JP7535622B2 - Lighting System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lighting device for a moving object, a lighting device system, and a presentation system for a moving object.

Development of vehicles that can run on the ground and fly in the air is underway, with the aim of putting them into practical use in the 2020s. The widespread use of such vehicles is expected to contribute to easing traffic congestion and making logistics services more efficient.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-210199 JP2001-266603 JP 2014-058195 A JP 2000-280995 A

(1) The conventional technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot scare away birds unless they come within the range of the light, leaving room for improvement in terms of increasing safety during flight.

In addition, when moving objects fly in the air, unlike on the ground, there are no roads in the sky, so the risk of collisions between moving objects in flight is expected to increase.

Either way, there is a need to improve flight safety.

The first aspect of the present invention has been made in light of these circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a technology that improves safety during flight of a flying vehicle.

(2) Because there are no roads in the sky, no matter where you are flying, there is a risk that another vehicle may enter your vehicle's path. This makes people in the vehicle feel uneasy.

The second aspect of the present invention has been made in light of these circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a lighting system that can reduce the anxiety felt by passengers on a moving vehicle while flying.

(3) The third aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a presentation system for a moving body that is mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of flying in the air and that contributes to traffic safety.

(4) It is expected that mobile objects will land in places other than designated takeoff and landing areas, such as open spaces or roadsides. However, if a mobile object lands carelessly, it can be dangerous for people on the ground and for other mobile objects stopped or moving on the ground.

The fourth aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a lighting system mounted on a mobile body configured to be capable of flying in the air, which contributes to safety during landing.

(5) It is expected that mobile vehicles will land in places other than designated takeoff and landing areas, such as vacant lots or roadsides.

The fifth aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a lighting system mounted on a mobile body configured to be capable of flying in the air, which contributes to safety during landing.

(1) A lighting device for a moving body according to one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention is a lighting device for a moving body that is attached to a moving body configured to be capable of flight, and includes a lighting unit, a detection unit that detects an object to be illuminated that is present around the moving body during flight, and a control unit that controls the lighting unit so that light is illuminated on the object to be illuminated.

(2) A lighting system according to a certain embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is a lighting system mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of traveling on the ground and flying in the air, and includes a first lighting unit having a variable illumination angle in the left-right direction, and a control unit that controls the first lighting unit so that when the moving body is flying in the air, the first lighting unit emits light at an illumination angle in the left-right direction that is larger than when the moving body is traveling on the ground.

Another embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is also a lighting system. This lighting system is mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of traveling on the ground and flying in the air, and includes a first lighting unit, a second lighting unit having a smaller illumination angle in the left and right directions than the first lighting unit, and a control unit that turns on the first lighting unit when the moving body is flying in the air and turns on the second lighting unit when the moving body is traveling on the ground.

(3) A presentation system for a moving body according to a certain embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention is a presentation system for a moving body mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of flight, and includes a presentation unit that is visible from outside the moving body and presents information regarding the flight status of the moving body.

(4) A lighting system according to a certain embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention is a lighting system mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of flight, comprising a lamp and a control unit that controls the lamp and, when the moving body lands, causes light of a first embodiment to be irradiated onto the intended landing area if an object is detected in the intended landing area, and causes light of a second embodiment to be irradiated onto the intended landing area if an object is not detected in the intended landing area.

Another embodiment of the fourth aspect of the present invention is also a lighting system. This lighting system is mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of flight, and includes a lamp and a control unit that controls the lamp and draws a predetermined pattern in the intended landing area when the moving body lands.

(5) A lighting system according to a certain embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present invention is a lighting system mounted on a flying mobile body, and includes a lamp and a control unit that causes the lamp to illuminate a planned landing area when the mobile body lands. The control unit changes the mode of the illuminated light depending on the distance to the planned landing area.

Another embodiment of the fifth aspect of the present invention is also a lighting system. This lighting system is mounted on a flying mobile body, and includes a lamp and a control unit that controls the lamp and draws a pattern of an array of figures in a planned landing area when the mobile body lands.

In addition, any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between methods, devices, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention.

The present invention can solve at least one of the above problems.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vehicle lighting device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a lighting system including the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 1 . 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the lighting system in a flight scene. 3(a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the lighting system in another flight scene. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a vehicle lighting device according to a modified example. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a lighting system including a vehicle lighting fixture according to an embodiment 2-1. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the first lamp unit of FIG. 6 . 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the lighting system. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the lighting system. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern of the first lamp unit of FIG. 6 . A block diagram of a lighting system including a vehicle lighting fixture according to embodiment 2-2. A block diagram of a traffic information management system according to embodiment 2-3. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a moving body on which a moving body presentation system according to a third embodiment is mounted. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the moving body of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a left side view of the moving body of FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a presentation system for a mobile object. 17A to 17E are diagrams for explaining the operation of the mobile object presentation system. 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a moving body presentation system according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a left side view showing a moving body according to a modified example. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a lighting system according to a fourth embodiment. 23(a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of a pattern formed on the ground by light emitted by a landing lamp. 24(a) and (b) are diagrams showing another example of a pattern formed on the ground by light emitted by a landing lamp. 25(a) and (b) are diagrams showing yet another example of a pattern formed on the ground by light emitted by a landing lamp. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a lighting system according to a fifth embodiment. 29(a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of a reference pattern drawn in the planned landing area A by light emitted by a landing lamp. 30(a) to (d) are diagrams showing how the landing lamps of a moving body emit light. 31(a) to (c) are diagrams explaining the operation of the lighting system in chronological order.

I. First Aspect of the Invention The first aspect of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. In this specification, the same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle lighting device 100 according to the first embodiment. The vehicle lighting device 100 is mounted on a vehicle for transporting people, which is configured to be able to fly in the sky and preferably be able to run on the ground. In this embodiment, the vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device 100 is mounted is configured to be able to fly in the sky and run on the ground. The vehicle lighting device 100 includes a spot lamp 120, a low beam unit 130, a high beam unit 140, and a lamp body 102 and a cover 104 that house them. The arrangement and design of each lamp unit differ depending on the type of vehicle, and are not particularly limited.

The low beam unit 130 is a lighting unit used when the mobile object is traveling on the ground, particularly in urban areas, and is configured to emit a low beam light distribution. The high beam unit 140 is a lighting unit used when the mobile object is traveling on the ground and flying in the air. The high beam unit 140 emits a high beam light distribution when the mobile object is traveling on the ground.

The spot lamp 120 is a lamp that illuminates an object with a spot light. The configuration of the spot lamp 120 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a semiconductor light source such as an LED (light emitting diode) or an LD (laser diode), and a lighting circuit that drives the semiconductor light source to light it. The spot lamp 120 includes a swivel mechanism 122, and is capable of changing the direction of illumination.

The swivel mechanism 122 includes an actuator and its drive circuit. The swivel mechanism 122 rotates the optical axis of the spot lamp 120 in the left-right and up-down directions based on a command from the lamp control unit 150. In this embodiment, the swivel mechanism 122 is configured to be able to rotate the optical axis of the spot lamp 120 180 degrees in both the left-right and up-down directions.

The area illuminated by the spot lamp 120 overlaps with part of the area illuminated by the low beam unit 130 and part of the area illuminated by the high beam unit 140.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a lighting system 300 including a mobile body lighting device 100 according to an embodiment. The lighting system 300 includes the mobile body lighting device 100 and a mobile body control unit 200. The mobile body lighting device 100 further includes a lighting device control unit 150 and a detection unit 160. The lighting device control unit 150 and the detection unit 160 may be housed in the lamp body 102 and the cover 104, or at least one of them may be provided on the mobile body side.

The mobile lighting device 100 is connected to the mobile control unit 200 via a network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN). The mobile control unit 200 transmits to the lighting system 300 commands to turn the lamp on and off, information indicating the flight status (flight information), and the like.

In this embodiment, the detection unit 160 includes a camera and an image processing unit. The image processing unit processes the image captured by the camera to detect an object to be spot-illuminated by the spot lamp 120 (hereinafter, referred to as the illumination target).

For example, the detection unit 160 may detect objects, excluding predetermined targets (called specific targets) that should not be subject to glare, as illumination targets. Examples of specific targets include buildings such as buildings, but are not limited to these.

For example, the detection unit 160 may detect an object flying in the sky as an illumination target. Examples of such objects include, but are not limited to, birds, drones, and other moving objects. In this case, buildings such as buildings are excluded from illumination targets, and glare can be prevented from being caused to people inside the buildings.

When the detection unit 160 detects an object to be irradiated, the lighting control unit 150 controls the spot lamp 120 to irradiate the object with spot light. More specifically, the lighting control unit 150 drives the swivel mechanism 122 to orient the irradiation direction of the spot lamp 120 toward the object to be irradiated so that the optical axis of the spot lamp 120 passes through the object to be irradiated, so that the spot light is irradiated onto the object to be irradiated. The lighting control unit 150 then causes the spot lamp 120 to irradiate the spot light.

When the flight information includes information indicating a change in the direction of travel, the lighting control unit 150 controls the spot lamp 120 to emit a spot light in the direction of travel so as to follow the changing direction of travel. More specifically, the lighting control unit 150 drives the swivel mechanism 122 to orient the irradiation direction of the spot lamp 120 in the direction of travel so as to follow the direction of travel of the moving object, i.e., to orient the optical axis of the spot lamp 120 in the direction of travel. For example, when the moving object takes off or lands or changes altitude, the lighting control unit 150 drives the swivel mechanism 122 to change the irradiation direction of the spot lamp 120 in the vertical direction so that the spot lamp 120 emits light in the direction of travel.

The lamp control unit 150 also controls the illumination by the low beam unit 130 and the high beam unit 140 in response to commands from the mobile object control unit.

The above is the basic configuration of the lighting system 300. Next, the operation of the lighting system 300 will be described.
3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the lighting system 300 in a flight scene. In the flight scene of Fig. 3, an illumination target is present diagonally above and in front of the moving object. The moving object is traveling with the high beam HB illuminated.

The dashed lines indicate the area that can be illuminated by the spot lamp 120. When an object to be illuminated is detected in this area, the lamp control unit 150 causes the spot lamp 120 to illuminate the object to be illuminated with spot light SB. This lights up a localized portion around the moving body, attracting the attention of the driver of the moving body and making the driver aware of the object to be illuminated. Furthermore, if the object to be illuminated is a bird or other moving body, it is possible to make the object to be illuminated aware of the presence of the moving body, encouraging it to take evasive action.

The lamp control unit 150 may blink the spot light SB. By blinking, it is possible to attract the attention of the driver of the own moving object more effectively, and to make the driver of the own moving object more aware of the illuminated object. In this case, the lamp control unit 150 may change the blinking cycle according to the distance to the object, for example, shortening the blinking cycle as the distance is closer and lengthening the blinking cycle as the distance is farther.

The lighting control unit 150 may adjust the intensity of the spot light SB from the spot lamp 120 so that the illuminance of the illuminated object approaches a constant level. In other words, the closer the object is, the lower the intensity of the spot light, and the farther the object is, the higher the intensity of the spot light SB. This allows other moving objects that are farther away to be made aware of the presence of the moving object, when the object is another moving object, and also reduces the glare caused when the object is close to the other moving object.

Figures 4(a) and (b) are diagrams explaining the operation of the lighting system 300 in different flight scenes. In the driving scene of Figure 4(a), a moving body flying forward is trying to increase its altitude, i.e., the moving body is trying to change its direction of travel diagonally upward and forward. In the driving scene of Figure 4(b), a moving body flying forward is trying to decrease its altitude, i.e., the moving body is trying to change its direction of travel diagonally downward and forward. In both driving scenes, the moving body is driving with the high beam HB irradiated.

In the driving scene of FIG. 4(a), the lamp control unit 150 controls the spot lamp 120 to irradiate spot light SB diagonally upward and forward, which is the direction of travel, and in the driving scene of FIG. 4(b), the lamp control unit 150 controls the spot lamp 120 to irradiate spot light SB diagonally downward and forward, which is the direction of travel. This makes it possible to inform other moving bodies of the direction in which the moving body is planning to travel, and to prevent other moving bodies from entering the planned route.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to alert the driver of the vehicle to the presence of an object, and also to alert those around the vehicle to the presence and direction of travel of the vehicle. As a result, collisions and the like are avoided, improving safety during flight. This embodiment is particularly effective at night when visibility is reduced.

Next, we will explain some variations related to the first embodiment.

(Variation 1)
In the embodiment, the detection unit 160 includes a camera and detects the irradiated object based on the captured image, but the method of detecting the irradiated object is not particularly limited. For example, the detection unit 160 may include a stereo camera, a ToF camera, a LiDAR, or an infrared sensor, and detect the irradiated object based on the detection results.

(Variation 2)
Although not specifically mentioned in the embodiment, the lamp control unit 150 may control the spot lamp 120 to emit light having a maximum luminous intensity higher than that of the high beam unit 140. This allows the driver of the vehicle to notice the spot light SB and thus the illuminated object even when the spot light SB is emitted so as to overlap with the high beam HB during illumination of the high beam HB.

(Variation 3)
The lighting system 300 may include a plurality of spot lamps 120. For example, the lighting system 300 may include two spot lamps 120, and the two spot lamps 120 may be built into the left and right moving body lamps, one each. In this case, the beams of the left and right spot lamps 120 may be overlapped. Alternatively, the irradiation areas of the left and right spot lamps 120 may be different. For example, the right spot lamp 120 may be used to irradiate an area on the right side of the moving body, and the other spot lamp 120 may be used to irradiate an area on the left side of the moving body.

(Variation 4)
When multiple irradiation objects are detected, the lighting control unit 150 may sequentially irradiate the multiple irradiation objects with the spot light LB. In this case, the lighting control unit 150 may irradiate the spot light LB to the multiple irradiation objects in order of proximity to the moving body. When the lighting system 300 includes multiple spot lamps 120, each of the multiple spot lamps 120 may irradiate the spot light LB to each of the multiple irradiation objects.

(Variation 5)
In the embodiment, when the traveling direction of a moving object is changed, the swivel mechanism 122 is driven to illuminate the traveling direction so as to follow the changing traveling direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The lighting system 300 may include a plurality of spot lamps 120 with different illumination directions, and the spot lamps 120 to be turned on may be changed according to the change in the traveling direction.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a moving body lighting device 100 according to a modified example. The moving body lighting device 100 includes three spot lamps 120a, 120b, and 120c. The three spot lamps 120a, 120b, and 120c are arranged so that their irradiation directions face upward, toward the front of the lighting device, and downward, respectively. In this modified example, the upward-facing spot lamp 120a is turned on when the altitude is increased, and the downward-facing spot lamp 120c is turned on when the altitude is decreased. Note that spot lamps 120 emitting irradiation directions facing the right and left directions may be further provided. In this case, the direction in which the moving body is going to proceed can be notified to other moving bodies, and the intrusion of other moving bodies into the planned course of travel can be prevented. Note that in the example of Figure 5, the three spot lamps 120a, 120b, and 120c are housed in the same housing, but they may each be housed in a separate housing.

(Variation 6)
Although not specifically mentioned in the embodiment, the detection unit 160 may only treat as the irradiation target an object that exists outside the irradiation range of the high beam unit 140. This is because the high beam HB is irradiated to an object that exists within the irradiation range of the high beam unit 140, so that the driver of the own moving body can notice the object and also the object can be made aware of the presence of the own moving body.

(Variation 7)
The lighting system 300 may include an ultrasonic irradiation device instead of or in addition to the spot lamp 120. In this case, the ultrasonic irradiation device may be configured to be able to change the irradiation direction, for example, to be able to rotate the irradiation direction 180 degrees in both the left-right direction and the up-down direction, like the spot lamp 120. When the detection unit 160 detects a bird, the lighting control unit 150 controls the ultrasonic irradiation device to direct the irradiation direction toward the bird and irradiate ultrasonic waves toward the bird.

(Variation 8)
In the embodiment, when the detection unit 160 detects an object flying in the sky as an irradiation target, the lighting device control unit 150 controls the spot lamp 120 to irradiate the irradiation target with spot light. As a modified example, the mobile lighting device 100 may be equipped with a sound wave generator (not shown). When the detection unit 160 detects an irradiation target, the lighting device control unit 150 may control the sound wave generator to irradiate the irradiation target with sound waves. When the irradiation target is a bird, it is expected that the bird will be scared away from the moving object. When the irradiation target is another moving object, it is possible to make the irradiation target aware of the presence of the moving object and to encourage avoidance behavior. Preferably, the sound wave generator is configured to be able to irradiate directional sound waves. In this case, the sound wave generator is directed toward the irradiation target by a swivel mechanism, and directional sound waves are irradiated to the irradiation target. In this case, noise to people in the neighborhood can be reduced.

II. Second Aspect of the Present Invention The second aspect of the present invention will now be described based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 2-1)
6 is a block diagram of a lighting system (or a lighting device for a moving body) 2100 according to embodiment 2-1. The lighting system 2100 is mounted on a moving body 2010 for transporting people, which is configured to be capable of running on the ground and flying in the sky.

The mobile unit control unit 2012 performs integrated control of the mobile unit 2010. The mobile unit control unit 2012 transmits to the lighting system 2100 lighting commands S1 to turn on and off each lighting unit, which will be described later, and information (travel information) S2 indicating the travel and flight status of the mobile unit 2010. The travel information S2 includes information indicating whether the mobile unit 2010 is travelling on the ground or flying in the air, information indicating whether the mobile unit 2010 is ascending or descending or flying at a substantially constant altitude, and information indicating the altitude of the mobile unit 2010 if it is flying in the air.

The lighting system 2100 includes a detection unit 2102, a first lighting unit 2104, a second lighting unit 2106, a third lighting unit 2108, and a lighting control unit 2110. These may all be built into the same housing, or some of the components may be provided outside the housing, in other words, on the moving body 2010 side.

The first lamp unit 2104 is a lamp unit used when the moving body 2010 is traveling on the ground and flying in the sky. When the moving body 2010 is traveling on the ground, the first lamp unit 2104 emits a high beam light distribution. The first lamp unit 2104 is configured so that the irradiation angle in the left-right and up-down directions can be changed, as will be described in detail later.

The second lamp unit 2106 is a lamp unit used when the moving body 2010 is traveling on the ground, and emits a low beam light distribution.

The third lighting unit 2108 is a lighting unit used when the moving body 2010 flies in the sky, particularly when the moving body 2010 ascends, and is configured to emit light toward the sky.

The lamp control unit 2110 controls the emission of light by the first lamp unit 2104, the second lamp unit 2106, and the third lamp unit 2108 based on the lighting command S1 and driving information S2 from the mobile object control unit 2012.

When the lighting command S1 from the mobile object control unit 2012 instructs the first lighting unit 2104 to be turned on, if the traveling information S2 indicates that the mobile object 2010 is flying in the air, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate light with a first left-right irradiation angle, and if the traveling information S2 indicates that the mobile object 2010 is traveling on the ground, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate light with a second left-right irradiation angle (<first left-right irradiation angle). For example, the first left-right irradiation angle is 120° and the second left-right irradiation angle is 80°.

When the lighting command S1 from the mobile object control unit 2012 instructs the first lighting unit 2104 to be turned on, if the driving information S2 indicates that the mobile object 2010 is flying at a substantially constant altitude, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate light with a first vertical irradiation angle in the vertical direction, and if the driving information S2 indicates that the mobile object 2010 is ascending or descending, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate light with a second vertical irradiation angle (>first vertical irradiation angle). In other words, when the mobile object 2010 is flying in the sky, light is irradiated widely to the left and right.

In addition, when the lighting command S1 from the mobile object control unit 2012 instructs the first lighting unit 2104 to be turned on, if the travel information S2 indicates that the mobile object 2010 is flying below a predetermined first altitude, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate at a first brightness, and if the travel information S2 indicates that the mobile object 2010 is flying at or above the first altitude, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate at a second brightness (> first brightness). In other words, when the mobile object 2010 is flying at a high altitude, the light is irradiated more brightly. The first altitude may be an altitude at which the light irradiated from the first lighting unit 2104 is not irradiated onto a building.

When the driving information S2 indicates that the moving body 2010 is ascending, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the third lighting unit 2108 to emit light toward the sky.

The detection unit 2102 is configured to be able to detect light emitted by the third lighting unit 2108 of the other moving body 2010. That is, the detection unit 2102 detects light emitted by the third lighting unit 2108 of the other moving body 2010 from below the moving body 2010 toward the sky when the other moving body 2010 rises. The detection unit 2102 transmits the detection result to the moving body control unit 2012. The detection unit 2102 may transmit the detection result to the moving body control unit 2012 via the lighting control unit 2110. The moving body control unit 2012 detects that the other moving body 2010 is rising, i.e., approaching, based on the detection result.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the first lamp unit 2104. The configuration of the first lamp unit 2104 is not particularly limited, but in this example, it includes a light source 2112 and a projection lens 2114.

The light source 2112 includes a plurality of light-emitting units 2116, in this example, 24 light-emitting units arranged in 4 rows and 6 columns. The light-emitting unit that is the i-th light-emitting unit from the top (1≦i≦4) and the j-th light-emitting unit from the left (1≦j≦6) is represented as light-emitting unit 2116 _[i,j] . The plurality of light-emitting units 2116 include semiconductor light sources such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and LDs (semiconductor lasers). One light-emitting unit 2116 constitutes the minimum unit for controlling brightness and turning on and off. One light-emitting unit 2116 may be one LED chip (LD chip), or may include multiple LED chips (LD chips) connected in series and/or in parallel.

The light emitted from the light source 2112 is directly incident on the projection lens 2114. The light incident on the projection lens 2114 is focused by the projection lens 2114 and irradiated forward as approximately parallel light.

In the first lamp unit 2104 of this embodiment, the irradiation angles in the left-right and up-down directions are changed by changing the light-emitting unit 2116 to be turned on. For example, a first left/right irradiation angle is realized by turning on the light-emitting units 2116 _[2,2] , 116 _{[2,3] ,} 116 _[2,4] , 116 _[2,5] , 116 _{[3,2 ]} , 116[3,3], 116[ _3,4 ], and 116 _[3,5] , and a second left/right irradiation angle is realized by turning on the light-emitting units 2116 _[2,1] , 116[ _2,2] , 116 _{[ 2,3]} , 116 _[2,4 ], 116 _[2,5] , 116 _[2,6] , 116[3,1], 116 _[3,2] , 116[3,3], 116 _[3,4] , 116 _[3,5] , and 116 _[3,6] .

The above is the basic configuration of the lighting system 2100. Next, the operation will be described.
Fig. 8(a) shows the operation of the lighting system 2100 when the moving body 2010 is flying in the sky, and Fig. 8(b) shows the operation of the lighting system 2100 when the moving body 2010 is traveling on the ground. In both Figs. 8(a) and (b), the first lighting unit 2104 is turned on.

The left-right irradiation angle of the light from the first lighting unit 2104 is a first left-right irradiation angle α1 when flying in the sky, and a second left-right irradiation angle α2 (<α1) when traveling on the ground. The lighting control unit 2110 may set the left-right irradiation angle of the light irradiated by the first lighting unit 2104 to the first left-right irradiation angle α1 when the moving body 2010 is flying at a predetermined second altitude or higher, and to the second left-right irradiation angle α2 (<α1) when the moving body 2010 is flying below the second altitude. In other words, even when the moving body 2010 is flying, if it is flying too low, it may be the same irradiation angle as when traveling on the ground. The second altitude may be an altitude at which the light irradiated by the first lighting unit 2104 is not irradiated on a building.

Figure 9(a) shows the operation of the lighting system 2100 when the moving body 2010 is traveling at a substantially constant altitude, Figure 9(b) shows the operation of the lighting system 2100 when the moving body 2010 is ascending, and Figure 9(c) shows the operation of the lighting system 2100 when the moving body 2010 is descending. In all of Figures 9(a) to (c), the first lighting unit 2104 is turned on.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the light distribution pattern of the first lamp unit 2104 in each of the scenes of Fig. 9(a) to (c). The first light distribution pattern _PTN1 shows the light distribution pattern in the scene of Fig. 9(a), and the second light distribution pattern _PTN2 shows the light distribution pattern in the scenes of Fig. 9(b) and Fig. 9(c).

The vertical irradiation angle of the light emitted by the first lamp unit 2104 is a first vertical irradiation angle β1 when the moving body 2010 is traveling at a substantially constant altitude, and is a second vertical irradiation angle β2 (>β1) when the moving body 2010 is ascending or descending. Although not shown, the horizontal irradiation angle of the light emitted by the first lamp unit 2104 is constant at a first horizontal irradiation angle α1 in either case.

In this example, when ascending or descending, the irradiation angle is larger both upwards and downwards than when traveling at a substantially constant altitude, but it is also possible to increase the irradiation angle only in the upward direction when ascending and only in the downward direction when descending.

In Fig. 10, the light distribution pattern is shown as a rectangle for the sake of simplicity, but the light distribution pattern is not limited to a rectangle. For example, the first light distribution pattern _PTN1 may be an elliptical light distribution pattern whose major axis extends in the left-right direction, and the second light distribution pattern _PTN2 may be a circular light distribution pattern whose major axis radius is substantially the same as the major axis radius of the first light distribution pattern _PTN1 . In this case, the irradiation angle in the vertical direction of the light irradiated by the first lamp unit 2104 may be the irradiation angle at the center in the left-right direction of the light distribution pattern.

In the scene of FIG. 9(b), that is, when the moving body 2010 ascends, the third lamp unit 2108 emits light into the sky. When the other moving body 2010 detects this light, the other moving body 2010 can detect that the moving body 2010 is ascending, i.e., approaching, and can take evasive action as soon as possible.

The third lighting unit 2108 may be configured to emit light that includes light of a specific wavelength that is different from the light that fills the city, for example, infrared light. The light emitted by the third lighting unit 2108 may be light of a single wavelength. The detection unit 2102 may be configured to detect only the light of that specific wavelength. This allows each moving body 2010 to accurately detect other moving bodies 2010 that are rising.

The third lamp unit 2108 may also emit light in a predetermined illumination pattern, for example, flashing light at predetermined intervals for a predetermined illumination time per flash. The moving object control unit 2012 may detect the rise of another moving object 2010 when the illumination pattern indicated by the detection result of the detection unit 2102 matches the predetermined illumination pattern. This allows each moving object 2010 to accurately detect the other moving object 2010 that is rising.

As a modified example, the third lamp unit 2108 may be configured to be able to irradiate light further downward, and the lamp control unit 2110 may control the third lamp unit 2108 to irradiate light downward when the driving information S2 indicates that the moving body 2010 is descending. The detection unit 2102 may then detect light irradiated downward from above the moving body 2010 by the third lamp unit 2108 of the other moving body 2010 when the other moving body 2010 is descending. In this case, the moving body control unit 2012 can detect that the other moving body 2010 is descending, i.e., approaching, based on the detection result.

Next, the effects achieved by this embodiment will be described.
Since there are no roads in the sky, there is a risk that another moving body 2010 will enter the path of the moving body 2010 no matter where the moving body 2010 is traveling. This makes people riding on the moving body 2010 anxious, especially at night when visibility is poor. In contrast, in this embodiment, when the moving body 2010 is flying in the sky, the irradiation angle in the left and right direction of the light irradiated by the first lamp unit 2104 is made larger than when the moving body 2010 is traveling on the ground. In other words, when the moving body 2010 is flying in the sky, light is irradiated widely to the left and right. As a result, even at night when visibility is poor, other moving bodies 2010 that are relatively far from the path of the moving body 2010 can be seen early, and it is possible to prepare for evasive action to avoid contact with the other moving body 2010, thereby reducing anxiety.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the moving object 2010 is flying at or above a certain altitude, the brightness of the first lamp unit 2104 is increased compared to when the moving object 2010 is flying below that altitude. This allows people riding on the moving object 2010 to see farther away, providing a sense of security.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the moving body 2010 is ascending or descending, the vertical illumination angle of the first lamp unit 2104 is made larger than when the moving body 2010 is flying at a substantially constant altitude. This allows a person riding on the moving body 2010 to see the direction in which it is ascending or descending, providing a sense of security.

(Embodiment 2-2)
11 is a block diagram of a lighting system (or a lighting device for a vehicle) 200 according to embodiment 2-2. Differences from embodiment 2-1 will be described below.

The lighting system 2200 includes a detection unit 2102, a first lighting unit 2204, a second lighting unit 2206, a third lighting unit 2108, and a lighting control unit 2210. These may all be built into the same housing, or some of the components may be provided outside the housing, in other words, on the moving body 2010 side.

The first lamp unit 2204 is a lamp unit used when the moving body 2010 flies in the sky. The second lamp unit 2206 is a lamp unit used when the moving body 2010 travels on the ground. The configuration of the first lamp unit 2204 and the second lamp unit 2206 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, semiconductor light sources such as LDs and LEDs. The first lamp unit 2204 is configured to irradiate light with a first left-right irradiation angle, and the second lamp unit 2206 is configured to irradiate light with a second left-right irradiation angle (<first left-right irradiation angle). The first lamp unit 2204 includes, for example, an optical system and a shade, and is configured to have a variable irradiation angle in the up-down direction.

The lighting control unit 2210 turns on the first lighting unit 2204 when the moving body 2010 is flying in the air, and turns on the second lighting unit 2206 when the moving body 2010 is traveling on the ground.

Also, as in embodiment 2-1, the lighting control unit 2210 controls the first lighting unit 2204 to irradiate light with a first vertical irradiation angle when the moving body 2010 is flying at a substantially constant altitude, and controls the first lighting unit 2204 to irradiate light with a second vertical irradiation angle when the moving body 2010 is ascending or descending.

Also, as in embodiment 2-1, the lighting control unit 2210 controls the first lighting unit 2204 to irradiate at a first brightness when the moving body 2010 is flying below a predetermined first altitude, and controls the first lighting unit 2204 to irradiate at a second brightness when the moving body 2010 is flying at or above the first altitude.

This embodiment can achieve the same effects as embodiment 2-1.

As a modified example, the lighting system 2200 may further include a fourth lighting unit used when the moving body 2010 flies in the sky. The first lighting unit 2204 may be configured to irradiate light having a first horizontal irradiation angle in the left-right direction and a first vertical irradiation angle in the up-down direction, and the fourth lighting unit may be configured to irradiate light having a first horizontal irradiation angle in the left-right direction and a second vertical irradiation angle in the up-down direction. The lighting control unit 2210 may turn on the first lighting unit 2204 when the moving body 2010 is flying at a substantially constant altitude, and turn on the fourth lighting unit when the moving body 2010 is ascending or descending.

(Embodiment 2-3)
A known means for grasping traffic information is the Vehicle Information Communication System (VICS (registered trademark)). With VICS, traffic conditions at each point are grasped based on information from sensors installed at multiple points on the road to detect the passing status of vehicles. Therefore, with VICS, traffic conditions can only be grasped for the road on which the sensor is installed. Of course, traffic conditions in the air cannot be grasped. Therefore, in this embodiment, a technology is proposed that does not require the installation of sensors and can grasp traffic conditions on the ground and in the air.

Figure 12 is a block diagram of a traffic information management system 2300 according to embodiment 2-3. The traffic information management system 2300 includes a plurality of moving bodies 2010, at least one receiving device 2310, and a traffic information management device 2320. Each of the plurality of moving bodies 2010 is equipped with a lighting system 2100. In this embodiment, at least some of the plurality of moving bodies 2010 may not be able to fly in the air.

When the engine starts, the mobile object control unit 2012 transmits a lighting command S1 to the lamp control unit 2110 to instruct the third lamp unit 2108 to be turned on. When the lamp control unit 2110 receives this lighting command S1, it causes the third lamp unit 2108 to irradiate light (e.g., infrared light) toward the sky. The lamp control unit 2110 causes the third lamp unit 2108 to irradiate light toward the sky until the engine stops.

In particular, the lighting control unit 2110 controls the third lighting unit 2108 to emit different types of light when the moving object 2010 is flying in the air and when it is traveling on the ground.

For example, the lighting control unit 2110 may control the third lighting unit 2108 to emit light in different irradiation patterns when the moving body 2010 is flying in the air and when it is traveling on the ground. As an example of a different irradiation pattern, the third lighting unit 2108 may be caused to flash at different intervals.

For example, if the third lamp unit 2108 is configured to be able to selectively irradiate light of multiple wavelengths, the lamp control unit 2110 may control the third lamp unit 2108 to irradiate light of different wavelengths when the moving object 2010 is flying in the air and when it is traveling on the ground.

The receiving device 2310 is placed in the sky and configured to be able to detect light emitted by the third lighting unit 2108 of the lighting system 2100 of the moving body 2010. The receiving device 2310 may be, for example, an artificial satellite or a drone. The receiving device 2310 transmits the detection result to the traffic information management device 2320.

The traffic information management device 2320 provides traffic information, such as congestion information, based on the detection results to each moving body 2010. In particular, the traffic information management device 2320 may distinguish between traffic information for a moving body 2010 flying in the air and traffic information for a moving body 2010 flying on the ground, based on the difference between the form of light emitted when the moving body 2010 is flying in the air and the form of light emitted when the moving body 2010 is traveling on the ground.

Next, we will explain modified examples related to embodiments 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3.

(Variation 1)
In the embodiment 2-1, a case has been described in which the light source 2112 of the first lamp unit 2104 includes a plurality of light-emitting units 2116, and the left-right irradiation angle and the up-down irradiation angle of the first lamp unit 2104 are controlled by changing the light-emitting unit 2116 to be turned on, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the first lamp unit 2104 may include at least one optical system, and the left-right irradiation angle and the up-down irradiation angle may be changed by the at least one optical system.

(Variation 2)
The luminance of the light irradiated by the first lighting unit 2104 during the flight of the moving body 2010 may be changed based on the flight speed. In this case, the moving body 2010 further includes a speedometer capable of detecting the flight speed. The moving body control unit 2012 transmits the detection result of the speedometer to the lighting control unit. For example, when the moving body 2010 is flying in the sky, the lighting control unit may control the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate with a first luminance when the speed of the moving body 2010 is less than a predetermined first speed, and control the first lighting unit 2104 to irradiate with a second luminance (>first luminance) when the speed of the moving body 2010 is equal to or greater than the first speed. According to this modification, the moving body 2010 is brightly illuminated when flying at high speed, improving visibility at a distance and reducing anxiety of people riding on the moving body 2010.

III. Third Aspect of the Present Invention The third aspect of the present invention will now be described based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 3)
13 to 15 are perspective views, plan views, and side views of a moving body 3010 for transporting people, which is equipped with a moving body presentation system according to the third embodiment. The moving body 3010 is configured to be capable of flying in the sky. In particular, in this embodiment, the moving body 3010 is configured to be capable of vertical ascent, vertical descent, and hovering in the air. The moving body 3010 is preferably further configured to be capable of traveling on the ground.

The moving body 3010 of this embodiment includes a vehicle 3012 on which people ride, a first rotor unit 3014a, a second rotor unit 3014b, a third rotor unit 3014c, and a fourth rotor unit 3014d. The number of rotor units is not particularly limited.

The first rotor unit 3014a, the second rotor unit 3014b, the third rotor unit 3014c, and the fourth rotor unit 3014d are respectively provided on the front right, front left, rear right, and rear left sides above the aircraft 3012. The first rotor unit 3014a and the second rotor unit 3014b, and the third rotor unit 3014c and the fourth rotor unit 3014d face each other in the left-right direction. The first rotor unit 3014a and the third rotor unit 3014c, and the second rotor unit 3014b and the fourth rotor unit 3014d face each other in the front-rear direction.

Each rotor unit includes a rotor 3016 for flying the moving body 3010 and a rotor cover 3018 for protecting the rotor 3016. The rotor 3016 is attached to the airframe 3012 so that the rotation axis is substantially aligned with the vertical direction. The rotor cover 3018 is substantially cylindrical and surrounds the rotor 3016 with two end faces facing substantially vertically.

A presentation unit 3102 of the mobile body presentation system, which will be described later, is provided on the outer periphery of the rotor cover 3018. In this embodiment, the presentation unit 3102 is a display, and is provided so as to be visible from outside the mobile body 3010, in particular, so that its display unit is visible from outside the mobile body 3010. In other words, the presentation unit 3102 is provided on the outer periphery of the rotor cover 3018, in a position that is not hidden by the rotor cover 3018 of another rotor unit. In other words, the presentation unit 3102 is provided on the surface of the outer periphery of the rotor cover 3018 that does not face the rotor cover 3018 of another rotor unit.

In this example, a presentation unit 3102 is provided on the front and right side of the rotor cover 3018 of the first rotor unit 3014a, the front and left side of the rotor cover 3018 of the second rotor unit 3014b, the back and right side of the rotor cover 3018 of the third rotor unit 3014c, and the back and left side of the rotor cover 3018 of the fourth rotor unit 3014d.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a presentation system 3100 for a moving object according to embodiment 3. The presentation system 3100 for a moving object includes a presentation unit 3102 and a presentation control unit 3104. The presentation control unit 3104 is housed inside the moving object 3010.

The presentation control unit 3104 is connected to the mobile unit control unit 3200 via a network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN). Information (flight information) S on the flight status is transmitted from the mobile unit control unit 3200 to the presentation control unit 3104. The flight information S may be transmitted at a predetermined cycle. The flight information S includes information indicating the direction of travel (forward, backward, upward, downward) of the mobile unit 3010 during flight, information indicating that the mobile unit 3010 is flying while hovering in the air waiting to land, and information indicating that an emergency has occurred in the mobile unit 3010. Note that an emergency situation includes, for example, a state in which the mobile unit 3010 has experienced a malfunction that requires landing.

The presentation control unit 3104 controls the presentation (display) of flight information by the presentation unit 3102. The presentation control unit 3104 presents (displays) the flight information transmitted from the mobile unit control unit 3200 to the presentation unit 3102 using any one of characters, figures, symbols, and colors, or any combination thereof.

The above is the basic configuration of the mobile object presentation system 3100. Next, the operation will be described.
17(a) to (e) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the mobile object presentation system 3100. FIG. 17(a) to (e) are left side views of a mobile object 3010 in flight. In FIG. 17(a), the mobile object 3010 flies parallel to the front (i.e., proceeds forward). In FIG. 17(b), the mobile object 3010 is flying upward (i.e., proceeds upward). In FIG. 17(c), the mobile object 3010 is flying downward (i.e., proceeds downward). In FIG. 17(d), the mobile object 3010 is flying in mid-air, stopping to wait for landing. In FIG. 17(e), an emergency occurs in the mobile object 3010 in flight.

In these examples, the presentation control unit 3104 presents flight information using graphics. Specifically, the presentation control unit 3104 presents a sideways arrow during parallel flight, an upward arrow during ascending flight, a downward arrow during descending flight, an hourglass mark when waiting to land, and an error mark in the event of an emergency. The graphics for each piece of flight information are not limited to these. The presentation control unit 3104 may use different colors for the graphics for each piece of flight information; for example, a sideways arrow during parallel flight may be presented in green, an upward arrow during ascending flight in red, a downward arrow during descending flight in blue, an hourglass mark when waiting to land in white, and an error mark in an emergency in yellow.

As a variant, the presentation control unit 3104 may present text as flight information together with a figure. Specifically, for example, the presentation control unit 3104 may present text such as "forward," "reverse," "ascend," "descend," "waiting to land," and "emergency" together with a figure. Of course, the presentation control unit 3104 may present these texts instead of figures.

As another variation, the presentation control unit 3104 may present flight information in color instead of graphics. Specifically, for example, the presentation control unit 3104 may cause a portion or the entire range of the display unit of the presentation unit 3102 to glow green during parallel flight, red during ascending flight, blue during descending flight, white when waiting to land, and yellow in an emergency.

Next, the effects of the present embodiment described above will be described. According to this embodiment, flight information of the moving body 3010 is presented on the presentation unit 3102 that is visible from outside the moving body 3010. This allows people on the ground and people riding on other moving bodies to understand the flight information of the moving body 3010, and allows them to prepare for evasive action to avoid contact with the moving body 3010.

In addition, according to this embodiment, information related to the traveling direction of the moving body 3010 is presented to the presentation unit 3102 as flight information. Here, when the moving body 3010 travels on the ground, the moving body 3010 travels along a road, so the traveling direction of the moving body 3010 can be accurately determined from the road shape. When the moving body 3010 flies in the sky, since there are no roads in the sky, the traveling direction of the moving body 3010 cannot be determined as in the case of traveling on the ground. In contrast, according to this embodiment, information related to the traveling direction is presented to the presentation unit 3102 as described above, so the traveling direction of the moving body 3010 during flight can be accurately determined.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, flight information is presented in graphical form on the presentation unit 3102. This allows people on the ground and people aboard other moving bodies to instantly grasp the flight information of the moving body 3010.

Next, we will explain some variations related to the third embodiment.

(Variation 1)
In the third embodiment, a case where one rotor cover surrounds one rotor has been described, but this is not limited thereto, and one rotor cover may surround multiple rotors. For example, the moving body 3010 may include four rotors and one rotor cover surrounding the four rotors. In this case, the presenting unit 3102 may be provided on the front, back, right side, and left side of the one rotor cover.

(Variation 2)
In the third embodiment and the above-mentioned modified example, the case where the presentation control unit 3104 presents, as flight information, information indicating the direction of travel of the moving body 3010, information indicating that the moving body 3010 is flying in midair waiting to land, and information indicating that an emergency has occurred in the moving body 3010 has been described, but the flight information presented by the presentation control unit 3104 is not limited to this. The presentation control unit 3104 may present at least one of various flight information including the above-mentioned three flight information. The various flight information may include information indicating that a landing operation is in progress, information indicating that a takeoff operation is in progress, information indicating that a state is waiting for takeoff, and information indicating that a deceleration is in progress.

(Variation 3)
Although not specifically mentioned in embodiment 3, the presentation control unit 3104 may present the new (planned) direction of travel to the presentation unit 3102 before changing the direction of travel, so that the presentation unit 3102 functions as a direction indicator.

In this case, the moving body 3010 may be provided with a turn signal switch capable of instructing to turn right and left as well as ascend and descend as a destination of the change in the traveling direction. The driver of the moving body 3010 inputs the new traveling direction to the turn signal switch before changing the traveling direction of the moving body 3010. Flight information S including information indicating the new traveling direction is transmitted from the moving body control unit 3200 to the presentation control unit 3104. When information indicating the new traveling direction is included in the flight information S, the presentation control unit 3104 presents the new traveling direction in a manner that is distinguishable from the current traveling direction of the moving body 3010. For example, the presentation control unit 3104 may display the current traveling direction of the moving body 3010 with a lit display, and may display the new traveling direction of the moving body 3010 with a blinking display. Note that when displaying the new traveling direction, the presentation control unit 3104 may display the new traveling direction instead of the current traveling direction, or may display the new traveling direction in addition to the current traveling direction.

Figure 18 is a diagram explaining the operation of a presentation system for a moving body according to a modified example. Figure 18 is a side view of a moving body 3010, showing the state immediately before it makes a left turn. In Figure 18, the moving body 3010 is flying parallel to the front (towards the left side of the paper in Figure 18), and the presentation unit 3102 displays a blinking arrow pointing to the left side (the front side of the paper in Figure 18) as seen from the moving body 3010. Drivers of other moving bodies can see that the moving body 3010 is about to make a left turn.

(Variation 4)
Although not specifically mentioned in the third embodiment, the presentation control unit 3104 may change the display mode of the flight information according to the flight speed of the moving object 3010. For example, the presentation control unit 3104 may display the flight information at a higher brightness as the flight speed of the moving object 3010 increases. In this case, the flight information can be confirmed even if the flight speed of the moving object 3010 is high.

(Variation 5)
In the third embodiment, the presentation unit 3102 of the presentation system for a moving object 3100 is described as a display, but is not limited thereto. The presentation unit 3102 may be, for example, a lamp unit, as long as it can present the flight state. FIG. 19 is a left side view showing a moving object 3010 according to another modified example. FIG. 19 corresponds to FIG. 15. The presentation unit 3102, which is a lamp unit, is configured to selectively irradiate light of multiple colors, for example, blue light, red light, green light, white light, and yellow light. The presentation control unit 3104 causes the presentation unit 3102 to irradiate red light during ascent, blue light during descent, green light during parallel flight, white light during stopped flight, and yellow light in an emergency.
According to this modification, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the third embodiment.

(Variation 6)
In the third embodiment and the above-mentioned modified example, the case where the presenting unit 3102 is provided on the rotor cover 3018 has been described, but the presenting unit 3102 is not limited to this. The presenting unit 3102 only needs to be provided so as to be visible from the outside, in other words, it only needs to be provided on the outer surface of the moving body 3010, and may be provided on the outer surface of the airframe 3012, for example.

IV. Fourth Aspect of the Present Invention The fourth aspect of the present invention will now be described based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 4)
20 and 21 are a perspective view and a side view of a moving body 4010 for transporting people. The moving body 4010 is configured to be capable of flying in the sky. In this embodiment, the moving body 4010 is configured to be capable of hovering in the air and vertically descending. The moving body 4010 is preferably further configured to be capable of traveling on the ground.

The moving body 4010 of this embodiment includes an airframe 4012 on which a person rides and four rotor units 4014. The number of rotor units 4014 is not particularly limited. Each rotor unit includes a rotor 4016 and a rotor cover 4018 for protecting the rotor 4016. The moving body 4010 flies as the rotor 4016 rotates.

The aircraft 4012 is provided with a landing lamp 4120 of the lighting system, which will be described later. The landing lamp 4120 may be attached in any position as long as it is capable of emitting light toward the ground G. In the illustrated example, the landing lamp 4120 is provided on the underside of the aircraft 4012. The landing lamp 4120 emits light toward the intended landing area A when the moving body 4010 lands.

Figure 22 is a block diagram of a lighting system 4100 according to embodiment 4. The lighting system 4100 is mounted on a moving body 4010. The lighting system 4100 includes a detection unit 4110, a landing lamp 4120, and a lighting control unit 4130. The actual lighting system 4100 includes low beams, high beams, etc., but these are omitted here. The landing lamp 4120 may be built into the same housing as these lamps, or may be built into a housing separate from these lamps.

The lighting control unit 4130 is connected to the mobile unit control unit 4200 via a network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN). Information on the flight status (flight information) S is transmitted from the mobile unit control unit 4200 to the lighting control unit 4130. The flight information S includes information indicating that the mobile unit 4010 is currently hovering in mid-air and waiting to land.

The detection unit 4110 detects objects present in the planned landing area A, such as people, other moving objects, and obstacles of a predetermined size or larger. In this embodiment, the detection unit 4110 includes a camera and an image processing unit. The image processing unit detects objects present in the planned landing area A by processing images captured by the camera.

The landing lamp 4120 includes a light source, receives a control signal S _CTRL indicating a pattern PTN from the lamp control unit 4130, irradiates a beam BM having an intensity distribution according to the pattern PTN downward, and forms an illuminance distribution (pattern PTN) on the ground G according to the control signal S _CTRL . The configuration of the landing lamp 4120 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a semiconductor light source such as an LD (laser diode) or an LED (light emitting diode), and a lighting circuit that drives and lights the semiconductor light source. The landing lamp 4120 may include a matrix-type pattern forming device such as a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) or a liquid crystal device in order to form an illuminance distribution according to the pattern PTN. Alternatively, the landing lamp 4120 may be an array of light emitting elements (also called μ-LEDs).

When the flight information S includes information indicating that the moving body 4010 is waiting to land, the lighting control unit 4130 controls the landing lamp 4120 to irradiate light onto the planned landing area A. When the detection unit 4110 detects an object in the planned landing area A, the lighting control unit 4130 irradiates the planned landing area A with light of a first mode to inform the planned landing area A and people in the planned landing area A that the moving body 4010 will land in the planned landing area A, in other words, to inform the planned landing area A and people in the planned landing area A and people in the surrounding area to move away from the planned landing area A. When the detection unit 4110 does not detect an object in the planned landing area A, the lighting control unit 4130 irradiates the planned landing area A with light of a second mode to inform the driver of the moving body 4010 that no object exists in the planned landing area A, in other words, to inform the driver that the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible.

For example, the first and second aspects of light may be light of a first and second color, respectively. Also, for example, the first and second aspects of light may be light that forms first and second shaped patterns in the intended landing area A, in other words, light that forms first and second illuminance distributions in the intended landing area A, respectively. Also, for example, the first and second aspects of light may be a lit light or a flashing light, respectively, or conversely, a flashing light or a lit light, respectively.

The shape of the planned landing area A is not particularly limited, but is at least a size and shape that encompasses the moving body 4010 in a planar view. In this embodiment, the planned landing area A is circular, and the circular range is illuminated with light from the landing lamp 4120. Note that the circular range illuminated with the light from the landing lamp 4120 can also be considered to be the planned landing area A.

The above is the basic configuration of the lighting system 4100. Next, the operation will be described.
23(a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of a pattern formed in the planned landing area A by the light emitted by the landing lamp 4120. As shown in FIG. 23(a), when the detection unit 4110 detects an object in the planned landing area A, light of a first color (e.g., red) is emitted to the planned landing area A. As shown in FIG. 24(b), when the detection unit 4110 does not detect an object in the planned landing area A, light of a second color (e.g., green) is emitted to the planned landing area A. If the object is a person or another moving body, it is possible to inform the moving body 4010 to move away from the planned landing area A (the area where the light is being emitted) in order to land by illuminating the planned landing area A. In addition, by making the color of the planned landing area A different depending on whether an object exists in the landing area or not, it is possible to inform the driver whether the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible.

24(a) and (b) are diagrams showing another example of a pattern formed in the planned landing area A by the light emitted by the landing lamp 4120. As shown in FIG. 24(a), when the detection unit 4110 detects an object in the planned landing area A, light is emitted to the planned landing area A so that a pattern of a first shape, for example, a pattern including a no-entry mark, is drawn. The first shape pattern may be a pattern including a no-entry mark. As shown in FIG. 24(b), when the detection unit 4110 does not detect an object in the planned landing area A, light is emitted to the planned landing area A so that a pattern of a second shape, for example, a pattern not including a no-entry mark, is drawn. If the object is a person or another moving body, the no-entry mark is drawn in the planned landing area A, so that the moving body 4010 can land and leave the planned landing area A (the area where the light is irradiated). In addition, if an object exists in the planned landing area A, a no-entry mark is drawn, and if no object exists, the no-entry mark is not drawn, so that the driver can be notified whether the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible. In addition to the shape of the pattern drawn in the planned landing area A, the color of the light may also be different. In other words, if an object is present in the planned landing area A, a pattern including a no-entry mark with a red base may be drawn, and if no object is present, a green pattern may be drawn.

25(a) and (b) are diagrams showing yet another example of a pattern formed in the planned landing area A by the light emitted by the landing lamp 4120. As shown in FIG. 25(a), when the detection unit 4110 detects an object in the planned landing area A, a lit light is irradiated to the planned landing area A. As shown in FIG. 25(b), when the detection unit 4110 does not detect an object in the planned landing area A, a flashing light is irradiated to the planned landing area A. For example, when an object is present in the planned landing area A, a pattern including a no-entry mark may be drawn in the planned landing area A with a lit light, and when no object is present, a pattern including a no-entry mark may be drawn in the planned landing area A with a flashing light. In this case, if the object is a person or another moving body, the no-entry mark continues to be displayed, and it is possible to notify the moving body 4010 to move away from the planned landing area A (the area where the light is irradiated) in order to land. In addition, if there is an object in the planned landing area A, the no entry mark will light up, and if there is no object, the no entry mark will flash, thereby notifying the driver whether or not the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible.

Next, the effects of the present embodiment described above will be described. According to this embodiment, if the object is a person or another moving body, the intended landing area A is drawn, and a warning can be given to move away from the intended landing area A.

In addition, according to this embodiment, different types of light are irradiated onto the planned landing area A depending on whether or not an object is present in the planned landing area A. This makes it possible to notify the driver whether or not the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible.

Next, we will explain some variations related to the fourth embodiment.

(Variation 1)
In the fourth embodiment, the case where the light of the first aspect is irradiated to the planned landing area A when an object exists in the planned landing area A, and the light of the second aspect is irradiated to the planned landing area A when an object does not exist has been described. However, the light of the first aspect may be irradiated to the planned landing area A for a predetermined time from the start of irradiation of the light to the planned landing area A, regardless of whether an object exists in the planned landing area A. In this case, even if an object does not exist in the planned landing area A from the beginning, the light of the first aspect is irradiated and then the light of the second aspect is irradiated, that is, the aspect of the light irradiated to the landing area changes, so that the driver of the moving body 4010 can easily grasp that the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible. Note that, as a further modified example, the light of the third aspect may be irradiated to the planned landing area A for a predetermined period from the start of irradiation of the light to the planned landing area. For example, for a predetermined period of time after starting to illuminate the intended landing area A with light, yellow light (light of the third aspect) is illuminated onto the intended landing area A, and thereafter, if an object is present in the intended landing area A, red light (light of the first aspect) is illuminated onto the intended landing area A, and if no object is present in the intended landing area A, green light (light of the second aspect) is illuminated onto the intended landing area A.

(Variation 2)
In embodiment 4, the detection unit 4110 includes a camera and detects an object based on the captured image, but the method of detecting an object is not particularly limited. For example, the detection unit 4110 may include a stereo camera, a ToF camera, a LiDAR, or an infrared sensor, and detect an object based on the detection results.

V. Fifth Aspect of the Present Invention The fifth aspect of the present invention will now be described based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 5)
26 and 27 are a perspective view and a side view of a moving body 5010 for transporting people. The moving body 5010 is configured to be capable of flying in the sky. In this embodiment, the moving body 5010 is configured to be capable of hovering in the air and vertically descending. The moving body 5010 is preferably further configured to be capable of traveling on the ground.

The moving body 5010 of this embodiment includes an airframe 5012 on which people ride and four rotor units 5014. The number of rotor units 5014 is not particularly limited. Each rotor unit includes a rotor 5016 and a rotor cover 5018 for protecting the rotor 5016. The moving body 5010 flies as the rotor 5016 rotates.

The aircraft 5012 is provided with a landing lamp 5120 of the lighting system, which will be described later. The landing lamp 5120 may be attached in any position as long as it is capable of emitting light toward the ground G. In the illustrated example, the landing lamp 5120 is provided on the underside of the aircraft 5012. The landing lamp 5120 emits light toward the intended landing area A when the moving body 5010 lands.

Figure 28 is a block diagram of a lighting system 5100 according to embodiment 5. The lighting system 5100 is mounted on a moving body 5010. The lighting system 5100 includes a first detection unit 5110, a second detection unit 5112, a landing lamp 5120, and a lighting control unit 5130. The actual lighting system 5100 includes low beams, high beams, etc., but these are omitted here. The landing lamp 5120 may be built into the same housing as these lamps, or may be built into a housing separate from these lamps.

The lighting control unit 5130 is connected to the mobile unit control unit 5200 via a network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN). Information on the flight status (flight information) S is transmitted from the mobile unit control unit 5200 to the lighting control unit 5130. The flight information S includes information indicating that the mobile unit 5010 is currently hovering in mid-air and waiting to land.

The first detection unit 5110 detects the topography of the planned landing area A (specifically, concave parts of the ground G that are at a predetermined depth or more and convex parts of the ground G that are at a predetermined height or more in the planned landing area A) and obstacles present in the planned landing area A (specifically, people, other moving bodies, and other objects of a predetermined size or more present in the planned landing area A). In this embodiment, the first detection unit 5110 includes a camera 5114 and an image processing unit 5116. The camera 5114 captures a pattern (hereinafter referred to as a reference pattern) that is drawn in the planned landing area A as described later and in which figures are regularly arranged. The reference pattern is not particularly limited, and may be a striped pattern or a lattice pattern in which linear or band-shaped figures are regularly arranged, or may be another pattern. The image processing unit 5116 detects the topography and obstacles in the planned landing area A by processing the image captured by the camera 5114. Specifically, the image processing unit 5116 detects them from the distortion of the reference pattern. Note that the image processing unit 5116 may be configured using a known technology. The first detection unit 5110 transmits the detection result to the lighting control unit 5130.

The image captured by the camera 5114 may be displayed on a specified display in the aircraft 5012. The driver may then visually check the reference pattern in the image displayed on the display to see if the reference pattern is distorted, thereby checking the topography of the planned landing area A and the presence or absence of obstacles. In this case, the first detection unit 5110 does not need to have an image processing unit 5116.

The second detection unit 5112 detects the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A (e.g., to the center position of the planned landing area A). The configuration of the second detection unit 5112 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a distance sensor. The second detection unit 5112 transmits the detection result to the lighting control unit 5130.

The landing lamp 5120 includes a light source, receives a control signal S _CTRL indicating a pattern PTN from the lamp control unit 5130, irradiates a beam BM having an intensity distribution according to the pattern PTN downward, and forms an illuminance distribution (pattern PTN) on the ground G according to the control signal S _CTRL . The configuration of the landing lamp 5120 is not particularly limited, and may include, for example, a semiconductor light source such as an LD (laser diode) or an LED (light emitting diode), and a lighting circuit that drives and lights the semiconductor light source. The landing lamp 5120 may include a matrix-type pattern forming device such as a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) or a liquid crystal device in order to form an illuminance distribution according to the pattern PTN. Alternatively, the landing lamp 5120 may be an array of light emitting elements (also called μ-LEDs).

When the flight information S includes information indicating that the moving body 5010 is waiting to land, the lighting control unit 5130 controls the landing lamp 5120 to emit light to draw a reference pattern in the planned landing area A. As described above, the first detection unit 5110 detects the topography of the planned landing area A and obstacles present in the planned landing area A based on the reference pattern drawn in the planned landing area A.

When the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible, the lighting control unit 5130 notifies the driver of the moving body 5010 that the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible, and irradiates the planned landing area A with light of a predetermined type to inform people on the ground, such as pedestrians and drivers of other moving bodies, to move away from the planned landing area A without entering the planned landing area A. The lighting control unit 5130 then changes the type of light irradiated to the planned landing area A depending on the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A. For example, when the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible, the lighting control unit 5130 first irradiates the planned landing area A with light of a first type, and irradiates the planned landing area A with light of a second type when the second detection unit 5112 detects that the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A is less than a predetermined threshold distance.

For example, the first and second aspects of light may be light of a first and second color, respectively. Also, for example, the first and second aspects of light may be light of a first and second pattern shape, respectively, in the planned landing area A, in other words, light that forms a first and second illuminance distribution in the planned landing area A. Also, for example, the first and second aspects of light may be a lit light or a flashing light, respectively, or conversely, a flashing light or a lit light, respectively.

The lighting control unit 5130 may change the mode of light irradiated to the planned landing area A in two or more stages depending on the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A. For example, when the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A becomes less than the first threshold distance (but not less than the second threshold distance), the lighting control unit 5130 may change the light irradiated from the landing lamp 5120 from the first mode (e.g., yellow) to the second mode (e.g., orange), and when the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A becomes less than the second threshold, the lighting control unit 5130 may change the light irradiated from the landing lamp 5120 from the second mode to a third mode (e.g., red). The lighting control unit 5130 may also change the mode of light irradiated to the planned landing area A steplessly. For example, the lighting control unit 5130 may change the light emitted from the landing lamp 5120 steplessly from a first mode (yellow) to a second mode (red) depending on the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A.

The shape of the planned landing area A is not particularly limited, but is at least a size and shape that encompasses the moving body 5010 in a planar view. The planned landing area A may be a size according to the size of the moving body 5010, for example, a size in which the moving body 5010 is inscribed in a planar view, or a size obtained by multiplying the inscribed size by a predetermined margin. The planned landing area A may also be a circle, a rectangle, a shape that is substantially the same as or similar to the moving body 5010 in a planar view, or another shape. Light from the landing lamp 5120 is irradiated onto the planned landing area A. The area irradiated with light from the landing lamp 5120 can also be considered to be the planned landing area A.

Figures 29(a) and (b) are diagrams showing an example of a reference pattern drawn on the planned landing area A by the light emitted by the landing lamp 5120. Here, the reference pattern is a striped pattern. In Figure 29(a), there are no significant irregularities on the ground G of the planned landing area A and no obstacles exist in the planned landing area A, so an ideal striped pattern with virtually no distortion is drawn. In Figure 29(b), there are significant irregularities on the ground of the planned landing area A or there are obstacles in the planned landing area A, so a distorted striped pattern is drawn in the parts that illuminate them.

Figures 30(a) to (d) are diagrams showing how the landing lamp 5120 of the moving body 5010 emits light. Figures 30(a) and (b) show how the moving body 5010 descends vertically to land, with Figure 30(b) showing a state where it is further down than Figure 30(a). Figures 30(c) and (d) show how the moving body 5010 descends while moving forward to land, with Figure 30(d) showing a state where it is further down than Figure 30(c).
30(a) and (b), the lighting device control unit 5130 keeps the illumination range substantially constant by increasing the illumination angle α according to the distance to the planned landing area A. Similarly, in Fig. 30(a) and (b), the lighting device control unit 5130 keeps the illumination range substantially constant by increasing the illumination angle β according to the distance to the planned landing area A. In other words, regardless of the distance to the planned landing area, an area of a substantially constant size is illuminated as the planned landing area A.

The above is the basic configuration of the lighting system 5100. Next, the operation will be described.
31(a) to (c) are diagrams for explaining the time series of the operation of the lighting system 5100. In Fig. 31(a), a reference pattern is drawn in the planned landing area A. The first detection unit 5110 detects the topography of the planned landing area A and obstacles present in the planned landing area A based on the reference pattern.

If there are no significant irregularities in the planned landing area A and no obstacles, in other words if the safety of the planned landing area A is confirmed, a first type of light (e.g., yellow) is irradiated onto the planned landing area A as shown in FIG. 31(b). When the light irradiated onto the planned landing area A becomes the first type of light, the driver of the moving body 5010 can understand that landing is possible.

When the moving body 5010 descends to land and the distance from the moving body 5010 to the planned landing area A becomes equal to or less than the threshold distance, the second type of light (e.g., red) is irradiated onto the planned landing area A as shown in FIG. 31(c). This allows people on the ground to know that the moving body 5010 is about to land.

Next, the effects of the present embodiment described above will be described. According to this embodiment, the manner in which light is irradiated onto the planned landing area A changes depending on the distance from the moving body 5010 to the landing area, so that people on the ground can know that the landing of the moving body 5010 is imminent.

In addition, according to this embodiment, a reference pattern is projected onto the planned landing area A, so it is possible to determine whether or not landing is possible in the planned landing area A based on the reference pattern.

Next, we will explain some variations related to embodiment 5.

(Variation 1)
The timing for drawing the reference pattern is not limited to that in embodiment 5. For example, the reference pattern in Fig. 31(a) may be drawn at a timing between Fig. 31(b) and Fig. 31(c).

The light irradiated to the planned landing area A to warn people on the ground to move away from the planned landing area A may be light that draws a reference pattern. Specifically, for example, the first type of light that draws a reference pattern (e.g., striped pattern) of a first color (e.g., yellow) may be irradiated to check the topography and the presence or absence of obstacles in the planned landing area A to check whether the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible, and if the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible, the second type of light that draws a reference pattern of a second color (e.g., orange) may be irradiated, and when the distance between the moving body 5010 and the planned landing area A becomes equal to or less than the threshold distance, the third type of light that draws a reference pattern of a third color (e.g., red) may be irradiated. In a case where the first detection unit 5110 does not have the image processing unit 5116 and the driver visually checks the reference pattern to check whether the planned landing area A is in a state where landing is possible, the first type of light and the second type of light may be the same.

The present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiment, but the embodiment merely illustrates one aspect of the principles and applications of the present invention, and many modifications and changes in arrangement are permitted to the embodiment without departing from the concept of the present invention as defined in the claims.

The present invention can be used in lighting fixtures for moving objects, lighting systems, and presentation systems for moving objects.

100: Mobile lighting fixture, 120: Spot lamp, 150: Lighting fixture control unit, 160: Detection unit, 300: Lighting fixture system.

Claims (4)

A lighting system mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of traveling on the ground and flying in the air,
a first lamp unit whose illumination angle in the left and right directions is variable;
a control unit that controls the first lamp unit so that, when the moving object is flying in the air, the first lamp unit irradiates light at a larger irradiation angle in the left-right direction than when the moving object is traveling on the ground;
A lighting system comprising: A lighting system mounted on a moving body configured to be capable of traveling on the ground and flying in the air,
A first lamp unit;
A second lamp unit having a smaller illumination angle in the left-right direction than the first lamp unit;
a control unit that turns on the first lamp unit when the moving object is flying in the air and turns on the second lamp unit when the moving object is traveling on the ground;
A lighting system comprising: The lighting system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit increases the luminance of the first lighting unit when the moving object is flying at a predetermined altitude or higher than when the moving object is flying at a lower altitude. The first lamp unit has a variable illumination angle in an up-down direction,
The lighting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control unit increases the vertical illumination angle of the first lighting unit when the moving body is ascending or descending compared to when the moving body is flying at a substantially constant altitude.

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