VEHICULAR LIGHTING APPARATUS

• US 20180038568A1
• Filed: 06/23/2017
• Published: 02/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: SAWADA, Tomonari
• Application Number:
  US15/631,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20180038568A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/62 for adaptation between right-hand and left-hand traffic
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/145 wherein the light is emitted between two parallel vertical cutoff lines, e.g. selectively emitted rectangular-shaped high beam

Abstract

While an own vehicle is traveling through the tunnel, a lighting ECU detects a side-wall position direction indicating a direction of a side wall of a tunnel T, which is adjacent to a lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, with respect to the own vehicle. The lighting ECU turns ON one of cornering lights respectively provided on a left side and a right side of the own vehicle, which is provided on the side-wall position direction.

Claims

1. A vehicular lighting apparatus, comprising:

an irradiator comprising;

a main irradiation unit for radiating light ahead of an own vehicle; and

a support irradiation unit for supporting the main irradiation unit in the radiation of the light;

side-wall position direction detecting means for detecting a side-wall position direction indicating a position direction of a side wall of a tunnel, which is adjacent to a lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, with respect to the own vehicle while the own vehicle is traveling through the tunnel; and

side-wall irradiation control means for setting, when the side wall of the tunnel is positioned adjacent to the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling, a direction of the radiation of the light by the support irradiation unit, based on the side-wall position direction, so that an irradiation area irradiated by the irradiator becomes larger on a side of the side-wall position direction than an irradiation area irradiated by the main irradiation unit and controlling the support irradiation unit to radiate the light.

2. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the support irradiation unit comprises a variable light distribution light capable of controlling the radiation of the light for each of a plurality of light distribution areas obtained by dividing an irradiation area ahead of the own vehicle in a vehicle width direction, and

wherein the side-wall irradiation control means is configured to select a light distribution area positioned on the side-wall position direction from the plurality of divided light distribution areas and control the variable light distribution light so that the selected light distribution area is irradiated with the light.

3. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the main irradiation unit comprises a headlight for low beam, for radiating the light ahead of the own vehicle, and

wherein the support irradiation unit comprises a headlight for high beam, which uses the variable light distribution light.

4. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the main irradiation unit comprises a headlight for radiating the light ahead of the own vehicle,

wherein the support irradiation unit comprises a left support light, which is provided to a left side of the own vehicle, for radiating light to a diagonally left side ahead of the own vehicle, and a right support light, which is provided to a right side of the own vehicle, for radiating light to a diagonally right side ahead of the own vehicle, and

wherein the side-wall irradiation control means is configured to select and turn ON one of the left support light and the right support light, which is provided on the side-wall position direction.

5. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the left support light comprises a left cornering light to be turned ON when the own vehicle is steered to left, and

wherein the right support light comprises a right cornering light to be turned ON when the own vehicle is steered to right.

6. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising lane change means for detecting a lane change operation performed by a driver while the own vehicle is traveling through the tunnel,

wherein the side-wall irradiation control means is configured to, when the lane change operation is detected, turn OFF the one of the left support light and the right support light, which is provided on the side-wall position direction, and turn ON another of the left support light and the right support light provided on a direction of which the own vehicle is making a lane change.

7. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising another vehicle detecting means for detecting another vehicle being present in a periphery of the own vehicle,

wherein the side-wall irradiation control means is configured to turn ON both the left support light and the right support light when the another vehicle is not detected in the periphery of the own vehicle.

8. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the side-wall position direction detecting means is configured to specify a lane of a plurality of lanes on a road, in which the own vehicle is traveling, and to detect the side-wall position direction based on the specified lane.