Automotive lamp

• US 9,435,503 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Masuda, Takeshi, Shibata, Yuichi, Uchida, Naoki, Mochizuki, Mitsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/284,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0683 Adjustable by rotation of a screw
• 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 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/20 Indexing codes relating to the driver or the passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/125 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/20 characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/365 successively reflecting the light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/70 Prevention of harmful light leakage
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/00 Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes

Abstract

An automotive lamp includes a first light source for emitting the red laser light, a second light source for emitting the green laser light a third light source for emitting the blue laser light, a light condensing unit for collecting at least the red laser light, the green laser light and the blue laser light so as to generate the white laser light, and a light distribution unit for distributing the white laser light so as to form a predetermined light distribution pattern.

Claims

1. An automotive lamp comprising:

a first light source that emits a red laser light;

a second light source that emits a green laser light;

a third light source that emits a blue laser light;

a light condensing unit that collects at least the red laser light, the green laser light and the blue laser light so as to generate a white laser light;

a light distribution unit that distributes the white laser light so as to form a predetermined light distribution pattern;

a monitoring unit that monitors the emission of laser light from the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source; and

an abnormality determining unit that determines whether or not any abnormality occurs in the emission of laser light at the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source, based on a result of monitoring by the monitoring unit.

2. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, wherein

the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source are arranged such that:

the first light source is arranged in a position nearest to the light condensing unit, the third light source is arranged in a position farthest from the light condensing unit, and the second light source is arranged in an intermediate position between the first light source and the third light source.

3. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, wherein

each of the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source includes a light emitting element and a substrate on which the light emitting element is mounted,

light emission surfaces of the light emitting elements are parallel to each other, and

the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source are arranged such that parts of the substrates of adjacent light sources overlap with each other, as viewed from a direction that intersects with the laser light emission surfaces of the respective light sources.

4. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, wherein

the light distribution unit includes a reflecting mirror, reflects the white laser light in front of the lamp by using the reflecting mirror, and scans a front area of the vehicle using the white laser light by reciprocating movement of the reflecting mirror.

5. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lamp ECU that controls the operation of the automotive lamp, wherein the abnormality determination unit is provided in the lamp ECU.

6. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source control unit that controls the emission of laser light from the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source, wherein

the light source control unit regulates the emission of laser light from at least one of the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source so as to keep the white color of the white laser light intact, when the abnormality determination unit detects an emission abnormality in at least one of the light sources.

7. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source control unit that controls the emission of laser light from the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source, wherein

the light source control unit carries out at least one of a first error processing mode in which the white color of the white laser light is kept intact by regulating the emission of laser light from at least one of the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source, and a second error processing mode in which the irradiation intensity of the white laser light is maintained intact by regulating the emission of laser light from at least one of the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source, when the abnormality determination unit detects an emission abnormality in at least one of the light sources.

8. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

an automotive lamp constituting a right-hand headlamp unit and an automotive lamp constituting a left-hand headlamp unit, wherein p1 the directions of emission of the white laser light from the light condensing unit toward the light distribution unit are shifted by 90 degrees from each other in between the automotive lamp constituting the right-hand headlamp unit and the automotive lamp constituting the left-hand headlamp unit.

9. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source control unit that controls the emission of laser light from the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source, wherein

the light source control unit varies the color of the white laser light according to a predetermined condition and varies the color of the light distribution pattern at least partially.

10. The automotive lamp according to claim 9, wherein

the light source control unit varies the color of the white laser light according to the age of the driver.

11. The automotive lamp according to claim 9, wherein

the light source control unit varies the color of the white laser light according to how many hours the driver has been driving the vehicle.

12. The automotive lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light source that emits an orange or yellow laser light, wherein

the light condensing unit collects the red laser light, the green laser light, the blue laser light, and the orange or yellow laser light so as to generate a white laser light.