System for detecting surrounding conditions of moving body

• US 10,384,596 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Adam D
• Application Number:
  US16/034,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20180334092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 362459, 362460, 362465-467, 315 77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/02 the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
• 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 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/46 for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights or hazard lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/16 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/283 Steering wheels; Gear levers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/745 using lighting panels or mats, e.g. electro-luminescent panels, LED mats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/008 for anti-collision purposes

Abstract

This system for detecting the surrounding conditions of a moving body forcibly changes the state of at least one of a plurality of lighting devices (change from an unlit state to a lighting state or a blinking state, change in the emission color, or change in the luminance) installed inside the moving body, if an object to which attention must be paid during traveling of the moving body is detected in the surroundings of the moving body.

Claims

1. A plurality of illumination devices disposed on a body, the plurality of illumination devices comprising:

a light emitter, positioned in the body, that is configured to receive one or more drive voltages from a driver that is generated based on an input from a controller and an input from a switching device

wherein the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices receives a command signal to transit a state of the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices between a lighting state and an unlit state, the command signal including information based on a parameter associated with a detected object, and a power supply voltage is provided to the driver that provides the one or more drive voltages to the light emitter based on the command signal to cause the light emitter to generate a light output.

2. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the switching device transits between an ON state and an OFF state based on the command signal that is received from the controller.

3. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the driver generates a signal that comprises one of a plurality of light emission drive voltages based on the command signal that is received from the controller, when the switching device is in an ON state.

4. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is configured to light and/or blink in a prescribed color based on the one or more drive voltages received from the driver.

7. The plurality of illumination devices in claim 1, wherein the light output comprises an illumination having a prescribed color.

8. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 7, wherein the prescribed color comprises at least one of yellow and orange.

10. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a hazard of said object.

11. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a distance between the object and the body.

12. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises a relative speed between and the object in the body.

13. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a vehicle.

14. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is a light-emitting panel.

15. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein said plurality of illumination devices is disposed in a cabin of the body.

16. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein, when said object is present at a right side of the body, the controller forcibly causes the illumination device on the right side among said plurality of illumination devices to light or blink;

and, when said object is present at a left side of the body, the controller forcibly causes the illumination device on the left side among said plurality of illumination devices to light or blink.

17. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the command signal received by the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices includes a command to increase a luminance that is caused to light or blink, as a distance between the object and the body decreases.

18. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the command signal received by the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices includes a command to change a lighting color that is caused to light or blink, as a relative speed between the body and the object increases.

19. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 1, wherein the command signal received by the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices includes a command to increase a blinking speed of said illumination device that is caused to light or blink, as the distance between the object and the body decreases.

5. A plurality of illumination devices disposed on a body, the plurality of illumination devices comprising:

a light emitter, positioned in the body, that is configured to receive one or more drive voltages from a driver,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices receives a command signal to transit a state of the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices between a lighting state and an unlit state, the command signal including information based on a parameter associated with a detected object, and a power supply voltage is provided to the driver that provides the one or more drive voltages to the light emitter based on the command signal to cause the light emitter to generate a light output, and

wherein the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices is provided on an inside surface of a door and facing an interior of the body.

6. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 5, wherein the door comprises a driver side door and a passenger-side door of the body.

20. The plurality of illumination devices of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices is oriented on the door in a front-back direction of the body.

9. A plurality of illumination devices disposed on a body, the plurality of illumination devices comprising:

a light emitter, positioned in the body, that is configured to receive one or more drive voltages from a driver,

wherein the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices receives a command signal to transit a state of the at least one of the plurality of illumination devices between a lighting state and an unlit state, the command signal including information based on a parameter associated with a detected object, and a power supply voltage is provided to the driver that provides the one or more drive voltages to the light emitter based on the command signal to cause the light emitter to generate a light output, and

wherein the light emitter further comprises a touch sensor panel that is configured to receive contact from an operator or a passenger of the body.