Vehicle light emitting device

• US 10,442,339 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Shinohara, Masayuki, Tanoue, Yasuhiro, Kitamura, Norikazu, Kurata, Gouo, Ashida, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US15/985,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20180370418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/268 on windscreens or windows B60Q1/302 takes precedence; lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for windows B60Q3/208
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/30 for indicating rear of vehicle, e.g. by means of reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/381 with several light sources activated in sequence, e.g. to create a sweep effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/5037 the display content changing automatically, e.g. depending on traffic situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/525 automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/239 plate-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• 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

A vehicle light emitting device provided to a vehicle and configured to emit light toward outside the vehicle includes a light source; a light guide plate including a light emitting surface and configured to direct light entering from the light source so that the light exits from the light emitting surface and forms an image in a space; and a lighting controller configured to control the emissions state of the light source in accordance with an operation of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle light emitting device provided to a vehicle and configured to emit light toward outside the vehicle, the vehicle light emitting device comprising:

a light source;

a light guide plate including a light emitting surface, wherein the light guide plate directs light entering from the light source so that the light exits from the light emitting surface and forms an image in a space; and

a lighting controller that controls emission states of the light source in accordance with an operation of the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle light emitting device includes a plurality of light guide plates mutually stacked in a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surfaces thereof, and

the lighting controller switches the light guide plate that emits light in accordance with particulars of the operation of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein

the light guide plate is provided at a rear end of the vehicle;

and

the lighting controller controls an emission state of a light source in accordance with at least any one of a braking operation, an illumination operation, a direction signaling operation, and a steering operation as the operation of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting controller causes different light guide plates to layer the light emitted simultaneously therefrom in accordance with the particulars of the operation of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein distances from the light emitting surface of the light guide plate closest to the outside of the vehicle to the images formed by each of the light guide plates are mutually different.

5. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting controller switches where the image is formed during a specific operation of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 5, wherein

the vehicle light emitting device includes a plurality of light guide plates mutually stacked in a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surfaces thereof;

and

the lighting controller switches where the image is formed by switching the light guide plate that emits light.

7. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the lighting controller causes a light guide plate to form an image in space further outside the vehicle than said light guide plate relative to an observer outside the vehicle when controlling the emission state of a light source in accordance with the steering operation as the operation of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 2, wherein the lighting controller causes a light guide plate to form an image in space further inside the vehicle than said light guide plate relative to an observer outside the vehicle when controlling the emission state of a light source in accordance with at least any one of the braking operation, the illumination operation, and the direction signaling operation as the operation of the vehicle.

9. A vehicle light emitting device provided to a vehicle and configured to emit light toward inside the vehicle, the vehicle light emitting device comprising:

a light source;

a light guide plate including a light emitting surface, wherein the light guide plate directs light entering from the light source so that the light exits from the light emitting surface and forms an image in a space; and

a lighting controller that controls emission states of the light source in accordance with an operation of the vehicle,

wherein the vehicle light emitting device includes a plurality of light guide plates mutually stacked in a direction perpendicular to the light emitting surfaces thereof, and

the lighting controller switches the light guide plate that emits light in accordance with particulars of the operation of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 9, wherein the lighting controller switches the emission state of the light source to change the image when a door of the vehicle is locked or unlocked as the operation of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 10, further comprising:

a plurality of the light sources for one of the plurality of light guide plates, wherein the lighting controller changes a light source that is activated between the plurality of the light sources to change the image.

12. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 11, wherein the light guide plate is provided at a rear end of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle light emitting device according to claim 10, wherein the light guide plate is provided at a rear end of the vehicle.