Vehicular control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicular control device capable of preventing deterioration in visibility even when a luggage space is expanded in a vehicle equipped with an expandable luggage space inside a cabin.SOLUTION: A vehicular control device (illumination control device 2) includes: a seat position determination unit 3b for determining whether or not a seat arrangement region in a space inside a cabin is used as a part of a luggage space LS; and a control unit 3a for controlling a lighting mode of a rear room lamp 4b on the basis of a determination result of the seat position determination unit 3b. Here, when a side door 9 is in a closed state and a rear door 10 is in an open state, the control unit 3a controls lighting of the rear room lamp 4b so as to increase luminous intensity of the luggage space LS on condition that the seat position determination unit 3b determines that a part for a third-row seat 8c, of the seat arrangement region is used as a part of the luggage space LS.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device that controls a lighting device disposed in a vehicle interior. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are lighting devices that illuminate a trunk room provided at the rear of a vehicle. For example, the lighting device described in Patent Document 1 is installed under the floor of the trunk room in an open-type vehicle in which the trunk room and the cabin are connected, and is controlled to light up when the back door is open, thereby illuminating the trunk room. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-171242 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Among vehicles in which the trunk and cabin are connected, such as those described in Patent Document 1, some have rear seats that can be moved forward or stowed or flipped up to expand the storage space. In this type of vehicle, when the space where the rear seats are arranged is used as storage space, the light from the trunk lighting device has difficulty reaching the space, which can cause a problem of reduced visibility for the user.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle control device that can prevent a decrease in visibility of storage space even when the storage space is expanded in a vehicle in which the seat arrangement area within the passenger compartment can be used as part of the storage space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The vehicle control device of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a vehicle control device that controls the lighting devices of a vehicle having a side door, a rear door, a storage space provided in the rear of the vehicle interior space, and lighting devices arranged in the vehicle interior corresponding to the seats in the vehicle interior, and is equipped with a determination unit that determines whether a seat arrangement area in the vehicle interior space is being used as part of the storage space, and a control unit that controls the lighting mode of the lighting device based on the determination result of the determination unit, and is characterized in that, on the condition that the determination unit determines that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space, when the side door is in a closed state and the rear door is in an open state, the control unit controls the lighting mode of the lighting device so that the illuminance of the storage space increases.

[0007] The vehicle control device described above controls the illumination mode of the lighting device disposed corresponding to the seat so as to increase the illuminance of the storage space when the rear door is opened, provided that the determination unit determines that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space. In this way, when the storage space is expanded, the illuminance of the storage space can be increased by the lighting device. Therefore, the vehicle control device of the present invention can prevent a decrease in visibility of the storage space even when the storage space is expanded.

[0008] (2) The control unit may increase the light intensity of the lighting device as a lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the storage space.

[0009] In this way, when the storage space is expanded, the vehicle control device of the present invention increases the illuminance of the storage space by increasing the light output of the lighting device, thereby preventing the visibility of the storage space from decreasing due to the expansion of the storage space.

[0010] (3) The control unit may increase the light intensity of the lighting device and direct the light toward the storage space as a lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the storage space.

[0011] In this way, when the storage space is expanded, the vehicle control device of the present invention increases the light intensity of the lighting device while directing the light toward the storage space, thereby preventing the visibility of the storage space from decreasing due to the expansion of the storage space.

[0012] (4) The lighting device may include a first lighting unit that illuminates the space within the vehicle interior where a seat adjacent to the storage space is located, and a second lighting unit that illuminates the space where a seat other than the seat adjacent to the storage space is located. The control unit may increase the light intensity of the first lighting unit while reducing the light intensity of the second lighting unit below that of the first lighting unit, as a lighting mode that increases the illuminance of the storage space.

[0013] In this way, when the storage space is expanded, the vehicle control device of the present invention increases the light intensity of the first illumination unit that illuminates the arrangement space of the seats adjacent to the storage space, preventing a decrease in visibility of the storage space due to the expansion of the storage space. Also, when the storage space is expanded, the vehicle control device of the present invention reduces the light intensity of the second illumination unit below the light intensity of the first illumination unit, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0014] (5) The lighting device includes a first lighting unit that illuminates the space within the vehicle interior where a seat adjacent to the storage space is located, and a second lighting unit that illuminates the space where a seat other than the seat adjacent to the storage space is located. The control unit may increase the light intensity of one of the first lighting unit and the second lighting unit, while directing the light of the one unit toward the storage space, and setting the light intensity of the other unit lower than the light intensity of the one unit, as a lighting mode that increases the illuminance of the storage space.

[0015] In this way, when the storage space is expanded, the vehicle control device of the present invention increases the light intensity of one of the first and second illumination units while directing the light of that unit toward the storage space, thereby preventing a decrease in visibility of the storage space due to the expansion of the storage space. Furthermore, when the storage space is expanded, the vehicle control device of the present invention reduces the light intensity of the other illumination unit below the light intensity of the one illumination unit, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0016] (6) Furthermore, the vehicle control device of the present invention includes a storage space lighting device arranged in the vehicle interior corresponding to the storage space, and the control unit controls the lighting mode of the lighting device and increases the light intensity of the storage space lighting device when the side door is closed and the rear door is open, on the condition that the determination unit determines that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space.

[0017] In this way, when the storage space is expanded, the vehicle control device of the present invention increases the light output of the storage space lighting device and increases the illuminance of the storage space using the lighting device, thereby ensuring sufficient visibility even when the storage space is expanded.

[0018] (7) Furthermore, the vehicle control device of the present invention may include a seat position detection switch that detects the position of the seat, and the determination unit may determine whether the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space based on the on / off state of the seat position detection switch.

[0019] In this way, the determination unit can easily determine whether the storage space is in an expanded state based on the on / off state of the seat position detection switch.

[0020] (8) The vehicle control device of the present invention further includes an imaging unit capable of imaging the vehicle interior space, The determination unit may determine whether the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space based on an image captured by the imaging unit.

[0021] In this way, the determination unit can determine whether the storage space is expanded based on the image captured by the imaging unit. Also, for example, in a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring system or the like, in which a camera capable of capturing images of the interior space of the vehicle is installed, the camera can be used to determine whether the storage space is expanded.

[0022] (9) Furthermore, the vehicle control device of the present invention may include a radar capable of measuring the distance to an object within the vehicle interior space, and the determination unit may determine whether the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space based on the distance measurement results by the radar.

[0023] In this way, the determination unit can determine whether the storage space is expanded based on the distance measurement results by the radar. Also, for example, in a vehicle equipped with a radar such as UWB (Ultra Wide Band) radar used in vehicles equipped with a child abandonment detection system, the radar can be used to determine whether the storage space is expanded. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, in a vehicle in which the seat arrangement area within the passenger compartment can be used as part of the storage space, a vehicle control device can be realized that can prevent the visibility of the storage space from decreasing even when the storage space is expanded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a lighting control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of lamps arranged in a vehicle interior. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a third-row seat position detection switch. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the states of the front and rear switches of the third-row seat position detection SW and the position of the third-row seat. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a lighting control process according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] <<Embodiment>> A lighting control device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0027] The lighting control device 2 (vehicle control device) of this embodiment controls, for example, the lighting modes of lamps (front room lamp 4a, rear room lamp 4b, and luggage lamp 4c) in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1. The lighting control device 2 includes a BODY-ECU 3, a front room lamp 4a, a rear room lamp 4b, a luggage lamp 4c, a side door courtesy switch 5, a back door courtesy switch 6, and a third-row seat position detection switch 7. In addition, the BODY-ECU 3, the front room lamp 4a, the rear room lamp 4b, the luggage lamp 4c, and other components are connected to an on-board battery (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1.

[0028] The front room lamp 4a illuminates the interior of the vehicle and is disposed on the ceiling of the vehicle. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the front room lamp 4a is disposed on the ceiling of the vehicle, at a position rearward of the first-row seats 8a when the vehicle 1 is viewed from above.

[0029] The rear room lamp 4b illuminates the interior of the vehicle and is disposed on the ceiling of the vehicle. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the rear room lamp 4b is disposed on the ceiling of the vehicle, in a position forward of the third-row seats 8c when the vehicle 1 is viewed from above.

[0030] The front room lamp 4a is mainly responsible for lighting the space where the first row seats 8a and second row seats 8b of the vehicle 1 are arranged. On the other hand, the rear room lamp 4b is mainly responsible for lighting the space where the second row seats 8b and third row seats 8c of the vehicle 1 are arranged.

[0031] The luggage lamp 4c illuminates the storage space LS provided at the rear of the passenger compartment of the vehicle 1, and is disposed, for example, on the floor forming the storage space LS or on a wall extending vertically from the edge of the floor, in a location corresponding to the rear bumper. The luggage lamp 4c is provided to illuminate the storage space LS. However, the location of the luggage lamp 4c is not limited to this, and it may be any location that can illuminate the storage space LS, such as the rear inside panel (rear inner panel).

[0032] The third-row seats 8c are configured to be movable forward (toward the second-row seats 8b). Therefore, the storage space LS of the vehicle 1 can be expanded by moving the third-row seats 8c forward.

[0033] The third-row seats 8c are also configured so that they can be stored by, for example, tilting their backs forward. By storing them in this manner, the vehicle 1 can further expand the storage space LS.

[0034] The side door courtesy SW5 is a switch that detects the open / closed state of the side door 9 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, a total of four side doors 9 are provided, one on each side of the first-row seat 8a and one on each side of the second-row seat 8b. A side door courtesy SW5 is provided for each of the four side doors 9, so that the open / closed state of each side door 9 can be detected. A detection signal of the side door courtesy SW5 is input to the BODY-ECU 3.

[0035] The back door courtesy switch 6 is a switch that detects whether the rear door 10 (see FIG. 2) is open or closed. A detection signal of the back door courtesy switch 6 is input to the BODY-ECU 3.

[0036] The third-row seat position detection SW7 is a switch that detects the position of the third-row seat 8c in the front-to-rear direction (the direction of travel of the vehicle). The third-row seat position detection SW7 has a front switch 7a and a rear switch 7b, and is capable of determining the position of the third-row seat 8c based on the combination of the on / off states of the switches 7a and 7b. Each of the switches 7a and 7b may be, for example, a touch-type switch. A detection signal from the third-row seat position detection SW7, i.e., a detection signal indicating the on / off states of the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b, is input to the BODY-ECU 3.

[0037] 3, the front switch 7a has a detector 7a1 having a detection surface located in the front part of the movable range of the third-row seat 8c (the movable range in the traveling direction of the vehicle), and a probe 7a2 attached to the front leg of the third-row seat 8c. When the detector 7a1 and the probe 7a2 are in contact with each other, an ON signal is output from the front switch 7a to the BODY-ECU 3.

[0038] The rear switch 7b has a detector 7b1 having a detection surface located at the rear of the movable range of the third-row seat 8c (the movable range in the traveling direction of the vehicle), and a probe 7b2 attached to the rear leg of the third-row seat 8c. As shown in FIG. 3, the detector 7b1 is located at a predetermined distance from the detector 7a1 of the front switch 7a. When the detector 7b1 and the probe 7b2 are in contact with each other, an ON signal is output from the rear switch 7b to the BODY-ECU 3.

[0039] The detector 7a1 of the front switch 7a and the detector 7b1 of the rear switch 7b are attached to, for example, the seat rails.

[0040] The means for detecting the position of the third-row seat 8c is not limited to this. For example, various switches and sensors for detecting position can be used, not limited to the touch switch described above. Furthermore, the position of the third-row seat 8c can be detected using, for example, radar, instead of a switch or sensor. In this case, if the vehicle is equipped with a radar such as a UWB radar used in a vehicle equipped with a child abandonment detection system, that radar can be used. Furthermore, the position of the third-row seat 8c can be detected using a camera used in a driver monitoring system.

[0041] The BODY-ECU 3 controls the lighting modes of lights provided on the vehicle 1 and various lamps provided inside the vehicle cabin (front room lamp 4a, rear room lamp 4b, luggage lamp 4c). The BODY-ECU 3 is configured with a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs various calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs and data, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores various data. The BODY-ECU 3 includes a control unit 3a, a seat position determination unit 3b, and a storage unit 3c.

[0042] The control unit 3a controls the lighting modes of various lamps (front room lamp 4a, rear room lamp 4b, luggage lamp 4c) provided in the vehicle cabin based on the determination result of the seat position determination unit 3b. The seat position determination unit 3b determines the position of the third-row seat 8c in the vehicle traveling direction (front-rear direction). The memory unit 3c stores various programs and data.

[0043] The control unit 3a and the seat position determination unit 3b are configured with a CPU. The storage unit 3c is configured with a ROM and a RAM. In this embodiment, the control unit 3a and the seat position determination unit 3b are configured with a single CPU, but they can also be configured with separate CPUs.

[0044] The control unit 3a controls the lighting of the front room lamp 4a when a lighting switch (not shown) for the front room lamp 4a is set to ON. Also, the control unit 3a controls the turning off of the front room lamp 4a when a lighting switch (not shown) for the front room lamp 4a is set to OFF. The control unit 3a controls the lighting of the rear room lamp 4b when a lighting switch (not shown) for the rear room lamp 4b is set to ON. Also, the control unit 3a controls the turning off of the rear room lamp 4b when a lighting switch for the rear room lamp 4b is set to OFF.

[0045] In this way, the control unit 3a controls the turning on / off of the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b based on the ON / OFF setting of the lighting switch. Furthermore, the control unit 3a automatically controls the turning on / off of each lamp (front room lamp 4a, rear room lamp 4b, luggage lamp 4c) depending on the open / closed state of the doors of the vehicle 1, regardless of the setting of the lighting switch. Next, the automatic turning on / off control of each lamp (front room lamp 4a, rear room lamp 4b, luggage lamp 4c) by the control unit 3a will be described.

[0046] (Automatic lamp on / off control) When any of the front, rear, left, and right side doors 9 is opened, the control unit 3a controls the illumination of the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b. Specifically, when an open signal indicating that any of the front, rear, left, and right side door courtesy switches 5 is opened is input, the control unit 3a controls the illumination of the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b. After the illumination control, the control unit 3a continues the illumination control until a close signal is input for all of the side door courtesy switches 5. On the other hand, after the illumination control, when a close signal is input for all of the side door courtesy switches 5, the control unit 3a controls the extinguishing of the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b. Note that the control unit 3a may be configured to extinguish the illumination a predetermined time after the close signal is input for all of the side door courtesy switches 5.

[0047] When the rear door is opened, the control unit 3a controls the lighting of the luggage lamp 4c. Specifically, when a signal indicating that the back door courtesy switch 6 is open is input, the control unit 3a controls the lighting of the luggage lamp 4c.

[0048] After the lighting control, the control unit 3a continues the lighting control until a close signal is input to the back door courtesy switch 6. On the other hand, after the lighting control, the control unit 3a performs the extinguishing control of the luggage lamp 4c when a close signal is input to all the back door courtesy switches 6. Note that the control unit 3a may perform the extinguishing control after a predetermined time has elapsed since the close signal is input to the back door courtesy switch 6.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the storage space LS can be expanded by moving the third-row seat 8c forward or storing it. When the storage space LS is expanded, some areas may be difficult to see with only the luggage lamp 4c turned on. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 3a controls the illumination of the rear room lamp 4b based on the position of the third-row seat 8c as follows. Below, we will first explain how the seat position determination unit 3b determines the position of the third-row seat 8c, and then explain how the control unit 3a controls the illumination of the rear room lamp 4b.

[0050] (Determining seat position) The method for determining the position of the third-row seat 8c by the seat position determination unit 3b will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3(a) shows the third-row seat 8c in its normal position (rear position), i.e., in a position where a passenger can sit. At this time, the probe 7a2 of the front switch 7a of the third-row seat position detection SW7 is located between the detector 7a1 of the front switch 7a and the detector 7b1 of the rear switch 7b. In other words, the probe 7a2 of the front switch 7a is not in contact with the detector 7a1. Therefore, an OFF signal is output from the front switch 7a to the seat position determination unit 3b.

[0051] On the other hand, the rear switch 7b of the third-row seat position detection switch 7 has the probe 7b2 positioned on the detection body 7b1. That is, the rear switch 7b is in a state where the probe 7b2 and the detection body 7b1 are in contact with each other. Therefore, the rear switch 7b outputs an ON signal to the seat position determination unit 3b.

[0052] Therefore, if the signal received from the front switch 7a is an OFF signal and the signal received from the rear switch 7b is an ON signal, the seat position determination unit 3b determines that the third row seat 8c is in its normal position (rear) (see Figure 4).

[0053] FIG. 3(b) shows the third-row seat 8c at the front limit of its movable range (the movable range in the direction of travel of the vehicle), i.e., when the storage space LS is expanded. At this time, the front switch 7a of the third-row seat position detection switch 7 has the probe 7a2 positioned on the detection body 7a1. In other words, the front switch 7a is in a state where the probe 7a2 and the detection body 7a1 are in contact with each other. Therefore, the front switch 7a outputs an ON signal to the seat position determination unit 3b.

[0054] On the other hand, the probe 7b2 of the rear switch 7b is located between the detector 7a1 of the front switch 7a and the detector 7b1 of the rear switch 7b. In other words, the probe 7b2 of the rear switch 7b is not in contact with the detector 7b1. Therefore, the rear switch 7b outputs an OFF signal to the seat position determination unit 3b.

[0055] Therefore, if the signal received from the front switch 7a is an ON signal and the signal received from the rear switch 7b is an OFF signal, the seat position determination unit 3b determines that the position of the third row seat 8c is in the forward position (see Figure 4).

[0056] 3(b), that is, while the third-row seat 8c is moving from its home position (rear position) to its forward position, the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b of the third-row seat position detection SW7 have their probes 7a2 and 7b2 positioned on the detection bodies 7a1 and 7b1, respectively. That is, the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b have their probes 7a2 and 7b2 in contact with the detection bodies 7a1 and 7b1, respectively. Therefore, the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b output ON signals to the seat position determination unit 3b.

[0057] Therefore, when the signals received from the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b are ON signals, the seat position determining unit 3b determines that the third row seat 8c is in the forward position (see FIG. 4).

[0058] 3(c) shows the state in which the back of the third-row seat 8c is folded forward and stored, i.e., the storage space LS is expanded. In this state, the probes 7a2 and 7b2 of the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b are not in contact with the detection bodies 7a1 and 7b1, respectively. Therefore, the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b output an OFF signal to the seat position determination unit 3b.

[0059] Therefore, when the signals received from the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b are OFF signals, it is determined that the third row seats 8c are retracted (see FIG. 4).

[0060] (Rear room lamp control based on seat position) When the control unit 3a receives an open signal from the back door courtesy SW6 while receiving close signals from all side door courtesy SW5, the control unit 3a controls the lighting of the rear room lamp 4b on the condition that the seat position determination unit 3b determines that the third row seat 8c is in the forward position or in the stored state.

[0061] That is, in this embodiment, when the third row seats 8c are in the forward position or in the stowed state and the storage space LS is expanded, if the rear door is opened, the storage space LS is illuminated by the rear room lamp 4b in addition to the luggage lamp 4c, provided that all side doors 9 are closed.

[0062] On the other hand, when the control unit 3a receives an open signal from the back door courtesy SW6 while receiving close signals from all side door courtesy SW5, if the seat position determination unit 3b determines that the third row seat 8c is in its normal position (rear position), the control unit 3a maintains the control to turn off the rear room lamp 4b.

[0063] That is, in this embodiment, when the third row seats 8c are in their normal position (rear position) and the storage space LS is not expanded, if the rear door is opened, the rear room lamp 4b will not illuminate the storage space LS even if all side doors 9 are closed.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 3a maintains the light-off control even if the rear door 10 is opened when all the side doors 9 are closed, regardless of the position of the third-row seat 8c.

[0065] The above is an explanation of the lighting control (illumination control) of the lamps 4a, 4b, and 4c executed by the BODY-ECU 3 of this embodiment. Next, the flow of such lighting control will be explained with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of lighting control processing executed by the lighting control device 2 of this embodiment.

[0066] (Lighting control processing) In step S1, the control unit 3a determines whether all of the side doors 9 are closed based on a signal output from a side door courtesy switch 5 provided on each side door 9.

[0067] In step S1, when it is determined that any of the side doors 9 is open (NO in step S1), the control unit 3a determines whether the rear door 10 is open (step S2). At this time, the control unit 3a determines whether the rear door 10 is open based on a signal output from a back door courtesy switch 6 provided on the rear door 10.

[0068] In step S2, if it is determined that the rear door 10 is closed (NO in step S2), the control unit 3a controls the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b to be turned on while maintaining the control to turn off the luggage lamp 4c (step S3). That is, when the rear door 10 is closed and one of the side doors 9 is opened, the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b are turned on. After the processing of step S3 is performed, the process returns to step S1.

[0069] If it is determined in step S2 that the rear door 10 is open (YES in step S2), the control unit 3a controls the front room lamp 4a, the rear room lamp 4b, and the luggage lamp 4c to be turned on (step S5). That is, when at least one of the side doors 9 and the rear door 10 are open, all the lamps 4a, 4b, and 4c in the vehicle interior are turned on. After the process of step S5 is performed, the process returns to step S1.

[0070] Returning to step S1, if it is determined that all of the side doors 9 are closed (YES in step S1), the control unit 3a determines whether the rear door 10 is open (step S4). If it is determined in step S4 that the rear door 10 is closed (NO in step S4), the control unit 3a maintains the control to turn off all of the lamps 4a, 4b, and 4c (step S6). That is, when all of the doors (side doors 9 and rear door 10) are closed, all of the lamps 4a, 4b, and 4c in the vehicle interior are turned off. After the processing of step S6 is performed, the process returns to step S1.

[0071] If it is determined in step S4 that the rear door 10 is open (YES in step S4), the seat position determination unit 3b determines whether the third-row seat 8c is in its home position (rear position) (step S7). At this time, the seat position determination unit 3b determines the position of the third-row seat 8c based on the signals output from the front switch 7a and the rear switch 7b of the third-row seat position detection SW7.

[0072] In step S7, if the seat position determination unit 3b determines that the third-row seat 8c is in its normal position (rear position) (YES in step S7), the control unit 3a controls the luggage lamp 4c to be turned on while maintaining the control to turn off the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b (step S8). That is, when the rear door 10 is opened with all side doors 9 closed, only the luggage lamp 4c is turned on when the third-row seat 8c is in its normal position (when the storage space LS is not expanded). After the processing of step S8 is performed, the process returns to step S1.

[0073] In step S7, if the seat position determination unit 3b determines that the third-row seat 8c is in the forward position or in the retracted state (NO in step S7), the control unit 3a continues to control the front room lamp 4a to be turned off, while controlling the rear room lamp 4b and the luggage lamp 4c to be turned on (step S9). In other words, when the rear door 10 is opened with all side doors 9 closed, if the third-row seat 8c is in the forward position or retracted (when the storage space LS is expanded), the rear room lamp 4b is turned on in addition to the luggage lamp 4c. After the processing of step S9 is performed, the process returns to step S1.

[0074] (Action and effect) The above is one embodiment of the lighting control device 2 of the present invention. Next, the effects achieved by the lighting control device 2 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0075] The above-described lighting control device 2 has the following characteristic configuration: As a result, the lighting control device 2 can achieve the following unique effects that cannot be achieved by conventional techniques.

[0076] (a) The lighting control device 2 of the present invention is a vehicle control device that controls the lighting devices of a vehicle having a side door, a rear door, a storage space provided in the rear of the vehicle interior space, and lighting devices arranged in the vehicle interior corresponding to the seats in the vehicle interior, and is equipped with a determination unit that determines whether a seat arrangement area in the vehicle interior space is being used as part of the storage space, and a control unit that controls the lighting mode of the lighting devices based on the determination result of the determination unit, and is characterized in that the control unit controls the lighting mode of the lighting devices so as to increase the illuminance of the storage space when the side door is closed and the rear door is open, on the condition that the determination unit determines that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space.

[0077] Specifically, in the lighting control device 2, in step S1, the control unit 3a determines whether all of the side doors 9 are closed. If the control unit 3a determines in step S1 that all of the side doors 9 are closed, the control unit 3a determines whether the rear door 10 is open (step S4). If the control unit 3a determines in step S4 that the rear door 10 is open, the seat position determination unit 3b determines whether the third-row seat 8c is in its home position (rear position) (step S7). If the seat position determination unit 3b determines in step S7 that the third-row seat 8c is in its home position (rear position), the control unit 3a controls the illumination of only the luggage lamp 4c. On the other hand, if the seat position determination unit 3b determines in step S7 that the third-row seat 8c is in the forward position or in the stowed state, the control unit 3a controls the illumination of the rear room lamp 4b in addition to the luggage lamp 4c.

[0078] As described above, in the lighting control device 2 of the present invention, when the rear door 10 is opened, the control unit 3a controls the illumination of the rear room lamp 4b to increase the illuminance of the storage space LS, provided that the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) determines that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space LS (that is, the third-row seat 8c is in the forward position or retracted state). Here, the rear room lamp 4b is provided primarily to illuminate the space within the vehicle interior where the third-row seats 8b and 8c are arranged. In this way, when the storage space LS is expanded, that is, when the seat arrangement area (the area where the third-row seat 8c is arranged) is being used as part of the storage space LS, the lighting control device 2 can increase the illuminance of the storage space LS by turning on the rear room lamp 4b. Therefore, the lighting control device 2 of the present invention can prevent a decrease in visibility of the storage space LS, even when the storage space LS is expanded.

[0079] (b) The control unit 3a may increase the amount of light of the lighting device (rear room lamp 4b) as a lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the storage space LS.

[0080] In this way, when the storage space LS is expanded, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention increases the light output of the lighting device (rear room lamp 4b) (from off to on), thereby increasing the illuminance of the storage space LS, thereby preventing the visibility of the storage space LS from decreasing due to the expansion of the storage space LS.

[0081] (c) The lighting device includes a first lighting unit (rear room lamp 4b) that illuminates the arrangement space of the seats adjacent to the storage space LS (the arrangement space of the third row seats 8c) within the interior space of the vehicle, and a second lighting unit (front room lamp 4a) that illuminates the arrangement space of seats other than the seats adjacent to the storage space LS (the arrangement space of the first row seats 8a and the second row seats 8b), and the control unit 3a may increase the light intensity of the first lighting unit (rear room lamp 4b) while setting the light intensity of the second lighting unit (front room lamp 4a) lower than the light intensity of the first lighting unit (rear room lamp 4b) as a lighting mode that increases the illuminance of the storage space LS.

[0082] In this way, when the storage space LS is expanded, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention increases the light intensity of the first lighting unit (rear room lamp 4b) that illuminates the arrangement space of the seat adjacent to the storage space LS (arrangement space of the third-row seat 8c), preventing a decrease in visibility of the storage space LS due to the expansion of the storage space LS. Furthermore, when the storage space LS is expanded, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention reduces the light intensity of the second lighting unit (front room lamp 4a) below the light intensity of the first lighting unit (rear room lamp 4b), thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0083] (d) Furthermore, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention includes a storage space lighting device (luggage lamp 4c) arranged in the vehicle interior corresponding to the storage space LS, and the control unit 3a controls the lighting mode of the lighting devices (front room lamp 4a, rear room lamp 4b) and increases the light intensity of the storage space lighting device (luggage lamp 4c) when the side door 9 is in a closed state and the rear door 10 is in an open state, on condition that the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) determines that the seat arrangement area (arrangement area of ​​the third row seats 8c) is being used as part of the storage space LS.

[0084] In this way, when the storage space LS is expanded, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention increases the light intensity of the storage space lighting device (luggage lamp 4c) and also increases the illuminance of the storage space LS using the lighting device (rear room lamp 4b), so that sufficient visibility can be ensured even when the storage space LS is expanded.

[0085] (e) Furthermore, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention is provided with a seat position detection switch (third row seat position detection SW7) that detects the position of the seat, and the judgment unit (seat position judgment unit 3b) judges whether the seat arrangement area (arrangement area of ​​third row seat 8c) is being used as part of the storage space LS based on the on / off state of the seat position detection switch (front switch 7a, rear switch 7b).

[0086] In this way, the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) can easily determine whether the storage space LS is expanded or not based on the on / off state of the seat position detection switches (front switch 7a, rear switch 7b).

[0087] (f) The vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention may also include an imaging unit (camera) capable of capturing images of the vehicle interior space, and the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) may determine whether the seat arrangement area (arrangement area of ​​third-row seats 8c) is being used as part of the storage space LS based on an image captured by the imaging unit (camera). Here, the camera recognizes the seat position of third-row seats 8c and whether the seats are stowed (including flipped up) by image processing, and determines whether the seat arrangement area (arrangement area of ​​third-row seats 8c) is being used as part of the storage space LS.

[0088] In this way, the determining unit (seat position determining unit 3b) can determine whether the storage space LS is expanded based on the image captured by the imaging unit. Also, for example, in a vehicle equipped with a driver monitoring system or the like, in which a camera capable of capturing images of the interior space of the vehicle is installed, the camera can be used to determine whether the storage space LS is expanded.

[0089] (g) The vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention may further include a radar capable of measuring the distance to an object in the vehicle interior space, and the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) may determine whether the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space LS based on the distance measurement results by the radar. Here, the radar recognizes the seat position of the third-row seats 8c and whether the seats are stowed or flipped up based on the shape (including distance information and position information) of the transmitted waves reflected by the seats and received as a reflection point cloud, and determines whether the seat arrangement area (the area where the third-row seats 8c are located) is being used as part of the storage space LS.

[0090] In this way, the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) can determine whether the storage space is expanded based on the distance measurement results by the radar. Also, for example, if the vehicle is equipped with a radar such as a UWB radar used in vehicles equipped with a child abandonment detection system in the vehicle cabin, the radar can be used to determine whether the storage space is expanded. Note that the radar is not limited to UWB radar, and various types of radar such as laser radar, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasonic sensor may be used. In other words, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention is equipped with a sensor (camera, radar, etc.) that can recognize the interior space of the vehicle cabin, and the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) can determine whether the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space based on the recognition results by the sensor.

[0091] The above are the effects of the lighting control device 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention, but the lighting control device 2 according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways. That is, the above-described lighting control device 2 merely illustrates one embodiment of the present invention, and the configuration can be appropriately changed, omitted, or added as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present invention. That is, the lighting control device 2 can be configured without some or all of the configurations (a) to (g) above, or can be configured with other configurations, or can be configured with configurations (a) to (g) above that are different from those exemplified in the above embodiment, all within the spirit of the present invention.

[0092] For example, in the above embodiment, when the seat position determination unit 3b determines in step S7 of FIG. 5 that the position of the third-row seat 8c is in the forward position or in the retracted state, the control unit 3a maintains the extinguishing control of the front room lamps 4a and controls the turning on of the rear room lamps 4b. However, the control unit 3a does not have to maintain the turning off control of the front room lamps 4a in this case. For example, the control unit 3a may control the turning on of the front room lamps 4a and also control the turning on of the rear room lamps 4b. In this case, the control unit 3a may increase the light intensity of the rear room lamps 4b more than the light intensity of the front room lamps 4a.

[0093] Even in this case, the lighting control device 2 of the present invention can obtain the same effects as in the case of the configuration (c) above.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the expanded storage space LS has been described as an example in which the lighting of the rear room lamp 4b is controlled to increase the light intensity of the rear room lamp 4b. However, the lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the storage space LS is not limited to this and can be changed.

[0095] For example, the control unit 3a may increase the light intensity of the lighting device (rear room lamp 4b) and direct the light irradiation direction toward the storage space LS as a lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the storage space LS.

[0096] At this time, the rear room lamp 4b is configured as a lamp whose light irradiation direction can be changed. Also, when the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) determines in step S7 of Fig. 5 that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space LS (the third-row seats 8c are in the forward position or retracted state), the control unit 3a controls the lighting of the rear room lamp 4b while changing the light irradiation direction so that it faces the storage space LS.

[0097] In this way, when the storage space LS is expanded, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention increases the light intensity of the lighting device (rear room lamp 4b) and directs the light toward the storage space LS, thereby preventing the visibility of the storage space LS from decreasing due to the expansion of the storage space LS.

[0098] Furthermore, when the direction of light irradiation is changed, the lamp for increasing the illuminance of the storage space LS does not necessarily have to be the rear room lamp 4b.

[0099] That is, the lighting device (front room lamp 4a, rear room lamp 4b) includes a first lighting section (rear room lamp 4b) that illuminates the arrangement space of the seats adjacent to the storage space LS (arrangement space of the third row seats 8c) within the interior space of the vehicle, and a second lighting section (front room lamp 4a) that illuminates the arrangement space of the seats other than the seats adjacent to the storage space LS (arrangement space of the first and second row seats 8a, 8b), and the control section 3a increases the light intensity of one of the first lighting section (rear room lamp 4b) and the second lighting section (front room lamp 4a) while directing the light irradiation direction of that one toward the storage space LS and setting the light intensity of the other lower than the light intensity of the one, as a lighting mode that increases the illuminance of the storage space LS.

[0100] Specifically, in this configuration, one of the front room lamps 4a and the rear room lamps 4b is configured as a lamp that can change the direction of light emission. Here, when the determination unit (seat position determination unit 3b) determines in step S7 of Fig. 5 that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space LS (the third-row seat 8c is in the forward position or retracted), the control unit 3a controls the lighting of one of the front room lamps 4a and the rear room lamps 4b while controlling the lighting direction of the one lamp to be toward the storage space LS so as to increase the illuminance of the storage space LS. At this time, the control unit 3a maintains the lighting control of the other lamp 4a, 4b.

[0101] In this case, the control unit 3a does not necessarily have to maintain the extinguishing control of the other lamp. For example, the control unit 3a may control the turning on of one of the front room lamp 4a and the rear room lamp 4b while also controlling the turning on of the other. In this case, the control unit 3a may increase the light intensity of one lamp more than the light intensity of the other lamp.

[0102] Even in this way, the lighting control device 2 of the present invention can increase the illuminance of the storage space LS, so sufficient visibility can be ensured even if the storage space is expanded. Furthermore, when the storage space LS is expanded, the vehicle control device (lighting control device 2) of the present invention reduces the light intensity of the other lighting unit compared to the light intensity of one lighting unit, so unnecessary power consumption can be reduced.

[0103] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to vehicles with up to three rearmost seats in the rearmost row, but can also be applied to vehicles with up to two or one rows of seats. In this case, in vehicles with up to two rows of seats, the front room lamp is located near the rearview mirror, and the rear room lamp is located above the second row of seats. In this case, the storage space can be expanded by, for example, moving the rearmost second row of seats forward. Even in such a seat arrangement, the lighting mode of the lighting device may be controlled to increase the illuminance of the storage space as described above.

[0104] In addition, in vehicles with one row of seats (so-called two-seater vehicles), the front room lamp is located near the rearview mirror, and the rear room lamp is located above the first row of seats. In this case, the storage space LS can be expanded by, for example, moving the rearmost seat in the first row forward. Even with such a seat arrangement, the lighting mode of the lighting device may be controlled to increase the illuminance of the storage space, as described above. In this case, the first row of seats are independent left and right seats, and the storage space LS may be expanded by, for example, moving the passenger seat forward.

[0105] Furthermore, the seats in each row may be left and right independent, in which case the rear room lamps are also left and right independent correspondingly, and the storage space is expanded by moving the rearmost row of independent seats forward. Even in such a seat arrangement, the lighting mode of the corresponding lighting device may be controlled to increase the illumination of the storage space as described above. Furthermore, whether a flip-up seat is flipped up may be detected by providing a switch that detects when a buckle provided on the seat for fixing the flip-up seat is fastened to the vehicle body (interior wall).

[0106] The above are embodiments and variations of the lighting control device 2 according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and variations, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims and the teachings and spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0107] The present invention can be suitably used in vehicle control devices in general that control lighting devices arranged in the vehicle interior. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 2: Lighting control device (vehicle control device) 3a: Control section 3b: Seat position determination section (determination section) 4b: Rear room lamp (lighting device) 9: Side door 10: Rear door LS: Storage space

Claims

1. A vehicle control device for controlling lighting devices of a vehicle having side doors, a rear door, a storage space provided in a rear portion of a vehicle interior space, and lighting devices arranged in the vehicle interior corresponding to seats in the vehicle interior, a determination unit that determines whether a seat arrangement area in the vehicle interior space is being used as part of the storage space; a control unit that controls a lighting mode of the lighting device based on a determination result of the determination unit, the control unit controls the lighting state of the lighting device so that the illuminance of the storage space increases when the side door is closed and the rear door is open, on condition that the determination unit determines that the seat arrangement area is being used as part of the storage space.

2. the lighting device includes a first lighting unit that illuminates a space in the vehicle interior space where a seat adjacent to the storage space is arranged, and a second lighting unit that illuminates a space where a seat other than the seat adjacent to the storage space is arranged, 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit increases the light intensity of the first lighting unit while setting the light intensity of the second lighting unit lower than the light intensity of the first lighting unit as a lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the storage space.

3. the lighting device includes a first lighting unit that illuminates a space in the vehicle interior space where a seat adjacent to the storage space is arranged, and a second lighting unit that illuminates a space where a seat other than the seat adjacent to the storage space is arranged, 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit, as a lighting mode for increasing the illuminance of the storage space, increases the light intensity of one of the first lighting unit and the second lighting unit, directs the light of the one lighting unit toward the storage space, and sets the light intensity of the other lighting unit lower than the light intensity of the one lighting unit.

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