This system for detecting the surrounding conditions of a moving body forcibly changes the state of at least one of a plurality of lighting devices (change from an unlit sate to a lighting state or a blinking state, change in the emission color, or change in the luminance) installed inside the moving body, if an object to which attention must be paid during traveling of the moving body is detected in the surroundings of the moving body.

A light bar for a motor vehicle has a plurality of lights mounted to an elongated support member is rotatably connected to opposing end walls of a rectangular frame. An offset cam is connected to the support member and moved by an actuating mechanism between a first and second position which cause the support member and lights to rotate about an axis to corresponding first and second positions. When the support frame and lights are in a first position they are shielded by and substantially enclosed by the sides and ends of the rectangular frame, and when in a second position the lights extend above and generally parallel to the rectangular frame to shine above and forward of the rectangular frame. A power switch energizes the actuating mechanism to move the lights and support member between the first and second positions.

A light bar for a motor vehicle has a plurality of lights mounted to an elongated support member is rotatably connected to opposing end walls of a rectangular frame. An offset cam is connected to the support member and moved by an actuating mechanism between a first and second position which cause the support member and lights to rotate about an axis to corresponding first and second positions. When the support frame and lights are in a first position they are shielded by and substantially enclosed by the sides and ends of the rectangular frame, and when in a second position the lights extend above and generally parallel to the rectangular frame to shine above and forward of the rectangular frame. A power switch energizes the actuating mechanism to move the lights and support member between the first and second positions.

An automobile lighting unit is provided that includes a lighting device provided with one or more OLED light sources, and an electronic device configured in such a way as to control an OLED light source by means of a pilot signal which has a trailing edge wherein the pilot signal varies between a high value and a low value, to determine an electrical quantity indicative of the electrical behaviour of the OLED light source in a measurement time interval (toff) following the trailing edge of said pilot signal, and to determine a failure condition of the OLED light source on the basis of an electrical quantity.

An automobile lighting unit is provided that includes a lighting device provided with one or more OLED light sources, and an electronic device configured in such a way as to control an OLED light source by means of a pilot signal which has a trailing edge wherein the pilot signal varies between a high value and a low value, to determine an electrical quantity indicative of the electrical behaviour of the OLED light source in a measurement time interval (toff) following the trailing edge of said pilot signal, and to determine a failure condition of the OLED light source on the basis of an electrical quantity.

A vehicle lamp comprises a light source, a drive circuit, a CPU, and a gradual varying controller. The drive circuit supplies a driving current to a light source according to a dimming signal. The CPU generates a turn on or off ordering signal that instructs the light source to be turned on or off according to an instruction from a vehicle and information that indicates a driving situation. The gradual varying controller generates the dimming signal that varies gradually with time in response to the turn on or off ordering signal. The vehicle lamp can be switched between a first mode in which the light source is turned off momentarily and a second mode in which the light source is turned off gradually.

A vehicle assembly includes, among other things, a lighting assembly moveable back and forth between an attached position and a detached position. The lighting assembly spans from a first rail assembly of a vehicle to a second rail assembly of the vehicle when the lighting assembly is in the attached position. A vehicle lighting method includes, when a lighting assembly is in an attached position, engaging a first end portion of the lighting assembly with a first rail assembly of a vehicle, and when the lighting assembly is in the attached position, engaging an opposite, second end portion of the lighting assembly with a second rail assembly of the vehicle. The lighting assembly is configured to illuminate an area adjacent a vehicle when the lighting assembly is in the attached position.

A vehicle assembly includes, among other things, a lighting assembly moveable back and forth between an attached position and a detached position. The lighting assembly spans from a first rail assembly of a vehicle to a second rail assembly of the vehicle when the lighting assembly is in the attached position. A vehicle lighting method includes, when a lighting assembly is in an attached position, engaging a first end portion of the lighting assembly with a first rail assembly of a vehicle, and when the lighting assembly is in the attached position, engaging an opposite, second end portion of the lighting assembly with a second rail assembly of the vehicle. The lighting assembly is configured to illuminate an area adjacent a vehicle when the lighting assembly is in the attached position.

In order to provide a vehicle in which a side road area of the vehicle to be watched by a side area watching camera is illuminated by a side area illumination lamp for illuminating a foot area of a man climbing into the vehicle when the vehicle is parked or driven carefully on an alley or a mountain road in the darkness, the vehicle is equipped with the side area illumination lamp for illuminating a side road area, a side area watching camera for watching the side road area, a navigation display and an electronic control unit, whereby the side area illumination lamp is put on when a man approaches the vehicle as well as when the vehicle is being driven at a vehicle speed less than a certain low threshold speed with the side area watching camera being made on.

Methods and apparatus for driving an emitter array are described. A method includes determining a thermal environment profile for a plurality of emitters of the emitter array, computing a current pulse profile for at least one of the plurality of emitters based on the thermal environment profile, and applying a current pulse with the computed current pulse profile to the at least one of plurality of emitters.