Vehicular lamp and control method for vehicular lamp

Abstract

This vehicular lamp is provided with a combination unit (11A) comprising: a low-beam unit (18) for projecting a low-beam light distribution pattern; and a high-beam unit (20) for projecting a high-beam light distribution pattern above the low-beam light distribution pattern. The high-beam unit (20) enables road surface rendering. The combination unit (11A) is capable of switching between a first projection direction in which the low-beam light distribution pattern is projected onto a prescribed low-beam region, and a second projection direction which is oriented downward as compared with the first projection direction. The high-beam unit (20) is configured to perform road surface rendering and illuminate the road surface in such a manner as to assist the low-beam light distribution pattern when the combination unit (11A) is oriented in the second projection direction.

Description

Vehicle lighting fixture and vehicle lighting fixture control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp that can be mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and also to a control device for such a vehicle lamp.

[0002] A conventional vehicle lighting system has been known in which a pair of left and right headlights are each equipped with a low beam lamp, a high beam lamp, and an image forming device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this vehicle lighting system, the left and right image forming devices can project different images. This allows the left and right image forming devices to be used for different purposes, such as one image forming device selectively illuminating pedestrians in front of the vehicle while the other image forming device draws the vehicle's driving lane on the road surface.

[0003] International Publication No. 2015 / 033900

[0004] The inventors have studied the above-mentioned vehicle lighting fixtures and have come to recognize the following problem. One design proposal for a vehicle lighting fixture is to use a lamp for high beam irradiation not only for high beam but also for image formation, such as road drawing. In other words, since high beam units that can irradiate while changing the light distribution pattern, such as ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam), have already been realized in recent years, this means that road drawing can also be realized by utilizing the variable light distribution pattern function.

[0005] A lamp that can be used for both high beams and road marking in this way eliminates the need for a dedicated unit for road marking, which can be advantageous in reducing the size and cost of vehicle lamps. While high beams are often emitted relatively far away, road marking is often emitted relatively close. To accommodate this, this dual-purpose lamp may be configured to switch the illumination direction between up and down so that the illumination direction is directed downward compared to the high beams while road marking is being performed.

[0006] In general, a configuration is sometimes adopted in which a high beam unit and a low beam unit that emits low beams are integrally driven by a single actuator. In this case, if the illumination direction of the high beam unit capable of road marking is switched downward for road marking, the illumination direction of the low beam from the low beam unit will also be directed downward at the same time. In other words, as road marking is performed, the low beam will illuminate a lower area than it should have. As a result, there is a concern that the brightness ahead of the vehicle will be insufficient, reducing forward visibility.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp that can achieve both road marking and forward visibility.

[0008] To solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle lamp that includes a first combination unit including a low beam unit that emits a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that emits a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern. The high beam unit enables road surface drawing. The first combination unit is switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is emitted to a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward relative to the first irradiation direction. The high beam unit is configured to perform road surface drawing and illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern when the first combination unit is oriented in the second irradiation direction.

[0009] According to this aspect, when road marking is performed by the high beam unit, the high beam unit can be used to illuminate the road surface so as to supplement the low beam light distribution pattern, thereby providing a vehicle lamp that can achieve both road marking and forward visibility.

[0010] The first combination unit may include a support for supporting the low beam unit and the high beam unit, and an actuator for driving the support to switch between the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction. In this way, the irradiation direction of the combination unit can be switched by integrally driving the high beam unit and the low beam unit with the actuator.

[0011] The high beam unit may include a pattern generator. The pattern generator may be configured to generate a road surface marking pattern using a portion of the pattern generator and generate an auxiliary light distribution pattern for supplementing the low beam light distribution pattern using another portion of the pattern generator when the first combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction. In this way, both the road surface marking pattern and the auxiliary light distribution pattern are generated on the pattern generator of the high beam unit, thereby achieving both road surface marking and forward visibility.

[0012] The auxiliary light distribution pattern may be determined to illuminate at least a portion of the specified low beam area that is outside the low beam distribution pattern when the first combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction. In this way, the auxiliary light distribution pattern can compensate for the decrease in brightness of the road surface caused by a downward shift of the low beam distribution pattern when the irradiation direction of the combination unit is switched for road surface painting.

[0013] The auxiliary light distribution pattern may be determined to form at least an elbow point of the cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern, thereby making it possible to create a light distribution pattern that is close to the original low-beam light distribution pattern by utilizing the auxiliary light distribution pattern.

[0014] The first combination unit may be configured to switch the first combination unit from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction and execute road surface drawing to notify the driver of an event when a predetermined event occurs while the first combination unit is facing the first irradiation direction and the high beam unit is irradiating a high beam light distribution pattern, thereby notifying the driver of the event with priority over illumination of the high beam.

[0015] The vehicle lamp may further include a second combination unit paired with the first combination unit, the second combination unit including a low beam unit that emits a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that emits a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit enabling road marking, the second combination unit being switchable between a first illumination direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is emitted onto a specified low beam area and a second illumination direction that is downward relative to the first illumination direction. The second combination unit may be configured to orient the second combination unit in the first illumination direction when the first combination unit is oriented in the second illumination direction. The first combination unit may be mounted on the first headlamp unit of the pair of headlamp units, and the second combination unit may be mounted on the second headlamp unit of the pair of headlamp units. In this way, when road marking is performed by the high beam unit of the first combination unit, the second combination unit can be used to illuminate the specified low beam area. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that allows both road marking and forward visibility to be achieved.

[0016] Another aspect of the present invention is also a vehicle lamp. This vehicle lamp includes a pair of combination units, each of which includes a low beam unit that emits a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that emits a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern. The high beam units are capable of road surface drawing. Each combination unit is switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is emitted to a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward relative to the first irradiation direction. The pair of combination units are configured such that when one combination unit is oriented in the second irradiation direction, the high beam unit of one combination unit performs road surface drawing, while the other combination unit is oriented in the first irradiation direction.

[0017] According to this aspect, when road marking is performed by the high beam unit of one combination unit, the other combination unit can be used to illuminate the specified low beam area, thereby providing a vehicle lamp that can achieve both road marking and forward visibility.

[0018] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a control device for a vehicle lamp. The vehicle lamp includes a combination unit including a low beam unit that emits a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that emits a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern. The high beam unit enables road surface drawing. The combination unit is switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is emitted to a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward relative to the first irradiation direction. The control device is configured to perform road surface drawing when the combination unit is oriented in the second irradiation direction and to operate the high beam unit to illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern.

[0019] Any combination of the above components or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between methods, devices, systems, computer programs, recording media, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention.

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that can achieve both road marking and forward visibility.

[0021] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a vehicular lamp according to an embodiment is attached to a vehicle. It is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicular lamp according to an embodiment. It is a schematic view showing a cross section of the vehicular lamp shown in FIG. 2 taken along line A-A. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic diagrams showing exemplary light distribution patterns of a vehicular lamp according to an embodiment. FIGS. 5(a) to 5(e) are schematic diagrams showing examples of road surface drawing patterns according to an embodiment. FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams showing examples of operations that can be performed by a vehicular lamp according to an embodiment. FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of a vehicular lamp according to an embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing how the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 7(d) appears on a road surface. FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) are schematic diagrams showing another example of an auxiliary light distribution pattern according to an embodiment. FIGS. 10(a) to 10(d) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of a vehicular lamp according to an embodiment. 11(a) and 11(b) are schematic diagrams showing exemplary light distribution patterns of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment, a schematic diagram showing how the light distribution patterns shown in Fig. 11(a) and 11(b) appear on a road surface, and a schematic diagram showing exemplary light distribution patterns of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment.

[0022] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. Identical or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted where appropriate. The scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience to facilitate explanation and should not be interpreted as limiting unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "first" and "second" used in this specification or claims do not indicate any order or importance, but are used to distinguish one configuration from another. Furthermore, some components that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted in each drawing.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a vehicular lamp according to an embodiment is attached to a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the general configuration of the vehicular lamp according to the embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing a cross section of the vehicular lamp shown in Fig. 2 taken along line A-A. Figs. 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic diagrams showing exemplary light distribution patterns of the vehicular lamp according to the embodiment. Figs. 4(a) and 4(b) schematically show light distribution patterns projected onto a virtual vertical screen in front of the vehicular lamp.

[0024] The vehicle lamp 10 according to the embodiment is a vehicle headlamp device having a pair of headlamp units 10A, 10B arranged on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle. The vehicle lamp 10 includes a pair of combination units 11A, 11B. One combination unit 11A is mounted on one headlamp unit 10A, and the other combination unit 11B is mounted on the other headlamp unit 10B. Figures 2 and 3 show one headlamp unit 10A and the combination unit 11A therein.

[0025] The pair of headlamp units 10A, 10B have a generally symmetrical structure and are substantially identical in configuration. Therefore, the following description will be given of the configuration of one of the headlamp units 10A and the combination unit 11A as a representative, and the other headlamp unit 10B and the combination unit 11B will be omitted to avoid redundancy, as they have a similar configuration.

[0026] The headlamp unit 10A includes a lamp body 12 having a front opening 13 and a translucent cover 14 attached to the lamp body 12 so as to cover the front opening 13. The lamp body 12 and the translucent cover 14 form the housing of the headlamp unit 10A. The combination unit 11A is disposed in a lamp chamber 16, which is the internal space of the lamp housing. Typically, the lamp body 12 is formed of an appropriate material, such as a general-purpose resin material, and the translucent cover 14 is formed of an appropriate translucent material, such as a translucent synthetic resin material or glass. Note that for ease of explanation, FIG. 2 shows the translucent cover 14 removed from the lamp body 12 to clearly show the internal components of the headlamp unit 10A, including the combination unit 11A.

[0027] The combination unit 11A includes a low beam unit 18, a high beam unit 20, a support 26 that supports the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20, and an actuator 30 that drives the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20 integrally.

[0028] The low beam unit 18 is configured to emit a low beam light distribution pattern Lo. The low beam unit 18 includes a light source such as an LED and an optical system for projecting light from the light source ahead of the vehicle. The low beam unit 18 may employ any known optical configuration for forming the low beam light distribution pattern Lo.

[0029] An example of a low-beam light distribution pattern Lo is shown in FIG. 4A. As is known, the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo is irradiated onto a predetermined region below the horizon H. A cutoff line 32 of the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo is located at or near the horizon H. The cutoff line 32 may have an oncoming vehicle lane-side cutoff line extending parallel to the horizon H to the right of the vertical line V, a self-vehicle lane-side cutoff line extending parallel to the horizon H at a position higher than the oncoming vehicle lane-side cutoff line to the left of the vertical line V, and an oblique cutoff line connecting the oncoming vehicle lane-side cutoff line and the self-vehicle lane-side cutoff line. The cutoff line 32 may have an elbow point 34 that is the boundary (intersection point) between the oncoming vehicle lane-side cutoff line and the oblique cutoff line.

[0030] The high beam unit 20 is configured to emit a high beam light distribution pattern Hi. Fig. 3 shows a schematic vertical cross section of the high beam unit 20. The high beam unit 20 includes a pattern generator 22 and a projection optical system 24.

[0031] An example of a high-beam distribution pattern Hi is shown in Fig. 4(a) . As is known, the high-beam distribution pattern Hi is a light distribution pattern for illuminating a distance farther than the low-beam distribution pattern Lo, and is irradiated onto a predetermined area above the horizon H. As shown in the figure, a portion of the high-beam distribution pattern Hi may be irradiated below the cutoff line 32 of the low-beam distribution pattern Lo and may overlap with the low-beam distribution pattern Lo.

[0032] The pattern generator 22 includes a large number of pixels arranged two-dimensionally, each of which can be controlled independently. The pattern generator 22 can generate various light distribution patterns by individually controlling these pixels (e.g., by switching them on and off). For example, bright areas in the light distribution pattern are formed by on-pixels, and dark areas in the light distribution pattern are formed by off-pixels. To generate light distribution patterns with high resolution, the pattern generator 22 may have at least 1,000 pixels, or at least 10,000 pixels.

[0033] In this embodiment, the pattern generator 22 may be a device in which a large number of light-emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) are arranged in a matrix. In this case, each individual light-emitting element functions as a pixel. Such a high-definition device may also be referred to as a pixel light or a matrix LED. For example, the pattern generator 22 may be a matrix LED light source with 64 rows and 256 columns.

[0034] Alternatively, instead of such a self-luminous pattern generator 22, other types of pattern generators may be used, such as a combination of a light source and a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) device such as a micromirror device, or a liquid crystal display.

[0035] So-called adaptive driving beam (ADB) control, which dynamically and adaptively controls the high beam distribution pattern Hi based on the conditions around the vehicle, may be applied to the pattern generator 22. As is known, ADB control detects preceding vehicles, such as a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, ahead of the vehicle, and forms a dark area in the high beam distribution pattern Hi at a location corresponding to the preceding vehicle, thereby reducing or preventing glare that may be caused to the preceding vehicle.

[0036] The pattern generator 22 not only forms the high-beam light distribution pattern Hi but also enables road surface drawing. The pattern generator 22 may generate a light distribution pattern for road surface drawing (hereinafter also referred to as a road surface drawing pattern) instead of the high-beam light distribution pattern Hi (which may include an ADB light distribution pattern). Alternatively, the pattern generator 22 may generate the road surface drawing pattern together with the high-beam light distribution pattern Hi.

[0037] The road surface drawing pattern can include various patterns to be drawn on the road surface, such as desired characters, figures, symbols, etc. Road surface drawing can present various information, such as warning the driver of the vehicle, pedestrians around the vehicle, drivers of other vehicles, etc., or displaying a message welcoming the driver getting into the vehicle on the ground near the vehicle.

[0038] The projection optical system 24 is configured to project the light distribution pattern generated by the pattern generator 22 outside the vehicle lamp 10. The projection optical system 24 includes at least one optical member (for example, a lens or a reflector). Typically, as shown in the figure, the projection optical system 24 may include a projection lens that receives light from the pattern generator 22 and projects the light outside the vehicle lamp 10 through the light-transmitting cover 14. Note that the projection optical system 24 may be an inversion optical system that inverts and projects the light distribution pattern generated on the pattern generator 22.

[0039] The support 26 is supported by the lamp body 12 in the lamp chamber 16 so as to be tiltable relative to the lamp body 12. As an example, the support 26 may be a support member (e.g., a support bracket) having a plate-shaped portion arranged with one surface facing forward (toward the translucent cover 14) and the other surface facing backward (toward the lamp body 12). The support 26 may be formed of an appropriate material, such as a synthetic resin material or a metal material. The support 26 may function as a heat dissipation member for dissipating heat generated by the pattern generator 22, or such a heat dissipation member may be attached to the support 26.

[0040] As described above, the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20 are supported on the support 26. The low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20 may be fixed to the support 26. In this case, the relative positional relationship between the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20 on the support 26 remains unchanged.

[0041] Alternatively, for example, for initial adjustment work during manufacturing or maintenance, at least one of the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20 may be attached to the support 26 so that its posture can be adjusted relative to the support 26. For example, the low beam unit 18 (or the high beam unit 20) may be mounted on the support 26 via an aiming adjustment mechanism such as an aiming screw.

[0042] The actuator 30 is configured to drive the combination unit 11A to change the attitude of the combination unit 11A. For example, the actuator 30 may be a so-called leveling actuator that drives the combination unit 11A to change the attitude of the combination unit 11A in the vertical direction. A drive shaft of the actuator 30 is connected to the support 26, thereby allowing the actuator 30 to drive the support 26. The actuator 30 may be disposed on the lamp body 12 side of the combination unit 11A within the lamp chamber 16 (for example, below or behind the combination unit 11A). The support structure for the actuator 30 and the support 26 to the lamp body 12 can employ various known configurations as appropriate, and will not be described in detail here.

[0043] Because the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20 are supported by the support 26, the actuator 30 can drive the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20 together (i.e., while maintaining the relative positional relationship between the low beam unit 18 and the high beam unit 20). By operating the actuator 30 and changing the attitude (angle) of the combination unit 11A with respect to the lamp body 12, the irradiation direction of the combination unit 11A can be changed. In other words, the direction of light irradiated from the vehicle lamp 10 to the outside can be set to a desired direction.

[0044] For example, the combination unit 11A can switch between a first irradiation direction that is normally used to irradiate the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo and a second irradiation direction that is directed downward compared to the first irradiation direction. As schematically shown by arrow 28 in Figure 2, the actuator 30 can drive the support 26 to switch between the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction.

[0045] 3, the high beam unit 20 includes a light distribution control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 36 that controls the pattern generator 22. The light distribution control ECU 36 may be attached to the bracket 26. The headlamp unit 10A also includes a lamp ECU 38 that controls the vehicle lamp 10. The lamp ECU 38 may be attached to the lamp body 12. The ECU can be implemented as a combination of a processor (hardware) such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microcomputer, and a software program executed by the processor (hardware).

[0046] The light distribution control ECU 36 includes a processor 36a and a memory 36b. The processor 36a is configured to receive a command signal from the lamp ECU 38, determine a light distribution pattern to be generated based on the command signal, and generate the determined light distribution pattern on the pattern generator 22. The control function of the pattern generator 22 by the processor 36a is implemented in the processor 36a by the processor 36a executing a software program for light distribution control stored in the memory 36b. The memory 36b may include a non-volatile memory and / or a volatile memory. In addition to the software program, the memory 36b stores data required for the operation of the lamp ECU 38 and the execution of the software program, and data generated by the execution of the software program.

[0047] The lamp ECU 38 acquires vehicle information required to control the vehicle lamp 10 from a higher-level controller, and controls the combination units 11A, 11B (i.e., the low beam unit 18, the high beam unit 20, and the actuator 30) based on this information. This higher-level controller is an ECU that is disposed outside the vehicle lamp 10 and controls the entire vehicle or a part of it in an integrated manner, and may also be referred to as a vehicle ECU. The lamp ECU 38 can communicate with the vehicle ECU 300 via an in-vehicle network that complies with a network protocol such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network), or any other appropriate communication network, and can receive vehicle information from the vehicle ECU via such a network.

[0048] For example, the lamp ECU 38 may control the operation of the low beam unit 18 (e.g., on / off, light intensity, etc.) based on the vehicle information. The lamp ECU 38 may control the operation of the high beam unit 20 (e.g., on / off, light distribution pattern, etc.) based on the vehicle information. The lamp ECU 38 may generate the above-mentioned command signal based on the vehicle information and send it to the light distribution control ECU 36. The lamp ECU 38 may control the operation of the actuator 30 (e.g., switching from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction or switching from the second irradiation direction to the first irradiation direction) based on the vehicle information.

[0049] 4A shows a low-beam light distribution pattern Lo and a high-beam light distribution pattern Hi emitted from the combination unit 11A when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the first irradiation direction, and FIG. 4B shows a low-beam light distribution pattern Lo and a high-beam light distribution pattern Hi emitted from the combination unit 11A when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the second irradiation direction.

[0050] When the combination unit 11A is oriented in the first irradiation direction, the low beam distribution pattern Lo is irradiated onto a specified low beam region 40 (shown by a dashed line in FIG. 4(b) for ease of understanding). As can be seen from a comparison between FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b), the second irradiation direction is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, and therefore, when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the second irradiation direction, the low beam distribution pattern Lo is irradiated onto a position shifted downward from the specified low beam region 40, as indicated by an arrow 48.

[0051] For ease of explanation, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the portion of the high beam distribution pattern Hi generated by the pattern generator 22 when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the first irradiation direction that illuminates below the horizon H will be referred to as a first portion 42. Also, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the portion of the high beam distribution pattern Hi that illuminates below the horizon H when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the second irradiation direction will be referred to as a second portion 44.

[0052] As with the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo, the high-beam light distribution pattern Hi is irradiated at a position shifted downward when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the second irradiation direction. Therefore, as can be seen from comparing Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the first portion 42 is wider in the vertical direction (the direction of the vertical line V) than the second portion 44.

[0053] For road drawing, light emitted from the vehicle lamp 10 that is directed below the horizon H is used. In other words, light that is directed above the horizon H does not reach the road surface and therefore cannot be used for road drawing. Therefore, when the combination unit 11A is directed in the first irradiation direction, the high beam unit 20 (i.e., the pattern generator 22) can only use the first portion 42 to generate the road drawing pattern.

[0054] In contrast, when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the second irradiation direction, the high beam unit 20 can use the second portion 44, which is wider than the first portion 42, to generate the road surface drawing pattern. Figure 4(b) shows an example of a road surface drawing pattern 46 that can be generated in the second portion 44. The areas of the first portion 42 and the second portion 44 correspond to the number of pixels on the pattern generator 22. Therefore, by switching the combination unit 11A from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction, the resolution of the road surface drawing pattern can be improved.

[0055] 5( a ) to 5 ( e ) are schematic diagrams illustrating examples of road surface drawing patterns according to an embodiment. The illustrated road surface drawing patterns can be projected onto a road surface ahead of a vehicle while the vehicle is traveling. FIGS. 5( a ) and 5 ( b ) illustrate lane keep assist warning marks 46 a and 46 b. These marks are drawn on the road surface to urge the driver to avoid deviation from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. The right-pointing arrow shown in FIG. 5( a ) is used to prevent deviation from the driving lane to the left, and the left-pointing arrow shown in FIG. 5( b ) is used to prevent deviation from the driving lane to the right. As an example, the right arrow in FIG. 5( a ) may be drawn on the road surface from the left headlight unit 10A as viewed from the driver, and the left arrow in FIG. 5( b ) may be drawn on the road surface from the right headlight unit 10B.

[0056] The pattern generator 22 may represent the road drawing pattern 46 by a bright region 50. To clearly show the outline of the road drawing pattern 46, the pattern generator 22 may generate a dark region 52 around the road drawing pattern. As described above, the bright region 50 is generated by turning on pixels in positions corresponding to the bright region 50 on the pattern generator 22, and the dark region 52 is generated by turning off pixels in positions corresponding to the dark region 52 on the pattern generator 22. In this way, for example, as shown in FIGS. 5( a) and 5(b), arrows corresponding to the lane keep assist warning marks 46a, 46b are brightly illuminated on the road surface.

[0057] When the pattern generator 22 simultaneously generates other light distribution patterns, such as a high beam light distribution pattern Hi or an auxiliary light distribution pattern described below, along with the road surface drawing pattern 46, the pattern generator 22 may generate a dark region 52 between the light region 50 of the road surface drawing pattern 46 and the light region of the other light distribution pattern in order to distinguish between the road surface drawing pattern 46 and the other light distribution pattern.

[0058] Alternatively, the pattern generator 22 may represent the road surface drawing pattern 46 by a dark region. The pattern generator 22 may generate a dark region corresponding to the road surface drawing pattern 46 within a bright region of another light distribution pattern, such as a high beam light distribution pattern Hi or an auxiliary light distribution pattern described below. In this case, unlike the lane keep assist warning marks 46a and 46b shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the arrow mark becomes a dark part in the brightly illuminated background surrounding it. In this way, the road surface drawing pattern 46 can also be generated on the road surface by the contrast between the bright and dark regions.

[0059] The pattern generator 22 may cause the brightness of the road surface drawing pattern 46 to differ from that of the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo. For example, the pattern generator 22 may illuminate the bright area 50 of the road surface drawing pattern 46 (or the surrounding bright area when the road surface drawing pattern 46 is represented by a dark area) brighter than the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo. Additionally or alternatively, the pattern generator 22 may illuminate the road surface drawing pattern 46 in a color different from that of the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo (e.g., a non-white color such as red, orange, or blue).

[0060] This is effective in improving the visibility of the road surface drawing pattern 46. When at least a part of the road surface drawing pattern 46 generated by the pattern generator 22 overlaps with the low beam light distribution pattern Lo, the road surface drawing pattern 46 can be easily distinguished from the low beam light distribution pattern Lo.

[0061] 5(c) shows a wrong-way driving warning mark 46c for informing the driver that the vehicle is driving in the wrong direction. 5(d) shows a collision risk warning mark 46d for informing the driver that the vehicle is at risk of colliding with a vehicle ahead. 5(e) shows a warning mark 46e for informing the driver that the vehicle is driving on a slippery road surface such as a snowy or icy surface.

[0062] The illustrated road surface drawing pattern is merely an example, and other road surface drawing patterns are of course possible. For example, the road surface drawing pattern may include various marks according to the driving situation, such as route guidance marks on the road surface that indicate the direction the vehicle should head, or speeding warning marks that indicate that the vehicle is traveling at a speed exceeding the legal speed limit.

[0063] 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams showing an example of an operation that can be performed by the vehicle lamp according to the embodiment. Fig. 6(a) shows a low-beam light distribution pattern Lo and a road surface drawing pattern 46 that are emitted from the combination unit 11A when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the second irradiation direction. Fig. 6(b) shows how the light distribution pattern shown in Fig. 6(a) appears on the road surface.

[0064] In this operation example, the pattern generator 22 generates only the road drawing pattern 46. The pattern generator 22 does not generate the high beam distribution pattern Hi. The road drawing pattern 46 is, for example, a lane keep assist warning mark. As shown in FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b), the road drawing pattern 46 can be projected onto an area 54 below the horizon H.

[0065] At this time, since the combination unit 11A is oriented in the second irradiation direction, the low-beam distribution pattern Lo is irradiated to a position shifted downward from the specified low-beam area (i.e., the low-beam distribution pattern Lo when the combination unit 11A is oriented in the first irradiation direction), as described above. The other combination unit 11B is also oriented in the second irradiation direction, and its low-beam distribution pattern Lo is also shifted downward.

[0066] Therefore, the area 54 below the horizon H that would be illuminated by the low-beam distribution pattern Lo if the combination units 11A and 11B were oriented in the first irradiation direction is not included in the low-beam distribution pattern Lo. In this example, as road surface drawing is performed, the low-beam distribution pattern Lo ends up illuminating an area below the area that it should have illuminated. As a result, there is a concern that the brightness ahead of the vehicle will be insufficient, reducing forward visibility.

[0067] Therefore, in the embodiment, when the combination unit 11A is directed in the second irradiation direction, the high beam unit 20 is configured to perform road surface drawing and illuminate the road surface to supplement the low beam light distribution pattern Lo. In this way, when road surface drawing is performed by the high beam unit 20, the high beam unit 20 can be used to illuminate the road surface to supplement the low beam light distribution pattern Lo. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp 10 that enables both road surface drawing and forward visibility.

[0068] 7( a) to 7(d) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment. Here, a switching operation from low beam to road surface drawing is described. A control method for a vehicle lamp according to the embodiment includes a step of switching the combination units 11A and 11B from a first irradiation direction to a second irradiation direction (see FIG. 7(c)), and a step of operating the high beam unit 20 when the combination units 11A and 11B are oriented in the second irradiation direction to perform road surface drawing and illuminate the road surface to supplement the low beam light distribution pattern Lo (see FIG. 7(d)).

[0069] 7A, the combination units 11A and 11B are directed in a first irradiation direction, and a low beam distribution pattern Lo is irradiated from the low beam unit 18. When a predetermined event occurs while the low beam distribution pattern Lo is being irradiated, the operation of the combination units 11A and 11B for road surface drawing is started.

[0070] The predetermined event is an event that is predetermined to execute road surface drawing, and refers to an event that requires the projection of the road surface drawing patterns exemplified in Figures 5(a) to 5(e). Information indicating the occurrence of an event may be included in vehicle information provided to the lamp ECU 38 from the vehicle side. In response to this vehicle information, the lamp ECU 38 generates a command signal instructing road surface drawing and transmits it to the light distribution control ECU 36 and the actuator 30.

[0071] The light distribution control ECU 36 receives a command signal from the lamp ECU 38, determines a light distribution pattern to be generated based on the command signal, and generates the determined light distribution pattern on the pattern generator 22. First, as shown in FIG. 7B , when the combination units 11A and 11B are facing the first irradiation direction (i.e., before the irradiation direction is switched from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction), the pattern generator 22 generates an initial light distribution pattern 56. The initial light distribution pattern 56 may be determined to illuminate at least a portion of the area overlapping with the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo. In the illustrated example, the initial light distribution pattern 56 is determined to illuminate a portion of the area below the horizon H that can be illuminated by the pattern generator 22 (the first portion 42 shown in FIG. 4A ) and not illuminate an area above the horizon H.

[0072] The actuator 30 receives a command signal from the lamp ECU 38 and operates to switch the irradiation direction of the combination units 11A, 11B from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction in response to the command signal. By switching the irradiation direction (schematically indicated by arrow 48), as shown in Figure 7(c), the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo is irradiated at a position shifted downward compared to the initial state shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b).

[0073] In synchronization with the switching operation of the irradiation directions of the combination units 11A and 11B by the actuator 30, the light distribution control ECU 36 adjusts the light distribution pattern generated on the pattern generator 22. As shown in Fig. 7(c) , the pattern generator 22 is controlled to expand the initial light distribution pattern 56 upward (schematically indicated by arrow 60) and generate an auxiliary light distribution pattern 58. At this time, because the movement of the actuator 30 and the expansion of the light distribution pattern are synchronized, the position of the upper edge of the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 does not move and remains on the horizontal line H as seen by the driver.

[0074] The auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 is set to illuminate at least a portion of the specified low beam region 40 (the region illuminated by the low beam distribution pattern Lo when the combination units 11A, 11B are oriented in the first irradiation direction; see FIG. 4B ) that is outside the low beam distribution pattern Lo when the combination units 11A, 11B are oriented in the second irradiation direction. In the example shown in FIGS. 7A to 7D , the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 is set to illuminate a portion of the region below the horizon H that can be illuminated by the pattern generator 22. In this way, the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 can compensate for the decrease in brightness of the road surface caused by a downward shift of the low beam distribution pattern Lo when the irradiation direction of the combination units 11A, 11B is switched for road surface painting.

[0075] The light distribution control ECU 36 controls the pattern generator 22 to generate the road surface drawing pattern 46 when the combination units 11A, 11B are oriented in the second irradiation direction. As shown in Figure 7(d) , in this example, the lane keep assist warning mark is represented by a dark area in the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58.

[0076] In this way, when the combination units 11A, 11B are directed in the second irradiation direction, the pattern generator 22 generates a road surface drawing pattern 46 in one part of the pattern generator 22, and generates an auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 to supplement the low beam light distribution pattern Lo in another part of the pattern generator 22.

[0077] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing how the light distribution pattern shown in Fig. 7(d) appears on the road surface. In Fig. 6(b), the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo shifts downward as road drawing is performed, resulting in a lack of brightness ahead of the vehicle and reduced forward visibility. In Fig. 8, however, when road drawing is performed by the high-beam unit 20, both the road drawing pattern 46 and the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 are generated on the pattern generator 22, thereby achieving both road drawing and improved forward visibility.

[0078] 7( a) to 7(d), the pattern generator 22 first turns on the initial light distribution pattern 56, and then the irradiation direction is switched by the actuator 30, but other methods are also possible. For example, the irradiation direction may first be switched from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction by the actuator 30, and then the pattern generator 22 may generate the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 and the road surface drawing pattern 46.

[0079] 9( a) and 9(b) are schematic diagrams showing another example of an auxiliary light distribution pattern according to the embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the upper edge of the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 is a straight line parallel to the horizontal line H. However, the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 may be determined to form at least the elbow point 34 of the cutoff line 32 of the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo, as shown in FIG. 9(a). In this way, the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 can be used to create a light distribution pattern that is similar to the original low-beam light distribution pattern Lo.

[0080] As another example, the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 may be set to illuminate an area above the horizon H. For example, the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 may include an ADB light distribution pattern as shown in FIG. 9B . That is, the light distribution control ECU 36 may control the pattern generator 22 to form a dark area 64 in a location corresponding to a forward vehicle 62. In this case, similar to the above-described embodiment, the pattern generator 22 may illuminate an area below the horizon to supplement the low-beam light distribution pattern Lo and may also generate a road surface drawing pattern 46.

[0081] 10(a) to 10(d) are schematic diagrams showing an example of the operation of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment. Next, a switching operation from high beam to road surface drawing will be described. In the initial state shown in FIG. 10(a), the combination units 11A and 11B are oriented in a first irradiation direction, a low beam light distribution pattern Lo is emitted from the low beam unit 18, and a high beam light distribution pattern Hi is emitted from the high beam unit 20. When a predetermined event occurs while the low beam light distribution pattern Lo and the high beam light distribution pattern Hi are being emitted, the operation of the combination units 11A and 11B for road surface drawing is started.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 10( b), when the combination units 11A, 11B are facing the first irradiation direction (i.e., before the irradiation direction is switched from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction), the pattern generator 22 switches from the high beam distribution pattern Hi to the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58.

[0083] Next, as schematically indicated by the arrow 48 in Fig. 10(c), the actuator 30 switches the irradiation direction of the combination units 11A, 11B from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction. The auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 and the low-beam distribution pattern Lo are irradiated at positions shifted downward. Then, the pattern generator 22 generates the road surface drawing pattern 46 within the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58, as shown in Fig. 7(d).

[0084] In this way, when a predetermined event occurs while the combination units 11A, 11B are directed in the first irradiation direction and the high beam unit 20 is irradiating the high beam light distribution pattern Hi, the combination units 11A, 11B can switch from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction and execute road surface drawing to notify the driver of the event. In this way, the event can be notified to the driver with priority over high beam irradiation.

[0085] 10( a) to 10(d), the pattern generator 22 first turns on the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58, and then the irradiation direction is switched by the actuator 30, but other methods are also possible. For example, the irradiation direction may first be switched from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction by the actuator 30, and then the pattern generator 22 may generate the auxiliary light distribution pattern 58 and the road surface drawing pattern 46.

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the pair of combination units 11A and 11B operate in the same manner, but the present invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, the combination units 11A and 11B may operate in different manners. Such an embodiment will be described below.

[0087] 11(a) and 11(b) are schematic diagrams showing exemplary light distribution patterns of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment. FIG. 11(a) shows an example of a light distribution pattern of one combination unit 11A, and FIG. 11(b) shows an example of a light distribution pattern of the other combination unit 11B. One combination unit 11A is mounted in a headlamp unit 10A on the left side as viewed from the driver, and the other combination unit 11B is mounted in a headlamp unit 10B on the right side. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing how the light distribution patterns shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) appear on a road surface.

[0088] As shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), a pair of combination units 11A, 11B may be configured so that when the combination unit 11B is directed in the second irradiation direction, the high beam unit 20 (i.e., the pattern generator 22) of this combination unit 11B performs road surface drawing, while directing the other combination unit 11A in the first irradiation direction.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 11(a), the combination unit 11A is oriented in a first irradiation direction, and a low-beam light distribution pattern Lo1 is emitted from the low-beam unit 18. The high-beam unit 20 of the combination unit 11A is turned off, and no high-beam light distribution pattern is emitted. At this time, as shown in Fig. 11(b), the other combination unit 11B is oriented in a second irradiation direction. In this combination unit 11B, a downwardly shifted low-beam light distribution pattern Lo2 is emitted from the low-beam unit 18, and a road surface drawing pattern 46 is emitted from the high-beam unit 20.

[0090] Similarly, a pair of combination units 11A, 11B may be configured so that when the combination unit 11A is directed in the second irradiation direction, the high beam unit 20 of this combination unit 11A performs road surface drawing, and the other combination unit 11B is directed in the first irradiation direction.

[0091] 12, when road marking is performed by the high beam unit 20 of one combination unit 11B (or 11A), the other combination unit 11A (or 11B) can be used to illuminate a specified low beam area with the low beam light distribution pattern Lo1. Thus, a vehicle lamp 10 can be provided that can achieve both road marking and forward visibility.

[0092] 1 to 10(d) and the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 11(a) to 12 may be combined. That is, a pair of combination units 11A, 11B may be configured such that when one combination unit 11A (or 11B) is oriented in the second irradiation direction, the high beam unit 20 of this combination unit performs road marking and assists in low beam distribution, while the other combination unit 11B (or 11A) is oriented in the first irradiation direction. In this way, a vehicle lamp 10 that can achieve both road marking and forward visibility can be provided.

[0093] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, but may be combined with the embodiments and modifications, or may be further modified, such as by various design changes, based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art. The scope of the present invention also includes embodiments and modifications that are combined or further modified in this way. The above-described embodiments and modifications, and new embodiments that are created by combining the above-described embodiments and modifications with the following modifications, combine the effects of the combined embodiments, modifications, and further modifications.

[0094] In the above-described embodiment, the low beam unit 18 is configured to irradiate only the low beam distribution pattern Lo, but this is not essential. In some embodiments, the low beam unit 18 may be configured to irradiate not only the low beam distribution pattern Lo but also other light distribution patterns.

[0095] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary light distribution pattern of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 illustrates the light distribution pattern of a low beam unit 18. The low beam unit 18 can emit a low beam distribution pattern Lo and a high beam distribution pattern Hi1. The low beam unit 18 may include a first light-emitting element row (e.g., an LED row) for forming the low beam distribution pattern Lo and a second light-emitting element row for forming the high beam distribution pattern Hi1. Such a low beam unit 18 may also be referred to as a BiLED unit. For ease of understanding, FIG. 13 also illustrates a high beam distribution pattern Hi2 produced by the high beam unit 20.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the pair of combination units 11A, 11b are symmetrically arranged on both the left and right sides of the vehicle. However, the arrangement of the pair of combination units 11A, 11b is not limited to this. For example, both of the pair of combination units 11A, 11b may be mounted on one of the headlamp units 10A (or 10B).

[0097] The present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiments, but the embodiments merely illustrate one aspect of the principles and applications of the present invention, and many modifications and changes in arrangement are permitted to the embodiments as long as they do not deviate from the concept of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0098] The embodiments can also be expressed as the following numbered items: 1. A vehicular lamp comprising a first combination unit including a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern, wherein the high beam unit is capable of road surface drawing, and the first combination unit is switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward relative to the first irradiation direction, and wherein the high beam unit is configured to perform road surface drawing and illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern when the first combination unit is oriented in the second irradiation direction. 2. The vehicular lamp according to item 1, wherein the first combination unit includes: a support that supports the low beam unit and the high beam unit; and an actuator that drives the support to switch between the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction. 3. 3. The vehicular lamp according to item 1 or 2, characterized in that the high beam unit includes a pattern generator, and the pattern generator is configured to generate a road surface drawing pattern with a part of the pattern generator and generate an auxiliary light distribution pattern for supplementing the low beam distribution pattern with another part of the pattern generator when the first combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction. 4. The vehicular lamp according to item 3, characterized in that the auxiliary light distribution pattern is determined to illuminate at least a part of a portion of the specified low beam area that deviates from the low beam distribution pattern when the first combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction. 5. The vehicular lamp according to item 4, characterized in that the auxiliary light distribution pattern is determined to form at least an elbow point of a cutoff line of the low beam distribution pattern.6. The vehicle lamp according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the first combination unit is configured to switch the first combination unit from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction when a predetermined event occurs while the first combination unit is facing the first irradiation direction and the high beam unit is irradiating the high beam light distribution pattern, and to execute road surface drawing to notify the event. 7. The vehicle lamp according to any one of items 1 to 6, further comprising a second combination unit paired with the first combination unit, the second combination unit comprising a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit being capable of road surface drawing, the second combination unit being switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, the second combination unit being configured to orient the second combination unit in the first irradiation direction when the first combination unit is oriented in the second irradiation direction. 8. The vehicle lamp according to item 7, wherein the first combination unit is mounted on a first headlamp unit of a pair of headlamp units, and the second combination unit is mounted on a second headlamp unit of the pair of headlamp units.9. A vehicle lamp comprising a pair of combination units, each including a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern, wherein the high beam unit is capable of road surface drawing, and each combination unit is switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated into a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, wherein the pair of combination units are configured such that when one combination unit is facing the second irradiation direction, the high beam unit of the one combination unit performs road surface drawing and the other combination unit is facing the first irradiation direction. 10. The vehicle lamp according to paragraph 9, wherein each of the pair of combination units includes: a support that supports the low beam unit and the high beam unit; and an actuator that drives the support to switch between the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction. 11. Item 9 or 10, characterized in that the high beam unit includes a pattern generator, and the pattern generator is configured to generate a road surface drawing pattern using a part of the pattern generator of the one combination unit and generate an auxiliary light distribution pattern for supplementing the low beam distribution pattern using another part of the pattern generator when the one combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction. 12. The vehicle lamp according to item 11, characterized in that the auxiliary light distribution pattern is determined to illuminate at least a part of a portion of the specified low beam area that deviates from the low beam distribution pattern when the one combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction. 13. The vehicle lamp according to item 12, characterized in that the auxiliary light distribution pattern is determined to form at least an elbow point of a cutoff line of the low beam distribution pattern.14. The vehicle lamp according to any one of items 9 to 13, wherein the pair of combination units are configured to, when a predetermined event occurs while the pair of combination units are directed in the first irradiation direction and the high beam unit is irradiating the high beam light distribution pattern, switch one of the combination units from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction and execute road surface drawing to notify the event. 15. The vehicle lamp according to any one of items 9 to 14, wherein the one combination unit is mounted in a first headlamp unit of a pair of headlamp units, and the other combination unit is mounted in a second headlamp unit of the pair of headlamp units. 16. A control device for a vehicle lamp, wherein the vehicle lamp comprises a combination unit having a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit being capable of road surface drawing, and the combination unit being capable of switching between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, and the control device being configured to perform road surface drawing when the combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction and to operate the high beam unit to illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern.17. A computer program for controlling a vehicle lamp, wherein the vehicle lamp comprises a combination unit including a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit is capable of road surface drawing, and the combination unit is switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, the computer program causing a computer to execute the steps of: when the combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction, performing road surface drawing and operating the high beam unit to illuminate the road surface to supplement the low beam light distribution pattern. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program for controlling a vehicle lamp, the vehicle lamp comprising a combination unit including a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern upward relative to the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit enabling road surface drawing, the combination unit being switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, the computer program causing a computer to execute the steps of: when the combination unit is oriented in the second irradiation direction, performing road surface drawing and operating the high beam unit to illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern.

[0099] The present invention can be used in a vehicle lamp that can be mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and also in a control device for such a vehicle lamp.

[0100] 10 Vehicle lighting fixture, 11A, 11B Combination unit, 18 Low beam unit, 20 High beam unit, 22 Pattern generator, 26 Support, 30 Actuator, 32 Cut-off line, 34 Elbow point, 46 Road surface drawing pattern, 58 Auxiliary light distribution pattern, Lo Low beam light distribution pattern, Hi High beam light distribution pattern.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp comprising a first combination unit having a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern upward relative to the low beam light distribution pattern, wherein the high beam unit is capable of road surface drawing, and the first combination unit is capable of switching between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, wherein the high beam unit is configured to perform road surface drawing and illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern when the first combination unit is directed toward the second irradiation direction.

2. The vehicle lamp as described in claim 1, characterized in that the first combination unit comprises: a support for supporting the low beam unit and the high beam unit; and an actuator for driving the support to switch between the first irradiation direction and the second irradiation direction.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the high beam unit is equipped with a pattern generator, and the pattern generator is configured to generate a road surface drawing pattern with a part of the pattern generator when the first combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction, and to generate an auxiliary light distribution pattern to supplement the low beam light distribution pattern with another part of the pattern generator.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3, characterized in that the auxiliary light distribution pattern is determined to illuminate at least a portion of the specified low beam area that falls outside the low beam light distribution pattern when the first combination unit is directed in the second irradiation direction.

5. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4, wherein the auxiliary light distribution pattern is determined so as to form at least an elbow point of a cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern.

6. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the first combination unit is configured to switch the first combination unit from the first irradiation direction to the second irradiation direction when a predetermined event occurs while the first combination unit is facing the first irradiation direction and the high beam unit is irradiating the high beam distribution pattern, and to perform road surface drawing to notify the event.

7. A vehicle lamp as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a second combination unit which is paired with the first combination unit and includes a low beam unit which irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit which irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern upward relative to the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit enabling road surface drawing, and the second combination unit being switchable between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction which is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, characterized in that the second combination unit is configured to face the second combination unit in the first irradiation direction when the first combination unit is facing the second irradiation direction.

8. A vehicle lamp as described in claim 7, characterized in that the first combination unit is mounted on a first headlamp unit of a pair of headlamp units, and the second combination unit is mounted on a second headlamp unit of the pair of headlamp units.

9. A vehicle lamp comprising a pair of combination units, each of which has a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern upward relative to the low beam light distribution pattern, wherein the high beam unit is capable of road surface drawing, and each combination unit is capable of switching between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, characterized in that when one combination unit is facing the second irradiation direction, the pair of combination units are configured to perform road surface drawing using the high beam unit of one combination unit and to face the other combination unit in the first irradiation direction.

10. A control device for a vehicle lamp, the vehicle lamp comprising a combination unit having a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern upward relative to the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit enabling road surface drawing, the combination unit capable of switching between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, the control device being configured to perform road surface drawing when the combination unit is facing the second irradiation direction, and to operate the high beam unit to illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern.

11. A computer program for controlling a vehicle lamp, the vehicle lamp comprising a combination unit having a low beam unit that irradiates a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam unit that irradiates a high beam light distribution pattern upward relative to the low beam light distribution pattern, the high beam unit enabling road surface drawing, the combination unit capable of switching between a first irradiation direction in which the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated onto a specified low beam area and a second irradiation direction that is downward compared to the first irradiation direction, the computer program causing a computer to execute a step of operating the high beam unit to perform road surface drawing and illuminate the road surface to complement the low beam light distribution pattern when the combination unit is facing the second irradiation direction.

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