JP2009262579A - Lamp control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lamp control device for a vehicle in which the repetition of on/off of a vehicle lamp in synchronous with light/dark on the outside of the vehicle repeated in a short time is suppressed. <P>SOLUTION: After a first reference time T1 is elapsed after a detection illuminance A reaches a reference illuminance B, the detection illuminance A is compared with a conditional illuminance D which is higher than the reference illuminance B and lower than a daylight illuminance C. Based on the result of the comparison, a time when a headlamp 10 is turned off is delayed. Therefore, when the vehicle enters a tunnel immediately after coming out of a tunnel, a timing when a front lamp is turned off can be delayed more than in the case of a conventional lamp control device. Since the headlamp 10 repeats off-on between the outlet of each tunnel and the inlet of a next tunnel, problem in which the driver is bothered or the driver of an on-coming vehicle gets the off-on wrong as a some signal is prevented from occurring. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp control device that controls turning on / off of a vehicular lamp based on brightness outside the vehicle, and is suitable for use in an automobile or the like.

  When the vehicle lighting control device is operated during the daytime and runs under a plurality of overpasses, the ambient brightness repeats light and dark in a short time. If it does so, a vehicle lighting control apparatus will repeat lighting / extinguishing of a headlamp with a short cycle. This movement may be perceived as suspicious behavior by the driver of the oncoming vehicle. In addition, since the illumination of the combination meter in the passenger compartment is also turned on / off in synchronization with the headlamp being turned on / off, it can be bothersome for the driver himself.

As a conventional vehicle lighting control device devised to solve such a problem, for example, a state in which the headlamp is turned off in a short time after being turned off due to the brightness (illuminance) around the vehicle is continued a plurality of times. If this occurs, there is a configuration in which the headlamp is turned off by predicting the intermittent state (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-34735

  In the above-described conventional vehicle lighting control device, a measure for delaying the turn-off timing is performed after detecting that the headlamp has repeatedly turned on and off in a short time. For this reason, the lighting of the first and next headlamps, so-called passing, cannot be avoided.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and a vehicle capable of suppressing repetition of lighting and extinguishing of vehicle lighting synchronized with the brightness of the outside of the vehicle when the brightness of the vehicle repeats in a short time. An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting control device.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means.

  The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1 of the present invention is detected by a front illuminance sensor that detects brightness in front of the vehicle, an upper illuminance sensor that detects brightness above the vehicle, and a front illuminance sensor. A control unit that controls lighting of the vehicle based on the detected front illuminance or the detected upper illuminance detected by the upper illuminance sensor or both detected illuminances. In the lighting control device, the control unit includes daytime illuminance storage means for storing daytime illuminance that is illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor during a period in which the headlamp is turned off. During lighting of the lamp, when the detected forward illuminance is larger than the conditional illuminance obtained based on the daytime illuminance, control is performed to turn off the lamp of the vehicle.

  When a vehicle equipped with a conventional vehicle lighting control device lights the headlamp, for example, when traveling in a tunnel, the brightness of the front of the vehicle gradually increases when the vehicle reaches the exit of the tunnel Then, the front detection illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor increases. Then, the vehicle lighting control device starts timing from the time when the forward detected illuminance reaches a predetermined reference illuminance, and turns off the headlamp when the measured time reaches a predetermined reference time. Here, when a vehicle equipped with a conventional vehicle lighting control device is traveling in a section in which a plurality of tunnels are continuously installed, the vehicle lighting control device is used as a headlight near the exit of the first tunnel. After the lamp is turned off, the headlamp is turned on again when entering the next tunnel.

  By the way, consider a case where tunnels are arranged at short intervals, that is, a case where the distance from the exit of the first tunnel to the entrance of the next tunnel is short. First, when the vehicle reaches the exit while traveling in the first tunnel, the forward detection illuminance rises and reaches a predetermined reference illuminance before and after the exit. The detected illuminance further increases when the vehicle exits the first tunnel. However, since the entrance of the second tunnel, that is, the portion with low illuminance exists at a short distance in front of the vehicle, the degree of increase in the forward detected illuminance, which is the illuminance in front of the vehicle, is close to the front. Compared to the case without the second tunnel. On the other hand, if there is no portion with low illuminance, such as a tunnel, in the forward direction of the vehicle after leaving the first tunnel, the forward detected illuminance rises quickly. That is, the degree of increase in the forward detected illuminance immediately after the vehicle leaves the tunnel changes in accordance with the road conditions ahead of the tunnel exit. In the vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1 of the present invention, the above phenomenon, that is, the degree of increase in the forward detected illuminance immediately after the vehicle leaves the tunnel depends on the road condition ahead of the tunnel exit. Pay attention and detect the degree of increase in front detection illuminance immediately after the vehicle exits the tunnel, that is, when it goes out of the headlight lighting state to a bright place, and by controlling the timing of turning off the headlamp based on it, It is intended to suppress the occurrence of a short-cycle headlight turn-on / off phenomenon.

  In the vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1 of the present invention, the degree of increase in the forward detection illuminance when the headlamp is turned on from a lighted state, that is, when reaching the exit from the tunnel is as follows: It is detected by the method explained in. First, daytime illuminance, which is illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor during the period when the headlamp is turned off, is stored in the daytime illuminance storage means, and based on this, the control unit calculates and stores the conditional illuminance. Here, the daytime illuminance is the illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor during the period when the headlamps are turned off, and the vehicle travels in a section where there is almost nothing blocking the sunlight, such as tunnels and overpasses in the daytime. Illuminance detected when And a control part is made to perform control which turns off the light of a vehicle, when the front detection illuminance detected while lighting the headlamp of a vehicle is larger than the above-mentioned conditional illumination. When the forward detected illuminance is higher than the conditional illuminance, the control unit determines that there is no dark shadow such as a tunnel or a crossover in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle, and turns off the headlamp. On the other hand, when the forward detected illuminance is lower than the conditional illuminance, there is something that forms a dark shadow such as another tunnel or overpass in the forward direction of the vehicle and relatively close to the exit of the currently traveling tunnel. Judgment is made, and control such as continuing to turn on the headlamp is performed.

  By performing such control, if there are continuous dark shadows such as tunnels or overpasses on the route ahead of the tunnel, the headlamps will turn off even after exiting the first tunnel. It will continue to be lit without being. Then, the vehicle enters the next tunnel or the like while the headlamp is on. If there is a third tunnel ahead of the next tunnel, the headlight is turned on without being turned off and enters the third tunnel. By performing the control described above, the headlamp repeatedly turns off and on between the exit of each tunnel and the entrance of the next tunnel when passing through a plurality of tunnels arranged at short intervals. The problem that the driver feels troublesome can be solved.

  In the vehicular lighting control device according to claim 2 of the present invention, the control unit is a point in time when at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance exceeds a preset reference illuminance while the headlamp is turned on. When the time reaches the first reference time, the headlamp is turned off when the front detection illuminance is equal to or greater than the conditional illuminance, and when the front detection illuminance is less than the conditional illuminance And the time measurement is started again, and the headlamp is turned off when the measured time reaches the second reference time.

  When the vehicle is traveling in the tunnel, both the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance are low at a point where the exit of the tunnel is far away. Eventually, as the vehicle approaches the exit of the tunnel, the value of at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance starts to increase. When the vehicle reaches the point immediately before the exit of the tunnel or immediately after exiting the tunnel, the forward detected illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor increases to the conditional illuminance obtained based on the daytime illuminance. . That is, when the vehicle starts traveling in the tunnel and the front detection illuminance starts to rise from a stable and low value, this means that the vehicle position is near the tunnel exit. Therefore, if the illuminance higher than the minimum illuminance near the center of the tunnel and lower than the conditional illuminance is set as the reference illuminance, it is possible to detect that the vehicle has approached the tunnel exit because the front detected illuminance has reached the reference illuminance. Even if the headlamp is turned off when it is detected that the front detection illuminance has reached the reference illuminance, that is, when the vehicle has approached the tunnel exit, there is no problem in ensuring visibility. However, if there is an entrance to the next tunnel immediately after exiting the tunnel, the headlamp will turn off once and then turn on again, causing the so-called short cycle lighting of the headlamp to occur. Resulting in.

  Therefore, in the vehicle lighting control device according to claim 2 of the present invention, the detected illuminance when the first reference time has elapsed since at least one of the forward detected illuminance and the upper detected illuminance has reached the reference illuminance. When it is less than the illuminance, that is, when there is a continuous dark shadow, such as a tunnel or overpass, immediately after exiting the tunnel, after the first reference time has passed and the second reference time has passed The lighting is turned off. If the second reference time is appropriately set, the user enters the tunnel before turning off the headlamp. In this way, the headlamps are kept lit continuously, so the headlamps are repeatedly turned off and on between each tunnel exit and the next tunnel entrance, making the driver feel bothersome. The problem can be solved reliably.

  In the vehicle lighting control device according to claim 3 of the present invention, when the control unit lights the headlamp, at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance exceeds a preset reference illuminance. The headlamp starts when the front detection illuminance is equal to or greater than the condition illuminance and the rate of change of the front detection illuminance is positive (the detected illuminance is increasing) when the time measurement reaches the first reference time. Is turned off, and the headlamp is turned on when the forward detected illuminance is equal to or greater than the conditional illuminance and the change rate of the forward detected illuminance is negative (the detected illuminance is decreasing), and when the forward detected illuminance is less than the conditional illuminance The timing is started again, and the headlamp is turned off when the measured time reaches the second reference time.

  Consider the scene when the vehicle is running. The vehicle approaches the exit while traveling in the tunnel, and at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance reaches the reference illuminance described above, and the first reference time has elapsed from that point in time. Consider the case where the detected forward illuminance is greater than or equal to the conditional illuminance. For example, when there is no tunnel or the like beyond the exit of the traveling tunnel, the forward detection illuminance continues to increase, so the change rate of the forward detection illuminance becomes a positive value. On the other hand, when there is a place with low illuminance such as the tunnel entrance beyond the exit of the traveling tunnel, the forward detected illuminance starts to decrease before the first reference time elapses. The rate of change of the front detection illuminance is a negative value. In other words, the rate of change of the forward detected illuminance at the time when the first reference time has elapsed is different between the location where the illuminance is low, that is, the case where there is no tunnel or the like at the end of the traveling tunnel. Therefore, the vehicle lighting control device according to claim 3 of the present invention is configured so that at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance reaches a reference illuminance that is a threshold value for turning off the headlamp. In the case where the forward detected illuminance when the time elapses is equal to or greater than the conditional illuminance, the change rate of the forward detected illuminance at the time when the first reference time has elapsed is further calculated, Based on this, the headlamp is turned off and on. Thereby, it can suppress that the lighting-off of a headlamp is repeated in a short cycle. That is, the front detection illuminance when the first reference time has elapsed from the time when the front detection illuminance reaches the reference illuminance that is a threshold for turning off the headlamp is equal to or greater than the conditional illuminance, and the change in the front detection illuminance at that time When the rate is positive, it is determined that there is no tunnel or the like in the vicinity of the front and the headlamp is turned off. On the other hand, the front detection illuminance when the first reference time has elapsed from the time when the front detection illuminance reaches the reference illuminance that is a threshold for turning off the headlamp is equal to or greater than the conditional illuminance, and the change in the front detection illuminance at that time When the rate is negative, it is determined that there is a place with low illuminance such as a tunnel near the front in the vehicle traveling direction, and the headlamp is turned on for the second reference time without turning off the headlamp. For this reason, if the vehicle enters the forward tunnel after the first reference time has passed and before the second reference time has elapsed, the headlamp will enter the forward tunnel with the lighting state kept on. When entering the tunnel, at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance falls below the reference illuminance, and the control unit maintains the headlamp lighting state. Therefore, during the period from the time when the first tunnel is exited until the next tunnel is entered, the headlamp remains lit and the “lighting → lighting → lighting” operation is not performed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the headlamps from being repeatedly turned off in a short cycle while traveling on a road where tunnels and the like continuously exist at short intervals.

  The vehicle lighting control apparatus according to claim 4 of the present invention is characterized in that the conditional illuminance is obtained by multiplying the daytime illuminance by a predetermined coefficient that is 0 or more and less than 1.

  When the vehicle is traveling in the daytime and the weather conditions, particularly the sunshine conditions, are stable, the daytime illuminance detected on the road before and after the tunnel is the same. By the way, when the vehicle is traveling in a section where a plurality of tunnels are installed continuously, if the distance between the exit of one tunnel and the entrance of the next tunnel is sufficiently long, the forward detection illuminance is As soon as it starts to rise, it passes the tunnel exit and runs for a while until it reaches daytime illuminance. On the other hand, when the distance between the exit of one tunnel and the entrance of the next tunnel is short, the forward detection illuminance starts to increase from before the tunnel exit and further increases after the tunnel exit, but does not reach the daytime illuminance Becomes a peak and begins to decline to approach the next tunnel, a place with low illumination. Therefore, the illuminance that is higher than the detected forward illuminance inside the tunnel and lower than the illuminance during the daytime, that is, the illuminance obtained by multiplying the daytime illuminance by 0 or more and less than 1 is set as the conditional illuminance, and forward detection is performed. By comparing the illuminance with the condition illuminance, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not there is a place with low illuminance near the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle after leaving the tunnel. By controlling the lighting of the headlamp based on the judgment result, it is possible to prevent the headlamp from being repeatedly turned off and on in a short cycle while traveling on a road where tunnels and the like continuously exist at short intervals. be able to.

  The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 5 of the present invention is detected by a front illuminance sensor that detects the brightness in front of the vehicle, an upper illuminance sensor that detects the brightness above the vehicle, and a front illuminance sensor. A control unit that controls lighting of the vehicle based on the detected front illuminance or the detected upper illuminance detected by the upper illuminance sensor or both detected illuminances. In the lighting control device, the control unit starts timing from the time when at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance exceeds a preset reference illuminance while the headlamp is lit, When the change rate of forward detection illuminance is positive (detection illuminance is increasing) when the reference time is reached, the headlamp is turned off and the change rate of front detection illuminance is negative (detection illuminance decreases) When) is starts again counting with continuing to light the headlamp is characterized in that turns off the headlight when the counted time has reached the second reference time.

  Consider a case where the vehicle is traveling in a section where a plurality of tunnels are continuously installed at daytime. When the vehicle approaches the exit of the tunnel, the forward detection illuminance begins to increase, and further increases when the vehicle exits from the tunnel. Since there is an entrance of the next tunnel, that is, a place where the illuminance is low, in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle, when the vehicle approaches the entrance of the next tunnel, the forward detected illuminance starts to decrease. The time from when the forward detected illuminance starts to rise and reaches a preset reference illuminance until the rising forward detected illuminance starts to decrease is the interval between the two tunnels, i.e., the exit of the first tunnel and the next tunnel. Depending on the distance between the entrance, the time decreases as the distance between the two tunnels decreases. Therefore, by calculating the rate of change of the forward detected illuminance at the time when the time measured reaches the first reference time from the time when the forward detected illuminance starts to rise and reaches a preset reference illuminance, It can be determined whether the distance from the exit of one tunnel to the exit of the next tunnel is slight or sufficiently long. That is, if the change rate of the forward detected illuminance when the first reference time has elapsed after the forward detected illuminance reaches the reference illuminance (the detected illuminance is increasing), the exit from the first tunnel to the next tunnel exit The distance to is sufficiently long. Therefore, even if the headlamp is turned off at that time, there is a certain amount of time until the headlamp is turned on again after approaching the next tunnel, and the driver can turn off the headlamps in a short cycle. There is no recognition that it has occurred. On the other hand, if the rate of change of the front detection illuminance when the first reference time has elapsed after the front detection illuminance reaches the reference illuminance is negative (the detection illuminance is decreasing), the vehicle is located near the entrance of the next tunnel. This means that the vehicle is traveling, and the distance from the exit of the first tunnel to the exit of the next tunnel is short. In this case, the headlamp is kept on only for the second reference time without turning off the headlamp. If the forward detected illuminance falls below the threshold illuminance for turning on the headlamp within the second reference time, the vehicle will enter the next tunnel with the headlamp turned on after leaving the first tunnel. Thus, the driver does not recognize that a short-cycle headlight lighting phenomenon has occurred.

  As described above, according to the vehicle lighting control device of the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the headlamp from being repeatedly turned off and on in a short cycle while traveling on a road where tunnels and the like continuously exist. be able to.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle lighting control device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a case where the vehicle lighting control device is applied to a headlamp control device 1 that controls turning on or off of a headlamp in an automobile.

(First embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the headlamp control device 1 includes a headlamp 10 that is a headlamp, an illuminance sensor 20, a light control switch 30, and a control device 40 that is a control unit. In FIG. 1, the number of headlamps 10 is displayed as one for ease of understanding, but in an actual automobile, two or four headlamps 10 are used. When the headlamp 10 is a filament bulb, the control device 30 controls the headlamp 10 via a relay (not shown). When the headlamp 10 is a discharge lamp, the control device windshield 30 is a driver (not shown). 1), the headlamp 10 is controlled, but in FIG. 1, the display of the relay or driver is omitted.

  The illuminance sensor 20 is installed at a position on the inner surface of the front windshield of the automobile that does not obstruct the driver's front view, for example, behind the rear view mirror, so as to be able to receive light from the outside of the vehicle. The illuminance sensor 20 includes a light receiving element (not shown) that, when receiving light, outputs a detection signal (for example, a voltage signal) having a magnitude corresponding to the amount of light received. For example, a photodiode or the like is used as the light receiving element. The magnitude of the detection signal from the light receiving element (not shown), for example, the signal voltage, is low when the illuminance is low, that is, dark, and high when the illuminance is high, that is, bright. The illuminance sensor 20 used in the headlamp control device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes two light receiving elements (not shown) described above. In the illuminance sensor 20, one light receiving element (not shown) is arranged so as to be able to receive light from a substantially horizontal direction in front of the vehicle, and a control device 40, which will be described later, calculates a front detection illuminance A based on the detection signal. is doing. Another light receiving element (not shown) is arranged so as to be able to receive light from a substantially vertical direction above the vehicle, and a control device 40 described later calculates an upper detection illuminance E based on the detection signal.

  The light control switch 30 is a switch for switching on / off of a light provided in the automobile. The light control switch 30 is attached to the tip of a turn signal lever (not shown) installed in a steering column (not shown), for example, and is rotated around the axis of the turn signal lever to select the selected position. Can be switched. When the auto position (not shown) of the light control switch 30 is selected by the driver's operation, the headlamp control device 1 starts operating.

  The control device 40 is constituted by a microcomputer including a CPU 41, a RAM 42, a ROM 43, an input / output port 44, and a bus 45 such as a data bus and a control bus for connecting them. The ROM 41 stores a control program for controlling the headlamp 10 described later. A self-running timer 46 such as a free-run counter is connected to the input / output port 44.

  Next, the operation of the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described. When the ignition switch (not shown) is in an ON state, that is, when the automobile is operating, if the light control switch 30 is switched to the auto position by the driver's operation, the control device 40 detects that and controls the headlamp. The operation of the device 1 is started. Below, the operation | movement of the headlamp control apparatus 1 is demonstrated with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. When the light control switch 30 is switched to the auto position, the headlamp control routine shown in FIG. 2 is repeatedly executed.

  First, in step 101, initial settings are made, and the forward detection illuminance A, the upper detection illuminance E, the daytime illuminance C, and the condition illuminance D are reset.

  Subsequently, in step 102, the illuminance sensor 20 detects a front detection illuminance A that is brightness in front of the vehicle. Subsequently, in step 103, the illuminance sensor 20 detects an upper detection illuminance E that is brightness above the vehicle.

  In the next step 104, it is determined whether a condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is satisfied. That is, it is determined whether the front detection illuminance A is equal to or greater than the reference illuminance B of the front illuminance and the upper detection illuminance E is equal to or greater than the reference illuminance G of the upper illuminance. If the turn-off condition of the headlamp 10 is not satisfied, that is, if the front detection illuminance A is not less than the reference illuminance B and the upper detection illuminance E is not not less than the reference illuminance G, the headlamp 10 is turned on in step 121 and Return to step 102. On the other hand, if the condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is established, the routine proceeds to the subsequent step 105, where the front detection illuminance A is set to the daytime illuminance C.

  Subsequently, in step 108, the conditional illuminance D is calculated by multiplying the daytime illuminance C by the coefficient K. The coefficient K is a value that is greater than 0 and less than 1. The conditional illuminance D is a value larger than the reference illuminance B. The coefficient K is, for example, about 0.7 to 0.8.

  Subsequently, in step 109, it is determined whether or not the headlamp 10 is being lit. If the headlamp 10 is in the lighting state, the process further proceeds to step 110. On the other hand, when the headlamp 10 is turned off, the process returns to step 102 again.

  Next, in step 110, it is determined whether a condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is satisfied. That is, it is determined whether the front detection illuminance A is equal to or greater than the reference illuminance B of the front illuminance and the upper detection illuminance E is equal to or greater than the reference illuminance G of the upper illuminance. As a result of the determination process in step 110, when the condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is not satisfied, the process returns to step 102 again. If the condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is satisfied, the routine proceeds to step 111, where timer counting is started.

  Subsequently, in step 112, it is determined whether or not the timer count time T has reached the first reference time T1. As a result, if the timer count time T has not reached the first reference time T1, the process returns to step 112 again while continuing the timer count. If the result of determination in step 112 is that the timer count time T has reached the first reference time T1, the forward detected illuminance A is calculated in the next step 113.

  Subsequently, at step 114, it is determined whether or not the forward detected illuminance A calculated at step 113 is greater than the conditional illuminance D calculated at step 108. If the result of determination in step 114 is that the forward detected illuminance A is greater than the conditional illuminance D, the routine proceeds to step 120 and the headlamp 10 is turned off. On the other hand, if the result of determination in step 114 is that the forward detected illuminance A is smaller than the conditional illuminance D, the routine proceeds to step 115 and timer counting is started again. That is, the timer count started in step 111 is cleared and a new count is started.

  Subsequently, at step 116, it is determined whether or not the timer count time T has reached the second reference time T2. As a result, if the timer count time T has not reached the second reference time T2, the process returns to step 116 again while continuing the timer count. If the result of determination in step 116 is that the timer count time T has reached the second reference time T2, the front detection illuminance A is calculated in the next step 117, and then the upper detection illuminance E is calculated in step 118. .

  Subsequently, at step 119, it is determined whether or not the condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is satisfied. That is, it is determined whether the front detection illuminance A is equal to or greater than the reference illuminance B of the front illuminance and the upper detection illuminance E is equal to or greater than the reference illuminance G of the upper illuminance. As a result of the determination process in step 119, if the condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is not satisfied, the process returns to step 102 again. As a result of the determination process in step 119, when the condition for turning off the headlamp 10 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step 120 and the headlamp 10 is turned off.

  Here, the effect of the process of the above-mentioned step 114 provided in the control flow in the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In step 114, there is a shielding object such as a tunnel that shields the automobile from sunlight near the front of the course of the automobile when the first reference time T1 elapses after the turn-off condition of the headlamp 10 is satisfied. It is provided to judge whether or not it exists. The degree of increase in the detected illuminance A after the headlight 10 turn-off condition is satisfied, for example, after the vehicle exits the tunnel, is such as a shield that shields the vehicle from sunlight near the front of the vehicle. The case where a tunnel or the like exists is different from the case where there is no such shield. That is, the degree of increase in the detected illuminance A after the time when the vehicle exits the tunnel is more moderate when there is a tunnel or the like ahead of the route of the vehicle than when there is no shield such as a tunnel ahead of the route of the vehicle. become. Therefore, after the first reference time elapses from the time when the headlamp 10 turn-off condition is satisfied, the magnitude relationship between the detected illuminance A and the conditional illuminance D is determined, and based on the determination result, shielding at a point near the front of the course is performed. The presence or absence of an object such as a tunnel is determined. That is, if the detected illuminance A exceeds the conditional illuminance D, it is determined that there is no obstacle ahead of the course, and the headlamp 10 is turned off. If the detected illuminance A is equal to or less than the conditional illuminance D, there is an obstacle ahead of the course. It is determined that there is a large possibility, in other words, it is determined that there is a high possibility that an environment that satisfies the lighting condition of the headlamp 10 exists, and the lighting state of the headlamp 10 is maintained. In addition, the headlamp 10 is turned off for a second reference time. As a result of the determination process in step 114, if the vehicle approaches the next tunnel entrance or enters the next tunnel while the headlamp 10 remains on for the second reference time, the headlamp 10 is not satisfied, and the lighting state of the headlamp 10 is continued.

  By performing such control, according to the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when the automobile passes through a plurality of tunnels and the like installed at short intervals, the headlamp 10 Since the turn-off timing can be delayed as compared with the case of the conventional vehicle lighting control device, the headlight repeatedly turns off and turns on between the exit of each tunnel and the entrance of the next tunnel. The problem of the conventional vehicle lighting control device that makes it feel can be solved.

  Next, the on / off control of the headlamp 10 of the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention described above will be summarized based on the timing chart based on the actual running state shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the tunnel former and tunnel tunnel, which are two tunnels, are installed at short intervals on the way the automobile is traveling. When the vehicle is away from the entrance of the tunnel back, the detected illuminance A that is the illuminance in front of the vehicle detected by the illuminance sensor 20 is the daytime illuminance C, as shown in FIG. As the vehicle approaches the tunnel back, the detected illuminance A decreases. As shown in FIG. 3B, the detected illuminance A becomes the reference illuminance B at a point in front of the tunnel back at time t1. When detecting this, the control device 40 turns on the headlamp 10 as shown in FIG.

  The vehicle turns on the headlamp 10 and enters the tunnel back at time t2. Eventually, when the vehicle approaches the exit of the tunnel, the detected illuminance A begins to increase as shown in FIG. After the automobile exits the tunnel back at time t3, the detected illuminance A reaches the reference illuminance B at time t4. The control device 40 detects this and starts counting by the timer. When the time reaches the time t5 when the first reference time T1 has elapsed from the time t4, the control device 40 determines whether the detected illuminance A and the conditional illuminance D are large or small. Determine the relationship. In this case, the detected illuminance A is less than the conditional illuminance D as shown in FIG. For this reason, the control device 40 keeps the headlamp 10 in the lit state without turning it off, and starts again the time count by the timer. When the vehicle further travels and approaches the next tunnel end, the detected illuminance A begins to decrease, and at time t6 when the second reference time T2 has not yet elapsed from time t5, the detected illuminance A decreases to the reference illuminance B, It continues to decline further. The car enters the tunnel B at time t7, and reaches the second reference time T2 at time t8. The control device 40 determines the magnitude relationship between the detected illuminance A and the reference illuminance B at time t8. In this case, the detected illuminance A is less than the reference illuminance B as shown in FIG. For this reason, the control device 40 keeps the headlamp 10 in the lit state without turning it off.

  The automobile turns on the headlamp 10 and travels through the tunnel wall. When the automobile approaches the tunnel door exit, the detected illuminance A starts to increase as shown in FIG. After the automobile leaves the tunnel B at time t9, the detected illuminance A reaches the reference illuminance B at time t10. The control device 40 detects this and starts counting by the timer. When the time reaches the time t11 when the first reference time T1 has elapsed from the time t10, the control device 40 determines whether the detected illuminance A and the conditional illuminance D are large or small. Determine the relationship. Since there is no structure that blocks sunlight, such as a tunnel, in front of the tunnel B, the degree of increase in detected illuminance A is greater than when the tunnel exits the tunnel. For this reason, the detected illuminance A is larger than the conditional illuminance D as shown in FIG. 3B, and the control device 40 turns off the headlamp 10.

  Consider a case where an automobile equipped with a conventional vehicle lighting control device travels in the environment shown in FIG. In the conventional vehicle lighting control device, when the detected illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor during lighting of the headlamp reaches the illuminating condition illuminance, the headlamp is turned off after counting a predetermined delay time from that point. . Therefore, after leaving the tunnel back, the headlamp 10 is turned off at time t5 in FIG. 3, and the headlamp 10 is turned on again at time t6 approaching the tunnel B. That is, the headlamp 10 is turned off once and then turned on again after a short period of time at the middle part of the two tunnel uppers and B installed at short intervals. In general, since the turning on / off of the headlamp 10 and the lighting on / off of a combination meter (not shown) in the driver's seat are synchronized with each other, if the headlamp 10 changes from lighting to turning off to lighting in a short time, it is for the driver. It feels annoying. Furthermore, when the driver of the oncoming vehicle visually recognizes such blinking of the headlamp 10, what is the signal? There is a risk of worrying.

  On the other hand, according to the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, after the detection illuminance A reaches the reference illuminance B, the detection is further performed after the first reference time T1 that is a delay time has elapsed. The illuminance A and the conditional illuminance D that is higher than the reference illuminance B and lower than the daytime illuminance C are compared, and the turn-off time of the headlamp 10 is determined based on the result. That is, if the detected illuminance A is higher than the conditional illuminance D, the headlamp 10 is turned off at that time. If the detected illuminance A is equal to or lower than the conditional illuminance D, the headlamp 10 is turned off after the second reference time T2 has elapsed from that point. Turned off. When the next tunnel is near the tip of the tunnel, the degree of increase in the detected illuminance A after leaving the first tunnel is moderate compared to the case where there is no structure that blocks sunlight such as the tunnel at the tip of the tunnel. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the detected illuminance A when the first reference time T1 has not yet recovered to the daytime illuminance C. Therefore, according to the control method in the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when there is a tunnel immediately after exiting the tunnel, the headlamp control apparatus 1 is more effective than the conventional lamp control apparatus. Since the timing of turning off the lamp can be delayed, the headlamp 10 repeatedly turns off and on between the exit of each tunnel and the entrance of the next tunnel, and the driver feels troublesome, or what is the driver of the oncoming vehicle It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem such as misunderstanding that the signal.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a headlamp control device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the headlamp control device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the control flow is partially changed compared to the headlamp control device 1 according to the first embodiment. Below, the headlamp control apparatus 1 by 3rd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated based on the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, steps having the same functions as those in the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, in the headlamp control device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, whether or not the forward detected illuminance A calculated in step 113 in step 114 is larger than the conditional illuminance D calculated in step 108. When the forward detected illuminance A is larger than the conditional illuminance D, the process immediately proceeds to step 120 and the headlamp 10 is turned off. On the other hand, in the headlamp control device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, if the result of determination in step 114 is that the front detection illuminance A is greater than the conditional illuminance D, the routine proceeds to the subsequent step 222. In step 222, it is determined whether or not the rate of change of the front detection illuminance A is positive or zero. If the change rate of the front detection illuminance A is positive or 0 as a result of the determination in step 222, the process proceeds to the following step 120, and the headlamp 10 is turned off. If the change rate of the front detection illuminance A is not positive or 0 as a result of the determination in step 222, in other words, the change rate of the front detection illuminance A is negative, the process proceeds to step 115 and timer count is started again. That is, the timer count started in step 111 is cleared and a new count is started. At this time, the headlamp 10 is continuously lit.

  Here, the effect of step 222, which is a feature of the headlamp control device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, will be described.

  A positive change rate of the front detection illuminance A means that the illuminance ahead of the automobile is increasing, and a change rate of the front detection illuminance A of 0 means that the illuminance ahead of the automobile hardly changes. I mean. Therefore, when the rate of change of the front detection illuminance A is positive or 0, there is no portion with low illuminance, such as a tunnel entrance, in front of the traveling direction of the automobile. On the other hand, a negative rate of change of the front detection illuminance A means that the illuminance in front of the automobile is decreasing, and therefore there is a portion with low illuminance, for example, a tunnel entrance, in front of the traveling direction of the automobile. It will be. Therefore, by adding the determination process in step 222, it is possible to determine the illuminance in front of the vehicle traveling direction with high accuracy.

  As described above, according to the headlamp control device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the magnitude relationship determination process between the front detection illuminance A and the conditional illuminance D, the change rate of the front detection illuminance A is positive. Alternatively, by determining whether it is 0 or negative, it is possible to determine the presence of a sunlight shielding structure such as a tunnel in front of the traveling direction of the automobile with higher accuracy. Therefore, the headlamp 10 repeatedly turns off and on between the exit of each tunnel and the entrance of the next tunnel, and the driver feels troublesome, or the driver of the oncoming vehicle misunderstands that there is a signal. Occurrence can be reliably prevented.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a headlamp control apparatus 1 according to a third embodiment of the invention will be described. In the headlamp control device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the control flow is partially changed compared to the headlamp control device 1 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, a headlamp control device 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, the steps having the same functions as those in the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, in the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the conditional illuminance D is calculated by the processing of Step 105 to Step 108. Further, while the headlamp 10 is lit, the magnitude relationship between the front detection illuminance A and the condition illuminance D is determined in step 114 after the first reference time T1 has elapsed since the turn-off condition of the headlamp 10 was established in the determination process in step 110. Is determined. On the other hand, in the headlamp control device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the processing in steps 105 to 108 is abolished and the conditional illuminance D is not calculated. Furthermore, in the headlamp control apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the first lamp after the headlamp 10 extinguishing condition is satisfied in the determination process in step 110 while the headlamp 10 is on. After the elapse of the reference time T1, it is determined in step 314 whether or not the rate of change of the front detection illuminance A is positive or zero. If the change rate of the front detection illuminance A is positive or 0 as a result of the determination in step 314, the process proceeds to the subsequent step 120 and the headlamp 10 is turned off. As a result of the determination in step 314, if the rate of change of the forward detected illuminance A is not positive or 0, in other words, the rate of change of the forward detected illuminance A is negative, the process proceeds to step 115 and timer counting is started again. That is, the timer count started in step 111 is cleared and a new count is started. At this time, the headlamp 10 is continuously lit.

  A positive change rate of the front detection illuminance A means that the illuminance ahead of the automobile is increasing, and a change rate of the front detection illuminance A of 0 means that the illuminance ahead of the automobile hardly changes. I mean. Therefore, when the rate of change of the front detection illuminance A is positive or 0, there is no portion with low illuminance, such as a tunnel entrance, in front of the traveling direction of the automobile. On the other hand, a negative rate of change of the front detection illuminance A means that the illuminance in front of the automobile is decreasing, and therefore there is a portion with low illuminance, such as a tunnel entrance, in front of the traveling direction of the automobile. Become. Therefore, after the first reference time T1 has elapsed since the turn-off condition of the headlamp 10 is established, the state of illuminance ahead in the vehicle traveling direction can be determined with high accuracy by performing the determination process in step 314.

  As described above, according to the headlamp control device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the rate of change of the forward detected illuminance A is positive instead of the magnitude relationship determination process between the forward detected illuminance A and the conditional illuminance D. Alternatively, by determining whether it is 0 or negative, it is possible to determine the presence of a sunlight shielding structure such as a tunnel in front of the traveling direction of the automobile with higher accuracy. Further, by not calculating the conditional illuminance D, the headlamp control processing speed in the microcomputer constituting the control device 40 can be increased, or the increase in the capacity of the microcomputer constituting the control device 40 can be suppressed. Therefore, the headlamp 10 repeatedly turns off and on between the exit of each tunnel and the entrance of the next tunnel, and the driver feels troublesome, or the driver of the oncoming vehicle misunderstands that there is a signal. While reliably preventing the occurrence, the configuration of the control device 40 can be simplified, or the control processing speed of the control device 40 can be increased.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the vehicle lighting control device is applied to the control of lighting and extinguishing of the headlamp. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and illumination for illuminating the tail lamp and the instrument You may apply to an apparatus.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the turn-off of the headlamp is delayed has been described, but the state of the lamp is changed stepwise, for example, only the small lamp is turned on, and the small lamp and the headlamp are turned on. You may do it.

Furthermore, the coefficient K in each of the above embodiments may be stored as a fixed value in advance, or may be varied according to external conditions such as the brightness outside the vehicle. It is more effective when used for a discharge lamp such as a lamp or a xenon lamp. In particular, a high-intensity discharge lamp (HID, high-intensity discharge) has a shortened life when the number of times of turning on / off increases, so that the headlamp can be controlled by performing continuous lighting as much as possible as in this embodiment. Can extend the lifespan.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lighting control device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the headlamp extinction control in the vehicle lighting control apparatus 1 by 1st Embodiment of this invention. (A) shows the time transition of the environment around the vehicle, (b) shows the time transition of the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 20, and (c) shows the time transition of the operating state (lighting and extinguishing) of the headlamp. It is a timing chart. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the headlamp extinction control in the vehicle lighting control apparatus 1 by 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the headlamp extinction control in the vehicle lighting control apparatus 1 by 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle lighting control device 10 Headlamps (lights, headlights)
20 Illuminance sensor 30 Light control switch 31 Wiper blade 40 Control device (control unit)
41 CPU
42 RAM
43 ROM
44 Input / output port 45 Bus 46 Timer 101-121, 222, 314 Step A Forward detection illuminance B Reference illuminance C Daytime illuminance D Conditional illuminance E Upper detection illuminance G Reference illuminance K Factor T1 First reference time T2 Second reference time T time t time

Claims (5)

A front illuminance sensor that detects the brightness in front of the vehicle;
An upper illuminance sensor for detecting the brightness above the vehicle;
Based on the detected front illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor, the detected upper illuminance detected by the upper illuminance sensor, or both detected illuminances, control is performed to turn on / off the lamp of the vehicle. A vehicle lighting control device comprising a control unit,
The control unit includes daytime illuminance storage means for storing daytime illuminance that is illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor during a period in which the headlamp is turned off.
The controller is configured to turn off the vehicle light when the headlight of the vehicle is turned on and the front detection illuminance is larger than the conditional illuminance obtained based on the daytime illuminance. Vehicle lighting control device.   The control unit starts timing from a point in time when at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance exceeds a preset reference illuminance while the headlamp is lit, and the timing time is the first At the time when the reference time is reached, the headlamp is turned off when the front detection illuminance is equal to or greater than the condition illuminance, and the headlamp is kept on when the front detection illuminance is less than the condition illuminance. 2. The vehicular lamp control device according to claim 1, wherein the timing control is started again, and the headlamp is turned off when the timing reaches a second reference time.   The control unit starts timing from a point in time when at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance exceeds a preset reference illuminance while the headlamp is lit, and the timing time is the first When the front detection illuminance is equal to or greater than the condition illuminance and the rate of change of the front detection illuminance is positive (the detected illuminance is increasing) when the reference time is reached, the headlamp is turned off to detect the front When the illuminance is equal to or higher than the conditional illuminance and the rate of change of the forward detected illuminance is negative (the detected illuminance is decreasing), and when the forward detected illuminance is less than the conditional illuminance, the headlamp is kept on. The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1, wherein the timing control is started again and the headlamp is turned off when the timing reaches a second reference time.   The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1, wherein the conditional illuminance is obtained by multiplying the daytime illuminance by a predetermined coefficient that is 0 or more and less than 1. 5. A front illuminance sensor that detects the brightness in front of the vehicle;
An upper illuminance sensor for detecting the brightness above the vehicle;
Based on the detected front illuminance detected by the front illuminance sensor, the detected upper illuminance detected by the upper illuminance sensor, or both detected illuminances, control is performed to turn on / off the lamp of the vehicle. A vehicle lighting control device comprising a control unit,
The control unit starts timing from a point in time when at least one of the front detection illuminance and the upper detection illuminance exceeds a preset reference illuminance while the headlamp is lit, and the timing time is the first When the change rate of the forward detected illuminance is positive (the detected illuminance is increasing) when the reference time is reached, the headlamp is turned off, and the change rate of the forward detected illuminance is negative (the detected illuminance is decreasing). ), The headlamp is continuously turned on, the time measurement is started again, and the headlamp is turned off when the measured time reaches the second reference time. .

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