Straddle vehicle and light control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12319378-B2
Application number	US-202117455132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2021
Priority date	Nov 16, 2020
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

An operation member is switchable between a first operation position, a second operation position, and a third operation position. When operating force is released while the operation member is at the third operation position, the operation member returns to the second operation position. The controller is switchable between a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, the controller sets the headlight to high beam when the operation member is at the first operation position or the third operation position, and sets the headlight to low beam when the operation member is at the second operation position. In the second mode, the controller controls to change an illumination mode by the light according to a situation acquired by the situation acquisition unit. The switching from the first mode to the second mode is performed by holding the operation member at the third operation position for a first threshold time or more.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A straddle vehicle, comprising:
a light having a headlight;
a situation acquisition unit acquiring situation of the vehicle;
a controller controlling illumination by the light; and
an operation member operable to indicate an optical axis angle of the headlight,
wherein the operation member is switchable between a first operation position, a second operation position, and a third operation position,
wherein when operating force is released while the operation member is at the first operation position, the operation member is held at the first operation position,
wherein when operating force is released while the operation member is at the second operation position, the operation member is held at the second operation position,
wherein when operating force is released while the operation member is at the third operation position, the operation member returns to the second operation position,
wherein the controller is switchable between a first mode and a second mode,
wherein in the first mode, the controller sets the headlight to high beam when the operation member is at any of the first operation position and the third operation position, and sets the headlight to low beam when the operation member is at the second operation position,
wherein in the second mode, the controller controls to change an illumination mode by the light according to the situation acquired by the situation acquisition unit, and the switching from the first mode to the second mode is performed by holding the operation member at the third operation position for a first threshold time or more, and;
wherein the operation member functions as a passing switch.

2. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein in the second mode, the controller controls the headlight to change an irradiation mode of the headlight according to the situation acquired by the situation acquisition unit.

3. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the situation of the vehicle acquired by the situation acquisition unit includes information indicating a frontal object existing in a forward surroundings to the vehicle and wherein in the second mode, the controller controls to reduce a light intensity of the light toward the frontal object corresponding to the information acquired by the situation acquisition unit.

4. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to set the headlight to high beam when a control signal is supplied, and to set the headlight to low beam when no control signal is supplied, wherein the straddle vehicle includes a switching device, wherein the switching device enters a state in which a control signal is supplied to the controller when the operation member is at the first operation position, and the switching device enters a state in which a control signal is not supplied to the controller when the operation member is at the second operation position.

5. The straddle vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the switching device enters a state in which a control signal is supplied to the controller when the operation member is at the third operation position.

6. The straddle vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the controller determines that a current state is an abnormal state when the control signal supplied when the operation member is at the first operation position and the control signal supplied when the operation member is at the third operation position are detected simultaneously.

7. The straddle vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein when the controller determines that the current state is the abnormal state, the controller executes an abnormality handling mode and wherein in the abnormality handling mode, the controller sets the headlight to low beam and controls the headlight to be kept on low beam regardless of the operation of the operation member.

8. The straddle vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein when the controller determines that the current state is the abnormal state, the controller stores in a storage device that the abnormal state has occurred.

9. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the controller causes a meter display to differ according to whether the vehicle is in the first mode or the second mode.

10. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the second operation position is between the first operation position and the third operation position.

11. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, when the operation member is held at the third operation position for a time less than the first threshold time, the controller remains in the first mode, and wherein, when the operation member is held at the third operation position for a time greater than or equal to the first threshold time, the controller switches from the first mode to the second mode.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Motors Ltd

Inventors

• Saeki Daisuke
• Amano Hiroaki

Classifications

• B62J50/22

  electronic, e.g. displays · CPC title

• B62J45/20

  Cycle computers as cycle accessories · CPC title

• B60Q2300/112

  Vehicle speed · CPC title

• B60Q2300/146

  Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe · CPC title

• B60Q1/143

  combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers · CPC title