Illumination control device

• US 9,913,342 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Terumitsu, Nakagawa, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US15/345,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20170135175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/20 for lighting specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments; mounted on specific fittings of passenger or driving compartments lighting for dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

An illumination control device includes sub controllers each having output ports for controlling a light source of a plurality of light sources and a main controller connected to the sub controllers respectively and controlling the light sources via the sub controllers. Each of the sub controllers controls a lighting form of the corresponding light source of the light sources in accordance with a signal input from the main controller. The main controller transmits, to each of the sub controllers, assignment information representing assignment states of the light sources with respect to the output ports of each of the sub controllers and event information specifying the lighting forms of the light sources. Each of the sub controllers controls the lighting forms by specifying the assignment states of the light sources corresponding to the output ports in accordance with the assignment information.

Claims

1. An illumination control device for controlling a plurality of light sources mounted on a vehicle, the illumination control device comprising:

a plurality of sub controllers each comprising a plurality of output ports for controlling on/off state of a corresponding light source of the light sources; and

a main controller configured to be connected to the plurality of sub controllers respectively via communication transmission paths and controls the plurality of light sources via the plurality of sub controllers,

wherein each of the plurality of sub controllers controls a lighting form of the corresponding light source of the light sources in accordance with a signal input from the main controller;

wherein the main controller transmits, to each of the plurality of sub controllers, assignment information representing assignment states that identify which of the light sources is connected to each of the output ports of each of the plurality of sub controllers, and event information specifying the lighting forms of the light sources such that transmission of the assignment information occurs separately from the transmission of the event information; and

wherein each of the sub controllers controls the lighting forms of the light sources in accordance with the event information and by specifying the assignment states of the light sources corresponding to the output ports in accordance with the assignment information.

2. The illumination control device according to claim 1, wherein the assignment information comprises information for specifying the number of colors of light emitting diodes included in each of the light sources connected to the output ports to be controlled.

3. The illumination control device according to claim 1, wherein the assignment information comprises information for specifying the number of light sources included in one group controlled in a cooperative manner out of the plurality of light sources connected to the output ports to be controlled.

4. The illumination control device according to claim 1, wherein if a common light source is assigned to the plurality of output ports and the main controller transmits the event information for controlling the common light source, the event information comprising information for specifying any one of the plurality of output ports assigned to the light source is transmitted.

5. The illumination control device according to claim 1, wherein the main controller transmits the assignment information periodically at prescribed time intervals.