Patents by Inventor Tatsuya Takagaki

Tatsuya Takagaki 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).

  • Patent number: 9193297
    Abstract: A vehicle light distribution control device includes: an illumination device controlled to change a light distribution pattern among high, low and split beam patterns and of which an optical axis direction is controlled; and a control unit. When a vehicle ahead has been detected, the control unit changes the light distribution pattern to the split beam pattern, and controls a cut-off line position of the split beam pattern so as not to irradiate illumination light to the vehicle ahead. When the vehicle ahead becomes undetectable, the control unit maintains the split beam pattern while controlling the cut-off line position in such a manner that the shielded area of the split beam pattern gradually reduces. After the shielded area becomes smaller than or equal to a predetermined reference, the control unit changes the light distribution pattern from the split beam pattern to the high beam pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Publication number: 20150251586
    Abstract: A vehicular headlamp apparatus includes: a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle; light distribution pattern switching means for switching light distribution pattern of the headlamp between a plurality of light distribution patterns which include, at least, a high beam and a low beam; detecting means for detecting a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; controlling means for controlling the light distribution pattern switching means based on a detection result of the detecting means; and turning radius acquiring means for acquiring a turning radius of the own vehicle during running. Moreover, when the turning radius of the own vehicle acquired by the turning radius acquiring means is less than a predetermined value, the controlling means inhibits the switching of the light distribution pattern of the headlamp to a higher side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2013
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Imaeda, Hajime Kasai, Kiyotaka Mochizuki, Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Publication number: 20150239392
    Abstract: A vehicular headlamp apparatus includes: a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle; illumination range changing means for changing an illumination range of the headlamp; detecting means for detecting a position of a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; controlling means for controlling the illumination range changing means based on the position of the forward vehicle detected by the detecting means; and determining means for determining whether or not the position of the forward vehicle is within the illumination range. When the position of the forward vehicle is determined as being within the illumination range, the apparatus changes the illumination range so as to have the position of the forward vehicle fall outside the illumination range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: Ryu Mizuno, Hajime Kasai, Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Publication number: 20150149045
    Abstract: In a vehicle headlamp light distribution control system which changes a shaded range so as to track a position of a forward vehicle and terminates the tracking when the forward vehicle moves away from the front of a system-mounted vehicle by a tracking limit, how right and left margins of the shaded range for a tracking lag and the tracking limit is determined is arranged to realize adequate dazzle and improve the visibility to a driver of the system-mounted vehicle. It is determined whether the forward vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle. When the forward vehicle is the preceding vehicle, optical axis control margins that are right and left margins for the shaded range for the tracking lag are set to be smaller than those when the forward vehicle is the oncoming vehicle to widen the maximum shading range according to the tracking limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Ryu Mizuno, Hajime Kasai, Tatsuya Takagaki, Kazuhiko Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20150062937
    Abstract: A light distribution control apparatus for the headlights of a vehicle acquires positional information of a forward vehicle from a forward position sensor detects a turn angle of the own vehicle after a time point at which the forward position sensor detects conditions ahead of the own vehicle, based on signals acquired from a behavior sensor that detects the behavior of the own vehicle corrects the positional information of the forward vehicle based on the detected turn angle, and controls the light distribution of the headlights of the own vehicle based on the corrected positional information of the forward vehicle. The light distribution control apparatus is capable of reducing tracking delays in light distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Hajime Kasai, Tatsuya Takagaki, Kazuhiko Nakashima
  • Patent number: 8909432
    Abstract: A vehicular illuminating device includes a first illuminating part configured to illuminate in a traveling direction of a vehicle, a second illuminating part configured to be able to emit light by using an illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part, and a control part configured to control the second illuminating part so that the second illuminating part can illuminate in a direction of a recommended route by using the illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part if a route guiding part is guiding the vehicle to a destination along the recommended route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Patent number: 8827514
    Abstract: A vehicle light distribution control apparatus includes a camera and lighting apparatus. A controller detects an image portion in an image captured by the camera as an object estimated as another vehicle when the image portion meets a predetermined criterion, and controls a light distribution of the illumination light based on a detection result. When the controller detects the object estimated as another vehicle within an illumination region of the illumination light, it limits the illumination region of the illumination light such that the object estimated as another vehicle is not illuminated by the illumination light, and then when it does not detect an object estimated as another vehicle within a non-illumination region of the illumination light due to the limitation, it restricts a cancellation of the limitation of the illumination region of the illumination light until a predetermined cancellation criteria is met.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Publication number: 20140145612
    Abstract: A vehicle light distribution control device includes: an illumination device controlled to change a light distribution pattern among high, low and split beam patterns and of which an optical axis direction is controlled; and a control unit. When a vehicle ahead has been detected, the control unit changes the light distribution pattern to the split beam pattern, and controls a cut-off line position of the split beam pattern so as not to irradiate illumination light to the vehicle ahead. When the vehicle ahead becomes undetectable, the control unit maintains the split beam pattern while controlling the cut-off line position in such a manner that the shielded area of the split beam pattern gradually reduces. After the shielded area becomes smaller than or equal to a predetermined reference, the control unit changes the light distribution pattern from the split beam pattern to the high beam pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Patent number: 8571761
    Abstract: A vehicular illuminating device includes a first illuminating part configured to illuminate in a traveling direction of a vehicle, a second illuminating part configured to be able to emit light by using an illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part, and a control part configured to control the second illuminating part so that the second illuminating part can illuminate in a direction of a recommended route by using the illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part if a route guiding part is guiding the vehicle to a destination along the recommended route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Publication number: 20130155704
    Abstract: A vehicle light distribution control apparatus includes a camera configured to capture a scene in a forward direction of the vehicle; a lighting apparatus configured to illuminate a forward direction of the vehicle with illumination light; and a controller configured to detect an image portion in an image captured by the camera as an object estimated as another vehicle when the image portion meets a predetermined criterion, and control a light distribution of the illumination light based on a detection result, wherein if the controller detects the object estimated as another vehicle within an illumination region of the illumination light, it limits the illumination region of the illumination light such that the object estimated as another vehicle is not illuminated by the illumination light, and then if it does not detect an object estimated as another vehicle within a non-illumination region of the illumination light due to the limitation, it restricts a cancellation of the limitation of the illumination reg
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Takagaki
  • Publication number: 20120158254
    Abstract: A vehicular illuminating device includes a first illuminating part configured to illuminate in a traveling direction of a vehicle, a second illuminating part configured to be able to emit light by using an illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part, and a control part configured to control the second illuminating part so that the second illuminating part can illuminate in a direction of a recommended route by using the illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part if a route guiding part is guiding the vehicle to a destination along the recommended route.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2010
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tatsuya Takagaki