IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,351,104
Granted Patent B2
US 12,351,104 · App. 18/658,024 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Vehicle drawing device

Inventor: Yuichi Shibata (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
B60Q1/38B60Q1/381B60Q2400/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,351,104
App. No.
18/658,024
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle drawing device draws a figure on a road surface with a light. When a luminance of the figure is assumed as a road surface drawing luminance, and a luminance in a surrounding environment of a driving vehicle is assumed as a background luminance, the light is irradiated such that a luminance contrast calculated by the road surface drawing luminance and the background luminance is 0.2 or more, and an angle formed by an inclination direction at a tip end of the figure with respect to a light irradiation direction is less than 120 degrees.

Claims (24)

1. A vehicle drawing device that draws a figure on a road surface with a light,

wherein, when a luminance of the figure is assumed as a road surface drawing luminance, and a luminance in a surrounding environment of a driving vehicle is assumed as a background luminance, the light is irradiated such that a luminance contrast calculated by the road surface drawing luminance and the background luminance is 0.2 or more,

an angle formed by an inclination direction at a tip end of the figure with respect to a light irradiation direction is less than 120 degrees,

the irradiation of the light that draws the figure is started at the same timing as the start of the light irradiated from a turn signal lamp,

the light that draws the figure is irradiated in a flickering state or a sequential state same as the light irradiated from the turn signal lamp, and

when the light that draws the figure is irradiated in the flickering state, the flickering frequency is set to approximately 1 Hz to 2 Hz.

2. The vehicle drawing device according to claim 1 , wherein the start of the irradiation of the light that draws the figure and the start of the light irradiated from the turn signal lamp are performed by operating a winker lever of the vehicle by a driver.

3. The vehicle drawing device according to claim 1 , wherein the light is an amber-colored light, and a main wavelength of the amber-colored light is 580 nm to 600 nm.

4. A vehicle drawing device that draws a figure on a road surface with a light,

wherein, when a luminance of the figure is assumed as a road surface drawing luminance, and a luminance in a surrounding environment of a driving vehicle is assumed as a background luminance, the light is irradiated such that a luminance contrast calculated by the road surface drawing luminance and the background luminance is 0.2 or more,

an angle formed by an inclination direction at a tip end of the figure with respect to a light irradiation direction is less than 120 degrees, and

a shape of the figure drawn on the road surface is a shape in which two parallelograms are continued in a line-symmetrical state with reference to the light irradiation direction.

5. A vehicle drawing device that draws a figure on a road surface with a light,

wherein, when a luminance of the figure is assumed as a road surface drawing luminance, and a luminance in a surrounding environment of a driving vehicle is assumed as a background luminance, the light is irradiated such that a luminance contrast calculated by the road surface drawing luminance and the background luminance is 0.2 or more,

an angle formed by an inclination direction at a tip end of the figure with respect to a light irradiation direction is less than 120 degrees, and

optical axis of the light that draws the figure is inclined downward with respect to optical axis of the turn signal lamp by 5 degree or more.

6. A vehicle drawing device that draws a figure on a road surface with a light,

wherein, when a luminance of the figure is assumed as a road surface drawing luminance, and a luminance in a surrounding environment of a driving vehicle is assumed as a background luminance, the light is irradiated such that a luminance contrast calculated by the road surface drawing luminance and the background luminance is 0.2 or more,

an angle formed by an inclination direction at a tip end of the figure with respect to a light irradiation direction is less than 120 degrees, and

the light that draws the figure is irradiated toward a range in a side direction inclined from 10 degree to 45 degree in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

7. A vehicle drawing device that draws a figure on a road surface with a light,

wherein, when a luminance of the figure is assumed as a road surface drawing luminance, and a luminance in a surrounding environment of a driving vehicle is assumed as a background luminance, the light is irradiated such that a luminance contrast calculated by the road surface drawing luminance and the background luminance is 0.2 or more, and

an angle formed by an inclination direction at a tip end of the figure with respect to a light irradiation direction is less than 120 degrees, and

when a wiper is operated in a case of rain, a dimming control for the light that draws the figure is performed.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2024
From: SHIBATA, YUICHI
To: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067346/0202 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-163835 · Sep 9, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17640436
Related Publication 20240286543A1 · Aug 29, 2024
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