IP Library Granted Patent US 12684673
Granted Patent B2
US 12684673 · App. 18/884,116 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Lighting system

Inventors: Yuuki Arai (Toyota, JP); Yasunori Wakamatsu (Nagakute, JP); Hisao Takahashi (Toyota, JP); Masaaki Aoki (Nagoya, JP); Akihiro Kusada (Yokkaichi, JP); Tadashi Naruse (Yokkaichi, JP)
Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA; Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
H05B47/115B60Q3/217B60Q3/80H05B47/11H05B47/17
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12684673
App. No.
18/884,116
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lighting system includes a door illumination provided on the inner surface of a side door, a rear detection sensor for detecting an object around a vehicle, and a control device for controlling the door illumination based on the detection result of the rear detection sensor. The lighting system further includes a luminance sensor for detecting the brightness around the vehicle. The control device is configured to light the door illumination or blinks the door illumination on and off when an object is detected by the rear detection sensor, and adjust the luminance when the door illumination is lighted or blinked on and off, according to the brightness detected by the luminance sensor.

Claims (24)

1 . A lighting system comprising:

a light-emitting unit provided on an inner surface of a vehicle door;

a first sensor configured to detect an object around a vehicle;

a control device configured to control the light-emitting unit based on a detection result of the first sensor; and

a second sensor configured to detect brightness around the vehicle, wherein

the control device is configured to light the light-emitting unit or blink the light-emitting unit on and off in a first color for calling attention in response to a detection of an object by the first sensor, and also configured to adjust luminance when the light-emitting unit is lighted or blinked on and off, according to the brightness detected by the second sensor, and

the control device is configured to light the light-emitting unit or blink the light-emitting unit on and off in a second color, which is different from the first color, in response to no detection of an object by the first sensor.

2 . The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to more greatly lower the luminance when the light-emitting unit is lighted or blinked on and off as surroundings of the vehicle are darker, according to the brightness detected by the second sensor.

3 . The lighting system according to claim 2 , wherein the control device is configured to light the light-emitting unit or blink the light-emitting unit on and off

(1) at a first luminance level in response to the brightness detected by the second sensor being lower than a first threshold,

(2) at a second luminance level in response to the brightness detected by the second sensor being higher than the first threshold and lower than a second threshold, and

(3) at a third luminance level in response to the brightness detected by the second sensor being higher than the second threshold, where

the first luminance level is lower than the second luminance level, and the second luminance level is lower than the third luminance level, and

the first threshold is lower than the second threshold.

4 . The lighting system according to claim 3 , further comprising

a third sensor configured to detect an occupant on a seat of the vehicle, wherein

the control device is configured to light or blink the light-emitting unit

in the first color and at the first, second or third luminance level according to the brightness detected by the second sensor, in response to a detection of the occupant by the third sensor and in response to the detection of the object by the first sensor, and

in the second color, in response to the detection of no occupant by the third sensor.

5 . The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to light the light-emitting unit or blink the light-emitting unit on and off when an object is detected around the vehicle by the first sensor in a state where the vehicle is stopped.

6 . The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to, in a case where an object is detected by the first sensor around the vehicle in a state where the vehicle is stopped,

light the light-emitting unit when the vehicle door is in a closed state, and blink the light-emitting unit on and off when the vehicle door is in an open state.

7 . The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein

he first sensor includes a left rear detection sensor and a right rear detection sensor.