Vehicle Lamp Lighting Control Device for Visibility and Comfort
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular lamp technologies using LEDs fail to effectively improve visibility and alleviate discomfort due to their inherent steep luminance changing characteristics, as they merely imitate the luminance changes of light bulbs rather than leveraging these characteristics for enhanced visibility.
Innovation Solution
A lighting control apparatus for vehicular lamps that includes a control part, LED driving circuit, regulator, disconnection detecting part, and voltage conversion part, which controls the flashing of LEDs by adjusting luminous intensity through steep rise and gradual decrease phases, optimizing the visibility and comfort of the lamp's emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If LEDs are used with their inherent steep luminance changing characteristics, then visibility is improved, but observer discomfort increases due to abrupt light emission changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the LED luminance changing characteristics adjustable rather than fixed. The control device dynamically modifies the rise and fall times of LED luminance to match different driving conditions, transforming the static steep characteristics into adaptable dynamic behavior that balances visibility and comfort
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of luminance variation by independently controlling rise time and fall time. By adjusting these temporal parameters, the system optimizes the balance between visibility (achieved through controlled rise time) and observer comfort (achieved through controlled fall time), resolving the contradiction between the two opposing requirements
2Object-affected harmful factors
If LED luminance is controlled to imitate light bulb characteristics, then observer discomfort is reduced, but visibility improvement is lost
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than statically imitating light bulb characteristics, the system dynamically adjusts LED behavior based on actual driving conditions. This allows the system to achieve comfort levels comparable to light bulbs while maintaining the visibility advantages of LEDs through optimized rise and fall time control
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes luminance parameters (rise time and fall time) based on detected driving conditions rather than using fixed imitation characteristics. This enables the system to achieve both comfort and visibility goals by adapting parameters to actual operational context
3Illumination intensity
If LED rise time is shortened for better visibility, then visibility is improved, but observer discomfort increases due to abrupt light changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the rise time parameter based on driving conditions. When visibility is prioritized, shorter rise times are used; when comfort is prioritized, longer rise times are applied. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making rise time context-dependent rather than fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the rise time parameter based on detected driving conditions, allowing optimization of the balance between visibility and comfort. By making rise time a variable parameter rather than a fixed value, the system can adapt to different operational requirements
4Object-affected harmful factors
If LED fall time is extended for comfort, then observer discomfort is reduced, but visibility effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts fall time based on driving conditions, allowing the balance between comfort and visibility to be optimized in real-time. This dynamic control enables the system to achieve both extended fall time for comfort and maintained visibility effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fall time parameter based on detected driving conditions, allowing optimization of the balance between observer comfort and visibility effectiveness. By making fall time a variable parameter, the system can adapt to different operational contexts
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances visibility by promptly setting luminous intensity to maximum and maintaining it, while gradually reducing it, thereby reducing glare and making the flashing more recognizable and comfortable for observers, offering a distinct light emission expression different from traditional LED or bulb-based systems.
Implementation Method 1
A prior art of vehicular lamps used as turn signal lamps (winkers) is disclosed in, for example, JP 2014-139941 A. This prior art is intended, when a pair of headlights, turn signal lamps or the like are configured using LEDs
Implementation Method 2
since a semiconductor light emitting device such as a LED inherently has a steep luminance changing characteristics
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
To achieve improved visibility and alleviation of discomfort during light emission of a vehicular lamp using LEDs. The vehicular lamp includes a control part for outputting a control signal indicating light luminous intensity emitted from a light source and a light source driving part for driving the light source based on the control signal, where the light emitted from the light source driven by the light source driving part repeats a predetermined luminous intensity change pattern at a predetermined cycle, and where the predetermined luminous intensity change pattern includes a first section where the luminous intensity is increased instantaneously from a lowest to a highest value, a second section where the luminous intensity is maintained at the highest value, a third section where the luminous intensity is decreased from the highest to the lowest value, and a fourth section where the luminous intensity is maintained at the lowest value.