JP2013086596A - Light distribution control system of vehicle headlight - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light distribution control system of a vehicle headlight, capable of preventing a driver from unconsciously increasing a speed when traveling through a comparatively sudden curve.SOLUTION: The light distribution control system of the vehicle headlight includes: a vehicle speed calculation means for calculating a vehicle speed of a present vehicle; a curvature calculation means (41) for calculating the curvature of a road where the present vehicle travels; a travel recording means (42) for recording the vehicle speed of the present vehicle obtained from the vehicle speed calculation means and the curvature of the road obtained from the curvature calculation means (41) in association; a vehicle speed increase detection means (46) for detecting that the vehicle speed of the present vehicle traveling at present tends to be higher than the vehicle speed associated with the curvature of the road having the curvature almost similar to the road traveling at present on the basis of the record of the travel recording means (42); and a light distribution switching means (47) for switching the light distribution by then of the headlight to another light distribution urging deceleration when the vehicle speed of the present vehicle tends to be higher according to the vehicle speed increase detection means (46).

Description

  The present invention relates to a light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp, and more particularly to a light distribution control system for a variable light distribution traveling headlamp.

  As a variable light distribution type traveling headlamp, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 below, the light distribution pattern is changed by switching the lamp unit to a high beam or a low beam according to the vehicle traveling condition, and the vehicle There is known a configuration in which the light distribution pattern is changed by moving the shade of the lamp unit in accordance with the traveling state.

  Here, the vehicle travel state means state quantities and external information related to vehicle travel, and corresponds to information obtained from, for example, vehicle speed, rudder angle, vehicle attitude, inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle, navigation, and the like.

  The vehicle headlamp having such a configuration can irradiate a beam with a light distribution pattern and an irradiation angle corresponding to the vehicle running condition. For example, it is possible to suppress glare to other vehicles and to improve the visibility of the own vehicle. The effect which makes the contradictory performance compatible is acquired.

JP 2011-082072 A

  However, the vehicular headlamp configured as described above improves the visibility of the host vehicle as described above. For example, at night, a driver who unconsciously increases the speed more than necessary. Occurrence is expected.

  In this case, even when traveling on a relatively steep curve, the visibility is good, so the speed is unconsciously increased compared to when traveling on a curve having the same curvature in the usual (past) period. Such a thing occurs, and it becomes a place to worry about the safety.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to prevent the driver from unintentionally increasing the speed when traveling on a relatively steep curve. The object is to provide a light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp.

  In order to achieve such an object, according to the present invention, when traveling on a relatively steep curve, the vehicle speed tends to be higher than the vehicle speed in the case of traveling on a curve having the same curvature. In addition, the light distribution pattern of the headlamp is switched to another light distribution pattern that promotes deceleration. As a result, the driver tries to decelerate the vehicle speed due to a decrease in front visibility, so that the driver can avoid unintentionally increasing the speed.

The present invention is grasped by the following composition.
(1) A light distribution control system for a vehicular lamp according to the present invention is a light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp that varies the light distribution of the headlamp according to a vehicle traveling condition, and is at least of the own vehicle. Vehicle speed calculation means for calculating the vehicle speed, curvature calculation means for calculating the curvature of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle obtained from the vehicle speed calculation means and the curvature of the road obtained from the curvature calculation means The travel recording means for recording and the vehicle speed of the host vehicle currently traveling tend to be higher than the vehicle speed associated with the curvature of the road having a curvature substantially similar to that of the currently traveling road based on the recording of the travel recording means. A vehicle speed increase detecting means for detecting the presence of light and a light distribution switching for switching from the light distribution until then to another light distribution for promoting deceleration when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is increasing by the vehicle speed increase detecting means. Means and Characterized in that it comprises a.
(2) The light distribution control system for a vehicle lamp according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of (1), the other light distribution that promotes the deceleration is a passing light distribution pattern.
(3) The light distribution control system for a vehicle lamp according to the present invention is the light distribution pattern for passing in the headlight on the side where the road is curved, among the headlights mounted on the left and right of the vehicle in the configuration of (2). It is characterized by.
(4) In the vehicle lamp light distribution control system according to the present invention, in the configuration of (1), the other light distribution for accelerating the deceleration is determined from the swivel angle set according to the curvature of the currently traveling road. The light distribution is characterized in that the angle is further swiveled on the curved side.

  According to the light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp configured as described above, it is possible to prevent the driver from unintentionally increasing the speed when traveling on a relatively steep curve. It becomes like this.

It is the flowchart which showed the operation | movement performed with the light distribution control system of the front extinction for vehicles of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the example of the light distribution pattern used for the light distribution control system of the vehicle headlamp of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the light distribution control of the vehicle headlamp using the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. It is a functional block diagram which shows the light distribution control system of the front extinction for vehicles of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of control of the light distribution control system of the vehicle front extinction of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same number is assigned to the same element throughout the description of the embodiment.
(Embodiment 1)
The light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention is applied to, for example, a vehicle headlamp that is used by switching various light distribution patterns (variable light distribution traveling headlamp). It has come to be.

  Therefore, prior to the description of the light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention, the light distribution pattern of the headlamp will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, there are light distribution patterns called “traveling beam”, “L-shaped beam”, and “passing beam”.

  The traveling beam 10 has a similar light distribution pattern for the left and right headlamps, and is a pattern that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction of the beam as shown in the column of illuminance such as road surface in the figure. ing. That is, the traveling beam 10 becomes wider as it moves away from the headlamp side (lower side in the figure), but then gradually becomes narrower and reaches the beam tip (upper side in the figure). It has a shape. The traveling beam 10 projected onto the screen has an elliptical shape that is wide in the horizontal direction (H in the figure) and narrow in the vertical direction (V in the figure) as shown in the screen projection column in the figure. .

  The L-shaped beam 20 has a light distribution pattern similar to that of the traveling beam 10, but as shown in the column of illuminance such as road surface in the figure, the L-shaped beam 20 in the left headlamp is on the right side thereof. The L-shaped beam 20 in the right headlamp has a partially cut shape on the left side. As a result, the left and right L-shaped beams 20 are in a line-symmetric relationship with respect to the central axis (indicated by the dotted line P in the figure). Here, for example, when the L-shaped beam 20 on the right side is shown in detail, it becomes wider as it moves away from the headlamp side (the lower side in the figure), but after that, the width of the L-shaped beam 20 greatly increases on the left side. The shape reaches the beam tip (upper side in the figure) while narrowing the distance to the right side. The L-shaped beam 20 projected on the screen is, for example, the L-shaped beam 20 on the right side as an example, as shown in the screen projection column in the figure, wide in the horizontal direction (H in the figure) and in the vertical direction (in the figure). In the ellipse shape having a narrow width V), the upper left portion is missing.

  The passing beam 30 has a similar light distribution pattern in the left and right headlamps. As shown in the illuminance column of the road surface in the figure, the passing beam 30 is more in the irradiation direction than the traveling beam 10 or the L-shaped beam 20. The distance from the headlamp side (the lower side in the figure) becomes wider as the distance from the headlamp increases. The shape reaches the beam tip (upper side in the figure) while narrowing the distance. As shown in the screen projection column in the figure, the passing beam 30 projected on the screen has an elliptical shape that is wide in the horizontal direction (H in the figure) and narrow in the vertical direction (V in the figure). The shape of is marked with a small chip, and the upper right part has a large chip.

  Such switching of various light distribution patterns is performed, for example, by moving a shade in the lamp unit or by additionally lighting another light source.

  In Embodiment 1, the following description is given using these three light distribution patterns. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these light distribution patterns, and beams using other light distribution patterns are used. It goes without saying.

  FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C show examples in which, for example, the traveling beam 10 and the L-shaped beam 20 are switched among the light distribution patterns according to the traveling state of the host vehicle on the road. FIG. FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are drawn assuming a case in which there is a preceding vehicle ahead and approaches a curve from a straight road.

  First, as shown to Fig.3 (a), the own vehicle 3 and the preceding vehicle 5 are drive | working on the linear road 1, and the distance between them is comparatively large away. In this case, light distribution is formed by the traveling beam 10 from the left and right headlamps of the host vehicle 3. The tip of the traveling beam 10 does not reach the preceding vehicle 5, and glare suppression to the preceding vehicle 5 and visibility of the host vehicle 3 can be secured.

  Then, it is assumed that the own vehicle 3 and the preceding vehicle 5 traveling on the straight road 1 have a reduced distance therebetween as shown in FIG. In this case, the left and right headlamps of the host vehicle 3 are switched to the L-shaped beam 20 and beam irradiation is performed. In this case, the front end of the L-shaped beam 20 extends beyond the preceding vehicle. As described above, the L-shaped beam 20 has a light distribution pattern in which the right side of the left headlamp is beaten, and the right front Since the left side of the lighting lamp has a light distribution pattern, the tip of the L-shaped beam 20 only irradiates both sides of the preceding vehicle 5. For this reason, the glare suppression to the preceding vehicle 5 and the visibility of the host vehicle 3 can be ensured.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the preceding vehicle 5 travels on a curve 1B that curves to the right in the drawing, for example, the preceding vehicle 5 travels in the right direction in the drawing. The right L-shaped beam 20 of the host vehicle 3 is swiveled so that the angle with respect to the left L-shaped beam 20 is increased. In this case, the opening angle θ between the L-shaped beam 20 on the right side and the L-shaped beam 20 on the left side is set by, for example, calculating the curvature of the curve 1B of the traveling road 1. Even in this case, the front end of the L-shaped beam 20 only irradiates both sides of the preceding vehicle 5, so that glare suppression to the preceding vehicle 5 and visibility of the host vehicle 3 can be ensured.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing Embodiment 1 of the light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention. The vehicle headlamp light distribution control system shown in FIG. 2 is capable of the light distribution control shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, and the light distribution control according to the present invention (FIG. 5A). ) (See (b)) can also be performed.

  In FIG. 4, first, there is provided a curvature calculation means 41, which takes in, for example, the vehicle speed and steering angle of the host vehicle and calculates the curvature of the currently traveling road according to the vehicle speed and steering angle as needed. It has become. The vehicle speed and the steering angle are detected by a vehicle speed calculation means and a steering angle calculation means (not shown), respectively, and their outputs are input to the curvature calculation means 41.

  The road curvature calculated by the curvature calculation means 41 is input to the travel recording means 42 together with the vehicle speed. The travel recording means 42 records the curvature and the vehicle speed in association with each other in time. The time-related curvature and vehicle speed are recorded in a semiconductor memory composed of, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The road curvature and vehicle speed recorded by the travel recording means 42 are input to a light distribution type determining means 46 described later.

  On the other hand, the curvature of the road calculated by the curvature calculation means 41 is input to the swivel angle calculation means 43 together with the vehicle speed. The swivel angle calculation means 43 calculates an appropriate swivel angle of the headlamp based on the curvature and the vehicle speed. The calculated value of the swivel angle is input to the swivel unit 44, and the headlamp is swiveled by the swivel unit 44 based on the calculated value. Further, the swivel angle calculated by the swivel angle calculating means 43 is input to the light distribution type determining means 46.

  Furthermore, there is a surrounding environment detection unit 45, and the surrounding environment detection unit 45 detects information on the surrounding environment including the illuminance around the vehicle or the presence of other vehicles. Further, the surrounding environment detecting means 45 is also used to calculate the distance from the preceding vehicle. The surrounding environment detection means 45 is composed of, for example, a device combined with a camera or an image processing means, and detects information on the surrounding environment from a video image taken by this device. Information on the surrounding environment detected by the surrounding environment detection unit 45 is input to the light distribution type determination unit 46.

  Based on the calculated values and information from the travel recording means 42, the swivel angle calculating means 43, and the surrounding environment detecting means 45, the light distribution type determining means 46 is appropriately selected from several types of light distribution patterns prepared in advance. The light distribution pattern is determined. The selection of the traveling beam 10 shown in FIG. 3A, the selection of the L-shaped beam 20 shown in FIG. 3B, the setting of the swivel angle of the L-shaped beam 20 shown in FIG. The light distribution type determining means 46 is configured to perform the calculation based on the calculated values and information from the travel recording means 42, the swivel angle calculating means 43, and the surrounding environment detecting means 45.

  Information on the light distribution pattern determined by the light distribution type determining means 46 is input to the light distribution switching means 47. The light distribution switching unit 47 switches the irradiation light of the headlamp based on the information, and emits the irradiation light with the light distribution pattern of the information. As described above, such switching of various light distribution patterns is performed, for example, by moving the lamp unit provided in the headlamp, moving the shade in the lamp unit, or additionally lighting another light source. It has become.

  FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an operation performed in the vehicle front unlit light distribution control system of the present invention. The operation shown in FIG. 1 functions as an addition to the above-described operation of the light distribution type determining means 46 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, first, curvature calculation processing is started (step S1). This curvature calculation process is performed by the curvature calculation means 41. The curvature calculation process by the curvature calculation means 41 is performed, for example, every predetermined time set in advance. Further, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be executed when a predetermined event occurs, for example, when the steering angle exceeds a predetermined angle. The curvature calculation means 41 calculates the curvature of the currently running road based on vehicle data such as vehicle speed (wheel speed), steering angle, or GPS (Global Positioning System) data (step S2).

  Then, the light distribution type determining means 46 determines whether or not the road curvature calculated by the curvature calculating means 41 corresponds to a preset curvature (target curvature for vehicle speed recording) (step S3). If the curvature does not correspond to the preset curvature, the curvature calculation process is terminated (step S12). When the curvature of the road calculated by the curvature calculation means 41 corresponds to a preset curvature (target curvature for vehicle speed recording), for example, the oldest vehicle speed storage is deleted from the data recorded in the semiconductor memory ( Step S4), the latest vehicle speed memory is recorded (step S5). Then, the average value of the vehicle speed is calculated by performing an averaging process from each data recorded in the semiconductor memory (step S6). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the average value of the vehicle speed exceeds a preset upper limit (threshold value) of the vehicle speed (step S7). If the upper limit (threshold value) of the vehicle speed is not exceeded, the light distribution control suppression flag is cleared (original light distribution control) (step S11). When the vehicle speed exceeds the upper limit (threshold), the vehicle speed is already recorded data, and is compared with the vehicle speed history when the vehicle travels on the road having the curvature (step S8). Then, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed tends to accelerate (step S9). If the vehicle speed does not tend to accelerate, the light distribution control suppression flag is cleared (original light distribution control) (step S11). If the vehicle speed tends to accelerate, a light distribution control suppression flag is set, and thereby light distribution control is performed to suppress the speed (step S10).

  An example of this light distribution control will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5A shows, for example, a state inherited from the state of FIG. 3C described above. As shown in FIG. 5A, the L-shaped beam 20 irradiated from the headlamp on the side of the curve 1B of the road 1 (the headlamp on the right side in the figure) is switched to the passing beam 30. It has become. In this case, the headlamp on the opposite side of the curve 1B of the road 1 (the headlamp on the left side in the figure) maintains the irradiation with the L-shaped beam 20 as before. Switching to the passing beam 30 is performed by a light distribution switching means 47 that is driven based on information from the light distribution type determining means 46.

  In such a case, the driving vehicle of the host vehicle 3 can recognize that the visibility of the portion indicated by the dotted frame Q in the figure is reduced on the side where the curve 1B of the road 1 is curved, Immediately, you will act to slow down. That is, the switching of the passing beam 30 means that the light distribution up to that time of the headlamp can be switched to the light distribution that promotes deceleration. Therefore, the safety of traveling of the host vehicle is ensured.

Further, another example of the light distribution control will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5B is also a diagram showing a state inherited from the state of FIG. 3C described above. As shown in FIG. 5B, the L-shaped beam 20 irradiated from the headlamp on the side where the road 1 is curved at the curve 1B (the headlamp on the right side in the figure) is swiveled to the curved side of the road 1. The divergence angle θ ′ with respect to the L-shaped beam 20 irradiated from the left headlamp is increased (θ ′> θ). That is, the light distribution is performed at a swivel angle (θ ′) that is swiveled to a side where the road is curved from the swivel angle (θ) set according to the curvature of the currently traveling road. . The swiveling of the L-shaped beam 20 of the headlight on the right side in the figure is performed by a swivel unit 44 that is driven based on information from the light distribution type determining means 46.

  Even in this case, the driving vehicle of the host vehicle 3 can recognize that the visibility is lowered on the side where the curve 1B of the road 1 is curved, and the driver immediately acts to reduce the speed. Will do. Therefore, the safety of traveling of the host vehicle is ensured.

Thereafter, returning to FIG. 1, the curvature calculation process is terminated (step S12).
(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, in the description of FIG. 5A, the light distribution pattern from the headlamp on the side where the curve 1B of the road 1 of the host vehicle 3 is curved is simply switched to the passing beam 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the switched passing beam 30 may be further swiveled to increase the opening angle with respect to the L-shaped beam 20 of the other headlamp. Needless to say, it is good.
(Embodiment 3)
In Embodiment 1, the case where the preceding vehicle 5 exists ahead of the host vehicle 3 is shown as an example. However, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied even if the preceding vehicle 5 does not exist. This is because there are cases where a person is walking instead of the preceding vehicle 5 and it is not preferable to travel at a higher speed than necessary. In other words, when the host vehicle 3 is approaching a curve, other records that prompt the vehicle to decelerate from the past light distribution when the vehicle speed is on an upward trend from a record of the vehicle traveling on a curve having the same curvature. What is necessary is just to switch to light distribution. This is because in this case, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the safety of traveling of the vehicle.

  As is clear from the above description, according to the vehicle headlamp light distribution control system according to the present invention, the driver unconsciously increases the speed when traveling on a relatively steep curve. Can be suppressed.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, it cannot be overemphasized that the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiments. Further, it is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Road, 3 ... Own vehicle, 5 ... Leading vehicle, 10 ... Traveling beam, 20 ... L-shaped beam, 30 ... Passing beam, 41 ... Curvature calculation means, 42 ... Travel record Means, 43... Swivel angle calculation means, 44... Swivel unit, 45... Ambient environment detection means, 46.

Claims (4)

A light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp that varies a light distribution of a headlamp according to a vehicle traveling state, at least,
Vehicle speed calculation means for calculating the vehicle speed of the host vehicle;
Curvature calculating means for calculating the curvature of the road on which the vehicle travels;
Traveling recording means for recording the vehicle speed of the host vehicle obtained from the vehicle speed calculating means in association with the curvature of the road obtained from the curvature calculating means;
A vehicle speed increase that detects that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle that is currently traveling tends to be higher than the vehicle speed associated with the curvature of a road that has substantially the same curvature as the currently traveling road, based on the record of the travel recording means. Detection means;
And a light distribution switching means for switching from the light distribution up to that time of the headlight to another light distribution that promotes deceleration when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle tends to increase by the vehicle speed increase detection means. Lighting distribution control system.   The light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the other light distribution that promotes deceleration is a passing light distribution pattern.   The light distribution control system for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 2, wherein among the headlamps mounted on the left and right sides of the vehicle, a light distribution pattern for passing is used in a headlamp on the side where the road is curved. .   The other light distribution that promotes the deceleration is a light distribution in which the angle is further swiveled from the swivel angle set according to the curvature of the currently traveling road to the side on which the road curves. A vehicle headlamp light distribution control system according to claim 1.

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