Patents by Inventor Yoshiyuki Takahira

Yoshiyuki Takahira 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: 20140369064
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting portion that emits fluorescence in response to excitation light incident on a surface of the light-emitting portion, and a reflector that defines a light-emitting region on the surface of the light-emitting portion, the fluorescence being emitted from the light-emitting region. The excitation light has a top-hat energy intensity distribution on the surface of the light-emitting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro SAKAUE, Koji TAKAHASHI, Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Yosuke MAEMURA
  • Patent number: 8911128
    Abstract: A light projection unit is provided that can reduce the production of a portion where the light density is excessively increased on a fluorescent member. This light projection unit includes: a light collection member that includes a light entrance surface and a light emission surface which has an area smaller than that of the light entrance surface; a fluorescent member that includes an application surface to which the laser light emitted from the light collection member is applied and that mainly emits fluorescent light from the application surface; and a light projection member that projects the fluorescent light. The light emission surface of the light collection member is arranged a predetermined distance from the application surface of the fluorescent member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Takahira, Yosuke Maemura
  • Patent number: 8814405
    Abstract: A headlamp of one embodiment of this invention includes a laser element for emitting a laser beam, a light emitting section for generating fluorescence upon receiving the laser beam, and a reflecting mirror for projecting the fluorescence. Distribution of the fluorescence emitted by the light emitting section corresponds to Lambertian distribution, and an incident angle of the laser beam with respect to an excitation light irradiated surface, which is a surface of the light emitting section irradiated with the laser beam, is set so that use efficiency of the fluorescence emitted by the light emitting section is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Takahira, David Montgomery, James Suckling
  • Patent number: 8791628
    Abstract: A light emitting apparatus includes: a laser element which emits laser light; a light emitting section which generates fluorescence in response to the laser light emitted from the laser element; a parabolic mirror which reflects the fluorescence generated by the light emitting section; and a multilayer filter which transmits the laser light and reflects the fluorescence, the laser element being provided outside the parabolic mirror, the parabolic mirror being provided with a window part through which the laser light passes, and the multilayer filter being provided so as to cover the window part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukai, Kei Yamamoto, Koji Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Takahira, Yosuke Maemura
  • Patent number: 8791630
    Abstract: A light emitting section emits fluorescence upon receiving exciting light emitted from a laser element. The light emitting section includes a plurality of fluorescent material particles made from a single type of fluorescent material or several types of fluorescent materials, the plurality of fluorescent material particles being accumulated on a metal substrate to form a layer of the plurality of fluorescent material particles. Each of the plurality of fluorescent material particles has a surface coated with a coating layer. The coating layer forms an uneven shape of a surface of the light emitting section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yosuke Maemura, Yoshiyuki Takahira
  • Patent number: 8740430
    Abstract: A headlamp of one embodiment of this invention includes a laser element for emitting a laser beam, a light emitting section for generating fluorescence upon receiving the laser beam, and a reflecting mirror for projecting the fluorescence. Distribution of the fluorescence emitted by the light emitting section corresponds to Lambertian distribution, and an incident angle of the laser beam with respect to an excitation light irradiated surface, which is a surface of the light emitting section irradiated with the laser beam, is set so that use efficiency of the fluorescence emitted by the light emitting section is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Takahira, David Montgomery, James Suckling
  • Patent number: 8733993
    Abstract: A headlamp of an embodiment of this invention includes a laser element, a light emitting section, and a parabolic mirror. A part of the parabolic mirror is provided so as to face an upper surface of the light emitting section, which upper surface has a larger area than that of a side surface of the light emitting section. The light emitting section emits fluorescence in such a manner that distribution of the fluorescence corresponds to the Lambertian distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Takahira, David Montgomery, James Suckling
  • Publication number: 20140056021
    Abstract: A headlamp includes the laser chip which emits excitation light, a light-emitting section which contains a phosphor, and an optical rod. The excitation light emitted from the laser chip is optically guided by the optical rod, and the light output from the optical rod enters the light-emitting section. An edge is present in the light intensity distribution of the light-emitting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Koji TAKAHASHI, Yosuke MAEMURA, Tomohiro SAKAUE, Kensei TOYOTA
  • Publication number: 20130314937
    Abstract: A light projecting device of the present invention includes: a light source unit including (i) a laser element for emitting light, (ii) a light converging lens for converging the light emitted from the laser element, and (iii) a light emitting section for emitting light upon receipt of the light converged by the light converging lens; and a reflector for projecting light emitted from the light source unit. The light source unit is provided so as to be attached to or detached from a fixed part to which the light source unit is to be fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji TAKAHASHI, Shigetoshi ITO, Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA
  • Publication number: 20130265561
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a plurality of laser elements, a light-emitting section for emitting light in response to a laser beam, and an emission control section for controlling whether each of the plurality of laser elements emits light or not. At least a part of the plurality of laser elements is positioned in such a manner that irradiation regions of the light-emitting section are positioned at least partially differently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Koji TAKAHASHI, Yosuke MAEMURA, Hiroshi KIJIMA
  • Publication number: 20130258689
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a light-emitting section, a lens, and a movement control section, the movement control section changing an illumination position and a spot size of a laser beam in the light-emitting section by changing a relative position of the lens with respect to the light-emitting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Koji TAKAHASHI, Yosuke MAEMURA, Hiroshi KIJIMA, Tomohiro SAKAUE
  • Publication number: 20130243247
    Abstract: The peripheral information generating apparatus includes (i) a projection section for forming a projection pattern L, which at least partially has a continuous profile, on a road by irradiating the road with light, (ii) an image capturing section, and (iii) an image analyzing section for generating peripheral information, which indicates a peripheral situation of the peripheral information generating apparatus and of the road, by analyzing the projection pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomohiro SAKAUE, Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Koji TAKAHASHI, Hiroyuki NISHIMOTO, Shuhichi HIRUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20130027951
    Abstract: A headlamp system in accordance with the present invention includes (i) a laser light source unit including a light emitting section that emits light upon reception of a laser beam and (ii) an LED light source unit including an LED. The laser light source unit distributes light to a light-distributed spot, and the LED light source unit distributes light to a light-distributed area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji TAKAHASHI, Shigetoshi Ito, Yoshiyuki Takahira
  • Publication number: 20130027962
    Abstract: A headlight system in accordance with the present invention includes: a semiconductor laser element that emits laser light; a light-emitting section that upon receipt of the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element, emits illumination light which is both the laser light and fluorescence obtained by wavelength conversion of a portion of the laser light; and a diffusion plate that mixes the laser light and fluorescence which are contained in the illumination light emitted by the light-emitting section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji TAKAHASHI, Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA
  • Publication number: 20130003403
    Abstract: A light-projecting device according to the present invention includes a plurality of light source units including (i) a light emitting section that emits light upon receiving a laser beam and (ii) a reflector. Each of the light source units project light to a corresponding one of light-projected spots which is a region to which light is projected in an illuminated region in a partitioning manner, and the illuminated region is formed by combining a plurality of the light-projected spot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Yosuke MAEMURA, Koji TAKAHASHI, Kensei TOYOTA
  • Publication number: 20130003347
    Abstract: In a light emitting device (10) includes a light source (11) which emits near-ultraviolet laser light and a fluorescent member (12) which includes a fluorescent body (13) that is excited by the light emitted from the light source (11) so as to emit light, the fluorescent member (12) includes a substrate (16) which is formed with a highly heat conductive member and a fluorescent body layer (14) in which particles (13d) of the fluorescent body (13) are deposited on the substrate (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yosuke MAEMURA, Yoshiyuki Takahira, Koji Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20120314442
    Abstract: A light projection apparatus that can produce an elongate light projection pattern is provided. The light projection apparatus includes a fluorescent member which is excited with exciting light and a light projecting member which reflects or transmits the light emanating from the fluorescent member to project it outside. The fluorescent member includes an irradiated region which is irradiated with the exciting light, and the length of the irradiated region in a first direction is greater than its length in a second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji TAKAHASHI, Yoshiyuki Takahira
  • Publication number: 20120275134
    Abstract: A light projection unit capable of improving light use efficiency is provided. This light projection unit includes: a fluorescent member that includes an illuminated surface to which laser light is directed, converts at least part of the laser light into fluorescent light and outputs the fluorescent light from chiefly the illuminated surface; and a reflection member that includes a first reflection surface which reflects the fluorescent light output from the fluorescent member. The illuminated surface of the fluorescent member is inclined with respect to a predetermined direction in such a way that the illuminated surface faces in a direction opposite to a light projection direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji Takahashi, Yoshiyuki Takahira, James Suckling, David Montgomery
  • Publication number: 20120275174
    Abstract: A light projection unit is provided that can reduce the production of a portion where the light density is excessively increased on a fluorescent member. This light projection unit includes: a light collection member that includes a light entrance surface and a light emission surface which has an area smaller than that of the light entrance surface; a fluorescent member that includes an application surface to which the laser light emitted from the light collection member is applied and that mainly emits fluorescent light from the application surface; and a light projection member that projects the fluorescent light. The light emission surface of the light collection member is arranged a predetermined distance from the application surface of the fluorescent member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koji TAKAHASHI, Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Yosuke MAEMURA
  • Publication number: 20120224384
    Abstract: An illumination device 1 which is a light emitting device capable of emitting white light, includes: a laser element 2 for emitting a blue laser beam; a light emitting section 4 for generating fluorescence by be being irradiated with the blue laser beam emitted from the laser element 2; and a parabolic mirror 5 for reflecting the fluorescence generated from the light emitting section 4, the parabolic mirror 5 being disposed on an irradiated surface side which irradiated surface is a surface of the light emitting section 4 which surface is irradiated with the blue laser beam. This allows the illumination device 1 to efficiently project the white illumination light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki TAKAHIRA, Yosuke MAEMURA, Yasuo FUKAI, Koji TAKAHASHI