# US 2019/0320106 A1 · Vehicle illumination system and vehicle

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- Number: US 2019/0320106 A1
- Document ID: US20190320106A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/469,881
- Filed: 2017-12-06
- Published: 2019-10-17
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-15
- Assignees: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Naoki Tatara; Toshihiro Okamura; Takeshi Masuda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190320106A1

## CPC

- H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules
- H04N 23/72: Combination of two or more compensation controls
- B60Q 1/08: automatically
- B60R 11/04: Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
- G08G 1/16: Anti-collision systems (road vehicle drive control systems for predicting or avoiding probable or impending collision otherwise than by control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/08)
- H04N 7/18: Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
- H04N 23/73: by influencing the exposure time
- H04N 23/74: by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
- H04N 23/741: by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
- H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
- G05D 1/0231: {using optical position detecting means (position-fixing by using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. optical position detecting means G01S5/16)}
- G05D 1/0257: {using a radar (radar systems designed for anti-collision purposes between land vehicles or between land vehicle and fixed obstacles G01S13/931)}
- G05D 1/0278: {using satellite positioning signals, e.g. GPS}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93})
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES

## Abstract

A vehicle illumination system includes a light source unit capable of irradiating a front of a vehicle with light, a camera, an imaging control unit, and an image generation unit which performs computation for an image acquired by the camera, the imaging control unit enables the camera to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a first image to the image generation unit when the light source unit irradiates the front of the vehicle in the first mode, and enables the camera to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a second image to the image generation unit when the light source unit irradiates the front of the vehicle in a second mode in which light is irradiated with an illuminance higher than in the first mode, and the image generation unit generates a single output image by the first image and the second image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle illumination system comprising:
a light source unit capable of irradiating a front of a vehicle with light in at least two irradiation modes comprising a first irradiation mode and a second irradiation mode in which light is to be irradiated with an illuminance higher than in the first irradiation mode,
a camera capable of capturing the front of the vehicle,
an imaging control unit configured to set an irradiation mode of the light source unit and a capturing timing of the camera, and
an image generation unit configured to perform computation for an image acquired by the camera,
wherein the imaging control unit:
enables the camera to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a first image to the image generation unit when the light source unit irradiates the front of the vehicle in the first irradiation mode, and
enables the camera to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a second image to the image generation unit when the light source unit irradiates the front of the vehicle in the second irradiation mode, and
wherein the image generation unit is configured to generate a single output image by the first image and the second image.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the image generation unit is configured to obtain the output image by replacing a part of the first image, which has a luminance equal to or smaller than a first threshold value, with a part of the second image corresponding to the part, and/or replacing a part of the second image, which has a luminance equal to or greater than a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value, with a part of the first image corresponding to the part.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging control unit is configured to control the light source unit so as to alternately switch the first irradiation mode and the second irradiation mode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the light source unit is configured to irradiate the front of the vehicle with the light in the first irradiation mode in normal times, and
wherein the imaging control unit is configured to control the light source unit so as to change the irradiation mode to the second irradiation mode with a predetermined interval.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined interval is 20 msec or shorter.

### Claim 6

A vehicle illumination system comprising:
a light source unit capable of irradiating a front of a vehicle with light,
a camera unit capable of capturing the front of the vehicle in at least two imaging modes including a first imaging mode and a second imaging mode in which sensitivity is higher than and/or an exposure time is longer than in the first imaging mode,
an imaging control unit configured to set the imaging mode and a capturing timing of the camera unit, and
an image generation unit configured to perform computation for an image acquired by the camera,
wherein the imaging control unit is configured:
to enable the camera unit to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a first image to the image generation unit in the first imaging mode, and
to enable the camera unit to capture the front of the vehicle and to output a second image to the image generation unit in the second imaging mode, and
wherein the image generation unit is configured to generate a single output image by the first image and the second image.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 6, wherein the image generation unit is configured to obtain the output image by replacing a part of the first image, which has a luminance equal to or smaller than a first threshold value, with a part of the second image corresponding to the part, and/or replacing a part of the second image, which has a luminance equal to or greater than a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value, with a part of the first image corresponding to the part.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 6, wherein the camera unit comprises:
a first camera configured to take an image of the front of the vehicle in the first imaging mode, and
a second camera configured to take an image of the front of the vehicle in the second imaging mode, and
wherein the imaging control unit is configured to enable the first camera and the second camera to take an image at the same time.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 6, wherein the imaging control unit is configured to enable the camera unit to take an image with alternately switching the first imaging mode and the second imaging mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vehicle illumination system according to claim 9, wherein the imaging control unit is configured to enable the camera unit to take an image in the first imaging mode after taking an image in the second imaging mode in which the exposure time is shorter.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A vehicle comprising the vehicle illumination system according to claim 1.