External indicator lighting device of a vehicle

Abstract

An external display lighting device (100) of a vehicle, the device comprising: a light source (10) that emits light; a scanning mirror (20) which reflects the light emitted from the light source to change a movement path of the light and is configured to rotate by a predetermined angle to scan an image of reflected light; and a reflector (30) provided so that the light reflected by the scanning mirror (20) is incident thereon and the incident light is reflected by a road surface, wherein the reflector (30) is designed to be rotatable so that the light is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle, characterized in that the device further comprises: a housing (60) attached to the vehicle and covering the light source (10), the scanning mirror (20) and the reflector (30), the housing (60) having a peripheral surface provided with a lens (62) that projects the light.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTechnical field

[0001] The present invention relates to an external display lighting device of a vehicle that displays current driving conditions and a current driving state of the vehicle to be seen by pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles. Description of the state of the art

[0002] Generally, a vehicle is equipped with lighting devices to enable a driver to clearly identify an object in a direction of travel during night driving and to inform pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles about a driving condition of a driver's vehicle.

[0003] Such a lighting device is designed to project a specific image onto a screen to improve the driver's comfort and emit light, and various functions are combined therewith.

[0004] Autonomous vehicles have been rapidly developed and commercialized in recent years. Autonomous vehicles allow a driver to take their hands off the steering wheel and perform other tasks while in automatic driving mode. This can cause pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles to be concerned about the safety of the autonomous vehicles.

[0005] However, there may be limitations in providing information about current driving conditions and a vehicle's current driving status only with the lighting devices mounted on the vehicle. Additionally, the specific image can only be projected within a predetermined illumination range.

[0006] An external display lighting device of a vehicle having the features in the preamble of patent claims 1 and 12 is known from EP 3 339 919 A1. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an external display lighting device of a vehicle which displays current driving conditions and a current driving state of the vehicle which can be seen by pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles, thereby achieving an improvement in the reliability of the vehicle, and wherein the device enables pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles to recognize the current driving state of the vehicle in advance in order to deal with subsequent situations, thereby achieving an improvement in the safety of the vehicle.

[0008] According to the present invention, an external display lighting device of a vehicle is provided having the features in claim 1.

[0009] The light source, scanning mirror and reflector may be positioned at a lower portion of the vehicle.

[0010] The scanning mirror may be a micromirror configured such that the micromirror oscillates in X-axis and Y-axis directions to cause the light emitted from the light source to change in a reflection angle, thereby forming the image.

[0011] The reflector may include: a reflecting portion provided to have an inclined surface or a curved surface; and a driving portion on which the reflecting portion is provided and transmits the rotational force to the reflecting portion so that the reflecting portion is rotated at 360-degree angles with respect to a vertical axis.

[0012] The light source may be provided to emit the light in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the scanning mirror may be positioned in a horizontal direction of the light source and is provided such that the light emitted from the light source is reflected thereby and travels in a height direction of the vehicle, and the reflector may be positioned in a vertical direction of the scanning mirror and is provided such that the light reflected by the scanning mirror is projected onto the road surface.

[0013] The light source, the scanning mirror and the reflector can be designed as a single module so that the light source and the scanning mirror can be rotated in 360-degree angles in conjunction with a rotation of the reflector.

[0014] The device may further comprise a rotatable support rotatably mounted on the vehicle and on which the light source, the scanning mirror and the reflector are provided, wherein the rotatable support may be configured such that a first side thereof is provided with the light source and a second side thereof is provided with the scanning mirror, and the reflector may be arranged above or below the light source and the scanning mirror.

[0015] The rotatable bracket may be connected at an upper or lower end portion thereof to an actuating portion which transmits the rotational force to the rotatable bracket so that the rotatable bracket is rotated with respect to the vertical axis.

[0016] The rotatable mount may have an extending portion extending upward or downward from its first side, the extending portion having the reflector provided thereon, such that the light emitted from the light source moves to the second side to be incident on the scanning mirror and then the light reflected from the scanning mirror travels downward to the first side to be incident on the reflector.

[0017] The device may further comprise a controller configured to control an on / off state of the light source, an operation of the scanning mirror, and a rotational position of the reflector, wherein the controller is configured to control the light source, the scanning mirror, and the reflector by projecting information about current driving conditions and current driving states of the vehicle in the form of an image onto the road surface around the vehicle.

[0018] According to a further aspect of the present invention, an external display lighting device of a vehicle is provided having the features in claim 12.

[0019] The light source, scanning mirror and reflector may be positioned at a lower portion of the vehicle.

[0020] The scanning mirror may be a micromirror configured such that the micromirror oscillates in X-axis and Y-axis directions to cause the light emitted from the light source to change in a reflection angle thereof, thereby forming the image.

[0021] The light source may be provided to emit the light in a vertical direction of the vehicle, the reflector may be positioned in a vertical direction of the light source and have a passing portion through which the light emitted from the light source passes, the reflector has a curved portion, and the scanning mirror may be positioned in a vertical direction of the reflector and may reflect the light emitted from the light source and passing through the reflector such that the reflected light moves toward the curved surface of the reflector.

[0022] The reflector may have a through-hole through which the light emitted from the light source passes, and an inclined surface or the curved surface defined radially around the through-hole.

[0023] The housing may have a mounting bracket provided therein on which the light source is provided, the scanning mirror may be fixed to the housing to be spaced from the mounting bracket, and the scanning mirror may be attached to an inner bottom surface of the housing in the vertical direction of the light source.

[0024] The device may further comprise a controller configured to control an on / off state of the light source and an operation of the scanning mirror, wherein the controller is configured to control the light source and the scanning mirror by receiving information about current driving conditions and a current driving state of the vehicle, such that the information about the current driving conditions and the current driving state of the vehicle is projected in the form of an image onto the road surface around the vehicle.

[0025] According to the vehicle external display lighting device having the above-described configuration, it is possible to display the current driving conditions and the current driving state of the vehicle, which can be seen by pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles, thereby achieving an improvement in vehicle reliability. Furthermore, it is possible for pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles to know the current driving state of the vehicle in advance to cope with subsequent situations, thereby achieving an improvement in vehicle safety.

[0026] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages that will be apparent or more fully set forth in the accompanying drawings incorporated herein and the following detailed description, which serve to explain principles of the present invention. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are views showing an external display lighting device of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention; Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are views showing the external display lighting device of the Fig. 1 vehicle shown; and Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are views showing an external display lighting device of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily to scale and present a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as contained herein, including, for example, particular dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

[0028] In the figures, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention in the different figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0029] It is understood that the term “vehicle” or “vehicle” or other similar term, as used herein, generally includes motor vehicles such as passenger cars, including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, internal combustion engine-powered vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from sources other than petroleum).

[0030] Although an example embodiment is described as using a plurality of units to perform the example process, it is understood that the example processes may also be performed by one or more modules. Furthermore, it is understood that the term controller / controller refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store the modules, and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to perform one or more processes described further below.

[0031] Furthermore, the control logic of the present invention may be embodied as non-transitory computer-readable media on a computer-readable medium having executable program instructions executed by a processor, controller / control unit, or the like. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed in network-coupled computer systems such that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner, e.g., through a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0032] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, indicate the presence of the specified 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 or all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.

[0033] Hereinafter, an external display lighting device of a vehicle according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar parts.

[0034] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are views showing an external display lighting device of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, Fig. 3, Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are views showing the external display lighting device of the Fig. 1 vehicle shown, and Fig. 7, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 are views showing an external display lighting device of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, an external display lighting device 100 of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include: a light source 10 that emits light; a scanning mirror 20 that reflects the light emitted from the light source 10 to change a travel path of the light and is configured to rotate by a predetermined angle to scan an image of reflected light; and a reflector 30 that is provided so that the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 is incident thereon and the incident light is reflected from a road surface, the reflector 30 being configured to be rotatable so that the light is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0036] Here, the light source 10 may be a light-emitting diode (LED), and the scanning mirror 20 is positioned so that the light emitted by the light source 10 is incident thereon. The scanning mirror 20 may be a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) scanning mirror configured such that the mirror oscillates in the X-axis and Y-axis directions to cause the light emitted by the light source 10 to change in a reflection angle thereof, thereby forming an image. The scanning mirror 20 oscillates in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, thereby implementing the light emitted by the light source 10 as a planar image. In other words, the scanning mirror 20, in which the reflection angle of the light is constantly changed, causes the light emitted by the light source 10 to constantly change in the moving direction, thereby forming an image using an afterimage effect.The image scanning technique by the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20 is well known in the art, so a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0037] As described above, the reflector 30 is arranged in a moving path of the light emitted by the light source 10 and reflected by the scanning mirror 20. The reflector 30 reflects the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 to be projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V. Since the reflector 30 is designed to be rotatable at 360-degree angles, as shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 6, the incident light is reflected and projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V. Here, the light is selectively projected onto portions of the road surface, i.e., front, rear, left, and right portions of the road surface, around the vehicle V. This makes it possible to selectively display the image formed by the scanning mirror 20 around the vehicle V.

[0038] In other words, the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 is selectively projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V according to a rotational position of the reflector 30, resulting in pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles detecting a message from the vehicle V.

[0039] The present invention described above will be described in more detail. The light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 may be positioned at a lower portion of the vehicle V.

[0040] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 4, the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 are mounted on the lower portion of the vehicle V, whereby it is possible to prevent the movement path of the light from being blocked due to the shape of the vehicle V when the light is emitted around the vehicle V, and it is possible to minimize glare that may be caused to the eyes of pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles when the light is emitted from the lower portion of the vehicle V to the front, rear, and sides thereof. Furthermore, the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 can be centrally positioned in the lower portion of the vehicle V so that the amount of light emitted around the vehicle V to the front, rear, and sides does not differ excessively.

[0041] In addition, the reflector 30 includes a reflecting portion 32 provided with an inclined surface or a curved surface; and a driving portion 34 on which the reflecting portion 32 is provided and which transmits rotational force to the reflecting portion 32 so that the reflecting portion 32 is rotated at 360-degree angles with respect to a vertical axis.

[0042] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the reflector 30 may include the reflecting portion 32 and the driving portion 34. The reflecting portion 32 may have an inclined or curved surface so that the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 travels toward the road surface around the vehicle V. The reflecting portion 32 has a curved surface that can ensure a large reflection angle of the light, so that the reflected light passes the lower portion of the vehicle V and is thus efficiently projected out of the vehicle V.

[0043] The driving portion 34 may be a motor on which the reflecting portion 32 is provided, so that the reflecting portion 32 is rotated at 360-degree angles with respect to the vertical axis. Here, the vertical axis denotes a height direction of the vehicle V. When the rotational force is transmitted from the driving portion 34 to the reflecting portion 32, the reflecting portion 32 is rotated with respect to the vertical axis, resulting in the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 selectively moving forward, backward, and sideways of the vehicle V.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention described above, as in Fig. 1, the light source 10 is mounted so as to emit light in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle V, and the scanning mirror 20 is positioned in a horizontal direction of the light source 10 and is mounted so as to reflect the light emitted from the light source 10 and move in a vertical direction of the vehicle V, while the reflector 30 is positioned in a vertical direction of the scanning mirror 20 and is provided so as to project the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 onto the road surface.

[0045] In other words, the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20 are positioned to face each other horizontally and are secured in position, while the reflector 30 is positioned in the vertical direction of the scanning mirror 20. Due to the proposed configuration, the light emitted from the light source 10 travels horizontally to be incident on the scanning mirror 20, and then the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 is deflected vertically to be incident on the reflector 30, resulting in the light reflected by the reflector 30 being finally projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V.Although the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 can be changed in position, the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20 are arranged horizontally, while the reflector 30 is positioned vertically, thereby avoiding interference of the respective components with the movement path of the light emitted from the light source 10.

[0046] Furthermore, since the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20 are secured in position, while only the reflector 30 is rotatable, it is easy to attach the respective components. In addition, only the reflector 30 is rotated to cause the light to change its direction of travel, resulting in a simplified overall design.

[0047] On the other hand, as in Fig. 5, the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20 and the reflector 30 may be configured as a single module, so that the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20 are rotated at 360-degree angles in conjunction with a rotation of the reflector 30.

[0048] Due to the present configuration, in which the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 are simultaneously rotated at 360-degree angles, it is possible to set a movement path along which the light emitted from the light source 10 passes through the scanning mirror 20 and the reflector 30. In other words, the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 are simultaneously rotatable as a single module, whereby the projection direction of the light onto the road surface is different, whereas the movement path along which the light emitted from the light source 10 moves through the scanning mirror 20 to the reflector 30 is fixed.

[0049] For the present purpose, as in Fig. 5, the present invention may further comprise a rotatable mount 40 rotatably mounted on the vehicle V and to which the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 are mounted. The rotatable mount 40 may be configured such that a first side thereof is provided with the light source 10 and a second side thereof is provided with the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 may be positioned above or below the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20.

[0050] Here, a mounting position of the reflector 30 is determined depending on whether the vehicle external display panel lighting device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is mounted on an upper portion or the lower portion of the vehicle V. When the vehicle external display lighting device 100 is mounted on the lower portion of the vehicle V, the reflector 30 may be mounted on a lower portion of the rotatable bracket 40.

[0051] As described above, the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20 are arranged on the rotatable bracket 40 so as to be horizontally opposed to each other, and the reflector 30 is positioned above or below the scanning mirror 20 in the vertical direction, whereby the light emitted from the light source 10 travels to the second side to be incident on the scanning mirror 20, and then the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 travels up or down to the first side to be incident on the reflector 30, resulting in the light reflected by the reflector 30 being finally projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0052] Although the reflector 30 is located under the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20 in Fig. 5, the reflector 30 can vary vertically in the mounting position.

[0053] The rotatable bracket 40 may be connected at an upper or lower end portion thereof to an operating portion 50 that transmits the rotational force to the rotatable bracket 40 so that the rotatable bracket 40 is rotated with respect to the vertical axis to thereby change the direction in which an image of the light is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0054] Here, the actuating portion 50 may be a motor and allow the rotatable bracket 40 to rotate at 360-degree angles with respect to the vertical axis. Accordingly, the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 attached to the rotatable bracket 40 are rotated together to change the direction of movement of the light projected onto the road surface.

[0055] Meanwhile, as in Fig. 5, the rotatable support 40 has an extending portion 42 extending upward or downward from its first side, the extending portion 42 having the reflector 30 mounted thereon such that the light emitted from the light source 10 travels to the second side to be incident on the scanning mirror 20 and then the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 travels downward to the first side to be incident on the reflector 30.

[0056] In other words, the light emitted from the light source 10 travels to the second side to be incident on the scanning mirror 20, and the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20 travels downward to the first side to reach the reflector 30. This allows the light that is eventually reflected by the reflector 30 and propagates to be emitted outward without disturbing the scanning mirror 20.

[0057] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the scanning mirror 20 is rotatably mounted on the rotatable support 40.

[0058] As described above, since the rotatable bracket 40 has the extending portion 42 and the reflector 30 is fixed to the extending portion 42 without interfering with the light source 10 and the scanning mirror 20, it is possible for the light finally emitted by the reflector 30 to be efficiently projected around the vehicle V.

[0059] Meanwhile, as in Fig. 5, the present invention may further comprise a housing 60 mounted on the vehicle V and covering the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30, the housing having a peripheral surface provided with a lens 62 that projects the light.

[0060] Since the housing 60 covers the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 as described above, the respective components are prevented from being contaminated by external foreign matter. Furthermore, since the housing 60 has the peripheral surface provided with the lens 62, it is possible for the light finally emitted to the outside to be efficiently projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V. The housing 60 can be bolted to a vehicle body.

[0061] In addition, the present invention may further include a controller 70 that controls an on / off state of the light source 10, an operation of the scanning mirror 20, and the rotational position of the reflector 30, wherein the controller is configured to control the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20 and the reflector 30 by receiving information about current driving conditions and a current driving state of the vehicle V such that the information about the current driving conditions and the current driving state of the vehicle V is projected onto the road surface in a form of an image around the vehicle V.

[0062] Here, the controller 70 receives and detects information from various sensors such as a speed sensor, a laser sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor, and controls the light source 10, the scanning mirror 20, and the reflector 30 to allow a corresponding message according to current driving conditions and the current driving state of the vehicle V to be projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V in a form of an image.

[0063] In other words, when the vehicle V is operating in an automatic driving mode, the controller 70 turns on the light source 10, controls the operation of the scanning mirror 20, and controls the reflector 30, thereby projecting a message indicating that the vehicle V is currently operating in the automatic driving mode onto the road surface around the vehicle V. This allows pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles to see the message projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V to recognize that the vehicle V is operating in the automatic driving mode. In addition, a current traveling direction and the current traveling conditions are projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V in the form of various images that can be seen by pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles, resulting in an improvement in the reliability of the vehicle V.

[0064] Meanwhile, as in the Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, an external display lighting device 100 of a vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may include: a light source 10' that emits light; a scanning mirror 20' that reflects the light emitted from the light source 10' to change a moving path of the light and is configured to rotate by a predetermined angle to scan an image of reflected light; and a reflector 30' provided so that the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20' is incident thereon and the incident light is reflected from a road surface, the reflector being configured to have a curved surface so that the light is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0065] Here, the light source 10' may be an LED, and the scanning mirror 20' may be a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror configured such that the mirror oscillates in X-axis and Y-axis directions to change the reflection angle of the light emitted by the light source 10', thereby forming an image.

[0066] As described above, the light emitted from the light source 10' and reflected by the scanning mirror 20' reaches the reflector 30', and the reflector 30' reflects the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20' to be projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V. The scanning mirror 20' changes the moving path of the light, causing the light to be incident on a predetermined portion of the curved surface of the reflector 30' according to an operating state of the scanning mirror 20', and then the light of the reflector 30' reflected by the curved surface is selectively projected onto the front, rear, left, and right portions of the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0067] In other words, the light reflected by the reflector 30' is selectively projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V according to the operating state of the scanning mirror 20', which results in pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles being able to detect a message from the vehicle V.

[0068] Meanwhile, the light source 10', the scanning mirror 20' and the reflector 30' are fixed to a lower portion of the vehicle V, whereby it is possible to prevent the blockage of the moving path of the light due to the shape of the vehicle V when the light is emitted around the vehicle V, and to minimize glare that may be caused to the eyes of pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles when the light is emitted from the lower part of the vehicle V to the front or rear, and side thereof.

[0069] Meanwhile, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, the light source 10' is mounted to emit light in the vertical direction of the vehicle V, and the reflector 30' is positioned in the vertical direction of the light source 10' and has a passage portion through which the light emitted from the light source 10' passes, the reflector having a curved portion. The scanning mirror 20' is positioned in the vertical direction of the reflector 30' and reflects the light emitted from the light source 10' and passing through the reflector 30' such that the reflected light moves to the curved surface of the reflector 30'.

[0070] In other words, the light source 10' and the scanning mirror 20' are positioned to face each other vertically and are secured in position, while the reflector 30' is located between the light source 10' and the scanning mirror 20'. Due to the proposed configuration, the light emitted by the light source 10' passes through the reflector 30' to be incident on the scanning mirror 20', and then the light reflected by the scanning mirror 20' is vertically deflected to re-incident on this reflector 30', resulting in the light reflected by the reflector 30' being finally projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0071] Here, a direction in which the light is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V is determined by operating the scanning mirror 20'. The reflector 30' is secured in its position and determines a moving direction of the light according to the curved shape.

[0072] Meanwhile, as in the Fig. 7 and Fig. 9, the reflector 30' has a through-hole 33' through which the light emitted from the light source 10' passes, and an inclined surface or the curved surface defined radially around the through-hole 33'. The through-hole 33' is formed centrally through the reflector 30', whereby the light source 10' and the scanning mirror 20' are vertically arranged around the through-hole 33'. This allows the light emitted from the light source 10' to pass through the through-hole 33' of the reflector 30' and travel to the scanning mirror 20'. Here, the traveling direction of the light is changed according to the operating state of the scanning mirror 20', and thus the light reaches the predetermined portion of the curved surface of the reflector 30', and then the light reflected by the reflector 30' is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V.The light source 10' and the scanning mirror 20' are arranged vertically with respect to the through hole 33' of the reflector 30' as described above, and thus the present invention can simplify the layout.

[0073] Meanwhile, as in Fig. 9, the present invention may further comprise a housing 60' attached to the vehicle V and covering the light source 10', the scanning mirror 20' and the reflector 30', the housing having a peripheral surface provided with a lens 62' that projects the light.

[0074] Since the housing 60' covers the light source 10', the scanning mirror 20', and the reflector 30' as described above, the respective components are prevented from being contaminated by external foreign matter. Furthermore, since the housing 60' has the peripheral surface provided with the lens 62', it is possible for the finally emitted light to be efficiently projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V. The housing 60' may be attached to a vehicle body by screwing.

[0075] A mounting bracket 61' is provided in the housing 60', to which the light source 10' is mounted, and the scanning mirror 20' is mounted to the housing 61' so as to be spaced apart from the mounting bracket 61'. The scanning mirror 20' may be mounted on an inner bottom surface of the housing 60' in the vertical direction of the light source 10'. The light source 10', the reflector 30', and the scanning mirror 20' are sequentially mounted in the housing 60'.

[0076] In other words, the light source 10' is fixed to the mounting bracket 61' mounted in the housing 60', the scanning mirror 20' is fixed to an inner surface of the housing 60' in the vertical direction of the light source 10', and the scanning mirror 20' is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the housing 60'. Accordingly, the light source 10', the scanning mirror 20', and the reflector 30' are positioned in the housing 60'.

[0077] Here, the scanning mirror 20' is driven by an electric power supplied thereto and can thus be connected to an electric power wiring. The electric power wiring is provided along the inner surface of the housing 60' on a path along which the light reflected by the reflector 30' travels to the wheels of the vehicle V, thereby preventing the light projected onto the road surface from interfering with the electric power wiring.

[0078] Meanwhile, the present invention may further include a controller 70' that controls an on / off state of the light source 10' and the operation of the scanning mirror 20', the controller being configured to control the light source 10' and the scanning mirror 20' by obtaining information about current driving conditions and a current driving state of the vehicle V such that the information about the current driving conditions and the current driving state of the vehicle is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle V in a form of an image.

[0079] Here, the controller 70' receives and collects information from various sensors, such as a speed sensor, a laser sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor, and controls the light source 10' and the scanning mirror 20' to enable a message corresponding to the current driving conditions and the current driving state of the vehicle to be projected in the form of an image onto the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0080] In other words, when the vehicle V is operating in automatic driving mode, the controller 70' turns on the light source 10' and controls the operation of the scanning mirror 20 in a direction in which the light should be projected. Accordingly, the light emitted by the light source 10' is reflected by the scanning mirror 20' to reach the reflector 30' and is finally reflected by the reflector 30', thereby projecting the message indicating that the vehicle V is currently operating in automatic driving mode onto the road surface around the vehicle V.

[0081] This allows pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles to see the message projected onto the road surface around vehicle V to recognize that vehicle V is operating in automatic driving mode. In addition, a current driving direction and the current driving conditions are projected onto the road surface around vehicle V in the form of various images that can be seen by pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles, resulting in an improvement in the reliability of vehicle V.

[0082] According to the vehicle external display lighting device having the above-described configuration, it is possible to display the current driving conditions and the current driving state of the vehicle, which can be seen by pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles, thereby achieving an improvement in vehicle reliability. Furthermore, it is possible for pedestrians and / or drivers of other vehicles to know the current driving state of the vehicle in advance to cope with subsequent situations, thereby achieving an improvement in vehicle safety.

[0083] For ease of explanation and precise definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper", "under", "inner", "outer", "top", "bottom", "upper", "lower", "higher", "inside", "outside", "inward", "outward", "inside", "outside", "inner", "outer", "inward", "outward", "forward" and "rearward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as illustrated in the figures.

Claims

[1] An external display lighting device (100) of a vehicle, the device comprising: a light source (10) that emits light; a scanning mirror (20) which reflects the light emitted from the light source to change a movement path of the light and is configured to rotate by a predetermined angle to scan an image of reflected light; and a reflector (30) provided so that the light reflected by the scanning mirror (20) is incident thereon and the incident light is reflected by a road surface, the reflector (30) being designed to be rotatable so that the light is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle, characterized by , that the device further comprises: a housing (60) attached to the vehicle and covering the light source (10), the scanning mirror (20) and the reflector (30), the housing (60) having a peripheral surface provided with a lens (62) that projects the light. [2] The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source (10), the scanning mirror (20) and the reflector (30) are positioned at a lower portion of the vehicle. [3] Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the scanning mirror (20) is a micromirror, and wherein the micromirror oscillates in a first axial direction and a second axial direction to cause the light emitted from the light source (10) to change in a reflection angle thereof to form the image. [4] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the reflector (30) comprises: a reflecting portion (32) provided to have an inclined surface or a curved surface; and a drive section (34) coupled to the reflective section (32) and transmitting a rotational force to the reflective section (32) such that the reflective section (32) is rotated at 360-degree angles with respect to a vertical axis. [5] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the light source (10) is provided to emit the light in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the scanning mirror (20) is positioned in a horizontal direction of the light source (10) and is provided such that the light emitted by the light source (10) is reflected thereby and travels in a height direction of the vehicle, and wherein the reflector (30) is positioned in a vertical direction of the scanning mirror (20) and is provided such that the light reflected by the scanning mirror (20) is projected onto the road surface. [6] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the light source (10), the scanning mirror (20) and the reflector (30) are designed as a single module, so that the light source (10) and the scanning mirror (20) are rotated at 360-degree angles in conjunction with a rotation of the reflector (30). [7] Device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a rotatable holder (40) which is rotatably mounted on the vehicle and on which the light source (10), the scanning mirror (20) and the reflector (30) are provided, wherein a first side of the rotatable holder (40) is provided with the light source (10) and a second side of the rotatable holder (40) is provided with the scanning mirror (20), and wherein the reflector (30) is positioned above or below the light source (10) and the scanning mirror (20). [8] Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the scanning mirror (20) is rotatably mounted on the rotatable support (40). [9] The device according to claim 7 or 9, wherein the rotatable support (40) is connected at an upper or lower end portion thereof to an operating portion (50) which transmits a rotational force to the rotatable support (40) so that the rotatable support (40) is rotated with respect to the vertical axis. [10] The apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the rotatable support (40) has an extending portion (42) extending upward or downward from a first side of the rotatable support (40), the extending portion (42) has the reflector (30) provided thereon, such that the light emitted from the light source (10) moves to a second side of the rotatable support (40) to be incident on the scanning mirror (20) and then the light reflected by the scanning mirror (20) travels downward to the first side to be incident on the reflector (30). [11] Device according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: a controller (70) configured to control an on / off state of the light source (10), an operation of the scanning mirror (20), and a rotational position of the reflector (30), wherein the controller (70) is configured to control the light source (10), the scanning mirror (20), and the reflector (30) by projecting information about a current driving condition and a current driving state of the vehicle in the form of an image onto the road surface around the vehicle. [12] An external display lighting device (100) of a vehicle, the device comprising: a light source (10') that emits light; a scanning mirror (20') which reflects the light emitted from the light source (10') to change a movement path of the light and is configured to rotate by a predetermined angle to scan an image of reflected light; and a reflector (30') provided so that the light reflected by the scanning mirror (20') is incident thereon and the incident light is reflected by a road surface, the reflector (30') being designed to have a curved surface so that the light is projected onto the road surface around the vehicle, characterized by , that the device further comprises: a housing (60') attached to the vehicle and covering the light source (10'), the scanning mirror (20') and the reflector (30'), the housing having a peripheral surface provided with a lens (62') which projects the light. [13] The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the light source, the scanning mirror (20') and the reflector (30') are positioned at a lower portion of the vehicle. [14] The apparatus of claim 12 or 13, wherein the scanning mirror (20') is a micromirror, the micromirror oscillating in a first axial direction and a second axial direction to cause the light emitted from the light source (10') to change in a reflection angle thereof to form the image. [15] Device according to one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the light source (10') is provided to emit the light in a vertical direction of the vehicle, wherein the reflector (30') is positioned in a vertical direction of the light source (10') and has a passage portion through which the light emitted by the light source (10') passes, the reflector (30') having a curved portion, and wherein the scanning mirror (20') is positioned in a vertical direction of the reflector (30') and reflects the light emitted from the light source (10') and passing through the reflector (30') such that the reflected light moves to the curved surface of the reflector (30'). [16] The device according to claim 15, wherein the reflector (30') has a through-hole (33') through which the light emitted from the light source (10') passes, and an inclined surface or the curved surface defined radially around the through-hole (33'). [17] Device according to one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the housing (60') has a mounting bracket (61') provided therein, on which the light source (10') is provided, wherein the scanning mirror (20') is attached to the housing (60') to be spaced from the mounting bracket (61'), wherein the reflector (30') has a through-hole (33') through which the light emitted by the light source (10') passes, and wherein the scanning mirror (20') is attached to an inner bottom surface of the housing (60') in the vertical direction of the light source (10') and faces the light source (10') through the through hole (33'). [18] Device according to one of claims 12 to 17, further comprising: a controller (70') configured to control an on / off state of the light source (10') and an operation of the scanning mirror (20'), wherein the controller (70') is configured to control the light source (10') and the scanning mirror (20') by receiving information about a current driving condition and a current driving state of the vehicle, so that the information about the current driving condition and the current driving state of the vehicle is projected in the form of an image onto the road surface around the vehicle.

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