Vehicle-mounted apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9744901-B2
Application number	US-201514627278-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

An apparatus mountable on a vehicle includes a movable device, a sensor, and a drive controller. The movable device is mountable on the vehicle so that a person around the vehicle sees the movable device. The movable device has at least one light emitter and is capable of rotating around an imaginary line extending in a height direction of the vehicle. The sensor detects a positional relationship between the vehicle and the person. The drive controller rotates the movable device toward the person based on the positional relationship detected by the sensor. The number of the light emitters shining steadily is increased after the drive controller rotates the movable device toward the person.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus mountable on a vehicle comprising:
at least one movable device mountable on the vehicle so that a person around the vehicle sees the at least one movable device, each of the at least one movable device having light emitters and rotating around an imaginary line extending in a height direction of the vehicle;
a sensor configured to detect a positional relationship between the vehicle and the person, and
a drive controller configured to rotate the at least one movable device toward the person based on the positional relationship detected by the sensor, wherein,
in each of the at least one movable device:
at least one of the light emitters is shining before the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person,
a number of the light emitters shining steadily is increased after the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person, and
the light emitters steadily shining start to blink when a predetermined time has elapsed from completion of the rotation of the at least one movable device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person with at least one of the light emitters shining steadily.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
two movable devices including the at least one movable device, wherein
the two movable devices are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance in a lateral direction of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person by directing an optical axis of the light emitters toward the person.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light controller configured to drive the light emitters so that the light emitters shine differently between when the at least one movable device rotates and when the at least one movable device stops rotating.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a notification device mounted on the vehicle and notifying the person of information, wherein
the notification device starts notifying the person of the information when the at least one movable device stops rotating or when a predetermined period of time elapses after the at least one movable device stops rotating.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one movable device is capable of rotating around an imaginary line extending in a lateral direction of the vehicle.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person when a traveling speed of the vehicle is lower than a threshold speed, and
the drive controller is prohibited to rotate the at least one movable device toward the person when the traveling speed of the vehicle is higher than or equal to the threshold speed.

9. An apparatus mountable on a vehicle comprising:
at least one indicator mountable on the vehicle so that a person around the vehicle sees the at least one indicator, the at least one indicator configured to display a specific light emitter shining in a predetermined manner so that the person sees the specific light emitter moving in a lateral direction of the vehicle;
a sensor configured to detect a positional relationship between the vehicle and the person, and
a controller configured to control the at least one indicator so that the specific light emitter stops moving at a position on a near side to the person, wherein
each of the at least one indicator includes more than three light sources arranged in the lateral direction, and
the controller controls the more than three light sources in each of the at least one indicator to be turned on or off sequentially in the lateral direction so that the person sees the specific light emitter moving in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising
two indicators including the at least one indicator, wherein
the indicators are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the controller controls the indicator so that the specific light emitter shines differently between when the specific light emitter moves and when the specific light emitter stops moving.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a notification device mounted on the vehicle and notifying the person of information, wherein
the notification device starts notifying the person of the information when the specific light emitter stops moving or when a predetermined period of time elapses after the specific light emitter stops moving.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the controller controls the at least one indicator so that the specific light emitter stops moving at the position on the near side to the person, when a traveling speed of the vehicle is lower than a threshold speed, and
the drive controller is prohibited to control the at least one indicator so that the specific light emitter stops moving at the position on the near side to the person, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is higher than or equal to the threshold speed.

14. An apparatus mountable on a vehicle comprising:
at least one movable device mountable on the vehicle so that a person around the vehicle sees the at least one movable device, each of the at least one movable device having light emitters and rotating around an imaginary line extending in a height direction of the vehicle;
a sensor configured to detect a positional relationship between the vehicle and the person, and
a drive controller configured to rotate the at least one movable device toward the person based on the positional relationship detected by the sensor, wherein:
in each of the at least one movable device:
at least one of the light emitters is shining before the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person, and
a number of the light emitters shining steadily is increased after the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person;

the drive controller rotates the at least one movable device toward the person when a traveling speed of the vehicle is lower than a threshold speed; and
the drive controller is prohibited to rotate the at least one movable device toward the person when the traveling speed of the vehicle is higher than or equal to the threshold speed.

15. An apparatus mountable on a vehicle comprising:
at least one indicator mountable on the vehicle so that a person around the vehicle sees the at least one indicator, the at least one indicator configured to display a specific light emitter shining in a predetermined manner so that the person sees the specific light emitter moving in a lateral direction of the vehicle;
a sensor configured to detect a positional relationship between the vehicle and the person, and
a controller configured to control the at least one indicator so that the specific light emitter stops moving at a position on a near side to the person, wherein:
each of the at least one indicator includes a plurality of light sources arranged in the lateral direction,
the controller controls the plurality of light sources in each of the at least one indicator to be turned on or off sequentially in the lateral direction so that the person sees the specific light emitter moving in the lateral direction of the vehicle,
the controller controls the at least one indicator so that t

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Goto Hirotaka
• Tanaka Hiroaki
• Nishii Katsuyoshi
• Nakayama Toshiaki
• Morikawa Shohei
• Nagatomi Yasutsugu

Classifications

• B60Q1/085 Primary

  due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers (B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60Q1/0035

  relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

  Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers · CPC title

• B60Q1/525

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• B60Q1/50

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