Automatically Adjusted Headlamp Beam Patents (Class 362/465)
  • Patent number: 12263779
    Abstract: A vehicle including a lamp body that irradiates surroundings of the vehicle, comprising a control unit configured to control an irradiation range of the lamp body according to a speed of the vehicle, wherein the control unit controls the irradiation range according to the speed to be different when the speed increases and when the speed decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kuroba, Kazuki Akami, Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 12240371
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vehicle that includes a headlamp configured to irradiate light forward, a plurality of suspensions coupled to each wheel of front wheels and rear wheels of the vehicle, a plurality of suspension sensors for detecting a height of each suspension of the plurality of suspensions, respectively. The vehicle may include a controller electrically connected to the headlamp, the plurality of suspensions, and the plurality of suspension sensors. In various embodiments, the controller is configured to receive a height value of each suspension of the plurality of suspensions from a corresponding sensor of the plurality of suspension sensors, and adjust a light irradiation angle of the headlamp by comparing the height values of the plurality of suspensions with a predetermined reference height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventor: Jei Hyun Baek
  • Patent number: 12208725
    Abstract: An optical axis adjustment device for a headlamp unit to be mounted in a vehicle is configured to adjust an optical axis of the headlamp unit. and the optical axis adjustment device includes a load information acquirer, a displacement amount calculator, and an optical axis adjuster. The load information acquirer is configured to acquire load information indicating a load on an engine of the vehicle. The displacement amount calculator is configured to calculate a displacement amount of the optical axis on a basis of the load information. The optical axis adjuster is configured to adjust the optical axis of the headlamp unit on a basis of the displacement amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kentarou Yamasaki, Noriaki Asano
  • Patent number: 12209723
    Abstract: A utility vehicle with a side-by-side seating arrangement that includes an accent lighting assembly having a forward mounted accent light assembly, a front left wheel well accent light and front right wheel well accent light assembly, and a rear left wheel well and rear right wheel well accent light assembly. The accent lighting assembly includes a bracket member for attaching the accent lights and securing to the utility vehicle. A controller in communication with the accent lights is mounted under a hood of the utility vehicle. The accent lighting assembly allows a secure attachment to a utility vehicle that may travel over rough terrain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Lindsey J. Cardillo
  • Patent number: 12202399
    Abstract: According to one aspect, headlights of a vehicle are used to communicate information that may be understood by a user or other person in the vicinity of the vehicle. A method includes operating a vehicle and determining a status of the vehicle. The vehicle has a park gear arranged to be engaged to cause the vehicle to be in a parked state, and the vehicle includes a first optical assembly that has a first optical arrangement and a first optical controller. The method also includes causing the first optical arrangement to visually communicate a first indication, the first indication being arranged to indicate the status of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: NURO, INC.
    Inventors: Amey M. Phatak, John David West, Kyungmin Kim, David Doellstedt
  • Patent number: 12202397
    Abstract: A headlight for vehicles, having a light source unit for emitting light, an optical unit for deflecting the light in accordance with a predefined light distribution, and a control unit for generating a control signal, by means of which the light source unit and/or the optical unit can be controlled, wherein the control signal is generated depending on a number of environmental parameters, wherein an optimization program is stored in the control unit, by means of which optimization program the control signal is calculated from a plurality of individual control signals, wherein by means of the individual control signals different partial light distributions, each dependent on the environmental parameters, can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventors: Mathias Niedling, Simon Vogel
  • Patent number: 12179658
    Abstract: A vehicle exterior display device includes: an own vehicle position information acquisition unit that acquires position information regarding an own vehicle; a crosswalk position information acquisition unit that acquires position information regarding a crosswalk; a surrounding information detection unit that detects a pedestrian existing around the own vehicle; a display unit that has a display region visually recognizable from the outside of the own vehicle and is capable of changing a relative position between the display region and the own vehicle; and a display controller that changes display information displayed by the display unit and changes the display region in which the display information is displayed, based on a positional relationship among the own vehicle, the crosswalk, and the pedestrian.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomohiro Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 12179744
    Abstract: A driving support device includes a detector configured to detect an obstacle in front of a host vehicle, and a processor configured to calculate the likelihood of collision between the obstacle and the host vehicle and to perform at least one of alarm control and travel control when the likelihood is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. When the obstacle has been detected between the host vehicle and an oncoming vehicle with respect to the host vehicle, the processor brings forward the timing to start at least one of the alarm control and the travel control as compared to a case where the obstacle has not been detected between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Makoto Aimura
  • Patent number: 12111176
    Abstract: A method includes receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors of a plurality of vehicles. The sensor data includes vehicle GPS data and sensed lane line data of the roadway. The method further includes creating a plurality of multi-layer bitmaps for each of the plurality of vehicles using the sensor data, fusing the plurality of the multi-layer bitmaps of each of the plurality of vehicles to create a fused multi-layer bitmap, creating a plurality of multi-layer probability density bitmaps using the fused multi-layer bitmap, extracting lane line data from the plurality of multi-layer probability density bitmaps, and creating the high-definition (HD) map of the roadway using the multi-layer probability density bitmaps and the lane line data extracted from the plurality of multi-layer probability density bitmaps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Bo Yu, Joon Hwang, Gui Chen, Carl P. Darukhanavala, Vivek Vijaya Kumar, Shu Chen, Donald K. Grimm, Fan Bai
  • Patent number: 12090915
    Abstract: A lamp for vehicle includes a light source unit that generates light, a shield unit that selectively transmits a portion of the light of the light source unit, and a lens unit that concentrates the light transmitted through the shield unit to a road surface. The shield unit includes at least one protrusion member that protrudes outwardly from a surface of the shield unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: SL Corporation
    Inventors: Gyosung Lim, Changkyung Yun, Jihye Kim, Jaeseok Jo, Wanpyo Hong
  • Patent number: 12065072
    Abstract: Disclosed is an auto aiming and auto leveling control system which simplifies initial aiming of a headlamp, and links an aiming process to a leveling process of the headlamp, so as to reduce manufacturing costs and to enable process automation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joon Bo Shim, Seung Woo Seo, Jae Joon Park, Seung Gyu Nam
  • Patent number: 12054046
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a motor vehicle with an exterior lighting unit and a controller, wherein the controller is configured, on the one hand, to actuate the exterior lighting unit in a first operating mode to output a first light pattern and to analyze a changeover condition and, when the changeover condition is satisfied, to change to a second operating mode, and, on the other hand, to actuate the exterior lighting unit in the second operating mode to output a second light pattern different from the first light pattern, wherein the fulfillment of the changeover condition depends on which of a plurality of driving modes of the motor vehicle is selected for a current or future operation, and/or wherein the fulfillment of the changeover condition is dependent on an ascertained driver state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Tanja Kammann, Ashley Gleave, Michael Horn, Viktor Hahn, Maximilian Manderscheid
  • Patent number: 12054090
    Abstract: A present invention provide a vehicle light system which prevents low-beam headlights from being forgotten to turn on while a vehicle is traveling and is able to turn off the low-beam headlights when it is not necessary, a rotation position of a light switch includes an AUTO position, a SMALL position, and an OFF position, the light switch includes a momentary mechanism which returns a position to the AUTO position when the position is changed to the OFF position or the SMALL position, lights include the low-beam headlights and position lights, the AUTO position allows the low-beam headlights and the position lights to turn on or off depending on a brightness outside the vehicle, and a light control unit turns off the low-beam headlights and turns on the position lights when the rotation position is set to the AUTO position, the brightness outside the vehicle is lower than a predetermined value, a speed is lower than a first predetermined speed, and the rotation position is then changed to the SMALL position
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Shimada, Shigeto Iwamoto, Keisuke Maeda, Takashi Mai
  • Patent number: 12013265
    Abstract: An infrared sensing module includes a reflecting portion, a driving portion, an infrared light emitter and an infrared light receiver. The driving portion is connected to the reflecting portion, and the driving portion drives the reflecting portion to rotate, and an infrared reflecting layer of the reflecting portion faces the infrared light emitter and the infrared light receiver when the reflecting portion rotates to a preset position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: VIVO MOBILE COMMUNICATION CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jie Chen, Xujun Mao
  • Patent number: 11999287
    Abstract: The invention relates to the field of vehicle technologies, and aims to solve a technical problem that when light control for avoidance of a vehicle is improper, traveling safety of the present vehicle, traveling safety of vehicles ahead for which light is controlled for avoidance, and/or safety, walking experience, etc. of the pedestrians for whom light is controlled for avoidance are/is affected to some degree. To solve the technical problem, embodiments of the invention provide a vehicle control method and apparatus, a control apparatus, a vehicle-mounted device, a vehicle, and a computer-readable storage medium. The control method includes: detecting target objects in front of a vehicle; determining whether the target objects are on a traveling path of the vehicle; and performing light control for avoidance for the target objects based on a determination result in a predetermined manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: NIO TECHNOLOGY (ANHUI) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yongliang Ma, Mingzhi Tong, Rui Zhang
  • Patent number: 11993333
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: a light source; an optical member configured to form a predetermined light distribution pattern by radiating light; and a controller configured to adjust the predetermined light distribution pattern so as to include a first non-irradiation range in which an object outside a vehicle is not irradiated with the light when the object is detected. The controller is configured to define the first non-irradiation range based on a case where a vehicle body is in a straight traveling state. When the vehicle body is in a cornering state, the controller is configured to acquire height information of the object in accordance with a tilting state of the vehicle body, define a second non-irradiation range narrower than the first non-irradiation range based on the height information, and adjust the predetermined light distribution pattern so as to include the second non-irradiation range instead of the first non-irradiation range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yosuke Menjo
  • Patent number: 11976799
    Abstract: A vehicle headlight has a segmented light guide device in which segments are selectively controlled to operate in an output state that reduces glare to oncoming vehicle drivers. Vehicle sensors and controller circuitry are used to identify areas of glare removal in the light pattern of the headlight and control the corresponding segments in the light guide device to operate in a selected light output state that reduces glare. The segments can be operated in a focused output state for vehicle driver visibility, or in a scattered output state to reduce glare. The segments can be operated in a clear or transparent output state for vehicle driver visibility, or in a reflected output state to reduce glare. Reflected light can optionally be re-directed. The light guide device can employ bi-stable liquid crystal shuttering or liquid crystal switchable mirror technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: MAGNA CLOSURES INC.
    Inventors: Traian Miu, Gabriele Wayne Sabatini
  • Patent number: 11897468
    Abstract: While operating a host vehicle in an area, a target vehicle is identified in a sub-area based on detecting a visual cue from the target vehicle. A future location of the target vehicle is predicted to intersect a path of the host vehicle. A stop position of the host vehicle is determined based on the future location of the target vehicle. At least one of the target vehicle is determined to have moved or the path of the host vehicle is updated. Then, the host vehicle is operated to the stop position or along the updated path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Luke Niewiadomski, Li Xu, Kyle Simmons
  • Patent number: 11892136
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp forms a predetermined beam pattern using a plurality of lamp modules arranged in at least one direction. Each of the plurality of lamp modules includes a light source unit that generates light; an optical unit that is disposed in front of the light source unit and transmits the light from the light source unit so that at least a portion of the light incident to an incident surface of the optical unit is output through an exit surface thereof to form the predetermined beam pattern; and an optical path adjustment unit that guides the light generated from the light source unit to the optical unit by adjusting paths of the light. The exit surface of the optical unit of one of the plurality of lamp modules is disposed more forward than the exit surface of the optical unit of another one of the plurality of lamp modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: SL Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Woo Woo, Jin Ho Jo, Dong Hyun Go, Nak Jung Choi
  • Patent number: 11867371
    Abstract: A vehicular light guiding body and a vehicular lam unit are configured to perform fine light distribution control. The vehicular light guiding body includes an incidence surface on which light from a light source is incident, a first reflection surface that internally reflects the light incident from the incidence surface, a second reflection surface that has a shape based on a paraboloid of revolution which reflects substantially parallel light from the first reflection surface toward a focus point, a light blocking part that blocks a portion of the light reflected by the second reflection surface, and an emission surface that emits the light internally reflected by the second reflection surface to pass through the light blocking part and that projects a headlight pattern toward a front of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ichikoh Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kei Onoma
  • Patent number: 11850990
    Abstract: The present technique relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a photographing apparatus, a lighting apparatus, and a mobile body which enable accuracy of image recognition processing to be improved. The information processing apparatus includes: a recognizing portion configured to perform image recognition processing with respect to an image photographed by a photographing portion and calculate, for each recognized area being an area based on a recognition result of an object, a reliability of the recognition result; and an irradiation control portion configured to control an irradiation pattern of visible light in a photographing direction of the photographing portion so that the reliability with respect to at least a part of the recognized areas increases. For example, the present technique can be applied to a vehicle control apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keitaro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11841122
    Abstract: A light module of a motor vehicle lighting device. The light module includes a light source intended to perform at least one photometric function, and an electrochromic device including at least one portion arranged downstream of the light source and capable of optionally having a diffusing appearance or a transparent appearance. A controller is arranged to receive an emission instruction from the photometric function and to control, in accordance with the instruction, the emission of light by the light source and the appearance of the electrochromic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: VALEO VISION
    Inventors: Matthieu Syre, Stephane Winterstein, Blaise Jars, Gavin Warner, Sylvain Giraud
  • Patent number: 11827139
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp includes: a first light source unit that forms at least a high-beam light distribution pattern; a second light source unit that forms an additional light distribution pattern and irradiates light with a luminous intensity higher than that of the first light source unit; a posture switching mechanism that switches between a first posture in which an optical axis of the second light source unit is parallel to an optical axis of the first light source unit and a second posture in which the optical axis of the second light source unit is deviated in the horizontal direction by a predetermined angle from the optical axis of the first light source unit; and a controller that controls an ON/OFF state of the second light source unit and an operation state of the posture switching mechanism according to a vehicle speed acquired from a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 11798405
    Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods are disclosed in which one or more light sources, a detector, a processor and a controller are configured such that light from the one or more light sources improves the ability of a human or automated motor vehicle driver to identify and avoid pedestrians. The one or more light sources may provide spot illumination to moving objects or pedestrians on a road surface, with the spot illumination following the moving object or pedestrians along the portion of the road surface. The one or more light sources may project images on the ground or on other surfaces. The light source may be carried by a pedestrian or on personal transport used by a pedestrian. The light sources may be stationary and provide lighting for a pedestrian street crossing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: LUMILEDS LLC
    Inventors: Michael Camras, Jyoti Kiron Bhardwaj
  • Patent number: 11767961
    Abstract: A headlamp device includes a headlamp, an object detector, and a controller. The headlamp is mounted on a vehicle and includes a light emitting unit composed of multiple light emitting cells. The object detector detects an object around the vehicle and generates an object detection signal including object coordinates corresponding to a location of the detected object. The controller controls light of the headlamp based on information on the object coordinates. The controller may control the light emitting unit such that at least some light emitting cells are turned off according to an object detection signal. Each of multiple light emitting units includes a circuit board, the multiple light emitting cells separated from each other on the circuit board, a molding member formed between the light emitting structures, and a protective member formed on the molding member to surround sides of the multiple wavelength conversion members while filling a gap between the multiple wavelength conversion members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: SEOUL SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chung Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 11757994
    Abstract: Various techniques for collective perception messaging are disclosed herein. In an example, a machine receives, from a source device, a signal value for provision to a sink device, the signal value corresponding to a measurement of an environmental value. The machine accesses, from a storage device, an error term for the signal value. The machine accesses, from the storage device, a source reliability term for the source device. The machine accesses, from the storage device, a source-sink relation term based on the source device and the sink device. The machine determines a distribution for the environmental value based on the error term, the source reliability term, and the source-sink relation term. The machine determines, based on the distribution for the environmental value, whether the signal value is reliable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Leonardo Gomes Baltar, Dario Sabella, Ingolf Karls, Honglei Miao, Kilian Roth, Markus Dominik Mueck
  • Patent number: 11754246
    Abstract: A lamp for a vehicle. The lamp includes a light source part that irradiates light, and a lens structure that forms a specific beam pattern by projecting the light radiated by the light source part to a front side, the lens structure includes a body part that forms a body of the lens structure, the body part includes an input area formed in the body part, and that inputs the light irradiated by the light source part to the body part, an output area formed on a surface of the body part, from which the light is output, and that outputs the light input to the body part to the front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyun Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 11745642
    Abstract: A present invention provide a vehicle light system which prevents low-beam headlights from being forgotten to turn on while a vehicle is traveling and is able to turn off the low-beam headlights when it is not necessary, a rotation position of a light switch includes an AUTO position, a SMALL position, and an OFF position, the light switch includes a momentary mechanism which returns a position to the AUTO position when the position is changed to the OFF position or the SMALL position, lights include the low-beam headlights and position lights, the AUTO position allows the low-beam headlights and the position lights to turn on or off depending on a brightness outside the vehicle, and a light control unit turns off the low-beam headlights and turns on the position lights when the rotation position is set to the AUTO position, the brightness outside the vehicle is lower than a predetermined value, a speed is lower than a first predetermined speed, and the rotation position is then changed to the SMALL position
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Shimada, Shigeto Iwamoto, Keisuke Maeda, Takashi Mai
  • Patent number: 11704910
    Abstract: A vehicle detecting device includes a region setting unit that sets a plurality of regions of interest having different ranges on image data acquired from an image capturing device that captures an image of a space in front of a host vehicle; and a vehicle determining unit that determines, for each of the regions of interest, presence of a front vehicle based on a luminous point present in the region and that executes a determination at different frequencies in the respective regions of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Endo, Mitsuharu Mano, Takanori Namba, Masayasu Ito
  • Patent number: 11672066
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a portable lighting device capable of adaptive brightness control includes: a light irradiation unit that irradiates light; a brightness sensing unit that measures the brightness of a region in front of a current position at a predetermined distance; and a control unit that controls the amount of light to be irradiated by the light irradiation unit depending on the brightness measured by the brightness sensing unit. Herein, the control unit controls the amount of light by changing the width of an ON pulse period in which the light irradiation unit is operated within a discrete signal controlling the light irradiation unit or by changing the intensity of light in response to a continuous signal controlling the light irradiation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: BRIGHTLAB, INC.
    Inventor: Tae Won Kwon
  • Patent number: 11655953
    Abstract: Disclosed are PBS-based ADB function adjustment method and an intelligent vehicle light module therefor. A light source system and a light control element constitute an intelligent illumination light control system. One part of light rays emitted by the intelligent illumination light control system penetrate through a PBS to form an illumination light shape, and the other part of the light rays emitted by the intelligent illumination light control system are reflected by the PBS in a direction opposite to a photosensitive chip integrated circuit. Ambient light enters an imaging lens group in a direction opposite to an illumination light path, and one part of the ambient light is reflected by the PBS to the photosensitive chip integrated circuit to form an information source for dynamic control of the light control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: HASCO VISION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jie Zhang, Shikun Dong, Fan Meng, Feiquan Li, Jiayuan Chen
  • Patent number: 11619360
    Abstract: A headlamp assembly includes a low beam assembly configured to generate a low beam distribution that includes a first low beam module having a first laser solid state light source that is optically configured to emit a first luminous intensity distribution and a second laser solid state light source that is optically configured to emit a second luminous intensity distribution, and a second low beam module having a solid state light source that is optically configured to emit a third luminous intensity distribution, which at least partially overlaps at least one of the first and second luminous intensity distributions; the headlamp assembly also having a high beam assembly configured to generate a high beam distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Valeo North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Brant Potter, John Orisich
  • Patent number: 11560082
    Abstract: The device includes at least one acceleration sensor provided to detect acceleration of a vehicle in at least one direction, a wheel speed sensor provided to detect a speed of a wheel, a lamp provided to emit light, a driving unit connected to the lamp to adjust a direction of light, and a controller configured to, when the vehicle is traveling, calculate a dynamic angle value of the vehicle with respect to a road surface while the vehicle is in acceleration or deceleration and calculate a first static angle value based on the dynamic angle value of the vehicle, and, when the vehicle is stopped, to calculate a second static angle value and a road slope value of a road on which the vehicle is positioned, and then control a direction of the light emitted forward of the lamp based on the first or the second static angle value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ji Sung Kang
  • Patent number: 11521298
    Abstract: An LED controller system includes an LED controller including an image frame buffer able to receive image data. A sensor processing module is used to receive and process sensor data and a decision module is used to determine actions taken in response to processed sensor data. An image creation module is used to create images to be sent to the image frame buffer of the LED controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Ronald Bonne, Jyoti Kiron Bhardwaj
  • Patent number: 11505114
    Abstract: A communication support device in a vehicle, which has left and right round lights in a front end part of the vehicle, includes: left and right notification devices having ring-shaped light-emitting parts with changeable light-emitting regions while surrounding the left and right round lights respectively when viewed from a front; and a control device controlling light emission of the ring-shaped light-emitting part so that the light-emitting region of the ring-shaped light-emitting part changes according to an operating state of the vehicle. Accordingly, communication of intention in a notification mode as if there were eye contact with a person outside the vehicle can be easily achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignees: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Takori, Yuji Tsuchiya, Norio Arisaka, Shinji Teraoka, Takeshi Ohno
  • Patent number: 11505112
    Abstract: The invention is related to a method for controlling a light pattern provided by an automotive lighting device of an automotive vehicle, wherein a dynamic portion of the light pattern is provided at least by a matrix arrangement of light sources. This method includes the steps of sensing a turn in a steering system of the automotive vehicle, dividing the dynamic portion in a first portion and a second portion, shifting the operation of the light sources associated to the first portion in the same direction as the sensed turn and create a third portion between the shifted first portion and the second portion. The invention also provides an automotive lighting device with control means to perform the steps of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: VALEO VISION
    Inventors: Ali Kanj, Constantin Prat
  • Patent number: 11454539
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes: a first light source configured to irradiate visible light; a second light source configured to emit infrared light; a rotating reflector configured to be rotated while reflecting the visible light and the infrared light, and scan the visible light and the infrared light along a horizontal direction on a virtual vertical screen; a light receiving unit configured to receive the infrared light emitted from the second light source and reflected by a target object; and a controller configured to control an irradiation area of the visible light based on the infrared light received by the receiving unit. When determined that there is an abnormality in at least one of the second light source or the light receiving unit, the controller is configured to control the irradiation area based on the surrounding information of the vehicle obtained from outside the vehicle lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fahin Syed Ahmed, Takao Muramatsu, Hitoshi Gotoh
  • Patent number: 11440460
    Abstract: A directional headlamp assembly for independently directing light from a pair of headlamps includes a pair of headlamp modules and a controller. Each headlamp module replaces a respective headlamp of a pair of existing headlamps of a vehicle. The headlamp module comprises a first housing, which insertable of into an opening created upon removal of the respective headlamp, so that the first housing is engaged to the vehicle. A bulb is pivotally engaged to a front of the first housing. An actuator is engaged to and positioned in the first housing. The actuator is operationally engaged to the bulb. The controller is mountable within a passenger compartment of the vehicle so that it is accessible to a driver of the vehicle. The controller is independently and operationally engaged to each of the actuators and thus is positioned to selectively actuate each actuator to direct light emitted by an associated bulb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventor: Brian Spencer
  • Patent number: 11427122
    Abstract: A headlight control system has a headlight including a plurality of LED light sources, a camera and a radar that detect a predetermined target object present ahead of a vehicle, and a controller configured to control the headlight such that, when the target object is present, of the plurality of LED light sources, the LED light source irradiating a region where the target object is present is turned off, and such that, thereafter, when the target object is no longer present in the region, the turned-off LED light source is turned on again. The controller controls the headlight such that, at the time of turning on the turned-off LED light source again, a change rate of luminance of the LED light source is changed according to a position of an irradiation region of the LED light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Kaino, Kumiko Takenouchi, Yoshitaka Fujihara
  • Patent number: 11414008
    Abstract: A method of guiding a vehicle user approaching or exiting a vehicle. The method comprises projecting, by means of illumination from one or more light sources associated with the vehicle, a distinct illuminated path on the ground. The distinct illuminated path on the ground extends between the vehicle and a location remote from the vehicle. A light guidance system (10) for a vehicle (12), the system comprising one or more light sources (20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30) associated with the vehicle and configured to project at least part of a distinct illuminated path (64) on the ground between the vehicle and a location remote from the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Limited
    Inventors: Shammika Wickramasinghe, Nicholas Ridler
  • Patent number: 11358516
    Abstract: Vehicle headlamp (1), which is designed to form a light pattern in front of a vehicle, comprising a first microprocessor (100), a first memory (110), a control-channel control unit (120) and a first light module (211, 212) with in each case a first output unit (221, 222), and a second light module (213, 214) with in each case a second output unit (223, 224), wherein the vehicle headlamp (1) also comprises an object-channel control unit (130), a second microprocessor (101) and a second memory (90), and the object-channel control unit (130) is designed to receive a message concerning an object channel (131) from a second electronic system (61) of the vehicle and the second microprocessor (101) is designed to at least partially retrieve the message from the object-channel control unit (130) and use it to form image data, and the second microprocessor (101) is also designed to activate the output unit (223, 224) of the second light module (213, 214) by way of a video channel (250), wherein the output unit (223, 2
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Lahmer
  • Patent number: 11351914
    Abstract: A vehicle control device is a vehicle control device mounted on a first vehicle, and the vehicle control device includes a light source configured to project light outside of a vehicle; and a light source controller configured to control the light source to project a projection image which is positioned outside the first vehicle viewed from above and is along at least part of a periphery of the first vehicle in a case where the first vehicle is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Shoda, Junpei Noguchi, Yuki Hara, Ryoma Taguchi, Yuta Takada
  • Patent number: 11333315
    Abstract: A projection headlight for a vehicle is provided comprising at least one light source, a projection lens, a condenser lens arranged between the at least one light source and the projection lens, and at least one printed graphic arranged between the condenser lens and the projection lens. The condenser lens has a flat side and a curved side. The at least one printed graphic is printed on the flat side of the condenser lens. Further, a vehicle is provided having at least one such projection headlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
    Inventor: Stefan Gröne
  • Patent number: 11332016
    Abstract: Proposed is technology that enables the linked use of a camera and sensor system in a train image monitoring system. A train image monitoring system is characterized by, in a train monitoring system (100), the following: a control device (271) comprising a means for managing the device configuration of the system, a means for receiving data from each device, a means for determining the control contents of each device, and a means for transmitting a control instruction to each device; a recording device comprising a means for receiving data from each device, a means for recording received data, a means for reading out recorded data, a means for transmitting read-out data, and a means for receiving a control instruction; and a display device comprising a means for receiving data from the recording device, a means for displaying received data on a screen, a means for detecting a user operation, a means for transmitting the contents of a user operation, and a means for receiving a control instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventor: Seiichi Hirai
  • Patent number: 11208030
    Abstract: The invention describes a method of providing an illumination pattern for vehicle lighting, the method comprising the steps of: providing a light pattern comprising a multitude of scanlines of white light by illuminating a light converter by means of a scanning laser arrangement for illuminating an area, wherein the scanlines are characterized by a defined scanline width; adapting a cut-off of the light pattern by changing a position of at least one scanline with respect to a reference illumination pattern or by dimming at least a limited portion of at least one scanline. The invention further describes a vehicle headlight system and a computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Lumileds LLC
    Inventors: Ulrich Hechtfischer, Steffen Zozgornik
  • Patent number: 11209269
    Abstract: Provided are: an inclination angle calculating unit for calculating, when having determined that a vehicle is stationary by referring to vehicle information indicating a traveling state of the vehicle, an inclination angle of the vehicle during a stationary period using inclination angle information indicating an inclination angle of the vehicle and determining a vehicle inclination angle during the stationary period from the calculated inclination angle of the vehicle; and a correction determination processing unit for determining whether an absolute value of a difference between the determined vehicle inclination angle and a reference angle determined previously by the inclination angle calculating unit is less than a first threshold value (threshold value ?) and, if the absolute value of the difference is less than the first threshold value (threshold value ?), performing a correction to rewrite the vehicle inclination angle to the reference angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Fukunaga, Wataru Tsujita, Tsutomu Asahina
  • Patent number: 11148582
    Abstract: A headlight assembly for an automobile illuminates a path of the automobile while executing a turn. The assembly includes at least one primary light source, a means of determining an orientation of the automobile, the means being configured to generate a first signal when the orientation is varied, a means of determining an orientation of a steering device of the automobile, the means being configured to generate a second signal when the orientation of the steering device is varied, and a control unit configured to receive and condition the first and the second signal to produce a conditioned signal; and at least two secondary light sources, wherein at least one of the at least two secondary light sources is actuated by the conditioned signal transmitted from the control unit. The invention also describes a method for illuminating a path of the automobile while executing a turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: VARROC ENGINEERING LIMITED
    Inventors: Lalit Ramesh Ahuja, Ketan Shridhar Talekar, Aniket Vishwas Takle
  • Patent number: 11110853
    Abstract: To prevent a decrease in luminance of the flashed high-beam headlights caused by ambient temperature in a vehicle headlight system using a liquid crystal element. The vehicle headlight system for selectively irradiating light in front of an own vehicle includes: a light source; a liquid crystal element for forming an image using light from the light source where the liquid crystal element is a normally closed liquid crystal element having a relatively low transmittance when no voltage is applied thereto; a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal element; and a control part that determines whether or not the light source is in a light-off state and controls the driving circuit to set the liquid crystal element to a transmission state when the light source is in the light-off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takashi Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11084417
    Abstract: A method for the automatic adjustment of an angle of inclination of a vehicle headlight, having the steps: continuous measurement of a rate of rotation of the vehicle headlight; calculation of a change of a gravitational acceleration vector of the vehicle headlight in the coordinate system of the vehicle headlight, using the measured rate of rotation; calculation of an angle of inclination correction using the change of the gravitational acceleration vector; and adjustment of the angle of inclination of the vehicle headlight using the angle of inclination correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Buhmann, Tomislav Pozaic
  • Patent number: 11073253
    Abstract: A light emission device includes a light source that emits an excitation light beam, a light deflector, a wavelength converter that receives and converts the excitation light beam deflected by the light deflector to wavelength-converted light, and a light concentration section that focuses the excitation light beam on the wavelength converter. The light concentration section includes a first optical system disposed between the light source and the light deflector, and a second optical system disposed between the light deflector and the wavelength converter. In the second optical system, a focal length of an Ay-axis is shorter than a focal length of an Ax-axis, where the Ax-axis is defined as an axis that has a lowest beam parameter product of the excitation light beam, and the Ay-axis is defined as an axis orthogonal to the Ax-axis in a cross section perpendicular to a propagation direction of the excitation light beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kimihiro Murakami