JP2005289269A - Lamp system for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lamp system for a vehicle capable of controlling the illumination light quantity of an additional lamp to a desired light quantity in response to a travel state of the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The lamp system 10 for a vehicle comprises additional lamps 4 and 5 for illuminating the front and lateral sides of the vehicle, a control means 13 for varying and controlling the light quantity of the additional lamps 4 and 5, and a steering angle detecting means 11 for detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel. The control means 13 increases the light quantity in response to the increase of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting means 11 or decreases the light quantity in response to the decrease of the steering angle. The control means 13 varies the light quantity varying rate of the additional lamps responsive to the steering angle amount of the steering wheel every steering angle range detected by the steering angle detecting means 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp system including an additional lamp for illuminating the front side.

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle having an additional lamp for illuminating a front side that is not sufficiently illuminated by a headlamp when turning right or left at an intersection or when traveling on a curve is known. Nowadays, there has been developed a device that changes the amount of illumination of the additional lamp according to the steering angle of the handle. The amount of illumination increases as the steering angle of the handle (increase in the amount of rotation of the handle) increases. There has been devised an additional lamp that reduces the amount of illumination light in accordance with a decrease in angle (a decrease in the amount of rotation of the handle (amount of return of the handle)) (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-170777 A

  However, in the additional lamp described above, the amount of light emitted from the additional lamp changes at a constant light intensity increase / decrease rate according to the steering angle of the steering wheel, so even when a far field of view is required compared to low speed travel, such as during high speed travel. In the initial turning state, when the steering wheel is not sufficiently steered (for example, immediately after starting to turn the steering wheel), the additional lamp is turned on with a low light amount, and a sufficient amount of illumination light cannot be obtained. For this reason, there has been a problem that it may be difficult to find a pedestrian or an obstacle on the front side during high-speed driving or the like.

  In addition, since the light quantity control of the additional lamp is performed according to the steering amount of the steering wheel regardless of the vehicle speed, steering of the steering wheel can be performed even in a situation where the lighting of the additional lamp is not required (for example, a gentle shallow curve). Accordingly, there is a problem in that the additional lamp is turned on and off, causing unnecessary power consumption, and appropriate additional lamp lighting and turning-off control is not performed according to the driving situation.

  This invention is made | formed in view of the said problem, and makes it a subject to provide the vehicle lamp system which can control the illumination light quantity of an additional lamp to a desired light quantity according to the driving | running | working condition of a vehicle.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to an additional lamp that illuminates the front side of the vehicle, a control means that variably controls the amount of light of the additional lamp, and a steering angle detection that detects a steering angle of the steering wheel. A vehicle lamp system in which the means and the control means increase the light amount according to an increase in the rudder angle detected by the rudder angle detection means and reduce the light amount according to a decrease in the rudder angle. In the vehicle lamp system, the control means changes the light quantity increase / decrease rate of the additional lamp that is increased or decreased according to the steering angle amount of the steering wheel for each steering angle range of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection means. It is characterized by being.

  The light intensity increase / decrease rate is a ratio indicating how much the light intensity of the additional lamp is increased or decreased corresponding to the steering angle of the steering wheel. The rate of change is low and the rate of increase / decrease is low.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicular lamp system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the vehicle lamp system includes a vehicle speed detecting unit that detects a vehicle speed, and the control unit is configured to change the steering angle of the steering angle at which the light amount increase / decrease rate is changed. The steering angle range is shifted according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the vehicle lamp system according to claim 2, wherein the control means detects the rudder angle detecting means regardless of the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means. When the corner reaches a predetermined lighting start steering angle, lighting of the additional lamp is started.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicular lamp system according to the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit detects the rudder angle detected by the rudder angle detecting means from the lighting start steering angle to a predetermined steering angle. When the value is an angle range value, the light quantity increase / decrease rate is made constant regardless of the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means, and the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection means is the predetermined steering. When the value is equal to or greater than the angle, the light quantity increase / decrease rate is changed according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means.

  According to the vehicle lamp system of the present invention, the light quantity increase / decrease rate of the additional lamp that is increased or decreased according to the steering angle amount of the steering wheel is changed for each steering angle range of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection means. Therefore, when the steering angle of the steering wheel is shallow, by setting the rate of change in the amount of illumination light of the additional lamp that increases or decreases according to the increase or decrease of the steering amount, the additional lamp accompanying the steering of the steering wheel is set. It becomes difficult for the driver or the like to feel uncomfortable with respect to turning on and off, and it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling uncomfortable.

  Also, when the steering of the steering wheel is deep, by setting a high ratio of the amount of illumination of the additional lamp that changes according to the increase or decrease of the steering amount, it is possible to illuminate the far side of the front side of the vehicle at a sharp curve or intersection, etc. Since it can be illuminated with light, it becomes possible to find pedestrians and obstacles at an early stage, and safety can be further improved.

  Further, by changing the lighting start steering angle of the additional lamp according to the vehicle speed, it is possible to prevent the additional lamp from being frequently turned on and off by a slight steering of the steering wheel when traveling on a gentle and shallow curve. Thus, it is possible to reduce power consumption and to suppress the troublesomeness caused by turning on and off the additional lamp to the driver or the like.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle lamp system according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle provided with a vehicle lamp system according to the present invention. The vehicle 1 is provided with headlamps 2 and 3 as headlamps for illuminating the front of the vehicle, and the headlamps 2 and 3 below the headlamps 2 and 3 illuminate the front side which is difficult to be illuminated by the headlamps. Additional lamps 4 and 5 are provided. The illumination range by the headlamps 2 and 3 is limited to the range S1 in front of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 2, whereas the illumination range by the additional lamps 4 and 5 is the left and right of the illumination range S1 of the headlamps 2 and 3. The ranges are different in that they are the front side ranges S3 and S2. The additional lamps 4 and 5 are not always lit, but the lighting timing and the amount of illumination light are changed according to the rotation direction and steering angle of the steering wheel.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp system. A vehicular lamp system 10 includes a rudder angle detection unit (steering angle detection unit) 11, a vehicle speed detection unit (vehicle speed detection unit) 12, a controller (control unit) 13, left and right headlamps 2, 3, and left and right additional lamps. 4 and 5.

  The rudder angle detector 11 includes a rotating disk provided on the handle and provided with a rotation angle signal slit, and an optical sensor. When the steering wheel is rotated, the steering angle detection unit 11 sends a steering angle pulse signal of alternating “High” level and “Low” level to the controller 13 in conjunction with steering of the steering wheel, and the controller 13 detects the steering angle. The steering state of the steering wheel is always determined based on the steering angle pulse signal received from the unit 11.

  The vehicle speed detection unit 12 is a device that generates a vehicle speed pulse signal according to the traveling state of the vehicle, and the controller 13 always determines the traveling speed of the vehicle by receiving the vehicle speed pulse signal.

  The controller 13 is a control device that controls turning on and off the left and right headlamps 2 and 3 and the left and right additional lamps 4 and 5. Based on information from the rudder angle detection unit 11 and the vehicle speed detection unit 12, the controller 13 turns on the additional lamps 4 and 5, and turns off or dimming the light. Specifically, the controller 13 increases the illumination light amount of the additional lamps 4 and 5 according to the increase in the steering angle of the steering wheel detected by the steering angle detection unit 11, and the additional lamps 4 and 5 according to the decrease in the steering angle. Reduce the amount of illumination light. The controller stores in advance the steering angle of the steering wheel that starts lighting the additional lamps 4 and 5 as the lighting start steering angle, and how much the amount of illumination light of the additional lamps 4 and 5 is relative to the steering angle amount of the steering wheel. A light amount increase / decrease rate indicating whether to increase / decrease at a ratio of the above and a steering angle (changed steering angle, predetermined steering angle) that serves as a reference when changing the value of the light amount increase / decrease rate are stored in advance.

  The dimming off means that the light quantity (illumination degree) of the additional lamps 4 and 5 that are turned on is continuously reduced little by little, so that the extinction is completed after the additional lamps 4 and 5 start to turn off. This is a light-off method that requires a certain time to complete. By dimming the additional lamps 4 and 5, it is possible to prevent the driver's visibility from being lowered due to the instantaneous extinction of the additional lamps 4 and 5, and to reduce the driver's anxiety due to a sudden change in the amount of light. It becomes possible to make it.

  Further, the additional lamps 4 and 5 may be lamps whose optical axes are fixed, or lamps capable of changing the illumination range by changing the optical axes to the left and right.

  FIG. 4 is a first flowchart showing a control process of the controller 13, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a change in the amount of illumination light of the additional lamps 4 and 5 that changes according to the steering angle of the steering wheel. In the controller 13 according to the first embodiment, the change in the light amount increase / decrease rate used when the detected steering angle is the angle before the change steering angle is a moderate (low) value of the low light amount increase / decrease rate, and the detected steering angle is the change steering angle. The value of the high light quantity increase / decrease rate that is remarkably changed (the change rate is high) used in the case of the subsequent angle is stored in advance.

  The controller 13 determines the steering state of the steering wheel based on the steering angle pulse signal received from the steering angle detector 11, and stores the steering direction when the steering wheel is steered to the left or right. The steering angle is obtained (step S.1).

  Subsequently, the controller 13 determines whether or not the steering angle (detected steering angle) of the steering wheel detected by the steering angle detector 11 is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ2 (see step S.2, FIG. 5). ). When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ2 (in the case of YES in step S.2), the controller 13 uses the value of the high light amount increase / decrease rate in which the change in the light amount increase / decrease rate is significant (the change rate is high). The illumination light quantity corresponding to the detected steering angle is calculated (step S.3), and the additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the calculated illumination light quantity (step S.4). When the steering wheel is largely cut and the steering angle of the steering wheel reaches the changed steering angle θ2, the additional light fixture 4 for steering the steering wheel is calculated by calculating the illumination light quantity using the high light quantity increase / decrease rate with a high change rate. Since the light quantity change of 5 becomes large and can be illuminated with the additional lamps 4 and 5 far away at a sharp curve or an intersection, it becomes possible to find pedestrians and obstacles at an early stage. After the additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on (after step S.4), the controller 13 repeatedly executes the steering angle detection process (step S.1).

  If the detected steering angle is less than the changed steering angle θ2 (NO in step S.2), the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the lighting start steering angle θ1 (step S.5). ). When the detected steering angle is less than θ1 (NO in step S.5), the controller 13 turns off the additional lamps 4 and 5 or turns off the light (step S.6).

  When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than θ1 (YES in step S.5), the controller 13 uses the value of the low light intensity increase / decrease rate at which the change in the light intensity increase / decrease rate is gradual (low) according to the detected steering angle. The amount of illumination light is calculated (step S.7). Thereafter, the controller 13 turns on the additional lamps 4 and 5 with the calculated illumination light amount (step S.4), and repeatedly executes the steering angle detection process again (step S.1).

  As described above, when the detected steering angle is between the lighting steering angle θ1 and the changed steering angle θ2, it is determined that the steering angle of the steering wheel is shallow, and the amount of illumination light is calculated using the low light quantity increase / decrease rate with a low change rate. By calculating, the timing of steering of the steering wheel and turning on and off of the additional lamps 4 and 5 becomes natural, and it becomes difficult for the driver to feel uncomfortable with respect to turning on and off of the additional lamps 4 and 5. In addition, when the steering of the steering wheel having a lighting start less than the steering angle θ1 is performed, the additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned off or dimmed to turn off the additional lamps 4 and 5 in a shallow curve traveling at a low speed. It is possible to prevent frequent turning on and off, making it difficult for the driver to be bothered and saving power consumption due to turning on and off the additional lamps 4 and 5.

  FIG. 6 is a second flowchart showing the control process of the controller 13, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a change in the amount of illumination light of the additional lamps 4 and 5 that changes according to the steering angle of the steering wheel. In the control process shown in the second embodiment, when the detected steering angle is a value between the lighting start steering angle and the changed steering angle, the illumination light amount of the additional lamps 4 and 5 is calculated using the low light amount increase / decrease rate, In the case where the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle, it is common to the first embodiment in that the illumination light amount of the additional lamps 4 and 5 is calculated using the high light amount increase / decrease rate, but the control processing according to the second embodiment is detected. The difference is that the values of the lighting start steering angle and the changed steering angle are shifted and changed according to the vehicle speed. For each detected vehicle speed, the controller stores a lighting start steering angle and a changed steering angle suitable for the vehicle speed.

  The controller 13 determines the steering state of the steering wheel based on the steering angle pulse signal received from the steering angle detector 11, and stores the steering direction when the steering wheel is steered to the left or right. The steering angle is obtained (step S.1). Subsequently, the controller 13 detects the vehicle speed based on the vehicle speed pulse signal generated by the vehicle detection unit 12 (step S.11).

  Thereafter, the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected vehicle speed (detected vehicle speed) is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed V1 (step S.11). Here, the speed V1 is a speed for determining whether the vehicle travel speed is a high speed travel speed or a low speed travel speed, and a speed higher than V1 (80 km / h in FIG. 7) is a high speed. The traveling speed is set to a speed lower than V1 (20 km / h in FIG. 7).

  When the detected speed is equal to or higher than V1, the controller 13 reads out the optimum lighting start steering angle θ10 and the changed steering angle θ11 when the detected speed is equal to or higher than V1, and whether the detected speed is equal to or higher than the lighting start steering angle θ10. Is determined (step S.13). When the detected steering angle is less than the lighting start steering angle θ10, the controller 13 turns off the additional lamps 4 and 5 or turns them on and off (step S.5). It is possible to prevent the additional lamps 4 and 5 from being turned on / off by a slight handle operation of θ10 or less.

  When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the lighting start steering angle θ10, the controller determines whether or not the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ11 (step S.14). When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ11, the controller 13 uses the high light intensity increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V1 or higher and has a high change rate, and responds to the detected steering angle. The amount of illumination light is calculated (step S.15). On the other hand, when the detected steering angle is less than or equal to the changed steering angle θ11, a low light amount increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V1 or higher and has a low change rate is used to respond to the detected steering angle. The amount of illumination light is calculated (step S.17). Thereafter, the controller 13 performs step S.E. 15 or the amount of illumination calculated in step The additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the illumination light amount calculated in step 17 (step S.4), and then the steering angle detection process (step S.1) is repeatedly executed again.

  When the detected speed is less than V1, the controller 13 reads the optimum lighting start steering angle θ12 and the changed steering angle θ13 when the detected speed is less than V1, and the detected speed is equal to or higher than the lighting start steering angle θ12. (Step S.17). When the detected steering angle is less than the lighting start steering angle θ12, the controller 13 turns off the additional lamps 4 and 5 or turns them on and off (step S.5), so that a high-speed running vehicle with a running speed of less than V1 is obtained. The additional lamps 4 and 5 are prevented from being turned on and off by a slight handle operation of θ12 or less.

  When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the lighting start steering angle θ12, the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ13 (step S.18). When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ13, illumination according to the detected steering angle is performed using a high light amount increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is less than V1 and has a high change rate. The amount of light is calculated (step S.19). On the other hand, when the detected steering angle is less than the changed steering angle θ13, a low light quantity increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is less than V1 and that has a low change rate is used to respond to the detected steering angle. The amount of illumination light is calculated (step S.20). Thereafter, the controller 13 performs step S.1. 19 or the amount of illumination light calculated in step The additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the illumination light amount calculated in 20 (step S.4), and then the steering angle detection process (step S.1) is repeatedly executed again.

  In this way, by shifting the values of the lighting start steering angle and the change steering angle according to the detected vehicle speed, the low light quantity increase / decrease rate and the high light quantity at the appropriate lighting start steering angle and change steering angle according to the vehicle speed. Since it can be changed (switched) with the rate of increase / decrease, a far field of view can be secured quickly when driving at high speed, and the additional lamps 4 and 5 can be turned on and off without any discomfort in response to steering of the steering wheel when driving at low speed. Processing can be performed.

  In the control process shown in the second embodiment, a method of determining two speed ranges of a high speed and a low speed based on the vehicle speed V1 is used. However, the speed range is determined in two speed ranges. The lighting start steering angle and the change steering angle may be changed for each of three or more multi-segment speed ranges.

  FIG. 8 is a third flowchart showing the control process of the controller 13, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a change in the amount of illumination light of the additional lamps 4 and 5 that changes according to the steering angle of the steering wheel. In the control processing shown in the third embodiment, when the detected steering angle is a value (angle) between the lighting start steering angle and the changed steering angle, the additional lamp 4 according to the detected steering angle using the low light intensity increase / decrease rate. , 5 is calculated, and when the detected steering angle is greater than or equal to the changed steering angle, the amount of illumination of the additional lamps 4 and 5 corresponding to the detected steering angle is calculated using a high light intensity increase / decrease rate. Although common to the first and second embodiments, the lighting start steering angle is constant regardless of the vehicle speed, and the changed steering angle is changed according to the value of the detected vehicle speed. Different from. For each detected vehicle speed, the controller 13 stores a change steering angle suitable for the vehicle speed, and further stores a low light amount increase / decrease rate value and a high light amount increase / decrease rate value for each vehicle speed.

  The controller 13 determines the steering state of the steering wheel based on the steering angle pulse signal received from the steering angle detector 11, and stores the steering direction when the steering wheel is steered to the left or right. The steering angle is obtained (step S.1). Subsequently, the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the lighting start steering angle θ20 stored in advance (step S21). When the detected steering angle is less than the lighting start steering angle θ20, the controller 13 turns off or turns off the additional lamps 4 and 5 (step S.6), thereby slightly operating the steering wheel with the lighting start steering angle θ20 or less. This prevents the additional lamps 4 and 5 from being turned on and off.

  When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the lighting start steering angle θ20, the controller 13 detects the vehicle speed (step S.11) and determines whether the detected vehicle speed is equal to or greater than V2 (step S.11). 22). Here, the speed V2 and the speed V3 described later are speeds used to determine whether the vehicle traveling speed is a high speed traveling speed, a medium speed traveling speed, or a low speed traveling speed, and is detected. When the speed is V2 or higher (for example, when the speed is 80 km / h as shown in FIG. 9), it means a high speed, and when the detected speed is V3 or higher and lower than V2 (for example, as shown in FIG. 9) In the case of 50 km / h), it means the medium speed traveling speed, and in the case where the detected speed is less than V3 (for example, in the case of 20 km / h as shown in FIG. 9), it means the low speed traveling speed.

  When the detected speed is V2 or more, the controller 13 reads the optimum changed steering angle θ21 when the detected speed is V2 or more, and determines whether or not the detected speed is the changed steering angle θ21 or more (step). S.23). When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ21, the controller 13 uses the high light intensity increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V2 or higher and has a high change rate to obtain the detected steering angle. The corresponding illumination light quantity is calculated (step S.24). On the other hand, when the detected steering angle is less than or equal to the changed steering angle θ21, a low light intensity increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V2 or higher and has a low change rate is used to respond to the detected steering angle. The amount of illumination light is calculated (step S.25). Thereafter, the controller 13 performs step S.E. 24, or the amount of illumination light calculated in step S.24. The additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the illumination light amount calculated in 25 (step S.4), and the steering angle detection process (step S.1) is repeatedly executed again.

  On the other hand, when the detected vehicle speed is less than V2, the controller 13 determines whether or not the vehicle detected speed is V3 or more (step S.27). When the detected vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V3, the controller 13 reads the optimum changed steering angle θ22 when the detected speed is equal to or higher than V3 and lower than V2, and determines whether or not the detected speed is equal to or higher than the changed steering angle θ22. (Step S.28). When the detected steering angle is greater than or equal to the changed steering angle θ22, the controller 13 uses the high light amount increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V3 or more and less than V2 and that has a high change rate to detect steering. The amount of illumination light corresponding to the corner is calculated (step S.29). On the other hand, when the detected steering angle is equal to or smaller than the changed steering angle θ22, the detected steering angle is obtained by using a low light amount increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V3 or more and less than V2 and has a low change rate. The amount of illumination light corresponding to is calculated (step S.30). Thereafter, the controller 13 performs step S.E. 29 or the amount of illumination light calculated in step 29. The additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the illumination light amount calculated in 30 (step S.4), and the steering angle detection process (step S.1) is repeatedly executed again.

  When the detected vehicle speed is less than V3, the controller 13 reads the optimum change steering angle θ23 when the detected speed is less than V3, and determines whether the detected speed is equal to or greater than the change steering angle θ23. Judgment is made (step S.31). When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ23, the controller 13 uses the high light amount increase / decrease rate that is the optimum light amount increase / decrease rate when the vehicle speed is less than V3, and sets the detected steering angle to the detected steering angle. The corresponding illumination light quantity is calculated (step S.32). On the other hand, when the detected steering angle is less than or equal to the changed steering angle θ23, a low light intensity increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is less than V3 and that has a low change rate is used to respond to the detected steering angle. The amount of illumination light is calculated (step S.33). Thereafter, the controller 13 performs step S.E. 32, or the amount of illumination light calculated in step The additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the illumination light amount calculated in step 33 (step S.4), and the steering angle detection process (step S.1) is repeatedly executed again.

  In this way, the value of the change steering angle is changed according to the detected vehicle speed, and the ratio of the low light amount increase / decrease rate used for calculating the illumination light amount is changed according to the vehicle speed, so that high speed traveling Sometimes it is possible to quickly secure a far field of view, and when driving at low speed, the additional lamps 4, 5 can be turned on and off without causing a sense of incongruity in response to steering of the steering wheel.

  In the control process shown in the third embodiment, the method of determining three speed ranges based on the vehicle speeds V2 and V3 is used. However, the determination of the speed range is not limited to the three speed ranges. You may make it judge for every speed range of a division | segmentation or four or more division | segmentation.

  FIG. 10 is a fourth flowchart showing the control process of the controller 13, and FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a change in the amount of illumination light of the additional lamps 4 and 5 that changes according to the steering angle of the steering wheel. In the control process shown in the fourth embodiment, when the detected steering angle is a value between the lighting start steering angle and the changed steering angle, the illumination light amount of the additional lamps 4 and 5 is calculated using the low light amount increase / decrease rate, When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle, the light quantity of the additional lamps 4 and 5 is calculated using the high light quantity increase / decrease rate, but is common to the first to third embodiments. The low light intensity increase / decrease rate used when the lighting start steering angle, the changed steering angle, and the detected steering angle are between the lighting start steering angle and the changed steering angle is constant, and the detected steering angle is a value equal to or larger than the changed steering angle. In addition, the high light intensity increase / decrease rate is changed according to the value of the detected vehicle speed. In addition to the lighting steering angle, the changed steering angle, and the low light amount increase / decrease rate, the controller 13 stores in advance the value of the high light amount increase / decrease rate for each vehicle speed.

  The controller 13 determines the steering state of the steering wheel based on the steering angle pulse signal received from the steering angle detector 11, and stores the steering direction when the steering wheel is steered to the left or right. The steering angle is obtained (step S.1). Subsequently, the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the previously stored changed steering angle θ31 (step S40). When the detected steering angle is less than the lighting start steering angle θ31, the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the lighting start steering angle θ30 stored in advance (step S41). If the detected steering angle is less than the lighting start steering angle θ30, the controller 13 turns off or turns off the additional lamps 4 and 5 (step S.6), thereby slightly operating the steering wheel with the lighting starting steering angle θ30 or less. This prevents the additional lamps 4 and 5 from being turned on and off.

  If the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the lighting start steering angle θ30, the controller 13 calculates the amount of illumination light corresponding to the detected steering angle based on the low light source increase / decrease rate stored in advance regardless of the vehicle speed (step S.42) After the additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the calculated illumination light quantity (step S.4), the steering angle detection process (step S.1) is repeatedly executed again.

  When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle θ31, the controller 13 detects the vehicle speed (step S11), and determines whether or not the detected vehicle speed is equal to or greater than V4 (step S). Here, the speed V4 and the speeds V5 and V6 described later determine whether the vehicle traveling speed is a high speed traveling speed, a medium high speed traveling speed, a medium low speed traveling speed, or a low speed traveling speed. When the detected speed is V4 or higher (for example, when the speed is 80 km / h as shown in FIG. 11), it means a high speed, and the detected speed is V5 or higher and lower than V4. (For example, in the case of 60 km / h as shown in FIG. 9) means a medium-high speed traveling speed, and when the detected speed is V6 or more and less than V5 (for example, in the case of 40 km / h as shown in FIG. 9) ) Means a medium / low speed traveling speed, and when the detected speed is less than V6 (for example, when the speed is 20 km / h as shown in FIG. 9), it means a low speed traveling speed.

  When the detected speed is V4 or more, the controller 13 uses the high light quantity increase / decrease rate that is the optimal light quantity increase / decrease rate when the vehicle speed is V4 or higher and has a high change rate, and the illumination light quantity corresponding to the detected steering angle. Is calculated (step S.44). On the other hand, when the detected vehicle speed is less than V4 (NO in step S.43), the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected vehicle speed is V5 or more (step S.45). When the detected vehicle speed is V5 or higher, the controller 13 uses the high light quantity increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V5 or more and less than V4 and has a high change rate, and responds to the detected steering angle. The amount of illumination light is calculated (step S.46).

  When the detected vehicle speed is less than V5 (NO in step S.45), the controller 13 determines whether or not the detected vehicle speed is V6 or more (step S.47). When the detected vehicle speed is equal to or higher than V6, the controller 13 uses the high light intensity increase / decrease rate that is optimal when the vehicle speed is V6 or higher and less than V5 and has a high change rate, and responds to the detected steering angle. When the illumination light quantity is calculated (step S.48) and the detected vehicle speed is less than V6, the controller 13 is the optimum light quantity increase / decrease rate when the vehicle speed is less than V6 and has a high change rate. Is used to calculate the amount of illumination light corresponding to the detected steering angle (step S.49).

  Thereafter, the controller 13 performs step S.1. 44, step S.E. 46, step S.E. 48, step S.E. The additional lamps 4 and 5 are turned on with the illumination light amount calculated in 49 (step S.4), and the steering angle detection process (step S.1) is repeatedly executed again.

  As described above, when the detected steering angle is a value between the lighting start steering angle and the changed steering angle, the illumination light quantity of the additional lamps 4 and 5 using the same low light quantity increase / decrease rate regardless of the detected vehicle speed. When the detected steering angle is equal to or greater than the changed steering angle, the distance light amount is increased and decreased according to the detected vehicle speed to calculate the illumination light amount, so that a far field of view can be secured quickly at high speeds. When the vehicle is traveling at low speed, the additional lamps 4 and 5 can be turned on and off without causing a sense of incongruity in response to steering of the steering wheel.

  In the control process shown in the fourth embodiment, the method of determining the four speed ranges based on the vehicle speeds V4 to V6 is used. However, the determination of the speed range is not limited to the four speed ranges. You may make it judge for every 3 speed range of 5 divisions or 5 divisions or more.

  As mentioned above, although the vehicle lamp system which concerns on this invention was demonstrated using drawing, the vehicle lamp system which concerns on this invention is not limited to what was mentioned above. In this embodiment, the additional lamps 4 and 5 are respectively installed on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle. However, the additional lamps 4 and 5 may be installed only on one of the left and right sides. You may set so that it may become a different change rate for every 5.

It is the front view which showed the left-right headlamp and the left-right additional lamp of a vehicle. It is the top view which illustrated the illumination range of a headlamp and an additional lamp. It is the block diagram which showed the vehicle lamp system which concerns on this invention. It is the 1st flowchart which showed the control processing of the controller. It is the graph which showed the relationship between the steering angle amount of a steering wheel in the control control of the controller shown in FIG. 4, and the light quantity of an additional lamp. It is the 2nd flowchart which showed the control processing of the controller. It is the graph which showed the relationship between the steering angle amount of a handle | steering-wheel in the control control of the controller shown in FIG. 6, and the light quantity of an additional lamp. It is the 3rd flowchart which showed the control processing of the controller. It is the graph which showed the relationship between the steering angle amount of a steering wheel in the control control of the controller shown in FIG. 8, and the light quantity of an additional lamp. It is the 4th flowchart which showed the control processing of the controller. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the steering angle amount of the steering wheel and the light amount of the additional lamp in the control control of the controller shown in FIG. 11.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2, 3 Headlamp 4, 5 Additional lamp 10 Vehicle lamp system 11 Steering angle detection part (steering angle detection means)
12 Vehicle speed detection unit (vehicle speed detection means)
13 Controller (control means)

Claims (4)

An additional lamp that illuminates the front side of the vehicle,
Control means for variably controlling the amount of light of the additional lamp;
Rudder angle detecting means for detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel;
The control means is a vehicular lamp system that increases the light amount according to an increase in the rudder angle detected by the rudder angle detection means, and reduces the light amount according to a decrease in the rudder angle,
The control means changes the light quantity increase / decrease rate of the additional lamp to be increased / decreased according to the steering angle amount of the steering wheel for each steering angle range of the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection means. Lamp system. Vehicle speed detecting means for detecting the vehicle speed,
2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit shifts the rudder angle range of the rudder angle at which the light amount increase / decrease rate is changed according to a vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting unit. Lamp system.   The control means turns on the additional lamp when the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection means reaches a predetermined lighting start steering angle regardless of the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means. The vehicular lamp system according to claim 2, wherein the vehicular lamp system is started. When the steering angle detected by the steering angle detection means is a value within a steering angle range from the lighting start steering angle to a predetermined steering angle, the control unit detects the vehicle speed detection means. Regardless of the vehicle speed, the light intensity increase / decrease rate is constant,
When the rudder angle detected by the rudder angle detection means is a value equal to or greater than the predetermined steering angle, the light quantity increase / decrease rate is changed according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means. A vehicular lamp system according to claim 3.

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