Communication device through a grille of a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication device through a grill of a vehicle. The device communicates with the outside through the grill of the vehicle, and improves the aerodynamic performance through the grill of the vehicle, thereby improving the driving performance of the vehicle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication device through a grill of a vehicle, which is capable of communicating with the outside through a grill of a vehicle and improving aerodynamic performance through the grill of the vehicle, thereby improving the driving performance of the vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] Recently, as autonomous vehicles are developed, there is a need for technology for securing safety of vehicles and pedestrians related to autonomous driving. Therefore, autonomous vehicles are configured to transmit and receive information based on a driving environment and surrounding situation to avoid interference with surrounding vehicles or external factors.

[0003] In other words, the autonomous vehicle displays information related to whether the autonomous vehicle is currently driving autonomously, a driving direction of the autonomous vehicle, etc. to the outside of the vehicle to allow pedestrians to recognize the autonomous vehicle, and in this case, additional space can be required to transmit the corresponding message, and incorrect information can be provided to the pedestrians due to unclear communication.

[0004] The above description disclosed in this section is merely intended to strengthen the understanding of the background of the invention, and thus it can include information that does not constitute prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. SUMMARY

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a communication device through a grill of a vehicle, which is capable of communicating with the outside through a grill of a vehicle and improving aerodynamic performance through the grill of the vehicle, thereby improving the driving performance of the vehicle.

[0006] According to the present invention, the above and other objects can be achieved by providing a communication device through a grill of a vehicle, which can include a grill arranged at a front surface portion of a vehicle and including a plurality of ventilation holes configured to pass air, a moving module arranged on the grill to be movable and including a plurality of blocking parts configured to be matched with the ventilation holes, respectively, an optical module installed on the grill or the moving module to emit light to an area in front of the vehicle, and a controller configured to adjust a position of the moving module and turning on and off of the optical module, receive driving information of the vehicle, drive the moving module to close some of the ventilation holes according to the driving information of the vehicle, and project an illumination image for transmitting a message through an operation of the optical module.

[0007] A plurality of moving modules installed at different positions can be provided, and the plurality of moving modules are individually moved to open or close all of the ventilation holes or selectively open or close some of the ventilation holes. Each of the moving modules can include a driving unit installed on one of a vehicle body and a grill to transmit power, and a moving unit provided to be movable in a transverse direction of the grill and including a blocking member configured to open or close the ventilation hole.

[0008] The driving unit can be installed on the vehicle body to be spaced apart from the grill, the moving unit can be disposed to be spaced apart from the grill rearward, and the blocking member extending forward from the moving unit can be provided to be matched with the ventilation hole, respectively. The blocking member can be formed to have an area smaller than that of the ventilation hole. A plurality of moving modules can be provided, which are disposed at left and right sides of the grill and installed to be transversely movable to individually open or close left and right ventilation holes of the grill.

[0009] In initial positions of the respective moving modules disposed at left and right sides of the grill, respectively, the blocking members can be disposed rearward of the grill, and in operating the moving modules, the blocking member of the moving module disposed at the left side of the grill can be moved leftward from the initial position, and the blocking member of the moving module disposed at the right side of the grill can be moved rightward from the initial position. The grill can be formed in a pattern in which the ventilation holes have overlapping portions in a vertical direction. The plurality of moving modules can be provided to be staggered with each other in the vertical direction of the grill, and in operating the moving modules, the blocking members configured to be staggered with each other in the vertical direction can be moved in opposite directions.

[0010] The optical module can include a light source installed on the grill to emit light rearward toward the blocking member, and a reflector fixed to the blocking member to move together with the blocking member and reflect the light emitted from the light source forward to project the light to an outside of the grill, thereby changing a light projection position as the blocking member moves. The controller can be configured to determine whether the vehicle is autonomous driving, and in response to determining that the vehicle is autonomous driving, project an illumination image for transmitting a message through the optical module. The controller can be configured to operate the moving module disposed at a side opposite to a turning direction of the vehicle during turning to close some of the ventilation holes, while operating the optical module to project an illumination image for transmitting a message based on the turning of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present application will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a front view showing a front surface portion of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0013] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a front surface portion of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application taken along the line A-A’. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a front surface portion of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application taken along the line A-A’.

[0014] Figures 3 to 5 is a cross-sectional view of a front surface portion of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application taken along the line A-A’.

[0015] Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a front surface portion of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application taken along the line A-A’. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] It should be understood that the terms "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar terms used herein generally include motor vehicles such as passenger cars, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, large trucks, various commercial vehicles, boats, ships, aircraft, etc., and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, internal combustion engine vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuel derived from non-fossil sources). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle having two or more sources of power, such as a vehicle having both gasoline power and electric power.

[0017] While the exemplary embodiments are described as using a plurality of units to perform the exemplary processes, it is understood that the exemplary processes can be performed by one or more modules. In addition, it is understood that the term controller / control unit refers to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store modules and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to accomplish one or more processes that will be further described below.

[0018] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present application. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0019] Unless specifically stated or otherwise evident from context, as used herein the term "about" is understood not to be to the nearest value but to be within a range of normal tolerance in the art, e.g., within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "About" can be understood to be within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the indicated value. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term "about."

[0020] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in

[0022] In detail, the grille 10 can be arranged at a front surface portion of the vehicle, and the air vents 11 can be formed in the grille 10 so that air flows into and out of the grille 10 through the air vents 11. The air vents 11 can form a pattern of a specific shape. The moving module 20 can be arranged on the grille 10 to be movable, and can include the blocking parts 23 matched with the respective air vents 11. Accordingly, as the moving module 20 moves on the grille 10, when the blocking parts 23 are matched with the air vents 11, the air vents 11 can be closed by the blocking parts 23, and when the blocking parts 23 are deviated from the air vents 11, the air vents 11 can be opened.

[0023] The optical module 30 that emits light can be installed on the grille 10 or the moving module 20. However, since the optical module 30 must be related to the operation of the moving module 20, when the optical module 30 is installed on the grille 10, the optical module 30 can reflect light through the moving module 20, thereby emitting the reflected light to the area in front of the vehicle, or when the optical module 30 is installed on the moving module 20, the optical module 30 can directly emit light to the area in front of the vehicle.

[0024] The controller 40 configured to operate the moving module 20 and the optical module 30 can be configured to receive driving information of the vehicle and adjust the position of the moving module 20 and the turning on and off of the optical module 30. Specifically, the controller 40 can be configured to determine whether the vehicle is self-driving and project a lighting image for transmitting a message through the optical module 30 in response to determining that the vehicle is self-driving, thereby being able to secure stability of the vehicle during self-driving.

[0025] Specifically, the driving information input to the controller 40 can include information on whether the vehicle is self-driving, information on whether the vehicle is turning, etc., and external information can be additionally input to the controller 40. Accordingly, the controller 40 can be configured to approve external input through a cloud server, and matching between servers can be performed through additional approval in an interface of the vehicle, and specifically, in the self-driving mode, the vehicle can be operated in a predetermined control order based on driving information of the own vehicle and external situations.

[0026] Accordingly, the controller 40 can be configured to receive driving information of the vehicle, operate the moving module 20 based on the corresponding driving information to close some of the vents 11, thereby securing aerodynamic performance based on driving of the vehicle, and operate the optical module 30 to project a lighting image for transmitting a message to an area in front of the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to confirm the operation of the self-driving vehicle in real time even outside the vehicle, so that a pedestrian can recognize the operation of the self-driving vehicle, and since the aerodynamic performance is considered, it is possible to secure the driving performance of the vehicle.

[0027] Hereinafter, the communication device according to the present application will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of moving modules 20 are provided to be installed at different positions, and the plurality of moving modules 20 are individually moved to open or close all of the vents 11 or selectively open or close some of the vents 11. Accordingly, if the plurality of moving modules 20 are provided and installed at different positions, the blocking member 23 of each moving module 20 can be matched with all of the vents 11 of the grill 10. Figure 2

[0028] In addition, each moving module 20 can be individually driven to selectively open or close some of the vents 11, thereby being able to adjust the flow rate of air passing through the vents 11 of the grill 10, and thus adjust the aerodynamic performance. In addition, by the individual driving of the moving module 20, light emitted by the optical module 30 can be projected to an area in front of the vehicle through a specific vent 11.

[0029] ​The moving module 20 can include a driving unit 21 installed on the vehicle body or the grill 10 to transmit power, and a moving unit 22 disposed to be movable in the lateral direction of the grill 10, and the moving module 20 includes a blocking member 23 configured to open or close the air vent 11. Accordingly, the moving module 20 can include the driving unit 21 which can include a motor rotatable in a forward direction and a reverse direction, and the moving unit 22 which can be moved by receiving a rotational force from the driving unit 21, thereby changing the position of the blocking member 23. As a connection structure between the driving unit 21 and the moving unit 22, various power transmission methods such as a rack and pinion connection structure, a gear connection structure, etc. can be applied.

[0030] In detail, the driving unit 21 can be installed on the vehicle body to be spaced apart from the grill 10, the moving unit 22 can be disposed to be spaced apart rearward from the grill 10, and the blocking member 23 extending forward from the moving unit 22 can be disposed to be matched with the air vent 11, respectively. In other words, if the driving unit 21 is disposed within the range of the area of the grill 10 in which the air vent 11 is formed, the driving unit 21 is exposed through the air vent 11, and thus the exterior design of the vehicle can be deteriorated, and the air circulation can be obstructed.

[0031] Further, the moving unit 22 can be disposed to be spaced apart rearward from the grill 10, i.e., not to be exposed to the front of the grill 10, and thus the design of the grill 10 can be maintained, and the blocking member 23 extending forward from the moving unit 22 can be matched with the air vent 11, respectively, and thus the flow rate of air passing through the air vent 11 can be adjusted. Accordingly, when the driving unit 21 of the moving module 20 is operated, the moving unit 22 can be moved laterally behind the grill 10, and the blocking member 23 can close or open the air vent 11.

[0032] The blocking member 23 can be formed to have an area smaller than that of the air vent 11. The blocking member 23 can be formed to have an area equal to or greater than that of the air vent 11 to completely close the air vent 11 when the blocking member 23 is matched with the air vent 11, and in this case, if air does not circulate through the air vent 11, the components disposed in the grill 10 can not be cooled smoothly. Therefore, the blocking member 23 can be formed to have an area smaller than that of the air vent 11 so that air can circulate through the air vent 11 even when the blocking member 23 closes the air vent 11, and thus the components disposed in the grill 10 can be cooled. Further, since it can be expected that sufficient aerodynamic performance can be achieved only by adjusting the flow rate of air circulating through the air vent 11, the blocking member 23 can be formed to have an area smaller than that of the air vent 11.

[0033] Various exemplary embodiments of opening or closing the ventilation holes 11 of the grill 10 based on the configuration of the moving module 20 will be described below. In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of moving modules 20 can be arranged on the left and right sides of the grill 10 and can be moved laterally to individually open or close the left and right ventilation holes 11a and 11b of the grill. Figure 3

[0034] In other words, the moving modules 20 can include a left moving module 20a and a right moving module 20b, and each of the moving modules 20a and 20b can be individually operated. Accordingly, the left moving module 20a and the right moving module 20b respectively include driving units 21a and 21b and moving units 22a and 22b, and a shielding member 23a of the left moving module 20a opens or closes the left ventilation hole 11a of the grill 10, and a shielding member 23b of the right moving module 20b opens or closes the right ventilation hole 11b of the grill 10.

[0035] In detail, in initial positions of each of the moving modules 20a and 20b respectively arranged on the left and right sides of the grill 10, the shielding members 23a and 23b can be arranged behind the grill 10 to be not exposed to the front of the grill 10. In detail, when the moving modules 20a and 20b are operated, the shielding member 23a of the left moving module 20a can be moved to the left from the initial position of the left moving module 20a, and the shielding member 23b of the right moving module 20b can be moved to the right from the initial position of the right moving module 20b. In detail, the initial positions of the moving modules 20a and 20b indicate that each of the shielding members 23a and 23b is positioned at the central portion of the grill 10. In other words, referring to FIG. 1, the shielding member 23a of the left moving module 20a can be arranged at the initial position of the left moving module 20a, and the shielding member 23b of the right moving module 20b can be moved in a direction of closing the ventilation hole 11b. Figure 3

[0036] As described above, each of the shielding members 23a and 23b can be moved to the left and right from the center of the grill 10 to open or close each of the ventilation holes 11a and 11b. In addition, each of the shielding members 23a and 23b can be configured to individually open or close the left ventilation hole 11a or the right ventilation hole 11b by tracking a driving direction of a vehicle, thereby being capable of improving aerodynamic performance.

[0037] In another exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of moving modules 20 can be arranged on the left and right sides of the grill 10 and can be moved laterally to individually open or close the left and right ventilation holes 11a and 11b of the grill 10. Figure 4 ​​As shown, the lattice 10 can be formed in a pattern in which a plurality of ventilation holes 11 have overlapping portions in the vertical direction. When the ventilation holes 11 of the lattice 10 are provided in a pattern in which the ventilation holes 11 have overlapping portions, the ventilation holes 11 can have a diamond shape. Specifically, the plurality of moving modules 20 can be arranged to be staggered with each other in the vertical direction of the lattice 10, and when the moving modules 20 are operated, the respective shielding members 23 that are staggered with each other in the vertical direction can move in opposite directions. Accordingly, in adjusting the opening area of the ventilation holes 11, the shielding members 23 can implement the folding and unfolding operations.

[0038] To this end, the moving modules 20 can include a first moving module 20c and a second moving module 20d arranged at the left side of the lattice 10, and a third moving module 20e and a fourth moving module 20f arranged at the right side of the lattice 10. Accordingly, the first moving module 20c, the second moving module 20d, the third moving module 20e, and the fourth moving module 20f can respectively include driving units 21c, 21d, 21e, and 21f and moving units 22c, 22d, 22e, and 22f, the first moving module 20c and the second moving module 20d open or close the left ventilation holes 11a of the lattice 10, and the third moving module 20e and the fourth moving module 20f open or close the right ventilation holes 11b of the lattice 10. Specifically, the first moving module 20c and the second moving module 20d can be driven in opposite directions, the third moving module 20e and the fourth moving module 20f can be driven in opposite directions, and the first shielding member 23c and the second shielding member 23d that overlap each other in the vertical direction and the third shielding member 23e and the fourth shielding member 23f that overlap each other in the vertical direction can implement the folding and unfolding operations.

[0039] Accordingly, with reference to Figure 4 , the first shielding member 23c and the second shielding member 23d arranged at the left side of the lattice 10 can be arranged at initial positions of the first moving module 20c and the second moving module 20d, i.e., in a folded state, and the third shielding member 23e and the fourth shielding member 23f arranged at the right side of the lattice 10 can be moved to close the ventilation holes 11b, i.e., in an unfolded state. Accordingly, the respective shielding members 23c, 23d, 23e, and 23f can move in left and right directions of the lattice 10, thereby being able to open or close the respective ventilation holes 11a and 11b.

[0040] As Figure 5As shown, the optical module 30 can include a light source 31 mounted on the grille 10 to emit light rearward toward the shielding member 23, and a reflector 32 fixed to the shielding member 23 to move with the shielding member 23 and reflect the light emitted from the light source 31 forward to project the light to the outside of the grille 10, thereby changing a light projection position as the shielding member 23 moves.

[0041] In the optical module 30 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the light source 31 can be mounted to emit light toward the shielding member 23, and the reflector 32 configured to reflect the light emitted by the light source 31 can be disposed at the shielding member 23 to change a projection image of the light according to a moving position of the shielding member 23. In other words, the light source 31 can be mounted on a rear surface of the grille 10, and the reflector 32 can be mounted on a front surface of the shielding member 23. Accordingly, when the shielding member 23 is positioned at the rear surface of the grille 10, the light emitted by the light source 31 can not be projected to an area in front of the vehicle due to the grille 10, and when the shielding member 23 moves from the rear surface of the grille 10 toward the air vent 11, the light emitted by the light source 31 can be projected to the area in front of the vehicle.

[0042] Accordingly, the light emitted by the light source 31 produces an effect that an image of the light projected through the shielding member can be continuously moved according to the movement of the shielding member 23. The optical module 30 provides directionality by the image of the light based on the moving position of the shielding member 23, thereby being able to transmit a message indicating a traveling direction of the vehicle or the like to the outside.

[0043] Through the moving module 20 and the optical module 30 described above, the controller 40 can be configured to operate the moving module 20 disposed at a side opposite to a turning direction of the vehicle during turning to close some of the air vents 11, and operate the optical module 30 to project an illumination image for transmitting a message based on the turning of the vehicle.

[0044] Specifically, the controller 40 can be configured to receive angle information of the steering wheel and determine whether the vehicle is turning based on a change in the angle of the steering wheel. Thereafter, in response to determining that the vehicle is turning, the controller 40 can be configured to operate the moving module 20 disposed at a side opposite to a turning direction of the vehicle based on the angle of the steering wheel so that the shielding member 23 closes the air vents 11 disposed at the side opposite to the turning direction of the vehicle. Accordingly, an air flow speed at the side opposite to the turning direction of the vehicle can be increased, thereby being able to reduce air resistance and improve turning stability of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the controller 40 can be configured to operate the light source 31 of the optical module 30 disposed at the side opposite to the turning direction of the vehicle to emit light, thereby projecting an illumination image for transmitting a message based on the turning of the vehicle.

[0045] Accordingly, it is possible to secure aerodynamic performance during turning of the vehicle, and it is possible to transmit a message indicating that the vehicle is turning to the outside, thereby avoiding an accident. The communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to the above-described structure is capable of communicating with the outside through the grill of the vehicle, and improves aerodynamic performance through the grill of the vehicle, thereby improving driving performance of the vehicle.

[0046] As is apparent from the foregoing description, the communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to the present application is capable of communicating with the outside through the grill of the vehicle, and improves aerodynamic performance through the grill of the vehicle, thereby improving driving performance of the vehicle.

[0047] While exemplary embodiments of the present application have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and subtractions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the application as disclosed by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication device through a grille of a vehicle, comprising: a grille arranged at a front surface portion of the vehicle and including a plurality of vent holes configured to pass air therethrough; a plurality of moving modules provided on the grille to be movable and having a plurality of blocking parts configured to match the vent holes, respectively; an optical module mounted on the grille or the moving modules to emit light to a region in front of the vehicle; and a controller configured to adjust positions of the moving modules and turning on and off of the optical module, receive driving information of the vehicle, operate the moving modules to close some of the vent holes according to the driving information of the vehicle, and simultaneously project an illumination image for sending a message through operation of the optical module, wherein each of the moving modules includes: a driving unit mounted on one of a vehicle body and the grille to transmit power; and a moving unit provided to be movable in a lateral direction of the grille and having a blocking part configured to open or close the vent hole, wherein the optical module includes: a light source mounted on the grille to emit light rearward toward the blocking part; and a reflector fixed to the blocking part to move together with the blocking part in the lateral direction of the grille and reflect the light emitted from the light source forward to project the light to an outside of the grille, so that a light projection position is changed in the lateral direction of the grille as the blocking part moves in the lateral direction of the grille. The moving modules are mounted at different positions and individually moved to open or close all of the vent holes or selectively open or close some of the vent holes.

2. The communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The driving unit is mounted on the vehicle body to be spaced apart from the grille; and the moving unit is arranged to be spaced apart rearward from the grille.

3. The communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The blocking part extending forward from the moving unit is provided to match the vent hole, respectively. The blocking part is formed to have an area smaller than an area of the vent hole.

4. The communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The moving modules are arranged at left and right sides of the grille and mounted to be movable in the lateral direction to individually open or close left and right vent holes of the grille.

5. The communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, 6.The communication device through the grille of the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein: in initial positions of the respective moving modules arranged at the left and right sides of the grille, respectively, the blocking parts are arranged rearward of the grille; in operating the moving modules, the blocking part of the moving module arranged at the left side of the grille is moved leftward from the initial position, and the blocking part of the moving module arranged at the right side of the grille is moved rightward from the initial position. 7.The communication device through the grille of the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the grille is formed in a pattern in which the vent holes have overlapping portions in a vertical direction; the moving modules are provided to be staggered with each other in the vertical direction of the grille, and in operating the moving modules, the blocking parts staggered with each other in the vertical direction are moved in opposite directions. The controller is configured to determine whether the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle, and in response to determining that the vehicle is the autonomous vehicle, project the illumination image for sending the message through the optical module.

8. The communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, ​ 9. The communication device through a grill of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, The controller is configured to operate each mobile module arranged on the side opposite to the turning direction of the vehicle to close some of the vents while operating the optical module to project an illumination image for sending a message based on the turning of the vehicle during the turning. The controller is configured to operate each mobile module arranged on the side opposite to the turning direction of the vehicle to close some of the vents while operating the optical module to project an illumination image for sending a message based on the turning of the vehicle during the turning.

Images