Vehicular lamp with current controlling unit

• US 7,309,960 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ito, Masayasu, Takeda, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYET THI
• Application Number:
  US11/090,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 315149-159, 315/291, 315/307, 315/312, 315/324, 315/82, 315/83, 315/247
• US Class Current: 315/83
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2603 Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/486 for indicating that vehicle is in a parked state
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor

Abstract

There is provided a vehicular lamp that can inform walkers or drivers in the other vehicles of the existence of the moving vehicle even where the circumference of the vehicle is bright by emitting a light amount larger than that of normal times when the circumference is bright. The vehicular lamp that is used for a vehicle includes a semiconductor light-emitting element, and a current controlling unit operable to increase an electric current flowing into the semiconductor light-emitting element according to a signal output from a sensor depending on a brightness of the circumference of the vehicle when the circumference of the vehicle is bright.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a semiconductor light-emitting element;

a current controlling unit operable to increase an electric current flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element according to a signal output from a sensor depending on a brightness of the circumference of the vehicle when the circumference of the vehicle is bright; and

a position-controlled current supplying unit operable to supply an electric current to said semiconductor light-emitting element via said current controlling unit when a DRL signal input from a vehicle main body is active and a position signal input from the vehicle main body is non-active and to supply an electric current smaller than that flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element when the DRL signal is active and the position signal is non-active to said semiconductor light-emitting element without passing through said current controlling unit when the position signal is active.

2. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, for an automobile comprising a light source, a signal input unit, a current supplying unit, and a current controlling unit.

3. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein the signal input unit comprises a plurality of diodes.

4. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein the current supplying unit comprises a PNP transistor, a plurality of resistors, and a diode.

5. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein the current controlling unit comprises a plurality of resistors, a PNP transistor, an operational amplifier, and a constant voltage source.

6. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicular lamp comprises a light source, the signal input unit, a voltage applying unit, and a current controlling unit.

7. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein the voltage applying unit comprises a plurality of resistors, a plurality of NPN transistors, and a plurality of constant voltage sources.

8. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein the current controlling unit comprises an operational amplifier, an nMOS transistor, and a resistor.

9. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein the current controlling unit comprises a pulse width modulation controller, an operational amplifier, an nMOS transistor, a diode, a condenser, a resistor, and a transformer.

10. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a semiconductor light-emitting element;

a current controlling unit operable to increase an electric current flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element according to a signal output from a sensor depending on a brightness of the circumference of the vehicle when the circumference of the vehicle is bright; and

a turn switch-controlled current supplying unit operable

to supply an electric current to said semiconductor light-emitting element via said current controlling unit when a DRL signal input from a vehicle main body is active and a turn switch signal and a position signal input from the vehicle main body are non-active,

to supply an electric current sufficient to illuminate said semiconductor light-emitting element as a turn signal lamp to said semiconductor light-emitting element without passing through said current controlling unit when the turn switch signal is active and a turn signal input from the vehicle main body is active, and

not to supply an electric current to said current controlling unit and said semiconductor light-emitting element when the position signal is active and the turn signal is non-active.

11. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a semiconductor light-emitting element;

a current controlling unit operable to increase an electric current flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element according to a signal output from a sensor depending on a brightness of the circumference of the vehicle when the circumference of the vehicle is bright wherein the sensor outputs a voltage depending on brightness of the circumference of the vehicle, said current controlling unit controls the current flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element according to the received voltage;

a turn switch-controlled voltage applying unit operable

to apply a voltage output from the sensor to said current controlling unit when a DRL signal input from a vehicle main body is active and a turn switch signal and a position signal input from the vehicle main body are non-active,

to apply a voltage, by which said current controlling unit flows an electric current sufficient to illuminate said semiconductor light-emitting element as a turn signal lamp into said semiconductor light-emitting element, to said current controlling unit without applying the voltage output from the sensor to said current controlling unit when the turn switch signal is active and a turn signal input from the vehicle main body is active, and

to apply a voltage, by which said current controlling unit does not flow an electric current into said semiconductor light-emitting element, to said current controlling unit without applying the voltage output from the sensor to said current controlling unit when the position signal is active and the turn signal is non-active.