Lighting control system for control dependent on weather condition

• US 7,692,535 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Michiyama, Katsunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/730,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 340/469, 340/449, 340/441, 340/435, 340/905, 340/949, 340/955, 340/539.22, 340/539.26, 340/539.28, 340/539.27, 340/601, 340/602
• US Class Current: 340/469
• 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 1/20 Fog lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather

Abstract

A vehicle lighting control system is disclosed that includes a weather detecting device for detecting a weather condition and a degree thereof. The lighting control system also includes a control device for controlling the light emitting apparatus based on the weather condition and the degree of the weather condition.

Claims

1. A lighting control system for a vehicle comprising:

a light emitting apparatus including a rear fog lamp provided at a rear part of the vehicle;

a weather detecting device for detecting a presence of a weather condition surrounding the vehicle and a degree of the weather condition when the presence of the weather condition is detected, the degree of the weather condition being detected in comparison with at least two different first and second predetermined threshold values, the second predetermined threshold value being greater than the first predetermined threshold value and representing a more unfavorable condition than the first predetermined threshold value; and

a control device for setting an irradiating range of the light emitting apparatus based on the degree of the weather condition, wherein;

the light emitting apparatus includes a rear fog lamp provided at a rear part of the vehicle;

the weather detecting device detects a presence of fog as the weather condition and degree of fog density as the degree of the weather condition; and

when the density of the fog is determined to exceed the second predetermined threshold value, the control device is further configured to cause the rear fog lamp to flash.

2. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to set an irradiating color of the light emitting apparatus based on the weather condition and the degree of the weather condition.

3. The lighting control system according to claim 2, wherein the control device calculates a transmittance of an irradiating light of the light emitting apparatus based on the weather condition and the degree of the weather condition and sets an irradiating color of the light emitting apparatus based on the calculation result.

4. The lighting control system according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting apparatus includes a plurality of LEDs of different colors and alters the irradiating color by altering the number of illuminated LEDs.

5. The lighting control system according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting apparatus includes a plurality of LEDs of red, green, and blue colors.

6. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the weather detecting device detects visibility from the vehicle to a surrounding area and determines that the degree of the weather condition is favorable when the visibility is more than a predetermined value and that the degree of the weather condition is unfavorable when the visibility is less than the predetermined value.

7. The lighting control system according to claim 6, wherein the control device lowers an optical axis of the light emitting apparatus when the weather detecting device determines that the degree of the weather condition is unfavorable as compared to a case where the weather detecting device determines that the degree of the weather condition is favorable.

8. The lighting control system according to claim 6, wherein the control device raises the optical axis of the light emitting apparatus when the weather detecting device that the degree of the weather condition is favorable as compared to a case where the weather detecting device determines that the degree of the weather condition is unfavorable.

9. The lighting control system according to claim 6, wherein the control device sets an irradiating range of the light emitting apparatus in a rear of the vehicle, when the weather detecting device determines that the degree of the weather condition is favorable and the speed of the vehicle is less than a predetermined value.

10. The lighting control system according to claim 6, wherein the control device sets an irradiating range of the light emitting apparatus in a front of the vehicle, when the weather detecting device determines that the degree of the weather condition is favorable and the speed of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined value.

11. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the weather detecting device detects visibility to the vehicle from a surrounding area and determines that the degree of the weather condition is favorable when the visibility is more than a predetermined value and that the degree of the weather condition is unfavorable when the visibility is less than the predetermined value.

12. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the weather detecting device further detects the transmittance of the irradiating light of the light emitting apparatus in a space in the surroundings of the vehicle;

and determines that the degree of the weather condition is favorable when the transmittance is more than a predetermined value and that the degree of the weather condition is unfavorable when the transmittance is less than the predetermined value.

13. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the weather detecting device further detects a density of water particles in the surroundings of the vehicle;

and determines that that the degree of the weather condition is favorable when the density is less than a predetermined value and that the degree of the weather condition is unfavorable when the density is more than the predetermined value.

14. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the control device sets the irradiating range of the light emitting apparatus based on the degree of the weather condition and the speed of the vehicle.

15. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the weather detecting device further detects a snowy weather condition and an amount of snowfall is the degree of the weather condition.

16. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the weather detecting device further detects a rainy weather condition and an amount of rainfall is the degree of the weather condition.

17. The lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the light emitting apparatus further includes a front fog lamp provided at a front part of the vehicle; and

the control device is further configured to control such that an optical axis of the front fog lamp when the density of the fog exceeds the first threshold value is lowered as compared to an optical axis of the front fog lamp when the density of the fog does not exceed the first threshold value.

18. A lighting control system for a vehicle comprising:

a rear fog lamp provided at a rear part of the vehicle;

a weather detecting device configured to detect (i) a presence of a fog as a weather condition surrounding the vehicle and (ii) a density of the fog when the presence of the fog is detected, the density of the fog being detected in comparison with at least two different first and second predetermined threshold values, the second predetermined threshold value being greater than the first predetermined threshold value; and

a control device configured to cause the rear fog lamp to be flashing when the density of the fog is determined to exceed the second predetermined threshold value.