Irradiation direction control apparatus for vehicular lamp

• US 5,907,196 A
• Filed: 04/24/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kazuki, Izawa, Makoto, Hayami, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US08/847,362
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.8, 307/157, 315/77-80, 315/82, 362/61, 362/66, 362/71, 362/233, 362/276, 362/285, 362/384, 362/459, 362/464, 362/465, 362/466
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/115 by electric means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/116 Vehicle at a stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/657 by moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors

Abstract

An irradiation direction control apparatus for a vehicular lamp including: a vehicle state detection device for detecting a state of a vehicle; a drive device for directing irradiation light of a lamp toward a desired direction; and a compensation calculation device for performing a compensation calculation to keep the irradiation light of the lamp to a predetermined direction in accordance with a signal from the vehicle state detection device and sending a compensation signal to the drive device, whereby at the time of lighting the lamp or during lighting of the lamp, the compensation calculation device performs the compensation calculation to keep the irradiation light of the lamp to the predetermined direction in accordance with the signal from the vehicle state detection device and sends the compensation signal based on a calculation result to the drive device to drive the lamp or components thereof, whereas at the time of deactivating the lamp or during deactivation of the lamp and with a power source of the vehicle in operation or during running of the vehicle, the compensation calculation device performs only the compensation calculation to keep the irradiation light of the lamp to the predetermined direction in accordance with the signal from the vehicle state detection device and does not send the compensation signal to the drive device.

Claims

1. An irradiation direction control apparatus for a vehicular lamp, comprising:

vehicle state detection means for detecting a state of a vehicle;

drive means for directing irradiation light of a lamp toward a desired direction; and

compensation calculation means for performing a compensation calculation to keep said irradiation light of said lamp to a predetermined direction in accordance with a signal from said vehicle state detection means and sending a compensation signal to said drive means,

whereby at a time of lighting said lamp or during lighting of said lamp, said compensation calculation means performs said compensation calculation to keep said irradiation light of said lamp to said predetermined direction in accordance with said signal from said vehicle state detection means and sends said compensation signal based on a calculation result to said drive means to drive said lamp or components thereof,

whereas at a time of deactivating said lamp or during deactivation of said lamp and with a power source of said vehicle in operation or during running of said vehicle, said compensation calculation means performs only said compensation calculation to keep said irradiation light of said lamp to said predetermined direction in accordance with said signal from said vehicle state detection means and does not send said compensation signal to said drive means.

2. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when lighting of said lamp is instructed by a lighting instruction means for manually or automatically instructing lighting of said lamp, said compensation calculation associated with irradiation direction control by said compensation calculation means and driving of said lamp or components thereof by said drive means are performed.

3. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when lighting of said lamp is detected by said lighting status detection means for detecting if a lamp is lit, said compensation calculation associated with irradiation direction control by said compensation calculation means and driving of said lamp and said components thereof by said drive means are executed.

4. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said compensation calculation means determines that said vehicle has been activated based on an instruction signal from power source activation instruction means for activating said power source of said vehicle, said compensation calculation means performs said compensation calculation associated with irradiation direction control on said lamp.

5. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said power source activation instruction means is a switch for instructing activation of said power source.

6. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said compensation calculation means determines that said vehicle has been activated based on a detection signal from power source status detection means for detecting an operational status of said power source of said vehicle, said compensation calculation means performs said compensation calculation associated with irradiation direction control on said lamp.

7. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said power source is an engine for an automobile, and said detection signal of said power source status detection means is a signal associated with a number of rotations of a part of said engine.

8. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said power source status detection means detects an operational status of said power source from a parameter of said power source including one of vibration and temperature.

9. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising vehicle speed detection means for detecting if said vehicle is running and a running speed thereof.

10. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said vehicle speed detection means is a speed meter.

11. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said vehicle speed detection means is a sensor, and said sensor is separate from a speed meter of said vehicle.

12. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive means has a drive source and a driver for said drive source,

whereby in a case where said vehicle in motion is detected or where said power source of said vehicle is activated or an activation instruction to said power source has been issued, when said apparatus is powered on, said drive source is driven by said driver to grasp a control position at beginning of control.

13. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle state detection means is body height detection means provided at front and rear axle shaft portions of said vehicle, said compensation calculation means calculates an inclination angle in a front and rear direction of said vehicle based on a detection signal from said body height detection means and a distance between shafts of said axle shaft portions, and a compensation signal indicating a compensation angle equal or substantially equal to said inclination angle but in an opposite direction to a changing direction of said inclination angle, is sent to said drive means as a signal to cancel a change in an irradiation direction of said lamp caused by a change in said inclination angle of said vehicle.

14. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power source is an engine for an automobile.

15. The irradiation direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power source is a motor for an electric automobile.