CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-094183, filed on May 29, 2020, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Certain embodiments relate to an lighting device, a vehicle, and a method of casting light.

Lighting devices that are installed in vehicles and cast light on a road surface to form patterns have been developed in recent years. There is a demand that such a lighting device should be actualized using a small number of parts. See, for example, Patent Publication WO 2014/008523.

SUMMARY

An object of the present embodiments is therefore to provide an lighting device and a vehicle that can form a pattern on a surface using a small number of parts, and a method of casting light.

A lighting device according to an embodiment includes

a light source, a reflector, an actuator, and a controller. The reflector has a first reflection surface that is curved in a concave shape, and is configured to receive light emitted from the light source. The actuator is configured to rotate the reflector with an axis passing through the light source being a rotation axis. The controller is configured to keep the light source on over a time shorter than a rotation period of the reflector according to a rotation angle of the reflector while controlling e actuator to rotate the reflector. A casting direction of light emitted from the first reflection surface is inclined with respect to an extension direction of the rotation axis.

A vehicle according to an embodiment includes the lighting device.

A method of casting light according to an embodiment includes

keeping a light source on over a time shorter than a rotation period of a reflector according to a rotation angle of the reflector while rotating the reflector with an axis passing through the light source being a rotation axis. The reflector has a first reflection surface that is curved in a concave shape and configured to receive light emitted from the light source. In the step of keeping a light source on, a casting direction of light emitted from the first reflection surface is inclined with respect to an extension direction of the rotation axis.

These embodiments can provide a lighting device and a vehicle that can form a pattern on a pattern surface using a small number of parts, and a method of casting light.

