Lighting control device and lighting control system

Abstract

To provide a lighting control device and lighting control system capable of illuminating the area around a railway vehicle. [Solution] A lighting control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an acquisition unit that acquires position information relating to the current position of a railway vehicle from an external source, and a control unit that controls a plurality of forward light emitting units, each provided around the left and right marker lights on the front of the railway vehicle and having an optical axis in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle from the direction of travel of the railway vehicle, to light up or turn off based on the position information of the railway vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting control device and a lighting control system for controlling a marker light of a railway vehicle, for example.

Background Art

[0007] A lighting control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an acquisition unit and a control unit. The above acquisition unit acquires location information regarding the current position of the railway vehicle from an external source. The control unit controls a plurality of forward light-emitting units, each provided around the left and right marker lights on the front of the railway vehicle and having an optical axis in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle from the direction of travel of the railway vehicle, to turn on or off based on the position information of the railway vehicle.

[0008] The above acquisition unit further acquires illumination information around the railway vehicle from an external source. The control unit may turn on or off the plurality of forward light-emitting units based on the illuminance information.

[0009] The acquisition unit may acquire illuminance information from an illuminance detection unit provided on the railway vehicle that detects the illuminance around the railway vehicle.

[0010] The system further comprises a determination unit that determines whether the railway vehicle is located in a predetermined area based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, The control unit may illuminate the plurality of forward light emitters when the railway vehicle is located in a predetermined area.

[0011] The aforementioned designated area may be at least one of the area on the curved track, the designated area before the curved track, or the designated area before the arrival station.

[0012] One of the above-mentioned multiple forward-emitting units may have an optical axis that is diagonally forward to the right with respect to the direction of travel of the railway vehicle, while the other may have an optical axis that is diagonally forward to the left with respect to the direction of travel of the railway vehicle.

[0013] The plurality of front light emitting units may be provided such that their optical axes intersect with each other.

[0014] The lighting control system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of front light emitting units and a lighting control device. The plurality of front light emitting units are provided around each of the left and right marker lights on the front surface of the railway vehicle and have optical axes in a direction inclined by a predetermined angle from the traveling direction of the railway vehicle. The lighting control device has an acquisition unit that acquires position information regarding the current position of the railway vehicle from the outside, and a control unit that controls lighting or extinguishing based on the position information of the railway vehicle.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the surroundings of the railway vehicle can be illuminated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a front view of a railway vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of a lighting control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a view showing the whole marker light. [Figure 4] It is a view of the marker light seen from above, (A) is a view showing the whole marker light, (B) is a view showing the tail light, and (C) is a view showing the front light emitting unit. [Figure 5] It is a view showing the direction in which the front light emitting unit emits light. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart of a lighting control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a view showing the direction in which the front light emitting unit according to the modification emits light. [Figure 8] It is a block diagram of a lighting control system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a front view of a railway vehicle T according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a lighting control system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view showing the entire marker lamp H, FIG. 4 is a view of the marker lamp H seen from above, (A) is a view showing the entire marker lamp H, (B) is a view showing the tail lamp H1, and (C) is a view showing the front light emitting portion H3. Further, FIG. 5 is a view showing the direction in which the front light emitting portion H3 emits light. In the drawings, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis indicate three mutually orthogonal axial directions, and the Y-axis corresponds to the optical axis direction of the lighting control device 10.

[0019] [Lighting Control System] The lighting control device 10 of the present embodiment is provided, for example, in a railway vehicle T. The lighting control system 100 includes a lighting device S, a lighting control device 10, a position information collection unit 20, and an illuminance detection unit 30. The lighting control device 10 has an acquisition unit 11, a determination unit 12, a control unit 13, and a storage unit 14. In the present embodiment, a railway vehicle T will be described. The railway vehicle T travels on a track R which is a fixed track.

[0020] (Lighting Device) In the present embodiment, the lighting device S is attached in a pair on the left and right at an arbitrary position in the front part of the leading vehicle of the railway vehicle T with the optical axis direction (the positive direction of the Y-axis) facing forward (see FIG. 1). FIG. 3 shows one of the pair of lighting devices S. <*

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the lighting device S has a marker lamp H and a base member B that commonly supports the marker lamp H. The lighting device S is provided with a glass G for protecting the marker lamp H from the outside on the front surface of the marker lamp H.

[0022] The marker lamp H has a tail lamp H1 that functions as a tail lamp, a first headlamp H2 that functions as a headlamp, and a second headlamp H3 (front light emitting portion) that functions as a headlamp.

[0023] In this embodiment, multiple light source modules M1 to M3 are used for the taillight H1, the first headlight H2, and the second headlight H3, but their number and arrangement are not particularly limited. That is, the number of light source modules M1 and M3 for the taillight H1 and the second headlight H3 may be 4 or more, or 2 or less. Also, the number of light source modules M2 for the first headlight H2 may be 7 or more, or 5 or less. Furthermore, the arrangement of the taillight H1 and the second headlight H3 may be reversed vertically (in the Z-axis direction).

[0024] The aforementioned marker lights H are mounted on a base member B with their optical axis approximately oriented towards the positive direction of the Y-axis. The base member B has a first base plate B1 that supports the taillight H1, a second base plate B2 that supports the first headlight H2, and a third base plate B3 that supports the second headlight H3, and is mounted on the body of the railway vehicle T. The first to third base plates B1 to B3 are each made of bent and pressed metal plates such as aluminum alloy or stainless steel.

[0025] The first base plate B1 supports the first headlight H1 (three light source modules M1 and the first power supply unit D1 (described later)). The first base plate B1 has a first support surface B11 parallel to the XZ plane and a pair of second support surfaces B12 perpendicular to the XZ plane, connected to the first support surface B11, and extending in the positive direction of the Y axis. As shown in Figure 4(B), the three light source modules M1 are mounted on the direction of travel side (positive direction in the Y axis direction) of the first support surface B11 and housed in the housing space formed by the first support surface B11 and the second support surfaces B12.

[0026] The optical axis C1 of the light source module M1 of the taillight H1 is mounted on the first base plate B1 so as to be parallel to the direction of travel (Y-axis direction) of the railway vehicle T. The light source module M1 includes, although not shown, a light-emitting element, a light source lens, etc. The taillight H1 also has a first power supply unit D1 for emitting light from the light-emitting element, and this first power supply unit D1 is located on the opposite side from the light source module M1.

[0027] The second base plate B2 is a plate material parallel to the XZ plane and is positioned on the positive Y-axis side of the first base plate B1. The first headlight H1 is mounted on the negative Y-axis side of the second base plate B2. The second base plate B2 is cut out in the position opposite the light source module M2 of the first headlight H2 to prevent the light emitted from the light source module M2 from being blocked by the second base plate B2. The optical axis of the first headlight H1 is mounted on the second base plate B2 so that it is parallel to the direction of travel (Y-axis direction) of the railway vehicle T, similar to the optical axis C1 of the taillight H1.

[0028] The third base plate B3 supports the second headlight H3 (three light source modules M3 and a third power supply unit D3 (described later)). The third base plate B3 has a first support surface B31 extending in the Z-axis direction and a pair of second support surfaces B32 that are perpendicular to the XZ plane, connected to the first support surface B11, and extend in the Y-axis direction. As shown in Figure 4(C), the first support surface B31 is provided so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle from a direction parallel to the Y-axis direction (the direction of travel of the railway vehicle T). Here, the first support surface B31 is inclined by an angle K from a plane parallel to the XZ plane, and the angle K is approximately 8 degrees in this embodiment, but is of course not limited to this. As shown in Figure 4(C), three light source modules M3 are attached to the direction of travel side (positive direction in the Y-axis direction) of the first support surface B31 and housed in the accommodation space formed by the first support surface B31 and the second support surface B32.

[0029] The optical axis C3 of the light source module M3 of the second headlight H3 is inclined at a predetermined angle from the direction of travel (Y-axis direction) of the railway vehicle T. In other words, the optical axis C3 of the light source module M3 is inclined by an angle K from the Y-axis direction by being mounted perpendicular to the first support surface B31 which is inclined at a predetermined angle. The light source module M3 includes, although not shown, a light-emitting element, a light source lens, etc. Alternatively, it has a third power supply unit D3 for emitting light from the light-emitting element, and this third power supply unit D3 is provided on the opposite side of the first support surface B31 from the light source module M3.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3-5, the two second headlights H3 have optical axes that illuminate diagonally to the left and diagonally to the right relative to the direction of travel, and the second headlights H3 are installed so that their optical axes intersect with each other. In this embodiment, the second headlights H3 are installed so that their optical axes intersect with each other, but of course, this is not the only option. The second headlight H3 installed on the left side of the railway vehicle T may be installed so that it emits light diagonally to the left and diagonally to the left, and the second headlight H3 installed on the right side of the railway vehicle T may be installed so that it emits light diagonally to the right and diagonally to the front (the optical axes may be installed in a figure-eight shape).

[0031] (Location Information Collection Unit) In this embodiment, the location information collection unit 20 is located inside the railway vehicle T, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, but it is not limited to this and may be located outside the railway vehicle T. The location information collection unit 20 is composed of a well-known server device (server computer) and has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, a storage device such as a hard disk, a communication interface, etc.

[0032] The location information collection unit 20 communicates with the lighting control device 10, which will be described later, via a communication line such as a wireless LAN or a network such as the Internet. The location information collection unit 20 acquires or calculates location information regarding the current position of the railway vehicle T and outputs that location information to the lighting control device 10. The location information collection unit 20 may calculate the current position of the railway vehicle T based on the distance traveled by the railway vehicle T (calculated based on the wheel diameter and wheel rotation speed of the railway vehicle T), or it may acquire information regarding the current position of the railway vehicle T using a satellite positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System). Furthermore, the location information collection unit 20 is not limited to satellite positioning systems, and may also acquire location information from a higher-level device that manages vehicle position information (a monitoring device in the driver's cab), ground beacons on the tracks, and signal information from yaw rate sensors, gyro sensors, acceleration sensors, etc.

[0033] The location information collection unit 20 may also output weather information for the current location of the railway vehicle T to the lighting control device 10. Here, weather information includes relative humidity, temperature, and weather conditions (sunny, rainy, etc.) at the current location of the railway vehicle T.

[0034] (Illuminance detection unit) The illuminance detection unit 30 detects the illuminance around the railway vehicle T. The illuminance detection unit 30 includes a light-receiving element such as a photodiode that outputs a current corresponding to the amount of light incident on the illuminance detection unit 30, and a signal generation circuit that generates a signal based on the output of the light-receiving element.

[0035] The illuminance detection unit 30 outputs the signal generated as described above to the lighting control device 10 as a signal (illuminance information) indicating the illuminance around the railway vehicle T.

[0036] (Illumination control device) The illuminance control device 10 has an acquisition unit 11. The acquisition unit 11 acquires location information regarding the current position of the railway vehicle T from the location information collection unit 20 described above, and acquires illuminance information regarding the illuminance around the railway vehicle T from the illuminance detection unit 30 described above.

[0037] The illumination control device 10 has a determination unit 12. The determination unit 12 has a first determination unit 121 (determination unit) and a second determination unit 122.

[0038] The first determination unit 121 determines whether the railway vehicle T is located in a predetermined area.

[0039] In other words, the first determination unit 121 determines whether the current position of the railway vehicle T, acquired by the acquisition unit 11, is located in a predetermined area stored in the storage unit 14, which will be described later.

[0040] Here, the predetermined area is at least one of the region R1 on the curved track and the predetermined region R2 before the curved track.

[0041] For curved tracks, the curved area can be defined, for example, based on the position of curve markers or tapering markers. The predetermined area R2 before the curved track is, for example, the area 50m to 100m before the position of the curve marker or tapering marker where the curve begins, but it is of course not limited to the range described above.

[0042] The second determination unit 122 determines whether the illuminance around the railway vehicle T has remained below a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time or longer. In other words, the second determination unit 122 determines whether the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection unit 30 is below a predetermined illuminance level. Furthermore, the second determination unit 122 determines whether the illuminance below the predetermined illuminance level has remained below a predetermined level for a predetermined period of time or longer (for example, 5 minutes or more).

[0043] This second determination unit 122 can determine whether it is dark around the railway vehicle T. In other words, even if an object momentarily obstructs the illumination detection unit 30 and the illumination falls below a predetermined value, it can be determined that there is no need to turn on the second headlight H3.

[0044] The control unit 13 controls a plurality of second headlights (forward light emitters) H3, which are provided around each of the left and right marker lights H on the front of the railway vehicle T and have optical axes in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle from the direction of travel of the railway vehicle T, to turn on or off based on the position information of the railway vehicle T.

[0045] Based on the determination result of the first determination unit 121 described above, the control unit 13 turns on the second headlight H3 if it determines that the railway vehicle T is located in a predetermined area. At this time, the control unit 13 turns on at least one of the second headlights H3 based on the information stored in the storage unit 14, which is linked to the predetermined area, regarding which of the left or right second headlights H3 to turn on.

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 13 may control the second headlight H3 to turn on or off based on the determination result of the second determination unit 122, in addition to the determination result of the first determination unit 121.

[0047] In other words, based on the determination result of the first determination unit 121, the control unit 13 turns on the second headlight H3 if the railway vehicle T is located in a predetermined area and, based on the determination result of the second determination unit 122, the illuminance around the railway vehicle T remains below a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time or longer.

[0048] The lighting control device 10 has a storage unit 14. As described above, the storage unit 14 stores location information and illuminance levels for a predetermined area. The storage unit 14 also stores information such as which of the left or right marker lights H (second headlight H3) should be illuminated, linking it to the location information of the predetermined area. It is composed of a storage device such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk drive, and stores programs and calculation parameters for executing various functions such as the control unit 13.

[0049] (Flowchart for lighting control device) Figure 6 is a flowchart relating to the lighting control device 10. In this flowchart, the railway vehicle T is positioned in a predetermined area before a curve (see Figure 5).

[0050] First, the acquisition unit 11 acquires location information regarding the current location of the railway vehicle T from the location information collection unit 20 (S101).

[0051] Next, the first determination unit 121 determines whether the position of the railway vehicle T is within a predetermined area (S102). Here, the predetermined area is a predetermined region in front of the curved track, as shown in Figure 4. In other words, the first determination unit 121 determines whether it is an area where the second headlight H3 needs to be turned on.

[0052] Next, if the railway vehicle T is located within a predetermined area (YES in S102), the second determination unit 122 determines whether the illuminance around the railway vehicle T has remained below a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time or longer (S103). In other words, the second determination unit 122 determines whether it is dark enough to require the second headlight H3 to be turned on.

[0053] Next, if the second determination unit 122 determines that the illuminance around the railway vehicle T has remained below a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time or longer (YES in S103), the control unit 13 turns on the second headlight H3 (S104). The control unit 13 turns on the second headlight H3 based on information stored in association with the location information of a predetermined area, such as which of the left or right second headlight H3 to turn on (in the case of Figure 5, the left second headlight H3).

[0054] This allows the area around the railway vehicle T to be illuminated.

[0055] In other words, conventionally, the only marker lights installed on a railway vehicle T were the taillight H1 and the first headlight H2. Since the taillight H1 and the first headlight H2 had optical axes parallel to the direction of travel, they could not illuminate the track beyond a curve.

[0056] However, in this embodiment, by providing a second headlight H3 as a marker light H, in which the optical axis C3 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of travel, it becomes possible to emit light towards the tracks beyond the curve when the railway vehicle T turns a curve, making it easier to notice, for example, objects intruding onto the tracks.

[0057] Furthermore, since the second headlight H3 does not emit light outside the designated area, it is possible to suppress light leakage to houses and other buildings located outside the railway tracks.

[0058] Furthermore, because information such as which of the left or right second headlights (H3) should be illuminated is pre-associated and stored with location information for a predetermined area, it is possible to suppress light leakage to houses and other structures outside the railway tracks, as mentioned above.

[0059] Furthermore, the second determination unit 122 determines whether the illuminance level is below a predetermined level. This makes it possible to control the emission of light when the surroundings are bright and there is no need to emit light, such as during the daytime, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0060] Furthermore, the second determination unit 122 determines whether the state of being below a predetermined illuminance level continues for a predetermined time or longer. As a result, even if an object momentarily crosses in front of the illuminance detection unit 30 and the illuminance level drops, the second headlight H3 does not need to be turned on, thereby suppressing unnecessary power consumption.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second headlight H3 is installed so that its optical axis intersects with the other headlight. This prevents the light emitted from the second headlight H3 from being blocked by the body of the railway vehicle T located outside of it.

[0062] In this embodiment, the second headlight H3 was activated based on whether the illumination level remained below a predetermined level for a predetermined time or longer, as determined by the second determination unit 122. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the second headlight H3 may also be activated based solely on the determination result of the first determination unit 121 (for example, whether the predetermined area is before a tunnel). This allows the headlight to be illuminated and the surrounding area brightened even in situations where immediate illumination is desired, such as inside a tunnel with a curve.

[0063] Furthermore, the driver may use a switch in the driver's cab to initiate the activation of the cornering light mode, which controls whether the second headlight H3 is illuminated or not. In other words, even during the daytime, if there is a curve immediately after entering a tunnel, the driver can give instructions in advance from the driver's cab.

[0064] <Variation> In the above embodiment, the second headlight H3 was turned on at the moment the railway vehicle T entered the curved track, but of course, it is not limited to this, and the light may be emitted towards the platform P of the station to which the vehicle is arriving. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the direction in which the forward light emission unit H3, according to the modified example, emits light. Hereinafter, the explanation of parts that are the same as the configuration and operation of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified, and the explanation will focus on the parts that differ from the first embodiment.

[0065] The first determination unit 121 may determine whether the railway vehicle T is located in an area R3 from which light can be emitted onto the platform P of the station it is arriving at. Here, area R3 is For example, the area could be defined as a 100-meter radius starting from 50 meters before platform P at a train station, but it is certainly not limited to this.

[0066] Based on the determination results of the first determination unit 121 and the second determination unit 122 described above, the control unit 13 turns on the second headlight H3 if the railway vehicle T is located in area R3 from which it can emit light onto the platform of the station where the railway vehicle T is arriving. Here, the memory unit 14 also stores information such as which of the left or right second headlight H3 should be turned on, in relation to area R3 from which it can emit light onto the platform of the arriving station. This allows light to be emitted onto the platform of the arriving station, which has become dark (the right second headlight H3 in Figure 7).

[0067] <Second Embodiment> In the embodiments described above, the presence or absence of illumination was determined by the position of the railway vehicle T and the ambient brightness, but of course, it is not limited to this, and the lights may be turned on when an object is detected on the tracks. Figure 8 is a block diagram of the lighting control system 100' according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the explanation of parts that are the same as the configuration and operation of the first embodiment will be omitted or simplified, and the explanation will focus on the parts that differ from the first embodiment.

[0068] The lighting control system 100' further includes an imaging unit 40', and the determination unit 12' of the lighting control device 10' further includes a third determination unit 123.

[0069] The imaging unit 40' is mounted on the front of the railway vehicle T and is capable of continuously capturing images of the area in front of the railway vehicle T as it moves.

[0070] Furthermore, the third determination unit 123 determines whether there is an obstacle in the direction of travel of the railway vehicle T based on the captured image taken by the imaging unit 40'.

[0071] In other words, the third determination unit 123 recognizes the two rails and the sleepers between them if there are no obstacles on the track, but if there are obstacles on the track, at least a portion of the rails or sleepers will be covered by the obstacles. Based on this, the third determination unit 123 determines whether or not there are obstacles.

[0072] Based on the determination result of the third determination unit 123, the control unit 13 illuminates the second headlight H3 if it determines that an obstacle is present. This allows the driver to quickly recognize the obstacle.

[0073] In this embodiment, the imaging unit 40 is provided at the front of the railway vehicle T, but it is not limited to this and may be provided at the rear of the railway vehicle T. This makes it easier to detect obstacles located behind the vehicle in the direction of travel, and makes it easier to notify following vehicles in advance.

[0074] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third determination unit 123 determined the presence or absence of an obstacle, but of course, it is not limited to this, and may also determine whether or not there is another railway vehicle on an adjacent track. In this case, if it is determined that there is an oncoming vehicle, control may be implemented to prevent the second headlight H3 from turning on. This makes it possible to prevent oncoming vehicles from being dazzled by the light.

[0075] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 10…Lighting control device 11…Acquisition part 12...Judgment section 13…Control Unit 14...Storage section 20…Location Information Collection Unit 30... Illuminance detection unit 40…Imaging Unit 100…Lighting control system H1…tail light H2...First headlight H3...Second headlight T... Railway vehicles

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires location information regarding the current position of a railway vehicle from an external source, A control unit controls a plurality of forward light-emitting units, each provided around the left and right marker lights on the front of the railway vehicle and having an optical axis inclined at a predetermined angle from the direction of travel of the railway vehicle, to turn on or off based on the position information of the railway vehicle. A lighting control device equipped with the following:

2. A lighting control device according to claim 1, The acquisition unit further acquires illumination information around the railway vehicle from an external source. The control unit turns on or off the plurality of forward light-emitting units based on the illuminance information. Lighting control device.

3. A lighting control device according to claim 2, The acquisition unit acquires illuminance information from an illuminance detection unit provided on the railway vehicle that detects the illuminance around the railway vehicle. Lighting control device.

4. A lighting control device according to claim 1, The acquisition unit acquires information regarding the rotation speed of the railway vehicle's wheels or current location information based on signals from a satellite positioning system. Lighting control device.

5. A lighting control device according to claim 1, The system further comprises a determination unit that determines whether the railway vehicle is located in a predetermined area based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit, The control unit illuminates the plurality of forward light emitters when the railway vehicle is located in a predetermined area. Lighting control device.

6. A lighting control device according to claim 5, The aforementioned predetermined area is at least one of the following: an area on the curved track, a predetermined area before the curved track, or a predetermined area before the arrival station. Lighting control device.

7. A lighting control device according to claim 1, One of the plurality of forward light-emitting units has an optical axis that is diagonally forward to the right with respect to the direction of travel of the railway vehicle, and the other has an optical axis that is diagonally forward to the left with respect to the direction of travel of the railway vehicle. Lighting control device.

8. A lighting control device according to claim 7, The plurality of forward light-emitting units are arranged so that their optical axes intersect with each other. Lighting control device.

9. Multiple forward-facing light-emitting units are provided around each of the left and right marker lights on the front of the railway vehicle, and have optical axes in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle from the direction of travel of the railway vehicle. A lighting control device having an acquisition unit that acquires location information regarding the current position of the railway vehicle from an external source, and a control unit that controls the lighting to turn on or off based on the location information of the railway vehicle. A lighting control system equipped with the following features.

Images