Vehicle lighting device, vehicle lighting control method, and storage medium

1 . A vehicle lighting device comprising:

a pair of headlights that illuminate an area in front of a vehicle;

a first exterior light that is provided along an outer edge of a side of an exterior portion of the vehicle, the first exterior light being different from the headlights;

a second exterior light that is provided on the exterior portion of the vehicle at a front of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction between the pair of headlights, the second exterior light being different from the headlights;

a recognition unit configured to recognize an object present on a travel route of the vehicle;

a detection unit configured to detect a visual recognition direction of a driver of the vehicle; and

a control unit configured to operate the second exterior light in a state where the headlights are turned on or turned off when the object is recognized by the recognition unit, and to operate the first exterior light according to the visual recognition direction detected by the detection unit.

2 . The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit operates the second exterior light when the vehicle stops in front of an intersection or a crosswalk, and the recognition unit recognizes the object, and operates the first exterior light according to the visual recognition direction detected by the detection unit.

3 . The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first exterior light is provided on a fender, and

the second exterior light is provided in a grill.

4 . The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit turns on the second exterior light to follow the object.

5 . The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit turns on positions of the second exterior light corresponding to a plurality of objects when the plurality of objects are recognized.

6 . The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein when the recognition unit recognizes a plurality of objects, the control unit turns on the second exterior light in areas corresponding to the plurality of objects.

7 . A vehicle lighting control method executed by a processor of a vehicle lighting device that comprises a pair of headlights that illuminate an area in front of a vehicle, a first exterior light provided along an outer edge of a side of an exterior portion of the vehicle, the first exterior light being different from the headlights, and a second exterior light provided on the exterior portion of the vehicle at a front of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction between the pair of headlights, the second exterior light being different from the headlights, the method comprising:

processing of recognizing an object present on a travel route of the vehicle;

processing of detecting a visual recognition direction of a driver of the vehicle; and

processing of operating the second exterior light in a state where the headlights are turned on or turned off when the object is recognized and operating the first exterior light according to the detected visual recognition direction.

8 . A non-transitory computer storage medium that has stored a program for causing a processor of a vehicle lighting device that comprises a pair of headlights that illuminate an area in front of a vehicle, a first exterior light provided along an outer edge of a side of an exterior portion of the vehicle, the first exterior light being different from the headlights, and a second exterior light provided on the exterior portion of the vehicle at a front of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction between the pair of headlights, the second exterior light being different from the headlights, to execute:

processing of recognizing an object present on a travel route of the vehicle;

processing of detecting a visual recognition direction of a driver of the vehicle; and

processing of operating the second exterior light in a state where the headlights are turned on or turned off when the object is recognized and operating the first exterior light according to the detected visual recognition direction.