Position lighting device and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10220901-B2
Application number	US-201715819718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A position lighting device is configured to be installed on a vehicle and configured to radiate a beam such that people outside the vehicle can recognize the vehicle. A lighting unit is configured to radiate a beam to a ceiling part or a side wall part of a tunnel-like structure which has at least a floor part, the ceiling part, and the side wall part. A position recognizing unit is configured to recognize that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure. A radiation control unit is configured to control the lighting unit to radiate the beam if the position recognizing unit recognizes that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A position lighting device configured to be installed on a vehicle and configured to radiate a beam such that people outside the vehicle can recognize the vehicle, the position lighting device comprising:
a lighting unit configured to radiate a beam to a ceiling part or a side wall part of a tunnel-like structure which has at least a floor part, the ceiling part, and the side wall part;
a position recognizing unit configured to recognize that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure; and
a radiation control unit configured to control the lighting unit to radiate the beam if the position recognizing unit recognizes that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure,
wherein the lighting unit is installed on a rear part of the vehicle.

2. The position lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting unit is configured to radiate the beam upward from the vehicle.

3. The position lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting unit is configured to radiate the beam to the ceiling part of the tunnel-like structure such that drivers of other vehicles running behind the vehicle can see a reflected beam of the radiated beam from the ceiling part.

4. The position lighting device according to claim 1 , further comprising an object detecting unit configured to detect objects existing at least on the upper side, left side, and right side of the vehicle,
wherein, when the object detecting unit detects the ceiling part and at least one side wall part of the tunnel-like structure, the position recognizing unit recognizes that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure.

5. The position lighting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle detecting unit configured to detect other vehicles running behind the vehicle,
wherein, when the position recognizing unit recognizes that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure, and the vehicle detecting unit detects any other vehicle running behind the vehicle, the radiation control unit controls the lighting unit to radiate the beam.

6. The position lighting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle detecting unit configured to detect other vehicles running behind the vehicle,
wherein, according to the number of the other vehicles detected by the vehicle detecting unit, the radiation control unit changes a mode of the beam to be radiated from the lighting unit.

7. The position lighting device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a saddle-ridden type vehicle.

8. A vehicle comprising the position lighting device according to claim 1 .

9. A position lighting device configured to be installed on a vehicle and configured to radiate a beam such that people outside the vehicle can recognize the vehicle, the position lighting device comprising:
a lighting unit configured to radiate a beam to a ceiling part directly above the vehicle or a side wall part directly to the side of the vehicle of a tunnel-like structure which has at least a floor part, the ceiling part, and the side wall part;
a position recognizing unit configured to recognize that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure; and
a radiation control unit configured to control the lighting unit to radiate the beam if the position recognizing unit recognizes that the vehicle is positioned in the tunnel-like structure.

Assignees

• Suzuki Motor Corp

Inventors

• Kurata Koji

Classifications

• F21V19/00

  Fastening of light sources or lamp holders (fastening electric light source solely by the coupling device H01R33/00 {; special means for attaching candle to candle holder F21V35/003}) · CPC title

• B60Q2300/337

  Tunnels or bridges · CPC title

• F21V23/003 Primary

  the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array · CPC title

• F21V23/0442

  activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors · CPC title

• B60Q1/2615

  mounted on the vehicle body, e.g. with magnets · CPC title