JP2005029053A - Auto light system for automobile and auto light controller used for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an auto light system for an automobile capable of turning on a light at a set illuminance in accordance with a condition such as weather. <P>SOLUTION: An auto light controller 20 is provided with a light detecting part 21 detecting the illuminance of the light from outside, a mode switching part 22 for switching to make a selection between a first mode to turn on the lights 11, 12 when the illuminance detected by the light detecting part 21 is less than the prescribed first set illuminance and a second mode to turn on the lights 11, 12 when the detected illuminance is less than the prescribed second set illuminance more than the first set illuminance, and a control main body part 24 to turn on the lights 11, 12 when the illuminance detected by the light detecting part 21 is less than the prescribed first set illuminance or the second set illuminance based on the mode selected by the mode switching part 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile autolight system and an autolight controller used therefor.

  Auto light systems for automobiles detect the illuminance of light from outside the vehicle and automatically turn on the light when the illuminance falls below a preset set illuminance, while the illuminance is higher than the preset set illuminance It automatically turns off the light when it becomes. More specifically, when the illuminance falls below a predetermined taillight lighting setting illuminance, the taillight is turned on, and when the illuminance becomes lower than the headlight lighting setting illuminance lower than the taillight lighting setting illuminance While the headlight is turned on, the headlight is turned off when the illuminance is higher than the specified headlight turn-off setting illuminance, and the illuminance is higher than the taillight turn-off setting illuminance higher than the headlight turn-off setting illuminance. Turn off the taillight when

In Patent Document 1, each of the plurality of light receiving sensors is provided at a predetermined position of the vehicle, and the brightness of the vehicle traveling direction is estimated based on the light receiving light intensity information from each light receiving sensor, and the estimation result is determined according to the estimation result. An auto light control device having a control unit capable of controlling the turning on / off of light is disclosed. And according to this, it is described that it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as turning on for a moment during daytime turning off or turning off for a moment while turning on at night.
JP 9-315209 A

  By the way, in some areas, it is recommended to drive the car (DRL) with the headlights on day and night for safety. However, there is a load on the battery and light bulbs. There is a concern that the lifetime of the product will be extremely short. On the other hand, in the case of rainy weather and the like, the visibility is remarkably lower than that in fine weather, so it may be desired to turn on the headlight if the illuminance is reduced to some extent even during the daytime.

  However, the illuminance setting when the light is turned on in the autolight system is normally assumed to be at sunset, so it is relatively low, and is not fixed by the user and is fixed. Is. Therefore, in such a case, the light must be turned on manually.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to provide an auto light system for an automobile capable of turning on a light with a set illuminance corresponding to a situation such as weather and an automobile equipped with the same. And an auto light controller used therefor.

The present invention that achieves the above object includes a first mode in which a light is turned on when the illuminance of light from outside the vehicle becomes darker than a predetermined first set illuminance;
A second mode in which the light is turned on when the illuminance of light from outside the vehicle becomes darker than a predetermined second set illuminance brighter than the first set illuminance;
Is an auto light system of an automobile configured to be switchable.

  According to the above configuration, since the first mode and the second mode can be switched, for example, when visibility in rainy weather or the like is extremely low, by selecting the second mode, it is possible to select the second mode. You can also turn on the light at a brighter stage. That is, the light can be turned on with the set illuminance according to the weather and other conditions.

As an auto light controller that constitutes this auto light system,
A light detection unit for detecting the illuminance of light from the outside,
A first mode in which the light is turned on when the detected illuminance at the light detection unit becomes darker than a predetermined first set illuminance; and a predetermined second set illuminance where the detected illuminance is brighter than the first set illuminance A mode switching unit for switching between the second mode in which the light is turned on when dark, and the selection switching;
Based on the mode selected by the mode switching unit, a control main body unit that turns on the light when the detected illuminance at the light detection unit becomes darker than a predetermined first set illuminance or second set illuminance,
What is necessary is just to use.

  The present invention is preferably configured so that the setting of the first set illuminance and / or the second set illuminance can be changed.

  According to the above configuration, in the first mode or the second mode, it is possible to freely set the illuminance at which the light is lit according to the driver's own preference.

  The auto light controller may further include a set illuminance adjusting unit for changing the setting of the first set illuminance and / or the second set illuminance.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that lighting or non-lighting of the light is visible in the vehicle.

  In order to check whether the autolight system is working properly and the lights are on, it is necessary to go outside the vehicle, especially before sunset. However, according to the above configuration, it is possible to confirm whether the light is on or off while in the vehicle.

  The auto light controller may be further provided with a light lighting state display section that indicates whether the light is on or off.

  As described above, according to the present invention, for example, when the visibility is extremely low such as rainy weather, by setting the set illuminance higher than that in sunny weather, the light is brightened at a stage brighter than that in sunny weather. Can be lit. That is, the light can be turned on with the set illuminance according to the weather and other conditions.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an automobile 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The automobile 10 has an auto light controller 20 mounted on a front dashboard, and thus an auto light controller system for automatically controlling the turning on and off of the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 is provided. Yes.

  2 and 3 show the external appearance of the auto light controller 20. FIG. 4 shows the configuration.

  The auto light controller 20 has a substantially semi-elliptical disk-shaped casing, and is provided on the upper surface of the light detection unit 21, and on the left side thereof, a mode switch (mode switching unit) 22 and set illuminance. An adjustment dial (set illuminance adjustment unit) 23 is provided, and a mode indicator 25, a taillight indicator 26, and a headlight indicator 27 are provided in order from left to right on the front.

  The auto light controller 20 detects the illuminance of light from outside the vehicle by the light detection unit 21, and the headlight when the CPU (control main body) 24 determines that the illuminance of the light is darker than a predetermined set illuminance. 11 and the taillight 12 are turned on, and the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned off when the CPU 24 determines that the illuminance of the light is higher than a predetermined set illuminance.

  For example, a photodiode is provided in the light detection unit 21 as the light receiving element 21a. The light receiving element 21a is connected to the CPU 24 via the photoelectric conversion circuit 21b. Thereby, the light received from the outside by the light receiving element 21a is converted into an electric signal according to the illuminance by the photoelectric conversion circuit 21b, and is input to the CPU 24 for A / D conversion.

  The mode switch 22 and the set illuminance adjustment dial 23 are connected to an input interface 24a of the CPU 24, respectively.

  The mode change-over switch 22 is a push button type. By pressing this, the normal mode (first mode), the simple DRL mode (second mode), and the auto light off mode are sequentially switched as shown in FIG. Switch to click. Specifically, in the normal mode, as shown in FIG. 6, when the illuminance becomes lower than a predetermined taillight lighting setting illuminance (hereinafter referred to as “TL lighting setting illuminance”), the taillight 12 is turned on. When the illuminance becomes lower than the headlight lighting setting illuminance (hereinafter referred to as “HL lighting setting illuminance”) (first setting illuminance) lower than the TL lighting setting setting illuminance, the headlight 11 is turned on. Further, when the illuminance is higher than a predetermined headlight extinction setting illuminance (hereinafter referred to as “HL extinction setting illuminance”) (higher than the TL illumination setting illuminance), the headlight 11 is extinguished, and the illuminance is HL extinction. The taillight 12 is turned off when it becomes higher than the taillight extinction setting illuminance (hereinafter referred to as “TL extinction setting illuminance”) (second setting illuminance) higher than the set illuminance. In the simple DRL mode, both the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned on when the illuminance becomes lower than the TL lighting setting illuminance. Further, when the illuminance becomes higher than the TL extinction set illuminance, both the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are extinguished. In the auto light off mode, the headlight 11 and taillight 12 are not controlled to be turned on and off, and therefore the headlight 11 and taillight 12 must be turned on and off manually. Here, in the simple DRL mode, the headlight 11 is turned on in a state where the illuminance is higher than that in the normal mode, and DRL (Day Running Lights), that is, driving the vehicle with the headlight on even in the daytime. Since it is approximate, it is called this name.

  By turning the setting illuminance adjustment dial 23, the settings of the TL lighting setting illuminance, the TL lighting setting illuminance, the HL lighting setting illuminance, and the HL lighting setting illuminance can be changed. Specifically, for example, if the TL lighting setting illuminance is higher, the taillight 12 is turned on in the normal mode, and the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned on in a brighter stage in the simple DRL mode. Further, when the TL extinction setting illuminance is higher, the taillight 12 is turned off in the normal mode, and the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned off in a brighter stage in the simple DRL mode. Therefore, this allows the driver to freely turn on the headlight 11 or the taillight 12 and how much illumination to turn off the headlight 11 or the taillight 12 according to his / her preference. Can be set to The setting illuminance is not changed by the setting illuminance adjustment dial 23, but the setting illuminance is changed by mechanically adjusting the amount of received light incident on the light receiving element 21a, that is, by adjusting the amount of received light with a diaphragm. There may be.

  The mode indicator 25, the taillight indicator 26, and the headlight indicator 27 are light emitting diodes (LEDs), and are connected to the output interface 24b of the CPU 24, respectively. The mode indicator 25 is lit when the normal mode or the simple DRL mode is selected by the mode switch 22. The headlight indicator 27 is lighted when the CPU 24 emits an output to the headlight 11 connected to the output interface 24b. Similarly, the taillight indicator 26 is turned on when the CPU 24 emits an output to the taillight 12 connected to the output interface 24b.

  A memory 28 is connected to the CPU 24, and information such as the TL lighting setting illuminance and information on which of the normal mode, the simple DRL mode, and the auto light off mode are held in the memory 28. ing. The information is retained even after the ignition of the automobile 10 is turned off. Therefore, when the ignition of the automobile 10 is turned on, the mode at the time of the previous ignition OFF can be read into the CPU 24. As shown in FIG. 4, the lines are connected so that a vehicle signal such as an ignition of the automobile 10 is input to the input interface 24 a of the CPU 24.

  Next, control of the auto light control system by the auto light controller 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The process starts when the ignition is turned on. First, in step A1, the mode when the previous ignition was turned off is read from the memory 28.

  In the following step A2, it is determined whether or not there is a switching input by the mode changeover switch 22. If NO, the process proceeds to the subsequent step A3. In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step A4 to perform mode switching, and then proceeds to step A5 to write the mode in the memory 28 and then proceeds to step A3.

  In step A3, it is determined whether or not the mode is the auto light off mode. If NO, the process proceeds to step A6, the mode indicator 25 is lit, and the process proceeds to subsequent step A8. If YES, the process proceeds to step A7, the mode indicator 25 is turned off, and the process proceeds to step A16.

  In Step A8, the illuminance of light from outside the vehicle by the light detection unit 21 is read, and the process proceeds to Step A9.

  In step A9, it is determined whether or not the mode is the normal mode.

  In the case of YES at step A9, the normal mode is recognized at subsequent step A10, and it is determined at step A11 whether or not the taillight 12 is lit. If NO in step A11, it is determined that both the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned off, and the process proceeds to the subsequent step A12. If YES in step A11, the process proceeds to subroutine B.

  In step A12, it is determined whether the illuminance satisfies the taillight lighting condition, that is, whether the TL lighting constant illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether the illuminance is lower than the TL lighting constant illuminance. If YES, the process proceeds to step A13 to turn on the taillight 12 and the taillight indicator 26, and then proceeds to step A14. If NO, the process proceeds to step A16.

  In step A15, it is determined whether the illuminance satisfies the headlight lighting condition, that is, whether the HL lighting setting illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether the illuminance is lower than the HL lighting setting illuminance. If YES, the process proceeds to step A15 to turn on the headlight 11 and the headlight indicator 27, and then proceed to step A16. If NO, the process proceeds to step A16.

  In subroutine B, in step B1, it is determined whether or not the headlight 11 is lit. If NO in step B1, it is determined that only the taillight 12 is lit, and the process proceeds to step B2. If YES in step B1, the headlight 11 and taillight 12 are both lit and the process proceeds to step B6.

  In step B2, it is determined whether or not the illuminance satisfies the headlight extinction condition, that is, the HL extinction set illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether or not the illuminance is higher than the HL extinction set illuminance. If YES, the process proceeds to step B3, the headlight 11 is turned off, the headlight indicator 27 is also turned off, and the process proceeds to the subsequent step B4. If NO, the process proceeds to step A16.

  In step B4, it is determined whether or not the illuminance satisfies the taillight extinction condition, that is, the TL extinction setting illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether or not the illuminance is higher than the TL extinction setting illuminance. If YES, the process proceeds to step B5, the taillight 12 is turned off and the taillight indicator 26 is also turned off, and the process proceeds to step A16. If NO, the process proceeds to step A16.

  In Step B6, it is determined whether or not the illuminance satisfies the taillight extinction condition, that is, whether the TL extinction setting illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether or not the illuminance is higher than the TL extinction setting illuminance. If YES, the process proceeds to step B7, the taillight 12 is turned off, the taillight indicator 26 is also turned off, and the process proceeds to step A16. In the case of NO, the process proceeds to the subsequent step B8.

  In Step B8, it is determined whether or not the illuminance satisfies the headlight lighting condition, that is, whether or not the HL lighting setting illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether the illuminance is lower than the HL lighting setting illuminance. In the case of YES, the process proceeds to Step B9, the headlight 11 is turned on and the headlight indicator 27 is also turned on, and the process proceeds to Step A16. If NO, the process proceeds to step A16.

  In the case of NO at step A9, it is recognized at step A17 that it is in the simple DRL mode, and it is determined at step A18 whether the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are lit.

  If YES in step A18, it is determined that both the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are lit, and the process proceeds to step A19.

  In step A19, it is determined whether or not the illuminance satisfies the light extinction condition, that is, whether the TL extinction setting illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether the illuminance is higher than the TL extinction setting illuminance. In the case of YES, the process proceeds to Step A20, the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned off, the headlight indicator 27 and the taillight indicator 26 are also turned off, and the process proceeds to Step A16. If NO, the process proceeds to step A16.

  If NO in step A18, it is determined that both the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned off, and the process proceeds to step A21.

  In Step A21, it is determined whether or not the illuminance satisfies the light lighting condition, that is, whether or not the TL lighting setting illuminance is read from the memory 28 and whether the illuminance is lower than the TL lighting setting illuminance. In the case of YES, the process proceeds to step A22, the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned on, the headlight indicator 27 and the taillight indicator 26 are also turned on, and the process proceeds to step A16. If NO, the process proceeds to step A16.

  In step A16, it is determined whether or not the ignition is OFF. If YES, the process ends. If NO, the process returns to step A2.

  According to the auto light control system as described above, it is possible to switch between the normal mode and the simple DRL mode. For example, when the visibility is extremely low such as rainy weather, by selecting the simple DRL mode, The headlight 11 can be turned on at a brighter stage than the time. That is, the headlight 11 can be turned on with the set illuminance according to the situation such as the weather.

  In addition, since the TL lighting setting illuminance and the TL lighting setting illuminance, and the HL lighting setting illuminance and the HL lighting setting illuminance can be changed, the head can be changed according to each of various situations. Lighting control of the light 11 and the taillight 12 can be performed.

  Further, since the headlight indicator 27 and the taillight indicator 26 can visually recognize whether the headlight 11 and the taillight 12 are turned on or off, whether or not the autolight system is operating normally and the lights are turned on. You can check without going out.

  In the present embodiment, the three modes are switched. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this, and more modes may be switched.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for an automobile autolight system and an autolight controller used therefor.

1 is a side view of an automobile according to an embodiment. It is a perspective view of an auto light controller. It is a front view of an auto light controller. It is a block diagram of a structure of an auto light controller. It is explanatory drawing which shows the switching of the mode by a mode switch. It is explanatory drawing which shows each lighting control of a headlight and a taillight. It is a flowchart which shows the main routine of control by an autolight controller. It is a flowchart which shows the subroutine of control by an autolight controller.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Car 11 Headlight 12 Taillight 20 Auto light controller 21 Light detection part 21a Light receiving element 21b Photoelectric conversion circuit 22 Mode changeover switch (mode changeover part)
23 Setting illuminance adjustment dial (Setting illuminance adjustment section)
24 CPU (control body)
24a Input interface 24b Output interface 25 Mode indicator 26 Taillight indicator 27 Headlight indicator 28 Memory

Claims (6)

A first mode for turning on the light when the illuminance of light from outside the vehicle becomes darker than a predetermined first set illuminance;
A second mode in which the light is turned on when the illuminance of light from outside the vehicle becomes darker than a predetermined second set illuminance brighter than the first set illuminance;
Auto-light system for automobiles that can be switched. The automobile autolight system according to claim 1,
An automobile autolight system configured to be able to change the setting of the first set illuminance and / or the second set illuminance. The automobile autolight system according to claim 1,
An auto light system for an automobile, wherein the lighting or non-lighting of the light is configured to be visible in the vehicle. An auto light controller that controls the automatic lighting of automobile lights,
A light detection unit for detecting the illuminance of light from the outside,
A first mode in which the light is turned on when the detected illuminance at the light detection unit becomes darker than a predetermined first set illuminance; and a predetermined second set illuminance where the detected illuminance is brighter than the first set illuminance A mode switching unit for switching between the second mode in which the light is turned on when dark, and the selection switching;
Based on the mode selected by the mode switching unit, a control main body unit that turns on the light when the detected illuminance at the light detection unit becomes darker than a predetermined first set illuminance or second set illuminance,
With auto light controller. In the autolight controller of the automobile according to claim 4,
An auto light controller further comprising a setting illuminance adjusting unit for changing the setting of the first setting illuminance and / or the second setting illuminance. In the autolight controller of the automobile according to claim 4,
An auto light controller, further comprising a light lighting state display unit indicating whether the light is on or off.

Images