Lighting apparatus of autonomous vehicle

A lighting apparatus of an autonomous vehicle may include: a roof formed at the top of a vehicle; a lighting unit installed on the roof, and configured to display an autonomous driving status of the vehicle to the outside; and a control unit configured to vary a lighting status of the lighting unit according to the autonomous driving status of the vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to Korean application number 10-2018-0141619, filed on Nov. 16, 2018, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a lighting apparatus of an autonomous vehicle, and more particularly, to a lighting apparatus of an autonomous vehicle, which can enable a pedestrian and another vehicle to recognize a driving status of the autonomous vehicle.

In general, autonomous driving technology is divided into five levels. Autonomous driving level 0 indicates that a human driver directly controls all tasks required for driving, and corresponds to a vehicle which is not related to the autonomous driving technology. Autonomous driving level 1 indicates that a human driver selectively controls the speed and direction of a vehicle using cameras and sensors such as a cruise control system, lane departure warning system and collision warning system. Autonomous driving level 2 indicates that a vehicle travels by itself in a specific situation and adjusts speed to maintain a distance from a vehicle in front.

Autonomous driving level 3 indicates that intervention of a human driver is further reduced and a vehicle can sense and avoid an obstacle by itself or bypass a road when the vehicle is stuck in traffic. Autonomous driving level 4 indicates that a human driver may only set a destination and a system of a vehicle monitors the entire driving section and performs safety-related functions by itself. Autonomous driving level 5 corresponds to an autonomous vehicle which moves without a human driver.

A vehicle accident may be prevented when a pedestrian recognizes a vehicle around the pedestrian and avoids the vehicle, or prevented by the forward looking ability or steering ability of a vehicle driver. However, since the intervention of a driver is significantly reduced during autonomous driving of a vehicle, a technique for allowing a pedestrian to recognize the operation status of the vehicle more clearly is required to secure the safety of the pedestrian.

The related art of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 2012-0072020 published on Jul. 3, 2012 and entitled “driving information recognition method and apparatus for autonomous system”.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a lighting apparatus of an autonomous vehicle, which can enable a pedestrian and another vehicle to recognize a driving status of the autonomous vehicle.

In one embodiment, a lighting apparatus of an autonomous vehicle may include: a roof formed at the top of a vehicle; a lighting unit installed on the roof, and configured to display an autonomous driving status of the vehicle to the outside; and a control unit configured to vary a lighting status of the lighting unit according to the autonomous driving status of the vehicle.

The control unit may include: a first lighting mode for controlling the lighting unit to irradiate light in first color when the vehicle autonomously moves; and a second lighting mode for controlling the lighting unit to irradiate light in second color when the vehicle autonomously stops.

The control unit may include a third lighting mode for controlling the lighting unit to irradiate light in a different manner from the first and second lighting modes, when the vehicle is switched from the autonomous stop to the autonomous driving.

In the third lighting mode, the control unit may control the lighting unit to flicker in the first or second color, or sequentially turn on a plurality of light sources installed in the lighting unit.

The control unit may further include a fourth lighting mode for turning off the lighting unit when the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle is canceled.

The lighting unit may be disposed at the front left end, front right end, rear left end and rear right end of the roof to secure visibility in all directions.

The lighting unit may include an extended lighting unit formed at one or more of the front, rear, left side and right side of the roof so as to be extended in a horizontal direction.

The lighting unit may be disposed at a height of 1,200 mm or more from the ground.

The lighting apparatus may further include a sensor unit installed on the roof, disposed on the same horizontal or vertical line as the lighting unit, and configured to sense a driving condition or surrounding situation of the vehicle.

The lighting unit may have a lighting region overlapping a monitoring region of the sensor unit.

The sensor unit may include: a plurality of LiDARs (Light Detection And Ranging) installed in multiple directions and configured to detect an object around the vehicle and sense a distance to the object; and a plurality of cameras installed in multiple directions and configured to sense the surrounding situation of the vehicle as images.

The lighting unit may include: a light source; an external lighting lens installed toward the outside of the vehicle; and a beam splitter formed of a transparent material, installed between the light source and the external lighting lens, and configured to induce a part of light irradiated from the light source to the external lighting lens, and induce the other part of the light to the inside of the vehicle.

The external lighting lens may include: an outer lens exposed to the outside of the vehicle; and an inner lens installed between the outer lens and the beam splitter.

The external lighting lens may include a color lens configured to color light having passed through the beam splitter in preset color.

The external lighting lens may be disposed facing the light source, with the beam splitter interposed therebetween.

The beam splitter may include: a lighting curtain part formed of a glass material, wherein the light irradiated from the light source is incident on the lighting curtain part; an exterior light output part formed at a portion of the lighting curtain part, the portion facing the external lighting lens, wherein a part of the light incident on the lighting curtain part is outputted through the exterior light output part; and an interior light output part formed at a portion of the lighting curtain part, the portion facing the inside of the vehicle, wherein the other part of the light incident on the lighting curtain part is outputted through the interior light output part.

The interior light output part may include a light output groove formed at the surface of the lighting curtain part such that light which is totally reflected in the lighting curtain part is outputted to the outside of the lighting curtain part.

In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, the lighting apparatus of the autonomous vehicle may implement the operation of varying the lighting status of the lighting unit installed on the roof according to the autonomous driving status of the vehicle. Thus, a pedestrian and another vehicle around the autonomous vehicle can easily recognize the driving status of the autonomous vehicle, and the operation stability of the autonomous vehicle can be further improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Hereafter, a lighting apparatus of an autonomous vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are not to precise scale and may be exaggerated in thickness of lines or sizes of components for descriptive convenience and clarity only. Furthermore, the terms as used herein are defined by taking functions of the invention into account and can be changed according to the custom or intention of users or operators. Therefore, definition of the terms should be made according to the overall disclosures set forth herein.

FIG. 1schematically illustrates an installation state of a vehicle to which a lighting apparatus of an autonomous vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is applied, andFIG. 2is a side view schematically illustrating the vehicle to which the lighting apparatus of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, a lighting apparatus2of a vehicle1in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may include a roof10, a lighting unit20, a control unit30and a sensor unit40.

The roof10may constitute the top of the vehicle1. The roof10may be formed of an opaque material such as a metallic material or a transparent material such as a glass material. The roof10may have a cover shape capable of blocking the inside of the vehicle1from the outside, and have a frame shape in which the lighting unit20can be installed.

The lighting unit20for displaying an autonomous driving status of the vehicle1as light to the outside of the vehicle1may be installed on the roof10, and generate and emit light to the outside of the vehicle1. The lighting unit20may statically irradiate different colors of light or three-dimensionally and dynamically irradiate different colors of light through lighting, flickering or turn-off, depending on the driving status of the vehicle1. For example, the driving status of the vehicle1may indicate that the vehicle1autonomously moves, autonomously stops or switches from the autonomous stop to the autonomous driving, or the autonomous driving mode is canceled.

Referring toFIG. 2, the lighting of the vehicle1may be installed in various manners across an indication lighting zone Z1and a communication lighting zone Z2. The indication lighting zone Z1may be formed at a height of 1,200 mm or more from the ground, and the communication lighting zone Z2may be formed at a height of more than 550 mm to less than 1,200 mm. That is, the communication lighting zone Z2may be formed under the indication lighting zone Z1.

The roof10may be disposed at the top of the vehicle1so as to belong to the indication lighting zone Z1, and the lighting unit20in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may be coupled to the roof10, and irradiate light on the indication lighting zone Z1such that a pedestrian can recognize the lighting unit20at a long distance of 60 m or more from the vehicle1. At this time, the lighting unit20may have a basic light intensity corresponding to a DRL (Daytime Running Light).

The roof10constituting the top of the vehicle1may include a closed structure or open structure as long as the structure constitutes at least a part of the top of the vehicle1, but is not limited to a specific structure and shape. The roof10may collectively indicate upper structures of the vehicle, which are positioned at a height of 1,200 mm from the ground, regardless of the size and height of the vehicle.

FIG. 3is a detailed composition drawing of control unit in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.

The control unit30may variably control the lighting status of the lighting unit20depending on the autonomous driving status of the vehicle1. Referring toFIG. 3, the control unit30may include an input unit31, a determination unit32and an output unit33. The input unit31may receive information on the driving status of the vehicle in real time, the determination unit32may determine a lighting mode according to the information received from the input unit31, and the output unit33may generate different signals for the lighting unit20depending on the determination of the determination unit32.

More specifically, when the vehicle1autonomously moves, the control unit30may use a first lighting mode that controls the lighting unit20to irradiate blue-green light in consideration of visibility in both of the day and night. Furthermore, when the vehicle1autonomously stops to allow a pedestrian to cross a crosswalk or general road, the control unit30may use a second lighting mode that controls the lighting unit20to irradiate green light.

When the vehicle1is switched from the autonomous stop to the autonomous driving or the vehicle1starts after the autonomous stop, the control unit30may use a third lighting mode that controls the lighting unit20to irradiate differently from in the first and second lighting modes. In the third lighting mode, the control unit30may control the lighting unit20to flicker a plurality of times (for example, two times) or sequentially turn on a plurality of light sources21installed in the lighting unit20, during a process of turning on the lighting unit20to irradiate blue-green light.

When the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle1is canceled, the control unit30may use a fourth lighting mode that turns off the lighting unit20. In the fourth lighting mode, a driver may drive the vehicle1for himself, and the lighting unit20installed on the roof10of the vehicle1may be turned off. In this case, the autonomous vehicle may operate a lighting system to which the same vehicle-related regulations as a general manual vehicle are applied.

In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, the lighting unit20may irradiate green or blue light at a light intensity corresponding to the DRL on the indication lighting zone Z1, the green or blue light having higher visibility than different colors. Thus, a pedestrian or another vehicle around the vehicle1can easily recognize the lighting unit20, i.e. the autonomous driving status of the vehicle1even at a long distance of 60 m or more from the vehicle1. For reference, lightings for irradiating RGB (Red Green Blue) light may be disposed on the communication lighting zone Z2, such that different operation information of the vehicle may be displayed to a pedestrian or another vehicle positioned at a short distance of 15 m or less from the vehicle1.

The sensor unit40for sensing traveling conditions or surrounding conditions of the vehicle may be installed on the roof10installed at the top of the vehicle1, in order to more stably secure and expand a sensing region. The sensor unit40may be an essential component for implementing the autonomous driving, and the operable autonomous driving levels of the vehicle1may differ depending on the specification and number of sensor units40. The sensor unit40may include a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging)41, a camera42, a radar, an ultrasonic sensor and the like.

A plurality of LiDARs41may be installed in multiple directions in order to detect an object A around the vehicle1and to sense a distance from the object A. For example, the LiDARs41may be disposed at five places including four places corresponding to the front left end, the front right end, the rear left end and the rear right end (hereafter, referred to as ‘corners’) of the roof10and one place corresponding to the front center, in order to secure a sensing region across the 360-degree area around the vehicle1. A plurality of cameras42may be installed in multiple directions to sense the surrounding conditions of the vehicle1as images. For example, 11 cameras42may be installed on the roof10.

The sensor units40may be disposed adjacent to each other on the same horizontal line as the lighting unit20, or stacked on the same vertical line, thereby implementing the autonomous driving level 4 or more. In particular, the sensor units40may be disposed on the same horizontal line and vertical line as the lighting unit20, while sharing at least a part of the space in which the lighting unit20is installed. The lighting unit20may have a hollow portion B formed therein, and the sensor units40may be disposed in the hollow portion B of the lighting unit20. Thus, the installation of the sensor units40and the lighting unit20may be efficiently performed in terms of the space.

According to such arrangement structures, the monitoring region of the sensor unit40and the lighting region of the lighting unit20may overlap each other. The LiDAR41may three-dimensionally image the surrounding environment through a laser scanning scheme using light, and the camera42may visibly acquire information on the surrounding environment in the form of an image. The sensitivities and image qualities of the LiDAR41and the camera42may be affected by brightness, and the use of the LiDAR41and the camera42may be performed efficiently in terms of energy, with illumination increased by the light irradiated by the lighting unit20.

FIG. 4is a perspective view schematically illustrating the lighting apparatus of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 4, the lighting unit20in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may include a corner lighting unit20A and an extended lighting unit20B.

The corner lighting unit20A may be disposed at four corners of the roof10, corresponding to the front left end, the front right end, the rear left end and the rear right end of the roof10, and thus secure visibility in 360-degree direction. The extended lighting unit20B may be formed at the front, rear, left side and right side of the roof10so as to be extended in the horizontal direction, and thus secure visibility in 360-degree direction.

The visibility may be secured in 360-degree direction only through each of the corner lighting unit20A and the extended lighting unit20B. However, when the extended lighting unit20B is extended in the horizontal direction between the corner lighting units20A, the visibility can be secured more clearly in 360-degree direction. Furthermore, when the third lighting mode or the like is implemented, various types of lighting statuses such as flickering and sequential turn-on can be implemented.

FIG. 5illustrates the vehicle to which the lighting apparatus of the autonomous vehicle in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention is applied, with no roof illustrated therein, andFIG. 6is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A′ ofFIG. 4.

Referring toFIGS. 5 to 6, the lighting unit20in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may include a light source21, an external lighting lens22and a beam splitter25.

The light source21may be fixed at a constant position on the roof10. At this time, a plurality of light sources21may be disposed at four places corresponding to the corners of the roof10so as to constitute the corner lighting unit20A, and successively disposed along the edge of the roof10at preset intervals so as to constitute the extended lighting unit20B. A lighting device such as an LED to emit light may be applied as the light source21.

The external lighting lens22for irradiating light to the outside of the vehicle1may be installed to face the outside of the vehicle1. The external lighting lens22in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may include an outer lens23and an inner lens24. The outer lens23constituting the exterior of the vehicle1may be installed on the roof10so as to be exposed to the outside of the vehicle1.

The inner lens24may be installed between the outer lens23and the beam splitter25. A part of light having passed through the beam splitter25may pass through the inner lens24, and the light having passed through the inner lens24may be irradiated in preset color to the outside of the vehicle1through the outer lens23.

The inner lens24may include a color lens which colors the light having passed through the beam splitter25in preset color. For example, when the light source21irradiates white light, a green or blue lens may be applied as the inner lens24to create green or blue light. The sensor unit40may be installed in a hollow portion B formed between the inner lens24and the outer lens23or a hollow portion B formed between the beam splitter25and the outer lens23.

The beam splitter25may receive the light irradiated from the light source21, induce a part of the light to the external lighting lens22, and induce another part of the light to the inside of the vehicle1. The beam splitter25may be formed of a light transmitting material, and installed between the light source21and the external lighting lens22. The beam splitter25in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention may include a lighting curtain part26, an exterior light output part27and an interior light output part28.

The lighting curtain part26may be formed of a plate-shaped glass member, and disposed between the light source21and the inner lens24. Referring toFIG. 5, the lighting curtain part26may be formed of one glass plate material having a frame shape corresponding to the edge of the roof10. The plurality of light sources21may be arranged along the inner edge of the lighting curtain part26at preset intervals.

According to the shape of the lighting curtain part26and the arrangement structure of the light sources21, the plurality of light sources21and the lighting curtain part26may be reliably assembled and arranged with a preset interval provided therebetween. Therefore, an intended light color, light intensity and light shape can be stably implemented in all directions, and the light irradiated from the light sources21arranged in the lighting curtain part26inevitably passes through the lighting curtain part26, which makes it possible to minimize a light loss.

The inner lens24may be disposed facing the light source21, with the beam splitter25interposed therebetween. The light irradiated from the light source21may be incident on one end of the lighting curtain part26in the horizontal direction, and propagate toward the inner lens24positioned at the other end of the lighting curtain part26in the horizontal direction while passing through the inside of the lighting curtain part26.

The light incident on the lighting curtain part26may be outputted toward the outside of the vehicle1through the exterior light output part27, and the exterior light output part27may be formed at the other end of the lighting curtain part26in the horizontal direction, which faces the inner lens24. The light incident on the lighting curtain part26may go straight to the exterior light output part27, and propagate toward the exterior light output part27while being repeatedly totally reflected with an angle. The light emitted through the exterior light output part27may sequentially pass through the inner lens24and the outer lens23so as to be irradiated to the outside of the vehicle1.

The interior light output part28may be formed at the bottom of the lighting curtain part26, facing the inside of the vehicle1, and a part of the light incident on the lighting curtain part26may be outputted through the interior light output part28. The interior light output part28may have light output grooves29formed at the surface of the lighting curtain part26, such that the light which is being totally reflected in the lighting curtain part26can be outputted to the outside of the lighting curtain part26.

The light which is being totally reflected in the lighting curtain part26may not be totally reflected when meeting the light output groove29having an inclination angle, instead of the flat reflecting surface, but outputted to the outside of the lighting curtain part26through the surface of the light output groove29. By increasing or decreasing the number of the light output grooves29, it is possible to increase or decrease the area of the interior light output part28or the amount of light outputted to the inside of the vehicle1in proportion to the number of the light output grooves29.

In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention, the lighting apparatus2of the autonomous vehicle1may implement the operation of varying the lighting status of the lighting unit20installed in the roof10according to the autonomous driving status of the vehicle1. Thus, a pedestrian and another vehicle around the autonomous vehicle1can easily recognize the driving status of the autonomous vehicle1, and the operation stability of the autonomous vehicle1can be further improved.