Vehicle illumination device, vehicle and illumination control system

• US 10,663,978 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2016
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Tatara, Naoki, Okamura, Toshihiro, Masuda, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nwugo, Ojiako K
• Application Number:
  US16/064,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20190011930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 340463
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/507 specific to autonomous vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/508 specific to vehicles driving in fleets or convoys
• 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: B60Q 1/547 for issuing requests to other traffic participants; for confirming to other traffic participants they can proceed, e.g. they can overtake
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0289 with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09 Arrangements for giving variable traffic instructions railroad crossing signals B61L; reflectors E01F, G08B; indicating arrangements for variable information by selection or combination of individual elements G09F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/16 Anti-collision systems road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/163 involving continuous checking
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/22 Platooning, i.e. convoy of communicating vehicles

Abstract

An illumination device provided in a vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode is provided with: an illumination unit configured so that light is emitted toward the outside of the vehicle; and an illumination control unit configured so that, on the basis of an illumination control signal transmitted from another vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode and provided with an illumination unit, the illumination state of the illumination unit corresponds to the illumination state of the illumination unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle illumination device provided to a vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode, the vehicle illumination device comprising:

a first illumination unit configured to irradiate light toward an outside of the vehicle; and

a first illumination control unit configured to control the first illumination unit based on an illumination control signal transmitted from another vehicle capable of traveling in the automatic driving mode and including a second illumination unit, such that an illumination state of the first illumination unit is controlled to match an illumination state of the second illumination unit,

wherein the first illumination control unit is configured to control the first illumination unit to change the first illumination unit such that an illumination color of the first illumination unit to match an illumination color of the second illumination unit in order to visually signal that the vehicle and the another vehicle are in communication with each other, and

wherein the vehicle and the another vehicle are configured to determine which one of the vehicle and the another vehicle is a master vehicle to output an illumination control signal based on an order of the vehicle and the another vehicle arriving at a vicinity.

2. The vehicle illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the first illumination control unit is configured to control the first illumination unit to blink in synchronization with the second illumination unit.

3. A vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode, the vehicle comprising:

the vehicle illumination device according to claim 1;

a first wireless communication unit configured to receive the illumination control signal; and

a vehicle control unit configured to control traveling of the vehicle.

4. An illumination control system comprising:

a second vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode and including;

a second illumination unit configured to irradiate light toward an outside;

a second illumination control unit configured to control the second illumination unit;

a control signal generation unit configured to generate an illumination control signal; and

a second wireless communication unit configured to transmit the illumination control signal; and

a first vehicle capable of traveling in the automatic driving mode and including;

a first wireless communication unit configured to receive the illumination control signal;

a first illumination unit configured to irradiate light toward the outside; and

a first illumination control unit configured to control the first illumination unit based on the illumination control signal such that an illumination state of the first illumination unit is controlled to match an illumination state of the second illumination unit,

wherein the first illumination control unit is configured to control the first illumination unit to change the first illumination unit such that an illumination color of the first illumination unit to match an illumination color of the second illumination unit in order to visually signal that the first vehicle and the second vehicle are in communication with each other, and

wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are configured to determine which one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is a master vehicle to output an illumination control signal based on a location of the first vehicle and the second vehicle traveling in a row.

5. The illumination control system according to claim 4, wherein when the first vehicle exists within a predetermined range from the second vehicle, the first wireless communication unit is able to receive an illumination control signal from the second wireless communication unit.

6. The illumination control system according to claim 4, wherein when the first vehicle and the second vehicle exist in the vicinity of an intersection point, the first wireless communication unit is able to receive the illumination control signal from the second wireless communication unit.

7. The illumination control system according to claim 6, wherein the second vehicle is a vehicle that appears in the vicinity of the intersection point temporally earlier than the first vehicle.

8. The illumination control system according to claim 4, wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle belong to a group of vehicles traveling in a row traveling mode, and

wherein the second vehicle is a leading vehicle of the group of vehicles and the first vehicle is a following vehicle of the group of vehicles.