WO2022137995A1

WO2022137995A1 - Light irradiation system and lighting unit

Info

Publication number: WO2022137995A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/043630
Authority: WO
Inventors: 勝佐々木; 由希子北澤; 壮宜鬼頭; 賢渡邉; 裕一柴田
Original assignee: 株式会社小糸製作所
Priority date: 2020-12-25
Filing date: 2021-11-29
Publication date: 2022-06-30
Also published as: JPWO2022137995A1

Abstract

A light irradiation system according to the present invention comprises: a lighting unit (45L) configured so as to irradiate a sequential irradiation pattern (P) onto a road surface; and a control unit configured so as to control the lighting unit (45L) such that the sequential irradiation pattern (P) is irradiated onto the road surface. The sequential irradiation pattern (P) comprises a proximal irradiation pattern (Pa) and a distal irradiation pattern (Pc) irradiated at a position separated further from the lighting unit (45L) than the proximal irradiation pattern (Pa). The distal irradiation pattern (Pc) is irradiated onto the road surface after the proximal irradiation pattern (Pa) has been irradiated onto the road surface. The control unit is configured to control the lighting unit (45L) so as to improve visibility of the distal irradiation pattern (Pc) with respect to a pedestrian H present in the vicinity of the lighting unit (45L).

Description

Light irradiation system and lighting unit

This disclosure relates to a light irradiation system and a lighting unit.

Irradiating an irradiation pattern on the road surface around the vehicle in order to present information indicating the operation of the vehicle (for example, information indicating left turn, right turn, reverse movement, etc.) of the vehicle to pedestrians and the like existing around the vehicle. It is currently being studied in various countries around the world to mount a light irradiation system configured to do so (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2020/067113

By the way, when the visibility of a plurality of irradiation patterns irradiated on the road surface is low, it becomes difficult for pedestrians and the like existing in the blind spot of the vehicle to notice the existence of the irradiation patterns. As a result, it is assumed that pedestrians and the like cannot clearly grasp the existence and movement of the vehicle. As described above, there is room for further improvement of the light irradiation system mounted on the vehicle in terms of improving the visibility of the irradiation pattern irradiated on the road surface.

The purpose of this disclosure is to improve the visibility of sequential irradiation patterns for objects such as pedestrians.

The light irradiation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is
A lighting unit configured to irradiate the road surface with a sequential irradiation pattern,
A control unit configured to control the lighting unit so that the sequential irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface is provided.
The sequential irradiation pattern has a first irradiation pattern and a second irradiation pattern that is irradiated at a position farther from the lighting unit than the first irradiation pattern.
The second irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface after the first irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface.
The control unit is configured to control the lighting unit so as to improve the visibility of the second irradiation pattern for an object existing around the lighting unit.

According to the above configuration, the lighting unit is controlled so as to improve the visibility of the second irradiation pattern for an object such as a pedestrian. As a result, the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern for pedestrians and the like existing around the lighting unit is improved. Therefore, a pedestrian or the like can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle by visually recognizing the sequential irradiation pattern.

The lighting unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure is configured to irradiate the road surface with a sequential irradiation pattern.
The sequential irradiation pattern has a first irradiation pattern and a second irradiation pattern that is irradiated at a position farther from the lighting unit than the first irradiation pattern.
The second irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface after the first irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface.
The lighting unit is configured to irradiate the sequential irradiation pattern so as to improve the visibility of the second irradiation pattern on an object existing around the lighting unit.

According to the above configuration, the visibility of the second irradiation pattern for an object such as a pedestrian existing around the lighting unit is improved, so that the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern for a pedestrian or the like is improved. Therefore, a pedestrian or the like can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle by visually recognizing the sequential irradiation pattern.

The light irradiation system according to another aspect of the present disclosure is
A lighting unit configured to irradiate the road surface with an irradiation pattern,
A control unit configured to control the lighting unit so that the irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface is provided.
The control unit has the irradiation in which the visibility of the irradiation pattern during a predetermined time from the start time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is started is from the predetermined time to the stop time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is stopped. The lighting unit is configured to be controlled so as to be higher than the visibility of the pattern.

According to the above configuration, the visibility of the irradiation pattern from the start time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is started to the predetermined time is the visibility of the irradiation pattern from the predetermined time to the stop time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is stopped. It will be higher than sex. Therefore, the pedestrian or the like can easily notice the existence of the irradiation pattern irradiated on the road surface, and the visibility of the irradiation pattern to the pedestrian or the like is improved.

The lighting unit according to another aspect of the present disclosure is configured to irradiate the road surface with an irradiation pattern.
The illumination unit has the irradiation in which the visibility of the irradiation pattern during a predetermined time from the start time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is started is from the predetermined time to the stop time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is stopped. The irradiation pattern is configured to irradiate the road surface so as to be higher than the visibility of the pattern.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern for an object such as a pedestrian.

It is a front view of the vehicle which mounted the vehicle system which concerns on embodiment of this invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as this embodiment). It is a block diagram of the vehicle system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state that the proximal side irradiation pattern was irradiated on the road surface among the sequential irradiation patterns. It is a figure which shows the state that the proximal side irradiation pattern and the intermediate side irradiation pattern are irradiated on the road surface among the sequential irradiation patterns. It is a figure which shows the state that the proximal side irradiation pattern, the intermediate side irradiation pattern and the distal side irradiation pattern were irradiated on the road surface among the sequential irradiation patterns. It is a figure which shows the state which the irradiation of the proximal side irradiation pattern, the intermediate side irradiation pattern and the distal side irradiation pattern was stopped. It is a figure which shows the timing chart for demonstrating the irradiation timing of the proximal side irradiation pattern, the intermediate side irradiation pattern, and the distal side irradiation pattern. It is a figure which shows the state that the distal side irradiation pattern irradiated on a road surface is vibrating. It is a figure which shows the distal side irradiation pattern which was composed of the plurality of rectangular irradiation patterns separated from each other. It is a figure which shows the timing chart for demonstrating the irradiation timing of the proximal side irradiation pattern, the intermediate side irradiation pattern, and the distal side irradiation pattern. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the structure of a lighting unit. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating the temporal change of the direct current supplied to a light emitting element in the time zone from the start time when the irradiation of an irradiation pattern is started to the stop time when the irradiation of an irradiation pattern is stopped. It is a figure for demonstrating a part of the structure of the current control circuit which supplies a direct current to a light emitting element. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating an example of the pulse current supplied to a light source part in the time zone from the start time when the irradiation of an irradiation pattern is started to the stop time when the irradiation of an irradiation pattern is stopped. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating another example of the pulse current supplied to a light source part in the time zone from the start time when the irradiation of an irradiation pattern is started to the stop time when the irradiation of an irradiation pattern is stopped.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. The dimensions of each member shown in this drawing may differ from the actual dimensions of each member for convenience of explanation.

Further, in the description of the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, "horizontal direction", "vertical direction", and "front-back direction" may be appropriately referred to. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. Here, the "left-right direction" is a direction including the "left direction" and the "right direction", and is also the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1. The "vertical direction" is a direction including "upward" and "downward". The "front-back direction" is a direction including the "forward direction" and the "rear direction". The front-back direction is not shown in FIG. 1, but is a direction orthogonal to the left-right direction and the up-down direction.

First, the vehicle system 2 according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle 1 equipped with a vehicle system 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the vehicle system 2. The vehicle 1 is, for example, a vehicle (automobile) capable of traveling in a manual driving mode or an automatic driving mode.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle system 2 includes a vehicle control unit 3, a left side light irradiation system 4L (hereinafter, simply referred to as a light irradiation system 4L), and a right side light irradiation system 4R (hereinafter, simply referred to as a light irradiation system 4R). .), A sensor 5, a camera 6, and a radar 7. Further, the vehicle system 2 includes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 8, a GPS (Global Positioning System) 9, a wireless communication unit 10, a storage device 11, a steering actuator 12, a steering device 13, and a brake actuator 14. , A brake device 15, an accelerator actuator 16, and an accelerator device 17.

The vehicle control unit 3 is configured to control the running of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 3 is composed of, for example, at least one electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit). The electronic control unit includes a computer system including one or more processors and one or more memories (for example, SoC (System on a Chip) or the like), and an electronic circuit composed of active elements such as transistors and passive elements. The processor includes, for example, at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit). The CPU may be composed of a plurality of CPU cores. The GPU may be composed of a plurality of GPU cores. The memory includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The vehicle control program may be stored in the ROM. For example, the vehicle control program may include an artificial intelligence (AI) program for autonomous driving. The RAM may temporarily store a vehicle control program, vehicle control data, and / or peripheral environment information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The processor may be configured to develop a program designated from various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM on the RAM and execute various processes in cooperation with the RAM. Further, the computer system may be configured by a non-Von Neumann computer such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). Further, the computer system may be composed of a combination of a Von Neumann computer and a non-Von Neumann computer.

The light irradiation system 4L has a lighting unit 45L and a control unit 46L. The lighting unit 45L is configured to irradiate the road surface around the vehicle 1 with a sequential irradiation pattern P (see FIG. 3C) so as to present information indicating the operation of the vehicle 1 to the outside of the vehicle 1. .. The information indicating the operation of the vehicle 1 is, for example, information indicating a left turn of the vehicle 1. For example, when the left turn of the vehicle 1 is determined, the lighting unit 45L irradiates the road surface with the sequential irradiation pattern P in order to present the left turn of the vehicle 1 to the outside. In the sequential irradiation pattern P, the irradiation pattern to be irradiated on the road surface changes continuously with the passage of time. Specific examples of the sequential irradiation pattern P will be described later.

The location, drawing method, and configuration of the lighting unit 45L are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the lighting unit 45L may be arranged in the lighting chamber of the left headlamp 20L. Further, the lighting unit 45L may be arranged on the roof 100A. Further, a projection method or a scanning method may be adopted as the drawing method of the lighting unit 45L. The lighting unit 45L forms a sequential irradiation pattern P based on a light source unit configured to emit light and light emitted from the light source unit, and then irradiates the sequential irradiation pattern P toward the road surface. It may be configured by an optical system configured in. The light source unit may be composed of, for example, a plurality of LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements or LD (Laser Diode) elements. The optical system may be composed of, for example, a projection lens and / or a reflector configured to control the deflection of the light emitted from the light source unit.

Further, the lighting unit 45L may be composed of a light source unit that emits light, a drive mirror, and an optical system such as a lens or a mirror. The drive mirror is configured to form a sequential irradiation pattern P that irradiates the road surface based on the light emitted from the light source unit. The drive mirror may be configured by, for example, a MEMS (MicroElectromechanical Systems) mirror, a DMD (Digital Mirror Device), or a blade mirror. For example, the light emitted from the light source unit may be scanned onto the road surface by the MEMS mirror. In this way, the irradiation pattern may be projected onto the road surface by scanning the light with the MEMS mirror.

The control unit 46L is configured to control the lighting unit 45L so that the sequential irradiation pattern P irradiates the road surface around the vehicle 1. The location of the control unit 46L is not particularly limited. The control unit 46L includes a microcontroller and an analog drive control circuit. The microcontroller has a processor such as a CPU and a memory such as a ROM. The analog drive control circuit includes a current control circuit configured to control the current supplied to the light source unit and / or a mirror drive circuit configured to control the drive mirror. In this respect, if the lighting unit 45L does not include a drive mirror, the analog drive control circuit is configured by a current control circuit.

For example, when the vehicle control unit 3 determines the left turn of the vehicle 1 or when the left turn of the vehicle is determined according to the operation of the turn signal lever by the driver, the vehicle control unit 3 instructs the irradiation of the sequential irradiation pattern P. The instruction signal for this is transmitted to the control unit 46L. After that, the control unit 46L controls the drive of the lighting unit 45L so that the sequential irradiation pattern P is irradiated on the road surface based on the instruction signal transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3. In the present embodiment, the control unit 46L may be separated from the vehicle control unit 3 or may be integrally configured with the vehicle control unit 3.

The light irradiation system 4R has the same configuration as the above-mentioned light irradiation system 4L. The light irradiation system 4R has a lighting unit 45R and a control unit 46R. The lighting unit 45R is configured to irradiate the road surface around the vehicle 1 with a sequential irradiation pattern so as to present information indicating the operation of the vehicle 1 to the outside of the vehicle 1. The information indicating the operation of the vehicle 1 is, for example, information indicating a right turn of the vehicle 1. For example, when the right turn of the vehicle 1 is determined, the lighting unit 45R irradiates the road surface with a sequential irradiation pattern in order to present the right turn of the vehicle 1 to the outside. The characteristics of the sequential irradiation pattern emitted from the lighting unit 45R are basically the same as the characteristics of the sequential irradiation pattern P emitted from the illumination unit 45L.

The location, drawing method, and configuration of the lighting unit 45R are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the lighting unit 45R may be arranged in the lighting chamber of the right headlamp 20R. Further, the lighting unit 45R may be arranged on the roof 100A.

In the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the

light irradiation systems

4L and 4R arranged on the front side of the vehicle 1 are described, but the light irradiation system may also be arranged on the rear side of the vehicle 1. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3A, the lighting unit 30L of the left rear light irradiation system may be arranged in the lighting chamber of the left rear combination lamp 60L of the vehicle 1. The lighting unit 30R of the right rear light irradiation system may be arranged in the lighting chamber of the right rear combination lamp 60R of the vehicle 1. The

lighting units

30L and 30R are configured to irradiate the road surface with a sequential irradiation pattern in order to present information indicating the backward movement of the vehicle 1 toward the outside of the vehicle 1.

Returning to FIG. 2, the sensor 5 includes at least one of an acceleration sensor, a speed sensor, and a gyro sensor. The sensor 5 is configured to detect the traveling state of the vehicle 1 and output the traveling state information to the vehicle control unit 3. The sensor 5 includes a seating sensor that detects whether the driver is sitting in the driver's seat, a face orientation sensor that detects the direction of the driver's face, an external weather sensor that detects the external weather condition, and whether or not there is a person in the vehicle. A motion sensor or the like for detection may be further provided.

The camera 6 is, for example, a camera including an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary MOS). The camera 6 is configured to acquire image data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 and then transmit the image data to the vehicle control unit 3. The vehicle control unit 3 acquires surrounding environment information based on the transmitted image data. Here, the surrounding environment information may include information on an object (pedestrian, other vehicle, sign, etc.) existing outside the vehicle 1. For example, the surrounding environment information may include information on the attributes of the object existing outside the vehicle 1 and information on the distance and position of the object with respect to the vehicle 1.

Radar 7 includes at least one of millimeter wave radar, microwave radar and LiDAR unit. For example, the LiDAR unit is configured to detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. In particular, the LiDAR unit is configured to acquire point cloud data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 and then transmit the point cloud data to the vehicle control unit 3. The vehicle control unit 3 identifies the surrounding environment information based on the transmitted point cloud data.

The HMI 8 is composed of an input unit that receives an input operation from the driver and an output unit that outputs the driving information of the vehicle 1 to the driver. The input unit includes a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, an operation mode changeover switch for switching the operation mode of the vehicle 1, and the like. The output unit is a display device (for example, HUD or the like) that displays various traveling information. The HUD is configured to display the traveling information of the vehicle 1 on the front window 60. The GPS 9 is configured to acquire the current position information of the vehicle 1 and output the acquired current position information to the vehicle control unit 3.

The wireless communication unit 10 receives information about other vehicles around the vehicle 1 (for example, driving information) from the other vehicle, and transmits information about the vehicle 1 (for example, driving information) to the other vehicle. It is configured (vehicle-to-vehicle communication). Further, the wireless communication unit 10 is configured to receive infrastructure information from infrastructure equipment such as traffic lights and indicator lights and to transmit traveling information of vehicle 1 to the infrastructure equipment (road-to-vehicle communication). Further, the wireless communication unit 10 receives information about the pedestrian from the portable electronic device (smartphone, tablet, wearable device, etc.) carried by the pedestrian, and transmits the own vehicle traveling information of the vehicle 1 to the portable electronic device. It is configured to do (pedestrian-to-vehicle communication). The vehicle 1 may directly communicate with another vehicle, infrastructure equipment, or a portable electronic device in an ad hoc mode, or may communicate via an access point. Further, the vehicle 1 may communicate with another vehicle, infrastructure equipment, or a portable electronic device via a communication network such as the Internet.

The storage device 11 is an external storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage device 11 may store two-dimensional or three-dimensional map information and / or a vehicle control program. For example, the three-dimensional map information may be composed of point cloud data. The storage device 11 is configured to output map information and a vehicle control program to the vehicle control unit 3 in response to a request from the vehicle control unit 3. The map information and the vehicle control program may be updated via the wireless communication unit 10 and the communication network.

When the vehicle 1 travels in the automatic driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 has at least one of the steering control signal, the accelerator control signal, and the brake control signal based on the traveling state information, the surrounding environment information, the current position information, the map information, and the like. Generate one automatically. The steering actuator 12 is configured to receive a steering control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the steering device 13 based on the received steering control signal. The brake actuator 14 is configured to receive a brake control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the brake device 15 based on the received brake control signal. The accelerator actuator 16 is configured to receive an accelerator control signal from the vehicle control unit 3 and control the accelerator device 17 based on the received accelerator control signal.

On the other hand, when the vehicle 1 travels in the manual driving mode, the vehicle control unit 3 generates a steering control signal, an accelerator control signal, and a brake control signal according to the manual operation of the driver with respect to the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, and the steering wheel. As described above, in the manual driving mode, the steering control signal, the accelerator control signal, and the brake control signal are generated by the manual operation of the driver, so that the traveling of the vehicle 1 is controlled by the driver.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3A to 4, the sequential irradiation pattern P emitted from the lighting unit 45L will be described in detail below. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a state in which the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa (an example of the first irradiation pattern) of the sequential irradiation pattern P is irradiated on the road surface. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a state in which the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa and the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb (an example of the third irradiation pattern) of the sequential irradiation patterns P are irradiated on the road surface. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a state in which the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa, the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb, and the distal side irradiation pattern Pc (an example of the second irradiation pattern) of the sequential irradiation patterns P are irradiated on the road surface. .. FIG. 3D is a diagram showing a state in which irradiation of the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa, the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb, and the distal side irradiation pattern Pc is stopped. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a timing chart for explaining the irradiation timings of the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa, the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb, and the distal side irradiation pattern Pc. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa, the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb, and the distal side irradiation pattern Pc may be referred to as irradiation patterns Pa, Pb, and Pc, respectively.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, in the following description, it is assumed that the projection method is adopted as the drawing method of the lighting unit 45L. As shown in FIG. 8, the illumination unit 45L has a light source unit 120 and a projection lens 125 configured to irradiate the sequential irradiation pattern P toward the road surface based on the light emitted from the light source unit 120. .. The light source unit 120 includes light emitting elements 121 to 123 and a submount substrate 124 on which the light emitting elements 121 to 123 are mounted. The light emitting elements 121 to 123 are composed of, for example, LEDs.

The projection lens 125 is configured to form an irradiation pattern Pa on the road surface S based on the light emitted from the light emitting element 121. Further, the projection lens 125 is configured to form an irradiation pattern Pb on the road surface S based on the light emitted from the light emitting element 122. Further, the projection lens 125 is configured to form an irradiation pattern Pc on the road surface S based on the light emitted from the light emitting element 123. The brightness (illuminance) of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc projected on the road surface S increases in the order of Pa> Pb> Pc. That is, the farther the irradiation pattern is from the vehicle 1, the lower the brightness of the irradiation pattern.

The control unit 46L has a microcontroller 43L and a current control circuit 42L. The microcontroller 43L is configured to transmit a predetermined control signal to the current control circuit 42L in response to receiving an instruction signal from the vehicle control unit 3. The current control circuit 42L is configured to control the current supplied to the light emitting elements 121 to 123 of the light source unit 120. The current control circuit 42L may supply a direct current to each light emitting element 121 to 123 and adjust the value of the direct current supplied to each light emitting element. Further, the current control circuit 42L may supply a pulse current to each light emitting element 121 to 123, and may adjust the value of the pulse current supplied to each light emitting element and the duty ratio. Here, in the pulse current, the pulse of the ON time (High state) and the pulse of the OFF time (Low state) are continuous in a predetermined cycle. The duty ratio is the ratio of the pulse ON time to the pulse current cycle%.

In the present embodiment, when the current control circuit 42L supplies a direct current to the light emitting elements 121 to 123, the current control circuit 42L includes a power supply circuit such as a DC / DC converter and a peaking circuit shown in FIG. 9B. It may be (this will be described later). Further, when the current control circuit 42L supplies a pulse current to the light emitting elements 121 to 123, the current control circuit 42L may include a power supply circuit such as a DC / DC converter and a PWM control circuit.

When the left turn of the vehicle 1 is determined, the control unit 46L controls the drive of the lighting unit 45L so that the sequential irradiation pattern P is irradiated on the road surface based on the instruction signal transmitted from the vehicle control unit 3. do. As shown in FIG. 3C, the sequential irradiation pattern P has a proximal side irradiation pattern Pa, an intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb, and a distal side irradiation pattern Pc.

When the sequential irradiation pattern P is irradiated on the road surface, the lighting unit 45L first irradiates the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa on the road surface in front of the vehicle 1 (see FIG. 3A). Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the lighting unit 45L is located on the intermediate side at a position away from the vehicle 1 (lighting unit 45L) from the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa while maintaining the irradiation of the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa. Irradiate the irradiation pattern Pb. In the state shown in FIG. 3B, the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa and the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb irradiated on the road surface are aligned in the D1 direction. The D1 direction is the extension direction of the sequential irradiation pattern P.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3C, the lighting unit 45L is separated from the vehicle 1 (lighting unit 45L) from the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb while maintaining the irradiation of the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa and the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb. Irradiate the distal irradiation pattern Pc at the above position. In the state shown in FIG. 3C, the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa, the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb, and the distal side irradiation pattern Pc irradiated on the road surface are aligned in the D1 direction.

The shapes of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc are rectangular, but the shapes of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc are not particularly limited. Further, in the example of FIG. 3C, the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc are separated from each other, but the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc may be in contact with each other.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3D, the lighting unit 45L stops the irradiation of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc. In the sequential irradiation pattern P in which the irradiation pattern changes continuously with the passage of time, all of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc are sequentially irradiated on the road surface in one cycle Ts of the sequential irradiation pattern P. Irradiation is stopped. The period Ts of the sequential irradiation pattern P is, for example, in the range of 100 ms to 500 ms. That is, the number of irradiations of the sequential irradiation pattern P in one minute is, for example, in the range of 60 to 600 times. In particular, the cycle Ts of the sequential irradiation pattern P may be the same as the sequential lighting cycle of the sequential turn lamp.

As shown in FIG. 4, the irradiation time in which only the irradiation pattern Pa is irradiated on the road surface is Ta, the irradiation time in which the two irradiation patterns Pa and Pb are irradiated on the road surface is Tb, and all of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc are on the road surface. When the irradiation time to be irradiated is Tc and the stop time to stop all irradiation of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc is Toff, one cycle Ts of the sequential irradiation pattern P is Ts = Ta + Tb + Tc + Toff.

Further, the brightness (illuminance) of the irradiation pattern Pc irradiated at the position farthest from the lighting unit 45L is lower than the brightness (illuminance) of the irradiation pattern Pa irradiated at the position closest to the lighting unit 45L. Therefore, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc for the pedestrian H (see FIG. 3C and the like) existing around the vehicle 1 tends to be relatively low as compared with the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pa. Therefore, the pedestrian H existing in the blind spot of the vehicle 1 is less likely to notice the existence of the sequential irradiation pattern P, and is less likely to notice the existence of the vehicle 1.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the control unit 46L is configured to control the lighting unit 45L so that the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc is improved. Specifically, the control unit 46L controls the illumination unit 45L so that the irradiation time Tc on which the irradiation pattern Pc is irradiated is longer than the irradiation times Ta and Tb. In this way, since the irradiation time Tc is set to be longer than the irradiation times Ta and Tb, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc for the pedestrian H existing around the vehicle 1 is improved, and the visibility for the pedestrian H is improved. The visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern P is improved. As a result, the pedestrian H can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle 1 through the sequential irradiation pattern P.

Further, in the timing chart shown in FIG. 4, Tc> Toff> Ta = Tb. In particular, each irradiation time and stop time are set so that Ta + Tb + Tc = 3Ts / 4 and Toff = Ts / 4. In this respect, in the normally assumed sequential irradiation pattern, Ta = Tb = Tc = Toff = Ts / 4, but in the present embodiment, the irradiation times Ta and Tb are each smaller than Ts / 4. At the same time, the irradiation time Tc is set to be larger than Ts / 4. In this way, it is possible to improve the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc with respect to the visibility of the irradiation patterns Pa and Pb.

(Second method for improving the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern Pc)
Next, a second method for improving the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing how the distal irradiation pattern Pc irradiated on the road surface is vibrating. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 46L may control the lighting unit 45L so that the irradiation pattern Pc vibrates in the D2 direction orthogonal to the D1 direction.

For example, the control unit 46L may vibrate the irradiation pattern Pc in the D2 direction by physically vibrating the housing constituting the lighting unit 45L. Further, when the scanning method is adopted as the drawing method of the lighting unit 45L, the control unit 46L may control the driving of the drive mirror provided in the lighting unit 45L so that the irradiation pattern Pc vibrates in the D2 direction. good. The vibration frequency of the irradiation pattern Pc may be in the range of, for example, 5 Hz to 10 Hz. In this respect, when the vibration frequency is set in the range of 5 Hz to 10 Hz, the vibrating irradiation pattern Pc can easily attract the attention of a person, and the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc can be further improved. Further, by making the irradiation time Tc larger than the irradiation times Ta and Tc and vibrating the irradiation pattern Pc, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc for the pedestrian H can be further improved. In this way, the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern P can be improved by improving the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc. As a result, the pedestrian H can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle 1 through the sequential irradiation pattern P.

In this example, the irradiation pattern Pc vibrates in the D2 direction, but the irradiation pattern Pc may vibrate in the D1 direction. As described above, the direction in which the irradiation pattern Pc vibrates is not particularly limited. Further, when the irradiation pattern Pc vibrates, the irradiation time Tc does not have to be set longer than the irradiation times Ta and Tb.

(Third method for improving the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern Pc)
Next, a third method for improving the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a distal irradiation pattern Pc composed of a plurality of rectangular irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3 separated from each other. As shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the irradiation pattern Pc is different from the shape of the irradiation patterns Pa and Pb. In particular, each of the irradiation patterns Pa and Pb is composed of a single rectangular irradiation pattern, while the irradiation pattern Pc is composed of three rectangular irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3. The irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3 are aligned in the D1 direction and separated from each other.

The control unit 46L controls the drive of the lighting unit 45L so that the irradiation patterns Pa and Pb are composed of a single rectangular irradiation pattern and the irradiation patterns Pc are composed of a plurality of irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3. You may. Since the irradiation pattern Pc is composed of a plurality of irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3, the visibility of the pedestrian H with respect to the irradiation pattern Pc is improved. As a result, the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern P is improved, so that the pedestrian H can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle 1 through the sequential irradiation pattern P.

In this example, the irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3 may be irradiated on the road surface at the same timing, or may be irradiated on the road surface at different timings. For example, the irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3 may be sequentially irradiated on the road surface as a sequential irradiation pattern. When the irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3 are sequentially irradiated on the road surface as a sequential irradiation pattern, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc can be further improved. Further, when the irradiation pattern Pc is composed of a plurality of irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3, the irradiation pattern Pc may be vibrated while adjusting the irradiation time Tc. In this case as well, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc can be further improved. On the other hand, when the irradiation pattern Pc is composed of a plurality of irradiation patterns Pc1 to Pc3, the irradiation time Tc does not have to be longer than the irradiation times Ta and Tb, and the irradiation pattern Pc does not have to vibrate.

(Fourth method for improving the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern Pc)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10B, a fourth method for improving the visibility of the sequential irradiation pattern Pc will be described below. Similarly in this example, it is assumed that the lighting unit 45L mounted on the vehicle 1 irradiates the road surface with the sequential irradiation pattern P shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a timing chart for explaining the irradiation timings of the proximal side irradiation pattern Pa, the intermediate side irradiation pattern Pb, and the distal side irradiation pattern Pc among the sequential irradiation patterns P.

As shown in FIG. 7, the irradiation time in which only the irradiation pattern Pa is irradiated on the road surface is Ta, the irradiation time in which the two irradiation patterns Pa and Pb are irradiated on the road surface is Tb, and all of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc are on the road surface. When the irradiation time to be irradiated is Tc and the stop time to stop all irradiation of the irradiation patterns Pa to Pc is Toff, one cycle Ts of the sequential irradiation pattern P is Ts = Ta + Tb + Tc + Toff.

The irradiation time Ta is defined by the start time t1 at which the irradiation of the irradiation pattern Pa is started and the start time t2 at which the irradiation of the irradiation pattern Pb is started. The irradiation time Tb is defined by a start time t2 and a start time t3 at which irradiation of the irradiation pattern Pc is started. The irradiation time Tc is defined by a start time t3 and a stop time t4 at which irradiation of the irradiation patterns Pa, Pb, and Pc is stopped.

In the irradiation pattern Pa, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pa during the period from the start time t1 to the predetermined time tn is higher than the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pa during the period from the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. Similarly, in the irradiation pattern Pb, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pb during the period from the start time t2 to the predetermined time tn is higher than the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pb during the period from the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. Also in the irradiation pattern Pc, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc during the period from the start time t3 to the predetermined time tn is higher than the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc during the period from the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. The time zone ΔT between the start times t1, t2, t3 and the predetermined time tn is, for example, in the range of 1 ms to 200 ms.

In this respect, the longer the time zone ΔT, the higher the visibility of the irradiation pattern, while the higher the power consumption consumed by the light source unit 120 of the lighting unit 45L. On the other hand, as the time zone ΔT becomes shorter, the visibility of the irradiation pattern becomes lower, while the power consumption consumed by the light source unit 120 becomes smaller. In the present embodiment, a predetermined time zone ΔT is set by paying attention to two items, the visibility of the irradiation pattern and the power consumption of the light source unit 120.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 9A to 10B, a method for improving the visibility of the irradiation pattern in the time zone ΔT between the start time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is started and the predetermined time tun will be described below. do. In this example, a method for improving the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT between the start time t3 and the predetermined time tn will be described. The method for improving the visibility of the irradiation patterns Pa and Pb in the time zone ΔT is the same as the method for improving the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT. Omit.

(When the current supplied to each light emitting element is a direct current)
First, referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, when the current supplied to the light emitting element 123 of the light source unit 120 is a direct current, the irradiation pattern is formed in the time zone ΔT between the start time t3 and the predetermined time tun. A method for improving the visibility of Pc will be described. FIG. 9A illustrates the temporal change of the direct current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone from the start time t3 when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern Pc is started to the stop time t4 when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern Pc is stopped. It is a conceptual diagram for doing. FIG. 9B is a diagram for explaining a part of the configuration of the current control circuit 42L that supplies a direct current to the light emitting element 123.

As shown in FIG. 9A, in the control unit 46L, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc from the start time t3 to the predetermined time tun is higher than the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc from the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. The current supplied to the light emitting element 123 is adjusted so as to be. Specifically, in the control unit 46L, the brightness (illuminance) of the irradiation pattern Pc during the period from the start time t3 to the predetermined time tn is the brightness (illuminance) of the irradiation pattern Pc during the period from the predetermined time tn to the stop time t4. ), The current supplied to the light emitting element 123 is adjusted. More specifically, in the control unit 46L, the value of the direct current supplied to the light emitting element 123 during the predetermined time tn from the start time t3 is supplied to the light emitting element 123 during the predetermined time tn to the stop time t4. The direct current supplied to the light emitting element 123 is adjusted so as to be larger than the value of the direct current.

That is, the control unit 46L is configured to increase the value of the direct current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT in order to improve the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT. As shown in FIG. 9A, the current control circuit 42L momentarily supplies a large direct current to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT to increase the brightness of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT. In this way, it is possible to improve the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT. The peak current value I2 in the time zone ΔT may be N times (1 <N <5) larger than the current value I1 in the steady state.

In order to generate the peak current value I2 in the time zone ΔT, the current control circuit 42L may include a peaking circuit composed of a resistor and a capacitor (see FIG. 9B). As shown in FIG. 9B, the current value I1 supplied to the light emitting element 123 is determined by the resistor R1. On the other hand, the peak current value I2 is determined by the resistance R2, and the width (attenuation time) of the peak waveform related to the peak current value I2 is determined by the capacitance of the capacitor C1. When the resistance R2 becomes small, the peak current value I2 becomes large, while when the resistance R2 becomes large, the peak current value I2 becomes small. Further, when the capacitance of the capacitor C1 becomes small, the width of the peak waveform becomes small, while when the capacitance becomes large, the width of the peak waveform becomes large. By adjusting the value of each element in this way, the optimum current waveform can be set in the time zone ΔT.

According to this example, since a large direct current is instantaneously supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT, the brightness of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT becomes large. As described above, since the pedestrian H existing around the vehicle 1 can easily notice the existence of the irradiation pattern Pc irradiated on the road surface, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc to the pedestrian H is improved. As a result, the pedestrian H can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle 1 through the sequential irradiation pattern P.

(When the current supplied to each light emitting element is a pulse current)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B, when the current supplied to the light emitting element 123 of the light source unit 120 is a pulse current, the irradiation pattern is formed in the time zone ΔT between the start time t3 and the predetermined time tun. A method for improving the visibility of Pc will be described. FIG. 10A is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone from the start time t3 to the stop time t4. FIG. 10B is a conceptual diagram for explaining another example of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone from the start time t3 to the stop time t4.

As described above, when the pulse current is supplied to the light emitting element 123, the current control circuit 42L of the control unit 46L may include a DC / DC converter (for example, a switching regulator or the like) and a PWM control circuit. ..

First, an example in which a pulse current as shown in FIG. 10A is supplied to the light emitting element 123 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 10A, the control unit 46L supplies a pulse current to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT in order to improve the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT from the start time t3 to the predetermined time tn. It is configured to increase the value I4 of. Specifically, in the current control circuit 42L, the value I4 of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT is the value of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 during the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. It is configured to adjust the pulse current so that it is larger than I3. Here, the value I4 of the pulse current in the time zone ΔT may be N times (1 <N <5) the value I3 of the pulse current between the predetermined time tn and the stop time t4. On the other hand, the duty ratio of the pulse current in the time zone ΔT is the same as the duty ratio of the pulse current between the predetermined time tun and the stop time t4. In this case, the duty ratio is, for example, 50%.

As described above, since the brightness (illuminance) of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT becomes larger than the brightness (illuminance) of the irradiation pattern Pc during the predetermined time tn to the stop time t4, the irradiation pattern in the time zone ΔT The visibility of the Pc becomes higher than the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc during the predetermined time tn to the stop time t4.

According to the example shown in FIG. 10A, since the value of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT becomes large, the brightness of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT becomes large. As described above, since the pedestrian H existing around the vehicle 1 can easily notice the existence of the irradiation pattern Pc irradiated on the road surface, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc to the pedestrian H is improved. As a result, the pedestrian H can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle 1 through the sequential irradiation pattern P.

Next, an example in which a pulse current as shown in FIG. 10B is supplied to the light emitting element 123 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 10B, the control unit 46L supplies a pulse current to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT in order to improve the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT from the start time t3 to the predetermined time tn. The value I4 of is increased, while the DUTY ratio of the pulse current is decreased. Specifically, in the current control circuit 42L, the value I4 of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT is the value of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 during the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. It is configured to adjust the pulse current so that it is larger than I3. Further, in the current control circuit 42L, the DUTY ratio of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 in the time zone ΔT is higher than the DUTY ratio of the pulse current supplied to the light emitting element 123 during the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. It is configured to adjust the pulse current so that it becomes smaller.

The pulse current value I4 in the time zone ΔT may be N times (1 <N <5) the pulse current value I3 between the predetermined time tn and the stop time t4. On the other hand, the duty ratio of the pulse current in the time zone ΔT may be 1 / N times the duty ratio of the pulse current between the predetermined time tn and the stop time t4. In this case, the value calculated by (pulse current value) × (DUTY ratio) in the time zone ΔT is calculated by (pulse current value) × (DUTY ratio) between the predetermined time tun and the stop time t4. It will be the same as the value. Therefore, the effective brightness of the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT is the same as the effective brightness of the irradiation pattern P between the predetermined time tun and the stop time t4.

For example, when the value I4 of the pulse current is 2.5 times the value I3 of the pulse current, the duty ratio of the pulse current in the time zone ΔT is 20%, while the predetermined time tun to the stop time t4. The duty ratio of the pulse current may be 50%.

Further, the higher the instantaneous light intensity of the irradiation pattern, the higher the visibility of the irradiation pattern to the human eye, and the longer the blinking cycle of the irradiation pattern, the higher the visibility of the irradiation pattern to the human eye. It is known experimentally to become. Therefore, in this example, the duty ratio of the pulse current is lowered while increasing the value of the pulse current in the time zone ΔT.

In this way, while maintaining the effective brightness of the irradiation pattern Pc from the start time t3 to the stop time t4 substantially constant, the irradiation pattern Pc in the time zone ΔT between the start time t3 and the predetermined time tun The visibility can be made higher than the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc during the predetermined time tn to the stop time t4. Therefore, since the pedestrian H existing around the vehicle 1 can easily notice the existence of the irradiation pattern Pc irradiated on the road surface, the visibility of the irradiation pattern Pc to the pedestrian H is improved. As a result, the pedestrian H can clearly grasp the existence and operation of the vehicle 1 through the sequential irradiation pattern P.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed in a limited manner by the description of the present embodiments. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this embodiment is merely an example and various embodiments can be modified within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

For example, in the present embodiment, as an example of the operation of the vehicle 1, the sequential irradiation pattern P that is irradiated on the road surface during the left turn operation of the vehicle 1 is mainly described. On the other hand, it should be noted that the sequential irradiation pattern irradiated on the road surface during other movements of the vehicle 1 (right turn, forward movement, reverse movement, etc.) has the same characteristics as the sequential irradiation pattern P. That is, even during other operations of the vehicle 1, the sequential irradiation pattern with improved visibility of the distal irradiation pattern is irradiated on the road surface. Further, even in the other operation of the vehicle 1, the visibility of each irradiation pattern is improved in the time zone ΔT between the irradiation start time and the predetermined time tn.

Further, in the present embodiment, the light irradiation system is provided in the vehicle 1, but the light irradiation system may be provided in a device other than the vehicle 1 (for example, transportation infrastructure equipment such as a traffic light or a street light).

This application contains the contents disclosed in the Japanese patent application filed on December 25, 2020 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-217242) and the Japanese patent application filed on December 25, 2020 (Japanese Patent Application No. 2020). -217243)) will be incorporated as appropriate.

Claims

It is a light irradiation system
A lighting unit configured to irradiate the road surface with a sequential irradiation pattern,
A control unit configured to control the lighting unit so that the sequential irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface is provided.
The sequential irradiation pattern has a first irradiation pattern and a second irradiation pattern that is irradiated at a position farther from the lighting unit than the first irradiation pattern.
In the second irradiation pattern, the road surface is irradiated after the first irradiation pattern is irradiated on the road surface.
The control unit is a light irradiation system configured to control the lighting unit so as to improve the visibility of the second irradiation pattern for an object existing around the lighting unit.
The lighting unit is configured to irradiate the road surface with both the first irradiation pattern and the second irradiation pattern after irradiating the road surface with the first irradiation pattern.
In one cycle of the sequential irradiation pattern, the irradiation time T2 in which both the first irradiation pattern and the second irradiation pattern are irradiated on the road surface is the irradiation in which the first irradiation pattern is irradiated on the road surface. The light irradiation system according to claim 1, which is longer than the time T1.
The lighting unit irradiates the road surface with both the first irradiation pattern and the second irradiation pattern after irradiating the road surface with the first irradiation pattern in one cycle of the sequential irradiation pattern, and then irradiates the road surface with the second irradiation pattern. It is configured to stop irradiation of both the first irradiation pattern and the second irradiation pattern.
In one cycle of the sequential irradiation pattern, the stop time Toff at which irradiation of both the first irradiation pattern and the second irradiation pattern is stopped and the irradiation times T1 and T2 have a relationship of T2>Toff> T1. The light irradiation system according to claim 1 or 2, which satisfies the above conditions.
The light irradiation system is provided in the vehicle.
The lighting unit is configured to irradiate the road surface around the vehicle with the sequential irradiation pattern so as to present information indicating a right turn, a left turn, or a reverse movement of the vehicle toward the outside of the vehicle. The light irradiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The light according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit is configured to control the lighting unit so that the second irradiation pattern irradiated on the road surface vibrates. Irradiation system.
The light irradiation system according to claim 5, wherein the second irradiation pattern irradiated on the road surface vibrates in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the sequential irradiation pattern.
The control unit is configured to control the lighting unit so that the shape of the second irradiation pattern is different from the shape of the first irradiation pattern, any one of claims 1 to 6. The light irradiation system described in the section.
The second irradiation pattern is composed of a plurality of rectangular irradiation patterns separated from each other.
The first irradiation pattern is composed of a single rectangular irradiation pattern.
The light irradiation system according to claim 7.
A lighting unit configured to irradiate the road surface with a sequential irradiation pattern.
The sequential irradiation pattern has a first irradiation pattern and a second irradiation pattern that is irradiated at a position farther from the lighting unit than the first irradiation pattern.
In the second irradiation pattern, the road surface is irradiated after the first irradiation pattern is irradiated on the road surface.
The lighting unit is configured to irradiate the sequential irradiation pattern so as to improve the visibility of the second irradiation pattern on an object existing around the lighting unit.
A lighting unit configured to irradiate the road surface with an irradiation pattern,
A control unit configured to control the lighting unit so that the irradiation pattern irradiates the road surface is provided.
The control unit has the irradiation in which the visibility of the irradiation pattern during a predetermined time from the start time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is started is from the predetermined time to the stop time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is stopped. A light irradiation system configured to control the lighting unit so that the visibility of the pattern is higher than that of the pattern.
The lighting unit includes a light source unit configured to emit light forming the irradiation pattern.
The control unit supplies the light source unit so that the visibility of the irradiation pattern from the start time to the predetermined time is higher than the visibility of the irradiation pattern from the predetermined time to the stop time. The light irradiation system according to claim 10, wherein the light irradiation system is configured to adjust the current to be applied.
The current supplied to the light source unit is a direct current.
The control unit is supplied to the light source unit so that the brightness of the irradiation pattern between the start time and the predetermined time is larger than the brightness of the irradiation pattern between the predetermined time and the stop time. The light irradiation system according to claim 11, which is configured to adjust the direct current.
In the control unit, the value of the direct current supplied to the light source unit during the predetermined time from the start time is higher than the value of the direct current supplied to the light source unit during the predetermined time to the stop time. The light irradiation system according to claim 12, wherein the direct current supplied to the light source unit is adjusted so as to be large.
The current supplied to the light source unit is a pulse current.
The light irradiation system according to claim 11.
In the control unit, the value of the pulse current supplied to the light source unit during the predetermined time from the start time is larger than the value of the pulse current supplied to the light source unit during the predetermined time to the stop time. The light irradiation system according to claim 14, wherein the pulse current supplied to the light source unit is adjusted so as to be large.
In the control unit, the DUTY ratio of the pulse current supplied to the light source unit during the predetermined time from the start time is the DUTY ratio of the pulse current supplied to the light source unit during the predetermined time to the stop time. The light irradiation system according to claim 15, wherein the pulse current supplied to the light source unit is adjusted so as to be smaller than the above.
The light irradiation system according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the time zone from the start time to the predetermined time is in the range of 1 ms to 200 ms.
A lighting unit configured to irradiate the road surface with an irradiation pattern.
The illumination unit has the irradiation in which the visibility of the irradiation pattern during a predetermined time from the start time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is started is from the predetermined time to the stop time when the irradiation of the irradiation pattern is stopped. A lighting unit configured to irradiate the road surface with the irradiation pattern so as to be higher than the visibility of the pattern.