Light source lighting circuit and turn signal lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017359869-A1
Application number	US-201515539237-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A light source lighting circuit comprises a first lighting circuit for receiving current from the electric power supply line and supplying drive current to a first light source and a second lighting circuit for receiving the current from the electric power supply line and supplying drive current to a second light source. When a state of the drive current flowing to the first light source shows an abnormality, or when state of the drive current flowing to the second light source shows an abnormality, the first lighting circuit stops operation. When a state of the drive current flowing to the second light source shows an abnormality, or when a state of the drive current flowing to the first light source shows an abnormality, the second lighting circuit stops operation.

First claim

1 . A light source lighting circuit comprising:
a first lighting circuit configured to receive current from an electric power supply line and to supply drive current to a first light source, and a second lighting circuit configured to receive current from the electric power supply line and to supply drive current to a second light source, wherein the first lighting circuit is configured to generate a first state signal corresponding to a state of the drive current flowing to the first light source and to output a second notification signal corresponding to the first state signal to the second lighting circuit, wherein the second lighting circuit is configured to generate a second state signal corresponding to a state of the drive current flowing to the second light source and to output a first notification signal corresponding to the second state signal to the first lighting circuit, wherein when the first state signal indicates an abnormality or when the first notification signal indicates an abnormality, the first lighting circuit stops operation thereof, and wherein when the second state signal indicates an abnormality or when the second notification signal indicates an abnormality, the second lighting circuit stops operation thereof.

2 . The light source lighting circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first lighting circuit comprises a current consuming unit configured to consume a part of the electric power to be supplied from the electric power supply line and to enable regulating current to flow, and lowers a current value of the regulating current when the first state signal indicates an abnormality or when the first notification signal indicates an abnormality.

3 . A turn signal lamp comprising:
a first lamp unit attached to a door part provided to be freely openable and closable for a vehicle main body part at a rear end portion of a vehicle, and a second lamp unit attached to the vehicle main body part-side and positioned at an outermore side than the first lamp unit in a width direction of the vehicle, wherein the first lamp unit comprises a first light emitting unit and the first lighting circuit of claim 1 , and wherein the second lamp unit comprises a second light emitting unit and the second lighting circuit of claim 1 .

4 . A light source lighting circuit comprising:
a first lighting circuit configured to turn on a plurality of light sources of a first light emitting unit on the basis of an input voltage, and a second lighting circuit configured to turn on a light source of a second light emitting unit on the basis of an input voltage, wherein the first lighting circuit is configured: to sequentially turn on the light sources of the first light emitting unit in accordance with a timing signal, and to output the timing signal to the second lighting circuit, and wherein the second lighting circuit is configured to start lighting of the light source of the second light emitting unit in accordance with the timing signal.

5 . The light source lighting circuit according to claim 4 , wherein the second light emitting unit comprises a plurality of light sources, and
wherein the second lighting circuit is configured to start sequential lighting of the light sources of the second light emitting unit in accordance with the timing signal.

6 . The light source lighting circuit according to claim 4 , wherein the first lighting circuit and the second lighting circuit are configured to turn on the corresponding light sources by receiving current from a common electric power supply line,
wherein the first lighting circuit is configured to generate a state signal corresponding to a state of drive current flowing to the light sources of the first light emitting unit and to output a notification signal corresponding to the state signal to the second lighting circuit, wherein the second lighting circuit stops operation thereof or lowers a current value of regulating current flowing to a current consuming unit configured to consume a part of electric power to be supplied from the electric power supply line when the notification signal indicates an abnormality, and wherein the first lighting circuit is configured to output the timing signal through an output line of the notification signal.

7 . A turn signal lamp comprising:
a first lamp unit attached to a door part provided to be freely openable and closable for a vehicle main body part at a rear end portion of a vehicle, and a second lamp unit attached to the vehicle main body part-side and positioned at an outermore side than the first lamp unit in a width direction of the vehicle wherein the first lamp unit comprises the first lighting circuit and the first light emitting unit according to claim 4 , and wherein the second lamp unit comprises the second lighting circuit and the second light emitting unit according to claim 4 .

8 . A light source lighting circuit comprising:
a first lighting circuit configured to receive current from an electric power supply line and to supply drive current to a first light source; a second lighting circuit configured to receive current from the electric power supply line and to supply drive current to a second light source, and a first current consuming unit provided for the first lighting circuit and configured to consume a part of the electric power to be supplied from the electric power supply line and to enable first regulating current to flow, wherein the first lighting circuit is configured to generate a first state signal corresponding to a state of the drive current flowing to the first light source, wherein the second lighting circuit is configured to generate a second state signal corresponding to a state of the drive current flowing to the second light source and to output a first notification signal corresponding to the second state signal to the first lighting circuit, and wherein when the first state signal indicates an abnormality or when the first notification signal indicates an abnormality, the first lighting circuit lowers a current value of the first regulating current.

9 . The light source lighting circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the light source lighting circuit keeps the first lighting circuit at a state where a light emission driving of the first light source is possible when the first state signal does not indicate an abnormality even though the first notification signal indicates an abnormality.

10 . The light source lighting circuit according to claim 8 , wherein only the first current consuming unit is provided as a current consuming unit.

11 . The light source lighting circuit according to claim 8 , further comprising a second current consuming unit provided for the second lighting circuit and configured to consume a part of the electric power to be supplied from the electric power supply line and to enable second regulating current to flow,
wherein the first lighting circuit is configured to output a second notification signal corresponding to the first state signal to the second lighting circuit, and wherein when the second state signal indicates an abnormality or when the second notification signal indicates an abnormality, the second lighting circuit lowers a current value of the second regulating current.

12 . The light source lighting circuit according to one of claim 1 , wherein the first lighting circuit comprises a first DC/DC converter having a first switching element, and
wherein the second lighting circuit comprises a second DC/DC converter having a second switching element.

13 . A turn signal lamp comprising:
a first lamp unit attached to a door part provided to be freely

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohta Shinji
• Sawada Masahiro

Classifications

• B60Q1/34

  for indicating change of drive direction (B60Q1/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B45/50

  responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits · CPC title

• H05B47/10

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• H05B45/46

  having LEDs disposed in parallel lines · CPC title

• B60Q1/382

  Electronic temporisation with semiconductor amplification · CPC title