KR101730894B1 - Lamp for vehicle and controlling method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a lamp for a vehicle and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a lamp for a vehicle and a control method thereof, which can more intuitively inform the traveling direction of the vehicle and prevent visibility degradation when a failure occurs.
The lamp for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a light source unit including a plurality of light source groups, an operation state sensing unit for sensing an operation state of at least one light source included in each of the plurality of light source groups, And a control unit for operating the light source unit according to the first lighting mode or the second lighting mode according to the determined lighting mode.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a lamp for a vehicle,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a lamp for a vehicle and a control method thereof, and more particularly to a lamp for a vehicle and a control method thereof, which can more intuitively inform the traveling direction of the vehicle and prevent visibility from decreasing .

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a vehicle is equipped with various lamps having a lighting function for easily checking an object located in the vicinity of the vehicle at the time of night driving and a signal function for informing a nearby vehicle or a pedestrian of the traveling state of the vehicle.

For example, head lamps and fog lamps are mainly used for illumination purposes, and turn signal lamps, backup lamps, and brake lamps are mainly used for signals. These lamps for automobiles are regulated by the regulations for their installation standards and specifications so that each function can be fully utilized.

Among these, the turn signal lamp is installed on both sides of the vehicle, and when the vehicle is running, it changes the lane on the way, turns left or right at an intersection or the like and flickers to inform the surrounding vehicle or pedestrian of the traveling direction of the vehicle, Allow the vehicle or pedestrian to know this and prepare for it.

Such a turn signal lamp flashes a lamp installed in the traveling direction of the vehicle according to the operation of the driver or the driving state of the vehicle, thereby informing the surrounding vehicle or the pedestrian of the traveling direction of the vehicle.

However, if the turn signal lamp is simply blinking, the nearby vehicle or pedestrian must recognize the position of the turning signal lamp as well as the turn signal lamp, so that the direction of the vehicle can be accurately detected. There is a problem that it is difficult to recognize.

Accordingly, there is a demand for a method of recognizing the traveling direction of the vehicle more intuitively and improving the visibility when the turn signal lamp operation of the vehicle is performed by a nearby vehicle or a pedestrian.

U.S. Published Patent Application No. US2013 / 0127612 (Feb.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp for a vehicle and a control method thereof that enable a peripheral vehicle or a pedestrian to perceive the traveling direction of the vehicle more intuitively, .

It is another object of the present invention to provide a vehicular lamp and a control method thereof that can prevent deterioration of visibility due to a malfunction when a fault occurs.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicular lamp including a light source unit including a plurality of light source groups, an operation state sensing unit for sensing an operation state of at least one light source included in each of the plurality of light source groups, And a control unit for operating the light source unit according to the first lighting mode or the second lighting mode according to the determined lighting mode. The lighting mode determining unit may determine the lighting mode of the light source unit according to the detected operation state.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a lamp for a vehicle, the method comprising: operating a plurality of light source groups each including at least one light source in a first lighting manner; And operating the plurality of light source groups in a second lighting mode when a failure occurs in the at least one light source.

Other specific details of the invention are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the vehicle lamp and the control method of the present invention as described above, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

It is possible to obtain the effect of spreading the light according to the traveling direction of the vehicle, so that the visibility can be improved because the nearby vehicle or pedestrian can intuitively recognize the traveling direction of the vehicle.

In addition, there is also an effect that it is possible to change the lighting method in the event of a failure, thereby preventing a decrease in visibility due to a malfunction and promptly coping.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 to 4 are schematic views showing a vehicle in which a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed.
5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first lighting scheme according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second lighting scheme in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an operation signal of a first lighting method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an operation signal of a second lighting method according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
9 is a flowchart showing a method of controlling a lamp for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention, and the manner of achieving them, will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Thus, in some embodiments, well known process steps, well-known structures, and well-known techniques are not specifically described to avoid an undue interpretation of the present invention.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of illustrating embodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification. It is to be understood that the terms comprise and / or comprise are used in a generic sense to refer to the presence or addition of one or more other elements, steps, operations and / or elements other than the stated elements, steps, operations and / It is used not to exclude. And "and / or" include each and any combination of one or more of the mentioned items.

Further, the embodiments described herein will be described with reference to cross-sectional views and / or schematic drawings that are ideal illustrations of the present invention. Thus, the shape of the illustrations may be modified by manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific forms shown, but also include changes in the shapes that are generated according to the manufacturing process. In addition, in the drawings of the present invention, each component may be somewhat enlarged or reduced in view of convenience of explanation. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining a vehicle lamp and a control method thereof according to embodiments of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle lamp 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a light source unit 100, an operation state sensing unit 200, a lighting method determination unit 300, and a control unit 400.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle lamp 1 is a turn signal lamp for informing the surrounding vehicles or pedestrians of the traveling direction of the vehicle when the vehicle changes its driving lane or proceeds left or right at an intersection, for example, .

2, the vehicle lamp 1 may be installed near the head lamp 10 of the vehicle or may be installed near the rear lamp 20 of the vehicle as shown in Fig. 3, However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the lamp 1 for a vehicle may be installed in the outside mirror 30 so that the surrounding vehicle or the pedestrian can easily recognize the traveling direction of the vehicle Or at least one position that allows the user to operate the device.

The light source unit 100 may include a plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 arranged in a predetermined direction, and each light source group 110 to 140 may include at least one light source.

Hereinafter, a plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 will be referred to as a first light source group 110, a second light source group 120, a third light source group 130, a fourth light source group 140, A plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 each including a plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 will be described as an example. However, The number of light source groups may be variously changed, and each light source group may include at least one light source.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are arranged in a horizontal direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 1), and the like.

The light source unit 100 may be operated in various lighting modes. For example, in the light source unit 100, the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 may be sequentially turned on or all at once. Hereinafter, in the embodiment of the present invention, the sequential lighting system in which the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are sequentially lit is referred to as a first lighting system, and a plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are collectively turned on The method will be referred to as a second lighting method.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since the vehicle lamp 1 is a turn signal lamp indicating the traveling direction of the vehicle, the light source unit 100 may be periodically blinked according to an operation signal, The light source groups 110 to 140 are sequentially turned on in the lighting period of the operation period as shown in FIG. 5, so that all the light source groups 110 to 140 are maintained in a lighted state, In the case of the batch lighting mode, as shown in FIG. 6, all the light source groups 110 to 140 are kept in a state in which all the light source groups 110 to 140 are turned on in the ON period of the operation cycle, .

At this time, the sequential lighting system as shown in FIG. 5 has the effect of spreading light in the traveling direction of the vehicle, so that the nearby vehicle or pedestrian can more intuitively recognize the traveling direction of the vehicle.

For example, when the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are arranged in the outward direction from the inner side of the vehicle and sequentially lighted from the first light source group 110 to the fourth light source group 140, So that the vehicle can intuitively recognize the traveling direction of the vehicle.

The operation state sensing unit 200 senses an operation state of a plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 included in the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140, And generate a status signal indicating the operation status.

For example, the operation state sensing unit 200 may sense a voltage between a plurality of terminals provided for power supply or operation control to the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, To detect the operating state, and to generate a state signal indicating the sensed operating state.

The operation state sensing unit 200 can generate a first state signal when all of the light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 operate normally, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 is detected as a failure such as a short-circuit or short-circuit.

The lighting mode determination unit 300 generates a lighting control signal for controlling the lighting mode of the light source unit 100 based on the status signal generated by the operation state sensing unit 200 and outputs the generated lighting control signal to the controller 400. [ As shown in FIG.

The lighting mode determination unit 300 determines the lighting mode of the light source unit 100 according to the received status signal and controls the lighting control mode to indicate the determined lighting mode A determination unit 320 for generating a signal and a transmission unit 330 for transmitting the generated lighting control signal to the control unit 400.

The receiving unit 310 may receive a status signal generated by the operation status sensing unit 200 according to the operation states of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142, The receiving unit 310 may receive either the first state signal or the second state signal.

The determining unit 320 may determine the lighting method of the light source unit 100 according to the received status signal and may generate different lighting control signals according to the determined lighting method.

For example, when the first status signal is received by the receiving unit 310, the determination unit 320 determines that all of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, And the light source unit 100 is determined to be in the first lighting mode and when the second status signal is received by the receiving unit 310, the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, 142, and determines that the lighting method of the light source unit 100 is the second lighting method.

Also, the determining unit 320 may generate the first lighting control signal when the first lighting mode is selected, and may generate the second lighting control signal when the second lighting mode is selected.

The transmitting unit 330 can transmit the lighting control signal generated by the determining unit 320 to the control unit 400. [

The control unit 400 operates the light source unit 100 in a lighting manner in accordance with the lighting control signal transmitted from the lighting method determination unit 300. [

When the first lighting control signal is received from the lighting type determination unit 300, the control unit 400 operates the light source unit 100 in a sequential lighting manner of a first lighting mode.

When the light source unit 100 is operated in the first lighting mode, that is, in the sequential lighting mode, the control unit 400 sequentially outputs the light source groups 110 to 140 sequentially in the lighting period (ON) The lighting state of each of the light source groups 110 to 140 is maintained from the time point when the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are all turned on to the end of the lighting period ON, An operation signal for turning off each light source group 110 to 140 collectively at the OFF period (OFF) of the light source group T1 is generated.

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to set the time taken from the start of lighting to the completion of the sequential lighting of the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 in the first lighting mode to 170 to 190 ms. This is because if the time taken until the sequential lighting of the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 is completed is shorter than 170 ms, the period in which the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are sequentially turned on is short, There is a concern that the pedestrian may be embarrassed, and if the time taken until the sequential lighting of the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 is completed is longer than 190 ms, the lighting interval between the light source groups becomes longer, It is difficult to do.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the time taken until the sequential lighting of the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 is completed in the first lighting mode is 175 ms, and the lighting interval (ON) and the light duration interval (OFF) As described above, the time taken until the sequential lighting of the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 is completed can be changed between 170 and 190 ms.

Meanwhile, when receiving the second lighting control signal from the lighting type determination unit 300, the control unit 400 operates the light source unit 100 in the second lighting mode.

When the light source unit 100 is operated in the second lighting mode, that is, in the batch lighting mode, the control unit 400 collectively groups the light source groups 110 to 140 in the lighting period (ON) And generates an operation signal for keeping each of the light source groups 110 to 140 collectively OFF at the OFF period (OFF) of the operation period T2 while keeping the lighting state until the lighting period ON .

Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the ON period and the OFF period (OFF) of the second lighting mode are respectively 200 ms will be described as an example.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142, the lighting method of the light source unit 100 changes from the first lighting method to the second lighting method The operation period T2 of the second lighting mode is set to be shorter than the operation period T1 of the first lighting mode so that the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, The light source unit 100 is operated at a relatively fast operation period when a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142, It is possible to promptly recognize and cope with the occurrence of a failure in at least one of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 included in the light source unit 100. [

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the time required from the time of detecting the operation state to the point of time when the lighting method is determined exceeds the lighting section time of the second lighting method, substantially the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 may be prevented from malfunctioning in the first lighting mode.

The control unit 400 controls the light source unit 100 at the time when the operation of the light source unit 100 is requested and the operation request of the light source unit 100 is transmitted to the control unit 400 through the rotation angle of the steering wheel or wheel of the vehicle, .

The control unit 400 operates the light source unit 100 according to a predetermined lighting method at the time of requesting the operation of the light source unit 100. The predetermined lighting method controls the initial voltage level of the operation signal of the control unit 400 Can be determined accordingly.

For example, when the initial lighting method is a sequential lighting method, the controller 400 generates an operation signal having a high level for a predetermined period of time. When the initial lighting method is a batch lighting method, An operation signal can be generated.

The vehicle lamp 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above includes a plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, 142 included in each of the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140, The light source unit 100 changes the lighting mode of the light source unit 100 from the first lighting mode to the second lighting mode. However, the present invention is not limited to this, For example, a button or a switch provided in the vehicle) from the first lighting mode to the second lighting mode.

At least a part of the components 100, 200, 300, and 400 of the lamp 1 of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention may be assembled in a box by combining various components such as a fuse, a relay, Which can be embedded in a junction box or a smart junction box that delivers power and control signals to various parts of the vehicle such as lamps, heaters, wipers, air conditioners,

9 is a flowchart showing a control method of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a state in which all of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 included in the light source unit 100 are normally operated and the light source unit 100 is operated in a sequential lighting manner The lighting method is changed.

Referring to FIG. 9, a plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are initially operated in a sequential lighting manner (S110). 9, a plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 are operated in a sequential lighting manner. However, the present invention is not limited to this, It may be operated in a lighting manner.

It is determined whether a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141 and 142 included in each of the plurality of light source groups 110 to 140 at step S120. In this case, the failure of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142 may be determined by measuring a voltage of each light source.

When a failure occurs in at least one of the plurality of light sources 111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, and 142, the lighting method of the light source unit 100 is changed to the batch lighting method (S130). At this time, if the lighting mode of the light source unit 100 is changed from the sequential lighting mode to the batch lighting mode, the blinking period may be changed to be relatively short.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention do.

100:
110 ~ 140: Light source group
111, 112, 121, 122, 131, 132, 141, 142:
200: Operation state detection unit
300: lighting method judgment unit
310:
320:
330:
400:

Claims (13)

A light source unit including a plurality of light source groups;
An operation state sensing unit for sensing an operation state of at least one light source included in each of the plurality of light source groups;
A lighting mode determining unit determining the lighting mode of the light source unit as a second lighting mode indicating a failure when the light source unit detects a failure while operating in the first lighting mode; And
And a control unit for operating the light source unit according to the determined lighting mode by either the first lighting mode or the second lighting mode,
The first lighting system is a system in which the plurality of light source groups are sequentially turned on in the vehicle traveling direction from the inside of the vehicle,
The second lighting method is a method in which the plurality of light source groups are repeatedly blinked at the same time,
Wherein,
Wherein the second lighting method has a shorter operation period than the first lighting method, and the second lighting method has a shorter operation period than the first lighting method,
In the first lighting mode,
One of the plurality of light source groups starts to be lit in the lighting period, the plurality of light source groups are sequentially turned on, and then the plurality of light source groups are maintained in a lighted state, and are extinguished in the unlit period ,
In the second lighting mode,
Wherein the plurality of light source groups are simultaneously lighted in the lighting section and the plurality of light source groups are lighted out at the same time in the lighting section. delete The method according to claim 1,
In the first lighting mode,
And the time when the sequential lighting of the plurality of light source groups is completed is 170 to 190 ms. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the operation state sensing unit comprises:
Detecting a failure occurring in the at least one light source, generating a status signal according to the detection result,
The lighting mode determination unit may determine,
And determines the lighting mode of the light source unit according to the status signal. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the operation state sensing unit comprises:
Wherein the at least one light source detects a break or a short circuit. 5. The method of claim 4,
The lighting mode determination unit may determine,
A receiving unit for receiving the status signal;
A determining unit for determining a lighting mode according to the status signal and generating a lighting control signal according to the determined lighting mode; And
And a transmission section for transmitting the lighting control signal to the control section. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein,
Wherein the lighting method of the light source unit is determined by the second lighting method when a failure occurs in the at least one light source. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein,
The light source unit is initially operated in either the first lighting mode or the second lighting mode,
And operates in the second lighting mode when a failure occurs in the at least one light source. delete Operating a plurality of light source groups each including at least one light source in a first lighting manner;
Determining whether a failure occurs in the at least one light source while the plurality of light source groups operate in the first lighting mode; And
And operating the plurality of light source groups in a second lighting mode indicating occurrence of the failure when a failure occurs in the at least one light source,
Wherein the step of operating in the second lighting mode comprises:
And operating the second lighting method at a shorter operation period than the first lighting method,
In the first lighting mode,
Any one of the plurality of light source groups starts to be lit in the lighting period of the operation period, the plurality of light source groups are sequentially turned on from the vehicle interior to the vehicle traveling direction, And is extinguished all at once in the section,
In the second lighting mode,
Wherein the plurality of light source groups are simultaneously lighted in the lighting period of the operation period, and the plurality of light source groups are simultaneously extinguished in the light extinction period. delete 11. The method of claim 10,
The method of claim 1,
And detecting a disconnection or a short circuit of the at least one light source. delete

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