IP Library Granted Patent US 12707550
Granted Patent B2
US 12707550 · App. 18/884,211 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Lamp electronic control unit

Inventors: Yuichi Nakazawa (Shizuoka, JP); Taichi Nakamachi (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
H05B47/17B60Q1/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12707550
App. No.
18/884,211
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lamp ECU can control an additional lamp. A connector includes a power supply pin that receives battery voltage ECUB from a vehicle, a communication pin connected to a vehicle bus, and an output pin to be connected to an additional lamp. An output node of a power supply circuit is connected to the output pin and outputs power supply voltage from the output node in an enabled state. In a first mode, a first controller controls the enabled and disabled states of the power supply circuit according to a turn-on/off instruction for the additional lamp received via the vehicle bus. In a second mode, a second controller controls an output interface circuit according to the turn-on/off instruction.

Claims (20)

1 . A lamp electronic control unit capable of controlling an additional lamp of a first type and of a second type having different control interfaces, wherein the additional lamp of the first type has a control interface that enters a turn-on state when power supply voltage is supplied to a power supply pin thereof, and the additional lamp of the second type has a control interface whose turn-on/off is controlled according to a state of a control pin thereof,

the lamp electronic control unit being configured such that a first mode is selected when the additional lamp of the first type is a control target, and a second mode is selected when the additional lamp of the second type is the control target,

the lamp electronic control unit comprising:

a connector including a power supply pin that receives battery voltage from a vehicle, a communication pin connected to a vehicle bus, and an output pin to be connected to the power supply pin of the additional lamp of the first type or the control pin of the additional lamp of the second type;

a power supply circuit including an output node connected to the output pin and structured to output power supply voltage from the output node in an enabled state;

a first controller structured to control, in the first mode, the enabled state and a disabled state of the power supply circuit according to a turn-on/off instruction for the additional lamp received via the vehicle bus;

an output interface circuit including an output node connected to the output pin; and

a second controller structured to control, in the second mode, the output interface circuit according to the turn-on/off instruction.

2 . The lamp electronic control unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the power supply circuit includes a switch provided between the power supply pin and the output pin, and

the first controller controls on and off of the switch in the first mode.

3 . The lamp electronic control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the output interface circuit is an open drain circuit.

4 . The lamp electronic control unit according to claim 1 , wherein the additional lamp is a cornering lamp.

5 . A lamp electronic control unit capable of controlling an additional lamp, the lamp electronic control unit comprising:

a connector including a power supply pin that receives battery voltage from a vehicle, a communication pin connected to a vehicle bus, and an output pin to be connected to the additional lamp;

a power supply circuit including an output node connected to the output pin and structured to output power supply voltage from the output node in an enabled state;

a first controller structured to control, in a first mode, the enabled state and a disabled state of the power supply circuit according to a turn-on/off instruction for the additional lamp received via the vehicle bus;

an output interface circuit including an output node connected to the output pin; and

a second controller structured to control, in a second mode, the output interface circuit according to the turn-on/off instruction,

wherein the output interface circuit is an open drain circuit.