JP2012061878A - Light distribution control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low-cost light distribution control device capable of preventing an own vehicle from deviating from a traffic lane.SOLUTION: The light distribution control device includes an advancing direction detection means and a light control means 2 for differentiating right and left brightness of a lamp which illuminates the forward area of the own vehicle, when detecting that the own vehicle has a risk of deviating right and left from the traffic lane from traffic lane information and steering information of the own vehicle. For example, the light control means 2 makes the brightness of the side where the vehicle deviates darker than that of the opposite side. Because a driver performs steering so as to avoid the dark side, the deviation can be prevented.

Description

  The present invention relates to a device for controlling the light distribution of a lamp that illuminates the front of a vehicle such as an automobile, and more particularly to a light distribution control device capable of light distribution for preventing the host vehicle from deviating from the lane.

  There has been proposed a lane departure prevention device for preventing a vehicle from deviating from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. In Patent Document 1, a road white line (a white line indicating a lane division) is detected from an image ahead of the host vehicle, and when it is detected from the detection result that the host vehicle tends to deviate from the traveling lane, steering of the host vehicle is performed. There has been proposed a technique for performing vehicle control in which the vehicle is forcibly controlled to be directed toward the center of the lane. According to this technology, even when the visibility of the front area of the host vehicle by the driver is poor, it is possible to automatically control the steering direction of the host vehicle in an appropriate direction and prevent the host vehicle from deviating from the lane. .

JP 2006-137416 A

In the technique of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide an actuator for controlling the steering of the host vehicle to the center of the lane and an electronic circuit device for controlling the actuator, which increases the cost. In addition, if this control is performed when the front visibility of the host vehicle is poor, the host vehicle is forcibly steered in a direction in which the driver cannot visually recognize, which may cause the driver to feel uneasy. .

  The object of the present invention is to control the light distribution in the front area of the host vehicle when the host vehicle is in a situation where it may deviate from the lane so that the driver can recognize that there is a risk of departure, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a light distribution control device that realizes prevention of deviation at low cost.

  The light distribution control device of the present invention detects the left and right of the lamp that illuminates the front area of the host vehicle when detecting a state where the host vehicle may deviate to the left or right of the lane from the lane information and the steering information of the host vehicle. It is characterized by comprising a light intensity control means for making the brightness of the light different. For example, the light intensity control means makes the brightness on the deviating side darker than the opposite side. Alternatively, the luminous intensity control means makes the brightness brighter than the side deviating from the brightness opposite to the deviating side.

  The light distribution control device according to the present invention can recognize that the driver is likely to depart from the lane due to the difference in brightness by changing the brightness of the illumination on the opposite side and the opposite side. The steering can be corrected to prevent deviation. In particular, by making the brightness of the deviating side darker than the opposite side, the driver steers to avoid the dark side and prevents the deviating. Since it is only necessary to control the brightness of the left and right illuminations to be different when there is a risk of deviating, it can be configured at low cost.

The figure which shows the conceptual structure of the light distribution control apparatus of this invention. The light distribution diagram of each lamp | ramp which comprises a headlamp. The figure explaining the method of detecting a advancing direction. The light distribution diagram of 1st light distribution control. The light distribution diagram of 2nd light distribution control. The light distribution diagram of 3rd light distribution control.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a light distribution control device for a headlamp of an automobile. The car CAR detects a white line existing in the front area based on an imaging camera CAM for imaging the front area of the own vehicle and an image obtained by imaging with the imaging camera CAM, and the traveling direction of the own vehicle. Is provided with a traveling direction detection device 1 for detecting whether or not the direction is along the detected white line. In addition, the automobile CAR can control the light distribution of the headlamp (headlight) HL that illuminates the front area of the host vehicle, in this case, the light intensity (brightness) of the left and right headlamps independently. A device 2 is provided. The luminous intensity control device 2 is configured to control the luminous intensity of the headlamp HL based on the traveling direction detected by the traveling direction detection device 1.

The headlamp HL is composed of left and right headlamps RHL and LHL as shown in FIG. 2B, and each is configured as a composite lamp having a plurality of light sources. Each headlamp RHL, LHL includes three lamps in a lamp housing 3 constituted by a lamp body 31 and a front cover 32. The right head lamp RHL includes a right high beam lamp RHi, a right low beam lamp RLo, and a right auxiliary lamp RS. The left head lamp LHL includes a left high beam lamp LHi, a left low beam lamp LLo, and a left auxiliary lamp LS.

The left and right high beam lamps RHi and LHi illuminate a wide range of the host vehicle with high beam light distribution, although not shown. As shown in FIG. 2A, the left and right low beam lamps illuminate a wide area ALL0 mainly in the left area including the front front of the host vehicle, and the left auxiliary lamp LS immediately before the host vehicle. Illuminate the left area ALS. Similarly, the right low beam lamp RLo illuminates a wide area ARLo mainly in the right area including the front front of the host vehicle, and the right auxiliary lamp RS illuminates the area ARS immediately before the own vehicle. FIG. 2A shows the illumination range at the standard luminous intensity of each lamp. When the luminous intensity decreases in each lamp, the illumination range becomes narrow and the visibility decreases, and when the luminous intensity increases, the illumination range becomes wide. The visibility is improved.

As the imaging camera CAM, it is possible to use a digital camera equipped with an imaging device that has been proposed so far, and here, a CCD imaging device or a MOS imaging device that outputs an image signal corresponding to the captured image is used. It consists of a digital camera.

The traveling direction detection device 1 includes a white line detection unit 11 that detects a white line from an image captured by the imaging camera CAM, and a white line direction detection that detects which angle the detected white line is directed in front of the host vehicle. Part 12 is provided. The white line detection unit 11 detects a captured image by performing image analysis. Since this image analysis is already widely known, detailed description thereof is omitted here. Further, the white line direction detection unit 12 sets the angle at which the white line is directed in the straight direction, that is, the vertical direction in the image as “0” degrees, and detects how many angles are left or right with respect to the straight direction. To do. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, center points C1 and C2 in the left-right direction on the horizontal scanning lines S1 and S2 near and far from the detected white line WL are detected, and these center points C1 and C2 are detected. An angle formed by the straight line CL connecting the two lines with respect to the central vertical line VL is defined as a white line direction. The central vertical line VL indicates the traveling direction at the left and right center position of the host vehicle CAR on which the imaging camera CAM is disposed.

The traveling direction detection device 1 includes a steering angle sensor Sθ that detects a steering angle of a steering wheel that is steered by a driver of the host vehicle. The traveling direction of the host vehicle is detected from the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor Sθ. A traveling direction detector 13 for detecting the direction is provided. The traveling direction detection unit 13 uses the traveling direction when the host vehicle is directed in the straight traveling direction as a reference, and determines how many degrees the steering is directed to the left or right with respect to the traveling direction serving as the reference. To detect.

  Further, the traveling direction detecting device 1 compares the white line direction detected by the white line direction detecting unit 12 with the traveling direction detected by the traveling direction detecting unit 13, and calculates a deviation angle of the traveling direction with respect to the white line direction. A direction comparison unit 14 is provided. The traveling direction comparison unit 14 calculates a deviation angle in the traveling direction with respect to the white line direction, and outputs the calculated deviation angle to the light intensity control device. For example, in the state shown in FIG. 3A, the traveling direction of the host vehicle coincides with the white line direction, and the deviation angle is “0”. In the state of FIG. 3B, the host vehicle goes straight and the steering direction, that is, the traveling direction is the direction of the vertical line VL, but this traveling direction is shifted to the left with respect to the white line direction that is the CL line direction. Therefore, the deviation angle is Δθ.

The luminous intensity control device 2 determines the low beam lamps LLo, RLo of the left and right headlamps LHL, RHL and the auxiliary lamps LS, RS of the left and right based on the deviation angle output from the traveling direction comparison unit 14 of the traveling direction detection device 1. A luminous intensity control unit 21 for controlling luminous intensity is provided. When the deviation angle is “0”, the luminous intensity control unit 21 controls the luminous intensity of the left and right lamps to the same luminous intensity as a reference, and when the deviation angle occurs on the left side, the luminous intensity of the left headlamp LHL is determined based on the reference. When the deviation angle is on the right side, the light intensity of the right headlamp RHL is made lower than the reference.

(First light distribution control)
The operation of the light distribution control device having the above configuration will be described. The white line detection unit 11 analyzes the image captured by the imaging camera CAM to detect a white line, and the white line direction detection unit 12 detects the white line direction. At the same time, the traveling direction detector 13 detects the traveling direction of the host vehicle from the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor Sθ. Then, the traveling direction comparison unit 14 detects a deviation angle Δθ between the white line direction and the traveling direction and outputs the detected deviation angle Δθ to the luminous intensity control unit 21 of the luminous intensity control device 2. The luminous intensity control unit 21 controls the luminous intensity of the left and right headlamps LHL and RHL based on the deviation angle Δθ. Here, control is performed so that the light intensity of the low beam lamp LLo or RLo of the headlamp on the side deviating from the lane, that is, the direction in which the deviation angle occurs is reduced. As a result, the driver's visibility in the direction in which the light intensity is reduced is lowered, so the driver feels uneasy about the progress in the direction and steers the vehicle in the opposite direction.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the car CAR is traveling straight in the approximate center of the lane, the light intensity of the left and right low beam lamps LLo and RLo are equal, and the respective illumination ranges ALLo and ARLo are equal. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the steering of the car CAR is directed to the left with respect to the lane and the host vehicle is likely to deviate to the left of the lane, a deviation angle in the left direction is detected from the traveling direction detection device 1. Therefore, the light intensity control device 2 reduces the light intensity of the left low beam lamp LLo. This narrows the illumination range of the left front area ALLo in the direction of travel of the host vehicle, and the driver becomes uneasy about driving in the left area because the illumination of the left front area of the host vehicle becomes darker and the visibility decreases. And steer in the right direction to change the traveling direction of the vehicle to the right. As a result, the host vehicle is returned to the center side of the lane, and departure from the lane is prevented.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the steering of the automobile CAR is turned to the right with respect to the lane and the host vehicle is likely to deviate to the right side of the lane, the traveling direction detection device 1 displays the right direction. Since the deviation angle is output, the light intensity control device 2 decreases the light intensity of the right low beam lamp RLo. As a result, the illumination range of the area ARLo on the right front side in the traveling direction of the host vehicle is narrowed, and the driver becomes darker in the area on the right front side in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, thereby reducing visibility. Feeling uneasy about driving, steer in the left direction and change the traveling direction of the vehicle to the left. As a result, the host vehicle is returned to the center side of the lane, and departure from the lane is prevented.

  In this way, when the vehicle is likely to deviate from the lane, the light distribution in the front area of the own vehicle is controlled, and the illumination in the front area on the deviating side is dimmed. It is possible to recognize that there is a risk of deviation in the direction, and it is possible to prevent the deviation from occurring by the driver's own steering. Therefore, an actuator for preventing deviation as in Patent Document 1, an electronic circuit device for controlling the actuator, and the like are unnecessary and can be configured at low cost.

(Second light distribution control)
When the deviation angle is “0”, the luminous intensity control unit 21 controls the luminous intensity of each of the left and right low beam lamps LLo and RLo to the same luminous intensity as a reference, as shown in FIG. 5A, so that the illumination areas ALLo and ARLo are equal. When the deviation angle occurs on the left side, the light intensity of the left low beam lamp LLo is reduced below the reference, and when the deviation angle occurs on the right side, the light intensity of the right low beam lamp RLO is reduced below the reference. 1 is the same as the light distribution control. In addition, the luminous intensity control unit 2 increases the luminous intensity of the right low beam lamp RLo on the opposite side when the deviation angle is generated on the left side, and increases the luminous intensity of the opposite left low beam when the deviation angle is generated on the right side. The light intensity of the lamp LLo is configured to be higher than the reference.

  In the second light distribution control, when the steering is turned to the left with respect to the lane and the host vehicle is likely to deviate to the left of the lane as shown in FIG. Therefore, the luminous intensity control device 2 decreases the luminous intensity of the left low beam lamp LLo and simultaneously increases the luminous intensity of the right low beam lamp RLo. As a result, the left illumination area ALLo is narrowed and the right illumination area ARLo is widened. The driver feels uneasy about driving in the left area because the lighting in the area on the left side in the direction of travel of the vehicle becomes dark and the visibility decreases, while the lighting in the area on the right side becomes bright and the visibility is low Therefore, the vehicle is steered to the right to change the traveling direction of the host vehicle to the right. As a result, the host vehicle is returned to the center side of the lane, and departure from the lane is prevented.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the steering is turned to the right with respect to the lane and the host vehicle is likely to deviate to the right side of the lane, a deviation angle in the right direction is output from the traveling direction detection device 1. Therefore, the luminous intensity control device 2 decreases the luminous intensity of the right low beam lamp RLo and simultaneously increases the luminous intensity of the left low beam lamp LLo. As a result, the right illumination area ARLo is narrowed and the left illumination area ALLo is widened. The driver feels uneasy about driving in the right area because the lighting in the area on the right side of the traveling direction of the host vehicle becomes dark and the visibility decreases. On the other hand, the lighting in the area on the left side becomes bright and the visibility is low. Therefore, the vehicle is steered to the left and the traveling direction of the host vehicle is changed to the left. As a result, the host vehicle is returned to the center side of the lane, and departure from the lane is prevented.

(Third light distribution control)
When the deviation angle is “0”, the luminous intensity control unit 2 controls the luminous intensity of each of the left and right low beam lamps LLo and RLo to the same luminous intensity as a reference, as shown in FIG. It is the same as in the first light distribution control that the light intensity of the left low beam lamp LLo is lower than the reference when the light is on, and the light intensity of the right low beam lamp RLo is lower than the reference when the deviation angle is on the right side. It is. In addition to this, the light intensity control unit 2 turns on the opposite right auxiliary lamp RS when the deviation angle occurs on the left side, and changes the intensity of the opposite left auxiliary lamp LS when the deviation angle occurs on the right side. It is configured to light up. That is, by turning on one of the left and right auxiliary lamps RS and LS, the substantial luminous intensity of the corresponding low beam lamps RLo and LLo is increased.

  In the third light distribution control, when the steering is turned to the left with respect to the lane and the host vehicle is likely to deviate to the left of the lane as shown in FIG. Therefore, the light intensity control device 2 decreases the light intensity of the left low beam lamp LLo and simultaneously turns on the right auxiliary lamp RS. As a result, the left illumination area ALLo is narrowed and the right area is widened because the illumination area ARS is added to the illumination area ARLo. The driver feels uneasy about driving in the left area because the lighting in the left front area in the traveling direction of the host vehicle becomes dark and the visibility decreases. On the other hand, the lighting in the right front area becomes bright and the visibility is low. In order to improve and give a sense of security, the vehicle is steered to the right and the traveling direction of the host vehicle is changed to the right. As a result, the host vehicle is returned to the center side of the lane, and departure from the lane is prevented.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6C, when the steering is directed to the right with respect to the lane and the host vehicle is likely to deviate to the right side of the lane, the right direction deviation angle is output from the traveling direction detection device 1. Therefore, the light intensity control device 2 decreases the light intensity of the right low beam lamp RLo and simultaneously turns on the left auxiliary lamp LS. Thereby, the illumination area ALo on the right side is narrowed, and on the left side, the illumination area ALS is added to the illumination area ALLo, so that it becomes wider. The driver feels uneasy about driving in the right area because the lighting in the area on the right side of the traveling direction of the host vehicle becomes dark and the visibility decreases. On the other hand, the lighting in the area immediately before the left side becomes bright and the visibility is low. In order to improve and create a sense of security, the vehicle is steered to the left and the traveling direction of the host vehicle is changed to the left. As a result, the host vehicle is returned to the center side of the lane, and departure from the lane is prevented.

  In the second and third light distribution controls, light distribution control may be performed in which the illumination area is widened by increasing the luminous intensity of only the opposite side illumination without darkening the departure side illumination. That is, control is performed such that the light intensity of the low beam lamp on the opposite side is increased or the auxiliary lamp is turned on without lowering the light intensity of the low beam lamp on the deviating side. This is because if the illumination on the side opposite to the deviating side is brightened, the illumination on the deviating side becomes relatively dark, so that substantially the same effect as the second and third light distribution controls can be obtained. It is.

  In the first to third light distribution control, the light intensity of the left and right headlamps is decreased or increased to a predetermined light intensity, but a value that decreases the light intensity according to the difference in the deviation angle detected by the traveling direction detection device, Or you may make it change the value to raise. For example, it becomes possible to request the driver to take action to prevent deviation more quickly by decreasing the luminous intensity as the deviation angle increases. Alternatively, it is possible to promote the progress to the opposite side more quickly by increasing the luminous intensity. In each light distribution control, the light intensity of the low beam lamp and the auxiliary lamp is changed to prevent the vehicle from deviating. However, instead of these lamps, a lamp such as a fog lamp or a cornering lamp is used. It is also possible to do. Further, in the embodiment, the present invention is applied to a lamp whose irradiation optical axis direction is fixed. However, the lamp is configured to be swivelable, and the lamp is arranged on the side opposite to the side where the deviation angle is generated according to the detected deviation angle. By performing swivel control, it is possible to reduce the luminous intensity of the front area on the side from which the host vehicle deviates.

  In each light distribution control, a white line is detected and at the same time, the traveling direction of the own vehicle is detected to detect a situation where the own vehicle may deviate from the lane, but a road shoulder is detected on a road where no white line exists. Depending on the situation, a situation that may deviate may be detected. Further, in the above embodiment, the situation of deviating from the lane is detected based on the deviation angle Δθ of the traveling direction of the own vehicle with respect to the white line direction. However, when the deviation angle Δθ is “0”, that is, substantially parallel to the white line. Even when traveling, if the position of the vehicle in the lane width direction is close to the white line on the right side or the left side of the white line, there is a risk that even a slight angle of steering may deviate from the lane. It is preferable to determine that the situation is likely to deviate from the lane, and to perform light distribution control as in the above embodiment. The situation where the host vehicle is approaching the right or left lane is, for example, that the center line CL of the white line detected in the image of FIG. 3A captured by the imaging camera CAM is from the center vertical line VL indicating the traveling direction of the host vehicle. This determination can be made by providing the traveling direction detection device 1 with an uneven position calculating unit that calculates how much the position is deviated to the right or left.

  In the light distribution control, the present invention is configured based on the psychological principle that the driver feels uneasy by dimming the illumination in the direction deviating from the lane, and steering in the opposite direction to avoid this. However, it is also possible to configure the present invention based on the opposite psychological principle. That is, by making the illumination in the direction deviating from the lane brighter, the visibility of the road in the direction becomes higher, thereby making it easier for the driver to recognize that the host vehicle is traveling in the deviating direction and avoiding the deviation. Therefore, it will steer in the opposite direction. In this case, what is necessary is just to comprise so that the luminous intensity of the lamp | ramp of the same side as the side where the shift | offset | difference angle produced may be increased contrary to embodiment.

  The present invention can be adopted as long as it is a light distribution control device configured to detect a situation in which the host vehicle may deviate from the lane or the road and to control the light distribution of the lamp according to the situation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Traveling direction detection apparatus 2 Luminous intensity control apparatus 11 White line detection part 12 White line direction detection part 13 Progression direction detection part 14 Deviation angle calculation part 21 Luminous intensity control part CAM Imaging camera CAR Car Sθ Steering angle sensor HL (LHL, RHL) Headlamp LLo , RLo Low beam lamp LS, RS Auxiliary lamp

Claims (3)

  Luminance control means for making the left and right brightness of the lamp that illuminates the front area of the host vehicle different when detecting a state where the host vehicle may deviate to the left or right of the lane from the lane information and the steering information of the host vehicle A light distribution control device comprising:   The light distribution control device according to claim 1, wherein the light intensity control means darkens the brightness on the deviating side from the opposite side. 3. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, wherein the light intensity control unit is brighter than a side deviating from a brightness opposite to the deviating side. 4.

Images