Patent ID: 8009977
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: B60Q,G03B,H05B,Y02B

Abstract:
1. An on-vehicle lighting apparatus for providing light to assist in photographing of surroundings of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a lighting unit that selectively lights multiple divided areas into which a specific area of the surroundings of the vehicle is divided, the lighting unit having a plurality of first light sources; a first input unit that receives signals representing a lighting status of a driving lighting system used during driving of the vehicle, the driving lighting system lighting a part of the multiple divided areas and including a plurality of second light sources that are different from the plurality of first light sources; and a controller that selects one or more of the divided areas to be lit out of the multiple divided areas based on the lighting status of the driving lighting system and that commands the lighting unit to light the selected one or more divided areas, wherein the controller does not select, out of the multiple divided areas, divided areas that are being lit by the driving lighting system.