Illumination device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10214134-B2
Application number	US-201715714180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2017
Priority date	Oct 7, 2016
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

An illumination device for a vehicle, includes: a detection unit that detects a person; an illumination unit that illuminates light in a direction toward a road surface, an illumination region of the light being alterable; and a control unit that, in a case in which a person is detected by the detection unit and there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle, controls the illumination unit so as to illuminate light at a region in a range of view of the detected person that is separated from the person by a pre-specified distance, and so as to move the light in a direction of movement of the detected person while maintaining the separation at the pre-specified distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination device for a vehicle, comprising:
a detection unit that detects a person;
an illumination unit that illuminates light in a direction toward a road surface, an illumination region of the light being alterable; and
a control unit that, in a case in which a person is detected by the detection unit and there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle, controls the illumination unit so as to illuminate light at a region in a range of view of the detected person that is separated from the person by a pre-specified distance, and so as to move the light in a direction of movement of the detected person while maintaining the separation at the pre-specified distance,
wherein the control unit calculates each of a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the detected person on the basis of detection results from the detection unit, and
wherein the control unit determines that there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle in a case in which a value that is the relative distance divided by the relative speed is less than or equal to a pre-specified threshold value.

2. The illumination device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case in which the person detected by the detection unit is moving in a direction away from the vehicle in a vehicle width direction, the control unit controls the illumination unit so as not to move the light.

3. The illumination device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case in which the light is to be illuminated at the region that is separated from the detected person by the pre-specified distance, the control unit controls the illumination unit so as to illuminate the light at a region that is separated by the pre-specified distance from the detected person toward a road center in the vehicle width direction.

4. The illumination device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-specified distance is a distance at which the person is likely to see the light illuminated on the road surface, being at least a distance corresponding to an angle of view downward of the person.

5. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for illuminating light from a vehicle, the process comprising:
detecting a person; and
in a case in which there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle, controlling an illumination unit so as to illuminate light at a region in a range of view of the detected person that is separated from the person by a pre-specified distance, and so as to move the light in a direction of movement of the detected person while maintaining the separation at the pre-specified distance;
calculating each of a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the detected person on the basis of detection results of the person; and
determining that there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle in a case in which a value that is the relative distance divided by the relative speed is less than or equal to a pre-specified threshold value.

6. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises, in a case in which the detected person is moving in a direction away from the vehicle in a vehicle width direction, controlling the illumination unit so as not to move the light.

7. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises, in a case in which the light is to be illuminated at the region that is separated from the detected person by the pre-specified distance, controlling the illumination unit so as to illuminate the light at a region that is separated by the pre-specified distance from the detected person toward a road center in the vehicle width direction.

8. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein the pre-specified distance is a distance at which the person is likely to see the light illuminated on the road surface, being at least a distance corresponding to an angle of view downward of the person.

Assignees

• Mouri Fumihiko
• Yamamoto Susumu
• Masuda Takeshi
• Nakazawa Misako
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mouri Fumihiko
• Yamamoto Susumu
• Masuda Takeshi
• Nakazawa Misako

Classifications

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• F21S41/141

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

  Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers · CPC title

• B60Q2400/50

  Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body · CPC title

• B60Q1/525 Primary

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title