Automotive lamp and controlling method for the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9688188-B2
Application number	US-201113313616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2011
Priority date	Jul 8, 2011
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed is an automotive lamp and a method for controlling the same, and more particularly, to an automotive lamp capable of informing an ambient vehicle approaching from behind of a vehicle state by irradiating light forming a road pattern indicating the vehicle state to at least an area behind the vehicle, and a method for controlling the same. The automotive lamp includes a detection unit which detects a vehicle state; and lamp units, controlled by a control unit, which irradiates light forming a road pattern indicating the vehicle state to at least an area behind a vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automotive system lamp, comprising:
a reversing lamp disposed in a rear lamp housing of a vehicle;
a detection unit configured to detect whether the reversing lamp is turned on; and
a lamp unit disposed in the rear lamp housing and includes a plurality of light source parts having a linear arrangement disposed in at least one light source adjacent to the reversing lamp, and configured to irradiate light forming a road pattern behind the vehicle, along a line formed at a predetermined acute angle from a central line of the vehicle when it is detected that the reversing lamp is turned on,
wherein each of the plurality of light source parts are configured to form individual road patterns, and
wherein when the reversing lamp turns on, the lamp unit also forms the road pattern at the same time.

2. The automotive lamp system of claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit is configured to further detect whether a door of the vehicle is open.

3. The automotive lamp system of claim 2 , wherein when it is detected that the door is open, the lamp units turns on and off the road pattern or maintain an ON state of the road pattern.

4. The automotive lamp system of claim 2 , further comprising another lamp unit disposed in a head lamp housing of the vehicle and configured to irradiate light forming a road pattern in front of the vehicle along a line formed at a predetermined acute angle from a central line of the vehicle when it is detected that the door is open.

5. The automotive lamp system of claim 1 , wherein the light forming the road pattern blinks.

6. The automotive lamp system of claim 1 , wherein the lamp units includes a first lamp unit configured to form the road pattern.

7. The automotive lamp system of claim 6 , wherein the first lamp unit includes the plurality of light source parts, and the road pattern formed by the first lamp unit includes a plurality of shapes which are formed by the light source parts respectively.

8. The automotive lamp system of claim 7 , wherein size of the shapes gradually increase or decrease as the shapes go away from the vehicle.

9. The automotive lamp system of claim 8 , wherein size and position of the shapes are set by size of the light source parts, installation angle of the light source parts, focal length of the light source parts, or any combination thereof.

10. The automotive lamp system of claim 6 , wherein the lamp units include a second lamp unit installed on one side of the first lamp unit and irradiates light that forms another road pattern indicating an additional state of the vehicle.

11. The automotive lamp of claim 6 , wherein the second lamp unit irradiates light of a road pattern and the road pattern includes characters, shapes, or both.

12. The automotive lamp system of claim 1 , further comprising another lamp unit disposed in a head lamp housing of the vehicle and configured irradiate light forming a road pattern in front of the vehicle along a line formed at a predetermined acute angle from a central line of the vehicle when it is detected that the reversing lamp is turned on.

13. A method for controlling an automotive lamp, comprising:
detecting, by a detection unit, whether a reversing lamp disposed in a rear lamp housing is turned on; and
controlling, by a control unit, a lamp unit disposed in the rear lamp housing that includes a plurality of light source parts having a linear arrangement disposed in at least one light source adjacent to the reversing lamp, to irradiate light forming a road pattern behind the vehicle along a line formed at a predetermined acute angle from a central line of the vehicle when it is detected that the reversing lamp is turned on,
wherein each of the plurality of light source parts are configured to form individual road patterns, and
wherein when the reversing lamp turns on, the lamp unit also forms the road pattern at the same time.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the detecting unit is configured to further detect whether a door of the vehicle is open.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising controlling, by a control unit, another lamp unit disposed in a head lamp housing of the vehicle to irradiate light forming a road pattering in front of the vehicle along a line formed at a predetermined acute angle from a central line of the vehicle when it is detected that the door is open.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said controlling comprises, the lamp unit to blink the road pattern.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling, by a control unit, another lamp unit disposed in a head lamp housing of the vehicle to irradiate light forming a road pattern in front of the vehicle along a line formed at a predetermined acute angle from a central line of the vehicle when it is detected that the reversing lamp is turned on.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein said controlling comprises, when the door is open, turning on and off the road pattern or maintaining an ON state of the road pattern.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the road pattern includes specific shapes arranged along the line formed at a predetermined acute angle form a central line of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein size of the shapes gradually increase or decrease as the shapes go away from the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 13 , said controller comprises controlling the lamp units to irradiate light forming another road pattern indicating an additional state of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Son Youngho
• Ji Byoungki
• Sl Corp

Inventors

• Son Youngho
• Ji Byoungki

Classifications

• B60Q2400/50

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

• B60Q1/04

  the devices being headlights · CPC title

• B60Q1/2607

  comprising at least two indicating lamps · CPC title

• B60Q1/2619

  built in the vehicle body · CPC title

• B60Q1/50 Primary

  for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking · CPC title