Vehicle Illumination Layout for 360° Autonomous Mode Visibility

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current automatic driving vehicle systems fail to effectively communicate their driving mode to other vehicles and pedestrians, particularly from the front, which can lead to safety concerns during interactions on public roads.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle illumination device that surrounds the vehicle's circumference, using an illumination control unit to set specific lighting states based on the vehicle's driving mode and environmental illuminance, ensuring that information about the automatic driving mode is visibly conveyed to others, preventing confusion and enhancing safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If an illumination device is installed on the front of the vehicle to display automatic driving information, then the information can be recognized by vehicles following behind, but the information cannot be visually recognized from the front of the vehicle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic driving information recognitionVSAvoidillumination device positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The illumination device is divided into multiple independent illumination units arranged around the vehicle's circumference. Each unit can be independently controlled to display different information, allowing the system to present automatic driving status from multiple directions including the front, where previously no illumination was provided.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The illumination device transitions from a single-direction (rear-facing) display to a multi-directional arrangement surrounding the vehicle. This spatial dimensionality change enables information to be visible from the front and all sides of the vehicle, not just from behind.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the illumination unit is always on to ensure visibility of automatic driving mode, then safety is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility of automatic driving modeVSAvoidenergy consumption of illumination unit
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The illumination control unit dynamically adjusts the illumination state based on real-time driving mode changes and environmental conditions. The system transitions from static constant illumination to dynamic adaptive illumination, turning on specific illumination units only when needed based on the vehicle's operational state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes illumination parameters (on/off state, intensity) based on environmental illuminance levels and driving mode. In bright conditions or when not in automatic driving mode, the illumination is reduced or turned off, conserving energy while maintaining visibility when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3369622B1Vehicle with an illumination device
Publication Date: 2023.08.23 KOITO MFG CO LTD

AI summary

This illumination device (4) is configured so as to display, outside a vehicle (1) capable of traveling in an automatic driving mode, information related to the automatic driving of the vehicle (1), and is provided with an illumination unit (42) which is configured so as to shine light outside the vehicle (1) and around the entire periphery of the vehicle (1) in the horizontal direction.