Vehicle driving assistance apparatus

• US 9,592,762 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2016
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Ushio Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Ushio Incorporated)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Masashi, Hatanaka, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): MCNALLY, KERRI L
• Application Number:
  US15/013,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20160221493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 340/905
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/50 for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/135 Polarised
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/20 characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors

Abstract

A vehicle driving assistance apparatus includes a coherent light source, a road surface projection optical system, a road surface wet information retention section, and a control circuit. The road surface projection optical system scans a light source beam emitted from the coherent light source to output a projection beam, and thereby project the light pattern on the road surface around the own vehicle, the light source beam being light. The control circuit is configured to stop the output of the projection beam during a period in which the road surface wet information retention section retains information indicating that the road surface around the own vehicle is wet. The projection beam enters the road surface around the own vehicle at a shallow angle, and projects the light pattern toward a road surface near a boundary of a traveling lane where the own vehicle is traveling.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving assistance apparatus installed in a vehicle and configured to display a predetermined light pattern on a road surface around an own vehicle to enable a driver of the own vehicle, a driver of another vehicle, a pedestrian, and an environmental condition detector to recognize the displayed light pattern, the vehicle driving assistance apparatus comprising:

a coherent light source;

a road surface projection optical system configured to scan a light source beam to output a projection beam, and thereby project the light pattern on the road surface around the own vehicle, the light source beam being light emitted from the coherent light source;

a road surface wet information retention section configured to retain information indicating whether the road surface around the own vehicle is wet; and

a control circuit configured to control the coherent light source and the road surface projection optical system, the control circuit being configured to stop the output of the projection beam during a period in which the road surface wet information retention section retains information indicating that the road surface around the own vehicle is wet, the projection beam entering the road surface around the own vehicle at a shallow angle, and projecting the light pattern toward a road surface near a boundary of a traveling lane where the own vehicle is traveling.

2. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, during the period in which the road surface wet information retention section retains the information indicating that the road surface around the own vehicle is wet, the control circuit stops the output of the projection beam, the projection beam projecting the light pattern on the road surface in front of a following vehicle that is traveling in a traveling lane same as the traveling lane where the own vehicle is traveling.

3. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the road surface information retention section includes a road surface wet detector configured to detect whether the road surface around the own vehicle is wet to generate a road surface wet detection signal, the road surface wet detection signal indicating whether the road surface around the own vehicle is wet.

4. A vehicle driving assistance apparatus comprising:

a coherent light source configured to emit a light source beam;

a road surface projection optical system configured to scan the light source beam and to project a light pattern on a road surface;

a road surface wet information retention section configured to retain information indicating whether the road surface is wet; and

a control circuit configured to control the coherent light source and the road surface projection optical system, the control circuit being configured to stop the output of the projection beam during a period in which the road surface wet information retention section retains information indicating that the road surface is wet.

5. The vehicle driving assistance apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the road surface information retention section includes a road surface wet detector configured to detect whether the road surface is wet.