Pattern Projection Vehicle Lighting for Pedestrian Awareness

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle lighting devices fail to effectively alert pedestrians to the approach of a vehicle at night or in adverse weather conditions, and do not adequately prevent drivers from overlooking pedestrians, especially during the day.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle lighting device with a projector unit that irradiates a bright/dark mixed pattern on the travel path, controlled by a situation recognition system to adjust lighting modes based on external brightness, ensuring pedestrians are alerted to approaching vehicles and drivers can easily recognize pedestrians.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the illumination amount to the upper body of the pedestrian is reduced according to the distance to the pedestrian, then dazzling of pedestrians is suppressed, but overlooking of pedestrians by the driver may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedazzling of pedestriansVSAvoiddriver's ability to recognize pedestrians

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The illumination is divided into multiple zones: a first illumination region for pedestrians with reduced intensity to prevent dazzling, and a second illumination region for vehicle recognition with higher intensity. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of pedestrian comfort and driver visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different illumination intensities are applied to different spatial regions. The first region (pedestrian area) uses lower intensity to avoid dazzling, while the second region (vehicle recognition area) uses higher intensity to ensure driver visibility, creating local quality variations in the lighting distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Use of energy by moving object

If conventional lighting is used during daytime, then energy consumption is reduced, but pedestrians cannot be alerted to the approach of the vehicle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidpedestrian awareness of vehicle approach

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The projector unit activates periodically or in specific conditions (such as when pedestrians are detected or during critical approach phases) rather than continuously, providing alert signals at strategically timed moments to maximize pedestrian awareness while minimizing overall energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The lighting system changes its operational parameters based on environmental conditions, switching between conventional lighting and projector activation modes. The projector provides high-visibility alert patterns when needed, while conventional lighting handles normal conditions, optimizing the balance between energy use and pedestrian alertness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If conventional lighting is used during nighttime, then pedestrian alertness is maintained, but driver visibility of pedestrians deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepedestrian awareness of vehicle approachVSAvoiddriver's ability to see pedestrians

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The illumination is divided into multiple zones: a first illumination region for pedestrians with reduced intensity to prevent dazzling, and a second illumination region for vehicle recognition with higher intensity. This segmentation allows simultaneous achievement of pedestrian comfort and driver visibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different illumination intensities are applied to different spatial regions. The first region (pedestrian area) uses lower intensity to avoid dazzling, while the second region (vehicle recognition area) uses higher intensity to ensure driver visibility, creating local quality variations in the lighting distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12496962B2Vehicle lighting device

Publication Date: 2025.12.16 HONDA MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle lighting device is provided which evokes caution of the approach of a vehicle at an early stage on the side of pedestrians irrespective of being day or night. A vehicle lighting device includes: a pattern irradiation part which irradiates irradiation light on a lateral irradiation region on a side of a travel path of one's own vehicle in a bright/dark mixed irradiation pattern in which bright regions and dark regions are alternately repeated; a situation recognition device which obtains an output corresponding to a situation of brightness outside of one's own vehicle; and a controller which, when the output of the situation recognition device corresponds to a first situation which is at least a predetermined specific brightness, controls the pattern irradiation part so as to be a first lighting mode which is not turned off.