Lighting device for a vehicle

• US 6,049,749 A
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US08/989,415
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/36, 362/272, 362/276, 362/466, 362/494, 362/540, 362/541, 362/544, 362/465, 362/524, 362/37, 362/40, 340/469, 340/471, 340/472
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/0008 including means for detecting potential obstacles in vehicle path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/122 with electrical actuating means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/18 being additional front lights bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/335 Number or size of road lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/336 Crossings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data

Abstract

A lighting device in which the vehicle advancing direction at which a driver aims is predicted, and the irradiating direction and irradiating range of a lighting device are controlled by comparing the result of the prediction to the information of the profile of a road on which the vehicle is running at present. The lighting device (1) includes a road profile calculating device (2) for finding an advancing direction of the vehicle in the case where the vehicle advances along a road on which the vehicle is running at present, in accordance with the map information including the road profile and the present position information of the vehicle; and a vehicle advancing direction predicting device (3) for predicting an advancing direction of the vehicle intended by a driver, by an operation signal given by the driver or detection information of the vehicle running state. The irradiation controller device (4) compares the direction data of the road profile calculating device (2) with the direction data of the vehicle advancing direction predicting device (3), the irradiation control of the lighting device (5) is conducted by the road profile in accordance with the direction data of the road profile calculating device (2) when a difference between them is in an allowable range, and the irradiation control of the lighting device (5) is conducted by the direction data of the vehicle advancing direction predicting device (3) when the difference between them is out of the allowable range.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus for controlling irradiation of a vehicle lighting device, said lighting apparatus comprising:

an irradiation control means for controlling the irradiation of said lighting device in accordance with a road profile, operation of the vehicle and running condition of the vehicle;

a road profile calculating means for determining road-direction data representing a first predicted advancing direction of the vehicle, associated with an advancing direction of the vehicle in the case where the vehicle advances along a road on which the vehicle is running at present, in accordance with map information including the road profile and the present position information of the vehicle; and

a vehicle advancing direction predicting means for predicting vehicle-direction data representing a second predicted advancing direction of the vehicle intended by a driver, on the basis of an operation signal given by the driver, wherein the operation signal given by the driver includes a direction indicating signal, and the vehicle advancing direction predicting means predicts vehicle-direction data based on at least the operation signal given by the driver,

wherein the irradiation control means compares the road-direction data with the predicted-vehicle-direction data to determine a difference therebetween, and

wherein the irradiation control means controls the lighting device in accordance with the road-direction data when said difference is in an allowable range, and controls the lighting device in accordance with the predicted-vehicle-direction data when the difference is outside of the allowable range.

2. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation control means changes an irradiating direction of the lighting device, irradiating range, start time of control and control speed in accordance with at least one of a speed and acceleration of the vehicle detected by a vehicle speed detecting means.

3. The lighting apparatus for vehicle use according to claim 1, wherein when the road profile calculating means discriminates an intersection on a road, the irradiation control means extends an irradiating range of the lighting device as compared with an irradiating range of the lighting device in the case where there is no intersection on the road.

4. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when at least one of a vehicle speed detecting means and a vehicle acceleration detecting means detects a deceleration state of the vehicle, the irradiation control means extends an irradiating range of the lighting, device as compared to the irradiation range for the case of acceleration or constant speed running.

5. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle advancing direction predicting means predicts vehicle-direction data in accordance with information representing a scheduled course to the destination.

6. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle advancing direction predicting means predicts vehicle-direction data representing a second predicted advancing direction of the vehicle intended by a driver on the basis of detection information of the vehicle running state.

7. The lighting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said road-direction data includes profile data associated with each one of a plurality of vehicle advancing directions to be selected at an intersection, and is sent to the irradiation control means when the intersection is discriminated by the road profile calculating means,

wherein the irradiation control means compares the profile data for each one of the vehicle advancing directions with the predicted-vehicle-direction data, and controls the lighting device in accordance with the profile data of the selected one of the vehicle advancing directions when a difference between the profile data of the selected one of the vehicle advancing directions and the predicted-vehicle-direction data is in an allowable range.

8. The lighting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the vehicle advancing direction predicting means predicts vehicle-direction data in accordance with:

a direction signal given to a direction indicator;

a detection signal sent from a steering direction detecting means; and

a signal representing an acceleration and deceleration state of the vehicle.

9. The lighting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the road profile calculating means discriminates an intersection on a road, the irradiation control means changes an irradiating range of the lighting device in accordance with a distance from the intersection to the present position of the vehicle or in accordance with a period of time obtained when the distance is divided by a vehicle speed.

10. The lighting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the road profile calculating means discriminates an intersection on a road, the vehicle advancing direction predicting means changes a prediction logic of the vehicle advancing direction in accordance with at least one of an arrival time in which the vehicle arrives at the intersection and an arrival distance.