Light control apparatus, vehicle having the light control apparatus, and method for controlling the vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018229653-A1
Application number	US-201715617540-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 13, 2017
Publication date	Aug 16, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A light control apparatus for controlling brightness of a lighting unit indicating a charging state of a battery of a vehicle includes: an interface configured to communicate with an external illuminance detector; a memory configured to store illuminance information corresponding to a first reference illuminance and a second reference illuminance lower than the first reference illuminance and to store brightness information set based on the first reference illuminance and the second reference illuminance; a controller configured to receive the illuminance information via the interface, to set the brightness information based on the first reference illuminance and the second reference illuminance, and to control the brightness of the lighting unit based on the set brightness information; and a driver configured to regulate power of the lighting unit in response to a command of the controller.

First claim

1 . A light control apparatus for controlling brightness of a lighting unit indicating a charging state of a battery of a vehicle, the light control apparatus comprising:
an interface configured to communicate with an external illuminance detector; a memory configured to store illuminance information corresponding to a first reference illuminance and a second reference illuminance lower than the first reference illuminance and to store brightness information set based on the first reference illuminance and the second reference illuminance; a controller configured to receive the illuminance information via the interface, to set the brightness information based on the first reference illuminance and the second reference illuminance, and to control the brightness of the lighting unit based on the set brightness information; and a driver configured to regulate power of the lighting unit in response to a command of the controller, wherein the controller is further configured to control the driver so that the lighting unit emits light brighter than a brightness according to the set brightness information at a predetermined time prior to a scheduled time when a charging mode of the battery is a reservation mode.

2 . The light control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the brightness information includes: i) a first target brightness corresponding to an illuminance higher than or equal to the first reference illuminance, ii) a second target brightness corresponding to an illuminance lower than the second reference illuminance, and iii) a reference brightness corresponding to an illuminance higher than or equal to the second reference illuminance and lower than the first reference illuminance.

3 . The light control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the driver so that the lighting unit emits light brighter than a brightness according to the set brightness information after a predetermined time elapses from when a charging is started.

4 . The light control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the driver so that the lighting unit emits light brighter than a brightness according to the set brightness information when a charging state of the battery is a charging failure state.

5 . (canceled)

6 . A vehicle comprising:
a rechargeable battery; a motor configured to generate a torque using power of the battery and to transmit the generated torque to a wheel of the vehicle; a lighting unit configured to indicate a charging state of the battery; a memory configured to store illuminance information corresponding to a first reference illuminance and a second reference illuminance lower than the first reference illuminance and to store brightness information set based on the first reference illuminance and the second reference illuminance; an illuminance detector configured to detect an illuminance; a communication interface configured to communicate with a smart key; a controller configured to set the brightness information based on the first reference illuminance and the second reference illuminance, to control brightness of the lighting unit based on the set brightness information, to adjust a brightness of the lighting unit such that the lighting unit emits light more brightly than the controlled brightness by a predetermined brightness when communication with the smart key is performed, and to maintain the brightness of the lighting unit as the controlled brightness when the communication with the smart key is not performed; and a driver configured to regulate power of the lighting unit in response to a command of the controller.

7 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a charge amount detector configured to detect an amount of charge of the battery, wherein the lighting unit includes a plurality of lamps, the memory is further configured to store information corresponding to a number of the plurality of lamps to be turned on for lighting operation based on the detected amount of charge of the battery, and the controller is further configured to the lighting operation of at least one of the plurality of lamps based on the information stored in the memory and the detected amount of charge of the battery.

8 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the brightness information stored in the memory includes: i) a first target brightness corresponding to an illuminance higher than or equal to the first reference illuminance, ii) a second target brightness corresponding to an illuminance lower than the second reference illuminance, and iii) a reference brightness corresponding to an illuminance higher than or equal to the second reference illuminance and lower than the first reference illuminance.

9 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the driver such that the lighting unit emits light brighter than the adjusted brightness when the communication with the smart key is performed after a predetermined time elapses from when a charging is started, and to control the driver such that the lighting unit emits light brighter than the controlled brightness when the communication with the smart key is not performed after the predetermined time elapses from when the charging is started.

12 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the driver such that the lighting unit emits light brighter than the adjusted brightness when the communication with the smart key is performed and the charging state of the battery is the charging failure state, and to control the driver such that the lighting unit emits light brighter than the controlled brightness when the communication with the smart key is not performed and the charging state of the battery is the charging failure state.

13 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein:
when the communication with the smart key is performed, the controller is further configured to determine whether a charging mode of the battery is a reservation mode, when the charging mode of the battery is the reservation mode, the controller is further configured to determine whether a present time is prior to a scheduled time, and when the present time is prior to the scheduled time, the controller is further configured to control the driver such that the lighting unit emits light brighter than the adjusted brightness, and when the communication with the smart key is not performed, the charging mode of the battery is the reservation mode, and the present time is prior to the scheduled time, the controller is further configured to control the driver such that the lighting unit emits light brighter than the controlled brightness.

14 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the lighting unit is provided in a dashboard.

15 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the lighting unit is provided in a charging unit, and the charging unit is connected to an external plug.

16 . The vehicle according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a charging cap provided in the charging unit; an opening/closing detector configured to detect information corresponding to an opening state and closing state of the charging cap; wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the charging cap is in the opening state based on the detected information by the opening/closing detector, when the charging cap is in the opening state, to activate a lighting operation of the lighting unit, and when the charging cap is in the closing state, to activate an off-o

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Oh Mingi
• Park Hyungjin
• Jeon Nuri

Classifications

• B60L58/00 Primary

  Methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells, specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• H05B47/11 Primary

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• B60Q3/10

  for dashboards · CPC title

• B60L2250/16

  by display · CPC title

• B60L58/12 Primary

  responding to state of charge [SoC] · CPC title