Vehicle with road surface rendering function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12594874-B2
Application number	US-202418431618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2024
Priority date	Feb 14, 2023
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

A vehicle with a road surface rendering function includes a projection member and a controller. The projection member is configured to perform light projection for road surface rendering to a road surface at least forward from the vehicle. The controller is configured to control the light projection for the road surface rendering by the projection member. The controller is configured to, when the vehicle is traveling along a curved road, adjust a road surface rendering image to be rendered on the road surface by projecting light from the projection member to move the road surface rendering image from a reference rendering position in front of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling along a straight road toward an inside of a curve of the curved road.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A vehicle with a road surface rendering function, the vehicle comprising:
a headlamp member comprising a headlamp light source, the headlamp member being configured to project light from the headlamp light source in a light projection direction; a headlamp member controller comprising a first central processing unit (CPU) configured to determine a swivel angle of the headlamp member based on a shape of a road on which the vehicle is traveling and to determine the light projection direction based on the swivel angle of the headlamp member to control the headlamp member to project the light from the headlamp light source in the determined light projection direction; a projection member comprising a projection light source different from the headlamp light source, the projection member being configured to project, using light from the projection light source, a road surface rendering image at a projection position on a road surface at least in a region forward of the vehicle; and a projection member controller comprising a second central processing unit (CPU) configured to determine the projection position of the road surface rendering image based on the swivel angle of the headlamp member and to control the projection member to project the road surface rendering image at the determined projection position, wherein, when the vehicle is traveling along a straight road, i) the headlamp member controller is configured to determine that the shape of the road is straight, determine a first swivel angle of the headlamp member based on the straight road, and control the headlamp member to project the light from the headlamp light source in a first projection direction based on the first swivel angle of the headlamp member and ii) the projection member controller is configured to determine a first projection position based on the first swivel angle of the headlamp member and to control the projection member to project the road surface rendering image at the first projection position, and wherein, when the vehicle is traveling along a curved road, i) the headlamp member controller is configured to determine that the shape of the road is curved, determine a second swivel angle of the headlamp member based on the curved road, and control the headlamp member to project the light from the headlamp light source in a second projection direction based on the second swivel angle of the headlamp member, the second swivel angle being offset from the first swivel angle toward an inside of a curve of the curved road and ii) the projection member controller is configured to determine a second projection position of the road surface rendering image based on the second swivel angle of the headlamp member and to control the projection member to project the road surface rendering image at the second projection position, the second projection position being offset from the first projection position toward the inside of the curve of the curved road.

2 . The vehicle with the road surface rendering function according to claim 1 , wherein the second projection position that is offset from the first projection position toward the inside of the curve of the curved road is located within a traveling lane of the vehicle.

3 . The vehicle with the road surface rendering function according to claim 2 , further comprising a detection device configured to perform detection of i) the road surface of the road where the vehicle is traveling and ii) the road surface rendering image projected onto the road surface,
wherein the projection member controller is configured to
in response to the headlamp member controller controlling the headlamp member to project the light from the headlamp light source in the second light projection direction toward the inside of the curve, determine, based on the detection by the detection device, whether the second projection position of the road surface rendering image is expected to be outside the traveling lane of the vehicle; and
control the projection member to stop projecting the road surface rendering image onto the road surface in response to determining that the second projection position of the road surface rendering image is expected to be outside the traveling lane of the vehicle based on the detection of the detection device.

4 . The vehicle with the road surface rendering function according to claim 3 , wherein the projection member controller is configured to, when a curve direction of the road where the vehicle is traveling changes successively between a rightward direction and a leftward direction, control the projection member to stop projecting the road surface rendering image onto the road surface while the headlamp member is controlled, by the headlamp member controller, to project the light from the headlamp light source in the second projection direction successively between the rightward direction and the leftward direction so that the second projection direction is continuously shifted toward the inside of the curve.

5 . The vehicle with the road surface rendering function according to claim 1 , further comprising a detection device configured to perform detection of i) the road surface of the road where the vehicle is traveling and i) the road surface rendering image projected onto the road surface,
wherein the projection member controller is configured to:
in response to the headlamp member controller controlling the headlamp member to project the light from the headlamp light source in the second light projection direction toward the inside of the curve, determine, based on the detection by the detection device, whether the second projection position of the road surface rendering image is expected to be outside a traveling lane of the vehicle; and
control the projection member to stop projecting the road surface rendering image onto the road surface in response to determining that the second projection position of the road surface rendering image is expected to be outside the traveling lane of the vehicle based on the detection of the detection device.

6 . The vehicle with the road surface rendering function according to claim 5 , wherein the projection member controller is configured to, when a curve direction of the road where the vehicle is traveling changes successively between a rightward direction and a leftward direction, control the projection member to stop projecting the road surface rendering image onto the road surface while the headlamp member is controlled, by the headlamp member controller, to project the light from the headlamp light source in the second projection direction successively between the rightward direction and the leftward direction so that the second projection direction is continuously shifted toward the inside of the curve.

7 . A vehicle with a road surface rendering function, the vehicle comprising:
a headlamp member comprising a headlamp light source, the headlamp member being configured to project light from the headlamp light source in a light projection direction; a projection member including a projection light source different from the headlamp light source, the projection member being configured to project, using light from the projection light source, a road surface rendering image at a projection position on a road surface at least in a region forward of the vehicle; and circuitry configured to:
determine a swivel angle of the headlamp member based on a shape of a road on which the vehicle is traveling and to determine the light projection direction based on the swivel angle to control the headlamp member to project the light from the headlamp light source in the determined light projection direction;
determine the projection position of the road surface rendering image based on

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Yamasaki Kentarou
• Kinoshita Makoto

Classifications

• B60Q2200/30

  Special arrangements for adjusting headlamps, e.g. means for transmitting the movements for adjusting the lamps · CPC title

• B60Q2300/322

  Road curvature · CPC title

• B60Q1/12

  due to steering position · CPC title

• B60Q2400/50

  Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body · CPC title

• E01F9/615

  illuminated · CPC title