IP Library Granted Patent US 10,584,842
Granted Patent B2
US 10,584,842 · App. 15/856,397 · Granted Mar 10, 2020

Lamp for vehicle and vehicle

Inventor: Jinwoo Park (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
F21S41/675B60Q1/085B60Q1/143F21S41/141F21S41/16F21S41/645F21S41/67G06K9/00791B60Q1/1415B60Q2300/054B60Q2300/056B60Q2300/31B60Q2300/33B60Q2300/45F21K9/64F21S41/285F21Y2115/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,584,842
App. No.
15/856,397
Granted
Mar 10, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lamp for a vehicle includes a lamp module configured to emit light; an interface unit configured to receive information; at least one processor; and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations that include: receiving, through the interface unit, driving situation information of the vehicle; and controlling, based on the driving situation information, a resolution of light that is output from the lamp module.

Claims (68)

1. A lamp for a vehicle, comprising:

a lamp module configured to emit light;

at least one processor;

an interface unit connected with the at least one processor and configured to receive information; and

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, through the interface unit, driving situation information of the vehicle; and

controlling, based on the driving situation information, a resolution of light that is output from the lamp module,

wherein controlling the resolution of light comprises controlling the lamp module to change a size of a smallest differentially illuminable area that is illuminated on a surface at a first distance from the lamp.

2. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding an object located outside of the vehicle;

dividing a light distribution area of the lamp module into a first region corresponding to the object and a second region not corresponding to the object; and

controlling a resolution of light that is output in the first region differently from a resolution of light that is output in the second region.

3. The lamp according to claim 2 , wherein controlling the resolution of light that is output in the first region differently from the resolution of light that is output in the second region comprises:

controlling the lamp module to illuminate the first region with a first smallest differentially illuminable area having a first size; and

controlling the lamp module to illuminate the second region with a second smallest differentially illuminable area having a second size that is different from the first size.

4. The lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding a relative movement of the object; and

changing, based on the information regarding the relative movement of the object, a location of the first region that is illuminated by the lamp.

5. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the lamp module comprises:

a light emitting unit connected with the at least one processor and configured to operate based on a control signal from the at least one processor; and

a patterning unit communicated with the at least one processor and configured to change a pattern of light generated by the light emitting unit,

wherein the patterning unit comprises at least one of a Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD) module, a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) scanner module, or a transparent display.

6. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the lamp module further comprises a Light Emitting Diode (LED) array comprising a plurality of LEDs that form a matrix array.

7. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

controlling a resolution of light that is output in an entire region of a light distribution area of the lamp module.

8. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

controlling a resolution of light that is output in a partial region of a light distribution area of the lamp module.

9. The lamp according to claim 8 , wherein the partial region is located around a cut-off line of a low beam or a high beam generated by the lamp module.

10. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding an object located outside of the vehicle; and

controlling, based on the information regarding the object, a resolution of light that is output from the lamp module.

11. The lamp according to claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding a distance between the vehicle and the object; and

controlling, based on the information regarding the distance between the vehicle and the object, a resolution of light that is output in a region corresponding to the object.

12. The lamp according to claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise:

controlling the resolution of the light that is output by increasing the resolution of light that is output in the region corresponding to the object in inverse proportion to a distance between the vehicle and the object.

13. The lamp according to claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding a type of the object; and

controlling a resolution of light that is output in a region corresponding to the type of the object.

14. The lamp according to claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

increasing the resolution of the light that is output in the region corresponding to the object based on a determination that the type of the object is a traffic sign plate, a traffic light, a person, or a nearby vehicle.

15. The lamp according to claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding a movement of the object; and

controlling the resolution of the light that is output in a region corresponding to the movement of the object.

16. The lamp according to claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

in a state in which the object is moving, increasing the resolution of the light that is output in a region corresponding to the movement of the object.

17. The lamp according to claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding a region defined by lines on a roadway; and

controlling the resolution of light that is emitted to the region defined by the lines on the roadway.

18. The lamp according to claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

increasing the resolution of the light that is emitted to the region defined by the lines.

19. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring information regarding a direction of travel of the vehicle; and

controlling, based on the information regarding the direction of travel of the vehicle, the resolution of the light that is output from the lamp.

20. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

acquiring ambient illumination information; and

controlling, based on the ambient illumination information, the resolution of the light that is output from the lamp module.

21. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a power source configured to drive a rotation of at least one of the plurality of wheels; and

a lamp comprising:

a lamp module configured to emit light;

at least one processor;

an interface unit connected with the at least one processor and configured to receive information; and

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, through the interface unit, driving situation information of the vehicle; and

controlling, based on the driving situation information, a resolution of light that is output from the lamp module,

wherein controlling the resolution of light comprises controlling the lamp module to change a size of a smallest differentially illuminable area that is illuminated on a surface at a first distance from the lamp.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2020
From: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
To: ZKW GROUP GMBH
Reel/Frame 051496/0893 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2019
From: PARK, JINWOO
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 050296/0698 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0058275 · May 10, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180328563A1 · Nov 15, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,449,106