Vehicular lighting device

Abstract

A first light source illuminates a first region. A second light source is configured to provide lower luminance than that of the first light source. The second light source illuminates a second region that overlaps the first region, and that has a larger area than that of the first region. A lighting circuit drives the first light source and the second light source according to a common lighting instruction. The lighting circuit gradually turns on the first light source and the second light source with different gradual changing time periods in response to the lighting instruction.

1 .- 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A vehicular lighting device comprising:
 a light source comprising a laser diode; and   a lighting circuit structured to supply a driving current to the laser diode,   wherein the lighting circuit is structured to be switchable between a normal mode in which a driving current that exceeds an oscillation threshold value is supplied to the laser diode and a test mode in which a driving current that is lower than the oscillation threshold value is steadily supplied to the laser diode.   
     
     
         10 . The vehicular lighting device according to  claim 9 , further comprising a processor structured to receive a lighting on/off instruction for the light source from a vehicular ECU (Electronic Control Unit) via a bus,
 wherein the processor is set to the test mode according to control received via the bus.   
     
     
         11 . The vehicular lighting device according to  claim 9 , wherein the light source comprises a fluorescent member structured to be excited by an excitation light output from the laser diode and to emit a fluorescent light, in addition to the laser diode,
 and wherein the light source is structured to generate a white output light comprising a spectrum of the excitation light and the fluorescent light.   
     
     
         12 . A lighting device system comprising:
 a vehicular lighting device comprising a light source comprising a laser diode and a lighting circuit structured to supply a driving current to the laser diode; and   a vehicular ECU (Electronic Control Unit) structured to control the vehicular lighting device,   wherein the vehicular lighting device is structured to steadily supply, to the laser diode, a driving current with a current value that is smaller than an oscillation threshold value in response to an instruction from the vehicular ECU, so as to instruct the laser diode to emit light in a non-oscillation state.   
     
     
         13 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The vehicular lighting device according to  claim 10 , wherein the light source comprises a fluorescent member structured to be excited by an excitation light output from the laser diode and to emit a fluorescent light, in addition to the laser diode,
 and wherein the light source is structured to generate a white output light comprising a spectrum of the excitation light and the fluorescent light.