Lighting apparatus for vehicle and control method of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12397701-B2
Application number	US-202218145939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2022
Priority date	Jun 21, 2022
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

A lighting apparatus for a vehicle may include: a first body mounted on a vehicle body, a second body rotatably installed in the first body, a driving unit configured to rotate the second body, a lighting unit rotated along with the second body and configured to radiate a lighting signal to an outside of the vehicle, a speaker unit rotated along with the second body and configured to output an acoustic signal to the outside of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a first body mounted on a vehicle body and having a first inner space and a first opening exposing the first inner space;
a second body disposed at the first inner space of the first body and having a second inner space and a second opening exposing the second inner space;
a driving unit configured to rotate the second body with respect to an axis perpendicular to a ground beneath the vehicle;
a lighting unit disposed at the second inner space of the second body and configured to radiate a lighting signal to an outside of the vehicle through the second opening; and
a speaker unit disposed at the second inner space of the second body and configured to output an acoustic signal to the outside of the vehicle through the second opening,
wherein the lighting unit and speaker unit are configured to rotate with respect to the axis when the second body is rotated by the driving unit.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor unit configured to detect a state of the vehicle and surrounding information of the vehicle; and
a control unit configured to control, based on the detected state of the vehicle and surrounding information of the vehicle, the driving unit, the lighting unit, and the speaker unit.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one of:
a driving detection sensor configured to detect a driving state of the vehicle;
an object detection sensor configured to detect an object around the vehicle;
a distance detection sensor configured to detect a distance between the vehicle and a driver terminal; and
a danger detection sensor configured to detect a dangerous situation of the vehicle.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the object detection sensor comprises:
a plurality of LIDAR sensors fixed to the first body and configured to obtain a three-dimensional (3-D) image around the vehicle; and
a camera module rotated along with the second body and configured to capture an image around the vehicle.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of the LIDAR sensors are spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the first body.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lighting unit comprises:
a first lighting unit coupled to the second body and configured to radiate an optical image toward a road surface; and
a second lighting unit coupled to the second body and configured to display a prescribed color toward the outside of the vehicle.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first lighting unit is inclined at a given angle toward a lower side of the second body.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the lighting unit further comprises:
a third lighting unit coupled to the first body and configured to form a beam pattern toward the outside of the vehicle.

9. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a grill unit at least partially covering the second opening of the second body, wherein the lighting signal radiated by the lighting unit and the acoustic signal output by the speaker unit are transmitted toward an outside of the second body through the grill unit.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker unit is inclined toward an upper side of the second body.

11. A method of controlling the lighting apparatus of claim 2 , the method comprising:
detecting, using the sensor unit, the surrounding information including a pedestrian located in front of the vehicle;
determining, based on the detected surrounding information, a walking path of the pedestrian in front of the vehicle;
controlling the lighting unit to output the lighting signal to the determined walking path of the pedestrian; and
controlling the speaker unit to output the acoustic signal to the determined walking path of the pedestrian.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the lighting unit and the speaker unit to respectively output the lighting signal and the acoustic signal to the determined walking path of the pedestrian comprises:
calculating a rotation angle of the second body based on the determined walking path of the pedestrian;
rotating the second body with respect to the axis at the calculated rotation angle; and
upon the second body being rotated at the calculated rotation angle, performing:
radiating the light signal including an optical image toward a portion of a road corresponding to the determined walking path of the pedestrian; and
outputting the acoustic signal toward the determined walking path of the pedestrian.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting a change in a location of the pedestrian;
determining whether a walking of the pedestrian has been completed;
in response to determining that the walking of the pedestrian has not been completed, correcting the calculated rotation angle of the second body based on the changed location of the pedestrian; and
rotating the second body with respect to the axis at the corrected calculated rotation angle.

14. A method of controlling the lighting apparatus of claim 2 , the method comprising:
detecting, using the sensor unit, (1) the state of the vehicle including a driving state of a vehicle and (2) the surrounding information of the vehicle including a location of a moving object around the vehicle;
determining a collision possibility between the vehicle and the moving object based on the driving state of the vehicle and the location of the moving object; and
in response to determining that the collision possibility between the vehicle and the moving object is present, performing:
controlling the lighting unit to output the lighting signal the moving object; and
controlling the speaker unit to output the acoustic signal toward the moving object.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein controlling the lighting unit and the speaker unit to respectively output the lighting signal and the acoustic signal toward the moving object comprises:
calculating, based on the location of the moving object around the vehicle, a rotation angle of the second body;
rotating the second body with respect to the axis at the calculated rotation angle;
controlling the lighting unit to output the light signal including an optical image toward a portion of a road surface corresponding to the location of the moving object; and
controlling the speaker unit to output the acoustic signal toward the moving object.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
detecting a change in the location of the moving object; and
determining, based on the detected change in the location of the moving object, whether an avoidance of a collision between the vehicle and the moving object has been completed.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the avoidance of the collision between the vehicle and the moving object has not been completed, correcting the calculated rotation angle of the second body; and
rotating the second body with respect to the axis at the corrected calculated rotation angle.

Assignees

• Hyundai Mobis Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Hyoung Jin
• Baek Seung Woo
• Choi Ban Suk
• Cha Jun Hyuk

Classifications

• B60Q1/0023

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

• F21S41/657

  by moving light sources · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• F21V23/0442

  activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors · CPC title