IP Library Granted Patent US 11,780,365
Granted Patent B2
US 11,780,365 · App. 17/122,629 · Granted Oct 10, 2023

Optical device and direction display device

Inventors: Masahiro Kishigami (Otokuni-gun, JP); Toshinori Sugiyama (Otokuni-gun, JP); Yasuhiko Kunii (Otokuni-gun, JP); Yuji Tsuchiya (Wako, JP); Go Shimizu (Wako, JP); Masayoshi Takori (Wako, JP); Ryuya Kawaji (Wako, JP)
Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
B60Q1/346F21S43/26F21S43/30B60Q2400/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,780,365
App. No.
17/122,629
Granted
Oct 10, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical device for displaying a condensing mark includes a light source, and an optical element for condensing light emitted from the light source onto an irradiated surface. A lamp controller acquires a detection signal from a state detection device mounted on the vehicle and configured to detect a behavior of and peripheral environmental information of the vehicle, and light or blink the optical device. The optical device displays a plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least the travelling direction of the vehicle on a lane orthogonal to a lane on which the vehicle exists, and one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

Claims (41)

1. A direction display device installed in a vehicle, comprising:

an optical device that displays a plurality of condensing marks which is a pattern indicating at least a travelling direction of the vehicle on a road surface around the vehicle; and

a lamp controller that controls lighting or blinking of the optical device, wherein the lamp controller:

acquires a detection signal from a state detection device, the state detection device being mounted on the vehicle and detecting a behavior of the vehicle and peripheral environmental information of the vehicle, and

lights or blinks the optical device based on the detection signal;

a plurality of linear partial irradiation images are combined into the plurality of condensing marks,

the optical device arranges and displays the plurality of condensing marks side by side on a road where the vehicle is to enter in a direction in which the vehicle is to travel after entering the road, and the optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks in at least two different colors that appear to overlap each other to a viewer when the viewer is a first distance from the vehicle, and

one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

2. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein

at least the traveling direction comprises a plurality of traveling directions, and the optical device corresponds to the plurality of travelling directions.

3. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lamp controller acquires a traveling speed of the vehicle from a vehicle speed sensor installed in the vehicle, and lights or blinks the optical device when the traveling speed is lower than a predetermined value.

4. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lamp controller acquires a reflectance of the road surface around the vehicle from a road surface analyzer installed in the vehicle, and makes an illuminance by the optical device to a predetermined value or smaller when the reflectance is equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

5. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the lamp controller acquires a current position of the vehicle from a navigation device installed in the vehicle, and lights the optical device irrespective of the detection signal when the current position of the vehicle is in a blind spot for a driver of another vehicle.

6. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein

the optical device comprises: a right turn optical device that displays one of the plurality of condensing marks indicating a right direction; and a left turn optical device that displays one of the plurality of condensing marks indicating a left direction, and the lamp controller lights or blinks either the right turn optical device or the left turn optical device in accordance with the detection signal.

7. The direction display device according to claim 6 , wherein

each of the right turn optical device and the left turn optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least the travelling direction of the other vehicle on a lane orthogonal to a lane on which the vehicle exists, and

the optical device overlaps the at least two different colors of the plurality of condensing marks such that one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

8. The direction display device according to claim 7 , wherein

the optical device further comprises a forward optical device that displays one of the plurality of condensing marks indicating a forward direction, and the lamp controller lights or blinks one of the forward optical device, the right turn optical device, and the left turn optical device in accordance with the detection signal.

9. The direction display device according to claim 8 , wherein

the forward optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least the travelling direction of the vehicle, and one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on the display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on the display region closest to the vehicle.

10. The direction display device according to claim 6 , wherein

each of the plurality of condensing marks looks deformed when viewed from a distant place from the vehicle.

11. The direction display device according to claim 10 , wherein

either the right turn optical device or the left turn optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks by arranging each of them side by side in at least a travelling direction of another vehicle on a lane orthogonal to a lane on which the vehicle exists, and

one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle and another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle are arranged to be vertically overlapped with each other.

12. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two different colors being overlapped are in either an upper position or a lower position based on a distance the viewer is from the vehicle.

13. The direction display device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two different colors appear separately to the viewer when the viewer is a second distance from the vehicle.

14. The direction display device according to claim 13 , wherein the second distance is closer to the vehicle than the first distance.

15. A direction display device installed in a vehicle, comprising:

an optical device that displays a plurality of condensing marks which is a pattern indicating at least a travelling direction of the vehicle on a road surface around the vehicle; and

a lamp controller that controls lighting or blinking of the optical device, wherein the lamp controller:

acquires a detection signal from a state detection device, the state detection device being mounted on the vehicle and detecting a behavior of the vehicle and peripheral environmental information of the vehicle, and

lights or blinks the optical device based on the detection signal;

a plurality of linear partial irradiation images is combined into the plurality of condensing marks,

the optical device arranges and displays the plurality of condensing marks side by side on a road where the vehicle is to enter in a direction in which the vehicle is to travel after entering the road, and the optical device displays the plurality of condensing marks in at least two different colors that appear to overlap each other to a viewer when the viewer is a certain distance from the vehicle, and

one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region farthest from the vehicle is different in color from another one of the plurality of condensing marks to be displayed on a display region closest to the vehicle.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
To: MAXELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058666/0407 →
MERGER Recorded Nov 29, 2021
From: MAXELL, LTD.
To: MAXELL HOLDINGS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058255/0579 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-077161 · Apr 12, 2018 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16817214 · Mar 12, 2020
Division 16379888 · Apr 10, 2019
Related Publication 20210101524A1 · Apr 8, 2021
Cited By (2)
US 12,264,798 US 12,358,423