Vehicular lamp and vehicle

Abstract

The present invention comprises a radar device (101) that: is configured to emit light from a light source (3a), which is provided inside an exterior cover (2), to the outside of the exterior cover (2); and has an antenna (5) which is provided inside the exterior cover (2), emits a radio wave to the outside of the exterior cover (2), and receives a reflected wave resulting from reflection of the emitted radio wave by an object. The antenna (5) is installed at a position where light emitted from the light source (3a) passes before the light is emitted to the outside of the exterior cover (2), and is configured to allow transmission therethrough of light from the light source.

Description

Vehicle lighting fixture and vehicle

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp and a vehicle.

[0002] Radar devices using high frequencies such as millimeter waves are used as sensors for detecting objects around a vehicle, such as objects ahead, to prevent automobile collisions or for autonomous driving. A proposal has been made to install such radar devices inside a vehicle lamp. Installing a laser device inside a vehicle lamp can cause design issues, such as making the radar device visible from the outside. To address this issue, a vehicle lamp has been proposed in which a light guide plate is installed between the front cover of the lamp and the radar device, and the light guide plate emits light from a light source, making the installation location of the radar device appear as if it were a lamp (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] JP 2008-186741 A JP 2015-135301 A

[0004] In the vehicle lamp equipped with a radar device disclosed in Patent Document 1, radio waves pass through two components: a light guide plate and a front cover, which are arranged in the direction of the radar device's radio wave emission. When radio waves pass through an object, noise occurs due to power loss or reflection, which reduces the signal-to-noise ratio of the radio waves and reduces the accuracy of the detection distance, resulting in poor detection accuracy. For this reason, it is desirable to minimize the number of components through which radio waves pass. Furthermore, installing a light source within the radar device's radio wave emission area significantly affects the radio waves, such as by reflecting them, making accurate measurements impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to install the light source outside the radio wave emission area. Furthermore, when using a light guide member to emit light, there are restrictions on the location of the light source, such as not being able to install it in a position where the light is blocked by the radar device's antenna. This can result in insufficient light output or uneven light emission in the radio wave emission area. Furthermore, to ensure the desired light output, it is necessary to increase the light output of the light source or add more light sources, which increases costs, size, and temperature.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp equipped with a radar device that has a high degree of freedom in the installation position of the radar device antenna and has little impact on radio waves.

[0006] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure is configured to radiate light from a light source provided inside an exterior cover to the outside of the exterior cover, and includes a radar device provided inside the exterior cover and having an antenna that radiates radio waves to the outside of the exterior cover and receives waves reflected from the radiated radio waves by an object, the antenna being installed at a position through which light radiated from the light source passes before being radiated to the outside of the exterior cover, and is configured to transmit light from the light source.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle lamp having a high degree of freedom in the installation position of the antenna of the radar device and having little effect on radio waves can be obtained.

[0008] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicular lamp according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 2C are diagrams showing details of an example of the configuration of an antenna of the vehicular lamp according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B are diagrams showing details of another example of the configuration of an antenna of the vehicular lamp according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 4C are diagrams showing details of yet another example of the configuration of an antenna of the vehicular lamp according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing another configuration of the vehicular lamp according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view showing yet another configuration of the vehicular lamp according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicular lamp according to embodiment 2. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicular lamp according to embodiment 3. FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicular lamp according to embodiment 4. FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B, FIG. 10C, FIG. 10D, FIG. 10E, and FIG. 10F are diagrams showing details of an example of the configuration of an antenna of the vehicular lamp according to embodiment 4. FIG. 10A is a schematic external view showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of vehicular lamps according to embodiment 5. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicular lamp of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of vehicular lamps according to embodiment 5. 10 is a schematic external view showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of vehicle lamps according to embodiment 6. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp of a vehicle equipped with a plurality of vehicle lamps according to embodiment 6.

[0009] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle lamp according to Embodiment 1. The vehicle lamp 100 includes a case 1, an exterior cover 2, a light source unit 3, a light emitter 4, an antenna 5, a substrate 6, and an interior cover 8. The case 1 supports the exterior cover 2 made of resin or glass to form a housing, which houses at least the light source unit 3 and a millimeter-wave radar device. The light source unit 3 is a unit including a light source for, for example, low beam and high beam, for irradiating light L ahead of the lamp, and is composed of a light source 3a and a reflector 3b. The reflector 3b is shaped to effectively reflect light emitted from the light source 3a forward. The light source unit 3 is appropriately supported by the case 1. While a headlamp has been described here, the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure can also be applied to lamps that function as rear lamps or indicator lights.

[0010] The millimeter-wave radar device antenna 5, which is fixed to the inside of the exterior cover 2 with screws or the like, is electrically connected to a substrate 6 for transmitting millimeter-wave signals, which is installed in the case 1. An MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) 7 that generates millimeter-wave signals is mounted on the substrate 6, and the millimeter-wave signals generated by the MMIC 7 are transmitted to the antenna 5 via the substrate 6. Millimeter-wave radio waves are emitted from the antenna 5, and the millimeter-wave radio waves that are reflected by an object outside the vehicle lamp and returned are received by the antenna 5, and the signal is transmitted to the MMIC 7. The MMIC 7, substrate 6, and antenna 5 constitute the radar device 101. The MMIC 7 is a package in which semiconductor devices for processing radio wave generation, transmission, and reception are integrated, and the MMIC 7 and antenna 5 are connected by a circuit pattern, such as a microstrip line, formed on the substrate 6 with a copper foil pattern.

[0011] The radar device 101 measures the distance to an object by transmitting and receiving radio waves from the antenna 5, and is used to measure the distance between the vehicle and an external object such as a vehicle ahead, to warn the driver, track the vehicle ahead, etc. The antenna 5 is fixed to the exterior cover 2, and transmits radio waves R from its transmitting surface on the front side in a substantially horizontal direction toward the exterior cover 2, and receives radio waves reflected from surrounding objects on the receiving surface of the antenna 5.

[0012] The reflector 3b effectively reflects the light emitted from the light source unit 3. If a highly directional light source such as an LED is used as the light source 3a, the reflector 3b may be omitted. The light radiator 4 is attached to the interior cover 8 so as to be positioned between the light source unit 3 and the antenna 5, and is molded into a shape that is approximately parallel to the antenna 5. The light radiator 4 has an approximately flat shape and is made of a light-guiding member made of resin or glass, and has the function of radiating light forward by changing the optical path of the light emitted from the light source unit 3, such as diffusing or aligning the optical path. The light radiated from the light radiator 4 passes through the antenna 5 and the exterior cover 2 and travels forward.

[0013] The antenna 5 is configured to transmit visible light, preferably with a total light transmittance of 70% or more. Because the light radiator 4 appears shiny overall, having the antenna 5 transmit visible light, preferably with a total light transmittance of 70% or more, makes the antenna 5 less visible from in front of the lamp. Furthermore, because the antenna 5 is fixed in contact with the inside of the exterior cover 2 with as little gap as possible, power loss of radio waves due to the air gap between the light radiator 4 and the exterior cover 2 is reduced compared to when the antenna 5 is installed inside the lamp at a distance from the exterior cover 2. In addition, the front of the antenna 5 is largely open, and radio waves only pass through the exterior cover 2, which is made of resin or glass with good radio wave transmittance. This allows radio waves to be emitted forward with reduced power loss and noise due to reflection, improving detection accuracy, such as detection distance.

[0014] Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C show an example of the configuration of the antenna 5. Figure 2A is a plan view from the front, Figure 2B is a side view from above of Figure 2A, and Figure 2C is a side view from the left side of Figure 2A. The antenna 5 is composed of a substantially flat substrate 5a made of an optically transparent and insulating material such as glass or resin, and an antenna pattern 5b formed on the surface of the substrate 5a in a planar manner using a conductor. The antenna pattern 5b is composed of a conductive thin film with a substantially mesh-like or substantially skewered structure, and can be realized by configuring the outline of each mesh as a very thin band with a substantially uniform width. While Figure 2B shows a pattern with a substantially skewered structure, it can also be composed of a collection of parallel thin wires or a mesh structure, as shown in the plan views of Figures 3A and 3B. That is, the antenna pattern 5b is composed of a collection of thin wires formed from a conductive thin film. The shape of the thin wires may be straight, curved, or a combination of straight and curved lines. For example, the antenna pattern 5b can be obtained by applying the raw material of the antenna pattern 5b to the substrate 5a by screen printing using a photosensitive conductive paste, followed by exposure and development. As described above, the antenna 5 desirably has a total light transmittance of 70% or more. Here, the total light transmittance, which is a measure of transparency, refers to the transmittance of the total amount of light emitted from natural light, a light source used in a lamp, or a light source with an equivalent wavelength distribution, that passes through the sample surface. The total light transmittance can be measured, for example, using an integrating sphere and a spectrometer, with a light transmittance of 100% in the air layer as the standard.

[0015] If the total light transmittance is below 70%, the difference between the light transmittance of the exterior cover 2 and the light transmittance of the antenna 5 becomes large, causing the antenna pattern 5b to appear dark and unsightly. Furthermore, if the amount of irradiated light L decreases, it can obstruct the driver's visibility at night if the light source is for low beam or high beam, or it can reduce the visibility of the antenna pattern 5b to others outside the vehicle if the light source is for indicator lights. Therefore, a total light transmittance of 70% or more is desirable, and improving the light transmittance can be achieved by narrowing the width of each thin line of the mesh that makes up the antenna pattern 5b and increasing the spacing between them. On the other hand, excessively increasing the transmittance increases the loss of the antenna pattern 5b, preventing good transmitting and receiving antenna characteristics. Taking this into consideration, it is preferable to configure the antenna pattern 5b so that the total light transmittance is 90% or less.

[0016] To obtain the desired gain in the frequency band to which the antenna is applied (mainly the millimeter-wave frequency band), the wire width is set to 5 μm or more. Then, by combining the spacing between multiple patterns and performing electromagnetic field simulations, the wire width and spacing dimensions that achieve both a total light transmittance of 70% or more and 90% or less and transmit / receive antenna characteristics can be determined.

[0017] In the above explanation, an antenna in which the antenna pattern 5b is configured as a collection of thin wires formed from a thin conductive film has been described, but as shown in Fig. 4A (plan view seen from the front), Fig. 4B (side view seen from above), and Fig. 4C (side view seen from the left), a light-transmitting antenna 5 can also be configured by attaching a conductive film made of a light-transmitting material such as ITO (indium tin oxide) to a light-transmitting base 5a with a transparent adhesive 5c or the like as the antenna pattern 5b. In any case, by forming at least a part of the antenna pattern 5b from a light-transmitting member, such as a collection of thin wires formed from a thin conductive film on the light-transmitting base 5a or a conductive film made of a light-transmitting material such as ITO, a light-transmitting antenna with high light transmittance can be obtained.

[0018] Although the above description has been given of a configuration in which the light radiator 4 is provided, the light radiator 4 is not an essential component. Depending on the light radiation characteristics of the light source unit 3, a configuration may be adopted in which the light from the light source unit 3 passes directly through the antenna 5 without providing a light radiator, as shown in FIG.

[0019] 6, the antenna 5 may not be fixed in contact with the inside of the exterior cover 2, but may be held and installed by, for example, an interior cover 8 at a position between the light source unit 3 and the exterior cover 2. In any case, the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure has an antenna installed at a position through which light emitted from the light source passes before being emitted to the outside of the exterior cover.

[0020] In the vehicle lamp of embodiment 1, the antenna 5 has a total light transmittance of 70% or more, so design is not sacrificed. This allows for greater freedom in the design of the mounting positions of the antenna 5 and light source unit 3, making it possible to position the antenna 5 and light source unit 3 at a position with high light radiation efficiency (the rate at which light from the light source is radiated to the outside), and further allows for the vehicle lamp 100 to be made smaller in size.

[0021] Furthermore, since the light emission efficiency can be increased, the number of light sources required can be reduced, and by integrating the exterior cover 2 and the antenna 5, the number of parts can be reduced, thereby enabling lower costs. Furthermore, restrictions on the installation of the light source unit 3 are relaxed, and the light source unit 3 can be installed in an optimal position with high light emission efficiency, which reduces the power consumption of the light source unit 3 and suppresses heat generation, thereby reducing the thermal impact on the radar device 101. Furthermore, even when the light radiator 4 is installed, the light radiator 4 is not installed in the radio wave emission direction of the antenna, and the radio waves only penetrate the exterior cover 2, thereby suppressing power loss or noise due to reflection, thereby improving detection accuracy, such as detection distance.

[0022] Embodiment 2 A vehicular lamp 100 according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. This embodiment 2 differs from embodiment 1 in that the antenna 45 is a light radiator. Components in common with embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted, and differences from embodiment 1 will be described.

[0023] 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to embodiment 2. An antenna 45 formed separately from the exterior cover 2 is electrically connected to a substrate 6 installed in the case 1, and a millimeter wave signal from an MMIC 7 mounted on the substrate 6 is transmitted to the antenna 45. A millimeter wave is emitted from the antenna 45, and the millimeter wave is reflected by an object outside the vehicle lamp and returned, and the received signal is transmitted to the MMIC 7. The MMIC 7, substrate 6, and antenna 45 form a radar device 101.

[0024] The antenna 45 includes a substantially flat substrate 45a made of optically transparent, insulating glass or resin, and an antenna pattern 45b formed as a planar conductor on the surface of the substrate 45a. Optically, the substrate 45a, like the light radiator 4 shown in FIG. 1, has the function of diffusing the light emitted from the light source 3a or aligning the light path, thereby changing the light path. As described in the first embodiment, the antenna pattern 45b is configured as a collection of thin wires formed from a thin conductive film, forming a light-transmitting antenna. Also, as described in the first embodiment, a light-transmitting antenna can be formed by attaching a conductive film made of an optically transparent material, such as ITO, to the substrate 45a as the antenna pattern 45b.

[0025] The antenna 45, which also serves as a light radiator, is attached to the interior cover 8, and light emitted from the antenna 45 passes through the exterior cover 2 and travels to the outside. At this time, light is radiated from the entire antenna 45, so the antenna pattern 45b is difficult to see from in front of the lamp.

[0026] 1 of Embodiment 1 requires a base 5a for forming the antenna 5 in addition to the light radiator 4, and the antenna 5 and the light radiator 4 must be separate components, but in the vehicle lamp according to Embodiment 2, the antenna 45 is an antenna that also functions as a light radiator, so it is possible to omit the transparent base 5a in Embodiment 1 and reduce costs through fewer components. Also, as with the vehicle lamp according to Embodiment 1, radio waves only pass through the exterior cover 2 made of resin or glass that has good radio wave transparency, so radio waves with reduced power loss or noise due to reflection are radiated forward, which has the effect of improving detection accuracy, such as detection distance.

[0027] Embodiment 3 A vehicle lamp 100 according to embodiment 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. This embodiment 3 differs from embodiment 2 in that the antenna 45, which also functions as a light radiator, is fixed in contact with the inside of the exterior cover 2. Components common to embodiment 2 are given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and differences from embodiment 2 will be described.

[0028] 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to embodiment 3. An antenna 45 formed of a base 45a functioning as a light radiator is fixed in contact with the inside of the exterior cover 2. The antenna 45 is electrically connected to a substrate 6 installed in the case 1, and transmits a millimeter-wave signal from an MMIC 7 mounted on the substrate 6 to the antenna 45. A millimeter-wave radio wave is radiated from the antenna 45, and the millimeter-wave radio wave is reflected by an object outside the vehicle lamp and returned, and the received signal is transmitted to the MMIC 7. The MMIC 7, substrate 6, and antenna 45 constitute a radar device 101.

[0029] Because the antenna 45 is fixed in contact with the inside of the exterior cover 2, power loss of radio waves due to the air gap between the antenna 45 and the exterior cover 2 is reduced compared to the configuration of Fig. 7 according to embodiment 2. In addition, the front of the antenna 45 is largely open, and radio waves pass only through the exterior cover 2, which is made of resin or glass that has good radio wave permeability. Therefore, radio waves are transmitted forward with reduced noise due to power loss or reflection, thereby improving detection accuracy such as detection distance.

[0030] Embodiment 4. A vehicle lamp 100 according to embodiment 4 will be described with reference to Figure 9 and Figures 10A to 10E. This embodiment 4 differs from embodiment 3 in the configuration of the antenna 450 which also functions as a light radiator and the position of the light source 3c. The same reference numerals are used to designate parts that are common to embodiment 3, and their description will be omitted, and differences from embodiment 3 will be described.

[0031] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to embodiment 4. Also, FIGS. 10A to 10F are enlarged views of antenna 450, where FIG. 10A is a plan view seen from the front, FIG. 10B is a side view seen from above FIG. 10A, FIG. 10C is a side view seen from the left side of FIG. 10A, FIG. 10D is a side view seen from below FIG. 10A, FIG. 10E is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 10A, and FIG. 10F is a plan view seen from the rear. In antenna 450, base 450a functions as a light radiator. Antenna 450, which is fixed in contact with the inner surface of exterior cover 2, is electrically connected to substrate 6 mounted on case 1 and transmits millimeter-wave signals from MMIC 7 mounted on substrate 6 to antenna 45. Millimeter-wave radio waves are emitted from antenna 45, and the millimeter-wave radio waves reflected by an object outside the vehicle lamp and returned are received by antenna 45, and the signal is transmitted to MMIC 7. The MMIC 7 , the substrate 6 , and the antenna 45 constitute the radar device 101 .

[0032] The antenna 450 also has a light reflecting member 9 made of a metal material on its surface excluding an area that does not interfere with the radio waves R emitted from the antenna pattern 450b and an area of ​​an inlet 90 that guides the light L emitted from the LED light source 3c arranged on the substrate 6 into the base 450a. By configuring the light reflecting member 9 in this manner, the light from the light source that enters through the inlet 90 is emitted forward as the light L by the base 450a, which functions as a light radiator, and the light reflecting member 9.

[0033] The antenna pattern 450b is configured as a collection of thin wires formed from a thin conductive film, similar to that shown in FIG. 2B . The antenna pattern 450b can be obtained by using a photosensitive conductive paste as the material for the antenna pattern 450b, applying it to the base 450a by screen printing, and then exposing and developing it. Alternatively, the reflecting member 9 can be obtained by forming a film on the base 450a by vapor-depositing and plating a metal material such as Ni or Cr onto the base 450a. The antenna pattern 450b may also be configured by attaching a conductive film made of a light-transmitting material to the light-transmitting base 450a with a transparent adhesive 450c or the like.

[0034] By arranging the light reflecting member 9 in an appropriate position in accordance with the arrangement of the antenna pattern 450b and the light source 3c, it is possible to suppress the effects of reflection of radio waves by the light reflecting member 9 made of a metal material, and while maintaining the functionality of the radar device, it is possible to guide the irradiated light L from the light source 3c into the base 450a and radiate the light from the antenna 450, thereby improving the freedom of arrangement of the light source 3c and realizing the miniaturization of the vehicle lamp 100. Embodiment 5.

[0035] In the fifth embodiment, a vehicle periphery monitoring system employing multiple vehicle lamps will be described as an application example of the vehicle lamps described in the first through fourth embodiments. Conventional vehicle periphery monitoring systems, and even conventional automatic braking systems, use ultrasonic sensors to detect objects around a vehicle. A single ultrasonic sensor, widely used for vehicle periphery monitoring, particularly for detecting obstacles around a vehicle while parking or driving on narrow roads, has a short detection range of approximately 2 m. On the other hand, ultrasonic sensors have a broad pattern with a half-power angle of 110 degrees in the horizontal plane, allowing the necessary short-range coverage of the vehicle's periphery required for parking assistance systems and the like to be achieved with a minimum number of sensors. Typically, two to twelve short-range ultrasonic sensors are mounted on the vehicle's periphery to cover the required detection range. Furthermore, by incorporating a horn or mirror structure into the ultrasonic sensor element, the originally broad beam pattern of the ultrasonic sensor element is narrowed. As a result, a long-range ultrasonic sensor has been realized that extends the detection range and can detect obstacles located more than 5 m ahead of the vehicle. By installing such a long-range ultrasonic sensor at the front or rear of a vehicle, an automatic braking system can be realized. Regarding vehicle control, if it is determined that a collision with an obstacle is unavoidable despite warnings and notifications to the driver, the system instructs the brake control ECU to decelerate the vehicle to avoid the collision, and the brake control ECU executes this. The system also instructs the engine control ECU to apply the engine braking amount necessary to avoid the collision, and the engine control ECU executes this. Thus, the braking control described above can avoid a collision with an obstacle or mitigate collision damage. Furthermore, if it is determined that a collision cannot be avoided by the braking control alone, the system instructs the steering control ECU to apply the steering angle necessary to avoid the collision, and the steering control ECU executes this. This allows a collision with an obstacle to be avoided or collision damage to be mitigated (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0036] However, the ultrasonic sensors used in conventional perimeter monitoring systems are exposed to the exterior of the vehicle, have a narrow detection range, require many to be installed, and have to be color-coded to match the vehicle's paint color, resulting in poor design. Furthermore, the detection range specifications must be changed depending on the installation location and application, and the low resolution makes it impossible to recognize objects, limiting the scope of application for vehicle control.

[0037] By applying a vehicle lamp equipped with a radar device using a light-transmitting antenna as described in embodiments 1 to 4 as a sensor for the vehicle periphery monitoring system, rather than an ultrasonic sensor as described above, it is possible to provide a vehicle equipped with a vehicle periphery monitoring system that has a wide detection range and excellent design, even if the number of sensors installed is small.

[0038] FIG. 11 is a schematic external view of a vehicle 103 according to a sixth embodiment. It shows an example of the on-vehicle arrangement of radar devices required for an automatic braking system for the vehicle ahead. This vehicle is equipped with a plurality of the vehicle lamps described in the first to fourth embodiments. That is, the vehicle is equipped with a plurality of radar devices. To realize the automatic braking system, it is necessary to detect obstacles in the area ahead of the vehicle, depending on the speed difference with the preceding vehicle. To achieve this, a front radar antenna 10 is provided. Furthermore, when parking, it is necessary to detect obstacles in the areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle in addition to the area ahead. To achieve this, a rear radar antenna 11 is provided, and front-side radar antennas 12 and rear-side radar antennas 13 are provided at the corners (ends) of the vehicle.

[0039] Specifically, the antennas of the radar devices are installed in the following locations: the antenna 10 of the front radar device is located in the center of the front screen 14, the antenna 12 of the front-side radar device is located in the corners (both ends) of the front screen 14, the antenna 11 of the rear radar device is located in the center of the rear screen 15, and the antenna 13 of the rear-side radar device is located in the corners (both ends) of the rear screen 15. The front screen 14 is formed so that the left and right headlights and peripheral components in front of the vehicle are connected to each other so that the front of the vehicle appears integrated, and the rear screen 15 is formed so that the left and right taillights and peripheral components in the rear of the vehicle are connected to each other so that the rear of the vehicle appears integrated.

[0040] 12 is a cross-sectional view seen from above showing an example of the configuration of a front screen 14 on which a plurality of vehicle lamps are arranged. An exterior cover 2 and an interior cover 8 are formed across the left and right sides of the vehicle so as to connect the left and right headlights with the peripheral components in front of the vehicle. The front radar device 101 corresponds to the antenna 10, exterior cover 2, substrate 6, and MMIC 7, and the side radar device 101 corresponds to the antenna 12, exterior cover 2, substrate 6, and MMIC 7.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 12 , the exterior cover 2 and the interior cover 8 for each of a plurality of vehicle lamps may be connected together so that the seams are inconspicuous, or they may be formed separately in consideration of manufacturability. Also, as shown in FIG. 12 , the substrate 6 and the MMIC 7 may be individually set for each radar device, or a common substrate 6 or MMIC 7 may be used for multiple front and side radar devices in order to reduce the number of parts. Similarly, in consideration of manufacturability, the antenna 10 and the antenna 12 may be separate components or may be integrated. However, a plurality of vehicle lamps having different configurations, as described in the first to fourth embodiments, may be arranged so that the exterior cover 2 is connected.

[0042] Here, we have described the front screen 14, which has a light radiator and is integrated with peripheral components at the front of the vehicle, and the rear screen 15, which is integrated with peripheral components at the rear of the vehicle, but they may also be configured and installed integrally with lighting fixtures such as headlamps, tail lamps, sidelights, and even fog lamps.

[0043] 11 , a vehicle equipped with a vehicle periphery monitoring system according to the fifth embodiment includes a front radar antenna 10, a rear radar antenna 11, a front-side radar antenna 12, and a rear-side radar antenna 13, which are arranged around the vehicle 103, and a controller 16 arranged inside the vehicle for processing signals from these multiple radar devices. The controller 16 acquires and processes signals from a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, and the like, in addition to detection signals from the multiple sensors around the vehicle, and transmits the signals to a display device or warning device that warns the driver, or to a braking device or steering device that controls the vehicle. In other words, the controller 16 comprehensively controls the multiple radar devices, enabling wide-angle, long-distance detection and high-resolution object recognition by the radar devices, thereby realizing a highly accurate vehicle periphery monitoring system.

[0044] Sixth Embodiment Figures 13 and 14 are schematic diagrams of a vehicle having even more vehicle lamps according to a sixth embodiment. Figure 13 is a schematic external view of a vehicle 103 according to the sixth embodiment, and Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view seen from above showing an example of the configuration of a front screen 14 on which a plurality of vehicle lamps are arranged. As shown in Figure 13, in the vehicle according to the sixth embodiment, a plurality of antennas 5 are built into the front screen 14 instead of the antenna 10 of the forward radar device and the antenna 12 of the front-side radar device shown in Figure 11 of the fifth embodiment. Note that the same applies when a plurality of antennas 5 are built into the rear screen 15, and therefore the front screen 14 will be used as an example for explanation.

[0045] Multiple antennas 5 are installed in the center, both ends, and intermediate areas of the front screen 14. Multiple antennas 5 can be mounted on a single component of the front screen 14, reducing the number of production processes required when mounting antennas 5 across multiple components. Furthermore, densely arranging multiple antennas 5 horizontally on the vehicle allows the detection ranges of each radar device to overlap, improving redundancy in the perimeter monitoring system and improving the accuracy of perimeter monitoring. Furthermore, radar device detection enables wide-angle, long-distance detection, and high-resolution object recognition, enabling highly accurate perimeter monitoring with a single radar device with product specifications.

[0046] Furthermore, by arranging multiple antennas within a vehicle lamp, it is possible to integrate the control of transmission and reception of the multiple antennas, thereby improving detection performance and easily addressing interference. Furthermore, conventional multiple ultrasonic sensors are often mounted on multiple components, such as bumpers and grilles, manufactured by different manufacturers. In such cases, performance management must be performed on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis, i.e., in a state where multiple components equipped with ultrasonic sensors are incorporated into the vehicle. By arranging multiple antennas within a vehicle lamp, as in the sixth embodiment, performance management can be performed on the vehicle lamp alone, thereby reducing the development and management man-hours required for the vehicle.

[0047] Although various exemplary embodiments and examples are described in this disclosure, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but may be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless modifications not illustrated are contemplated within the scope of the technology of this disclosure. For example, this includes cases where at least one component is modified, added, or omitted, and even cases where at least one component is extracted and combined with components of another embodiment.

[0048] 2 outer cover, 3a, 3c light source, 4 light radiator, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 45, 450 antenna, 5a, 45a, 450a base, 5b, 45b, 450b antenna pattern, 16 controller, 101 radar device,

Claims

1. In a vehicle lighting device configured to radiate light from a light source located inside the exterior cover to the outside of the exterior cover, The radar device includes an antenna provided inside the outer cover, which emits radio waves to the outside of the outer cover and receives reflected waves when the emitted radio waves are reflected by an object, The antenna is installed in a position through which light emitted from the light source passes before it is emitted to the outside of the outer cover, and is configured to transmit light from the light source.

2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the antenna has a total light transmittance of 70% or more.

3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the antenna has a total light transmittance of 90% or less.

4. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured by forming an antenna pattern of a conductor on the surface of a light-transmitting substrate, and at least a portion of the antenna pattern is a light-transmitting member.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the light-transmitting member of the conductor is configured as an aggregate of fine wires formed from a thin film of the conductor.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the light-transmitting member of the conductor is a conductive film made of a light-transmitting material.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the light-transmitting member of the conductor is composed of a collection of fine wires formed in part by a thin film of a conductor, and a conductive film composed of a light-transmitting material in part.

8. A vehicle lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a light radiator is installed between the light source and the antenna, which changes the optical path of the light emitted from the light source and emits light outward.

9. The vehicle lighting device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the base of the antenna constitutes a light radiator that changes the optical path of light emitted from the light source and emits light outward.

10. The vehicle lighting device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the base of the antenna constitutes a light radiator that changes the optical path of the light emitted from the light source and emits light outward, and the light from the light source is configured to be incident on the side surface of the base.

11. The vehicle lighting fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the antenna is fixed in contact with the inside of the exterior cover of the vehicle lighting fixture.

12. A vehicle equipped with a plurality of vehicle lighting devices as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the exterior covers of each of the multiple vehicle lights are connected to form the vehicle.

14. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the radar devices provided in each of the multiple vehicle lights detect objects present in the vicinity of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising a controller for integrating and controlling a plurality of the aforementioned radar devices.