Optical unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10479264-B2
Application number	US-201816028673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2018
Priority date	Jul 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

When forming a first light distribution pattern, the controller is configured to control the magnitudes of the drive currents of first light emitting element and the second light emitting element. When forming a second light distribution pattern, the controller is configured to control so that the magnitude of the drive current of the second light emitting element is smaller than when forming the first light distribution pattern and/or so that a time period in which the drive current is to be supplied to the second light emitting element is shorter than when forming the first light distribution pattern.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical unit comprising:
a light source including a plurality of light emitting elements, the plurality of light emitting elements including:
a first light emitting element; and
a second light emitting element; and

a rotating reflector configured to rotate about an axis of rotation while reflecting light emitted from the light source; and
a controller configured to control magnitudes of drive currents of the first and second light emitting elements and configured to control timing of the first and the second light emitting elements being turned on and turned off while the rotating reflector is rotating to generate a light distribution pattern including:
a first light distribution pattern including a first maximum luminosity and first drive current; and
a second light distribution pattern including a second maximum luminosity and a second drive current,

wherein in the first and second light distribution patterns, a first irradiation range to be irradiated by light emitted from the first light emitting element and a second irradiation range to be irradiated by light emitted from the second light emitting element overlap with each other,
when the second maximum luminosity is higher than in the first maximum luminosity, the controller is configured to control the second drive current is lower than the first drive current and/or configured to control the timing of the first and the second light emitting elements being turned on and turned off so that a second light distribution pattern range of the second light distribution pattern is smaller than a first light distribution pattern range of the first light distribution pattern.

2. The optical unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein when forming the second light distribution pattern, the controller is configured to control so that the magnitude of the drive current of the first light emitting element is greater than when forming the first light distribution pattern.

3. The optical unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein when forming the second light distribution pattern, the controller is configured to control so that a time period in which the drive current is to be supplied to the first light emitting element is shorter than when forming the first light distribution pattern.

4. The optical unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first light emitting element is arranged so that a brightest region of the first light distribution pattern is to be included in the first irradiation range.

5. The optical unit according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the timing of the first and second light emitting elements being turned on and turned off so that a time period in which the drive currents are to be supplied to the first and second light emitting elements in the second light distribution pattern is shorter than that for the first light distribution pattern.

6. An optical unit comprising:
a light source including a light emitting element;
a rotating reflector configured to rotate about an axis of rotation while reflecting light emitted from the light source; and
a controller configured to control a magnitude of a drive current of the light emitting element and configured to control a timing of the light emitting element being turned on and turned off while the rotating reflector is rotating to generate a light distribution pattern including:
a first light distribution pattern including a first irradiation range and a first maximum luminosity; and
a second light distribution pattern including a second irradiation range and a second maximum luminosity,

wherein when the second maximum luminosity is higher than the first maximum luminosity, the controller is configured to control the timing of the light emitting element being turned on and turned off so that the first irradiation range is greater than the second irradiation range.

7. The optical unit according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to control the timing of the light emitting element being turned on and turned off so that a time period in which the drive current is to be supplied to the light emitting element for the second light distribution is shorter than when the drive current is to be supplied to the light emitting element for the first light distribution.

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Hidetada
• Sakurai Kazutoshi

Classifications

• B60Q1/04

  the devices being headlights · CPC title

• F21S41/675

  by moving reflectors · CPC title

• F21S41/321

  the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated · CPC title

• F21S41/336

  with discontinuity at the junction between adjacent areas · CPC title

• F21W2107/10

  for land vehicles · CPC title