AUTOMOTIVE LAMP

• US 20150137680A1
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: KOMATSU, Motohiro, Uchida, Naoki, Yasuda, Yuji, Mochizuki, Mitsuyuki, Tanaka, Hidetada, Masuda, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,517,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/245 Searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle adjustable headlights B60Q1/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/13 Ultraviolet light; Infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/365 successively reflecting the light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/70 Prevention of harmful light leakage

Abstract

A light emitting lamp according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a laser light source, a scanning unit, which scans the laser light emitted from the laser light source so as to form a visible light distribution pattern, an obstacle detector, which detects an obstacle, if any, in front of a driver'"'"'s vehicle, and a control unit, which adjusts the intensity of the laser light irradiated to an obstacle existent region, according to the distance from the driver'"'"'s vehicle to the obstacle, based on the detection result of the obstacle detector.

Claims

1. A automotive lamp comprising:

a laser light source;

a scanning unit that scans laser light emitted from the laser light source and forms a visible light distribution pattern;

an obstacle detector that detects an obstacle in front of a driver'"'"'s vehicle; and

a control unit that adjusts intensity of the laser light irradiated to a region, where the obstacle is existent, according to a distance from the driver'"'"'s vehicle to the obstacle, based on a detection result of the obstacle detector.

2. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle detector has an infrared light source and an infrared light detector, and

wherein the scanning unit scans the laser light and infrared light emitted from the infrared light source.

3. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs control such that the intensity of the laser light irradiated to a periphery of the visible light distribution pattern is less than the intensity thereof irradiated to a central part of the visible light distribution pattern.

4. The automotive lamp according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs control such that the intensity of the laser light irradiated to a periphery of the visible light distribution pattern is less than the intensity thereof irradiated to a central part of the visible light distribution pattern.