Road surface drawing device for vehicle and road surface drawing method for vehicle
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2026/008909
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-03-24
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-01
Smart Images
Figure JP2026008909_01102026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Vehicle road surface drawing apparatus and vehicle road surface drawing method
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle road surface drawing apparatus and a vehicle road surface drawing method.
[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a road surface drawing apparatus for a vehicle that emits light to project a unit drawn image showing a predetermined character onto a road surface. In the road surface drawing apparatus of Patent Document 1, when a signal indicating that a right turn signal or a left turn signal blinks is input from a turn switch, the right turn signal or the left turn signal is caused to blink, and light is emitted from the road surface drawing apparatus to project a drawn image onto the right road surface or the left road surface of the vehicle.
[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 100712
[0004] Incidentally, in order to prevent collision accidents and contact accidents between a vehicle and traffic participants such as pedestrians and bicycles at intersections, a technology, that is, a so-called side collision warning device has been put into practical use, which recognizes the positional relationship between the vehicle and a traffic participant based on the output of a radar mounted on the vehicle and warns the driver of the vehicle when there is a possibility of a collision. However, when the drawn image is projected onto the road surface during a right or left turn at a timing overlapping with the operation of the side collision warning device, there is a possibility that the driver of the vehicle is distracted by the drawn image and delays noticing the side collision warning. Further, when the drawn image is projected at a position overlapping a traffic participant approaching the vehicle, there is a possibility that the traffic participant feels annoyed.
[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle road surface drawing apparatus and a vehicle road surface drawing method that contribute to traffic safety at intersections and the like and are less likely to cause annoyance to traffic participants around the vehicle.
[0006] A vehicle road surface drawing device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle road surface drawing device mounted on a vehicle that projects a drawing pattern onto a road surface, comprising: a road surface drawing unit that emits light onto the road surface to project the drawing pattern when the left turn signal or right turn signal of the vehicle is flashing; and a control unit that controls the projection state of the drawing pattern, wherein in a predetermined first mode, the drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle while the left turn signal is flashing, and onto the road surface to the right front of the vehicle while the right turn signal is flashing; and when a second mode is entered in which a side collision warning device mounted on the vehicle is activated or a traffic participant is present in a predetermined area to the side of the vehicle, the control unit causes the road surface drawing unit to shorten the length of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface and to dim at least a part of the drawing pattern compared to the first mode.
[0007] A vehicle road surface drawing method according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle road surface drawing method for projecting a drawing pattern onto a road surface, comprising: a road surface drawing step in a predetermined first mode, in which the vehicle's left turn signal flashes and the drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle by emitting light, or the vehicle's right turn signal flashes and the drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the right front of the vehicle by emitting light; and a drawing control step in which, in a second mode in which a side collision warning device mounted on the vehicle is activated or a traffic participant is present in a predetermined area to the side of the vehicle, at least one of shortening the length of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface and dimming at least a portion of the drawing pattern compared to the first mode.
[0008] According to the vehicle road surface drawing device and vehicle road surface drawing method described herein, if the projection of a drawing pattern overlaps with the activation of a side collision warning device or the detection of a traffic participant to the side of the vehicle, the length of the drawing pattern can be shortened or the brightness of the drawing pattern can be reduced to make the drawing pattern on the road surface less conspicuous. This allows the vehicle driver to reliably recognize the presence of a traffic participant to the side of the vehicle, contributing to traffic safety at intersections and other locations. Furthermore, even if the drawing pattern is projected in a position that overlaps with a traffic participant approaching the vehicle, the traffic participant is less likely to feel bothered.
[0009] This disclosure provides a vehicle road surface marking device and a vehicle road surface marking method that contribute to traffic safety at intersections and other locations while minimizing inconvenience to other drivers in the vicinity of the vehicle.
[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the system configuration of a vehicle, including a vehicle road surface drawing device. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a drawing pattern projected onto the area around the vehicle by the vehicle road surface drawing device. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of a vehicle including the vehicle road surface drawing device according to an embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating a drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the vehicle road surface drawing device during the operation shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of a drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the vehicle road surface drawing device during the operation shown in Figure 3. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the change in light intensity of the turn signal drawing lamp in the first mode and the turn signal drawing lamp in the second mode. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the vehicle road surface drawing device according to Modification 1. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating a drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the vehicle road surface drawing device during the operation according to Modification 1. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the vehicle road surface drawing device according to the second embodiment. Figure 10A is a diagram illustrating a drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the vehicle road surface drawing device according to Modification 2. Figure 10B is a schematic diagram showing the drawing pattern of Modification 2 as viewed from a traffic participant located to the rear side of the vehicle. Figure 11A is an example diagram illustrating the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the vehicle road surface drawing device according to Modification 3. Figure 11B is a schematic diagram showing the drawing pattern of Modification 3 as viewed from a traffic participant located to the rear side of the vehicle.
[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity, the description of components having the same reference numeral as those already described in the description of the embodiments will be omitted. Furthermore, the dimensions of the components shown in these drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of the components for the sake of clarity.
[0012] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the terms "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-back direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 100 illustrated in Figure 2. Here, the "left-right direction" includes the "left direction" and the "right direction," as well as the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 100 on which the road surface drawing device 20 (an example of a road surface drawing device for vehicles) is mounted. The "up-down direction" includes the "up direction" and the "down direction." The "front-back direction" is the front-back direction of the vehicle 100, and includes the "forward direction" and the "rear direction." The front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction. In each figure, the symbol F indicates the forward direction. The symbol B indicates the rear direction. The symbol L indicates the left direction. The symbol R indicates the right direction. The left-right direction is an example of the horizontal direction.
[0013] This disclosure illustrates the operation of the road surface drawing device 20 when a vehicle 100 turns right or left at an intersection, for example. However, the timing of the operation of the road surface drawing device 20 is not limited to this. For example, this disclosure can be applied to actions when a vehicle 100 changes its course, such as when a vehicle 100 changes lanes. The vehicle 100 in this disclosure is, for example, a large vehicle such as a truck. In particular, large cargo vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 8 tons or more can be mentioned.
[0014] The road surface drawing device 20 according to this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Figure 1 is a block diagram of the system configuration of a vehicle 100 including the road surface drawing device 20. Figure 2 is a plan view conceptually showing the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface from the road surface drawing device 20 mounted on the vehicle 100. The road surface drawing device 20 is a device that draws a pattern of a predetermined shape on the road surface around the vehicle 100 using light.
[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 100 is equipped with a left turn signal lamp 11L (an example of a left turn signal lamp), a right turn signal lamp 11R (an example of a right turn signal lamp), a turn switch 15, a road marking device 20, and a side collision warning device 30.
[0016] The left turn signal lamp 11L and the right turn signal lamp 11R are located on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle 100, respectively. The left turn signal lamp 11L is located close to the left headlight (not shown), and the right turn signal lamp 11R is located close to the right headlight (not shown). The left and right turn signal lamps 11L and 11R light up in a flashing state when the turn switch 15, described later, is operated and a state in which each turn signal lamp 11L and 11R flashes is selected. Although not shown, turn signal lamps may also be installed on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle 100, for example, as an element of the rear combination lamps.
[0017] The turn switch 15 is a switch that selects one of the following: flashing of the left turn signal lamp 11L, flashing of the right turn signal lamp 11R, or turning off both the left and right turn signal lamps 11L and 11R. If the driver selects to flash the left turn signal lamp 11L by operating the turn switch 15, the turn switch 15 outputs a signal to the control unit 25 indicating an instruction to flash the left turn signal lamp 11L. If the driver selects to flash the right turn signal lamp 11R by operating the turn switch 15, the turn switch 15 outputs a signal to the control unit 25 indicating an instruction to flash the right turn signal lamp 11R. In this way, the turn switch 15 changes the signal it outputs to the control unit 25 in conjunction with the driver's selection.
[0018] The road surface drawing device 20 comprises a road surface drawing unit 21 and a control unit 25. The road surface drawing unit 21 includes a left turn drawing lamp 22L and a right turn drawing lamp 22R. Each turn drawing lamp 22L and 22R of the road surface drawing unit 21 is connected to the control unit 25.
[0019] The left turn indicator lamp 22L is installed, for example, in close proximity to the left turn signal lamp 11L. The left turn indicator lamp 22L has an optical unit 23 and a swivel mechanism 24. The optical unit 23 has, for example, a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED, a first lens for projecting light emitted from the semiconductor light-emitting element onto a projection screen, and a second lens for drawing an image of a predetermined shape on the projection screen toward the road surface. The projection screen may have a transparent area formed from the beginning corresponding to the predetermined shape to be drawn on the road surface. Alternatively, various patterns of light may be transmitted by selectively driving multiple elements arranged in a matrix, such as a transmissive liquid crystal. The swivel mechanism 24 is a mechanism for rotating the optical unit 23 along the horizontal direction (yaw direction). For example, the swivel mechanism 24 is connected to the optical unit 23, and the operation of the swivel mechanism 24 makes the optical unit 23 rotatable along the horizontal direction. The swivel mechanism 24 rotates the optical unit 23 within a certain range along the horizontal direction based on a control signal from the control unit 25, thereby changing the angle of the light emitted from the left turn drawing lamp 22L. This makes it possible to change the projection direction of the drawing image projected onto the road surface.
[0020] The right turn indicator lamp 22R is installed, for example, in close proximity to the right turn signal lamp 11R. The right turn indicator lamp 22R, like the left turn indicator lamp 22L, has an optical unit 23 and a swivel mechanism 24. The configuration of the optical unit 23 and swivel mechanism 24 of the right turn indicator lamp 22R is substantially the same as the configuration of the optical unit 23 and swivel mechanism 24 of the left turn indicator lamp 22L, so a detailed explanation is omitted.
[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the left turn indicator lamp 22L emits light onto the road surface at a predetermined distance to the left and in front of the vehicle 100 to draw the left turn indicator pattern PL. The right turn indicator lamp 22R emits light onto the road surface at a predetermined distance to the right and in front of the vehicle 100 to draw the right turn indicator pattern PR. Each turn indicator pattern PL and PR is a road surface image that, in conjunction with the flashing of each turn signal lamp 11L and 11R, promptly informs traffic participants that the vehicle 100 is turning left or right. Each turn indicator pattern PL and PR may flash in sync with the flashing of each turn signal lamp 11L and 11R, or they may flash independently of the flashing of each turn signal lamp 11L and 11R. Alternatively, each turn indicator pattern PL and PR may remain continuously lit while each turn signal lamp 11L and 11R is flashing.
[0022] The left turn pattern PL projected by the left turn projection lamp 22L consists of three roughly inverted V-shaped marks M1 to M3 arranged in parallel at a constant distance from each other. Similarly, the right turn pattern PR projected by the right turn projection lamp 22R consists of three roughly inverted V-shaped marks M1 to M3 arranged in parallel at a constant distance from each other. In Figure 2, the turn projection patterns PL and PR are shown as three inverted V-shaped marks with their acute angles facing away from the vehicle 100, but the shape of the turn projection pattern is not limited to this. For example, it may be a pattern with at least one inverted V-shaped mark, or a pattern with four or more inverted V-shaped marks arranged in parallel. Also, the shape of each mark is not limited to that shown.
[0023] The control unit 25 may, for example, be part of the electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle 100, or it may be provided separately from the ECU. Examples of such a control unit 25 include integrated circuits such as a microcontroller, IC (Integrated Circuit), LSI (Large-scale Integrated Circuit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or NC (Numerical Control) device.
[0024] The control unit 25 includes a direction indicator control unit 26, a road surface drawing control unit 27, and a lateral information acquisition unit 28. The direction indicator control unit 26 controls the on / off switching of the turn signal lamps 11L and 11R based on the operation of the turn switch 15. The road surface drawing control unit 27 controls the drawing of the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R based on the operation of the turn switch 15. The lateral information acquisition unit 28 acquires lateral information of the vehicle 100 from the lateral sensor 31 of the lateral collision warning device 30, which will be described later. In this example, the lateral information includes, for example, information on whether or not there are traffic participants within a predetermined range of the left side area of the vehicle 100. The road surface drawing control unit 27 also changes the display mode of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR projected from the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R based on the lateral information of the vehicle 100 acquired by the lateral information acquisition unit 28 from the lateral sensor 31.
[0025] Returning to Figure 1, the Blind Spot Information System (BSIS) 30 is a system that detects, for example, traffic participants (such as bicycles) approaching the left side of the vehicle 100 and notifies the driver. The BSIS 30 has a side sensor 31, a BSIS lamp 33, and a BSIS speaker 35. Multiple side sensors 31 are provided on the left side of the vehicle 100. In the example of the vehicle 100 (large cargo truck) shown in Figure 2, one side sensor 31 is mounted on the left side of the passenger compartment 101, which includes the driver's seat, and one side sensor 31 is mounted on the left side of the cargo bed 102, which is located behind the passenger compartment 101 and on which cargo is loaded. Each side sensor 31 may be a camera including an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary MOS), or it may be a millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), or other sensor or radar. In this disclosure, the detection area of the side sensor 31 is assumed to be the target area of BSIS 30. However, the detection area of the side sensor 31 may be set according to the application of the sensor's detection result, and is not limited to the target area of BSIS 30. When each side sensor 31 detects the presence of a traffic participant within a predetermined distance to the left of the vehicle 100, it outputs the detection information to the control unit 25.
[0026] The BSIS lamp 33 is a light fixture installed, for example, inside the passenger compartment 101 of the vehicle 100. Preferably, the BSIS lamp 33 is installed in a position where its illumination status can be easily seen by the driver of the vehicle 100. In this example, the BSIS lamp 33 is installed at the left end of the dashboard of the passenger compartment 101. The BSIS speaker 35 is a speaker installed integrally with the BSIS lamp 33 or in close proximity to the BSIS lamp 33. When detection information is output from the side sensor 31 to the control unit 25, the control unit 25 outputs a predetermined control signal to the BSIS lamp 33 and the BSIS speaker 35 based on the detection information. When the predetermined control signal is input, the BSIS lamp 33 lights up and a warning sound is emitted from the BSIS speaker. This allows the driver of the vehicle 100 to recognize that a traffic participant is approaching from the left side of the vehicle 100.
[0027] Next, the operation of the vehicle 100 including the road surface drawing device 20 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle 100 including the road surface drawing device 20 according to this embodiment. Figures 4 and 5 show an example of a turn drawing pattern projected onto the road surface by the road surface drawing device 20.
[0028] In this embodiment, for example, when the ignition power of the vehicle 100 is turned on, the control unit 25 starts controlling the road surface drawing process. At the start of the process of this disclosure, the left turn drawing lamp 22L and the right turn drawing lamp 22R provided by the road surface drawing unit 21 are not lit and are in the off state.
[0029] First, the control unit 25 determines whether a predetermined signal has been input from the turn switch 15 (step S11). When the operation of the turn switch 15 selects the blinking of either the left or right turn signal lamp 11L or 11R, the control unit 25 receives a signal instructing the blinking of either the left or right turn signal lamp 11L or 11R. If no predetermined signal has been input from the turn switch 15 in step S11 (No. in step S11), the control unit 25 repeats this step. In this case, the turn indicator lamps 22L and 22R of the road surface drawing unit 21 remain in the off state.
[0030] On the other hand, if a predetermined signal is input from the turn switch 15 (Yes in step S11), the direction indicator control unit 26 of the control unit 25 outputs a predetermined control signal to either the left or right turn signal lamp 11L, 11R. This disclosure describes the case in which the driver operates the turn switch 15 to select the flashing of the left turn signal lamp 11L when the vehicle 100 is turning left at an intersection. When the flashing of the left turn signal lamp 11L is selected by operating the turn switch 15, the direction indicator control unit 26 outputs a control signal to the left turn signal lamp 11L to cause it to flash. As a result, the left turn signal lamp 11L turns on and flashes at a predetermined frequency (step S12).
[0031] Next, the road surface drawing control unit 27 of the control unit 25 outputs a predetermined control signal to the turn drawing lamp corresponding to the blinking turn signal lamps 11L, 11R among the left and right turn drawing lamps 22L, 22R. In this disclosure, since the left turn signal lamp 11L is blinking, the road surface drawing control unit 27 outputs a predetermined control signal to the left turn drawing lamp 22L. As a result, the left turn drawing lamp 22L turns on and emits light (step S13). As shown in Figure 4, the left turn drawing lamp 22L emits light to the road surface to the left front of the vehicle 100 and projects the left turn drawing pattern PL1. The left turn drawing pattern PL1 at this time is a normal state turn drawing pattern in which all three marks M1 to M3 are lit. The normal state turn drawing pattern is the turn drawing pattern projected in the "predetermined first mode" of this disclosure.
[0032] Next, the control unit 25 determines whether or not there are traffic participants within the detection target area, which is a predetermined area on the side of the vehicle 100, based on the detection information acquired by the side sensor 31 (step S14). The detection target area S shown in Figure 4 is the combined area of the detection target areas of the two side sensors 31 mounted on the vehicle 100. As described above, the control unit 25 receives signals related to the detection information acquired by the side sensor 31. If no traffic participants are detected within the detection target area S of the side sensor 31 (No. in step S14), the control unit 25 repeats this step.
[0033] On the other hand, if a traffic participant is detected within the detection area S of the side sensor 31 (Yes in step S14), the control unit 25 lights up the BSIS lamp 33 and outputs a warning sound from the BSIS speaker 35 (step S15). Here, as shown in Figure 5, suppose that a bicycle B, which is a traffic participant, is detected within the detection area S of the side sensor 31. In this case, the BSIS lamp 33 lights up and a warning sound is output from the BSIS speaker 35, so that the driver of the vehicle 100 can recognize that bicycle B is approaching from the left side of the vehicle 100.
[0034] Next, the control unit 25 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since a traffic participant was detected within the detection target area S of the side sensor 31 (step S16). The predetermined time is, for example, in the range of 2 to 5 seconds. If the predetermined time has not elapsed since a traffic participant was detected within the detection target area S (No. in step S16), the control unit 25 repeats this step.
[0035] On the other hand, if a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since a traffic participant was detected within the detection target area S (Yes in step S16), the road surface drawing control unit 27 of the control unit 25 changes the display mode of the left turn drawing pattern PL1 projected onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle 100 (step S17). As shown in Figure 5, when a bicycle B, which is a traffic participant, is detected within the detection target area S of the side sensor 31, the road surface drawing control unit 27 projects a left turn drawing pattern PL2 in which the mark M3, the furthest mark from the vehicle 100 among the three marks M1 to M3 that constitute the left turn drawing pattern PL1, is turned off. Here, mark M3 is a mark projected in a position visible to the driver of the vehicle 100. On the other hand, marks M1 and M2 are marks projected in positions not visible to the driver of the vehicle 100. In other words, the left turn drawing pattern PL2 is a drawing pattern in which the mark M3 projected in a position visible to the driver is turned off, and only the marks M1 and M2 projected in a position not visible to the driver are lit. As a result, the left turn drawing pattern PL2 is not visible to the driver. In this state, the left turn drawing pattern PL2 is a corrected turn drawing pattern in which only the two marks M1 and M2 closest to the vehicle 100 out of the three marks M1 to M3 are lit. The corrected turn drawing pattern is the turn drawing pattern projected in the "second mode" of this disclosure.
[0036] Next, the control unit 25 continues to determine whether or not a traffic participant is detected within the detection target area S of the side sensor 31 (step S18). If a traffic participant is still detected within the detection target area S (No. in step S18), the control unit 25 repeats this step. At this time, the road surface drawing control unit 27 maintains the change in the display mode of the turn drawing pattern, as shown in the left turn drawing pattern PL2 in Figure 5.
[0037] On the other hand, if no traffic participants are detected within the detection area S of the side sensor 31 (Yes in step S18), the control unit 25 turns off the BSIS lamp 33 and interrupts the output of the warning sound from the BSIS speaker 35 (step S19). This allows the driver of vehicle 100 to recognize that bicycle B, which was approaching the left side of vehicle 100, has moved away from the left side of vehicle 100.
[0038] Next, the road surface drawing control unit 27 returns the left turn drawing pattern PL2 to its normal state and projects it (step S20). Specifically, when the bicycle B is no longer detected within the detection target area S, the road surface drawing control unit 27 lights up the previously turned-off mark M3 again, thereby projecting the normal left turn drawing pattern PL1 shown in Figure 4.
[0039] Next, the control unit 25 determines again whether a predetermined signal is input from the turn switch 15 (step S21). If a predetermined signal for flashing the left turn signal lamp 11L is input to the control unit 25 from the turn switch 15 (No. in step S21), the control unit 25 repeats this step. In this case, the road surface drawing control unit 27 continues to emit light from the left turn drawing lamp 22L and maintains the projection of the left turn drawing pattern PL1 onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle 100.
[0040] On the other hand, if the predetermined signal is no longer input from the turn switch 15 (Yes in step S21), the direction indicator control unit 26 stops outputting a control signal to the left turn signal lamp 11L to make it blink. Also, the road surface drawing control unit 27 stops outputting a control signal to the left turn drawing lamp 22L to make it blink. As a result, the left turn signal lamp 11L turns off, and the left turn drawing lamp 22L also turns off (step S22). Consequently, the drawing of the left turn drawing pattern PL1 on the road surface to the left front of the vehicle 100 is interrupted.
[0041] As described above, the road surface drawing device 20 of this disclosure includes a road surface drawing unit 21 that emits light onto the road surface to project turn drawing patterns PL and PR when the left turn signal lamp 11L or the right turn signal lamp 11R of the vehicle 100 flashes, and a control unit 25 that controls the projection state of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR. In a predetermined first mode, the turn drawing patterns PL and PR are projected onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle 100 while the left turn signal lamp 11L is flashing, and onto the road surface to the right front of the vehicle 100 while the right turn signal lamp 11R is flashing. When the BSIS 30 mounted on the vehicle 100 is activated or a second mode is entered in which a traffic participant is present in a predetermined area (detection target area S) to the side of the vehicle 100, the control unit 25 causes the road surface drawing unit 21 to shorten the length of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface compared to the first mode. With this configuration, if the projection of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR overlaps with the operation of the BSIS 30 or the detection of traffic participants to the side of the vehicle 100, the length of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR can be shortened to make them less conspicuous. This allows the driver of the vehicle 100 to reliably recognize the presence of traffic participants to the side of the vehicle 100, contributing to traffic safety at intersections and other locations. Furthermore, because the drawing length of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR projected onto the road surface is shortened, even if the turn drawing patterns PL and PR are projected in a position that overlaps with traffic participants approaching the vehicle 100, traffic participants are less likely to feel bothered.
[0042] As described above, in this disclosure, when a traffic participant is detected within the detection target area S of the lateral sensor 31, the mark M3 visible to the driver of the vehicle 100 in the left turn drawing pattern PL is turned off. However, in the second mode, the mark M3 may not be turned off, but rather the mark M3 may be dimmed compared to the normal state in the first mode. Furthermore, the system may be configured to dim only the mark M3 and not dim the other marks M1 and M2, or to dim all marks M1 to M3 uniformly. Alternatively, all marks M1 to M3 may be turned off. In this way, when the projection of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR overlaps with the detection of traffic participants to the side of the vehicle 100, the turn drawing patterns PL and PR can be made less conspicuous even if at least a part of them is dimmed or turned off. This contributes to traffic safety at intersections and other locations, and reduces the likelihood of causing inconvenience to traffic participants around the vehicle 100.
[0043] The corrected left turn drawing pattern PL2 in Figure 5 has fewer illuminated marks compared to the normal left turn drawing pattern PL1 in Figure 4. However, even in the corrected turn drawing pattern, the number of marks can remain at three, and the distance between marks can be narrowed or the shape of each mark can be shortened so that the overall drawing length of the turn drawing pattern is not visible to the driver.
[0044] Furthermore, the blinking pattern of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the first mode may be different from the blinking pattern of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the second mode. Specifically, the control unit 25 (road surface drawing control unit 27) may switch the blinking display of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the second mode to a slower blinking display than the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the first mode. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the change in light intensity of the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R in the first mode and the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R in the second mode. As shown in Figure 6, the road surface drawing control unit 27 may dim the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R so that the time t3 from when the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R start to light up to reach the reference light intensity TH in the second mode is longer than the time t1 from when the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R start to light up to reach the reference light intensity TH in the first mode. In other words, the road surface drawing control unit 27 may set the rate of increase of the light intensity emitted from the turn indicator lamps 22L and 22R in the second mode to be slower than the rate of increase of the light intensity emitted from the turn indicator lamps 22L and 22R in the first mode. For example, the rate of increase of the light intensity emitted from each turn indicator lamp 22L and 22R can be changed by changing the rate of increase of the drive current supplied to each turn indicator lamp 22L and 22R. Furthermore, when the turn indicator lamps 22L and 22R are turned off, the road surface drawing control unit 27 may adjust the dimming of the turn indicator lamps 22L and 22R so that the time t4 from the start of dimming from the reference light intensity TH to complete extinguishing of the turn indicator lamps 22L and 22R in the second mode is longer than the time t2 from the start of dimming from the reference light intensity TH to complete extinguishing of the turn indicator lamps 22L and 22R in the first mode. Furthermore, the blinking period of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the first mode may be different from the blinking period of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the second mode. For example, the blinking period of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the second mode may be made longer than the blinking period of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR in the first mode.In this manner, in the second mode, the corrected turn drawing patterns PL and PR emitted from the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R may be switched to a slower blinking display than the normal turn drawing patterns PL and PR emitted from the turn drawing lamps 22L and 22R in the first mode. According to this configuration, the annoyance caused to road users can be further reduced.
[0045] Furthermore, in the road surface drawing device 20 of the present disclosure, the control unit 25 starts shortening the length of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR or dimming at least a part of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR after a predetermined time has elapsed since the BSIS 30 was activated. If a change in the turn drawing patterns PL and PR is performed immediately after a road user is detected by the side sensor 31 and the BSIS lamp 33 is turned on, that is, immediately after the BSIS 30 is activated, the driver may be distracted by the change and less likely to notice the lighting of the BSIS lamp 33 or the like. Therefore, by starting the change of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of operation of the BSIS 30, the driver can more reliably recognize the presence of the road user. Note that a configuration may also be adopted in which the display mode of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR is changed immediately after the BSIS 30 is activated.
[0046] Furthermore, in the road surface drawing device 20 of the present disclosure, when the operation of the BSIS 30 is stopped or no road user is present within the detection target area S, the control unit 25 may control the road surface drawing unit 21 to return the length of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR or the illuminance of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR to the normal state. According to this configuration, even when the turn drawing patterns PL and PR return to the normal state, the driver can recognize that no road user is present on the side of the vehicle 100 anymore.
[0047] (Modification 1) Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a turn drawing pattern drawn by the road surface drawing device 20 mounted on a vehicle 100A according to Modification 1 will be described. FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating an example of a turn drawing pattern emitted onto a road surface by the road surface drawing device 20 according to Modification 1.
[0048] In the above embodiment, based on the operation of the turn switch 15, the left turn signal lamp 11L or the right turn signal lamp 11R blinks, and a left turn drawing pattern PL or a right turn drawing pattern PR is projected onto a road surface in front of the vehicle 100. However, in addition to the left turn drawing pattern PL or the right turn drawing pattern PR projected onto the road surface in front of the vehicle, a turn drawing pattern may also be projected onto the road surface behind the vehicle. In Modification 1 shown in Fig. 7, a rear turn drawing lamp 22BL that emits light onto a road surface behind and to the left of a vehicle 100A to project a rear turn drawing pattern PBL is mounted on the rear left portion of a cargo bed 102 of the vehicle 100A. Furthermore, a rear turn drawing lamp 22BR that emits light onto a road surface behind and to the right of the vehicle 100A to project a rear turn drawing pattern PBR is mounted on the rear right portion of the cargo bed 102 of the vehicle 100A. The rear turn drawing lamps 22BL and 22BR may, for example, be provided respectively close to rear turn signal lamps 11BL and 11BR arranged on the left and right of the rear portion of the vehicle 100A.
[0049] In Modification 1, assume that when the vehicle 100A turns left at an intersection or the like, the driver operates the turn switch 15 to instruct blinking of the left turn signal lamp 11L and the rear turn signal lamp 11BL. A control unit 25 that receives a predetermined signal from the turn switch 15 blinks the left turn signal lamp 11L and the left turn drawing lamp 22L, and also blinks the rear turn signal lamp 11BL and the rear turn drawing lamp 22BL. As a result, as shown in Fig. 8, the left turn drawing pattern PL is projected in a blinking manner onto the road surface front-left of the vehicle 100A, and the rear turn drawing pattern PBL is projected in a blinking manner onto the road surface rear-left of the vehicle 100A.
[0050] In this state, if a cyclist B, who is a traffic participant, is detected within the detection area S of the side sensor 31, the control unit 25 activates the BSIS lamp 33 and the BSIS speaker 35 and changes the display mode of the left turn drawing pattern PL projected onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle 100A. Specifically, similar to the first embodiment, the road surface drawing control unit 27 turns off the mark M3, which is the furthest from the vehicle 100A among the three marks M1 to M3 that constitute the left turn drawing pattern PL. It is preferable to keep all marks M1 to M3 that constitute the rear turn drawing pattern PBL lit even if a traffic participant is detected within the detection area S.
[0051] In the configuration of Modified Example 1, the turn drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the left front of vehicle 100A as well as the road surface to the left rear of vehicle 100 when the left turn signal lamp 11L flashes, and onto the road surface to the right front of vehicle 100A as well as the road surface to the right rear of vehicle 100 when the right turn signal lamp 11R flashes. When a traffic participant is detected within the detection target area S of the side sensor 31 (second mode), the road surface drawing control unit 27 controls the road surface drawing unit 21 to shorten the length of the turn drawing patterns PL and PR drawn in front of vehicle 100A compared to when no traffic participant is detected within the detection target area S of the side sensor 31 (first mode).
[0052] In addition, in the second mode of the modified example 1, the length of the left turn drawing pattern PL is shortened by turning off the mark M3. However, in the second mode, the mark M3 may not be turned off, and the mark M3 or the entire left turn drawing pattern PL may be dimmed compared to the normal state in the first mode.
[0053] Of the turn projection patterns PL, PR, PBL, and PBR projected onto the road surface in front of and behind vehicle 100A, the front turn projection patterns PL and PR are easily visible to the driver. Therefore, when BSIS 30 is activated, it is required to shorten the length and dim the brightness of the front turn projection patterns PL and PR to make them less conspicuous. On the other hand, the rear turn projection patterns PBL and PBR are less visible to the driver and play an important role in alerting traffic participants approaching from behind vehicle 100A. Therefore, when BSIS 30 is activated, it is preferable to shorten the length and dim the brightness of the front turn projection patterns PL and PR compared to the normal state, while not significantly shortening or dimming the rear turn projection patterns PBL and PBR.
[0054] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the rear turn patterns PBL and PBR play an important role in alerting traffic participants (following vehicles, etc.) approaching from behind vehicle 100A. Therefore, in the second mode, unlike the front left and right turn patterns PL and PR, the rear turn patterns PBL and PBR may have their length extended or their brightness increased compared to the first mode. This makes it possible to more reliably inform following vehicles, etc., that vehicle 100 is changing lanes.
[0055] (Second Embodiment) Next, with reference to Figure 9, a turn drawing pattern drawn by a road surface drawing device 20 mounted on a vehicle 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a turn drawing pattern PS1 projected onto the road surface by a road surface drawing device 20 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, three turn drawing lamps 40a, 40b, and 40c are mounted on the left side of the cargo bed 202 of the vehicle 200 at predetermined intervals. Turn drawing lamp 40a is located on the rear side of the left side of the cargo bed 202, turn drawing lamp 40b is located in the center of the left side of the cargo bed 102, and turn drawing lamp 40c is located on the front side of the left side of the cargo bed 102. The rear turn drawing lamp 40a can project an inverted V-shaped mark MA1 to the rear of the left side area of the vehicle 200. The central turn drawing lamp 40b can project an inverted V-shaped mark MA2 to the center of the left side area of the vehicle 200. The front turn signal lamp 40c can project an inverted V-shaped mark MA3 onto the front left side of the vehicle 200. The central mark MA2 is larger in all directions (front, back, left, and right) than the rear mark MA1. The front mark MA3 is even larger in all directions (front, back, left, and right) than the central mark MA2. The marks MA1 to MA3 form the turn signal pattern PS1 according to the second embodiment. In this way, in the second embodiment, the turn signal pattern PS1 is projected over a wide area of the left side of the vehicle 200, ensuring good visibility, especially for traffic participants approaching from behind the vehicle 200 (such as following vehicles).
[0056] The operation of the vehicle 200 including the road surface drawing device 20 according to the second embodiment will be described below. Similar to the first embodiment, when the left turn signal lamp 11L is selected to flash by operating the turn switch 15, the control unit 25 starts flashing the left turn signal lamp 11L and also starts flashing the turn drawing lamps 40a to 40c. As a result, the turn drawing pattern PS1 is projected onto the left side area of the vehicle 200. In this state, suppose a bicycle B is detected within the detection target area S of the side sensor 31. In the second embodiment as well, in the second mode in which a traffic participant is detected within the detection target area S, the control unit 25 lights up the BSIS lamp 33 and outputs a warning sound from the BSIS speaker 35. When returning from the second mode to the first mode, that is, when bicycle B is no longer detected within the detection target area S, the control unit 25 turns off the BSIS lamp 33 and stops outputting the warning sound from the BSIS speaker 35.
[0057] In the first embodiment described above, the length of the turn pattern PL and PR is shortened or dimmed in the second mode. However, in the second embodiment, it is not essential to shorten the length of the turn pattern PS1 or dim at least a part of the turn pattern PS1 in the second mode. However, if at least a part of the turn pattern PS1 (for example, the front mark MA3) is projected in a position visible to the driver of the vehicle 200, a part of the turn pattern PS1 may be turned off or dimmed in the second mode in order to make the turn pattern PS1 less conspicuous to the driver. Conversely, if the turn pattern PS1 is not projected in a position visible to the driver of the vehicle 200, the turn pattern PS1 may be brightened in the second mode in order to more reliably inform following traffic participants such as bicycle B that the vehicle 200 is changing lanes.
[0058] (Modification 2) Next, with reference to Figures 10A and 10B, a turn drawing pattern drawn by the road surface drawing device 20 mounted on the vehicle 200B according to Modification 2 will be described. Figure 10A is an example of the turn drawing pattern PS2 projected onto the road surface in Modification 2, and Figure 10B is a view of the turn drawing pattern PS2 as seen from the perspective of the rider of bicycle B following behind vehicle 200B.
[0059] In Modification 2, as in the second embodiment, three turn-drawing lamps 40a, 40b, and 40c are mounted on the left side of the cargo bed 202 of the vehicle 200B at predetermined intervals. Each turn-drawing lamp 40a to 40c can project inverted V-shaped marks MB1 to MB3 to predetermined positions in the left-side area of the vehicle 200B. The central mark MB2 extends further in the front-rear direction than the rear mark MB1, and the angle of the V is sharper than that of mark MB1. The front mark MB3 extends even further in the front-rear direction than the central mark MB2, and the angle of the V is even sharper than that of mark MB2. The turn-drawing pattern PS2 according to Modification 2 is formed by marks MB1 to MB3.
[0060] The operation of the vehicle 200B including the road surface drawing device 20 in Modification 2 is substantially the same as that of the second embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. In Modification 2, the turn drawing pattern PS2 projected onto the left side of the vehicle 200B is formed from a plurality of marks MB1 to MB3, the angle of which gradually becomes sharper from rear to front. Therefore, when a bicycle B approaches the rear of the vehicle 200B, for example, to the left rear of the vehicle 200B, the turn drawing pattern PS2 as seen from the viewpoint BE of the cyclist B can be seen as a single arrowhead shape, as shown in Figure 10B. This makes it possible to project a turn drawing pattern PS2 that is novel and has good visibility to traffic participants such as vehicles following the vehicle 200B.
[0061] (Modification 3) Next, with reference to Figures 11A and 10B, a turn drawing pattern drawn by the road surface drawing device 20 mounted on the vehicle 200C according to Modification 3 will be described. Figure 11A is an example of the turn drawing pattern PS3 projected onto the road surface in Modification 3, and Figure 11B is a view of the turn drawing pattern PS3 as seen from the perspective of the rider of bicycle B following behind vehicle 200C.
[0062] In Modification 3, as in the second embodiment, three turn-drawing lamps 40a, 40b, and 40c are mounted on the left side of the cargo bed 202 of the vehicle 200C at predetermined intervals. As shown in Figure 11A, each turn-drawing lamp 40a to 40c can project inverted V-shaped marks MC1 to MC3 to predetermined positions in the left-side region of the vehicle 200C. Unlike the two-dimensional marks MA1 to MA3 of the second embodiment, each mark MC1 to MC3 has a three-dimensional shape. The central mark MC2 extends slightly further in the front-to-back direction than the rear mark MC1, and its three-dimensional height is greater than that of mark MC1. The front mark MC3 also extends slightly further in the front-to-back direction than the central mark MC2, and its three-dimensional height is even greater than that of mark MC2. The turn-drawing pattern PS3 according to Modification 3 is formed by marks MC1 to MC3.
[0063] The operation of the vehicle 200C, including the road surface drawing device 20 in Modification 3, is substantially the same as that of the second embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. In Modification 3, the turn drawing pattern PS3 projected onto the left side of the vehicle 200C is formed from a plurality of marks MC1 to MC3, the three-dimensional shape of which gradually rises from rear to front. Therefore, when a bicycle B approaches the rear of the vehicle 200C, for example, to the left rear of the vehicle 200C, the turn drawing pattern PS3 as seen from the viewpoint BE of the cyclist B can be seen as a stepped shape where the three-dimensional shape becomes larger as it moves further away, as shown in Figure 11B. This makes it possible to project a turn drawing pattern PS3 that is aesthetically pleasing and has good visibility to traffic participants such as following vehicles of the vehicle 200C.
[0064] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of this disclosure should not be interpreted restrictively by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the disclosure described in the claims. The technical scope of this disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the disclosure described in the claims and its equivalents.
[0065] This disclosure includes the following embodiments: (1) A vehicle road surface drawing device mounted on a vehicle that projects a drawing pattern onto a road surface, comprising: a road surface drawing unit that emits light onto the road surface to project the drawing pattern when the left turn signal or right turn signal of the vehicle is flashing; and a control unit that controls the projection state of the drawing pattern, wherein in a predetermined first mode, the drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle while the left turn signal is flashing, and onto the road surface to the right front of the vehicle while the right turn signal is flashing; and the control unit, when a side collision warning device mounted on the vehicle is activated or a second mode is entered in which a traffic participant is present within a predetermined area to the side of the vehicle, causes the road surface drawing unit to shorten the length of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface and dim at least a portion of the drawing pattern compared to the first mode. (2) The vehicle road surface drawing device according to (1), wherein the drawing pattern is projected in a flashing manner while the left turn signal or the right turn signal is flashing, and the control unit switches the drawing pattern to a more gradual flashing display compared to the first mode in the case of the second mode. (3) The vehicle road surface drawing device according to (1) or (2), wherein the control unit starts shortening the length of the drawing pattern or dimming at least a part of the drawing pattern after a predetermined time has elapsed since the activation of the side collision warning device. (4) The vehicle road surface drawing device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the control unit controls the road surface drawing unit to return the length of the drawing pattern and the illuminance of the drawing pattern to the state of the first mode when the operation of the side collision warning device stops or when there are no traffic participants in the predetermined area.(5) The vehicle road surface drawing device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the left rear of the vehicle in addition to the road surface to the left front of the vehicle when the left turn signal light is flashing, and onto the road surface to the right rear of the vehicle in addition to the road surface to the right front of the vehicle when the right turn signal light is flashing, and the control unit shortens the length of the drawing pattern drawn in front of the vehicle or dims at least a portion of it compared to the first mode when the second mode is activated. (6) A road surface drawing method for a vehicle that projects a drawing pattern onto a road surface, comprising: a road surface drawing step in which, in a predetermined first mode, when the left turn signal of the vehicle is flashing, light is emitted onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle to project the drawing pattern, or when the right turn signal of the vehicle is flashing, light is emitted onto the road surface to the right front of the vehicle to project the drawing pattern; and a drawing control step in which, when a side collision warning device mounted on the vehicle is activated or a second mode is entered in which a traffic participant is present within a predetermined area to the side of the vehicle, at least one of shortening the length of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface and dimming at least a part of the drawing pattern compared to the first mode.
[0066] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-48677, filed on 24 March 2025, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
1. A vehicle road surface drawing device mounted on a vehicle that projects a drawing pattern onto the road surface, comprising: a road surface drawing unit that emits light onto the road surface to project the drawing pattern when the left turn signal or right turn signal of the vehicle is flashing; and a control unit that controls the projection state of the drawing pattern, wherein in a predetermined first mode, the drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle while the left turn signal is flashing, and onto the road surface to the right front of the vehicle while the right turn signal is flashing; and the control unit, when a side collision warning device mounted on the vehicle is activated or a second mode is entered in which a traffic participant is present within a predetermined area to the side of the vehicle, causes the road surface drawing unit to shorten the length of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface and dim at least a portion of the drawing pattern compared to the first mode.
2. The vehicle road surface drawing device according to claim 1, wherein the drawing pattern is projected in a flashing manner while the left turn signal light or the right turn signal light is flashing, and the control unit switches the drawing pattern to a more gradual flashing display compared to the first mode in the case of the second mode.
3. The vehicle road surface drawing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit starts shortening the length of the drawing pattern or dimming at least a portion of the drawing pattern after a predetermined time has elapsed since the activation of the side collision warning device.
4. The vehicle road surface drawing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the road surface drawing unit to return the length of the drawing pattern and the illuminance of the drawing pattern to the state of the first mode when the operation of the side collision warning device stops or when there are no traffic participants in the predetermined area.
5. The vehicle road surface drawing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drawing pattern is projected onto the road surface to the left rear of the vehicle in addition to the road surface to the left front of the vehicle when the left turn signal light is flashing, and is projected onto the road surface to the right rear of the vehicle in addition to the road surface to the right front of the vehicle when the right turn signal light is flashing, and the control unit shortens the length of the drawing pattern drawn in front of the vehicle or dims at least a portion of it compared to the first mode when the second mode is activated.
6. A road surface drawing method for a vehicle that projects a drawing pattern onto a road surface, comprising: a road surface drawing step in a predetermined first mode, in which the vehicle emits light onto the road surface to the left front of the vehicle when the vehicle's left turn signal flashes and projects the drawing pattern, or in which the vehicle emits light onto the road surface to the right front of the vehicle when the vehicle's right turn signal flashes and projects the drawing pattern; and a drawing control step in which, when a side collision warning device mounted on the vehicle is activated or a second mode is entered in which a traffic participant is present within a predetermined area to the side of the vehicle, the vehicle performs at least one of shortening the length of the drawing pattern projected onto the road surface and dimming at least a portion of the drawing pattern compared to the first mode.