Vehicle lamp and method of controlling vehicle lamp configured to switch between a normal light distribution and road surface drawing

A method of controlling a vehicle lamp, the vehicle lamp including an optical unit that includes a spatial light modulator and an actuator capable of adjusting an illumination direction of the optical unit, the method comprising:

• operating the spatial light modulator so as to provide a normal light distribution pattern in a state in which the illumination direction of the optical unit is pointed in a first direction;
• operating the spatial light modulator so as to provide a road surface drawing in a state in which the illumination direction of the optical unit is pointed in a second direction pointing more downward than the first direction;
• and
• turning on at least part of an off area of the spatial light modulator for the normal light distribution pattern along with an on area of the spatial light modulator for the normal light distribution pattern during a restoration operation of the actuator, the restoration operation restoring the illumination direction of the optical unit upward from the second direction to the first direction,
• the off area and the on area of the spatial light modulator for the normal light distribution pattern being defined as the areas which are respectively off and on when the optical unit is in the first direction and generates the normal light distribution, the method further comprising:
• stopping the road surface drawing, together with the turning on the at least part of the off area along with the on area, when the restoration operation of the actuator begins.

A vehicle lamp, comprising:

• an optical unit including a spatial light modulator that provides a normal light distribution pattern;
• and
• an actuator that drives the optical unit so as to switch an illumination direction of the optical unit between a first direction for the normal light distribution pattern and a second direction different from the first direction,
• the spatial light modulator being configured to turn on at least part of an off area of the spatial light modulator for the normal light distribution pattern along with an on area of the spatial light modulator for the normal light distribution pattern, during a restoration operation of the actuator that drives the optical unit so as to restore the illumination direction of the optical unit from the second direction to the first direction,
• the off area and the on area of the spatial light modulator for the normal light distribution pattern being defined as the areas which are respectively off and on when the optical unit is in the first direction and generates the normal light distribution, the spatial light modulator being configured to turn on the at least part of the off area along with the on area when the restoration operation of the actuator begins.