Vehicular glance lighting apparatus and a method for controlling the same

• US 9,201,504 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LS Automotive Technologies., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Daesung Electric Company Limited (LS Corporation)
• Inventors: Han, Chang Kyu, Gohng, Jun-Ho, Kwon, Dae Woo, Park, Moon Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Joseph G
• Application Number:
  US13/458,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 701/30, 701/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/122 Instrument input devices with reconfigurable control functions, e.g. reconfigurable menus
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/126 Rotatable input devices for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/135 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/143 Touch sensitive instrument input devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/1438 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/161 Explanation of functions, e.g. instructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/25 using haptic output
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/801 Lateral distance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/804 Relative longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/16 Tactile feedback to the driver, e.g. vibration or force feedback to the driver on the steering wheel or the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicular glance lighting apparatus which provides a driver with vehicle-running information as light of a background screen and includes a driver attention function through prompt information delivery such that the driver visually recognizes as a background screen the vehicle-running information needed essentially or minimally for running the vehicle without requiring the driver'"'"'s attention to avoid dissipation of the driver'"'"'s sight, thereby preventing the driver'"'"'s driving attention from being diverted, and a method for controlling the same. The vehicle-running information related with the running of a vehicle to be outputted in the form of light as a background screen, so that a driver can perceive the vehicle-running information without diverting or obstructing the driver'"'"'s driving attention, thereby enhancing the driver'"'"'s ability to cope with a vehicle travel risk during the traveling of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicular glance light apparatus comprising:

an input unit configured to generate an input signal that can be manipulated by a driver of a vehicle;

a vehicle-sensing unit configured to detect vehicle sensing information including vehicle safety information for the running of the vehicle;

a storage unit configured to store vehicle reference information including safety reference information for determining the vehicle running safety;

a control unit electrically connected to the input unit, the vehicle-sensing unit, and the storage unit, and configured to provide the driver with vehicle-running information based on the vehicle sensing information of the vehicle-sensing unit and the vehicle reference information of the storage unit; and

a glance light unit disposed at a position within the vehicle driver'"'"'s view range, and configured to output light corresponding to the vehicle-running information in response to a glance light control signal from the control unit to allow the vehicle driver to intuitively perceive information of light while maintaining the driver'"'"'s driving attention,

wherein the glance light unit comprises a front inner glance light unit disposed at a dashboard of the vehicle, the front inner glance light unit including a front light source and a front light cover which covers the front light source, the front light cover including a first portion facing a windshield of the vehicle and a second portion inclined to the first portion and facing a rear of the vehicle and the driver, wherein;

the first portion has a first side facing the windshield and an opposite second side facing the first light source, and the second portion has an upper surface facing the rear of the vehicle and an opposite light incident surface facing the first light source;

light from the front light source is transmitted toward a windshield of the vehicle through the first portion, generating the information of light within the driver'"'"'s view range; and

the second portion has a low light transmittance such that the light from the front light source incident to the light incident surface facing the first light source is substantially blocked by the second portion from passing through the second portion in a direction to the rear of the vehicle and from directly being delivered to the driver'"'"'s eyes,

wherein the glance light unit further comprises a side inner glance light unit disposed at a front pillar of the vehicle,

wherein the side inner glance light unit includes

a side inner glance light cover disposed to be at least partly exposed to the interior of the vehicle through a pillar mounting part formed in a front pillar,

a side inner glance light base engaged with the side inner glance light cover,

a side inner glance light substrate disposed in an inner space defined between the side inner glance light cover and the side inner glance light base,

a side inner glance light guide stably supported by a plurality of ribs disposed in the side inner glance light base, and

a side inner glance light source disposed on one surface of the side inner glance light substrate so as to be oriented toward the side inner glance light guide,

wherein the side inner glance light guide includes light guide patterns formed on one surface thereof so as to smoothly output light therethrough,

wherein the side inner glance light cover includes a light transmission part,

wherein the light transmission part comprises;

a front inclined portion disposed such that an inclined surface thereof is oriented toward the front of the vehicle, and

a rear portion configured to form an angle of 45 degrees or more with respect to a plane of the front pillar of the vehicle.

2. The vehicular glance light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-sensing unit comprises a vehicle indoor temperature sensor, and

the vehicle sensing information further comprises vehicle air conditioning information including the indoor temperature of the vehicle.

3. The vehicular glance light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-sensing unit comprises an inter-vehicle distance sensor configured to detect the distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and a front-running vehicle during the traveling of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and

the vehicle safety information comprises front-running vehicle distance information outputted from the inter-vehicle distance sensor.

4. The vehicular glance light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-sensing unit comprises a lane image sensor configured to detect a lane status during the traveling of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and

the vehicle safety information comprises lane sensing information outputted from the lane image sensor.

5. The vehicular glance light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle-sensing unit comprises a dead zone obstacle sensor configured to detect whether or not an obstacle exists in a side dead zone of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the relative speed between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the obstacle, and

the vehicle safety information comprises information on whether or not the obstacle exists in the side dead zone and information on the relative speed, which are outputted from the dead zone obstacle sensor.

6. The vehicular glance light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the glance light unit further comprises a side view glance light disposed at an end of a sideview mirror of the driver'"'"'s vehicle so as to oriented toward the driver.

7. The vehicular glance light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the glance light unit further comprises a steering wheel rim glance light disposed at a rim of the steering wheel of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

8. The vehicular glance light apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

light from the side inner glance light source is transmitted toward the windshield of the vehicle through the first inclined portion, generating the information of light within the driver'"'"'s view range; and

the rear portion has a low light transmittance such that the light incident to the rear portion from the side light source is substantially blocked by the rear portion.

9. A method for controlling a vehicular glance light apparatus, wherein the method comprises:

an apparatus providing step of providing a vehicular glance light apparatus comprising an input unit configured to generate an input signal that can be manipulated by a driver of a vehicle, a vehicle-sensing unit configured to detect vehicle sensing information including vehicle safety information for the running of the vehicle, a storage unit configured to store vehicle reference information including safety reference information for determining the vehicle running safety, a control unit electrically connected to the input unit, the vehicle-sensing unit, and the storage unit, and configured to provide the driver with vehicle-running information based on the vehicle sensing information of the vehicle-sensing unit and the vehicle reference information of the storage unit, and a glance light unit disposed at a position within the vehicle driver'"'"'s view range, and configured to output light corresponding to the vehicle-running information in response to a glance light control signal from the control unit to allow the vehicle driver to intuitively perceive information of light while maintaining the driver'"'"'s driving attention, wherein the glance light unit comprises a front inner glance light unit disposed at a dashboard of the vehicle, the front inner glance light unit including a front light source and a front light cover which covers the front light source, the front light cover including a first portion facing a windshield of the vehicle and a second portion inclined to the first portion and facing a rear of the vehicle and the driver, wherein;

the first portion has a first side facing the windshield and an opposite second side facing the first light source, and the second portion has an upper surface facing the rear of the vehicle and an opposite light incident surface facing the first light source;

light from the front light source is transmitted toward a windshield of the vehicle through the first portion, generating the information of light within the driver'"'"'s view range; and

the second portion has a low light transmittance such that the light from the front light source incident to the light incident surface facing the first light source is substantially blocked by the second portion from passing through the second portion in a direction to the rear of the vehicle and from directly being delivered to the driver'"'"'s eyes,

wherein the glance light unit further comprises a side inner glance light unit disposed at a front pillar of the vehicle,

wherein the side inner glance light unit includes

a side inner glance light cover disposed to be at least partly exposed to the interior of the vehicle through a pillar mounting part formed in a front pillar,

a side inner glance light base engaged with the side inner glance light cover,

a side inner glance light substrate disposed in an inner space defined between the side inner glance light cover and the side inner glance light base,

a side inner glance light guide stably supported by a plurality of ribs disposed in the side inner glance light base, and

a side inner glance light source disposed on one surface of the side inner glance light substrate so as to be oriented toward the side inner glance light guide,

wherein the side inner glance light guide includes light guide patterns formed on one surface thereof so as to smoothly output light therethrough,

wherein the side inner glance light cover includes a light transmission part,

wherein the light transmission part comprises;

a front inclined portion disposed such that an inclined surface thereof is oriented toward the front of the vehicle, and

a rear portion configured to form an angle of 45 degrees or more with respect to a plane of the front pillar of the vehicle,

a sensing step of allowing the vehicle-sensing unit to detect vehicle sensing information including vehicle safety information in response to a sensing control signal from the control unit;

a mode-setting step of allowing the glance light unit to set an operating mode according to the vehicle-running information to be provided to the driver based on the vehicle sensing information of the vehicle-sensing unit and the vehicle reference information of the storage unit; and

a mode executing step of allowing the control unit to output the glance light control signal to the glance light unit according to the operating mode set in the mode-setting step.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the mode-setting step comprises:

a sensed information processing step of processing the vehicle sensing information of the vehicle-sensing unit detected in the sensing step and extracting changes in the processed vehicle sensing information;

a safety information change determination step of determining whether or not there is a change in the vehicle safety information among the changes in the vehicle sensing information extracted in the sensed information processing step;

a mode selecting step of selecting any one of a safety mode and a convenience mode based on a determination result in the safety information change determination step.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle-sensing unit comprises an inter-vehicle distance sensor configured to detect the distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and a front-running vehicle during the traveling of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, a lane image sensor configured to detect a lane status during the traveling of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, a dead zone obstacle sensor configured to detect whether or not an obstacle exists in a side dead zone of the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the relative speed between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the obstacle, and a steering angle sensor configured to detect the rotational angle of the steering wheel of the driver'"'"'s vehicle,

wherein the vehicle safety information comprises front-running vehicle distance information outputted from the inter-vehicle distance sensor, lane sensing information outputted from the lane image sensor, and information on whether or not the obstacle exists in the side dead zone and information on the relative speed, which are outputted from the dead zone obstacle sensor, and

wherein the safety mode comprises a cruise warning mode of warning a driver of the safety distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and the front-running vehicle, a lane departure warning mode of warning the driver of whether or not the driver'"'"'s vehicle departs a lane during the traveling of the driver'"'"'s vehicle, and a dead zone warning mode of warning the driver of not only whether or not an obstacle exists at a side of the vehicle but also the relative speed between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and another vehicle as the obstacle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the vehicle reference information previously stored in the storage unit comprises a minimum safety distance (dmax) indicating a minimum safety distance between the driver'"'"'s vehicle and a front-running vehicle, a minimum steering angle (A) for determining whether or not the driver steers the steering wheel, and preset glance light information including color information preset in response to the vehicle sensing information or light outputting period information, and

wherein a step of setting the safety mode comprises:

an inter-vehicle distance-comparing step of comparing the front-running vehicle distance information with the minimum safety distance;

a steering intention determining step of, if it is determined that the front-running vehicle distance information exceeds the minimum safety distance, comparing a steering angle of the driver'"'"'s vehicle steering wheel with a minimum steering angle and determining the operational state of a turn indicator of the vehicle; and

the dead zone obstacle-determining step of, if it is determined that the steering angle of the driver'"'"'s vehicle steering wheel exceeds the minimum steering angle and the vehicle is steered in the operating direction of the turn indicator in the steering intention determining step, determining whether or not an obstacle exits at a side of the driver'"'"'s vehicle in the steering direction of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.