VEHICULAR ILLUMINATING DEVICE

• US 20120158254A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takagaki, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,432 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/18 being additional front lights bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/335 Number or size of road lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/336 Crossings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/645 by electro-optic means, e.g. liquid crystal or electrochromic devices

Abstract

A vehicular illuminating device includes a first illuminating part configured to illuminate in a traveling direction of a vehicle, a second illuminating part configured to be able to emit light by using an illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part, and a control part configured to control the second illuminating part so that the second illuminating part can illuminate in a direction of a recommended route by using the illumination pattern different from that of the first illuminating part if a route guiding part is guiding the vehicle to a destination along the recommended route.

Claims

1. A vehicular illuminating device, comprising:

a first illuminating part configured to illuminate in a traveling direction of a vehicle;

a second illuminating part configured to be able to change at least one of color, luminance, and blinking/always-on state; and

a control part configured to control the second illuminating part so that the second illuminating part can illuminate in a direction of a recommended route which is different from the traveling direction by differentiating the at least one of color, luminance, and blinking/always-on state from that of the first illuminating part, if a route guiding part is guiding the vehicle to a destination along the recommended route.

2. The vehicular illuminating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an environment recognizing part configured to recognize an environment surrounding the vehicle, wherein the control part controls the second illuminating part so that the second illuminating part changes the illumination pattern depending on the environment surrounding the vehicle recognized by the environment recognizing part.