# US 10,118,533 B2 · Vehicle lamp with scanning light reflector and wavelength conversion means

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- Number: US 10,118,533 B2
- Document ID: US10118533B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/119,579
- Filed: 2015-02-13
- Published: 2017-03-02
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-02-17
- Assignees: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yasushi Yatsuda; Hiroshi Hirasawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118533B2

## CPC

- F21S 41/16: Laser light sources
- B60Q 1/0023: {the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera}
- B60Q 1/0076: {Switches therefor (B60Q1/1446, B60Q1/343, B60Q1/40 take precedence)}
- F21K 9/64: using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
- F21S 41/176: Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
- F21S 41/255: Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
- F21S 41/675: by moving reflectors
- F21V 29/763: {the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis}
- G02B 26/0858: {the reflecting means being moved or deformed by piezoelectric means}
- G02B 26/105: {with one or more pivoting mirrors or galvano-mirrors (G02B26/101 takes precedence)}
- B60Q 2300/112: Vehicle speed
- B60Q 2300/42: oncoming vehicle
- B60Q 2300/45: Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
- F21S 45/47: Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

A vehicle lamp includes a laser light source, a wavelength converter, a light reflector for two-dimensionally scanning light from the laser light source to form a light intensity distribution on the wavelength converter, a control unit for controlling first and second actuators driving the light reflector, and an optical system for projecting the light intensity distribution formed on the wavelength converter as an output light distribution pattern. The first actuator might be a resonant or non-resonant drive, while the second actuator is a non-resonant drive.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle lamp configured to form a predetermined light distribution pattern, the vehicle lamp comprising:
an excitation light source;
a light reflector that two-dimensionally scans excitation light, the light reflector including:
a mirror unit that reflects excitation light incident from the excitation light source;
a first actuator that oscillates the mirror unit around a first axis by using a resonant drive; and
a second actuator that oscillates the mirror unit around a second axis orthogonal to the first axis by using a nonresonant drive,
the light reflector arranged such that the first axis is included in a vertical plane, and the second axis is included in a horizontal plane,
a wavelength converter having a scan region in which a light intensity distribution is formed by drawing a two-dimensional image with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned by the light reflector;
a control unit that controls the first actuator by using the resonance drive as well as the second actuator by using the nonresonant drive so that the two-dimensional image is formed in the scan region with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned by the light reflector; and
an optical system that projects the light intensity distribution formed in the scan region to form the prescribed light distribution pattern,
wherein the control unit controls the second actuator to reduce an oscillation rate around the second axis of the mirror unit while the two-dimensional image is drawn in a partial region of the scan region, to form the light intensity distribution with higher light intensity in the partial region of the scan region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
wherein the light reflector is configured as an uniaxial nonresonant/uniaxial resonant type, and the light reflector further includes:
a movable frame arranged to surround and support the mirror unit so that the mirror unit can oscillate around the first axis;
a base arranged to surround and support the movable frame so that the movable frame can oscillate around the second axis;
a first piezoelectric actuator serving as the first actuator; and
a second piezoelectric actuator serving as the second actuator.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
wherein the control unit controls the second actuator based on a driving signal
including a nonlinear region adjusted to reduce an oscillation rate around the second axis of the mirror unit while a two-dimensional image is drawn in the partial region.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
wherein the partial region is near the center of the light intensity distribution.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
wherein the predetermined light distribution pattern has an upper edge including a cutoff line, and the partial region is near a side of the cutoff line.

### Claim 6

A vehicle lamp configured to form a predetermined light distribution pattern, the vehicle lamp comprising:
an excitation light source;
a light reflector that two-dimensionally scans the excitation light, the light reflector including:
a mirror unit that reflects excitation light incident from the excitation light source;
a first actuator that oscillates the mirror unit around a first axis by using a nonresonant drive; and
a second actuator that oscillates the mirror unit around a second axis orthogonal to the first axis by using the nonresonant drive,
the light reflector arranged such that the first axis is included in a vertical plane, and the second axis is included in a horizontal plane;
a wavelength converter having a scan region in which a light intensity distribution is formed by drawing a two-dimensional image with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned by the light reflector;
a control unit that controls the first and second actuators by using the nonresonant drive so that the two-dimensional image is formed in the scan region with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned by the light reflector; and
an optical system that projects the light intensity distribution formed in the scan region to form the prescribed light distribution pattern,
wherein the control unit controls the first and second actuators to reduce oscillation rates around the first and second axes of the mirror unit, while the two-dimensional image is drawn in a partial region of the scan region to form the light intensity distribution with high light intensity in the partial region of the scan region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 6,
wherein the light reflector is configured as a biaxial nonresonant type, and the light reflector further includes:
a movable frame arranged so as to surround and support the mirror unit so that the mirror unit can oscillate around the first axis;
a base arranged to surround and support the movable frame so that the movable frame can oscillate around the second axis;
a first piezoelectric actuator serving as the first actuator; and
a second piezoelectric actuator serving as the second actuator.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 6,
wherein the control unit controls the first actuator based on a first driving signal, and the second actuator based on a second driving signal,
the first driving signal including
a first nonlinear region adjusted to reduce an oscillation rate around the first axis of the mirror unit while a two-dimensional image is drawn in the partial region in the scan region,
the second driving signal including
a second nonlinear region adjusted to reduce an oscillation rate around the second axis of the mirror unit while a two-dimensional image is drawn in the partial region of the scan region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 6,
wherein the partial region is near the center of the light intensity distribution.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 6,
wherein the predetermined light distribution pattern has an upper edge including a cutoff line, and the partial region is near a side of the cutoff line.