# US 7,744,261 B2 · Vehicle lighting system

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- Number: US 7,744,261 B2
- Document ID: US7744261B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/594,661
- Filed: 2006-11-07
- Published: 2007-05-10
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-11-08
- Assignees: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Kiyotaka Fukawa; Naohisa Tatara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744261B2

## CPC

- F21S 41/143: the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
- F21S 41/153: arranged in a matrix
- F21S 41/17: Discharge light sources
- F21Y 2113/20: of different form
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A vehicle lighting system includes a plurality of lamps having their own inherent respective light distribution characteristics. The plurality of lamps includes a first lamp to irradiate an area excluding a nearest field area just in front of a vehicle, and a second lamp which irradiates only the nearest field area. The plurality of lamps are operable to be simultaneously or selectively lit, and are operable so that irradiation lights of the lamps are combined so as to obtain a particular light distribution characteristic in accordance with various driving conditions of a vehicle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle lighting system comprising:
a plurality of lamps having their own respective inherent light distribution characteristics,
wherein the plurality of lamps comprises:
a first lamp to irradiate a first portion of a low beam light distribution pattern excluding a nearest field area just in front of a vehicle; and
a second lamp to irradiate a second portion of the low beam light distribution pattern primarily including the nearest field area,
wherein the plurality of lamps are operable to be selectively lit, and
wherein the first and second lamps are operable to be selectively lit in combination so as to obtain a combined light distribution pattern.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the second lamp is operable to irradiate the nearest field area with reduced light.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 2, wherein the first lamp includes a discharge lamp or a semiconductor light emitting device as a light source, and
the second lamp includes a semiconductor light emitting device as a light source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the first lamp includes a discharge lamp or a semiconductor light emitting device as a light source, and
the second lamp includes a semiconductor light emitting device as a light source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of lamps are operable to be lit selectively so that irradiation lights of the lamps are combined to obtain a particular light distribution characteristic in accordance with driving conditions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 5, wherein the second lamp is operable to emit either no light or a reduced amount of light in accordance with a rainy weather driving condition.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of lamps further comprises a third lamp to irradiate a far field area in a traveling direction of the vehicle, the far field area including a region above the area to be irradiated by the first lamp, and
wherein the first, second and third lamps are operable to be selectively lit in combination so as to obtain another combined light distribution pattern.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the first lamp comprises a light source and an auxiliary reflector to reflect light away from the nearest field area.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 8, wherein the first lamp comprises a reflector to reflect light ahead of the vehicle and a shade for shielding light irradiated by the light source.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second lamps are operable to be lit in a first low beam configuration, wherein only the first lamp emits light, or a second low beam configuration, wherein both the first and second lamps emit light.