On-vehicle lighting apparatus

• US 8,009,977 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2010
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Ten Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Masahiro, Matsuoka, Azusa
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US12/662,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20100290774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 396/155, 362/543
• US Class Current: 396/155
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/247 for illuminating the close surroundings of the vehicle, e.g. to facilitate entry or exit for reverse drive B60Q1/22; by opening a side door B60Q1/323
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/03 Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An image display system generates an image including an intended lighting area surrounding a vehicle to input it on a display. An auxiliary lighting unit can selectively light multiple divided areas into which the intended lighting area is divided. One or more divided areas to be lit out of the multiple divided areas are selected according to a lighting status of a driving lighting system and the selected one or more divided areas are lit by the auxiliary lighting unit.

Claims

1. An on-vehicle lighting apparatus for providing light to assist in photographing of surroundings of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a lighting unit that selectively lights multiple divided areas into which a specific area of the surroundings of the vehicle is divided, the lighting unit having a plurality of first light sources;

a first input unit that receives signals representing a lighting status of a driving lighting system used during driving of the vehicle, the driving lighting system lighting a part of the multiple divided areas and including a plurality of second light sources that are different from the plurality of first light sources; and

a controller that selects one or more of the divided areas to be lit out of the multiple divided areas based on the lighting status of the driving lighting system and that commands the lighting unit to light the selected one or more divided areas, wherein the controller does not select, out of the multiple divided areas, divided areas that are being lit by the driving lighting system.

2. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a second input unit that receives signals representing a driving status of the vehicle and, wherein

the controller selects the one or more divided areas to be lit based on the lighting status and the driving status.

3. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the controller selects fewer divided areas to be lit when the vehicle is moving than when the vehicle is stopped.

4. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller commands the lighting unit to light the one or more divided areas to be lit in a case where brightness in the surroundings of the vehicle is lower than a predetermined threshold.

5. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller commands the lighting unit to light the one or more divided areas to be lit in a case where brightness of a photographed image captured by the photographing is lower than a predetermined threshold.

6. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific area includes a lateral area of the vehicle.

7. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an image generating unit that photographs the surroundings of the vehicle and that generates an image including the specific area.

8. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the image generating unit generates a composite image viewed from a virtual viewpoint based on multiple images obtained by photographing the surroundings of the vehicle with multiple cameras.

9. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a display unit that displays the image generated by the image generating unit.

10. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second light sources of the driving lighting system includes headlights, parking lights, tail lights, brake lights and backup lights of the vehicle.

11. An on-vehicle lighting apparatus for providing light to assist in photographing surroundings of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a lighting unit that selectively lights multiple divided areas into which a specific area of the surroundings of the vehicle is divided;

an image generating unit that generates a composite image viewed from a virtual viewpoint based on multiple images obtained by photographing the surroundings of the vehicle with multiple cameras; and

a controller that selects, out of the multiple divided areas, one or more divided areas to be included in the composite image and that commands the lighting unit to light only the selected one or more divided areas without lighting the divided areas that are not to be included in the composite image.

12. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the specific area includes a lateral area of the vehicle.

13. The on-vehicle lighting apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising

a display unit that displays the composite image generated by the image generating unit.