Lighting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10913386-B2
Application number	US-201716333047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2017
Priority date	Sep 15, 2016
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A front module ( 3 ) is disposed in a front portion of a vehicle ( 2 ). An upper module ( 5 ) is disposed on a ceiling surface ( 22 ) of the vehicle ( 2 ). The front module ( 3 ) includes a front light source ( 31 ) and a front sensor ( 32 ). The upper module ( 5 ) includes an upper light source ( 51 ) and an upper sensor ( 52 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting system adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
a first module, in which a first light source and a first sensor that is configured to output a first signal corresponding to first information of a first outside area of the vehicle, the first module being adapted to be disposed in at least one of a front portion and a rear portion of the vehicle;
a second module, in which a second light source and a second sensor that is configured to output a second signal corresponding to second information of a second outside area of the vehicle, the second module being adapted to be disposed on a ceiling surface of the vehicle; and
a common controller, connected to the first module and second module, wherein
the first module includes a first controller configured to commonly control operations of the first light source and the first sensor and configured to perform processing of the first signal to obtain the first information;
the second module includes a second controller configured to commonly control operations of the second light source and the second sensor and configured to perform processing of the second signal to obtain the second information;
the common controller is configured to share the processing of the first signal and to share processing of the second signal; and
the first information and the second information include information relating to a position and a type of an object.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first light source includes at least one of a head lamp, a daytime lamp, a tail lamp, a braking lamp, a direction indicator lamp, and a clearance lamp.

3. The lighting system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the second light source is configured to emit light to provide information indicating that the vehicle is in a driving support operation.

4. The lighting system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first module is adapted to be disposed in each of a left front corner portion, a right front corner portion, a left rear corner portion, and a right rear corner portion of the vehicle.

5. The lighting system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second sensor is adapted to be disposed such that a sensing range thereof compensates a blind area of a sensing range of the first sensor.

6. The lighting system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second sensor is configured to sense information of the outside of the vehicle in a different manner from the first sensor.

7. The lighting system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first sensor includes at least one of a LiDAR sensor, a millimeter wave radar, or an ultrasonic sensor; and
wherein the second sensor includes a camera.

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hori Takashi
• Yamamoto Teruaki
• Kasaba Yusuke

Classifications

• G01S17/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/0023 Primary

  the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera · CPC title

• B60Q1/503

  using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text · CPC title

• B60Q1/507

  specific to autonomous vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/543

  for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle (indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045) · CPC title