Vehicular lighting device control system

Abstract

According to the present invention, control of a vehicular lighting device including complicated control such as animation is efficiently executed with a simple configuration. This vehicular lighting device control system comprises: a first lighting device control apparatus that controls a first lighting device provided to a vehicle; and a second lighting device control apparatus that controls a second lighting device provided to the vehicle at a position different from that of the first lighting device. The first and second lighting device control apparatuses are communicably connected to each other. The first lighting device control apparatus has a first lighting device control unit that controls the first lighting device by a prescribed control method, and a first control instruction transmission unit that transmits, to the second lighting device control apparatus, a first control instruction to control the second lighting device by the prescribed control method. The second lighting device control apparatus has a first control instruction reception unit that receives the first control instruction, and a second lighting device control unit that controls the second lighting device by the prescribed control method in accordance with the first control instruction.

Description

Vehicle lighting control system

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

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-119666 filed on July 24, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] In recent years, there has been a growing market need for a system that can provide a variety of expressions and performances, such as animation displays, using lighting fixtures such as headlamps and rear lamps mounted on vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle lighting fixtures"), and that can efficiently communicate information with drivers of following and oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, etc. When attempting to achieve the above-mentioned variety of expressions using vehicle lighting fixtures, it is necessary to realize a simple and low-cost system for efficiently controlling the vehicle lighting fixtures.

[0004] Patent Literature 1 describes a vehicle lamp control device configured to control all lighting fixtures in the front and rear of a vehicle, reduce the number of lamp controllers to reduce vehicle component costs, save space, and improve automotive system security. The lamp control device includes an integrally installed communication module, a first control module, and a second control module. The communication module acquires image information collected by an onboard camera and vehicle body sensor information collected by a vehicle body controller. The first control module is connected to the front lamps via a vehicle CAN bus (Controller Area Network) and a LIN bus (Local Interconnect Network). The first control module generates control commands based on the image information and vehicle body sensor information and transmits the control commands to the front lamps to control the front lamps. The second control module is connected to the rear lamps via the LIN bus and transmits control commands to the rear lamps to control the rear lamps.

[0005] China Utility Model Registration No. 214564942

[0006] The lamp control device in Patent Document 1 is configured by integrating the communication module, first control module, and second control module. Therefore, the load tends to be concentrated on the device. To handle high-load control such as animation display, the lamp control device must be configured using high-performance, high-cost components. Furthermore, because all modules are integrated, if the lamp control device stops functioning due to a failure or other reason, both the front lamps and the rear lamps become uncontrollable. Furthermore, by integrating both the first control module that controls the front lamps and the second control module that controls the rear lamps, the distance between either the front lamps or the rear lamps and the lamp control device is inevitably longer, which can easily cause problems such as instability and delays in communication between the two.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above background, and aims to provide a vehicle lighting control system that can efficiently control vehicle lighting, including complex control such as animation, with a simple configuration.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention to achieve the above object is a vehicle lamp control system, comprising: a first lamp control device configured using an information processing device and controlling a first lamp provided on a vehicle; and a second lamp control device configured using an information processing device and controlling a second lamp provided in a position on the vehicle different from the first lamp, wherein the first lamp control device and the second lamp control device are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, the first lamp control device has a first lamp control unit that controls the first lamp using a predetermined control method, and a first control instruction sending unit that sends a first control instruction to the second lamp control device to control the second lamp using the predetermined control method, and the second lamp control device has a first control instruction receiving unit that receives the first control instruction, and a second lamp control unit that controls the second lamp in accordance with the first control instruction using the predetermined control method.

[0009] Other problems and solutions disclosed in the present application will be made clear in the detailed description and drawings.

[0010] According to the vehicle lamp control system of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently control vehicle lamps including complex control such as animation with a simple configuration.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lighting control system; FIG. 1 is an example of ECU hardware; FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining main functions provided in a vehicle ECU, a rear ECU, and a front ECU; FIG. 3 is a flowchart explaining processing performed by the rear ECU; FIG. 4 is a flowchart explaining processing performed by the front ECU; FIG. 5 is a flowchart explaining processing performed by the front ECU; FIG. 6 is a flowchart explaining software update processing performed by the rear ECU; FIG. 7 is a flowchart explaining processing performed by the rear ECU in response to a trigger signal; FIG. 8 is a flowchart explaining processing performed by the front ECU; FIG. 9 is an example of a rear lamp; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of tail lamp control using a normal control method; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of stop lamp control using a normal control method; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of turn signal lamp control using a normal control method; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of tail lamp control using a predetermined control method; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of tail lamp control using a predetermined control method; FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of backup lamp control using a predetermined control method; FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a communication protocol used for communication between devices;

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, identical or similar components may be designated by common reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted.

[0013] 1A shows a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is mounted on a vehicle 2. The vehicle lamp control system 1 includes rear lamps 3 (first lamps), front lamps 4 (second lamps), a vehicle ECU 21 (main control device), a rear ECU 22 (first lamp control device), and a front ECU 23 (second lamp control device).

[0014] In the following description, the vehicle ECU 21, the rear ECU 22, and the front ECU 23 may be collectively referred to as "ECU 20." The rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4 may be collectively referred to as "vehicle lighting fixtures."

[0015] The rear lamps 3 are lighting fixtures provided at the rear of the vehicle 2. The rear lamps 3 are configured using light-emitting elements such as LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes), laser diodes, and organic electroluminescence (OEL). Examples of the rear lamps 3 include rear combination lamps (RCLs) (including tail lamps (TAIL), stop lamps (STOP), and turn signal lamps (TURN)), rear fog lamps (RFOG), high-mounted stop lamps (HMSL), backup lamps (BACKUP), license plate lamps (LICENSE), and emblem lamps.

[0016] The front lamps 4 are lighting fixtures provided at the front of the vehicle 2. The front lamps 4 are configured using light-emitting elements such as LEDs, laser diodes, and organic electroluminescent (EL) elements. Examples of the front lamps 4 include headlamp hi / lo, clearance lamps, daytime running lamps (DRL), fog lamps, license plate lamps, and emblem lamps.

[0017] As shown in the figure, the vehicle ECU 21 is communicatively connected to the rear ECU 22 and the front ECU 23. The vehicle ECU 21 is also communicatively connected to other devices (other ECUs, etc.) (not shown) provided in the vehicle 2 other than the rear ECU 22 and the front ECU 23. The vehicle ECU 21 controls the front ECU 23 and the rear ECU 22 and acquires information such as sensor information sent from them. As shown in the figure, the rear ECU 22 and the front ECU 23 are also communicatively connected.

[0018] 1B shows an example of hardware of the ECU 20. The illustrated ECU 20 functions as an information processing device (computer) and includes a processor 201, a storage device 202, a power supply device 203, and a communication device 204. These are communicatively connected via an internal communication interface (such as SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) or I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit)).

[0019] The processor 201 is configured using, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit).

[0020] The storage device 202 is configured using, for example, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. The storage device 202 may be built into the processor 201.

[0021] The power supply device 203 is a circuit that supplies drive power to each component of the ECU 20, and includes, for example, an overvoltage / overcurrent protection circuit, a DC / DC converter, and the like.

[0022] The communication device 204 includes various circuits for communicating with other ECUs 20, vehicle lighting fixtures, sensors, actuators, information processing devices outside the vehicle 2, etc. The communication device 204 includes, for example, a CAN transceiver (CAN: Controller Area Network), a CAN FD transceiver, a FlexRay (registered trademark) transceiver, a LIN transceiver (LIN: Local Interconnect Network), SENT (Single Edge Nibble Transmission), PSI5 (Peripheral Sensor Interface 5), a serial communication circuit (UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter), a communication circuit using on-off signals or analog signals, etc.) using direct-wire communication (direct-wire: a line that connects devices one-to-one), a communication circuit using LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling), a communication circuit using in-vehicle Ethernet ("Ethernet" is a registered trademark), a device for wirelessly communicating with other devices using a communication protocol or communication method such as OTA (Over The Air), etc.

[0023] 2 shows the main functions of the vehicle ECU 21, the rear ECU 22, and the front ECU 23. Each function shown in the figure is realized by hardware included in the ECU 20, or by the processor 201 of the ECU 20 reading and executing a program stored in the storage device 202 of the ECU 20.

[0024] As shown in the figure, the vehicle ECU 21 has a second control instruction transmission unit 211. The second control instruction transmission unit 211 generates a control instruction (hereinafter referred to as a "second control instruction") for controlling at least one of the rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4, and transmits the generated second control instruction to the rear ECU 22. The second control instruction transmission unit 211 also generates a control instruction (hereinafter referred to as a "direct control instruction") for directly controlling the front lamps 4 by the normal control method, and transmits the generated direct control instruction to the front ECU 23.

[0025] The second control instruction includes, for example, an instruction to control at least one of the rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4 by a normal control method (hereinafter referred to as the "normal control method"). Here, control by the normal control method is control that conforms to the original purpose of use of the vehicle lamp (for example, control that is essential when the vehicle 2 is traveling). Examples of control by the normal control method include control of turning on / off a stop lamp (STOP) in response to a driver's brake operation, and control of turning on / off a turn signal lamp in response to a driver's operation of a turn signal indicator.

[0026] The second control instruction also includes, for example, an instruction to control at least one of the rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4 using a predetermined control method (hereinafter referred to as the "predetermined control method"). Control using the predetermined control method includes more complex or advanced control (e.g., control that is different from the original purpose of the vehicle lamp) than control using the normal control method, and is control that requires a higher load than control using the predetermined control method. Examples of control using the predetermined control method include control of at least one of the brightness (luminance), the change in brightness of the light-emitting elements that constitute each of the rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4 over time, and the order in which the light-emitting elements are turned on or off. An example of control using the predetermined control method is control to display an animation using the rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4.

[0027] As shown in the figure, the rear ECU 22 has a second control instruction receiving unit 221, a first lamp control unit 222, a first control instruction transmitting unit 223, an update request receiving unit 224, a software update unit 225, and a trigger signal receiving unit 226.

[0028] The second control instruction receiving unit 221 receives the second control instruction sent from the vehicle ECU 21 .

[0029] The first lamp control unit 222 controls the rear lamps 3 using a normal control method or a predetermined control method in response to the second control instruction. The first lamp control unit 222 generates control signals and control information for controlling the rear lamps 3 using the normal control method in response to the second control instruction. For example, the first lamp control unit 222 stores information on which the control signals and control information corresponding to the control specified in the second control instruction sent from the vehicle ECU 21 are based (e.g., algorithms and data for generating the control signals and control information prepared for each animation pattern to be displayed) and generates the control signals and control information based on this information. The first lamp control unit 222 controls the rear lamps 3 using the normal control method or the predetermined control method using the generated control signals and control information.

[0030] The first control instruction transmitting unit 223 generates control signals and control information for controlling the front lamps 4 using a normal control method or a predetermined control method in response to the second control instruction, generates instructions for controlling the front lamps 4 (hereinafter referred to as ``first control instructions'') that include the generated control signals and control information, and transmits the generated first control instructions to the front ECU 23.

[0031] Furthermore, when the trigger signal receiving unit 226 receives a trigger signal (described later), the first control instruction transmitting unit 223 transmits the first control instruction to the front ECU 23. In this case, the first control instruction transmitting unit 223, for example, generates the first control instruction autonomously and transmits it to the front ECU 23.

[0032] The update request receiving unit 224 receives update requests and update information for software that realizes each function of the rear ECU 22 (such as firmware and various data (e.g., information that serves as the basis for the control signals and control information) stored in the storage device 202) by communicating (wired or wirelessly) with other devices. The other devices are, for example, the vehicle ECU 21 and wireless communication terminals (tablets, notebook computers, smartphones, etc.) used by dealers of the vehicle 2, etc. In the latter case, the update request receiving unit 224 receives software update requests and update information by wirelessly communicating with other devices using, for example, an OTA function provided in the rear ECU 22.

[0033] The software update unit 225 updates the above software based on the update information received by the update request receiving unit 224 .

[0034] The trigger signal receiving unit 226 receives, via wireless communication, a signal (hereinafter referred to as a "trigger signal") instructing control (control using a normal control method or a predetermined control method) of at least one of the rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4 from another device. The other device is, for example, a wireless communication terminal (such as a key equipped with a function for wireless communication with the rear ECU 22 (e.g., a key used to lock and unlock the vehicle 2 in a keyless entry system), a smartphone, or a tablet) carried by the user of the vehicle 2. The trigger signal includes information that specifies (identifies) the content of control to be performed on the vehicle lamps. The first lamp control unit 222 controls at least one of the rear lamps 3 and the front lamps 4 according to the content of control specified in the trigger signal.

[0035] As shown in the figure, the front ECU 23 has the functions of a control instruction receiving unit 231 and a second lamp control unit 232 .

[0036] The control instruction receiving unit 231 receives a direct control instruction sent from the vehicle ECU 21 and a first control instruction sent from the rear ECU 22 .

[0037] The second lamp control unit 232 controls the front lamps 4 by the normal control method in response to the received direct control instruction. The second lamp control unit 232 also controls the front lamps 4 by the predetermined control method or the normal control method based on the control signal and control information included in the received first control instruction.

[0038] Next, the control of the vehicle lamps by the vehicle lamp control system 1 configured as above will be specifically described.

[0039] 3A is a flowchart illustrating a process (hereinafter referred to as "lighting control process S300") performed by the rear ECU 22 when controlling the vehicle lamps. The lighting control process S300 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0040] As shown in the figure, the second control instruction receiving unit 221 of the rear ECU 22 waits for reception of the second control instruction from the vehicle ECU 21 (S311: No). When the second control instruction receiving unit 221 receives the second control instruction from the vehicle ECU 21 (S311: Yes), the process proceeds to S312.

[0041] In S312, the first lamp control unit 222 determines whether the second control instruction received in S311 includes an instruction to control the rear lamp 3 (S312). If the received second control instruction includes an instruction to control the rear lamp 3 (S312: Yes), the process proceeds to S313. If the received second control instruction does not include an instruction to control the rear lamp 3 (S312: No), the process proceeds to S314.

[0042] In S313, the first lamp control unit 222 generates a control signal and control information in accordance with the second control instruction received in S311, and controls the rear lamp 3 by the normal control method or the predetermined control method. Then, the process proceeds to S314.

[0043] In S314, the first control instruction transmission unit 223 determines whether the second control instruction received in S311 includes an instruction to control the front lamps 4. If the second control instruction received in S311 does not include an instruction to control the front lamps 4 (S314: No), the process returns to S311. On the other hand, if the second control instruction received in S311 includes an instruction to control the front lamps 4 (S314: Yes), the first control instruction transmission unit 223 generates control signals and control information for controlling the front lamps 4 using the normal control method or the predetermined control method in accordance with the second control instruction, generates a first control instruction for controlling the front lamps 4 including the generated control signals and control information (S315), and transmits the generated first control instruction to the front ECU 23 (S316). Then, the process returns to S311.

[0044] 3B is a flowchart illustrating a process (hereinafter referred to as "lighting control process S350") performed by the front ECU 23 in response to a first control instruction from the rear ECU 22 when controlling the above-described vehicle lamp. Below, the lighting control process S350 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0045] As shown in the figure, the control instruction receiving unit 231 of the front ECU 23 waits for reception of the first control instruction from the rear ECU 22 (S351: No). When the control instruction receiving unit 231 receives the first control instruction (S351: Yes), the process proceeds to S352.

[0046] In S352, the second lamp control unit 232 controls the front lamps 4 by the normal control method or the predetermined control method in accordance with the first control instruction received in S351. Specifically, the second lamp control unit 232 controls the front lamps 4 by the normal control method or the predetermined control method based on the control signal and control information included in the received first control instruction. Thereafter, the processing returns to S351.

[0047] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process (hereinafter referred to as "lighting control process S400") performed by the front ECU 23 in response to a direct control instruction from the vehicle ECU 21. The lighting control process S400 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0048] As shown in the figure, the control instruction receiving unit 231 of the front ECU 23 waits for reception of a direct control instruction from the vehicle ECU 21 (S411: No). When the control instruction receiving unit 231 receives a direct control instruction (S411: Yes), the process proceeds to S412.

[0049] In S412, the second lamp control unit 232 controls the front lamps 4 in accordance with the direct control instruction received in S411. Specifically, the second lamp control unit 232 controls the front lamps 4 using the normal control method based on the control signals and control information included in the direct control instruction received in S411. Then, the process returns to S411.

[0050] 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process (hereinafter referred to as "software update process S500") performed by the rear ECU 22 in response to a software update request transmitted from the vehicle ECU 21 or another device via OTA. The software update process S500 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0051] As shown in the figure, the update request receiving unit 224 of the rear ECU 22 waits to receive a software update request (with accompanying update information (update difference)) from the vehicle ECU 21 or another device that implements each function of the rear ECU 22 (S511: No). When the update request receiving unit 224 receives the software update request (S511: Yes), the process proceeds to S512.

[0052] In S512, the software update unit 225 updates the software that realizes the functions of the rear ECU 22 based on the update information received together with the update request.

[0053] <Trigger response control processing> FIG. 6A is a flowchart illustrating processing (hereinafter referred to as "trigger response control processing S600") performed by the rear ECU 22 when controlling the vehicle lamps in response to a trigger signal transmitted by wireless communication from another device (a wireless communication terminal (such as a key in a keyless entry system or a smartphone) carried by the user of the vehicle 2). The trigger response control processing S600 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0054] As shown in the figure, the trigger signal receiving unit 226 of the rear ECU 22 waits for reception of a trigger signal from another device (S611: No). If the trigger signal receiving unit 226 receives a trigger signal (S611: Yes), the process proceeds to S612.

[0055] In S612, the first lamp control unit 222 determines whether the content of the trigger signal received in S611 includes a control instruction for the rear lamp 3 (S612). If the content of the received trigger signal includes a control instruction for the rear lamp 3 (S612: Yes), the process proceeds to S613. On the other hand, if the content of the received trigger signal does not include a control instruction for the rear lamp 3 (S612: No), the process proceeds to S614.

[0056] In S613, the first lamp control unit 222 generates a control signal and control information according to the content (control instruction) of the trigger signal received in S611, and controls the rear lamp 3 using a predetermined control method. Then, the process proceeds to S614.

[0057] In S614, the first control instruction transmission unit 223 determines whether the content of the trigger signal received in S611 includes a control instruction for the front lamps 4. If the content of the trigger signal received in S611 does not include a control instruction for the front lamps 4 (S614: No), the process returns to S611. On the other hand, if the content of the trigger signal received in S611 includes a control instruction for the front lamps 4 (S614: Yes), the first control instruction transmission unit 223 generates a control signal and control information according to the content (control instruction) of the trigger signal, generates a first control instruction that includes the generated control signal and control information and instructs control of the front lamps 4 (S615), and transmits the generated first control instruction to the front ECU 23 (S616). Then, the process returns to S611.

[0058] 6B is a flowchart illustrating a process (hereinafter referred to as "trigger response control process S650") performed by the front ECU 23 in response to the first control instruction sent from the rear ECU 22 in the process of S616 in FIG. 6A. The trigger response control process S650 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0059] As shown in the figure, the control instruction receiving unit 231 of the front ECU 23 waits for reception of the first control instruction from the rear ECU 22 (S651: No). When the control instruction receiving unit 231 receives the first control instruction (S651: Yes), the process proceeds to S652.

[0060] In S652, the second lamp control unit 232 controls the front lamps 4 by the normal control method or the predetermined control method in accordance with the first control instruction received in S651. Specifically, the second lamp control unit 232 controls the front lamps 4 by the normal control method or the predetermined control method based on the control signal and control information included in the received first control instruction. Thereafter, the processing returns to S651.

[0061] In this way, the rear ECU 22 can control the rear lamps 3 and front lamps 4 in response to instructions from other devices such as a key in a keyless entry system or a smartphone, thereby improving the functionality of the vehicle 2.

[0062] 7 shows an example of a rear lamp 3 provided on a vehicle 2. The figure is a view of the vehicle 2 viewed from behind (from the rear side). As shown in the figure, the illustrated vehicle 2 is equipped with, as rear lamps 3, a high-mounted stop lamp (HMSL) 71, a tail lamp (TAIL) 72, a stop lamp (STOP) 73, a turn signal lamp (TURN) 74, a backup lamp (BACKUP) 75 (with a road surface drawing function using a projector), and a license lamp (LICENCE) 76.

[0063] <Example of control by normal control method> Fig. 8A is a diagram showing an example of control by the normal control method of the tail lamp (TAIL) 72 of the rear lamps 3 shown in Fig. 7. As shown in the figure, when the ignition of the vehicle 2 is turned on, the tail lamp (TAIL) 72 is fully lit by control by the normal control method.

[0064] 8B is a diagram showing an example of control by the normal control method of the stop lamp (STOP) 73 of the rear lamps 3 shown in FIG. 7. The stop lamp (STOP) 73 is controlled by the normal control method and turns on / off in conjunction with the brake operation by the driver of the vehicle 2. The diagram shows a state in which the stop lamp (STOP) 73 is turned on when the brake is operated.

[0065] 8C is a diagram showing an example of control by the normal control method of the turn signal lamp (TURN) 74 among the rear lamps 3 shown in FIG. 7. The turn signal lamp (TURN) 74 is controlled by the normal control method and lights up (or changes color) in conjunction with the operation of the turn signal by the driver of the vehicle 2. The diagram shows a state in which the turn signal is operated to turn right and the right turn signal lamp (TURN) 74 is turned on.

[0066] <Example of Control by Predetermined Control Method> Figure 9A is a diagram showing an example of control by a predetermined control method of the tail lamp (TAIL) 72 of the rear lamps 3 shown in Figure 7. In this example, by control by the predetermined control method, light-emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) of the tail lamp (TAIL) 72 are sequentially lit from left to right with a time lag, and an animation in which light flows from left to right (e.g., an animation displaying a "Welcome" message when the driver performs an unlocking operation using the key of the vehicle 2, or a "Farwell" message when the driver performs a locking operation) is displayed.

[0067] Fig. 9B is a diagram showing an example of control by a predetermined control method of the tail lamp (TAIL) 72 of the rear lamps 3 shown in Fig. 7. In this example, by control by the predetermined control method, an animation showing the remaining charge (charge amount (SOC (State Of Charge))) of the battery (storage battery) of the vehicle 2, which is an electric vehicle, is displayed on the tail lamp (TAIL) 72 (the animation increases the number of light-emitting elements that are turned on as the remaining charge increases).

[0068] 9C is a diagram showing an example of control by a predetermined control method of the backup lamps (BACKUP) 75 of the rear lamps 3 shown in FIG. 7. In this example, the backup lamps (BACKUP) 75 are controlled by the predetermined control method to display an animation (for example, an animation informing a following vehicle of the necessary distance between the vehicles) on the road surface.

[0069] 10 shows an example of a communication protocol (communication method) used for communication between devices in the vehicle lighting control system 1. As shown in the figure, in this example, a communication protocol based on a differential transmission method (CAN, CAN FD, FlexRay, in-vehicle Ethernet, etc.) is used as the communication protocol between the vehicle ECU 21 and the rear ECU 22, and between the vehicle ECU 21 and the front ECU 23. This is because the second control instruction and the direct control instruction must be transmitted quickly and stably between the vehicle ECU 21 and the rear ECU 22, and between the vehicle ECU 21 and the front ECU 23. Similarly, a communication protocol based on a differential transmission method is used between the rear ECU 22 and the front ECU 23 because the first control instruction must be transmitted quickly and stably.

[0070] On the other hand, between the rear ECU 22 and the rear lamp 3, an appropriate communication protocol is adopted depending on the control method performed on the rear lamp 3.

[0071] For example, for the rear lamps 3 (rear combination lamps (RCL) (tail lamps (TAIL) 72, stop lamps (STOP) 73, turn signal lamps (TURN) 74) and backup lamps (BACKUP) 75) that are the subject of control by a predetermined control method, a communication protocol based on a differential transmission method is adopted as the communication protocol used between the rear ECU 22.

[0072] Furthermore, for the high-mounted stop lamp (HMSL) 71 and license lamp (LICENCE) 76, which are rear lamps 3 that are subject to control by the normal control method, a direct line based communication protocol or a communication protocol such as LIN is adopted. Note that, since the rear ECU 22 is located closer to the rear lamps 3 than the vehicle ECU 21 and the front ECU 23, stable communication can be achieved even when a direct line based communication protocol or a communication protocol such as LIN is adopted.

[0073] In this way, by selecting an appropriate communication protocol for each rear lamp 3 according to the control method used for each rear lamp 3, it is possible to simplify and reduce the cost of the vehicle lighting control system 1 while ensuring the required communication performance.

[0074] Furthermore, if communication between the rear ECU 22 and the rear lamp 3 that is the target of control by a specified control method can be carried out stably even when a communication protocol based on direct wiring or a communication protocol such as LIN is adopted (for example, when the distance between the two is very short and the communication is less susceptible to the influence of engine noise, etc.), it is of course possible to adopt a communication protocol based on direct wiring or a communication protocol such as LIN for the above communication instead of a differential transmission method.

[0075] =Summary= As described above, the vehicle lighting control system 1 of this embodiment can efficiently control vehicle lighting using a high-load predetermined control method that includes complex control such as animation, with a simple configuration.

[0076] Furthermore, for example, because the control of the front lamps 4 using a predetermined control method is performed by the rear ECU 22, which acts as the master, the front ECU 23, which acts as the slave, can have a simpler configuration than the front lamps 4. Furthermore, the surplus resources of the front lamps 4 resulting from the simplification can be utilized for other purposes, for example.

[0077] Furthermore, since the rear ECU 22 is responsible for receiving the second control instruction from the vehicle ECU 21 and performing processing in accordance with the second control instruction, the front ECU 23 can have a simpler configuration than the rear ECU 22 .

[0078] Furthermore, by making the rear ECU 22 function as a master and the front ECU 23 function as a slave that controls the front lamps 4 in response to the first control instruction from the rear ECU 22, it is possible to prevent conflict between the controls of the two and prevent malfunction of the system. Furthermore, by having the rear ECU 22, which is the master, control the front lamps 4 using a predetermined control method, it is possible to perform consistent processing as a whole system.

[0079] The rear ECU 22 also receives update information for software that realizes the functions of the rear ECU 22 by communicating with other devices via OTA or the like, and updates the software of the rear ECU 22 based on the received update information. Therefore, for example, software updates for control using a predetermined control method only need to be performed on the rear ECU 22, and the front ECU 23 can have a simpler configuration than the rear ECU 22.

[0080] In addition, the rear ECU 22 can control the rear lamps 3 and front lamps 4 in response to instructions from other devices such as a key in a keyless entry system or a smartphone, thereby improving the functionality of the vehicle 2.

[0081] Furthermore, for the communication between the rear ECU 22 and the rear lamp 3, which requires high speed and stability, a differential transmission method such as CAN is used as the communication protocol for the communication between the rear ECU 22 and the rear lamp 3 that is the target of a specified control method by the rear ECU 22, and for the communication between the other rear lamps 3 and the rear ECU 22, a communication protocol using direct wiring or LIN is used, thereby avoiding an unnecessarily redundant configuration and allowing the vehicle lighting control system 1 to be configured simply and at low cost.

[0082] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and includes various modifications. Furthermore, the above embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, some of the configurations of the above embodiments can be added to, deleted from, or replaced with other configurations.

[0083] For example, in the above example, the rear ECU 22 functions as the master and the front ECU 23 functions as the slave, but the front ECU 23 may function as the master and the rear ECU 22 as the slave, i.e., the front ECU 23 may perform the functions of the rear ECU 22 described above, and the rear ECU 22 may perform the functions of the front ECU 23. In this case, the vehicle ECU 21 transmits the second control instruction to the front ECU 23 and transmits the direct control instruction to the rear ECU 22.

[0084] Also, for example, the rear ECU 22 may transmit a first control instruction to the front ECU 23 to control the second lamp in synchronization with the control of the rear lamp 3 according to a predetermined control method, and an animation may be displayed in which the rear lamp 3 and the front lamp 4 are synchronized. This makes it possible to display, for example, a message that is highly visible (including to the driver) or a message that has a strong impact (flashy) (emergency warning, help display, etc.), thereby reliably conveying information to those around the vehicle 2.

[0085] 1 Vehicle lamp control system, 2 Vehicle, 3 Rear lamp, 4 Front lamp, 20 ECU, 21 Vehicle ECU, 211 Second control instruction transmission unit, 22 Rear ECU, 221 Second control instruction reception unit, 222 First lamp control unit, 223 First control instruction transmission unit, 224 Update request reception unit, 225 Software update unit, 226 Trigger signal reception unit, 23 Front ECU, 231 Control instruction reception unit, 232 Second lamp control unit, S300 Lighting control process, S350 Lighting control process, S400 Lighting control process, S500 Software update process, S600 Trigger response control process, S650 Trigger response control process

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp control system comprising: a first lamp control device configured using an information processing device and controlling a first lamp provided in a vehicle; and a second lamp control device configured using an information processing device and controlling a second lamp provided in a position different from the first lamp on the vehicle, wherein the first lamp control device and the second lamp control device are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other, the first lamp control device has: a first lamp control unit that controls the first lamp by a predetermined control method; and a first control instruction transmission unit that transmits a first control instruction to the second lamp control device for controlling the second lamp by the predetermined control method, and the second lamp control device has: a first control instruction receiving unit that receives the first control instruction; and a second lamp control unit that controls the second lamp in accordance with the first control instruction by the predetermined control method.

2. A vehicle lamp control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control according to the predetermined control method is a control for displaying an animation by at least one of the first lamp and the second lamp.

3. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 2, wherein the control for displaying the animation includes control of at least one of the brightness of the light-emitting elements constituting at least one of the first lamp and the second lamp, the change in brightness over time, and the order in which the light-emitting elements are turned on or off.

4. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, wherein the first lamp control device further comprises: an update request receiving unit that receives update information for software that realizes the first lamp control unit by communicating with another device; and a software update unit that updates the software based on the received update information.

5. A vehicle lamp control system according to claim 4, wherein the update request receiving unit receives the update information by wirelessly communicating with another device via OTA (Over The Air).

6. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, further including a main control device configured using an information processing device and communicatively connected to the first lamp control device and the second lamp control device, wherein the main control device has a second control instruction transmitting unit that transmits a second control instruction for the first lamp or the second lamp to the first lamp control device, the first lamp control device further has a second control instruction receiving unit that receives the second control instruction, the first lamp control unit controls the first lamp using the specified control method in response to the second control instruction, and the first control instruction transmitting unit transmits the first control instruction to the second lamp control device in response to the second control instruction.

7. A vehicle lamp control system according to claim 1, wherein the first lamp control device and the second lamp control device are communicatively connected by a differential transmission method.

8. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, wherein the first lamp control device and the first lamp are communicatively connected via a direct wire or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), and the second lamp control device and the second lamp are communicatively connected via a direct wire or a LIN.

9. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises a plurality of the first lamps and a plurality of the second lamps, and among the plurality of the first lamps, the first lamps controlled by the specified control method are communicatively connected to the first lamp control device via a differential transmission method, and the first lamps not controlled by the specified control method are communicatively connected to the first lamp control device via a direct wire or LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and among the plurality of the second lamps, the second lamps controlled by the specified control method are communicatively connected to the second lamp control device via a differential transmission method, and the second lamps not controlled by the specified control method are communicatively connected to the second lamp control device via a direct wire or LIN.

10. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, wherein the first lamp control device transmits the first control instruction to the second lamp control device for controlling the second lamp in synchronization with control of the first lamp by the specified control method.

11. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, wherein the first lamp control device comprises a trigger signal receiving unit that receives a trigger signal from another device via wireless communication, the trigger signal instructing control of the first lamp or the second lamp using the specified control method, the first lamp control unit controls the first lamp using the specified control method in response to receiving the trigger signal, and the first control instruction sending unit transmits the first control instruction to the second lamp control device for controlling the second lamp using the specified control method in response to receiving the trigger signal.

12. The vehicle lamp control system according to claim 11, wherein the trigger signal is a vehicle unlocking signal in a keyless entry system.

13. A vehicle lamp control system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the trigger signal is a signal transmitted from the other device and instructs control of the first lamp or the second lamp according to the specified control method.

14. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, wherein the first lamp is a rear lamp provided at the rear of the vehicle, and the second lamp is a front lamp provided at the front of the vehicle.

15. A vehicle lamp control system as described in claim 1, wherein the first lamp is a front lamp provided at the front of the vehicle, and the second lamp is a rear lamp provided at the rear of the vehicle.

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