IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,214,134
Granted Patent B2
US 10,214,134 · App. 15/714,180 · Granted Feb 26, 2019

Illumination device for vehicle

Inventors: Fumihiko Mouri (Owariasahi, JP); Susumu Yamamoto (Toyota, JP); Takeshi Masuda (Shizuoka, JP); Misako Nakazawa (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA; KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
B60Q1/0023B60Q1/085B60Q1/50B60Q9/008G01S17/936G06K9/00805B60Q2300/45B60Q2400/50F21S41/141
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,214,134
App. No.
15/714,180
Granted
Feb 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An illumination device for a vehicle, includes: a detection unit that detects a person; an illumination unit that illuminates light in a direction toward a road surface, an illumination region of the light being alterable; and a control unit that, in a case in which a person is detected by the detection unit and there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle, controls the illumination unit so as to illuminate light at a region in a range of view of the detected person that is separated from the person by a pre-specified distance, and so as to move the light in a direction of movement of the detected person while maintaining the separation at the pre-specified distance.

Claims (17)

1. An illumination device for a vehicle, comprising:

a detection unit that detects a person;

an illumination unit that illuminates light in a direction toward a road surface, an illumination region of the light being alterable; and

a control unit that, in a case in which a person is detected by the detection unit and there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle, controls the illumination unit so as to illuminate light at a region in a range of view of the detected person that is separated from the person by a pre-specified distance, and so as to move the light in a direction of movement of the detected person while maintaining the separation at the pre-specified distance,

wherein the control unit calculates each of a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the detected person on the basis of detection results from the detection unit, and

wherein the control unit determines that there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle in a case in which a value that is the relative distance divided by the relative speed is less than or equal to a pre-specified threshold value.

2. The illumination device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case in which the person detected by the detection unit is moving in a direction away from the vehicle in a vehicle width direction, the control unit controls the illumination unit so as not to move the light.

3. The illumination device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case in which the light is to be illuminated at the region that is separated from the detected person by the pre-specified distance, the control unit controls the illumination unit so as to illuminate the light at a region that is separated by the pre-specified distance from the detected person toward a road center in the vehicle width direction.

4. The illumination device for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-specified distance is a distance at which the person is likely to see the light illuminated on the road surface, being at least a distance corresponding to an angle of view downward of the person.

5. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for illuminating light from a vehicle, the process comprising:

detecting a person; and

in a case in which there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle, controlling an illumination unit so as to illuminate light at a region in a range of view of the detected person that is separated from the person by a pre-specified distance, and so as to move the light in a direction of movement of the detected person while maintaining the separation at the pre-specified distance;

calculating each of a relative distance and a relative speed between the vehicle and the detected person on the basis of detection results of the person; and

determining that there is a possibility of collision between the detected person and the vehicle in a case in which a value that is the relative distance divided by the relative speed is less than or equal to a pre-specified threshold value.

6. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises, in a case in which the detected person is moving in a direction away from the vehicle in a vehicle width direction, controlling the illumination unit so as not to move the light.

7. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein the process further comprises, in a case in which the light is to be illuminated at the region that is separated from the detected person by the pre-specified distance, controlling the illumination unit so as to illuminate the light at a region that is separated by the pre-specified distance from the detected person toward a road center in the vehicle width direction.

8. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 5 , wherein the pre-specified distance is a distance at which the person is likely to see the light illuminated on the road surface, being at least a distance corresponding to an angle of view downward of the person.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2017
From: MOURI, FUMIHIKO; YAMAMOTO, SUSUMU; MASUDA, TAKESHI; NAKAZAWA, MISAKO
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA; KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 043681/0922 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2016-199077 · Oct 7, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180099604A1 · Apr 12, 2018