Ambient light device and vehicle

Abstract

In the disclosed ambient light device (6), at least the luminance of an ambient light (8) can be set for each of a plurality of states. At the time of switching from a first state to a second state, a control device (7) starts changing the luminance of the ambient light (8) at a rate of change in a first gradual change period in which the luminance is gradually changed from the luminance in the first state to the luminance in the second state over a predetermined transition time. If there is an interruption of switching to a third state before the end of the first gradual change period, the control device (7) immediately reflects the interruption by changing the luminance of the ambient light (8) to the luminance in the second state at the time of the interruption, and starts changing the luminance of the ambient light (8) at a rate of change in a second gradual change period in which the luminance is gradually changed from the luminance in the second state to the luminance in the third state over the transition time immediately after the immediate reflection.

Description

Ambient light device and vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to an ambient light device including an ambient light for illuminating a vehicle interior, and a vehicle including the ambient light device.

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a vehicle in which an ambient light for illuminating the vehicle interior is arranged on a door trim of a vehicle compartment, a dashboard, or the like. An ambient light device including an ambient light has a function of producing an effect in the vehicle interior with light and color. As an ambient light device, for example, a device has been proposed that includes a knob for adjusting all the vehicle interior lights (ambient lights) and an automatic-manual changeover switch, and changes the chromaticity of each light in the vehicle interior all at once based on a driver's operation or a signal from an illuminance sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-72463

[0004] Incidentally, the state of a vehicle equipped with an ambient light device is not always constant, and changes depending on the driving state and non-driving state (for example, a state in which an occupant is waiting in the vehicle interior, a time of getting in the vehicle, a time of getting off the vehicle, and the like). Since such a plurality of states are assumed, if the lighting method (for example, luminance and color) of the ambient light can be changed for each state, the effect of the ambient light can be effectively realized. In other words, with respect to the ambient light device, there is room for improving the user experience [the emotions experienced by the user through the ambient light (setting operation and output), the impression held by the user, the user's reaction, and the like].[End]]

[0005] The present invention was conceived in view of the problems described above, and one object thereof is to improve user experience in an ambient light device and a vehicle including the same. It should be noted that the object of the present invention is not limited to this, and another object of the present invention is to achieve functions and effects that are derived from each configuration shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described later and cannot be obtained by conventional techniques.

[0006] The disclosed ambient lighting device and vehicle can be realized in the embodiments (application examples) disclosed below, and solve at least some of the above-mentioned problems. Each of embodiments 2 to 8 is an additional embodiment that can be appropriately selected and each is an embodiment that can be omitted. None of embodiments 2 to 8 disclose any embodiments or configurations that are essential to this case.

[0007] Embodiment 1. The disclosed ambient lighting device comprises ambient lighting for illuminating the interior of a vehicle and a control device for controlling the ambient lighting, wherein at least the brightness of the ambient lighting can be set for each of a plurality of states. The control device, at the time of switching from a first state to a second state among the plurality of states, begins to change the brightness of the ambient lighting at a rate of change during a first gradual change period in which the brightness gradually changes from the brightness of the first state to the brightness of the second state over a predetermined transition period. If an interruption occurs before the end of the first gradual change period for switching to a third state among the plurality of states, the control device immediately reflects this by changing the brightness of the ambient lighting to the brightness of the second state at the time of the interruption, and immediately after such immediate reflection, begins to change the brightness of the ambient lighting at a rate of change during a second gradual change period in which the brightness gradually changes from the brightness of the second state to the brightness of the third state over a predetermined transition period.

[0008] Embodiment 2. In an embodiment including Embodiment 1 described above, it is preferable that the ambient light element includes the color of the ambient light. In this case, it is preferable that the control device gradually changes from the color of the first state to the color of the second state during the first gradual change period, immediately reflects the change by changing to the color of the second state at the time of the interrupt, and gradually changes from the color of the second state to the color of the third state during the second gradual change period.

[0009] Embodiment 3. In an embodiment including Embodiment 1 described above, it is preferable that the plurality of states include the state of the vehicle in which the ambient light is installed. In this case, it is preferable that the state of the vehicle includes a driving state in which the vehicle is in a drivable starting state and all doors are closed, a welcome state in which the vehicle is not in the starting state and all doors are closed, and a door-open state in which one of the doors is open.

[0010] Embodiment 4. In an embodiment including Embodiment 3 described above, the driving state has a set brightness that is set by user operation, as well as a maximum brightness that is set in advance and used from the start of the driving state until a predetermined condition is met, and it is preferable that the control device uses the maximum brightness as the brightness of the driving state when it switches from the first state to the driving state, or when there is an interrupt for switching to the driving state.

[0011] Embodiment 5. In embodiments including Embodiment 1 described above, it is preferable that the plurality of states include an illuminated state in which the ambient light is illuminated at a set brightness and an off state in which the brightness of the ambient light is set to 0, as an incoming call state in which an incoming signal is received from a user's terminal capable of communicating with the vehicle on which the ambient light is installed. When the control device receives the incoming signal, it is preferable that the initial reception time of the incoming signal is set as the switching time when the device switches from the first state to the illuminated state as the second state, and the brightness of the ambient light is changed at the rate of change of the first gradual change period, and the off state as the third state is inserted at the time when a predetermined illumination time shorter than the transition time has elapsed from the switching time, and the brightness of the ambient light is immediately reflected by changing it to the brightness of the illuminated state, and immediately after the immediate reflection, the brightness of the ambient light is changed at the rate of change of the second gradual change period in which the brightness is gradually changed from the brightness of the illuminated state to 0, which is the brightness of the off state, over the transition time.

[0012] Embodiment 6. In an embodiment including Embodiment 5 described above, if the control device continues to receive the incoming signal, it is preferable that the control device changes the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change of the second gradual change period, and then sets the brightness to 0, then switches from the off state as the first state to the on state as the second state to set a new switching point, and repeatedly performs the immediate reflection process and the change process at the rate of change of the second gradual change period until the incoming signal is no longer received.

[0013] Embodiment 7. In an embodiment including Embodiment 1 described above, it is preferable that the plurality of states include a message reception state in which a message signal is received from a user terminal capable of communicating with the vehicle on which the ambient light is installed. When the control device receives the message signal during the first gradual change period, it is preferable that the time of reception of the message signal is set as the interrupt time, and that immediately after the immediate reflection the brightness of the ambient light is changed at the rate of change during the second gradual change period, and that after a predetermined notification time has elapsed from the interrupt time the brightness of the ambient light is gradually changed from the brightness of the message reception state to the brightness of the second state.

[0014] Embodiment 8. In an embodiment including Embodiment 1 described above, the ambient light device further comprises a setting unit operated by the user of the vehicle in which the ambient light is installed, which can set the elements of the ambient light for each of the multiple states, and it is preferable that the vehicle is provided with a preview function in which the ambient light represents the elements as they are being set in the setting unit. When the elements are set in the setting unit, the control device preferably starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change of the first gradual change period when switching from the setting of the first state to the setting of the second state, and if a switch to the setting of the third state is interrupted before the end of the first gradual change period, it is preferable that the brightness of the ambient light is changed to the brightness of the second state at the time of the interruption to reflect the change immediately, and the brightness of the ambient light is preferably started changing at the rate of change of the second gradual change period immediately after the change.

[0015] Embodiment 9. The disclosed vehicle comprises an ambient lighting device as described in any one of Embodiments 1 to 8 above, and a display device having an operation screen operated by a user and capable of setting the elements of the ambient lighting.

[0016] The disclosed ambient lighting system and vehicle can improve the user experience.

[0017] This is a block diagram showing a vehicle equipped with an ambient lighting device as an embodiment, along with a terminal capable of communicating with it. This is a table illustrating the relationship between multiple states and the configurable elements of ambient lighting. This is a diagram to explain the change in brightness when a state is switched. This is a diagram to explain the change in brightness when a state is switched. This is a diagram to explain the change in brightness when a state switch is interrupted. This is a diagram to explain the change in brightness when a state switch is interrupted. This is a diagram to explain the change in brightness when the lights are on and off in the incoming call state. This is a diagram showing a specific example of the operation screen (main screen) of the display device equipped in the vehicle of Figure 1. This is a diagram showing a specific example of the operation screen (sub-screen) of the display device of Figure 8.

[0018] The ambient lighting device and vehicle described below as embodiments will be explained with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are merely illustrative, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly stated in the embodiments below. Each configuration of the embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from their intended purpose. Furthermore, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[0019] The ambient lighting system according to this embodiment includes ambient lighting that illuminates the interior of a vehicle and a control device that controls elements including the brightness of the ambient lighting, and the brightness of the ambient lighting can be set for at least one of several states. Furthermore, the vehicle according to this embodiment is not particularly limited in type as long as it is equipped with this ambient lighting system and a display device that has an operation screen operated by the user and allows the elements of the ambient lighting to be set, and can be applied to, for example, gasoline vehicles, electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles (hybrid electric vehicles, HEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, PHEVs), etc. A plug-in hybrid vehicle means a hybrid vehicle that can be externally charged to a battery or externally powered from a battery. A plug-in hybrid vehicle is provided with a charging port (inlet) for inserting a charging cable into which power is supplied from an external charging facility, and an outlet for external power supply.

[0020] [1. Overall Configuration] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle 9 equipped with an ambient light device 6 as an embodiment, and a terminal 80 that can communicate with the vehicle 9. In addition to the ambient light device 6, the vehicle 9 is equipped with a display device 1 and a communication device 5. The communication device 5 is a device that can communicate directly with the communication device (not shown) of the terminal 80. For communication between the communication device 5 on the vehicle 9 side and the communication device on the terminal 80 side, for example, Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity®) may be used.

[0021] Terminal 80 is at least a device or computer capable of making calls, such as a smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, smartwatch, or laptop computer. Terminal 80 is not an in-vehicle device, but is portable by the user (occupant). Terminal 80 may automatically start communicating with the communication device 5 when it enters the vehicle 9 with the user, or it may start communicating with the communication device 5 at the user's operation. When a call is received, terminal 80 transmits a signal indicating an incoming call (hereinafter referred to as the "incoming call signal") to the vehicle 9 via the communication device 5 until the call ends. Also, when a message is received, terminal 80 transmits a signal indicating that the message has been received (hereinafter referred to as the "message signal") to the vehicle 9 via the communication device 5 only at the time the message is received.

[0022] The ambient lighting device 6 is a lighting device that includes ambient lights 8 that illuminate the interior of the vehicle 9, and includes a control device 7 that controls the ambient lights 8. The ambient lights 8 are positioned, for example, on the door trims of the front and rear seats, or on the lower part of the instrument panel, and are capable of various lighting patterns such as illumination and flashing in various colors and brightness levels.

[0023] The control device 7 is a computer and incorporates a processor (arithmetic processing unit) and memory (storage device). The processing content (program) of the control device 7 is stored in memory and executed by appropriately loading that content into the processor. The ambient light device 6 is provided with switches or buttons (for example, the on / off button 60 in Figure 8, which will be described later) for turning the ambient light device 6 on and off. The ambient light device 6 operates only when the on / off switch or the like is on. The ambient light device 6, including the control device 7, will be described later.

[0024] The display device 1 is mounted on the vehicle 9 and displays information regarding the settings of the ambient light device 6, as well as a device that allows the user to set elements of the ambient light 8 (color, brightness, lighting pattern, special modes, etc.). The display device 1 is operated by the user of the vehicle 9 and includes an operation screen 4 (settings unit) that allows the user to set elements of the ambient light 8 for each of several states, which will be described later. In addition to the operation screen 4, the display device 1 may also include screens that display various content information, a home screen, etc. Specific examples of content information include vehicle information, driving information, information regarding driving support functions, audio information, car navigation information, alert information, and various setting information.

[0025] The display device 1 comprises a display control device 2 and an output device 3. The display control device 2 is a computer for controlling the content displayed on the output device 3, and incorporates a processor (arithmetic processing unit) and memory (storage device). The processing content (program) of the display control device 2 is stored in memory, and is executed when the content is appropriately read by the processor. The display control device 2 may be formed integrally with the output device 3 (built into the output device 3), or it may be provided separately from the output device 3.

[0026] The output device 3 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or a projector, and displays at least the operation screen 4. Hereinafter, the display or projector screen on which information is displayed will be referred to as the display screen. The operation screen 4 is one of the display screens. The information displayed on the display screen is controlled by the display control device 2. The shape of the display screen (the shape of the area on which information is displayed) is not particularly limited, but for example, it is a rectangle that is long in the left-right direction.

[0027] All information displayed on the output device 3 is controlled by the display control device 2. The output device 3 is positioned in a location easily visible to the driver, such as in front of the driver (in front of the steering wheel) or in front of the center of the vehicle (in front of the space between the driver's seat and the passenger seat). An input device that accepts input operations on the content of the display screen may be provided as an accessory device to the output device 3. Specific examples of input devices include a touch panel device that detects touch operations on the display screen, an input device equipped with a keyboard, physical buttons, or a touchpad, a gaze detection device that detects gaze, and a gesture reading device that detects gesture operations. In this embodiment, at least the output device 3 has a touch panel device that detects touch operations (such as tap operations or slide operations) on the operation screen 4.

[0028] Furthermore, the vehicle 9 in this embodiment is equipped with an ignition switch 71 (hereinafter referred to as "IG switch 71"), a door sensor 72, and a shift position sensor 73. The IG switch 71 may be a physical switch located inside the vehicle, or it may be a virtual switch displayed on the output device 3 or other display. If the IG switch 71 is a virtual switch, an operation detection means for detecting pressing or gesture operations on the virtual switch may be used in conjunction with it. In the case of an electric vehicle, the IG switch 71 in this embodiment may be a power switch.

[0029] The door sensor 72 is a sensor that detects the open / closed state of the vehicle's doors (including the tailgate), and is provided for each door. The shift position sensor 73 is a sensor that detects the shift position of the gear shift lever (shift lever, select lever) (not shown). The on / off state of the IG switch 71, the open / closed state detected by the door sensor 72, and the shift information detected by the shift position sensor 73 are all transmitted to the control device 7.

[0030] [2. Ambient Lighting Device] [2-1. State] Next, the detailed configuration of the ambient lighting device 6 will be described. In the ambient lighting device 6, at least the brightness of the ambient light 8 elements can be set for multiple states. The "state" referred to here is a state that can be determined in the ambient lighting device 6, and includes, for example, the following states.

[0031] 1. Driving state 2. Welcome state 3. Door open state 4. Incoming call state (illuminated) 5. Incoming call state (light off) 6. Incoming call state (message received) 7. Settings state 8. Off state

[0032] States 1 to 3 are the states of the vehicle 9 in which the ambient lighting device 6 is installed. States 4 to 6 are further subdivisions of the Incoming Call state, which can also be considered a type of state of the vehicle 9, and occur as a result of the ambient lighting device 6 receiving a signal from a terminal 80 that can communicate with the vehicle 9. Hereinafter, the Driving state, Welcome state, Door Open state, and Incoming Call state will be collectively referred to as the "State of Vehicle 9".

[0033] State 7 is not the state of the vehicle 9, but rather a state in which one of the elements of the driving state, welcome state, door open state, or incoming call state is being set by user operation. State 8 is a state that does not fall under any of states 1 to 7, for example, when the ambient light device 6 is set to off. The definition of each state and the conditions under which each state is established are explained below.

[0034] [1] Driving State The driving state is a state in which the vehicle 9 is in a drivable, running state (ignition on or power on) and all doors are closed. The state of driving includes the time immediately before starting to drive, while driving, and while stopped at a traffic light, etc. The conditions for the driving state to be established are, for example, that all three of the following conditions 1a to 1c are met: - Condition 1a: The IG switch 71 (power switch) is on - Condition 1b: The door sensor 72 detects that all doors are closed - Condition 1c: No incoming call signal or message signal is received

[0035] [2] Welcome state The welcome state is a state in which the vehicle 9 is not in a drivable starting state (ignition off or power off) and all doors are closed. The welcome state applies when a user gets into or out of the vehicle 9. The conditions for the welcome state to be established are, for example, when all of the following four conditions 2a to 2d are met. Note that, as shown in condition 2d, the welcome state ends after a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, about 10 seconds). ・Condition 2a: The IG switch 71 (power switch) is off ・Condition 2b: The door sensor 72 detects that all doors are closed ・Condition 2c: No incoming signal or message signal is received ・Condition 2d: The predetermined time has not elapsed since all of conditions 2a to 2c were met.

[0036] [3] Door Open State The door open state is a state in which any door is open, regardless of whether the vehicle 9 is in a drivable starting state or not (ignition on / off or power on / off). A partially closed door is also included in the door open state. The conditions for the door open state to be established are, for example, that both of the following two conditions 3a and 3b are met: - Condition 3a: At least one door sensor 72 detects that the door is open - Condition 3b: Neither an incoming signal nor a message signal is received

[0037] [4-6] Incoming Call State The incoming call state is the state when a signal from terminal 80 is received, or the state when a signal from terminal 80 is being received. Since terminal 80 in this embodiment can transmit two types of signals, an incoming call signal and a message signal, the incoming call state is broadly divided into a state corresponding to the incoming call signal (states 4 and 5 above) and a message reception state corresponding to the message signal (state 6 above). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the former state is further divided into an illuminated state in which the ambient light 8 is lit with a set element (at least brightness) and an unlit state in which the ambient light 8 is turned off (brightness is set to 0).

[0038] The conditions for the incoming call status to be illuminated are that both of the following two conditions 4a and 4b are met, and the conditions for the incoming call status to be turned off are that both of the following two conditions 4a and 4c are met: • Condition 4a: An incoming call signal has been received. • Condition 4b: An illumination signal has been sent. • Condition 4c: An off signal has been sent.

[0039] Furthermore, the lighting signal for condition 4b is pre-set to be transmitted by the control device 7 to the ambient light 8 when the control device 7 first receives the incoming signal. In addition, the lighting signal for condition 4b is pre-set to be transmitted by the control device 7 to the ambient light 8 when a predetermined off-time B (for example, about 2.0 to 2.5 seconds) has elapsed since the off-time signal was transmitted, as long as condition 4a remains true. The off-time B is longer than the transition time T, which will be described later.

[0040] Furthermore, the off signal for condition 4c is pre-set to be transmitted by the control device 7 to the ambient light 8 when a predetermined lighting time A (for example, about 0.1 to 0.2 seconds) has elapsed from the time the on signal was transmitted, as long as condition 4a remains true. The lighting time A is sufficiently short compared to the transition time T and the off time B, which will be described later, and may be set to, for example, about one-tenth of the off time B. The on signal and the off signal are not transmitted when condition 4a is no longer true (i.e., when the incoming signal is no longer received).

[0041] The condition for establishing the message reception state is that the following condition 4d is satisfied. The message reception state ends when a predetermined notification time C (for example, about 2.5 seconds to 3 seconds) elapses from the time point when condition 4d is satisfied. ・Condition 4d: The notification time C for receiving a message signal is longer than the transition time T and light-off time B described later. A supplementary explanation of the magnitude relationship between the times mentioned so far is as follows. Lighting time A < transition time T < light-off time B < notification time C

[0042] [7] Setting State The setting state refers to a state in which the user is operating the operation screen 4 to set any element of the state of the vehicle 9 regardless of the current state of the vehicle 9. The condition for establishing the setting state is, for example, that both of the following two conditions 7a and 7b are satisfied. ・Condition 7a: The user is performing a setting operation on the operation screen 4 ・Condition 7b: Neither an incoming call signal nor a message signal is received

[0043] [8] Off State The off state is a state that does not fall under any of the above states 1 to 7. The condition for establishing the off state is, for example, that any one of the following two conditions 8a and 8b is satisfied. ・Condition 8a: The state does not fall under any of states 1 to 7 ・Condition 8b: The on-off switch or the like of the ambient light device 6 is off

[0044] [2-2. Configurable Elements] The ambient light device 6 allows at least the luminance of the ambient light 8 to be configured for each state of the vehicle 9 through a user operation. In the present embodiment, the user can also configure the color of the ambient light 8 for each state of the vehicle 9. Note that the number (type) of configurable elements of the ambient light 8 for each state of the vehicle 9 does not necessarily have to be the same, and may be different. For example, considering that when the user uses the vehicle 9, the main state is the driving state, the number of configurable elements in the driving state may be set larger than that in other states to improve user experience.

[0045] Figure 2 illustrates the relationship between the various states of the vehicle 9 and the configurable elements of the ambient light 8. In the example shown in Figure 2, the configurable elements when in driving mode include "brightness" and "color," as well as "on / off," "color rotation mode," "relax mode," and "quick start." In addition, the configurable elements when in welcome mode and door open mode include "brightness," "color," and "on / off," while the configurable elements when in incoming call mode include these three plus "message reception (on / off)."

[0046] The "on / off" setting for the incoming call status is reflected in all three states: lit, off, and message received. On the other hand, the "brightness" and "color" settings for the incoming call status are reflected in the lit and message received states, but not in the off state. For the off state in the incoming call status, the brightness is set to 0 by default.

[0047] The elements shown in Figure 2 are explained below. "Color" is the element that selects the color when the ambient light 8 lights up (turns on or blinks). The color is set by selecting one of several pre-set colors for the ambient light 8. "Brightness" is the element that adjusts the brightness value when the ambient light 8 lights up (turns on or blinks). The brightness can be set to any value from the minimum value (e.g., "0") to the maximum value (e.g., "10"). "On / Off" is the element that allows the user to switch between using the ambient light 8 (turning it on) or not using it (turning it off), and is set to either "On" or "Off".

[0048] For example, when the on / off of the driving state is set to "off", the ambient light 8 will not light up and will remain in an off state even if all of the above conditions 1a to 1c are satisfied (the vehicle 9 enters the driving state). Conversely, when the on / off of the driving state is set to "on", if all of the above conditions 1a to 1c are satisfied (when the vehicle 9 enters the driving state), the ambient light 8 will light up and enter an on state. In this case, the ambient light 8 is normally always on. The exception is when a relaxation mode, which will be described later, is set.

[0049] For example, when the driving state is set to "on" and the brightness in the driving state is set to "3", if all of the above conditions 1a to 1c are satisfied (when the vehicle 9 enters the driving state), the ambient light 8 will be lit at the brightness level of "3". In addition, for example, when the welcome state is set to "on" and the brightness in the welcome state is set to "2", if all of the above conditions 2a to 2d are satisfied (when the vehicle 9 enters the welcome state), the ambient light 8 will be lit at the brightness level of "2".

[0050] However, in the present embodiment, immediately after the vehicle 9 enters a drivable activation state in the driving state (immediately after the ignition is turned on or immediately after the power is turned on), regardless of the set brightness value (set brightness), the ambient light 8 is lit at the maximum brightness (which is the maximum brightness value, for example, "10"), and then adjusts to the set brightness. That is, in the driving state, in addition to the set brightness set by a user's operation, the maximum brightness that is adopted from the start time point of the driving state until a predetermined condition is satisfied is preset. As a result, immediately after the ignition is turned on or the power is turned on, the vehicle interior achieves maximum brightness, which can make the user have a sense of expectation and excitement for starting driving, and contributes to improving the user experience. The above-mentioned predetermined condition is either that a predetermined set time (for example, several seconds to more than ten seconds) has elapsed from the start time point of lighting at the maximum brightness, or that the shift position is set to a position other than the P range and N range (for example, the D range or the R range).

[0051] "Color Rotation Mode" is a mode that automatically switches the color of Ambient Light 8 in a predetermined sequence. Color Rotation Mode can be set to "On" or "Off". When Color Rotation Mode is activated, Ambient Light 8 will continuously change to various colors instead of the color selected by the user. Note that Color Rotation Mode will not be activated if it is set to Off.

[0052] The color rotation mode is executed when all three of the following conditions C1 to C3 are met: Condition C1: The vehicle 9 is in driving mode. Condition C2: The color rotation mode is set to ON. Condition C3: The operation screen 4 is hidden. Condition C3 indicates that no elements of the ambient light 8 have been selected by the user. If any one of conditions C1 to C3 becomes false while the color rotation mode is running, the color rotation mode will be paused. In this case, the ambient light 8 may be controlled based on the state at the end of the mode and the corresponding information (set elements) of the ambient light 8.

[0053] "Relax Mode" is a mode that causes the Ambient Light 8 to flicker. Relax Mode can be set to "On" or "Off". When Relax Mode is activated, the Ambient Light 8 lights up in the set color, but instead of staying on continuously, it repeatedly brightens and dims. This creates a flickering light effect, providing a relaxing space for the user and improving the user experience. When Relax Mode is set to Off, the Ambient Light 8 lights up in the set color at a constant brightness.

[0054] Relax mode is activated when all four of the following conditions R1 to R4 are met: Condition R1: Vehicle 9 is in driving mode; Condition R2: Relax mode is set to ON; Condition R3: Operation screen 4 is hidden; Condition R4: The shift position has been in parking mode for a predetermined period of time.

[0055] Condition R4 indicates that some time has passed since the vehicle 9 stopped. The predetermined time for condition R4 is a fixed value set in advance (for example, around 100 to 200 seconds). Thus, the relaxation mode is activated (i.e., the ambient light 8 blinks) not only when the relaxation mode is simply set to "on," but also when conditions R3 and R4 are met, that is, when the vehicle is stopped or parked and the operation screen 4 is not being operated. When the ambient light 8 blinks at this time, the user can spend time in the vehicle interior in a relaxed mood, thereby improving the user experience.

[0056] Furthermore, if conditions C1-C3 and R1-R4 are all met, both the color rotation mode and the relaxation mode will be executed. In this case, the ambient light 8 will change color one by one each time it blinks. This will create a more fantastical environment inside the car and improve the user experience. The relaxation mode may also be executed if all of the above conditions R1-R3 and the following conditions R5 and R6 are met: Condition R5: Quick start is set to ON Condition R6: Shift position is in parking

[0057] In other words, the "Quick Start" feature mentioned above is an element that omits condition R4, one of the conditions for starting Relax Mode, and is set to "On" or "Off". When Quick Start is set to On, condition R5 is met, and condition R6 is adopted instead of condition R4. That is, when the shift position enters Park (without waiting for time to pass), condition R6 is met, and if the remaining conditions R1 to R3 are also met, the Ambient Light 8 will start flashing. In this way, the user can select the timing of Relax Mode's execution, making it easier to reflect the user's preferences and contributing to an improved user experience. If any one of conditions R1 to R6 becomes unmet while Relax Mode is running, Relax Mode will end.

[0058] "Message reception (on / off)" is an element that allows the user to choose whether or not to include the arrival of a message on terminal 80 in the incoming call state, and is set to "on" or "off". In other words, in this embodiment, the user can choose whether or not the vehicle 9 (ambient light device 6) receives the message signal. When message reception is set to "on", the ambient light device 6 (control device 7) receives the message signal transmitted from terminal 80 to vehicle 9 via the display device 1. On the other hand, when message reception is set to "off", the ambient light device 6 (control device 7) does not receive the message signal transmitted from terminal 80 to vehicle 9 from the display device 1. In the latter case, the above condition 4d will not be met.

[0059] [2-3. Control Configuration] The control device 7 determines whether the current state corresponds to any of the above states 1 to 8 based on signals from the IG switch 71, door sensor 72, terminal 80 (incoming call signal, message signal), etc., and the various conditions (conditions 1a to 1c, etc.) described above. If a corresponding state exists, the control device 7 controls the ambient light 8 based on the elements set for that state. If no corresponding state exists, the ambient light 8 is not controlled. In this embodiment, since the user can set each element by operating the operation screen 4 of the display device 1, the control device 7 stores the information set on the operation screen 4 (elements of the ambient light 8) linked to each state. When the operation screen 4 is operated and the setting information is changed (updated), the control device 7 stores the updated information anew (overwriting).

[0060] For example, if the control device 7 determines that the vehicle 9 is in driving mode, it controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information stored in association with the driving mode. Specifically, the control device 7 controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information for each of the elements included in the driving mode: "brightness," "color," "on / off," "color rotation mode," "relax mode," and "quick start."

[0061] Furthermore, if the control device 7 determines that the vehicle 9 is in a welcome state, it controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information stored in association with the welcome state. Specifically, the control device 7 controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information for each of the elements of the welcome state: "brightness," "color," and "on / off." Similarly, if the control device 7 determines that the vehicle 9 is in a door-open state, it controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information stored in association with the door-open state. Specifically, the control device 7 controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information for each of the elements of the door-open state: "brightness," "color," and "on / off."

[0062] Furthermore, when the control device 7 receives a signal from the terminal 80, it controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information stored in association with the incoming call state, according to the type of signal. Specifically, the control device 7 controls the ambient light 8 based on the latest information for each of the elements included in the incoming call state: "brightness," "color," "on / off," and "message reception (on / off)." This control will be described later.

[0063] Furthermore, the control device 7 also controls the ambient light 8 when an element is being set on the operation screen 4, to realize the element being set. In other words, the vehicle 9 is equipped with a preview function that causes the ambient light 8 to represent the element being set when an element is being set on the operation screen 4.

[0064] As described above, the ambient light 8 is controlled according to multiple states, and is also controlled when its elements are set, so there is a possibility that the timing of the controls may overlap. For example, if the welcome state operation screen 4 is operated when the ambient light 8 is lit in the driving state, the control according to the driving state and the control during the welcome state setting operation will interfere with each other. To address such cases, the control device 7 is set to have a priority order.

[0065] In the ambient lighting device 6 of this embodiment, the following priority order is set: • Priority 1: Vehicle 9 is in the Incoming Call state • Priority 2: A setting state is configured in which any of the state elements are set • Priority 3: Vehicle 9 has its doors open • Priority 4: Vehicle 9 is in either the Driving state or the Welcome state

[0066] For example, if the ambient light 8 is illuminated in the driving state and the vehicle 9 enters an incoming call state, the ambient light 8 switches from control according to the driving state to control according to the incoming call state (i.e., the elements set on the operation screen 4 for the incoming call state). In this way, when the control device 7 is controlling the ambient light 8 according to the contents of priority 4 and receives an incoming call signal or message signal, it changes the ambient light 8 to the elements of the incoming call state (illuminated state, off state, or message received state). This notifies the user that there is an incoming call or message on the terminal 80.

[0067] Furthermore, for example, if the vehicle 9 enters an incoming call state while the user has set an element for any of the states, the ambient light 8 switches from a preview state corresponding to the setting operation to control according to the incoming call state. In this way, when the control device 7 receives an incoming call signal or message signal while controlling the ambient light 8 with the contents of priority 2, it also changes the ambient light 8 to an element for the incoming call state (on state, off state, or message reception state).

[0068] In other words, when vehicle 9 enters the incoming call state, regardless of the state in which the ambient light 8 is controlled, the elements set on the operation screen 4 for the incoming call state take precedence. Note that when vehicle 9 enters the incoming call state, only the ambient light 8 is changed, and the display screen of the display device 1 (for example, operation screen 4) does not change. In other words, even if the vehicle enters the incoming call state while elements are being set on the operation screen 4, the display device 1 maintains the operation screen 4 that is currently being set. This ensures usability while informing the user that terminal 80 has acquired information.

[0069] Furthermore, for example, if the ambient light 8 is lit in the welcome state and the user displays the operation screen 4 and starts a setting operation (when it enters the setting state), the ambient light 8 switches from control according to the welcome state to a preview state according to the setting operation. In this way, when the control device 7 is controlling the ambient light 8 according to the contents of priority 4, if a setting operation is performed on the operation screen 4, the control device 7 changes the ambient light 8 to the element being set.

[0070] This allows the user to understand how the ambient light 8 will change in response to their actions, based on the actual state of the vehicle interior. However, as mentioned above, this preview function is disabled if the timing of setting operations on the operation screen 4 (priority 2) and the timing of receiving a signal from terminal 80 (priority 1) overlap. In other words, the way the ambient light 8 illuminates to indicate that a signal has been received from terminal 80 takes precedence, and the change in ambient light 8 informs the user of the status of terminal 80 (that some kind of information has been acquired).

[0071] [2-4. Changes in Elements (Brightness, Color)] When the control device 7 determines that the state has changed, it changes the elements of the ambient light 8 from those set for the state before the change to those set for the state after the change. A state change can occur simply when the state changes (for example, when the user opens the door, gets into the vehicle 9, and then closes the door, switching from the open door state to the welcome state), or when the timing of the controls overlaps as described above. In the following explanation, the state before the change will also be called the "first state," and the state after the change will also be called the "second state."

[0072] When changing elements, the control device 7 gradually changes the brightness (and similarly the color in this embodiment) over a predetermined transition time T (for example, about 1.5 to 1.8 seconds). In this way, the brightness and color gradually change (fade) in accordance with the state change, so that the elements (especially brightness and color) of the next state are realized without causing discomfort to the occupants. This change may be linear or curvilinear. That is, the rate of change (the amount of change in brightness or color relative to the transition time T) may be a constant value or a variable value. The state change and the corresponding change in brightness will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. In this explanation, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that no incoming signal or message signal has been received, and that the user has not performed any actions other than those mentioned. Furthermore, Figures 3, 4, and Figures 5 to 7 (described later) illustrate the case where the luminance changes directly with respect to the transition time T (in other words, the case where the rate of change is a constant value, the so-called "slope" case). However, as mentioned above, the luminance with respect to the transition time T may change curvilinearly, and the rate of change is not limited to the slope.

[0073] As shown in Figure 3, when the user opens the door at a certain point in time t1, the control device 7 determines that it has switched from the off state (indicated as "off" in the figure, first state) to the door open state (indicated as "door" in the figure, second state). At this point in time t1 (the switching point), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G1 over a transition time T, gradually changing it from the brightness of the off state (0 in this embodiment) to the brightness of the door open state (maximum value in the example shown in the figure).

[0074] Hereafter, the period during which the brightness gradually changes from the first state to the second state will be called the "gradual change period." The gradual change period is the same as the transition time T unless there is an interrupt, as described later, and is shorter than the transition time T if there is an interrupt. If the rate of change G of the gradual change period is a slope, the rate of change G is the value obtained by dividing the difference between the brightness of the first state and the brightness of the second state by the transition time T. If there is no interrupt, the ambient light 8 will reach the brightness of the door open state at the end of the gradual change period (i.e., when the transition time T has elapsed from time t1).

[0075] Next, when the user gets into the vehicle 9 and closes the door, the control device 7 determines that at the time t2 when the door is closed, the system has switched from the door open state (first state) to the welcome state ("Welcome" in the diagram, second state). At this time t2 (the time of switching), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G2 over a transition time T, gradually changing from the brightness of the door open state to the brightness of the welcome state. If there is no interruption, the ambient light 8 will reach the brightness of the welcome state at the end of the gradual change period (when the transition time T has elapsed from time t2).

[0076] Furthermore, in the welcome state, if the above condition 2d is not met (i.e., if the IG switch 71 (power switch) remains off even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the user closed the door of the vehicle 9), the control device 7 determines that it has switched from the welcome state (first state) to the off state (second state) at the time t3 when the condition becomes unmet. From this time t3 (the time of switching), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at the rate of change G3 set in the same manner as above, and if there is no interruption, it sets the brightness to the off state at the end of the gradual change period (when the transition time T has elapsed from time t3).

[0077] Subsequently, when the user turns on the IG switch 71 (power switch), the control device 7 determines that at the time t4 when it is turned on, it has switched from the off state (first state) to the driving state ("driving" in the figure, second state). From this time t4 (the time of switching), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at the rate of change G4 set in the same way as above. Note that when the control device 7 switches from the first state (off state in the example of Figure 3) to the driving state, it uses the maximum brightness as the brightness for the driving state. In other words, unless there is an interruption, the ambient light 8 will reach its maximum brightness at the end of the gradual change period (when the transition time T has elapsed from time t4).

[0078] The control device 7 then determines whether the above predetermined conditions are met, and if they are met, it begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G5 from the time t5, and sets the brightness to the set brightness for the driving state after the transition time T has elapsed. The change from the maximum brightness state to the set brightness state that occurs at the beginning of the driving state is a series of events included in the driving state and is not included in the gradual change period described so far, however the change in brightness (i.e., the change from maximum brightness to set brightness over the transition time T) is the same as the change in the gradual change period.

[0079] Furthermore, in the welcome state from time t2, if the driving state conditions 1a to 1c are met before the above condition 2d becomes unmet, the control device 7 should, without going through the off state, determine that it has switched to the driving state and begin changing the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G that gradually changes it from the brightness of the welcome state to the brightness of the driving state.

[0080] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, when the user turns off the IG switch 71 (power switch) while the vehicle is in driving mode, the control device 7 determines that the vehicle has switched from the driving mode (first state) to the welcome mode (second state) at the time t6 when the switch is turned off. From this time t6 (the time of switching), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at the rate of change G6 set in the same manner as described above, and if there is no interruption, the brightness is set to the welcome mode at the end of the gradual change period (when the transition time T has elapsed from time t6).

[0081] If the control device 7 receives a message signal in this state, it prioritizes the message reception state over the welcome state. That is, at the time t7 when it receives the message signal, the control device 7 determines that it has switched from the welcome state (first state) to the message reception state (second state). In this case, from this time t7 (the time of switching), the control device 7 starts changing the brightness of the ambient light 8 at the rate of change G7 set in the same way as above, and if there is no interruption, it sets the brightness to that of the message reception state at the end of the gradual change period (when the transition time T has elapsed from time t7). Then, at time t8, when the notification time C has elapsed from time t7, the control device 7 determines that it has switched from the message reception state (first state) to the original welcome state (second state), and, as above, changes the brightness back to that of the original welcome state after a gradual change period from this time t8 (the time of switching).

[0082] Furthermore, when the user operates the operation screen 4 while in the welcome state to set the brightness for any state, the control device 7 prioritizes the set state (indicated as "set" in the diagram) over the welcome state. That is, at time t9, when the setting operation begins on the operation screen 4, the control device 7 determines that it has switched from the welcome state (first state) to the set state (second state). At this time t9 (the time of switching), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G9, gradually changing from the brightness of the welcome state to the brightness of the set state (for example, the brightness being operated to be newly set as the brightness for the door open state) over a transition time T. Subsequently, at time t10, when the setting operation is completed, the control device 7 determines that it has switched from the set state (first state) back to the original welcome state (second state), and, as described above, changes the brightness back to the welcome state brightness after a gradual change period from this time t10 (the time of switching). Note that if the above condition 2d has already been met at time t10, it switches to the off state instead of the welcome state.

[0083] Incidentally, it is possible that the state may switch before the transition period ends (i.e., during the transition period). In this case, if the ambient light 8 does not change until the transition period ends, it may cause discomfort to the occupants. Therefore, if an interrupt for switching to another third state occurs before the end of the transition period from the first state to the second state (hereinafter referred to as the "first transition period"), the control device 7 immediately reflects this change by changing the brightness of the ambient light 8 to the brightness of the second state after the interrupt at the time of the interrupt.

[0084] This immediate reflection will be explained using Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is identical to Figure 3, except that the switch to the driving state (third state) is interrupted during the first gradual transition period from the welcome state (first state) to the off state (second state). Figure 6 shows the case where the switch to the message received state (third state) is interrupted during the first gradual transition period from the driving state (first state) to the door open state (second state).

[0085] As shown in Figure 5, when the user turns on the IG switch 71 (power switch) at time t11, before the end of the first gradual change period (while the brightness is being changed at the rate of change G3), the control device 7 determines that there has been an interruption to switch to the driving state (third state), and at this time t11 (the interruption time), it immediately reflects the change by changing the brightness of the ambient light 8 to the brightness of the off state (without waiting for the transition time T shown by the dashed line in Figure 5 to elapse). As a result, the first gradual change period becomes shorter than the transition time T, avoiding the possibility of causing discomfort to the occupants.

[0086] Furthermore, immediately after the immediate reflection, the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G over a transition time T during which it gradually changes from the brightness of the second state to the brightness of the third state (hereinafter referred to as the "second transition period"). For example, as shown in Figure 5, immediately after the immediate reflection to the brightness of the off state (i.e., immediately after the interrupt time t11), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G4 over a transition time T during which it gradually changes from the brightness of the off state (second state) to the brightness of the driving state (third state), similar to Figure 3.

[0087] As shown in Figure 5, if an interrupt occurs during the first gradual change period to switch to the driving state (third state), the control device 7 uses the maximum brightness as the brightness for the driving state. As a result, the ambient light 8 reaches its maximum brightness at the end of the second gradual change period (when transition time T has elapsed from time t11). The brightness then changes from the maximum brightness to the set brightness as described above.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, when the door is opened while the vehicle is in the driving state, the door-open state takes precedence over the driving state, and the control device 7 determines that the vehicle has switched from the driving state (first state) to the door-open state (second state) at the time t20 when the door is opened. From this time t20 (the time of the switch), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at the rate of change G20 set in the same manner as described above. However, if the control device 7 receives a message signal at time t21 during the first gradual change period in which the brightness is being changed at the rate of change G20, it determines that an interrupt has occurred at the time t21 when the message signal is received, resulting in a switch to the message reception state (third state). At this reception time t21 (the time of the interrupt), the control device 7 immediately reflects the change by changing the brightness of the ambient light 8 to the brightness of the door-open state (without waiting for the transition time T shown by the dashed line in Figure 6 to elapse).

[0089] Furthermore, immediately after reflecting the brightness of the door open state (i.e., immediately after the interrupt time t21), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G21 during the second gradual change period, which gradually changes the brightness from the brightness of the door open state (second state) to the brightness of the message received state (third state) over a transition time T. If there is no interrupt during the second gradual change period, the process thereafter is the same as in the case of the message received state as explained using Figure 4. That is, after the notification time C has elapsed from the interrupt time t21, the brightness of the ambient light 8 is gradually changed from the brightness of the message received state to the brightness of the door open state.

[0090] Incidentally, although not shown in the diagram, the control device 7 may also perform the same control as described above when the element settings of the vehicle 9's state are switched while the user is performing setting operations on the operation screen 4. The setting states in this embodiment include the state in which the elements (luminance) of four states—driving state, welcome state, door open state, and incoming call state—are being set. Therefore, when the elements of the ambient light 8 are set on the operation screen 4, the control device 7 starts changing the luminance of the ambient light 8 at the rate of change G of the first gradual change period when switching from the setting of the first state (e.g., driving state) to the setting of the second state (e.g., door open state).

[0091] Furthermore, if a switch to the third state (e.g., the incoming call state) is interrupted before the end of this first gradual change period, the control device 7 immediately reflects this by changing the brightness of the ambient light 8 to the brightness of the second state (in this case, the door open state) at the time of the interruption. Then, immediately after this immediate reflection, the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at the rate of change G of the second gradual change period, which gradually changes the brightness from the brightness of the second state (in this case, the door open state) to the brightness of the third state (in this case, the incoming call state) over a transition time T. By performing such a preview, it is possible to avoid causing discomfort to the occupants even in the set state.

[0092] Furthermore, in the ambient light device 6 of this embodiment, when the control device 7 receives an incoming call signal, it performs a brightness change similar to the immediate brightness change described above. For example, as shown in Figure 7, when the device is in the driving state and there is an incoming call on the terminal 80, the control device 7 determines that it has switched from the driving state (first state) to the illuminated state of the incoming call state (indicated as "On" in the figure, second state) at the time t30 when it first receives the incoming call signal. From this time t30 (the switching time), the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G30 of the first gradual change period, which gradually changes the brightness from the brightness of the driving state to the brightness of the illuminated state (the brightness set as the incoming call state) over a transition time T, similar to the above. In other words, the control device 7 considers the time of the first reception of the incoming call signal as the switching time.

[0093] As described above, the control device 7 emits a lighting signal (indicated as "light S" in the figure) under condition 4b at the time it first receives an incoming signal (the switching point), and emits a turning-off signal (indicated as "turn-off S" in the figure) under condition 4c at the time when lighting time A has elapsed from the time t30 when the lighting signal was emitted (time t31 in the figure). Furthermore, the control device 7 emits another lighting signal at the time when turning-off time B has elapsed from the time t31 when the turning-off signal was emitted (time t32 in the figure), and repeats these actions while continuing to receive incoming signals.

[0094] Therefore, the control device 7 will issue a power off signal before the end of the first gradual change period, which means that a switch to the power off state (indicated as "Off" in the diagram, the third state) was interrupted during the first gradual change period. In other words, in the incoming call state corresponding to the incoming signal, the control device 7 immediately reflects this by interrupting the power off state as the third state at time t31, when the lighting time A has elapsed from the switching time t30, and changing the brightness of the ambient light 8 to the brightness of the lit state (second state).

[0095] Furthermore, immediately after this immediate reflection, the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G31 during the second gradual change period, which gradually changes the brightness from the brightness of the lit state (second state) to the brightness of the off state (third state) (i.e., 0) over a transition time T. If there is no interruption, the ambient light 8 will reach the brightness of the off state at the end of the second gradual change period (when the transition time T has elapsed from time t31).

[0096] If an incoming signal is continuously received, the control device 7 continues to emit an on signal and an off signal at predetermined timings, causing the on state and off state to switch alternately. Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, at time t32, an on signal is emitted again, turning the light on, and then at time t33, after the on time A has elapsed from time t32, an off signal is emitted, turning the light off. For this reason, the control device 7 changes the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G31 in the off state (first state) from time t31, and then, after setting the brightness to 0 (brightness of the off state), switches to the on state (second state) at time t32 when an on signal is emitted. This time t32 is then used as the new switching point, and the above-mentioned immediate reflection process and the change process at the rate of change of the second gradual change period are repeatedly performed.

[0097] In other words, at the switching time t32, the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at a rate of change G32 during the first gradual change period, which gradually changes the brightness from the brightness of the off state (first state) to the brightness of the on state (second state) over a transition time T. Then, at the time t33 when the switching to the off state (third state) is interrupted before the end of the first gradual change period, the brightness of the ambient light 8 is changed to the brightness of the on state (second state) to reflect the change immediately (immediate reflection process).

[0098] Furthermore, immediately after this immediate reflection, the control device 7 begins to change the brightness of the ambient light 8 at the same rate of change G33 as the rate of change G31 described above. If there is no interruption, the ambient light 8 will reach the off state (third state) brightness at the end of the second gradual change period (when the transition time T has elapsed from time t33) (change processing at the rate of change of the second gradual change period). The above process is repeated until no incoming signal is received.

[0099] Then, when the incoming call signal is no longer received at time t34, the incoming call state is not established, and the system switches back to the original state (driving state in Figure 7). In Figure 7, the switch to the driving state (third state) is interrupted during the first gradual change period from the illuminated state (first state) to the off state (second state). Therefore, at the interruption time t34, the control device 7 immediately reflects the brightness of the off state (second state), and then immediately gradually changes the brightness from the off state to the brightness of the driving state (third state) at a rate of change G.

[0100] In Figure 7, the brightness of the incoming call state is set to a higher value than the brightness of the driving state, so the rate of change G30 is a positive value. However, if the brightness of the incoming call state is lower than the brightness of the driving state, the rate of change G30 shown in Figure 7 will be negative.

[0101] Although not shown in the diagram, for example, at time t34 in Figure 7, the indicator light switches from the off state to the driving state, and during the gradual change period as the brightness changes to that of the driving state, if another incoming signal is received, the switch back to the on state of the incoming call state interrupts this gradual change period. In this case, the off state, which is the state immediately before time t34, becomes the first state, the driving state becomes the second state, and the on state of the incoming call state becomes the third state, and the brightness of the driving state is immediately reflected at the time of the interrupt. After that, the on state and off state of the incoming call state, as explained using Figure 7, are repeated as long as incoming signals continue to be received.

[0102] By the way, in the above explanation using Figures 3 to 7, only luminance is considered as an element of ambient light 8, but the color of ambient light 8 may also be changed in the same way as luminance. In this case, the control device 7 starts gradually changing from the color of the first state to the color of the second state during the first gradual change period, and if there is no interrupt, it sets the color to the second state at the end of the first gradual change period (i.e., when the transition time T has elapsed from the switching point). Alternatively, the control device 7 starts gradually changing from the color of the first state to the color of the second state during the first gradual change period, and if there is an interrupt for switching to the third state before the end of the first gradual change period, it may immediately reflect the change by changing the color of ambient light 8 to the color of the second state at the time of the interrupt, and in the second gradual change period immediately following the immediate reflection, it may start gradually changing from the color of the second state to the color of the third state.

[0103] [3. Operation Screen of Display Device] Finally, an example of the operation screen 4 of the display device 1 will be described. The operation screen 4 includes a main screen 4A as shown in Figure 8 and a sub-screen 4B as shown in Figure 9. The main screen 4A is mainly a screen for setting the color of the ambient light 8 and includes a first display unit 10 and a second display unit 20 that have a function to set the color, a third display unit 30 that has a preview function, and a number display unit 50 that shows the color by number.

[0104] Sub-screen 4B is used to set elements other than the color of the ambient light 8, and is accessed from the main screen 4A by user operation. While Figures 8 and 9 show the main screen 4A and sub-screen 4B in the driving state, the main screen and sub-screen in the welcome state, door open state, and incoming call state have substantially the same screen configuration as those in Figures 8 and 9. In the diagrams showing the operation screen 4 (Figures 8 and 9), the dashed lines are hypothetical lines used to illustrate parts and are not actually displayed.

[0105] The first display unit 10 displays multiple color selection units 11 side by side, each representing a set color that can be set as the color of the ambient light 8. The second display unit 20 displays all set colors that can be set as the color of the ambient light 8 side by side. The first display unit 10 is for roughly determining the color of the ambient light 8, while the second display unit 20 is for more precisely determining the set color of the ambient light 8. The two display units 10 and 20 are arranged vertically and are selected by the user. The display device 1 sets the set color selected in the first display unit 10 or the second display unit 20 as the color of the ambient light 8.

[0106] The third display unit 30 displays an interior image 31 that simulates the state of the interior of a vehicle with ambient lighting 8 installed. The third display unit 30 is located within the same operation screen 4 as the two display units 10 and 20, and changes the color (hereinafter referred to as "image color") of the ambient lighting 32 (hereinafter referred to as "image light 32") in the interior image 31 to match the setting color selected by the user. The interior image 31 and image light 32 have a preview function. That is, by changing the image color of the image light 32 to match the selected setting color, the user can check how the interior of the vehicle will change using the interior image 31.

[0107] The number display unit 50 displays the number corresponding to the setting color selected by the user. In this embodiment, the display device 1 has a separate number assigned to all setting colors that can be set as the color of the ambient light 8. The third display unit 30 and the number display unit 50 are not mandatory and can be omitted. Furthermore, it is sufficient if at least one of the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20 is provided.

[0108] The main screen 4A, as illustrated in Figure 8, also includes a light on / off button 60, a color button 61, an option button 62, a return button 63, an operation screen switching button 64, and a setting button 65.

[0109] The light on / off button 60 is a button for turning the ambient light device 6 on and off, and accepts tap operation. When the ambient light device 6 is in the ON state, the light on / off button 60 displays "Light Off" as shown in Figure 8. When this "Light Off" light on / off button 60 is tapped, the ambient light device 6 is switched to the OFF state. Conversely, when the ambient light device 6 is in the OFF state, the light on / off button 60 displays "Light On". When this "Light On" light on / off button 60 is tapped, the ambient light device 6 is switched to the ON state.

[0110] The color button 61 and option button 62 are buttons for switching between the main screen 4A and the sub-screen 4B, and also have the function of displaying the currently selected screen 4A or 4B. When the main screen 4A is selected, the color button 61 lights up and the option button 62 turns off. In this state, only the option button 62 accepts tap operations. When the option button 62 is tapped, the operation screen 4 switches to the sub-screen 4B shown in Figure 9, the option button 62 lights up and the color button 61 turns off. In this state, only the color button 61 accepts tap operations. The return button 63 is a button for returning the currently displayed operation screen 4 (main screen 4A in Figure 8) to the previous screen, and accepts tap operations.

[0111] The operation screen switching button 64 is a button for switching operation screens 4 that allow the setting of ambient light elements 8 according to the state of the vehicle 9, and also has the function of displaying the state of the vehicle 9 currently being set. In this embodiment, the states of the vehicle 9 are shown as the four states described above: Driving, Welcome, Door Open, and Incoming call.

[0112] The operation screen switching button 64 displays characters indicating these four states, and the parts representing each character accept tap operations. For example, when the driving state is selected (while the user is setting the elements of ambient light 8 that they want to achieve in the driving state), the word "driving" is highlighted more than the other characters, as shown in Figure 8. In this state, if any of the other characters (for example, "welcome") are tapped, the operation screen 4 (main screen) for the welcome state is switched.

[0113] The settings button 65 is a button that displays a settings screen (not shown) for setting various information, and accepts tap operations. The settings screen is provided with at least a reset button for resetting the settings of the ambient light 8 elements.

[0114] As shown in Figure 9, the sub-screen 4B is provided with a fourth display unit 40 that displays information other than the selection of the set color, which can be operated by the user. In this specific example, an on / off setting unit 41, a color rotation mode setting unit 42, a brightness setting unit 43, a relaxation mode setting unit 44, and a quick mode setting unit 45 are provided. The four setting units 41, 42, 44, and 45, excluding the brightness setting unit 43, are provided as slide-type on / off switches, but they may also be tap-type buttons.

[0115] In sub-screen 4B, the first display unit 10, the second display unit 20, and the number display unit 50 that were present on the main screen 4A are hidden, and the fourth display unit 40 is displayed in their place (in the area where they were previously displayed). Other components (such as the third display unit 30, the color button 61, and the option button 62) remain displayed on sub-screen 4B.

[0116] The on / off setting unit 41 is a switch for setting the "on / off" status of the above elements. In other words, the on / off setting unit 41 is used to set whether to turn on or off the ambient light 8 when the vehicle 9 is in driving mode. When the on / off setting unit 41 is set to off, the ambient light 8 will not light up even when the vehicle 9 is in driving mode, and the other setting units 42 to 45 will also become inoperable.

[0117] The color rotation mode setting unit 42 is for setting the on / off state of the "color rotation mode" among the elements described above. The brightness setting unit 43 is for setting the "brightness" among the elements described above. The brightness setting unit 43 shown in Figure 9 has an operation unit that moves along a horizontally long bar, and plus and minus buttons. The operation unit accepts slide operations, and the plus and minus buttons accept tap operations. When the user slides the operation unit or taps the plus or minus buttons, the brightness setting unit 43 sets the brightness according to the operation. Preferably, the brightness being set is indicated numerically on the brightness setting unit 43.

[0118] The Relax Mode setting unit 44 is for setting the "Relax Mode" element on or off. The Quick Mode setting unit 45 is for setting the "Quick Start" element on or off. The Quick Mode setting unit 45 is only operable when the Relax Mode setting unit 44 is turned on. The Quick Mode setting unit 45 may be displayed in gray when the Relax Mode setting unit 44 is turned off.

[0119] Furthermore, the sub-screens for the welcome state, door open state, and incoming call state (none of which are shown) are provided with a fourth display unit 40 that includes at least two on / off setting units 41 and brightness setting units 43. In addition, the sub-screen for the incoming call state is provided with a message reception setting unit (none of which is shown) for setting the on / off status of "message reception," which is one of the elements.

[0120] [4. Effects] (1) In the ambient light device 6 described above, the brightness of the ambient light 8 is set for each of the multiple states, and when the state switches from the first state to the second state, the brightness changes gradually. However, if a switch to another third state interrupts the first gradual change period, the gradual change in brightness is interrupted and the brightness of the second state is immediately reflected. Then, immediately after this immediate reflection, the brightness gradually changes to that of the interrupted third state. This change in the brightness of the ambient light 8 does not cause discomfort to the occupants and improves the user experience (emotions the user experiences through the ambient light 8, impressions the user has, and user reactions, etc.).

[0121] (2) With the ambient light device 6 described above, the color of the ambient light 8 changes in addition to its brightness, thus further improving the user experience. (3) In the ambient light device 6 described above, the state of the vehicle 9 is included in multiple states, and the state of the vehicle 9 includes three states: driving state, welcome state, and door open state. Therefore, since the ambient light 8 is controlled in accordance with the changes in these states, the sense of unity between the vehicle 9 and the ambient light 8 is increased, and the user experience can be further improved.

[0122] (4) Furthermore, in the ambient light device 6 described above, when switching from a certain state to a driving state, and when there is an interruption to switch to a driving state, the ambient light 8 lights up at maximum brightness regardless of the user's settings. This can give the user a sense of anticipation and excitement about starting to drive, thereby further improving the user experience.

[0123] (5) In the ambient light device 6 described above, the multiple states include the illuminated state and the off state of the incoming call state, which indicates that there is an incoming call on the user's terminal 80. Therefore, when there is an incoming call on the terminal 80, the user can be notified of the incoming call by a change in the brightness of the ambient light 8. Furthermore, the ambient light 8 changes to the off state while it is changing to the brightness of the illuminated state, and after the brightness of the illuminated state is immediately reflected, it changes to the brightness of the off state (i.e., 0), thus achieving a clear distinction between illumination and extinguishing that prompts the user to notice.

[0124] (6) Furthermore, while the incoming call is still being received (while the incoming call signal is still being received), the immediate reflection process and the change process at the rate of change during the second gradual change period are repeatedly performed, causing the ambient light 8 to flash in a more distinct manner. This makes it easier for the user to notice and further improves the user experience.

[0125] (7) In the ambient light device 6 described above, multiple states include an incoming call state, which indicates that there is a message on the user's terminal 80, and the ambient light 8 lights up differently depending on whether there is an incoming call or a message has been received. As a result, the user can recognize whether there is a call or a message on the terminal 80 by the way the ambient light 8 lights up, even without looking at the terminal 80, thus contributing to improved usability. In addition, in the ambient light device 6 described above, if a switch to the message reception state is interrupted during the first gradual change period, as explained with reference to Figure 6, an immediate reflection process and a change process at the rate of change during the second gradual change period are performed, thus improving the user experience as in (1) above.

[0126] (8) In the ambient lighting device 6 described above, the multiple states include a setting state in which the user operates the setting unit (operation screen 4 in the above embodiment) to set elements, and the vehicle 9 is equipped with a preview function. This preview function allows the user to set their preferred elements while feeling the changes in the ambient lighting 8, thereby improving the user experience. In addition, in the ambient lighting device 6 described above, the brightness of the ambient lighting 8 is gradually changed even when in the setting state, but if the setting of another state is interrupted during the first gradual change period, the brightness of the setting of the second state is immediately reflected, so that the setting operation and the brightness of the previewed ambient lighting 8 match. From this point as well, the user experience can be improved.

[0127] (9) In the vehicle 9 equipped with the ambient lighting device 6 described above, the elements of the ambient lighting device 6 can be set by operating the operation screen 4 of the display device 1, thereby improving operability and the user experience.

[0128] [5. Others] The ambient lighting device 6 and vehicle 9 described above are all examples and are not limited to those described above. For example, the states described above are just examples, and the conditions under which each state is established are also just examples. The elements of the ambient lighting 8 that can be set in each state are also just examples and are not limited to those shown in Figure 2. In the ambient lighting device 6, it is sufficient that at least the brightness of the ambient lighting 8 can be set for each of the multiple states. Note that the configuration in which the lights illuminate at maximum brightness when switching from a certain state to a driving state or when a switch to a driving state is interrupted may be omitted.

[0129] In the incoming call state described above, two types of signals are received: an incoming call signal and a message signal. However, the signals that vehicle 9 receives from terminal 80 are not limited to these. For example, they may include information indicating the type of message (email, text message, chat app, SNS notification, etc.). Also, the way the ambient light 8 illuminates when a signal is received is just one example and is not limited to what has been described above.

[0130] The screen configuration of the operation screen 4 of the display device 1 is also an example. For example, one of the first display unit 10 and the second display unit 20 may be omitted, or the third display unit 30 or the number display unit 50 may be omitted. Also, the setting unit that has the function of setting the elements of the ambient light 8 is not limited to the operation screen 4. For example, the setting unit may be a terminal 80 owned by the user, or a physical switch.

[0131] This technology is applicable to the manufacturing industry of ambient lighting devices equipped with ambient lighting, and also to the manufacturing industry of vehicles equipped with such ambient lighting devices and display devices.

[0132] 1 Display device 4 Operation screen (settings unit) 6 Ambient light device 7 Control device 8 Ambient light 9 Vehicle 80 Terminal A Lighting time B Lighting off time C Notification time G Rate of change T Transition time

Claims

1. An ambient light device comprising: ambient light for illuminating the interior of a vehicle; and a control device for controlling the ambient light, wherein at least the brightness of the ambient light can be set for each of a plurality of states, and the control device, at the time of switching from a first state to a second state among the plurality of states, starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at a rate of change of a first gradual change period over a predetermined transition time, during which the brightness is gradually changed from the brightness of the first state to the brightness of the second state, and if an interruption occurs before the end of the first gradual change period for switching to a third state among the plurality of states, the control device immediately reflects this by changing the brightness of the ambient light to the brightness of the second state at the time of the interruption, and immediately after such immediate reflection, starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at a rate of change of a second gradual change period over a predetermined transition time, during which the brightness is gradually changed from the brightness of the second state to the brightness of the third state.

2. The ambient light device according to claim 1, wherein the ambient light element includes the color of the ambient light, and the control device starts gradually changing from the color of the first state to the color of the second state during the first gradual change period, immediately reflects the change by changing to the color of the second state at the time of the interrupt, and starts gradually changing from the color of the second state to the color of the third state during the second gradual change period.

3. The ambient lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of states include the state of a vehicle in which the ambient light is installed, and the state of the vehicle includes a driving state in which the vehicle is in a drivable starting state and all doors are closed, a welcome state in which the vehicle is not in the starting state and all doors are closed, and a door-open state in which any of the doors are open.

4. The ambient light device according to claim 3, wherein the driving state has a set brightness that is set by user operation, as well as a maximum brightness that is used from the start of the driving state until a predetermined condition is met, and the control device uses the maximum brightness as the brightness of the driving state when it switches from the first state to the driving state, or when there is an interrupt for switching to the driving state.

5. The ambient light device according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of states include an incoming call state in which the ambient light is lit at a set brightness and an off state in which the brightness of the ambient light is set to 0, as an incoming call state in which an incoming signal is received from a user's terminal capable of communicating with the vehicle in which the ambient light is installed, the control device, when it receives the incoming signal, sets the initial time of receiving the incoming signal as the switching time to switch from the first state to the lit state as the second state, starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change of the first gradual change period, immediately reflects the change by interrupting the off state as the third state at the time of a predetermined lighting time shorter than the transition time elapsed from the switching time, and changes the brightness of the ambient light to the brightness of the lit state, and starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change of the second gradual change period in which the brightness of the lit state is gradually changed to 0, which is the brightness of the off state, immediately after the immediate reflection, over the transition time.

6. The ambient light device according to claim 5, characterized in that, if the control device continues to receive the incoming signal, it changes the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change of the second gradual change period, and then sets the brightness to 0, switches from the off state as the first state to the on state as the second state to set a new switching point, and repeatedly performs the immediate reflection process and the change process at the rate of change of the second gradual change period until the incoming signal is no longer received.

7. The ambient light device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of states include a message reception state in which a message signal is received from a user terminal capable of communicating with the vehicle on which the ambient light is installed, and the control device, when it receives the message signal during the first gradual change period, sets the time of receipt of the message signal as the interrupt time, starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change during the second gradual change period immediately after the immediate reflection, and after a predetermined notification time has elapsed from the interrupt time, gradually changes the brightness of the ambient light from the brightness of the message reception state to the brightness of the second state.

8. The ambient light device according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit operated by the user of a vehicle in which the ambient light is installed, which can set the elements of the ambient light for each of the plurality of states, the vehicle is provided with a preview function which shows the ambient light representing the elements when they are being set in the setting unit, and the control device, in a setting state in which the elements are set in the setting unit, starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change of the first gradual change period when switching from the setting of the first state to the setting of the second state, if a switch to the setting of the third state is interrupted before the end of the first gradual change period, immediately reflects this by changing the brightness of the ambient light to the brightness of the second state at the time of the interrupt, and starts changing the brightness of the ambient light at the rate of change of the second gradual change period immediately after the immediate reflection.

9. A vehicle comprising an ambient light device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and a display device having an operation screen operated by a user and capable of setting the elements of the ambient light.

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