Vehicle illumination device, vehicle and illumination control system

1. A vehicle illumination device provided to a vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode, the vehicle illumination device comprising:

a first illumination unit configured to irradiate light toward an outside of the vehicle; and

a first illumination control unit configured to control the first illumination unit based on an illumination control signal transmitted from another vehicle capable of traveling in the automatic driving mode and including a second illumination unit, such that an illumination state of the first illumination unit is controlled to match an illumination state of the second illumination unit,

wherein the first illumination control unit is configured to control the first illumination unit to change the first illumination unit such that an illumination color of the first illumination unit to match an illumination color of the second illumination unit in order to visually signal that the vehicle and the another vehicle are in communication with each other, and

wherein the vehicle and the another vehicle are configured to determine which one of the vehicle and the another vehicle is a master vehicle to output an illumination control signal based on an order of the vehicle and the another vehicle arriving at a vicinity.

2. The vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the first illumination control unit is configured to control the first illumination unit to blink in synchronization with the second illumination unit.

3. A vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode, the vehicle comprising:

the vehicle illumination device according to claim 1 ;

a first wireless communication unit configured to receive the illumination control signal; and

a vehicle control unit configured to control traveling of the vehicle.

4. An illumination control system comprising:

a second vehicle capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode and including:

a second illumination unit configured to irradiate light toward an outside;

a second illumination control unit configured to control the second illumination unit;

a control signal generation unit configured to generate an illumination control signal; and

a second wireless communication unit configured to transmit the illumination control signal; and

a first vehicle capable of traveling in the automatic driving mode and including:

a first wireless communication unit configured to receive the illumination control signal;

a first illumination unit configured to irradiate light toward the outside; and

a first illumination control unit configured to control the first illumination unit based on the illumination control signal such that an illumination state of the first illumination unit is controlled to match an illumination state of the second illumination unit,

wherein the first illumination control unit is configured to control the first illumination unit to change the first illumination unit such that an illumination color of the first illumination unit to match an illumination color of the second illumination unit in order to visually signal that the first vehicle and the second vehicle are in communication with each other, and

wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are configured to determine which one of the first vehicle and the second vehicle is a master vehicle to output an illumination control signal based on a location of the first vehicle and the second vehicle traveling in a row.

5. The illumination control system according to claim 4 , wherein when the first vehicle exists within a predetermined range from the second vehicle, the first wireless communication unit is able to receive an illumination control signal from the second wireless communication unit.

6. The illumination control system according to claim 4 , wherein when the first vehicle and the second vehicle exist in the vicinity of an intersection point, the first wireless communication unit is able to receive the illumination control signal from the second wireless communication unit.

7. The illumination control system according to claim 6 , wherein the second vehicle is a vehicle that appears in the vicinity of the intersection point temporally earlier than the first vehicle.

8. The illumination control system according to claim 4 , wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle belong to a group of vehicles traveling in a row traveling mode, and

wherein the second vehicle is a leading vehicle of the group of vehicles and the first vehicle is a following vehicle of the group of vehicles.