Optical device and direction display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780365-B2
Application number	US-202017122629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Apr 12, 2018
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

An optical device for displaying a condensing mark includes a light source, and an optical element for condensing light emitted from the light source onto an irradiated surface. A lamp controller acquires a detection signal from a state detection device mounted on the vehicle and configured to detect a behavior of and peripheral environmental information of the vehicle, and light or blink the optical device. The optical device displays a plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least the travelling direction of the vehicle on a lane orthogonal to a lane on which the vehicle exists, and one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A direction display device installed in a vehicle, comprising:
an optical device that displays a plurality of condensing marks which is a pattern indicating at least a travelling direction of the vehicle on a road surface around the vehicle; and
a lamp controller that controls lighting or blinking of the optical device, wherein the lamp controller:
acquires a detection signal from a state detection device, the state detection device being mounted on the vehicle and detecting a behavior of the vehicle and peripheral environmental information of the vehicle, and
lights or blinks the optical device based on the detection signal;

a plurality of linear partial irradiation images are combined into the plurality of condensing marks,
the optical device arranges and displays the plurality of condensing marks side by side on a road where the vehicle is to enter in a direction in which the vehicle is to travel after entering the road, and the optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks in at least two different colors that appear to overlap each other to a viewer when the viewer is a first distance from the vehicle, and
one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

2. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein
at least the traveling direction comprises a plurality of traveling directions, and the optical device corresponds to the plurality of travelling directions.

3. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the lamp controller acquires a traveling speed of the vehicle from a vehicle speed sensor installed in the vehicle, and lights or blinks the optical device when the traveling speed is lower than a predetermined value.

4. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the lamp controller acquires a reflectance of the road surface around the vehicle from a road surface analyzer installed in the vehicle, and makes an illuminance by the optical device to a predetermined value or smaller when the reflectance is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

5. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the lamp controller acquires a current position of the vehicle from a navigation device installed in the vehicle, and lights the optical device irrespective of the detection signal when the current position of the vehicle is in a blind spot for a driver of another vehicle.

6. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical device comprises: a right turn optical device that displays one of the plurality of condensing marks indicating a right direction; and a left turn optical device that displays one of the plurality of condensing marks indicating a left direction, and the lamp controller lights or blinks either the right turn optical device or the left turn optical device in accordance with the detection signal.

7. The direction display device according to claim 6 , wherein
each of the right turn optical device and the left turn optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least the travelling direction of the other vehicle on a lane orthogonal to a lane on which the vehicle exists, and
the optical device overlaps the at least two different colors of the plurality of condensing marks such that one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

8. The direction display device according to claim 7 , wherein
the optical device further comprises a forward optical device that displays one of the plurality of condensing marks indicating a forward direction, and the lamp controller lights or blinks one of the forward optical device, the right turn optical device, and the left turn optical device in accordance with the detection signal.

9. The direction display device according to claim 8 , wherein
the forward optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least the travelling direction of the vehicle, and one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on the display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on the display region closest to the vehicle.

10. The direction display device according to claim 6 , wherein
each of the plurality of condensing marks looks deformed when viewed from a distant place from the vehicle.

11. The direction display device according to claim 10 , wherein
either the right turn optical device or the left turn optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least a travelling direction of another vehicle on a lane orthogonal to a lane on which the vehicle exists, and
one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle and another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle are arranged to be vertically overlapped with each other.

12. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two different colors being overlapped are in either an upper position or a lower position based on a distance the viewer is from the vehicle.

13. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two different colors appear separately to the viewer when the viewer is a second distance from the vehicle.

14. The direction display device according to claim 13 , wherein the second distance is closer to the vehicle than the first distance.

15. A direction display device installed in a vehicle, comprising:
an optical device that displays a plurality of condensing marks which is a pattern indicating at least a travelling direction of the vehicle on a road surface around the vehicle; and
a lamp controller that controls lighting or blinking of the optical device, wherein the lamp controller:
acquires a detection signal from a state detection device, the state detection device being mounted on the vehicle and detecting a behavior of the vehicle and peripheral environmental information of the vehicle, and
lights or blinks the optical device based on the detection signal;

a plurality of linear partial irradiation images is combined into the plurality of condensing marks,
the optical device arranges and displays the plurality of condensing marks side by side on a road where the vehicle is to enter in a direction in which the vehicle is to travel after entering the road, and the optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks in at least two different colors that appear to overlap each other to a viewer when the viewer is a certain distance from the vehicle, and
one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

Assignees

• Maxell Ltd

Inventors

• Kishigami Masahiro
• Sugiyama Toshinori
• Kunii Yasuhiko
• Tsuchiya Yuji
• Shimizu Go
• Takori Masayoshi
• Kawaji Ryuya

Classifications

• F21S43/2605

  Refractors · CPC title

• F21S43/2651

  with several light entry surfaces for two or more light sources having distinct functions, at least one of them being signalling · CPC title

• F21S43/30

  characterised by reflectors · CPC title

• B60Q1/346 Primary

  with automatic actuation · CPC title

• F21S43/26

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255 · CPC title