In-vehicle lighting device and vehicle

• US 10,195,990 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2018
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Moriwaki, Toshiya
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US15/920,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20180272935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/178 Warnings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/338 Light strips
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An in-vehicle lighting device for alerting a driver driving a vehicle to an obstacle present in a vicinity of the vehicle, which obstructs driving of the vehicle. The in-vehicle lighting device includes: a light emitter that is installed in an interior side of a pillar in a front part of the vehicle and that emits light of different chromatic colors; a controller connected to the light emitter; and a detector that is connected to the controller and detects the obstacle present in the vicinity of the vehicle. When the detector detects the obstacle present in the vicinity of the vehicle, the controller causes the light emitter to emit light having a color according to a characteristic of the obstacle detected.

Claims

1. An in-vehicle lighting device for alerting a driver driving a vehicle to an obstacle present in a vicinity of the vehicle, which obstructs driving of the vehicle, the in-vehicle lighting device comprising:

a light emitter that is installed in an interior side of a pillar located in a front part of the vehicle and that emits light of different colors;

a controller connected to the light emitter; and

a detector that is connected to the controller and detects the obstacle present in the vicinity of the vehicle,

wherein when the detector detects the obstacle present in the vicinity of the vehicle, the controller causes the light emitter to emit light having a color according to a characteristic of the obstacle detected,

the light emitter includes a first light emitter and a second light emitter positioned above the first light emitter, and

the controller causes at least one of the first light emitter and the second light emitter to emit light in accordance with the characteristic of the obstacle detected by the detector, the light having a color according to the characteristic of the obstacle detected,

the characteristic of the obstacle present in the vicinity of the vehicle includes location information of the obstacle,

the first light emitter has a larger light emitting area than the second light emitter, and

the controller (i) causes the first light emitter to emit light when the detector detects the obstacle present in the front area in the vicinity of the vehicle, and (ii) causes the second light emitter to emit light when the detector detects the obstacle present in the rear area in the vicinity of the vehicle.

2. The in-vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first light emitter emits light having a color different from a color of light emitted by the second light emitter.

3. The in-vehicle lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the color of the light emitted by the first light emitter and the color of the light emitted by the second light emitter are mutually different chromatic colors.

4. The in-vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitter has a long shape extending along the pillar.

5. The in-vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a distance measurer that measures a distance between the vehicle and the obstacle present in the vicinity of the vehicle,

wherein when the detector obtains the distance from the distance measurer, the controller causes the light emitter to emit light in a mode according to the distance obtained.

6. The in-vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image sensor that is mounted on the vehicle and captures an image of an area in the vicinity of the vehicle,

wherein the detector obtains the image captured by the image sensor and detects the obstacle present in the vicinity of the vehicle in the image obtained.

7. A vehicle comprising the in-vehicle lighting device according to claim 1.