Vehicle lighting control system

Abstract

To enable guidance of a bug when a door or window of a vehicle is opened especially at night to prevent the bug from entering a cabin.SOLUTION: Provided is a vehicle lighting control system including: an interior light that lights a cabin of a vehicle; an exterior light that lights an exterior of the vehicle; and a lighting controller that controls the interior light and the exterior light. The lighting controller can set a special lighting control mode different from usual lighting control, and when the special lighting control mode is set, lights up the exterior light when opening of a door or window of the vehicle is detected, and turns off the exterior light when closing of all of doors and window is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting control system for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional technique is known for suppressing insects from entering the vehicle interior due to the lighting of the interior light by irradiating the interior light with red light having a wavelength of 500 nm or more. By lighting the interior light with light outside the wavelength range visible to insects such as mosquitoes and moths, it is possible to suppress insects from entering the vehicle interior due to the lighting of the interior light (see Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-067062 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When camping or sleeping in a car, particularly at night when moths and other nocturnal insects are active, it is necessary to take measures to prevent insects from entering the car when the vehicle windows or doors are opened. However, even with conventional technology, it is possible to prevent insects from entering the car due to the interior lights being turned on by setting the wavelength range of light emitted by the interior lights to a range that insects cannot see, but it is not possible to prevent insects that move regardless of whether the interior lights are on from entering the car through the windows or doors.

[0005] In order to prevent insects moving around the vehicle from entering the interior of the vehicle while the doors and windows are open, it is essentially necessary to guide the insects away from the areas around the vehicle doors and windows to another location.

[0006] The present invention has been proposed to address such circumstances, and aims to prevent insects from entering the vehicle interior by guiding them when the vehicle doors or windows are opened, particularly at night. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve such problems, the vehicle lighting control system of the present invention comprises an interior light that illuminates the interior of the vehicle, an exterior light that illuminates the exterior of the vehicle, and a lighting control unit that controls the interior light and the exterior light, wherein the lighting control unit is capable of setting a special lighting control mode that is different from normal lighting control, and when the special lighting control mode is set, the exterior light is turned on when it detects that a door or window of the vehicle is opened, and the exterior light is turned off when it detects that all of the doors and windows are closed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] A vehicle lighting control system having these characteristics can guide insects and prevent them from entering the vehicle interior when the vehicle doors or windows are opened, especially at night. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle lighting control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a control flow for setting a special lighting control mode in the vehicle lighting control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing a control flow when a door or window is opened in the vehicle lighting control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a control flow of an interior light when an interior light changeover switch is operated in the vehicle lighting control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the control flow when a door or window is opened in the vehicle lighting control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the control flow of the interior lights when the interior light changeover switch is operated in the vehicle lighting control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the control flow when the door and window are opened in the vehicle lighting control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals denote parts having the same functions, and duplicated descriptions in the drawings will be omitted as appropriate.

[0011] The vehicle lighting control system 1 in this embodiment is configured by a plurality of control target devices provided in a vehicle 2 and ECUs (Electronic Control Units) that are control units for these control target devices. The control target devices and the ECUs are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via an in-vehicle network 4 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) and a central gateway (CGW) 3 that serves as a relay device.

[0012] In the vehicle lighting control system 1, information indicating the operating state of the controlled device is output from each ECU to the in-vehicle network 4. Furthermore, each ECU controls the operation of the controlled device based on information from other ECUs acquired from the in-vehicle network 4.

[0013] Each ECU includes a processor, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), which executes various processes. Each ECU also includes volatile storage elements, such as RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily processes data used by the processor, and non-volatile storage elements, such as ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs executed by the processor. Note that some or all of the operations executed by each ECU can also be implemented by hardware, such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

[0014] Using FIG. 1, the ECUs and controlled devices that constitute the vehicle lighting control system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0015] 1 illustrates only the lighting ECU 10, the door ECU 20, the window ECU 30, and the drive ECU 40 among the multiple ECUs, and omits the illustration of the other ECUs. Furthermore, among the multiple control target devices, only the interior light 11, the exterior light 12, the door 21, the window 31, and the drive unit 41 are illustrated, and the illustration of the other control target devices, sensors, etc. In this embodiment, detailed explanations and illustrations of ECUs and control target devices that are not involved in the function and operation of the vehicle lighting control system 1 are omitted, even if they are included in the vehicle lighting control system 1.

[0016] The lighting ECU 10 is a lighting control unit that controls lighting devices such as an interior light 11 and an exterior light 12. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lighting ECU 10 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, and an I / F 104. The lighting ECU 10 controls the interior light 11 and the like by executing various processes based on programs stored in the ROM 102 by the CPU 101. The ROM 102, which is provided as a non-volatile storage element, stores information about other ECUs acquired from the in-vehicle network 4, programs for controlling the interior light 11 and the like based on input from an interior light selector switch 13 (described later), and various data required to execute the programs. In this embodiment, the lighting ECU 10 refers to not only a control unit that directly controls a lighting device, but also a general control unit that can indirectly control a lighting device, such as a BIU (Body Integrated Unit) or other control unit.

[0017] The RAM 103, which is provided as a volatile storage element, is used as a work area when the CPU 101 executes various processes. Therefore, various pieces of information output from the ECUs and the like are temporarily stored in the RAM 103 as needed.

[0018] The I / F 104 controls the input and output of various information and control signals used in the lighting ECU 10. That is, it accepts input of information output from each ECU to the in-vehicle network 4 and information output from the interior light selector switch 13 (described later) and the like. The I / F 104 also outputs control signals generated in the CPU 101 to an output destination according to the control content.

[0019] The CPU 101 controls the interior light 11 and the exterior light 12 in the vehicle lighting control system 1 by loading the program stored in the ROM 102 into a memory such as the RAM 103 and executing the program.

[0020] The interior light 11 is a lighting device provided in the interior of the vehicle 2 to illuminate the interior of the vehicle. The interior light 11 is controlled to be turned on and off by the lighting ECU 10. Specific control of the interior light 11 in the vehicle lighting control system 1 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3 etc.

[0021] The exterior lights 12 are lighting devices provided outside the vehicle 2 to illuminate the outside of the vehicle cabin, such as headlights (not shown) and taillights (not shown). The exterior lights 12 are controlled to be turned on and off by the lighting ECU 10. Specific control of the exterior lights 12 in the vehicle lighting control system 1 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3 etc.

[0022] The interior light selector switch 13 is a switch that switches the lighting mode of the interior light 11. The interior light selector switch 13 can be switched between three states, "AUTO (DOOR)", "ON", and "OFF", by the user, and outputs a signal to the lighting ECU 10 based on the switching state of the switch. The lighting ECU 10 controls the lighting mode of the interior light 11 based on the signal input from the interior light selector switch 13.

[0023] When the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "AUTO (DOOR)" position, the interior light 11 turns on and off in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door 21. Specifically, the interior light 11 turns on when the door 21 is opened, and turns off a predetermined time after the door 21 is closed. The predetermined time is a delay time set for each vehicle from when the door 21 is closed until the interior light 11 is turned off, and is, for example, 15 seconds, 30 seconds, etc. Alternatively, the time may be set by the user.

[0024] When the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "ON" state, the interior light 11 is turned on. When the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "ON" state, unlike the "AUTO (DOOR)" state, the interior light 11 continues to be turned on regardless of whether the door 21 is open or closed.

[0025] When the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "OFF" state, the interior light 11 is turned off. When the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "OFF" state, unlike the "AUTO (DOOR)" state, the interior light 11 remains turned off regardless of whether the door 21 is open or closed.

[0026] The mode switching unit 14 is an operation unit that switches the control mode of the interior light 11 and the exterior light 12 in the lighting ECU 10. By operating the mode switching unit 14, the lighting ECU 10 can switch between a normal lighting control mode in which normal lighting control is performed and a special lighting control mode in which lighting control different from the normal lighting control is performed. The mode switching unit 14 may be a physical button or switch, or may be operable on a touch panel such as a CID.

[0027] The door ECU 20 controls each of the multiple doors 21 provided in the vehicle 2. Specifically, the door 21 is equipped with a door lock mechanism (not shown) for unlocking and locking the door 21 and an actuator (not shown) required for opening and closing the door 21, and the door ECU 20 controls these to open, close, unlock, and lock the door 21.

[0028] Further, the door 21 is provided with a door opening / closing switch 211 that detects whether the door 21 is opened or closed. The door opening / closing switch 211 is provided for each of the multiple doors 21 provided in the vehicle 2. The door ECU 20 detects whether the door 21 is opened or closed by a signal input from the door opening / closing switch 211, and outputs information related to the opening or closing of the door 21 to the in-vehicle network 4. The lighting ECU 10 controls the turning on and off of the interior light 11 and the like based on the information related to the opening or closing of the door input from the door ECU 20 via the in-vehicle network 4. Specific control contents will be described later with reference to FIG. 3 and the like.

[0029] The window ECU 30 controls each of a plurality of windows 31 provided in the vehicle 2. Specifically, the window 31 is equipped with a window opening / closing mechanism 311 including a motor (not shown), a rotary encoder (not shown), a power window switch (not shown), etc., and the window ECU 30 controls the opening and closing of the window 31 by controlling the window opening / closing mechanism 311. The window ECU 30 outputs information relating to the control of the window 31 to the in-vehicle network 4. The lighting ECU 10 controls the turning on and off of the exterior light 12, etc., based on the information relating to the control of the window 31 input from the window ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 4. Specific control content will be described later using FIG. 3 etc.

[0030] The drive ECU 40 controls a drive unit 41 of the vehicle 2. Specifically, the drive unit 41 is configured to include a drive system related to the driving of the vehicle 2, such as an accelerator pedal (not shown), a brake pedal (not shown), and a shift lever (not shown), and the drive ECU 40 controls the driving of the vehicle 2 by controlling the drive unit 41 including these components. The drive ECU 40 outputs information related to the control of the drive unit 41 to the in-vehicle network 4. The lighting ECU 10 determines the setting of the special lighting control mode in operation of the mode switching unit 14, based on the information related to the control of the drive unit 41 input from the drive ECU 40 via the in-vehicle network 4. Specific details will be described later using FIG. 2.

[0031] Next, the setting control of the special lighting control mode of the vehicle lighting control system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] The lighting ECU 10 monitors the operation of the mode switching unit 14 and determines whether a switching operation to the special lighting control mode has been performed (step A01). If it is determined that a switching operation to the special lighting control mode has been performed by the user (step A01—YES), it determines whether the vehicle 2 is stopped (step A02). The lighting ECU 10 determines whether the vehicle 2 is stopped based on information related to the control of the drive unit 41 input from the drive ECU 40 via the in-vehicle network 4. If it is determined that the vehicle 2 is not stopped (step A02—NO), it invalidates the operation of the mode switching unit 14 and ends the series of processes. If it is determined that the vehicle 2 is stopped (step A02—YES), it sets the special lighting control mode (step A03). While the special lighting control mode is set, the lighting ECU 10 controls the interior lights 11 and exterior lights 12 based on the control shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, which will be described later.

[0033] While the special lighting control mode is set, the lighting ECU 10 monitors the operation of the mode switching unit 14 and whether the vehicle 2 is stopped (step A04). If the lighting ECU 10 does not detect the operation of the mode switching unit 14 to switch the special lighting control mode to OFF and determines that the vehicle 2 is stopped based on information related to the control of the drive unit 41 input from the drive ECU 40 via the in-vehicle network 4 (step A04-NO), the lighting ECU 10 continues the special lighting control mode (step A03).

[0034] On the other hand, if the mode switching unit 14 detects an operation to switch the special lighting control mode to OFF, or if it is determined that the vehicle 2 has started moving based on information regarding the control of the drive unit 41 input from the drive ECU 40 via the in-vehicle network 4 (step A04 - YES), the special lighting control mode is turned OFF (step A05), and the series of processes is terminated.

[0035] In this way, in this embodiment, the special lighting control mode can be set by operating the mode switching unit 14 while the vehicle 2 is stopped, and the special lighting control mode is executed until the vehicle 2 starts moving or the special lighting control mode is turned off by the user operating the mode switching unit 14.

[0036] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the control of the interior light 11 and the exterior light 12 by the lighting ECU 10 when the door 21 and the window 31 of the vehicle lighting control system 1 are opened will be described.

[0037] The lighting ECU 10 monitors whether the door 21 and the window 31 are opened (step B01). The opening of the door 21 and the window 31 can be detected based on information input from the door ECU 20 and the window ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 4. When the lighting ECU 10 detects that at least one of the door 21 and the window 31 is opened (step B01—YES), it determines whether the special lighting control mode is set (step B02), and if the special lighting control mode is set (step B02—YES), it turns on the exterior light 12 (step B03).

[0038] Furthermore, if the lighting ECU 10 detects that the door 21 is open in step B01 (step B04—YES), and if the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "AUTO (DOOR)" state (step B05—YES), it turns on the interior light 11 in amber (step B06). The amber light here refers to light with a wavelength of, for example, approximately 500 nm or more, which is outside the range of insect vision. If the lighting ECU 10 does not detect that the door 21 is open in step B01 (step B04—NO) or if the interior light selector switch 13 is not in the "AUTO (DOOR)" state (step B05—NO), the interior light 11 is not turned on.

[0039] After the interior light 11 is turned on, the open doors 21 and windows 31 are monitored for closure (step B07). If all doors 21 and windows 31 are detected as closed (step B07—YES), the interior light 11 and exterior light 12 are turned off (step B08), and the process ends. If no open door 21 is detected in step B01 (step B04—NO), after all windows 31 are detected as closed (step B11—YES), the exterior light 12 is turned off (step B10), and the process ends. If the interior light selector switch 13 is not in the "AUTO (DOOR)" position (step B05—NO), after all doors 21 and windows 31 are detected as closed (step B09—YES), the exterior light 12 is turned off (step B10), and the process ends.

[0040] On the other hand, even if the opening of the door 21 and window 31 is detected (step B01—YES), if the special lighting control mode is not set (step B02—NO), control such as turning on the exterior light 12 or turning on the interior light 11 in amber is not performed. That is, if the door opening detected in step B01 is only the window 31 (step B12—NO), the interior light 11 and exterior light 12 are not turned on, and the series of processes is terminated. Also, if the opening of the door 21 is detected in step B01 (step B12—YES), only the lighting control of the interior light 11 based on the state of the interior light selector switch 13 described above is executed (step B13), and the series of processes is terminated.

[0041] 3, insects can be attracted to the light of the exterior light 12 when the door 21 of the vehicle 2 is opened or the window 31 is opened for ventilation, particularly at night, and it is possible to prevent insects from entering the interior of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, by turning on the interior light 11 in amber light, which is in a wavelength range that is invisible to insects, it is possible to prevent insects from entering the interior of the vehicle 2 due to the interior light 11 being turned on, even if the door 21 is opened and the interior light 11 is turned on when the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "AUTO (DOOR)" position.

[0042] The illumination of amber light when the interior light 11 is turned on may be achieved by switching the light emission of the light-emitting element of the interior light 11 between normal light emission and amber light emission, or by deploying a filter that covers the interior light 11 and does not transmit light in the wavelength range visible to insects.

[0043] Next, the control of the interior light 11 by the lighting ECU 10 when the interior light selector switch 13 is operated in the vehicle lighting control system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In addition to the control of the interior light 11 and the exterior light 12 based on the opening and closing of the door 21 and the window 31 described with reference to Fig. 3, the vehicle lighting control system 1 may perform the following control described with reference to Fig. 4.

[0044] The lighting ECU 10 monitors whether the interior light selector switch 13 is switched to the "ON" state (step C01). If the lighting ECU 10 detects that the interior light selector switch 13 has been switched to the "ON" state (step C01 - YES), it determines whether the special lighting control mode is set (step C02). If the special lighting control mode is set (step C02 - YES), it turns on the interior light 11 in amber (step C03). If the special lighting control mode is not set (step C02 - NO), it turns on the interior light 11 normally (step C04).

[0045] Thereafter, if the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "ON" state, the interior light 11 continues to be lit (step C05 - YES), and if an operation to switch the interior light selector switch 13 from the "ON" state to another state is detected (step C05 - NO), the interior light 11 is turned off (step C06).

[0046] 4, when the special lighting control mode is set, the lighting ECU 10 turns on the interior light 11 by switching the interior light selector switch 13 to the "ON" state in amber light (for example, light with a wavelength range of approximately 500 nm or more) that is invisible to insects. This prevents insects from being attracted to the vehicle 2 by the lighting of the interior light 11, and further reduces the possibility of insects entering the vehicle interior when the door 21 and window 31 are opened.

[0047] Next, a description will be given of a vehicle lighting control system 1A, which is a modified example of the vehicle lighting control system 1. In the description of the vehicle lighting control system 1A, some explanations will be omitted for parts that overlap with the explanation of the vehicle lighting control system 1. The configuration of the vehicle lighting control system 1A is similar to that of the vehicle lighting control system 1 shown in FIG. 1, and therefore the explanation will be omitted.

[0048] Using FIG. 5, the control of the interior light 11 and the exterior light 12 by the lighting ECU 10 in the vehicle lighting control system 1A when the door 21 and the window 31 are opened will be described.

[0049] The lighting ECU 10 monitors whether the door 21 and the window 31 are opened (step D01). The opening of the door 21 and the window 31 can be detected based on information input from the door ECU 20 and the window ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 4. When the lighting ECU 10 detects that at least one of the door 21 and the window 31 is opened (step D01—YES), the lighting ECU 10 determines whether the special lighting control mode is set (step D02), and if the special lighting control mode is set (step D02—YES), the lighting ECU 10 turns on the exterior light 12 (step D03).

[0050] Furthermore, if the lighting ECU 10 detects that the door 21 is open in step D01 (step D04—YES) and the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "AUTO (DOOR)" state (step D05—YES), it turns on the interior light 11 at a brightness lower than normal (step D06). It is desirable that the brightness of the interior light 11 be at least lower than the brightness of the exterior light 12. If the lighting ECU 10 does not detect that the door 21 is open in step D01 (step D04—NO) or if the interior light selector switch 13 is not in the "AUTO (DOOR)" state (step D05—NO), it does not turn on the interior light 11.

[0051] After the interior light 11 is turned on, the system monitors whether the open doors 21 and windows 31 are closed (step D07). If it detects that all doors 21 and windows 31 are closed (step D07—YES), it turns off the interior light 11 and the exterior light 12 (step D08), and terminates the series of processes. If it detects that no door 21 is open in step D01 (step D04—NO), it detects that all windows 31 are closed (step D11—YES), and then it turns off the exterior light 12 (step D10), and terminates the series of processes. Also, if the interior light selector switch 13 is not in the "AUTO (DOOR)" position (step D05—NO), it detects that all doors 21 and windows 31 are closed (step D09—YES), and then it turns off the exterior light 12 (step D10), and terminates the series of processes.

[0052] On the other hand, even if the opening of the door 21 and window 31 is detected (step D01—YES), if the special lighting control mode is not set (step D02—NO), control such as turning on the exterior light 12 or turning on the interior light 11 at low brightness is not performed. That is, if the door opening detected in step D01 is only the window 31 (step D12—NO), the interior light 11 and exterior light 12 are not turned on, and the series of processes is terminated. Also, if the opening of the door 21 is detected in step D01 (step D12—YES), only the lighting control of the interior light 11 based on the normal state of the interior light selector switch 13 described above is executed (step D13), and the series of processes is terminated.

[0053] By executing the control described above with reference to Figure 5, insects can be attracted to the light of the exterior light 12 when the door 21 of the vehicle 2 is opened or the window 31 is opened for ventilation, particularly at night, and it is possible to prevent insects from entering the interior of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, by turning on the interior light 11 at a brightness lower than normal, insects are less likely to approach compared to when the interior light 11 is turned on normally. As a result, even if the door 21 is opened and the interior light 11 is turned on when the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "AUTO (DOOR)" position, it is possible to prevent insects from entering the interior of the vehicle 2 due to the interior light 11 being turned on.

[0054] Next, the control of the interior lights 11 by the lighting ECU 10 of the vehicle lighting control system 1A when the interior light selector switch 13 is operated will be described with reference to Fig. 6. The vehicle lighting control system 1A may perform the following control, which will be described with reference to Fig. 6, in addition to the control of the interior lights 11 and the exterior lights 12 based on the opening and closing of the doors 21 and windows 31, which has been described with reference to Fig. 5.

[0055] The lighting ECU 10 monitors whether the interior light selector switch 13 is switched to the "ON" state (step E01). If the lighting ECU 10 detects that the interior light selector switch 13 has been switched to the "ON" state (step E01-YES), it determines whether the special lighting control mode is set (step E02). If the special lighting control mode is set (step E02-YES), it turns on the interior light 11 at low brightness (step E03). If the special lighting control mode is not set (step E02-NO), it turns on the interior light 11 normally (step E04).

[0056] Thereafter, if the interior light selector switch 13 is in the "ON" state, the interior light 11 continues to be lit (step E05--YES), and if an operation to switch the interior light selector switch 13 from the "ON" state to another state is detected (step E05--NO), the interior light 11 is turned off (step E06).

[0057] 6, when the special lighting control mode is set, the lighting ECU 10 turns on the interior light 11 at low brightness even when the interior light selector switch 13 is switched to the "ON" state. This makes it possible to prevent insects from being attracted to the periphery of the vehicle 2 by turning on the interior light 11, and to prevent insects from entering the vehicle interior when the door 21 and window 31 are opened, compared to when the interior light 11 is turned on at normal brightness.

[0058] Furthermore, when the interior light 11 is turned on at a low brightness in step E3, the exterior light 12 may be turned on in synchronization with the turning on of the interior light 11. At this time, it is desirable that the brightness of the exterior light 12 is at least higher than the brightness of the interior light 11. By turning on the exterior light 12 in synchronization with turning on the interior light 11 in step E03, insects can be attracted to the exterior light 12, and it is possible to further prevent insects from entering the vehicle interior when the door 21 and window 31 are opened. If the exterior light 12 is turned on, the exterior light 12 is also turned off when the interior light 11 is turned off in step E06.

[0059] Next, a description will be given of a vehicle lighting control system 1B, which is a modified example of the vehicle lighting control system 1. In the description of the vehicle lighting control system 1B, some explanations will be omitted for parts that overlap with the explanation of the vehicle lighting control system 1. The configuration of the vehicle lighting control system 1B is the same as that of the vehicle lighting control system 1 shown in FIG. 1, and therefore the explanation will be omitted.

[0060] Using FIG. 7, the control of the interior light 11 and the exterior light 12 by the lighting ECU 10 in the vehicle lighting control system 1B when the door 21 and the window 31 are opened will be described.

[0061] The lighting ECU 10 monitors whether the door 21 and the window 31 are opened (step F01). The opening of the door 21 and the window 31 can be detected based on information input from the door ECU 20 and the window ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 4. When the lighting ECU 10 detects that at least one of the door 21 and the window 31 is opened (step F01-YES), the lighting ECU 10 determines whether the special lighting control mode is set (step F02), and if the special lighting control mode is set (step F02-YES), the lighting ECU 10 turns on the exterior light 12 (step F03).

[0062] When the lighting ECU 10 turns on the exterior light 12, it restricts the interior light 11 from being turned on (step F04). When the interior light 11 is restricted, the interior light 11 is turned off regardless of the state of the interior light selector switch 13. Thereafter, the lighting ECU 10 monitors whether the open doors 21 and windows 31 are closed (step F05), and when it detects that all the doors 21 and windows 31 are closed (step F05-YES), it turns off the exterior light 12 and cancels the restriction on the interior light 11 from being turned on (step F06), thereby completing the series of processes.

[0063] On the other hand, even if the opening of the door 21 and window 31 is detected (step F01—YES), if the special lighting control mode is not set (step F02—NO), no control is performed, such as turning on the exterior light 12 or restricting the lighting of the interior light 11. That is, if the door opening detected in step F01 is only the window 31 (step F07—NO), the interior light 11 and exterior light 12 are not turned on, and the series of processes is terminated. Also, if the opening of the door 21 is detected in step F01 (step F07—YES), only the lighting control of the interior light 11 based on the normal state of the interior light selector switch 13 described above is executed (step F08), and the series of processes is terminated.

[0064] 7, insects can be attracted to the light of the exterior light 12 when the door 21 of the vehicle 2 is opened or the window 31 is opened for ventilation, particularly at night, and it is possible to prevent insects from entering the interior of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, by restricting the lighting of the interior light 11 while the door 21 and the window 31 are open, it is possible to prevent insects from entering the interior of the vehicle 2 due to the lighting of the interior light 11.

[0065] In the present embodiment, the lighting ECU 10 acquires information relating to the traveling of the vehicle 2 from the drive ECU 40 and controls the vehicle lighting control system. However, instead of the drive ECU 40, the lighting ECU 10 may acquire information relating to traveling from a VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) that uses sensors to monitor the driver's vehicle operation and the vehicle movement and control the vehicle lighting control system.

[0066] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the described embodiments, and the present invention also includes design changes and the like within the scope of the present invention that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1, 1A, 1B: Vehicle lighting control system, 2: Vehicle, 3: CGW, 4: In-vehicle network, 10: Lighting ECU, 11: Interior light, 12: Exterior light, 13: Interior light selector switch, 14: Mode switching section, 20: Door ECU, 21: Door, 30: Window ECU, 31: Window, 40: Drive ECU, 41: Drive unit, 101: CPU, 102: ROM, 103: RAM, 104: I / F, 211: Door opening / closing switch, 311: Window opening / closing mechanism

Claims

1. Interior lights that illuminate the interior of the vehicle; exterior lights that illuminate the exterior of the vehicle; a lighting control unit that controls the interior light and the exterior light, The lighting control unit It is possible to set special lighting control modes that are different from normal lighting control. When the special lighting control mode is set, When detecting that a door or window of the vehicle is opened, the exterior light is turned on; When it is detected that all the doors and windows are closed, the exterior light is turned off. Vehicle lighting control system.

2. When the special lighting control mode is set, The lighting control unit When the switch for switching the lighting mode of the interior light is in an on state, or when the switch for switching the lighting mode of the interior light is in a door interlocking state and the door is being opened, The indoor light is turned on with light having a wavelength range outside the wavelength range visible to insects. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 .

3. When the special lighting control mode is set, The lighting control unit When the switch for switching the lighting mode of the interior light is in an on state, or when the switch for switching the lighting mode of the interior light is in a door interlocking state and the door is being opened, and turning on the indoor light by deploying a filter that does not transmit light in a wavelength range visible to insects covering the indoor light. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 .

4. When the special lighting control mode is set, The lighting control unit When the switch for switching the lighting mode of the interior light is in an on state, or when the switch for switching the lighting mode of the interior light is in a door interlocking state and the door is being opened, turning on the interior light at a luminance lower than that in the normal lighting control; The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 .

5. When the special lighting control mode is set, The lighting control unit When the opening of the door or the window is detected, the lighting of the interior light is restricted. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 .

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