Vehicle lighting device

• US 10,189,404 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2017
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Corporation (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Corporation (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Makoto, Suzuki, Satoshi, Kawamura, Kenji, Tsuji, Shingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaiser, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US15/854,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20180118105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 362526, 362516, 362 27, 362276
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/85 for manual control of the light, e.g. of colour, orientation or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle lighting device intended to improve convenience and safety. A vehicle lighting device includes a light disposed in a vehicle interior, a controller controlling the light, and a detecting unit detecting position or motion of a detecting object by detecting a detection object at a plurality of positions, and the controller controls the light when the position or motion of the detection object is detected by the detecting unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting device, comprising:

a light arranged in a vehicle interior;

a detector including a touch panel, the detector detecting a detection object by contact with the detection object on the touch panel; and

a controller controlling a lighting position of the light and a light intensity of the light by detecting the detection object,

wherein the detector includes a first portion for displacing, when a position of the detection object on the touch panel is detected, an emission direction of the light toward a position in the vehicle corresponding to the position of the detection object via the controller, and a second portion for controlling, when the position of the detection object on the touch panel is detected, the light intensity of the light via the controller.

2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the position of the detection object is an absolute coordinate position on the touch panel.

3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is detachably provided in the vehicle.

4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is provided with a plurality of lights.

5. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light includes:

a motor driven according to a detection of the detection object,

a magnet attached to a rotation shaft of the motor, and

a hall element detecting magnetic displacement of the magnet,

wherein the lighting position of the light is displaced using the motor and the hall element.

6. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

when the detection object is displaced in the second portion of the touch panel, the light intensity is changed.

7. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the first portion and the second portion are arranged alongside in a same plane as the touch panel.

8. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein

the detector further includes a third portion for controlling chromaticity of the light, and

when the detection object is displaced in the third portion of the touch panel, the chromaticity of the light is changed.

9. A vehicle lighting device, comprising:

a light; and

a touch panel configured to change a state of the light by contact with an object, the touch panel including a first portion for changing a lighting direction of the light when the object contacts the touch panel in accordance with a position where the object contacts the touch panel, and a second portion for changing a lighting range of the light when the object contacts the touch panel.

10. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 9, wherein the light is constituted by a plurality of light sources.

11. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 9, wherein

the first portion and the second portion are arranged alongside in a same plane as the touch panel.