Patents by Inventor Souta SATO

Souta SATO 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: 20240054964
    Abstract: Provided is a head-up display apparatus capable of preventing damage due to sunlight and ensuring user convenience. A reflection mirror M1 reflects an image created by a display panel and projects it onto a display region. A solar radiation sensor detects a sunlight intensity when a position of sun exists within a predetermined detection range. A blocking mechanism forms a projected light path of an image between the display region and the display panel when being turned off, and blocks the projected light path of the image and an incident light path of the sunlight which is direction opposite thereto when being turned on. A protection processor controls ON/OFF of the blocking mechanism based on an estimated temperature of the display panel, which is estimated by using a sunlight intensity from the solar radiation sensor, luminance of a light source, and an ambient temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2023
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventors: Tomoki YAMAMOTO, Toshinori SUGIYAMA, Akio MISAWA, Nobutaka AMADA, Nagayasu TSUTSUMI, Yuji FUJITA, Souta SATO
  • Patent number: 11847980
    Abstract: Provided is a head-up display apparatus capable of preventing damage due to sunlight and ensuring user convenience. A reflection mirror M1 reflects an image created by a display panel and projects it onto a display region. A solar radiation sensor detects a sunlight intensity when a position of sun exists within a predetermined detection range. A blocking mechanism forms a projected light path of an image between the display region and the display panel when being turned off, and blocks the projected light path of the image and an incident light path of the sunlight which is direction opposite thereto when being turned on. A protection processor controls ON/OFF of the blocking mechanism based on an estimated temperature of the display panel, which is estimated by using a sunlight intensity from the solar radiation sensor, luminance of a light source, and an ambient temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoki Yamamoto, Toshinori Sugiyama, Akio Misawa, Nobutaka Amada, Nagayasu Tsutsumi, Yuji Fujita, Souta Sato
  • Publication number: 20230350200
    Abstract: A main controller of an HUD is configured to: acquire road surface information of a front road surface based on a plurality of measurement points on the front road surface, which is detected by a road surface detection sensor mounted on a vehicle with the HUD and is positioned forward of a traveling direction of the vehicle; calculate, by using the road surface information, a virtual image plane position on a virtual image plane where a virtual image of a display object is displayed, which is a display position of the virtual image for displaying the virtual image along the front road surface; and calculate a display position of a display surface within an image display device, which corresponds to the virtual image plane position, so as to output, to the image display device, a control signal for displaying the display object on the display position of the display surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Haruhiko YONEDA, Souta SATO, Nozomu SHIMODA
  • Patent number: 11719932
    Abstract: A main controller of an HUD is configured to: acquire road surface information of a front road surface based on a plurality of measurement points on the front road surface, which is detected by a road surface detection sensor mounted on a vehicle with the HUD and is positioned forward of a traveling direction of the vehicle; calculate, by using the road surface information, a virtual image plane position on a virtual image plane where a virtual image of a display object is displayed, which is a display position of the virtual image for displaying the virtual image along the front road surface; and calculate a display position of a display surface within an image display device, which corresponds to the virtual image plane position, so as to output, to the image display device, a control signal for displaying the display object on the display position of the display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: MAXELL, LTD.
    Inventors: Haruhiko Yoneda, Souta Sato, Nozomu Shimoda
  • Publication number: 20230103912
    Abstract: Provided is a head-up display apparatus capable of preventing damage due to sunlight and ensuring user convenience. A reflection mirror M1 reflects an image created by a display panel and projects it onto a display region. A solar radiation sensor detects a sunlight intensity when a position of sun exists within a predetermined detection range. A blocking mechanism forms a projected light path of an image between the display region and the display panel when being turned off, and blocks the projected light path of the image and an incident light path of the sunlight which is direction opposite thereto when being turned on. A protection processor controls ON/OFF of the blocking mechanism based on an estimated temperature of the display panel, which is estimated by using a sunlight intensity from the solar radiation sensor, luminance of a light source, and an ambient temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Tomoki YAMAMOTO, Toshinori SUGIYAMA, Akio MISAWA, Nobutaka AMADA, Nagayasu TSUTSUMI, Yuji FUJITA, Souta SATO
  • Publication number: 20210271079
    Abstract: A main controller of an HUD is configured to: acquire road surface information of a front road surface based on a plurality of measurement points on the front road surface, which is detected by a road surface detection sensor mounted on a vehicle with the HUD and is positioned forward of a traveling direction of the vehicle; calculate, by using the road surface information, a virtual image plane position on a virtual image plane where a virtual image of a display object is displayed, which is a display position of the virtual image for displaying the virtual image along the front road surface; and calculate a display position of a display surface within an image display device, which corresponds to the virtual image plane position, so as to output, to the image display device, a control signal for displaying the display object on the display position of the display surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Haruhiko YONEDA, Souta SATO, Nozomu SHIMODA
  • Patent number: 10871655
    Abstract: An image display apparatus 100 for a vehicle is provided with: an image display unit 2 that has a light source and a display element and outputs image light; a mirror 3 that reflects the image light output by the image display unit 2 toward a windshield 7; a mirror drive unit 4 that changes the angle and position of the mirror 3; and a control unit 10 that determines amounts of change in the angle and position of the mirror and controls the mirror drive unit 4. The control unit 10 makes determinations of the amount of change for the angle and position of the mirror in association with each other such that the image is visible even if the position of the driver's eyes 8 changes and the display state of the image with respect to the driver does not change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignees: MAXELL, LTD., HITACHI INDUSTRY & CONTROL SOLUTIONS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Nagano, Souta Sato, Yuji Fujita, Takumi Nakada, Kazuomi Kaneko
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20190025580
    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: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Yuki NAGANO, Takumi NAKADA, Maki HANADA, Akio MISAWA, Souta SATO
  • Publication number: 20190011712
    Abstract: An image display apparatus 100 for a vehicle is provided with: an image display unit 2 that has a light source and a display element and outputs image light; a mirror 3 that reflects the image light output by the image display unit 2 toward a windshield 7; a mirror drive unit 4 that changes the angle and position of the mirror 3; and a control unit 10 that determines amounts of change in the angle and position of the mirror and controls the mirror drive unit 4. The control unit 10 makes determinations of the amount of change for the angle and position of the mirror in association with each other such that the image is visible even if the position of the driver's eyes 8 changes and the display state of the image with respect to the driver does not change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Yuki NAGANO, Souta SATO, Yuji FUJITA, Takumi NAKADA, Kazuomi KANEKO