Lighting device for vehicles

• US 6,293,686 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishida, Hiroyuki, Uchida, Hideki, Sugimoto, Atsushi, Hayami, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US09/507,896
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 362/36, 362/37, 362/43, 362/465, 362/464, 362/276, 362/49, 362/802, 315/81, 315/82, 307/10.8, 340/468
• US Class Current: 362/465
• 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 1/12 due to steering position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/18 being additional front lights bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/126 Hysteresis behavior based on steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/128 Steering dead zone
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/332 on city roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/333 on suburban or country roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/334 on motorways
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

The lighting device for a vehicle includes running direction detect means 3 for detecting the vehicle running direction or the vehicle steering angle and vehicle speed detect means 4 for detecting the vehicle speed. An illumination control means 5 specifies the turn-on and turn-off of a plurality of lamps in accordance with detect signals output from the means 3 and 4, thereby changing the combinations of the illumination ranges of the lamps.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a vehicle, the lighting device comprising:

a plurality of lamps disposed in a front portion of the vehicle;

running direction detect means for detecting one of a vehicle running direction and a vehicle steering angle;

vehicle speed detect means for detecting a vehicle speed; and

illumination control means for specifying the turn-on and turn-off of said lamps according to detect signals output from said running direction detect means and said vehicle speed detect means to change the combinations of the illumination ranges of said lamps.

2. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said illumination control means reduces the number of lamps turned on as said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed detect means increases.

3. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said illumination control means

(1) turns on only lamps that face in a vehicle advancing direction when said running direction detect means determines that said vehicle is running straight, and

(2) turns on additional lamps that do not face in said vehicle advancing direction when said running direction detect means determines that one of said vehicle running direction and said vehicle steering angle varies, and as said variation increases, turns on said additional lamps one by one so as to illuminate further a vehicle turning direction.

4. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

weather means for obtaining the weather in an area surrounding said vehicle,

wherein, when said illumination control means receives a signal from said weather means and determines from said signal a weather change that decreases visibility, said illumination control means turns on lamps to illuminate a marker line on one of a road and a shoulder of said road.

5. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lighting device has an illumination range divided into a plurality of blocks, and said lamps have different illuminating directions with respect to each other so as to illuminate respective ones of said blocks individually.

6. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 5, wherein said plurality of lamps include (1) a main lamp for illuminating in a vehicle advancing direction, (2) a subordinate lamp having an illumination range for illuminating a marker line on one of a road and a shoulder of said road, (3) a laterally illuminating lamp having an illumination range extending from obliquely forwardly of said vehicle to laterally thereof, and (4) an auxiliary lamp having an illumination range extending between the illumination ranges of said subordinate lamp and said laterally illuminating lamp.

7. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein, of said plurality of lamps, a first lamp and a second lamp have illumination ranges that one of overlap and are contiguous, and

wherein, said illumination control means one of

(1) turns on said first lamp and subsequently turns on said second lamp, such that a light quantity of said second lamp is increased according to variations in one of said vehicle running direction and said vehicle steering angle detected bar said running direction detect means, and

(2) turns off said second lamp before turning off said first lamp, such that the light quantity of said second lamp is decreased according to variations in one of said vehicle running direction and vehicle steering angle detected by said running direction detect means.

8. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said illumination control means controls said lamps to illuminate a sidewise direction in accordance with a signal from said running direction detect means when the vehicle speed is not more than a predetermined value.

9. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein said illumination control means does not control said lamps to illuminate a sidewise direction in accordance with a signal from said running direction detect means when the vehicle speed is not less than the predetermined value.

10. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lamps include at least one head lamp and an insensitive zone is provided in which the direction of the optical axis of the head lamp does not vary when a signal from said running direction detect means is in a predetermined range between a upper limit value and a lower limit value.

11. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 10, wherein the predetermined range to define the insensitive zone is varied in accordance with a vehicle speed.

12. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lamps include right and left head lamp portions and the right and left head lamp portions are respectively swung and fixed outwardly at a predetermined angle regardless of a signal from said running direction detect means when a vehicle speed is not more than a predetermined value.

13. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said lamps include right and left head lamp portions and the right and left head lamp portions are respectively swung variably in accordance with a signal from said running direction detect means when a vehicle speed is not less than a predetermined value.

14. A lighting device for a vehicle, the lighting device comprising:

a plurality of lamps mounted on the vehicle;

a first sensor that detects a vehicle turning direction;

a second sensor that detects a vehicle speed; and

a controller coupled to said first and said second sensors,

wherein the controller turns said lamps on and off according to signals output from said first and said second sensors.

15. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein said controller reduces the number of lamps turned on as said vehicle speed detected by said second sensor increases.

16. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein said controller

(1) turns on only lamps that face in a vehicle advancing direction when said first sensor determines that said vehicle is running straight, and

(2) turns on additional lamps that do not face in said vehicle advancing direction when said first sensor determines that said vehicle turning direction varies, and as said variation increases, turns on said additional lamps one by one so as to illuminate further in said vehicle turning direction.

17. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, further comprising:

a third sensor that obtains the weather in an area surrounding said vehicle,

wherein, when said controller receives a signal from said third sensor and determines from said signal a weather change that decreases visibility, said controller turns on lamps to illuminate a marker line on one of a road and a shoulder of said road.

18. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein said lighting device has an illumination range divided into a plurality of blocks, and said lamps have different illuminating directions with respect to each other so as to illuminate respective ones of said blocks individually.

19. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 18, wherein said plurality of lamps include (1) a main lamp for illuminating in a vehicle advancing direction, (2) a subordinate lamp having an illumination range for illuminating a marker line on one of a road and a shoulder of said road, (3) a laterally illuminating lamp having an illumination range extending from obliquely forwardly of said vehicle to laterally thereof, and (4) an auxiliary lamp having an illumination range extending between the illumination ranges of said subordinate lamp and said laterally illuminating lamp.

20. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein, of said plurality of lamps, a first lamp and a second lamp have illumination ranges that one of overlap and are contiguous, and

wherein, said controller one of

(1) turns on said first lamp and subsequently turns on said second lamp, such that a light quantity of said second lamp is increased according to variations in said vehicle turning direction detected by said first sensor, and

(2) turns off said second lamp before turning off said first lamp, such that the light quantity of said second lamp is decreased according to variations in said vehicle turning direction detected by said first sensor.

21. A lighting, device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein said controller controls said lamps to illuminate a sidewise direction in accordance with a signal from said first sensor when the vehicle speed is not more than a predetermined value.

22. A lighting, device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 21, wherein said controller does not control said lamps to illuminate a sidewise direction in accordance with a signal from said first sensor when the vehicle speed is not less than the predetermined value.

23. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein said lamps include at least one head lamp and an insensitive zone is provided in which the direction of the optical axis of the head lamp does not vary when a signal from said first sensor is in a predetermined range between a upper limit value and a lower limit value.

24. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 23, wherein the predetermined range to define the insensitive zone is varied in accordance with a vehicle speed.

25. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein said lamps include right and left head lamp portions and the right and left head lamp portions are respectively swung and fixed outwardly at a predetermined angle regardless of a signal from said first sensor when a vehicle speed is not more than a predetermined value.

26. A lighting device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 14, wherein said lamps include right and left head lamp portions and the right and left head lamp portions are respectively swung variably in accordance with a signal from said first sensor when a vehicle speed is not less than a predetermined value.