Patent Description:
The present invention relates to an automotive lamp and a method of controlling the automotive lamp, and more particularly, to an automotive lamp that forms a road pattern around a vehicle to indicate a driving direction of the vehicle to nearby vehicles or pedestrians and a method of controlling the automotive lamp.

Generally, a vehicle includes various types of lamps having a lighting function and a signaling function. The lighting function enables the driver of the vehicle to more easily detect objects around the vehicle while driving during low light conditions. The signaling function is used to inform other vehicles and road users of the vehicle's intended driving state. For example, a headlamp and a fog lamp are designed primarily to provide the lighting function, and a turn signal lamp, a backup lamp, a brake lamp and a side marker are designed primarily to provide the signaling function.

In particular, the turn signal lamp is installed on the front or back of a vehicle to inform other vehicles or pedestrians of the turning direction of the vehicle by flashing on and off when the driving direction of the vehicle is changed, for example, when the vehicle turns left or right at the crossroads or changes lanes. In addition, the backup lamp is turned on when the vehicle reverses to inform other vehicles of the reversing of the vehicle to provide neighboring vehicles the opportunity to adjust to the changed driving situation.

In other words, even when the turn signal lamp flashes on and off to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle, it may be difficult for a vehicle coming from the turning direction of the vehicle or a vehicle located adjacent to the vehicle to recognize the turning direction of the vehicle. In addition, even when the backup lamp is turned on to indicate the reversing of the vehicle, it may be difficult for a vehicle located on a side of the vehicle to recognize the reversing of the vehicle. Therefore, there is a need for a solution that enables the drivers of other vehicles to more easily recognize the driving direction of the vehicle even in a situation where it is difficult to notice the flashing of the turn signal lamp or the lighting of the backup lamp.

The above information disclosed in this section is merely for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

<CIT> discloses a vehicle turn signalling apparatus including a light source that is powered by a turn signal circuit of the vehicle. The light source is configured to project a low divergence visible line onto a driving lane adjacent to a vehicle. The vehicle turn signalling apparatus includes one or more laser light devices and a turn signal laser light projection activation circuit configured to receive a turn signal which indicates that the driver intends to move the vehicle to the road surface adjacent to the vehicle. The turn signal is generated responsive to a driver moving a turn signal stick. A turn signal laser light projection activation circuit receives the turn signal (e.g., from a conventional turn signal circuit) and is configured to respond to the turn signal by controlling the laser light devices to project the laser light beam toward the road surface adjacent to the vehicle and to control the laser light devices to adjust power density of the laser light beam responsive to an ambient light brightness signal.

<CIT> discloses a vehicle headlamp with an integrated direction indicator module and a module for irradiating a direction guide beam pattern on the road surface. The common controller operates the flashing of both modules.

The present invention provides an automotive lamp which enables nearby vehicles or pedestrians to more easily recognize a driving direction of a vehicle by forming a road pattern for indicating the driving direction of the vehicle on at least one side in front of or behind the vehicle and a method of controlling the automotive lamp. According to the present invention, an automotive lamp includes a driving direction sensing unit configured to sense a driving direction of a vehicle, a driving direction indicating unit disposed on at least one side of the front or back of the vehicle and configured to indicate the driving direction of the vehicle, and a control unit configured to operate the driving direction indicating unit based on the sensed driving direction. The driving direction indicating unit includes a first lamp module and a second lamp module which has luminous intensity greater than that of the first lamp module and is linked with the first lamp module to form a road pattern on at least one side around the vehicle to indicate the driving direction of the vehicle. The second lamp module is coupled with the first lamp module so that, when the first lamp module turns on, the second lamp module forms the road pattern. The road pattern includes at least one light irradiation pattern disposed in a predetermined direction from the vehicle. The driving direction indicating unit is disposed in any one of a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of lamps used for different purposes, and the first lamp module and the second lamp module share a lens that corresponds to the cavity in which the driving direction indicating unit is installed. A vertical light irradiation angle of the second lamp module is in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

In another exemplary embodiment, the driving direction indicating unit may be configured to sense at least one of the turning direction and reversing of the vehicle. The automotive lamp may include the first lamp module and the second lamp module configured to flash on and off or remain turned on. The road pattern may include a plurality of light irradiation patterns,. The irradiation patterns may have the same or different sizes. The light irradiation patterns may be formed sequentially in a predetermined order. The driving direction indicating unit may be disposed in any one of a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of lamps used for different purposes, and the first lamp module and the second lamp module share a lens that corresponds to the cavity in which the driving direction indicating unit is installed.

The control unit may be configured to simultaneously turn on or off the first lamp module and the second lamp module. The control unit may be configured to turn off the second lamp module when at least one light source included in the first lamp module is turned off. The control unit may be configured to adjust the luminous intensity of the second lamp module based on ambient brightness of the vehicle.

In some exemplary embodiments, the luminous intensity of the second lamp module may be in the range of <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd. The luminous intensity of the second lamp module may be in the range of <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd. The luminous intensity of the second lamp module may be in the range of <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd.

In other exemplary embodiments, the horizontal light irradiation angle of the second lamp module may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees. The horizontal light irradiation angle of the second lamp module may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees. The horizontal light irradiation angle of the second lamp module may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees. The horizontal light irradiation angle of the second lamp module may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

The automotive lamp may include a nearby vehicle sensing unit configured to sense a nearby vehicle. The control unit may be configured to remove at least part of the at least one light irradiation pattern by turning off at least one light source included in the second lamp module based on the position of the nearby vehicle.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of controlling an automotive lamp includes sensing, by a controller a driving direction of a vehicle, forming a flashing pattern or a lighting pattern, which indicates the driving direction of the vehicle, using the first lamp module and forming a road pattern on at least one side around the vehicle to indicate the driving direction of the vehicle using a second lamp module which has luminous intensity greater than that of the first lamp module. The road pattern includes at least one light irradiation pattern disposed in a predetermined direction from the vehicle. The second lamp module is coupled with the first lamp module so that, when the first lamp module turns on, the second lamp module forms the road pattern. The flashing pattern or the lighting pattern and the road pattern are irradiated via one lens and formed using the first lamp module and the second lamp module, respectively, wherein a driving direction indicating unit comprising the first lamp module and the second lamp module is disposed in any one of a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of lamps used for different purposes, and-the first lamp module and the second lamp module share the lens that corresponds to the cavity in which driving direction indicating unit is installed, and a vertical light irradiation angle of the second lamp module is in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

In some exemplary embodiments, forming of the road pattern may include simultaneously turning on the first lamp module and the second lamp module, and turning off the second lamp module when at least one light source included in the first lamp module is turned off. The forming of the road pattern may include adjusting the luminous intensity of the second lamp module based on ambient brightness of the vehicle.

In another exemplary embodiment, the road pattern may include a plurality of light irradiation patterns, and the road pattern may include sequentially forming the light irradiation patterns in a predetermined order.

The road pattern may include a plurality of light irradiation patterns, and may include forming the light irradiation patterns to have the same or different sizes. In another exemplary embodiment, forming of the road pattern may include removing at least part of the at least one light irradiation pattern based on the position of the nearby vehicle.

These and other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this invention will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the present invention will only be defined by the appended claims. Like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the specification.

In some embodiments, well-known processing processes, well-known structures and well-known technologies will not be specifically described in order to avoid ambiguous interpretation of the present invention.

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated components, steps, and/or operations, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and/or groups thereof.

Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to perspective, cross-sectional, side and/or schematic illustrations that are illustrations of idealized embodiments of the present invention.

Thus, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. In addition, each component shown in figures of the present invention may have been enlarged or reduced for ease of description. Hereinafter, an automotive lamp and a method of controlling the same according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

Unless specifically stated or obvious from context, as used herein, the term "about" is understood as within a range of normal tolerance in the art, for example within <NUM> standard deviations of the mean. "About" can be understood as within <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, or <NUM>% of the stated value. Unless otherwise clear from the context, all numerical values provided herein are modified by the term "about.

It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar term as used herein is inclusive of motor vehicle in general such as passenger automobiles including sports utility vehicles (SUV), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats, ships, aircraft, and the like and includes hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, combustion, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g. fuels derived from resources other than petroleum).

<FIG> is an exemplary schematic diagram of an automotive lamp <NUM> according to an embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, the automotive lamp <NUM> according to the exemplary embodiment may include a driving direction sensing unit <NUM>, a driving direction indicating unit <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>. The driving direction sensing unit <NUM> may be configured to sense a driving direction of a vehicle that may include a turning direction of the vehicle or the advancing or reversing of the vehicle. In the exemplary embodiment, the turning direction of the vehicle may include a left turn or a right turn at a crossroads, a lane change, a U-turn, etc..

The driving direction sensing unit <NUM> may be configured to sense the advancing or reversing of the vehicle through, e.g., a gear and the turning direction of the vehicle through an angle of rotation of a handle or wheels, a driver's manipulation, a lane sensed, etc. The driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may be disposed on at least one side of the front or back of the vehicle to indicate the driving direction of the vehicle. For example, to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may be disposed on both sides of the front or back of the vehicle. To indicate the reversing of the vehicle, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may be disposed on both sides of the back of the vehicle. In addition, driving direction indicating units <NUM> may be disposed to respectively indicate the turning direction and reversing of the vehicle, or driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may be used to indicate any one of the turning direction and reversing of the vehicle according to the driving direction of the vehicle.

<FIG> is an exemplary schematic diagram illustrating a driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to a first exemplary embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the first exemplary embodiment may indicate the turning direction of a vehicle. In <FIG>, when the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> is disposed on a side of a headlamp <NUM> of the vehicle to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle will be described as an example. The driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may be disposed on both sides of the front or back of the vehicle. In <FIG>, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> disposed on any one of both sides of the front of the vehicle is illustrated as an example. However, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may also be disposed on the other side of the front of the vehicle in the same way, except for the installation position or direction.

The driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the first exemplary embodiment may include a first lamp module <NUM> and a second lamp module <NUM>. In <FIG>, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be disposed in a vertical direction is described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this example, and the direction in which the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> are disposed may vary according to the layout of the automotive lamp <NUM>. In the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the first exemplary embodiment, the first lamp module <NUM> may, as illustrated in <FIG>, form a flashing pattern P which may be incrementally illuminated (e.g., flash) on and off when the vehicle turns left or right at a crossroads or when the vehicle changes lanes. Additionally, the second lamp module <NUM> may be coupled with the first lamp module <NUM> and when the first lamp module <NUM> operates, may be configured to as illustrated in <FIG>, form a road pattern P2 on a road surface around the vehicle (e.g., proximate to or surrounding, encompassing the vehicle) to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle.

In <FIG>, a case where the road pattern P2 includes a plurality of light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the road pattern P2 may also include a single light irradiation pattern as illustrated in <FIG>. In the first exemplary embodiment, both the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be used to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle. Therefore, light of the same color may be irradiated. In particular, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> share the same lens (e.g., an outer lens).

In the first exemplary embodiment, a case where the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> share the same lens is described. In other words, in the automotive lamp <NUM> of the present invention, a plurality of lamps (e.g., a headlamp and a position lamp) used for various purposes as well as the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may respectively be disposed in a plurality of separate cavities. A plurality of lenses respectively corresponding to the cavities may be integrally formed with the lamps and the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> in the cavities by a double injection process.

In other words, when an installation gap between the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> is relatively large, a lens may be formed for each of the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM>. This may increase a lens manufacturing or assembly process. Therefore, in the first exemplary embodiment, to ensure the convenience of the lens injection or assembly and manufacturing process while preventing the degradation of the exterior design of the automotive lamp <NUM> according to the present invention, the installation gap between the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be less than <NUM> and the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> are disposed in a cavity corresponding to the same lens.

In other words, since the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the first exemplary embodiment indicates the turning direction of the vehicle, it may usually be disposed in a cavity corresponding to a lens having a yellowish color. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and light irradiated from each of the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may have a required color. In this case, a transparent lens may be used. In addition, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be disposed adjacent enough to share the same lens. In particular, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be disposed together on a common substrate or may be placed within the same lamp housing.

For example, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be disposed on a common substrate 200a as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. In <FIG> and <FIG>, a case where the first lamp module <NUM> includes a light source 210a and a reflector 210b and where the second lamp module <NUM> includes a light source 220a and a reflector 220b is described as an example. However, when the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> are direct-light-type lamps, the reflectors <NUM> and 220b may be omitted. The light source 220a and the reflector 220b of the second lamp module <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> may be included in any one of a plurality of light source units <NUM> through <NUM> of the second lamp module <NUM> which will be described later. The light source 220a and the reflector 220b may also be included in the other ones of the light source units <NUM> through <NUM> of the second lamp module <NUM> in the same way, except for the installation position or direction.

In <FIG> and <FIG>, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be arranged in a vertical or horizontal direction but not on the same line. This is intended to prevent light irradiated from the first lamp module <NUM> and light irradiated from the second lamp module <NUM> from interfering with each other. When the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> are disposed on the common substrate 200a, the structure of the automotive lamp <NUM> may be simplified, and costs may be saved.

In the first exemplary embodiment, a case where the light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 are located on a straight line extending in a specific direction from the vehicle is described. However, the arrangement direction of the light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 may vary. The flashing pattern P1 and the road pattern P2 may be formed when the vehicle tries to change its driving direction, for example, when the vehicle changes lanes as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, turns left or right at a crossroads as illustrated in <FIG>, or drives forward to move out of an area in a parking lot as illustrated in <FIG>. The flashing pattern P1 and the road pattern P2 indicate the driving direction of the vehicle to other vehicles or pedestrians coming from the turning direction of the vehicle.

In <FIG>, a case where a plurality of vehicles driving in different lanes are attempting to move to the same lane is illustrated as an example. In this case, each of the vehicles attempting to move to the same lane may form the road pattern P2 so that the driver of each vehicle may recognize the vehicles trying to move to the same lane. This may prevent a car accident. In the first exemplary embodiment, the light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 may have the same or different sizes or shapes.

In <FIG>, a case where the light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 have the same size is described as an example. However, the light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 may also have different sizes as illustrated in <FIG>. In the first exemplary embodiment, a case where the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> disposed on any one of both sides of the front of the vehicle indicates the driving direction of the vehicle is described. However, at least one of the driving direction indicating units <NUM> respectively disposed on both sides of the front or back of the vehicle may also form the flashing pattern P1 and the road pattern P2 of the first exemplary embodiment according to the driving direction of the vehicle.

Referring back to <FIG>, in the first exemplary embodiment, the second lamp module <NUM> may include a plurality of light source units <NUM> through <NUM> to form a plurality of light irradiation patterns P21 through P23, and each of the light source units <NUM> through <NUM> may include the light source 220a and the reflector 220b illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>. Each of the light source units <NUM> through <NUM> may be disposed at a different height or angle based on a position at which it forms a light irradiation pattern. For example, of the light source units <NUM> through <NUM>, a light source unit which forms a light irradiation pattern located closest to the vehicle may be disposed at a lowest height from the ground, or an angle formed by an optical axis of the light source unit and the ground may be the greatest. In addition, a light source unit which forms a light irradiation pattern located farthest from the vehicle may be disposed at a highest height from the ground, or an angle formed by an optical axis of the light source unit and the ground may be smallest.

In the first exemplary embodiment, a plurality of light sources units <NUM> through <NUM> may be used to form a plurality of light irradiation patterns P21 through P23. However, the number of light source units which form light irradiation patterns may vary based on the number of light irradiation patterns. The second lamp module <NUM> according to the first exemplary embodiment may have a preset horizontal light irradiation angle with respect to a centerline of the vehicle and has a preset vertical light irradiation angle with respect to the road surface. The second lamp module <NUM> may have a horizontal light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and has a vertical light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

In the first exemplary embodiment, a case where the second lamp module <NUM> has a horizontal light irradiation angle of <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and a vertical light irradiation angle of <NUM> to <NUM> degrees will be described. In the first exemplary embodiment, the second lamp module <NUM> may have a horizontal light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and has a vertical light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees in view of visibility of nearby vehicles or pedestrians.

For example, when the vehicle attempts to turn right at a crossroads as illustrated in <FIG>, the first lamp module <NUM> of the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> disposed on a front right side of the vehicle may form the flashing pattern P1 and at the same time, the second lamp module <NUM> of the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may form the road pattern P2 at a certain horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 to a centerline C of the vehicle in view of a maximum rotation angle by which the vehicle may be rotated.

In other words, when the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 formed by the road pattern P2 and the centerline C of the vehicle is less than <NUM> degrees, the road pattern P2 may look similar to lanes on the road. Therefore, when a vehicle or pedestrian coming from a right turn lane looks at the road pattern P2 from a side of the vehicle, it may be difficult to recognize the directionality of the road pattern P2 as illustrated in <FIG>. Accordingly, the road pattern P2 may be formed at the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 of greater than about <NUM> degrees to the centerline C of the vehicle, so that nearby vehicles or pedestrians may recognize the road pattern P2.

Additionally, since the rotation angle of the wheels of the vehicle is about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees when the handle of the vehicle is rotated to the maximum, the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 may be less than <NUM> degrees which is the maximum rotation angle of the vehicle. When the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 of the road pattern P2 is greater than <NUM> degrees, the road pattern P2 may be hidden by an obstacle (such as a building or a vehicle) located adjacent to the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>. In addition, when a large vehicle is parked proximate to the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>, the road pattern P2 may be formed on the large vehicle. Therefore, it is difficult to inform nearby vehicles or pedestrians of the driving direction of the vehicle. For example, the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 formed by the road pattern P2 and the centerline C of the vehicle may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

In addition, when a plurality of vehicles driving in different lanes move to the same lane as illustrated in <FIG>, the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 formed by the road pattern P2 and the centerline C of each of the vehicles may be less than <NUM> degrees in view of a viewing angle of each driver. Only then may each driver easily recognize the vehicles moving to the same lane.

In the first exemplary embodiment, the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 of the second lamp module <NUM> is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM> degrees as described above. However, this is merely an example used to help understand the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this example. That is, the second lamp module <NUM> may have the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees according to the road environment such as the type of the road, lane width, the position of an obstacle, etc. In an example, the second lamp module <NUM> may have various horizontal light irradiation angles θ1 such as about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees according to the road environment. In other words, the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 of the second lamp module <NUM> may be greater than <NUM> degrees for the following reason. When each of two adjacent vehicles forms the road pattern P2, when the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 is less than <NUM> degrees, the road pattern P2 may be irradiated toward the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, the road pattern P2 formed by any one of the two adjacent vehicles may cause confusion. To prevent this problem, the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 of the second lamp module <NUM> may be greater than <NUM> degrees.

When a vehicle parked near the boundary line of a road tries to drive forward onto the road, the road pattern P2 may be formed on a centerline of the road or over the centerline of the road. In particular, it may be difficult for nearby vehicles or pedestrians to recognize which vehicle is to drive out onto the road. Therefore, as illustrated in <FIG>, a central part CP of the road pattern P2 may be formed at a distance of about <NUM> to <NUM> meters (e.g., at which a road centerline CL is formed) from an axis which perpendicularly intersects a lengthwise direction of the vehicle at a front end of the vehicle. In other words, the reason why the central part CP of the road pattern P2 is formed at a distance of about <NUM> to <NUM> meters from the axis which perpendicularly intersects the lengthwise direction of the vehicle at the front end of the vehicle is that a minimum width of a vehicle may be generally <NUM> to <NUM> meters. When the width of the vehicle changes the distance from the axis to the central part CP of the road pattern P2 may also be adjusted.

In <FIG>, a case where the road pattern P2 includes a single light irradiation pattern is illustrated as an example. However, the present invention may be applied similarly to a case where the road pattern P2 includes a plurality of light irradiation patterns. Therefore, in the first exemplary embodiment, the horizontal light irradiation angle θ1 of the second lamp module <NUM> may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees to enable nearby vehicles or pedestrians coming from the turning direction of the vehicle to more easily recognize the directionality of the road pattern P2 when viewing the road pattern P2 from a side of the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>. Accordingly, a situation may be prevented where nearby vehicles or pedestrians are unable to recognize the road pattern P2 when the road pattern P2 is hidden by an obstacle.

In the first exemplary embodiment, when the second lamp module <NUM> has a vertical light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, it means that an angle θ21, θ22 or θ23 formed by an optical axis of each of the light source units <NUM> through <NUM> and the road surface may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees as illustrated in <FIG>. It may also be understood that an angle formed by the optical axis of a light source unit, which forms a light irradiation pattern located closest to the vehicle, and the ground is less than <NUM> degrees and that an angle formed by the optical axis of a light source unit, which forms a light irradiation pattern located farthest from the vehicle, and the ground may be greater than <NUM> degrees.

In the first exemplary embodiment, the flashing pattern P1 formed by the first lamp module <NUM> may be irradiated at an angle of up to about <NUM> degrees in the vertical direction as illustrated in <FIG>. Therefore, to not interfere with light irradiated from the first lamp module <NUM>, the second lamp module <NUM> may have vertical light irradiation angles θ21 through θ23 of greater than about <NUM> degrees which is different from the vertical light irradiation angle of the first lamp module <NUM> by about <NUM> degrees. When the vertical light irradiation angles θ21 through θ23 of the second lamp module <NUM> are greater than about <NUM> degrees, light irradiation may be limited by a structure such as a front or rear bumper of the vehicle or a housing in the lamp. Therefore, the vertical light irradiation angles θ21 through θ23 is less than <NUM> degrees. In addition, when the vertical light irradiation angles θ21 through θ23 of the second lamp module <NUM> are greater than about <NUM> degrees, the road pattern P2 may be formed at a location proximate to the vehicle. In particular, it may be difficult for nearby vehicles or pedestrians to recognize the driving direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the vertical light irradiation angles θ21 through θ23 are less than about <NUM> degrees.

In the first exemplary embodiment, the vertical light irradiation angles θ21 through θ23 of the second lamp module <NUM> may vary based on an angle at which the flashing pattern P1 is formed in the vertical direction by the first lamp module <NUM>, the structure of a structure such as the front or rear bumper of the vehicle or the housing in the lamp, etc. Therefore, since the horizontal light irradiation angle of the second lamp module <NUM> may be about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and the vertical light irradiation angle of the second lamp module <NUM> is about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees in the first exemplary embodiment, vehicles or pedestrians around the vehicle may easily recognize the turning direction of the vehicle based on the road pattern P2 and cope with the situation.

In the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the first exemplary embodiment, the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> is greater than that of the first lamp module <NUM>. This is because the second lamp module <NUM> may irradiate light to a relatively large distance from the vehicle. When the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> is less than that of the first lamp module <NUM>, it may difficult for the road pattern P2 to provide sufficient brightness. In the first exemplary embodiment, the second lamp module <NUM> may have a brightness of about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd in view of the surrounding environment such as ambient brightness.

For example, in the early evening when it is required to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle using the road pattern P2 due to reduced visibility, the illuminance of a road under natural lighting may be approximately <NUM> lux. The illuminance of the road may be greatest in the early evening among situations that require the road pattern P2. In the early evening, the road pattern P2 may have a brightness of at least <NUM> lux or greater to be visible enough to be distinguished from the surrounding road surface. In particular, the second lamp module <NUM> may have a luminous intensity of at least <NUM>,<NUM> cd or more. For example, considering illuminance standards of underground parking lots and street lamps, maximum illuminance of the road, i.e., the road surface may be approximately <NUM> lux. Therefore, the road pattern P2 may have a brightness of at least <NUM> lux or greater to be visible enough to be distinguished from the surrounding road surface.

In other words, when the second lamp module <NUM> has a luminous intensity of at least <NUM>,<NUM> cd or greater, it may be understood that a light irradiation pattern formed at a largest distance from the vehicle may have an illuminance of at least <NUM> lux or more. For example, given that the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> may be similar, light irradiated to a road surface at a greater distance from the vehicle has minimum illuminance. When the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> irradiates light at a vertical light irradiation angle of <NUM> degrees from a maximum installation height of <NUM>,<NUM>, the distance from the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> to the road surface is approximately <NUM>,<NUM>. In this distance, minimum luminous intensity (a value obtained by multiplying illuminance and the square of distance (m)) for securing an illuminance of <NUM> lux or more may have a value greater than approximately <NUM>,<NUM> cd.

In other words, the maximum installation height of the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may be understood as an installation height of a light source unit which is disposed at a highest position among the light source units <NUM> through <NUM> included in the driving direction indicating unit <NUM>. In the first exemplary embodiment, the maximum installation height of the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may be understood as the installation height of the third light source unit <NUM>. In addition, the reason why the maximum installation height of the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> is <NUM>,<NUM> is that when the installation height of the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> is greater than <NUM>,<NUM>, the road pattern P2 is formed outside the viewing angle of a driver, thereby reducing its visibility.

In addition, when the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> is high, the road pattern P2 may be reflected, thus obstructing the field of vision (e.g.,dazzling) proximate vehicles or pedestrians. Therefore, the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> may be less than about <NUM>,<NUM> cd. For example, since light reflected by a rainy road may dazzle nearby vehicles or pedestrians, the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> may be less than <NUM>,<NUM> cd.

In the first exemplary embodiment, a case where the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> is in the range of <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd is described. However, this is merely an example used to help understand the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this example. When the second lamp module <NUM> includes a plurality of light source units <NUM> through <NUM> such that the road pattern P2 includes a plurality of light irradiation patterns P21 through P23, it may be more advantageous to have a smaller difference between minimum luminous intensity and maximum luminous intensity. This is because when there is a substantial difference in brightness between beams of light generated by the light source units <NUM> through <NUM>, the brightness of light may appear uneven when the automotive lamp <NUM> is seen from the exterior. This may degrade the exterior design of the automotive lamp <NUM>. Therefore, to secure sufficient visibility of the road pattern P2 while preventing the road pattern P2 from dazzling nearby vehicles or pedestrians and prevent degradation of the exterior design of the automotive lamp <NUM>, the second lamp module <NUM> may have a luminous intensity of about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd, more preferably, about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd.

The first exemplary embodiment described above is a case where the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> indicates the turning direction of the vehicle. A case where the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> indicates the reversing of the vehicle will now be described below. <FIG> is an exemplary schematic diagram illustrating a driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to a second exemplary embodiment. Referring to <FIG>, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment may indicate the reversing of a vehicle. In the second exemplary embodiment, a case where the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> is disposed on both sides of the back of the vehicle to indicate the reversing of the vehicle will be described.

The driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment may be disposed on a side of a tail lamp <NUM> of the vehicle. As in the first exemplary embodiment described above, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may include a first lamp module <NUM> and a second lamp module <NUM>. In <FIG>, a case where the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> are disposed in the horizontal direction is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the direction in which the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> are disposed may vary according to the layout of the automotive lamp <NUM>.

In the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment, the first lamp module <NUM> may be turned on to form a lighting pattern P3 as illustrated in <FIG> when the vehicle performed a reverse motion, (e.g., backing up in a parking lot) and the second lamp module <NUM> may be coupled to the first lamp module <NUM> to form a road pattern P4 to indicate the reverse motion of the vehicle. In the second exemplary embodiment, a case where the road pattern P4 includes a plurality of light irradiation patterns P41 through P43 formed by a plurality of light source units <NUM> through <NUM> included in the second lamp module <NUM> is described. However, the road pattern P4 may also include a single light irradiation pattern as illustrated in <FIG>.

In the second exemplary embodiment, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be disposed with a distance of less than about <NUM> between them to share the same lens for similar reasons to the reasons described above in the first exemplary embodiment. The road pattern P4 formed by the second lamp module <NUM> may include at least one light irradiation pattern and the number of light sources that form light irradiation patterns may vary based on the number of light irradiation patterns included in the road pattern P4. In other words, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment may be disposed on the back of the vehicle. On the back of the vehicle, a plurality of lamps (e.g., a tail lamp, a brake lamp, and a position lamp) used for various purposes as well as the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> may respectively be disposed in a plurality of separate cavities, and the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be disposed together in any one of the cavities to share the same lens.

In the second exemplary embodiment, a case where the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> share the same lens is described. In addition, since the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment indicates the reversing of the vehicle, it may usually use a lens having a color such as white, blue, or yellow. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and light irradiated from each of the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may have a required color. In this case, a transparent lens may be used. In the second exemplary embodiment, the first lamp module <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> may be disposed on a common substrate as in <FIG> and <FIG> described above. In this case, the structure of the automotive lamp <NUM> may be simplified, and costs may be saved.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the road pattern P4 may be formed by the driving direction indicating units <NUM> respectively disposed on both sides of the back of the vehicle. Therefore, when the vehicle reverses (e.g., in a parking lot), other vehicles approaching the vehicle from the left or right side may easily recognize the reversing motion of the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>. In addition, when a large vehicle is parked proximate to the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>, other vehicles may not be able to see the reversing vehicle. Even in this case, other vehicles may recognize the reversing motion of the vehicle through the road pattern P4 and may adjust to this situation in advance. In the second exemplary embodiment, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the light irradiation patterns P41 through P43 of the road pattern P2 may be arranged at predetermined intervals on a straight line extending in a specific direction from the vehicle. However, the arrangement direction of the light irradiation patterns P41 through P43 may vary.

In addition, in <FIG>, a case where the light irradiation patterns P41 through P43 of the road pattern P4 indicating the reversing of the vehicle have the same size is described as an example. However, the light irradiation patterns P41 through P43 may have not only different sizes as illustrated in <FIG> but also the same or different shapes. In the second exemplary embodiment, the second lamp module <NUM> may have a luminous intensity of about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd for similar reasons to the reasons described above in the first exemplary embodiment and may have a horizontal light irradiation angle θ3 of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and vertical light irradiation angles θ41 through θ43 of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>.

In the second exemplary embodiment, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the second lamp module <NUM> has the horizontal light irradiation angle θ3 of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees in view of visibility of nearby vehicles or pedestrians according to a range in which the vehicle may be rotated, an obstacle located adjacent to the vehicle, the size of the nearby vehicles, etc. In addition, the second lamp module <NUM> has the vertical light irradiation angles θ41 through θ43 of greater than about <NUM> degrees because the first lamp module <NUM> may be configured to irradiate light at an angle of up to about <NUM> degrees in the vertical direction as illustrated in <FIG>. In particular, to prevent interference with light irradiated from the first lamp module <NUM>, the second lamp module <NUM> has the vertical light irradiation angles θ41 through θ43 of greater than about <NUM> degrees which is different from the vertical light irradiation angle of the first lamp module <NUM> by <NUM> degrees. In addition, the vertical light irradiation angles θ41 through θ43 of the second lamp module <NUM> is less than <NUM> degrees to prevent light irradiation from being limited by a structure such as a front or rear bumper of the vehicle or a housing in the lamp and to prevent the road pattern P4 from being formed at a location proximate to the vehicle, making it difficult to recognize the driving direction of the vehicle.

For example, when the horizontal light irradiation angle θ3 of the second lamp module <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment is less than about <NUM> degrees, the road pattern P4 may look similar to lanes on the road. Therefore, when a nearby vehicle or pedestrian views the road pattern P4 from a side of the vehicle, it may be difficult to recognize the directionality of the road pattern <NUM>. When the horizontal light irradiation angle θ3 of the second lamp module <NUM> is greater than about <NUM> degrees, the road pattern P4 may be hidden by an obstacle positioned adjacent to the vehicle. In addition, when a large vehicle is parked proximate to the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>, when the horizontal light irradiation angle θ3 of the road pattern P4 is greater than about <NUM> degrees, it is difficult to inform nearby vehicles or pedestrians of the driving direction of the vehicle. For this reason, an angle formed by the road pattern P4 and a centerline C of the vehicle may be in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

In the second exemplary embodiment, a case where the second lamp module <NUM> has a luminous intensity of about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd and has the horizontal light irradiation angle θ3 of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and the vertical light irradiation angles θ41 through θ43 of <NUM> to <NUM> degrees as illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG> is described. However, for similar reasons to the reasons described above in the first exemplary embodiment, the second lamp module <NUM> may also have various horizontal light irradiation angles θ3, at about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees, and various vertical light irradiation angles θ41 through θ43 at about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

In addition, to secure sufficient visibility of the road pattern P4 while preventing the road pattern P4 from dazzling nearby vehicles or pedestrians and prevent degradation of the exterior design of the automotive lamp <NUM>, the second lamp module <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment may have a luminous intensity of about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd, more preferably, about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd. When a vehicle parked proximate to the boundary line of a road attempts to drive backward onto the road, the road pattern P4 may be formed on a centerline of the road or over the centerline of the road. In particular, it may be difficult for nearby vehicles or pedestrians to recognize which vehicle is to drive out onto the road. Therefore, as illustrated in <FIG>, a central part CP of the road pattern P4 may be formed at a distance of <NUM> to <NUM> meters (e.g., at which a road centerline CL is formed) from an axis which perpendicularly intersects a lengthwise direction of the vehicle at a rear end of the vehicle.

In other words, when the central part CP of the road pattern P4 is formed at a distance of <NUM> to <NUM> meters from the axis which perpendicularly intersects the lengthwise direction of the vehicle at the rear end of the vehicle a minimum width of a vehicle may be about <NUM> to <NUM> meters. When the width of the vehicle changes the distance from the axis to the central part CP of the road pattern P4 may also change.

In <FIG>, a case where the road pattern P4 includes a single light irradiation pattern is illustrated as an example. However, the present disclosure may be applied similarly to a case where the road pattern P4 includes a plurality of light irradiation patterns. In the second exemplary embodiment, the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> may be equal to or greater than that of the first lamp module <NUM>. This is because the second lamp module <NUM> needs to irradiate light to a relatively large distance from the vehicle. When the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> is less than that of the first lamp module <NUM>, it is difficult for the road pattern P4 to provide sufficient brightness (e.g., luminosity).

In the second exemplary embodiment, as in the first exemplary embodiment, the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> may be greater than about <NUM>,<NUM> cd to make the road pattern P4 have sufficient visibility, i.e., an illuminance of <NUM> lux when maximum illuminance of a road surface in an underground parking lot or under a street lamp is <NUM> lux. In addition, the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> may be less than <NUM>,<NUM> cd to prevent the road pattern P4 from dazzling proximate vehicles or pedestrians. In the first and second exemplary embodiments described above, the cases where the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> indicates the turning direction and reversing of the vehicle are described, respectively. However, these are merely examples used to help understand the present invention, and the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> disposed on at least one side of the front or back of the vehicle may also indicate both the turning direction and reversing of the vehicle. For example, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> disposed on both sides of the back of the vehicle may be used to indicate both the turning direction and reversing of the vehicle.

Referring back to <FIG>, the control unit <NUM> according to the exemplary embodiment may be configured to adjust the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> to indicate the driving direction or reversing of the vehicle based on the sensing result of the driving direction sensing unit <NUM>. In the exemplary embodiment, the control unit <NUM> may couple the first lamp modules <NUM> and <NUM> included in the driving direction indicating units <NUM> of the first and second exemplary embodiments to the second lamp modules <NUM> and <NUM> respectively corresponding to the first lamp modules <NUM> and <NUM>. In the exemplary embodiment, a case where the driving direction sensing unit <NUM> is configured to sense the manipulation of a turn signal switch according to the turning direction of the vehicle and senses a reverse gear R according to the reversing of the vehicle and where the control unit <NUM> is configured to operate the first lamp modules <NUM> and <NUM> and the second lamp modules <NUM> and <NUM> together based on the sensing result of the driving direction sensing unit <NUM> will be described.

For example, when the turning direction or reversing of the vehicle is sensed, the control unit <NUM> may simultaneously turn the first lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> and the second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> on or off. When the breakdown of the first lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> is sensed and at least one light source included in the first lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> is turned off due to the breakdown, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to turn the second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> off. In other words, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to adjust both a pattern formed by the first lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> included in the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> of each of the first and second exemplary embodiments and a pattern formed by the second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> to remain lit or keep flashing on and off (e.g., Intermittent illumination) or control at least one of the patterns to remain lit and the other pattern to keep flashing on and off.

In addition, when turning on the second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM>, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to adjust a plurality of light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 or P41 through P43 to be formed sequentially from the one positioned closest to the vehicle to the one located farthest from the vehicle in order to increase the recognizability of the driving direction of the vehicle. However, the order in which the light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 or P41 through P43 are formed may be changed. For example, when the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> indicates the turning direction of the vehicle as in the first exemplary embodiment, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to adjust the light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 to be formed sequentially from the light irradiation pattern P21 located closest to the vehicle to the light irradiation pattern P23 located farthest from the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>.

In addition, when the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> is configured to indicate the reversing of the vehicle as in the second exemplary embodiment, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to adjust the light irradiation patterns P41 through P43 to be formed sequentially from the light irradiation pattern P41 located closest to the vehicle to the light irradiation pattern P43 located farthest from the vehicle as illustrated in <FIG>. In other words, when forming the road pattern P2 or P4 as described above, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to adjust the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> based on ambient brightness.

In the first and second exemplary embodiments, a case where each of the second lamp modules <NUM> and <NUM> has a brightness of <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd is described. In this case, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to adjust the luminous intensity of the second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> by adjusting the intensity of electric current supplied to the second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> based on the sensing result of, e.g., an illuminance sensor. The road patterns P2 and P4 according to the above-described exemplary embodiments are formed up to a predetermined distance from the vehicle. Therefore, when there is a nearby vehicle, the road patterns P2 and P4 may be formed on the nearby vehicle. Therefore, an automotive lamp <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment may include a nearby vehicle sensing unit <NUM> in addition to a driving direction sensing unit <NUM>, a driving direction indicating unit <NUM> and a control unit <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>.

The driving direction sensing unit <NUM>, the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> and the control unit <NUM> according to the exemplary embodiment are the same as those described above with reference to <FIG>, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted. The nearby vehicle sensing unit <NUM> according to the exemplary embodiment may be configured to sense nearby vehicles using various sensors such as an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a radar and sense whether a nearby vehicle exists within a specific distance from a vehicle in which a road pattern P2 or P4 is formed. When a nearby vehicle is sensed, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to turn off at least one of a plurality of light sources <NUM> through <NUM> or <NUM> through <NUM> included in a second lamp module <NUM> or <NUM> based on the position of the nearby vehicle.

For example, when the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> indicates the turning direction of the vehicle as in the first exemplary embodiment, when a nearby vehicle exists within a distance in which the road pattern P2 is formed as illustrated in <FIG>, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to turn off at least one of the light sources <NUM> through <NUM> of the second lamp module <NUM>, thereby removing at least part of the road pattern P2. In addition, when the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> indicates the reversing of the vehicle as in the second exemplary embodiment, when a nearby vehicle exists within a distance in which the road pattern P4 is formed as illustrated in <FIG>, the control unit <NUM> may be configured to turn off at least one of the light sources <NUM> through <NUM> of the second lamp module <NUM>, thereby removing at least part of the road pattern P4.

<FIG> is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an automotive lamp according to an exemplary embodiment. In <FIG>, a case where the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the first exemplary embodiment forms a road pattern according to the turning direction of a vehicle is described as an example. Referring to <FIG>, in the method of controlling an automotive lamp according to the exemplary embodiment, the turning direction of a vehicle is sensed (operation S110). In other words, the turning direction of the vehicle may be understood as a left turn or a right turn at a crossroads or the direction of a lane change.

According to the sensed driving direction of the vehicle, a flashing pattern P1 may be formed using a first lamp module <NUM>, and a road pattern P2 may be formed around the vehicle, that is, on at least one side in front of or behind the vehicle using a second lamp module <NUM> which has greater luminous intensity than the first lamp module <NUM> (operation S210). In other words, the second lamp module <NUM> which forms the road pattern P2 to indicate the turning direction of the vehicle may have a horizontal light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and has a vertical light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees as described above. In addition, the second lamp module <NUM> may have a brightness of about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd in view of ambient brightness.

Furthermore, a plurality of light irradiation patterns P21 through P23 included in the road pattern P2 may be formed simultaneously or sequentially and may have the same or different shapes or sizes. In a state where the road pattern P2 is formed in operation S120, when the first lamp module <NUM> is turned off (operation S130), the second lamp module <NUM> is also turned off (operation S140). When the first lamp module <NUM> is turned off in operation S130, it may mean that the first lamp module <NUM> as a whole may be turned off but also that at least one light source included in the first lamp module <NUM> may be turned off (e.g., due to a breakdown).

<FIG> is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an automotive lamp according to an exemplary embodiment. In <FIG>, a case where the driving direction indicating unit <NUM> according to the second exemplary embodiment forms a road pattern when a vehicle reverses is described as an example. Referring to <FIG>, in the method of controlling an automotive lamp according to the exemplary embodiment, the reversing of a vehicle may be sensed (operation S210). According to the sensed driving direction of the vehicle, a lighting pattern P3 may be formed using a first lamp module <NUM>, and a road pattern P4 may be formed on at least one side behind the vehicle using a second lamp module <NUM> which has greater luminous intensity than the first lamp module <NUM> (operation S220).

In other words, the second lamp module <NUM> may be configured to form the road pattern P4 to indicate the reversing of the vehicle may have a horizontal light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees and has a vertical light irradiation angle of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees as described above. In addition, the second lamp module <NUM> may have a brightness of about <NUM>,<NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> cd in view of ambient brightness. Furthermore, a plurality of light irradiation patterns P41 through P43 included in the road pattern P4 may be formed simultaneously or sequentially and may have the same or different shapes or sizes. In a state where the road pattern P4 is formed in operation S220, when the first lamp module <NUM> is turned off (operation S230), the second lamp module <NUM> may also be turned off (operation S240). When the first lamp module <NUM> is turned off in operation S230, it may mean that the first lamp module <NUM> as a whole may be turned off but also that at least one light source included in the first lamp module <NUM> may be turned off (e.g., due to a breakdown).

An automotive lamp and a method of controlling the same according to present invention provide at least one of the following advantages. A road pattern indicating the turning direction or reversing of a vehicle may be formed on at least one side in front of or behind the vehicle, thereby enabling nearby vehicles or pedestrians to more easily recognize the driving direction of the vehicle.

However, the effects of the present invention are not restricted to the one set forth herein. The above and other effects of the present invention will become more apparent to one of daily skill in the art to which the present invention pertains by referencing the claims.

Claim 1:
An automotive lamp (<NUM>), comprising:
a driving direction sensing unit (<NUM>) configured to sense a driving direction of a vehicle;
a driving direction indicating unit (<NUM>) configured to be disposed on at least one side of the front or back of the vehicle and configured to indicate the driving direction of the vehicle; and
a control unit (<NUM>) configured to operate the driving direction indicating unit (<NUM>) based on the sensed driving direction,
wherein the driving direction indicating unit (<NUM>) includes a first lamp module (<NUM>,<NUM>), and a second lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) which has luminous intensity greater than that of the first lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) and is linked with the first lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) to form a road pattern (P2, P4) on at least one side around the vehicle to indicate the driving direction of the vehicle,
wherein the road pattern (P2, P4) includes at least one light irradiation pattern (P21, P22, P23; P41, P42, P43) disposed in a predetermined direction from the vehicle,
wherein the second lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) is coupled with the first lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) so that, when the first lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) turns on, the second lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) forms the road pattern (P2, P4),
wherein the driving direction indicating unit (<NUM>) is disposed in any one of a plurality of cavities defined by a plurality of lamps used for different purposes, and the first lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) and the second lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) share a lens that corresponds to the cavity in which the driving direction indicating unit (<NUM>) is installed, and
wherein a vertical light irradiation angle of the second lamp module (<NUM>, <NUM>) is in the range of about <NUM> to <NUM> degrees with respect to the road surface, when automotive lamp (<NUM>) is mounted to the vehicle.