Vehicular lighting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9785042-B2
Application number	US-201715430624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2016
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A vehicular lighting apparatus is provided with: a detector configured to detect a movable body around a self-vehicle; a deteminator configured to determine whether or not the movable body is an object whose attention is to be called; and a projector configured to project predetermined visual information by using illumination light in a predetermined range around the object if it is determined by the determinator that the movable body is the object. The predetermined visual information includes first information to be presented to a driver of the self-vehicle and second information to be presented to the object. The predetermined visual information is visualized as the first information by the driver of the self-vehicle and is visualized as the second information by the object, depending on a viewpoint difference between the driver of the self-vehicle and the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicular lighting apparatus comprising:
a detector configured to detect a movable body around a self-vehicle;
a deteminator configured to determine whether or not the movable body is an object whose attention is to be called; and
a projector configured to project predetermined visual information by using illumination light in a predetermined range around the object if it is determined by said determinator that the movable body is the object, wherein
the predetermined visual information includes first information, which is to be presented to a driver of the self-vehicle, and second information, which is to be presented to the object, and the predetermined visual information is visualized as the first information by the driver of the self-vehicle and is visualized as the second information by the object, depending on a viewpoint difference between the driver of the self-vehicle and the object.

2. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said determinator is configured to determine whether or not the movable body is the object, on the basis of contact possibility between the self-vehicle and the movable body, and surrounding visibility of the movable body.

3. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said projector is configured to project the predetermined visual information and then to change a position of projection of the predetermined visual information in accordance with movement of the self-vehicle and the object.

4. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first information is information indicating at least one of presence of the object, an attribute of the object, and a moving direction of the object with respect to the self-vehicle, and
the second information is information indicating at least one of presence of the self-vehicle, an approaching direction of the self-vehicle with respect to the object, and call for attention to the self-vehicle.

5. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said projector is configured to project the predetermined visual information and then to change a position of projection of the predetermined visual information in accordance with movement of the self-vehicle and the object.

6. The vehicular lighting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the first information is information indicating at least one of presence of the object, an attribute of the object, and a moving direction of the object with respect to the self-vehicle, and
the second information is information indicating at least one of presence of the self-vehicle, an approaching direction of the self-vehicle with respect to the object, and call for attention to the self-vehicle.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujita Kazuyuki
• Kawamata Shinya
• Nagata Shinichi
• Sato Minami

Classifications

• G03B21/26 Primary

  Projecting separately subsidiary matter simultaneously with main image · CPC title

• B60Q2400/50

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

• G06K9/00791

  Physics · mapped topic

• B60Q1/50

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

• G01S7/24

  the display being orientated or displaced in accordance with movement of object carrying the transmitting and receiving apparatus, e.g. true-motion radar · CPC title