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein an inclination angle (?) of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane is calculated based on the acceleration signal; a controller (104) configured to: i) generate a first control signal instructing the vehicle lamp to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in response to a change of the acceleration signal, when the vehicle has already stopped; and ii) generate a second signal instructing the vehicle lamp to maintain the optical axis of the vehicle lamp, when the vehicle is traveling on a road surface.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2012Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20140156150Abstract: A control apparatus of a vehicular lamp includes: a reference information retaining portion configured to retain reference information indicative of a positional relationship of an acceleration sensor axis, a vehicle axis, and a road surface, wherein the reference information is obtained in a predetermined initialization process; a correction ratio generating portion configured to, after the initialization process, calculate an acceleration ratio of an amount of change in a longitudinal acceleration to an amount of change in vertical acceleration of the vehicle while traveling, and derive a correction ratio for correcting a positional relationship of the road surface and at least one of the acceleration sensor axis and the vehicle axis in the reference information, using the obtained acceleration ratio; and a control portion configured to output a signal for adjusting an optical axis position of the vehicular lamp, using the acceleration ratio, the reference information, and the correction ratio.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2013Publication date: June 5, 2014Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Kazuo GOTO, Atsushi TODA
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Patent number: 8729803Abstract: A vehicle head lamp light distribution controller includes an ADB controller configured to: detect a position of a vehicle present ahead of a subject vehicle; determine whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; set a threshold vehicle position based on whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; compare the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position; and switch light distribution of head lamps of the subject vehicle based on the comparison between the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2012Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Yutaka Nakanishi, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20140056012Abstract: A lamp control system includes: a lamp configured to form a light distribution pattern ahead of a vehicle using a non-illumination region forming unit, wherein the light distribution pattern includes a non-illumination region, and the illumination region includes at least one longitudinal cutoff line; a detector configured to detect a front vehicle in front of the vehicle; an information acquiring unit configured to acquire a displacement direction and a displacement speed of the front vehicle; and a light distribution controller configured to control the light distribution pattern using the non-illumination region forming unit such that the front vehicle is positioned in the non-illumination region. When the front vehicle is approaching the longitudinal cutoff line, the light distribution controller controls the light distribution pattern based on the displacement direction and the displacement speed to increase an interval between the longitudinal cutoff line and the front vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2013Publication date: February 27, 2014Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventor: Masashi Yamazaki
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Publication number: 20130308326Abstract: There is provided a control device for controlling a vehicle lamp. The device includes: a receiver configured to receive an output value from an inclination sensor; and a controller configured to control an optical axis of the vehicle lamp based on a vehicle attitude angle that is an inclination angle of the vehicle with respect to a road surface. The controller is configured to control the optical axis in a first optical axis control mode or a second optical axis mode, wherein an optical axis angle of the optical axis is adjusted in accordance with the vehicle attitude angle in the first optical axis mode, and the second optical axis control mode is different from the first optical axis control mode. The controller controls the optical axis in the second optical axis control mode, when the vehicle attitude angle is not included in a predetermined range.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2013Publication date: November 21, 2013Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Kazuo GOTO, Atsushi TODA
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Patent number: 8393085Abstract: Controlling a deflection of an irradiation direction of a vehicle lamp based on a detected steering angle includes calculating a target angle of the irradiation direction of the vehicle lamp based on the steering angle and calculating a difference angle between the target angle and a current deflection angle of the irradiation direction of the vehicle lamp. A new deflection angle is calculated and includes setting the new deflection angle to the target angle if the difference angle is equal to or smaller than a given limit angle, and setting the new deflection angle to an angle obtained by adding or subtracting the limit angle to or from the current deflection angle if the difference angle is larger than the given limit angle. Deflection of the irradiation direction of the lamp is controlled based on the deflection angle.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2009Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Kazuo Goto
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Publication number: 20130039080Abstract: A automotive headlamp apparatus is configured such that, when there is a forward vehicle positioned in a predetermined first area, a control unit controls a shading unit so as to generate a single additional light distribution pattern selected from multiple additional light distribution patterns such that exposure of the forward vehicle to illumination is shielded, and when there is a forward vehicle positioned in a predetermined second area, the control unit controls the shading unit so as to generate a single additional light distribution pattern selected from multiple additional light distribution patterns, and controls a driving unit so as to swivel the optical axis of a lamp unit, such that the forward vehicle is not exposed to illumination.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2012Publication date: February 14, 2013Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Masashi YAMAZAKI, Atsushi TODA
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Publication number: 20120310486Abstract: A control device of a vehicle lamp includes: a receiving section which receives an acceleration value usable to derive a tilt angle of a vehicle to a horizontal plane, wherein the tilt angle of the vehicle to the horizontal plane is represented as a total angle; and a control section which controls an optical axis adjustment of the vehicle lamp. The control section derives from the total angle a first and a second provisional vehicle posture angles based on a first and a second calculation method, respectively, corrects the first or second provisional vehicle posture angle so that a difference between the first and the second provisional vehicle posture angles becomes small, sets the corrected provisional vehicle posture angle to the vehicle posture angle, and outputs a control signal for instructing the optical axis adjustment of the vehicle lamp according to the vehicle posture angle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2012Publication date: December 6, 2012Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20120303223Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for enhancing the accuracy of auto-leveling control to adjust the optical axis of a vehicle lamp using an acceleration sensor. A controller stores reference values of first and second angles, updates the reference value of the second angle by treating a change of a sum angle during a vehicle stop as a change of the second angle, and updates the reference value of the first angle by treating a change of the sum angle during vehicle traveling as a change of the first angle. The controller derives a difference between a value of the sum angle and a sum of the reference values of the first and second angles, and corrects at least one of the reference values so as to reduce the difference.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2012Publication date: November 29, 2012Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20120294020Abstract: A control apparatus for a vehicle lamp includes a receiver to receive an acceleration signal indicative of an acceleration detected by an acceleration sensor, and a controller to derive an inclination angle of a vehicle relative to a horizontal plane from the acceleration signal. While the vehicle is stopped and if a change in the acceleration exceeds a threshold, the controller outputs an adjustment signal indicative of an instruction to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in accordance with a difference in the inclination angle before and after the change in the acceleration.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2012Publication date: November 22, 2012Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20120268958Abstract: A control device (100) for controlling a vehicle lamp (210) provided in a vehicle is provided. The device includes: a receiver (102) configured to receive an acceleration signal representing an acceleration of the vehicle, from an acceleration sensor configured to detect the acceleration of the vehicle, wherein an inclination angle (?) of the vehicle with respect to a horizontal plane is calculated based on the acceleration signal; a controller (104) configured to: i) generate a first control signal instructing the vehicle lamp to adjust an optical axis of the vehicle lamp in response to a change of the acceleration signal, when the vehicle has already stopped; and ii) generate a second signal instructing the vehicle lamp to maintain the optical axis of the vehicle lamp, when the vehicle is traveling on a road surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2012Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20120206043Abstract: A vehicle head lamp light distribution controller includes an ADB controller configured to: detect a position of a vehicle present ahead of a subject vehicle; determine whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; set a threshold vehicle position based on whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; compare the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position; and switch light distribution of head lamps of the subject vehicle based on the comparison between the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2012Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Yutaka Nakanishi, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20120155098Abstract: A vehicle lamp control apparatus is provided with: a receiving portion for receiving output values of an acceleration sensor; a control portion for deriving a variation in an inclination angle of a vehicle based on the output values of the acceleration sensor and generating a control signal for instructing an optical axis adjustment of a vehicle lamp; and a transmitting portion for transmitting the control signal to an optical axis adjusting portion of the vehicle lamp. The control portion is configured to detect an error factor of the output values occurring in the acceleration sensor based on the output values of the acceleration sensor and to correct an optical axis position of the vehicle lamp.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2011Publication date: June 21, 2012Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke Kasaba, Masashi Yamazaki, Atsushi Toda
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Publication number: 20120106179Abstract: A vehicle lamp controller, a vehicle lamp system having the vehicle controller, and a vehicle lamp control method are provided. The vehicle lamp controller includes a receiver configured to receive information on a detected vector from an output of an acceleration sensor, a memory in which a plurality of reference vectors are stored, the reference vectors corresponding to different pitch angles of a vehicle, a control unit configured to obtain a pitch angle of the vehicle from the detected vector and one of the reference vectors that has a smallest angle with respect to the detected vector, and to generate a control signal for adjusting an optical axis of a vehicle lamp based on the obtained pitch angle, and a transmitter configured to transmit the control signal to an optical axis adjustment portion of the vehicle lamp.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2011Publication date: May 3, 2012Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Yusuke KASABA, Masashi YAMAZAKI, Atsushi TODA