IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,553,734
Granted Patent B2
US 12,553,734 · App. 18/208,669 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Light emitting device, control method for light emitting device, and medium

Inventors: Naoki Mitsunaga (Tokyo, JP); Naoki Fujimura (Tokyo, JP); Yoshikazu Sakai (Tokyo, JP); Mizuki Suguru (Tokyo, JP); Hideki Nagata (Tokyo, JP); Hideki Ono (Torrance, CA); Teruaki Kaiya (Torrance, CA); Isao Kurata (Torrance, CA); Makoto Yaji (Torrance, CA); Toshiyuki Murata (Kawagoe, JP); Takuya Hirose (Kawagoe, JP)
Assignee: PIONEER CORPORATION
G01C21/3626B60Q3/18B60Q3/20B60Q3/70H05B45/10H05B45/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,553,734
App. No.
18/208,669
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light emitting device is located inside a vehicle and emits light toward an occupant compartment where an occupant is seated. The light emitting device comprises a light emitting unit and a control unit. The light emitting unit has a plurality of light emission regions. The plurality of light emission regions are arranged along one direction. The control unit controls the light emission region using at least one of first information related to an operation of the vehicle in which the light emitting device is mounted and second information related to an operation of an output unit that performs output toward the occupant compartment of the vehicle.

Claims (90)

1 . A light emitting device that is disposed inside a vehicle and emits light toward an occupant compartment where an occupant is seated, the light emitting device comprising:

a light emitting unit that has a plurality of light emission regions aligned along one direction; and

a control unit that controls the light emitting unit,

wherein the control unit controls at least one of a light emission intensity and a light emission color of the light emission region for each of the plurality of light emission regions,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the plurality of light emission regions using at least one of first information related to an operation of the vehicle and second information related to an operation of an output unit configured to perform output toward the occupant compartment,

wherein the first information comprises navigation information for guiding a movement direction of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions using the navigation information,

wherein the navigation information comprises point information indicating a position of an intersection where the vehicle needs to make a turn, and direction information indicating a direction in which the vehicle needs to make the turn at the intersection, and

wherein the control unit is configured to control the plurality of light emission regions using the direction information when a positional relationship between the vehicle and the intersection satisfies a reference.

2 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the navigation information comprises point information indicating a position of a point where the vehicle needs to change a direction of movement, and

the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions according to a distance between the vehicle and the point.

3 . The light emitting device according to claim 2 , wherein, as the distance between the vehicle and the point decreases, a number of light emission regions in which light is emitted is reduced.

4 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of light emission regions is aligned along a width direction of the vehicle, and

wherein the control unit is configured to:

form a light emission bar by emitting light in a part of the plurality of light emission regions and control the plurality of light emission regions such that the light emission bar moves in the width direction; and

control a movement direction of the light emission bar based on the direction information.

5 . A light emitting device that is disposed inside a vehicle and emits light toward an occupant compartment where an occupant is seated, the light emitting device comprising:

a light emitting unit that has a plurality of light emission regions aligned along one direction; and

a control unit that controls the light emitting unit,

wherein the control unit controls at least one of a light emission intensity and a light emission color of the light emission region for each of the plurality of light emission regions,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the plurality of light emission regions using at least one of first information related to an operation of the vehicle and second information related to an operation of an output unit configured to perform output toward the occupant compartment,

wherein the first information comprises navigation information for guiding a movement direction of the vehicle, wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions using the navigation information,

wherein the navigation information comprises point information indicating a position where the vehicle needs to make a U-turn, and

wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions in accordance with a predetermined rule when a positional relationship between the vehicle and the position where the U-turn needs to be made satisfies a reference.

6 . The light emitting device according to claim 5 ,

wherein the plurality of light emission regions is aligned along a width direction of the vehicle,

wherein the navigation information comprises information indicating a direction in which the U-turn needs to be made, and

wherein the control unit is configured to:

form a light emission bar by emitting light in a part of the plurality of light emission regions and control the plurality of light emission regions such that the light emission bar moves in the width direction; and

control a movement direction of the light emission bar based on the direction in which the U-turn needs to be made.

7 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the navigation information comprises lane information indicating a lane on which the vehicle needs to travel on a road with a plurality of lanes, and

wherein the control unit is configured to control the plurality of light emission regions using the lane information.

8 . A light emitting device that is disposed inside a vehicle and emits light toward an occupant compartment where an occupant is seated, the light emitting device comprising:

a light emitting unit that has a plurality of light emission regions aligned along one direction; and

a control unit that controls the light emitting unit,

wherein the control unit controls at least one of a light emission intensity and a light emission color of the light emission region for each of the plurality of light emission regions,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the plurality of light emission regions using at least one of first information related to an operation of the vehicle and second information related to an operation of an output unit configured to perform output toward the occupant compartment,

wherein the first information comprises navigation information for guiding a movement direction of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions using the navigation information,

wherein the navigation information comprises lane information indicating a lane on which the vehicle needs to travel on a road with a plurality of lanes,

wherein the control unit is configured to control the plurality of light emission regions using the lane information, and

wherein the control unit is configured to:

control the plurality of light emission regions such that a light emission bar moves in a width direction; and

control a movement direction of the light emission bar based on a position of the lane indicated by the lane information.

9 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the navigation information comprises point information indicating a destination of the vehicle, and

wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions according to a positional relationship between the vehicle and the destination.

10 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the light emission colors of the plurality of light emission regions are variable, and

wherein the control unit sets a difference in the light emission color between the plurality of light emission regions to be equal to or less than a reference when controlling the plurality of light emission regions using the first information.

11 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the output unit outputs sound,

wherein the second information relates to sound data to be input to the output unit, and

wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions using the first information and control the plurality of light emission regions using the second information.

12 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of light emission regions is aligned along at least a part of an edge of a display configured to perform display using the navigation information.

13 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the output unit outputs sound,

wherein the second information relates to sound data to be input to the output unit, and

wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions using the second information.

14 . A control method of a light emitting device that is located inside a vehicle and emits light toward an occupant compartment where an occupant is seated, the light emitting device including a light emitting unit that has a plurality of light emission regions aligned along one direction, the control method comprising:

through at least one computer,

controlling at least one of a light emission intensity and a light emission color of the light emission region for each of the plurality of light emission regions; and

controlling the plurality of light emission regions using at least one of first information related to an operation of the vehicle and second information related to an operation of an output unit configured to perform output toward the occupant compartment,

wherein the first information comprises navigation information for guiding a movement direction of the vehicle,

wherein the controlling the plurality of light emission regions further uses the navigation information,

wherein the navigation information comprises point information indicating a position of an intersection where the vehicle needs to make a turn, and direction information indicating a direction in which the vehicle needs to make the turn at the intersection, and

wherein the controlling the plurality of light emission regions controls the plurality of light emission regions using the direction information when a positional relationship between the vehicle and the intersection satisfies a reference.

15 . The light emitting device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the light emission intensity of each of the plurality of light emission regions according to an angle of the turn indicated by the direction information when the positional relationship between the vehicle and the intersection satisfies a reference.

16 . The light emitting device according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of light emission regions is aligned along a width direction of the vehicle, and wherein the control unit is configured to form a light emission bar by emitting light in a part of the plurality of light emission regions and control the plurality of light emission regions such that the light emission bar moves in the direction in which the vehicle needs to make a turn based on the direction information, and wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions such that a movement speed of the light emission bar is faster when the angle of the turn indicated by the direction information is greater than a reference angle compared to when the angle of the turn is smaller than the reference angle.

17 . The light emitting device according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit controls the plurality of light emission regions such that a light emission pattern differs when the vehicle makes a right or left turn and when the vehicle makes a U-turn at the intersection.

18 . A control method of a light emitting device that is located inside a vehicle and emits light toward an occupant compartment where an occupant is seated, the light emitting device including a light emitting unit that has a plurality of light emission regions aligned along one direction, the control method comprising:

controlling at least one of a light emission intensity and a light emission color of the light emission region for each of the plurality of light emission regions; and

controlling the plurality of light emission regions using at least one of first information related to an operation of the vehicle and second information related to an operation of an output unit configured to perform output toward the occupant compartment,

wherein the first information comprises navigation information for guiding a movement direction of the vehicle,

wherein the controlling the plurality of light emission regions further uses the navigation information,

wherein the navigation information comprises point information indicating a position where the vehicle needs to make a U-turn, and

wherein the controlling the plurality of light emission regions controls the plurality of light emission regions in accordance with a predetermined rule when a positional relationship between the vehicle and the position where the U-turn needs to be made satisfies a reference.

19 . A control method of a light emitting device that is located inside a vehicle and emits light toward an occupant compartment where an occupant is seated, the light emitting device including a light emitting unit that has a plurality of light emission regions aligned along one direction, the control method comprising:

controlling at least one of a light emission intensity and a light emission color of the light emission region for each of the plurality of light emission regions; and

controlling the plurality of light emission regions using at least one of first information related to an operation of the vehicle and second information related to an operation of an output unit configured to perform output toward the occupant compartment,

wherein the first information comprises navigation information for guiding a movement direction of the vehicle,

wherein the controlling the plurality of light emission regions further uses the navigation information,

wherein the navigation information comprises lane information indicating a lane on which the vehicle needs to travel on a road with a plurality of lanes,

wherein the controlling the plurality of light emission regions further uses the lane information,

wherein, in the controlling the plurality of light emission regions, a light emission bar moves in a width direction, and

wherein, in the controlling the plurality of light emission regions, a movement direction of the light emission bar is controlled based on a position of the lane indicated by the lane information.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2025
From: PIONEER ELECTRONICS (USA) INC.
To: PIONEER CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072540/0617 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SPELLING AS PIONEER ELECTRONICS (USA) INC.. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 165630 FRAME: 0135. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 14, 2023
From: MITSUNAGA, NAOKI; FUJIMURA, NAOKI; SAKAI, YOSHIKAZU; SUGURU, MIZUKI; NAGATA, HIDEKI; ONO, HIDEKI; KAIYA, TERUAKI; KURATA, ISAO; YAJI, MAKOTO; MURATA, TOSHIYUKI; HIROSE, TAKUYA
To: PIONEER CORPORATION; PIONEER ELECTRONICS (USA) INC.
Reel/Frame 066005/0346 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SPELLING AS ISAO KURATA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 065586 FRAME: 0749. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 20, 2023
From: MITSUNAGA, NAOKI; FUJIMURA, NAOKI; SAKAI, YOSHIKAZU; SUGURU, MIZUKI; NAGATA, HIDEKI; ONO, HIDEKI; KAIYA, TERUAKI; KURATA, ISAO; YAJI, MAKOTO; MURATA, TOSHIYUKI; HIROSE, TAKUYA
To: PIONEER CORPORATION; PIONEER ELECRONICS (USA) INC.
Reel/Frame 065630/0135 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2023
From: MITSUNAGA, NAOKI; FUJIMURA, NAOKI; SAKAI, YOSHIKAZU; SUGURU, MIZUKI; NAGATA, HIDEKI; ONO, HIDEKI; KAIYA, TERUAKI; KURUTA, ISAO; YAJI, MAKOTO; MURATA, TOSHIYUKI; HIROSE, TAKUYA
To: PIONEER CORPORATION; PIONEER ELECRONICS (USA) INC.
Reel/Frame 065586/0749 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63470670 · Jun 2, 2023
Related Publication 20240401966A1 · Dec 5, 2024
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