Vehicle cabin lighting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11273759-B2
Application number	US-202117148581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2021
Priority date	Feb 7, 2020
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle cabin lighting system includes: a lighting device that is provided inside a vehicle cabin and that is configured to move a position of light; and a control section that is configured to determine whether or not an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat has an interest in interacting with another occupant inside the vehicle cabin based on operation of an operation section by the occupant or based on a state of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat, and to control the lighting device so as to move the position of the light in order to direct a gaze direction of the occupant toward a vehicle width direction outer side in a case in which no interest in interacting has been determined.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle cabin lighting system comprising:
a lighting device that is provided inside a vehicle cabin and that is configured to move a position of light; and
a control section that is configured to determine whether or not an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat has an interest in interacting with another occupant inside the vehicle cabin based on operation of an operation section by the occupant or based on a state of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat, and to control the lighting device so as to move the position of the light in order to direct a gaze direction of the occupant toward a vehicle width direction outer side in a case in which no interest in interacting has been determined.

2. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting device includes an cabin lamp disposed on a ceiling inside the vehicle cabin and is configured to change an irradiation direction.

3. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 1 , wherein:
the lighting device is configured including an illumination unit disposed along a vehicle width direction in a back face of a seatback of a front seat; and
the control section is configured to illuminate the illumination unit sequentially from a vehicle width direction inner side toward the vehicle width direction outer side in a case in which the occupant has been determined not to have an interest in interacting with the other occupant inside the vehicle cabin.

4. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a light emitting device provided to cause at least one of a pillar garnish or a door garnish to emit light,
wherein the control section is configured to activate the light emitting device either after the illumination unit is illuminated or while the illumination unit is illuminated so as to cause the at least one of the pillar garnish or the door garnish to emit light.

5. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a speaker configured to output sound at different volumes to a left and a right of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat,
wherein the control section is configured to output sound from the speaker at a louder volume at the vehicle width direction outer side than at a vehicle width direction inner side in a case in which the occupant has been determined not to have an interest in interacting with the other occupant inside the vehicle cabin.

6. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 1 , wherein:
the lighting device includes an illumination unit disposed along a vehicle front-rear direction at a vehicle width direction outer side of a door garnish; and
the control section is configured to illuminate the illumination unit sequentially from a vehicle front side toward a vehicle rear side in a case in which the occupant has been determined not to have an interest in interacting with the other occupant inside the vehicle cabin.

7. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 6 , wherein:
the door garnish is formed with a shape that becomes shorter in a vehicle vertical direction on progression from the vehicle front side toward the vehicle rear side; and
the illumination unit is illuminated sequentially from the vehicle front side toward the vehicle rear side such that a light-emitting surface area of the door garnish becomes progressively smaller.

8. A vehicle cabin lighting system comprising:
a lighting device that is provided inside a vehicle cabin and that is configured to move a position of light; and
a control section that is configured to determine whether or not an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat has an interest in interacting with another occupant inside the vehicle cabin based on operation of an operation section by the occupant or based on a state of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat, and to control the lighting device so as to move the position of the light in order to direct a gaze direction of the occupant toward a vehicle width direction inner side in a case in which an interest in interacting has been determined.

9. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 8 , wherein the lighting device includes an cabin lamp disposed on a ceiling inside the vehicle cabin and is configured to change an irradiation direction.

10. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 8 , wherein:
the lighting device includes an illumination unit disposed along a vehicle front-rear direction at both vehicle width direction end portions of a ceiling inside the vehicle cabin; and
the control section is configured to illuminate the illumination unit sequentially from a vehicle rear side toward a vehicle front side in a case in which the occupant has been determined to have an interest in interacting with the other occupant inside the vehicle cabin.

11. The vehicle cabin lighting system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a rear-facing monitor provided at a vehicle width direction central portion of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin,
wherein the control section is configured to display a video on the rear-facing monitor after the illumination unit is illuminated or while the illumination unit is illuminated.

12. A vehicle cabin lighting system comprising:
a lighting device that is provided inside a vehicle cabin and that is configured to move a position of light; and
a processor being configured to:
determine whether or not an occupant sitting on a vehicle seat has an interest in interacting with another occupant inside the vehicle cabin based on operation of an operation section by the occupant or based on a state of the occupant sitting on the vehicle seat;
control the lighting device so as to move the position of the light in order to direct a gaze direction of the occupant toward a vehicle width direction inner side in a case in which an interest in interacting has been determined; and
control the lighting device so as to move the position of the light in order to direct the gaze direction of the occupant toward a vehicle width direction outer side in a case in which no interest in interacting has been determined.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mizobata Hiroshi
• Uchibori Kazuma

Classifications

• B60Q2500/30

  Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats · CPC title

• B60Q3/233

  Seats; Arm rests; Head rests · CPC title

• B60Q3/76

  for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps (spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44) · CPC title

• B60Q3/267 Primary

  Door handles; Hand grips · CPC title

• B60Q3/217

  Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps · CPC title