JP2018127135A - Method for controlling vehicular lighting and device for controlling vehicular lighting - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for controlling vehicular lighting that can avoid projecting glare to an oncoming vehicle even when own vehicle travels a traveling road with a gradient, and to provide a device for controlling vehicular lighting.SOLUTION: A device for controlling vehicular lighting includes a gradient detection circuit 13 for detecting a gradient in a travel direction of own vehicle and, when lowering a radiation height of at least illumination light radiated on an opposite lane side to a prescribed height or less, lowers the prescribed height as an up-hill gradient in the travel direction of own vehicle increases. Thus, irradiation light is controlled in accordance with a gradient in the travel direction and glare is prevented from being projected to an oncoming vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle illumination control method and a vehicle illumination control apparatus for controlling light distribution of a headlamp mounted on a vehicle.

  Patent Document 1 describes that the high beam and low beam of the headlamp are automatically controlled so as not to give glare (dazzling light) to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians according to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle. By blocking a part of the illumination light emitted from the light source, a low beam is formed, and by not blocking, a high beam is formed.

JP 2011-148372 A

  However, since the conventional example disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above does not consider the gradient of the travel path on which the host vehicle travels, for example, when the host vehicle travels on an uphill, even when the low beam is used. The irradiation direction of the low beam is upward according to the upward gradient. Therefore, although the low beam is set, the glare may be given to the oncoming vehicle because the illumination direction of the vehicle illumination is relatively upward with respect to the oncoming lane when traveling uphill. .

  The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and the object of the present invention is to provide glare to be given to the oncoming vehicle even when the host vehicle is traveling on a traveling road having a gradient. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle illumination control method and a vehicle illumination control apparatus that can be suppressed.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention reduces the predetermined height as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle increases when the irradiation height of the illumination light irradiated on the opposite lane side is reduced to a predetermined height or less. Let Alternatively, when the brightness of illumination light with a predetermined height or more irradiated to the oncoming lane side is decreased, the predetermined height is decreased as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle is larger.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even when the own vehicle is drive | working the driving | running route which has a gradient, the glare given to an oncoming vehicle can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle lighting control device and its peripheral devices according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of the headlamp. FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram showing an illumination range when the headlamp is a low beam on a flat traveling road. FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing an illumination irradiation range when the headlamp is a low beam on an uphill traveling path. FIG. 3C is an explanatory diagram showing an illumination range when the headlamp is a low beam on an uphill traveling path, and shows a state where the illumination area is moved downward. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the oncoming vehicle is illuminated with illumination light emitted from the headlamp of the host vehicle. FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram showing LEDs that are lit and extinguished to prevent glare to an opposite lane across a partition object while traveling on a flat travel path. FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing LEDs that are lit and extinguished to prevent glare to an opposite lane across a partition object while traveling on an uphill traveling path. FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a situation in which illumination light is not irradiated above the partitioning object when the host vehicle is traveling on a flat traveling path. FIG. 6B is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a situation in which illumination light is irradiated from above the partitioning object as the vehicle travels uphill. FIG. 6C is an explanatory diagram illustrating a situation where the irradiation area is changed so that irradiation light is not irradiated above the partitioning object when the host vehicle is traveling uphill. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the control device for vehicle lighting according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle lighting control device and its peripheral devices according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the vehicle lighting control apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Description of First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle lighting control device and its peripheral devices according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 100 detects a surrounding state of the vehicle based on a traveling lane detector 11 that detects a traveling lane in which the host vehicle travels and an image captured by the camera 16. Part 12 is provided. Furthermore, a gradient detection unit 13 (gradient detection circuit) that detects a gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and an illumination control unit 14 (illumination control) that controls the two headlamps 21R and 21L provided on the left and right front sides of the host vehicle. Circuit).

  The control device 100 is connected to a GPS 15 that detects the position of the host vehicle on the map data, a camera 16 that captures the surroundings of the host vehicle, and an acceleration sensor 17 that detects acceleration generated in the host vehicle.

  The travel lane detection unit 11, the surrounding situation detection unit 12, the gradient detection circuit (gradient detection unit 13), and the illumination control unit (illumination control unit 14) included in the control device 100 are a CPU (central processing unit), a memory, and an input It is realizable using the microcomputer provided with an output part. A computer program for causing the microcomputer to function as the control device 100 is installed in the microcomputer and executed. Thereby, the microcomputer functions as a plurality of information processing circuits (the traveling lane detection unit 11, the ambient condition detection unit 12, the gradient detection circuit, and the illumination control circuit 14) included in the control device 100. Here, an example in which the control device 100 is realized by software is shown. Of course, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a conventional circuit component arranged to execute the functions described in the embodiment is used. It is also possible to configure the control device 100 by preparing dedicated hardware. Further, each information processing circuit included in the control device 100 may be configured by individual hardware. Further, the control device 100 may also be used as an electronic control unit (ECU) used for other control related to the vehicle.

  The traveling lane detector 11 detects a traveling path along which the host vehicle travels based on the current position information of the host vehicle acquired from the GPS 15. Further, when the vehicle has a plurality of lanes, the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling is detected. For example, when driving on a three-lane highway on one side, it is detected whether the vehicle is traveling in the left lane, the center lane, or the right lane.

  The ambient condition detection unit 12 acquires an ambient image captured by the camera 16, and detects the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle that travels ahead of the host vehicle by image processing. Further, the presence / absence of a partition object and the height of the partition object are detected. A partition object is an object that is interposed between a lane in which the host vehicle travels and an opposite lane that faces the lane, such as a fence for blocking light, an anti-glare plate, an anti-glare tree, etc. is there. In addition to the method using the image picked up by the camera 16, for example, a method using a measuring device such as a laser radar or a millimeter wave radar can be adopted as the detection method for the preceding vehicle and the partition object.

  The gradient detection unit 13 is connected to an acceleration sensor 17 mounted on the host vehicle, and detects a gradient (inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane) facing the traveling direction of the host vehicle based on a change in acceleration generated in the host vehicle. Note that the gradient detection method is not limited to the acceleration sensor 17, and for example, a method of detecting from the relationship between the engine output and the vehicle body speed, or a method of acquiring from the GPS can be adopted.

  The headlamps 21R and 21L have a plurality of LEDs as shown in FIG. For example, it has a configuration in which a total of 150 LEDs of 5 rows (N1 to N5) and 30 columns (M1 to M30) are arranged in a matrix, and outputs a pixel matrix beam. Of the plurality of LEDs, the area to be turned on and the area to be turned off is controlled, or the area to be lit with high luminance and the area to be lit with low luminance are set, thereby setting the light irradiation area in front of the host vehicle. be able to.

  Accordingly, the headlamps 21R and 21L are controlled by the illumination control unit 14 so that the low beam that irradiates light to a region close to the vehicle and a wide viewing angle, and a relatively far and narrow viewing angle compared to the low beam. The high beam for irradiating the region with light can be appropriately switched. Furthermore, the area where the oncoming vehicle or the preceding vehicle is present can be spotted as a low beam to prevent glare on the oncoming vehicle or the preceding vehicle, and the visibility of the area far from the host vehicle can be improved. .

  For example, with the 5-row and 30-column LEDs shown in FIG. 2, the upper three rows (N1, N2, and N3) are turned on, and the lower two rows (N4 and N5) are turned off to obtain a high beam. . Or it can be set as a high beam by lighting all the LEDs. A low beam can be obtained by turning off the upper two rows (N1, N2) and turning on the lower three rows (N3, N4, N5).

  In 1st Embodiment, the height of the illumination light irradiated ahead is changed according to the gradient which faces the running direction of the own vehicle. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given with reference to FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C. FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state seen from the side surface when the host vehicle V1 is traveling on a flat travel path. In FIG. 3A, the travel lane L1 and the opposite lane L2 are both flat. Accordingly, when the headlamps 21R and 21L are low beams, the LEDs in the lower three rows (N3, N4, and N5) among the five rows and thirty columns shown in FIG. Therefore, light is irradiated to the region indicated by the reference sign q1. At this time, irradiation light is irradiated to the area | region lower than the line-of-sight height of the passenger | crew of an oncoming vehicle, and the glare given to the passenger | crew of an oncoming vehicle can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the traveling lane L1 of the host vehicle V1 is an uphill, the traveling lane L1 has a slight inclination angle (uphill gradient) with respect to the opposite lane L2. . For this reason, the illumination light irradiated from the headlamps 21R and 21L is directed upward by an inclination angle. When the headlamps 21R and 21L are set to a low beam as in FIG. 3A and the LEDs in the lower three rows (N3, N4, and N5) shown in FIG. 2 are turned on, the area indicated by the symbol q1 moves upward. (In FIG. 3B, the region of q1 is higher than FIG. 3A). Therefore, there is a possibility that the illumination light is irradiated toward the vicinity of the line of sight of the oncoming vehicle occupant and glare is given to the oncoming vehicle occupant.

  In the present embodiment, when the host vehicle V1 runs on an uphill and is inclined with respect to the oncoming lane, the height at which the illumination light is irradiated is set according to the angle of the uphill. Specifically, among the plurality of LEDs shown in FIG. 2, the LED at a lower position is lit compared to the flat case. For example, among the five rows of LEDs (N1 to N5) shown in FIG. 2, the lower two rows (N4, N5) of the LEDs are turned on. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3C, the illumination light irradiation region is a region indicated by a symbol q1a, and a region that is not irradiated is a region indicated by a symbol q2a. By doing so, it is possible to prevent glare from being given to the occupant of the oncoming vehicle even when the host vehicle V1 travels on a traveling road having a gradient and the illumination light is directed upward.

  The height of the LED to be lit is set so that the illumination light is irradiated to a position lower than the line-of-sight position of the occupant of the oncoming vehicle. Specifically, among a plurality of rows of LEDs (five rows in the example of FIG. 2) provided in the headlamps 21R and 21L, the lighting height is set as a predetermined height. The predetermined height is set to, for example, the height of the line of sight of the occupant of the oncoming vehicle or the height of the windshield of the oncoming vehicle. And predetermined height is reduced, so that the going-up gradient of the running direction of the own vehicle V1 is large. That is, when the irradiation height of the irradiation light irradiated to the oncoming lane side is reduced, the predetermined height is reduced as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle V1 is larger.

  It is also possible to light an LED at a position lower than a predetermined height with high luminance and to light an LED at a position higher than the predetermined height with low luminance. By doing so, even when illumination light is irradiated to the sight line position of the occupant of the oncoming vehicle, glare given to the occupant can be suppressed because the luminance is low. That is, the brightness of illumination light having a predetermined height or more is lowered than the predetermined height or less. And predetermined height is reduced, so that the upward gradient of the running direction of the own vehicle V1 is large.

  As described above, in the vehicular illumination according to the present embodiment, when the ascending slope of the traveling path of the host vehicle V1 is large, among the plurality of LEDs provided in the headlamps 21R and 21L, The LED to light is made low. For example, in a normal low beam, among the five rows of LEDs shown in FIG. 2, the upper two rows (N1, N2) are turned off and the lower three rows (N3, N4, N5) are turned on. Alternatively, the LEDs in the upper two rows (N1, N2) are lit with low luminance, and the LEDs in the lower three rows (N3, N4, N5) are lit with high luminance.

  On the other hand, when the traveling road is an uphill slope, for example, the LEDs in the upper three rows (N1, N2, N3) are turned off and the LEDs in the lower two rows (N4, N5) are turned on. Alternatively, the LEDs in the upper three rows (N1, N2, N3) are turned on with low luminance, and the LEDs in the lower two rows (N4, N5) are turned on with high luminance.

  As a result, even if the host vehicle V1 has an upward slope relative to the oncoming lane, and the irradiation light of the headlamps 21R and 21L is directed upward, it is possible to suppress glare given to the oncoming vehicle occupant. it can.

[Description of Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The apparatus configuration is the same as that shown in FIG.
In 2nd Embodiment, when the own vehicle is drive | working the lane nearest to a partition object, according to the height of this partition object, it lights up among several LED provided in headlamp 21R, 21L. Change the LED. Specifically, the glare given to the oncoming vehicle is suppressed by lowering (changing the height) the illumination light irradiated to the oncoming lane side. Moreover, the visibility ahead of the own vehicle is improved by setting the traveling direction of the own vehicle to a high beam.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle. The host vehicle V1 travels on the right side lane L1 of the two-lane road on one side, and an anti-glare plate or the like between the opposite lane L2 The partition object C1 is interposed. Under such circumstances, the illumination light is applied to the area indicated by the host vehicle V1 to P1. Among these, when the illumination light X1 irradiated from the own vehicle V1 toward the oncoming lane L2 is higher than the height of the partition object C1, the oncoming vehicle V2 traveling on the oncoming lane L2 beyond the partition object C1 is irradiated. Is done. Therefore, glare is given to the passenger of the oncoming vehicle V2.

  On the other hand, in order to avoid this, for example, among the LEDs in the 5 rows and 30 columns shown in FIG. 2, the right 5 columns (M26 to M30) and a total of 25 LEDs are turned off and face the opposite lane L2 side. If the illumination light is suppressed, the partition object C1 cannot be irradiated with the illumination light, and visibility in front of the host vehicle is lowered.

  In the second embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the area on the upper right side of the headlamps 21R, 21L, for example, the upper two rows (N1, N2), the right five columns (M26 to M30) in total 10 By turning off the LED, the illumination light is prevented from being irradiated to a position higher than the partition object C1. In FIG. 5A, a black LED indicates extinguishing. For this reason, the visibility of the partition object C1 is improved by irradiating the partition object C1 with illumination light without giving glare to the passenger of the oncoming vehicle V2. Further, instead of turning off the ten LEDs, it is also possible to reduce the luminance (decrease the luminance of the LED having a predetermined height or more).

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the height of the illumination light irradiated to the oncoming lane side is changed according to the gradient facing the traveling direction of the host vehicle, as in the first embodiment described above. Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given with reference to FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a state seen from the side surface when the host vehicle V1 is traveling on a flat travel path. In FIG. 6A, the travel lane L1 and the opposite lane L2 are both flat. Further, a part of the illumination light irradiated to the oncoming lane side is blocked by the partition object C1 (see FIG. 4). Specifically, the lower region q1 of the illumination light is blocked by the partition object C1. The upper region q2 is irradiated toward the opposite lane. Therefore, glare given to the occupant of the oncoming vehicle can be suppressed by controlling the irradiation light of the headlamps 21R and 21L so that the upper region q2 is not irradiated with the illumination light.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, when the traveling lane L1 of the host vehicle V1 is an uphill, the traveling lane L1 has a slight inclination angle with respect to the opposite lane L2. For this reason, since the illumination light irradiated from the headlamps 21R and 21L faces upward, the area blocked by the partition object C1 changes. Therefore, if the areas q1 and q2 shown in FIG. 6A are set as they are and the lighting of the LED is controlled, as shown in FIG. 6B, the illumination light is emitted from the area r1 toward the oncoming lane, and the occupant of the oncoming vehicle May give glare.

  In the present embodiment, when the traveling path of the host vehicle V1 is inclined and has an upward gradient, the height at which the illumination light is irradiated is set according to the inclination angle. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, among the five rows of LEDs, all the LEDs in the upper one row (N1) are turned off, and the upper five rows (M26 to M30) in the upper three rows (N1 to N3). Turn off the LED. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6C, a region q4 where no illumination light is irradiated is set. That is, among the illumination lights irradiated from the headlamps 21R and 21L, the lower region q3 is blocked by the partitioning object C1, and the upper region q4 is irradiated toward the opposite lane side. The light distribution of the headlamps 21R and 21L is controlled so as not to irradiate. By doing so, the LED in the upper stage is turned off relatively as compared with FIG. 5A, and the oncoming vehicle even when the host vehicle V1 travels uphill and the headlamps 21R and 21L face upward. The glare given to the passengers can be suppressed. Moreover, you may set the irradiation area | region of illumination light low, so that the angle of a gradient is large.

The operation of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 7 is executed by the control device 100 shown in FIG.
First, in step S11, the traveling lane detector 11 sets a traffic zone. Specifically, left-hand traffic or right-hand traffic is set. In the case of Japan, set to left-hand traffic.

In step S <b> 12, the traveling lane detector 11 determines whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on an automobile-only road based on the current position information acquired from the GPS 15. An automobile-only road is a road where a pedestrian does not enter, such as an expressway.
If the vehicle is not traveling on an automobile-only road (NO in step S12), in step S18, the illumination control unit 14 controls the headlamps 21R and 21L so as to obtain a normal light distribution. The normal light distribution is, for example, controlling to have a low beam in all areas while traveling in an urban area, detecting the presence of oncoming vehicles, and setting only the area facing the oncoming vehicle as a low beam, This is a control in which the region is a high beam.

  If the vehicle is traveling on an automobile-only road (YES in step S12), in step S13, the traveling lane detector 11 determines the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on the current position information acquired from the GPS 15. To detect. Then, it is determined whether the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling is the rightmost lane. In the case of right-hand traffic, it is determined whether the vehicle is traveling in the leftmost lane.

  When the vehicle is not traveling in the rightmost lane (NO in step S13), in step S17, the illumination control unit 14 emits illumination light forward using the headlamps 21R and 21L as a high beam. The fact that the vehicle is not traveling at the right end is, for example, the case where the vehicle is traveling on the left side or the center lane of a three-lane road, and at least one lane exists between the opposite lanes. In this case, since it can be estimated that glare is not given to the oncoming vehicle even as a high beam, the headlamps 21R and 21L are used as a high beam to improve the visibility in front of the host vehicle.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane (YES in step S13), in step S14, the surrounding state detection unit 12 includes a fence, a reflector, etc. interposed between the traveling lane of the host vehicle and the opposite lane. The height of the partition object is detected. Specifically, the height of the partition object is detected by image processing based on the image captured by the camera 16.

  In step S15, the gradient detector 13 detects the gradient of the host vehicle. Specifically, based on an output signal of an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle, a gradient that faces the traveling direction of the host vehicle is detected. For example, when the host vehicle is traveling uphill, the inclination angle of the uphill is detected.

  In step S16, the illumination control unit 14 controls the light distribution of the headlamps 21R and 21L based on the height of the partition object and the gradient of the host vehicle. Reduce the height of the illumination light that illuminates the opposite lane. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the illumination light is directed from the upper side of the partition member toward the opposite lane by turning off some LEDs in the upper right region of the headlamps 21R and 21L. Is avoided. At this time, since the gradient of the host vehicle is taken into consideration, as shown in FIG. 6B, it is possible to prevent illumination light from being irradiated from the upper side of the partition object C1.

  In this way, in the vehicle lighting control apparatus according to the second embodiment, the height of the illumination light irradiated from each of the headlamps 21R and 21L is such that the illumination light is irradiated to a region lower than the partition object C1. To control. That is, among the plurality of LEDs of the headlamps 21R and 21L, some LEDs existing in the upper right region are turned off.

  At this time, the area to be turned off is changed according to the height of the partition object C1. That is, when the height of the partitioning object C1 is high, the upper light can be blocked. Therefore, the lighting area is set high so that the illumination light is irradiated to a higher position. By doing so, it is possible to avoid glare on the oncoming vehicle and to irradiate the partitioning object C1 with illumination light, so that the visibility of the partitioning object C1 can be improved.

  Furthermore, the area to be lit is lowered as the slope angle of the travel path on which the host vehicle travels is larger (the upward slope is greater). That is, when the illumination height of the illumination light irradiated to the oncoming lane side is reduced to a predetermined height or less, the predetermined height is decreased as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle V1 is larger.

It is also possible to light an LED at a position lower than a predetermined height with high luminance and to light an LED at a position higher than the predetermined height with low luminance. By doing so, even when illumination light is irradiated to the sight line position of the occupant of the oncoming vehicle, glare given to the occupant can be suppressed because the luminance is low. That is, the brightness of illumination light having a predetermined height or more is lowered than the predetermined height or less. And predetermined height is reduced, so that the upward gradient of the running direction of the own vehicle V1 is large.
As a result, the host vehicle V1 has an upward slope relative to the oncoming lane, and even when the irradiation light from the headlamps 21R and 21L is directed upward, the vehicle V1 travels on the oncoming lane with the partitioning object C1 in between. The glare given to the vehicle occupant can be suppressed.

  Moreover, since the height of the illumination light irradiated to the oncoming lane is lowered as the height of the partition object C1 is lowered, appropriate light distribution control according to the height of the partition object C1 can be performed.

  Furthermore, by setting so that the height at which the illumination light is irradiated becomes lower as the inclination angle of the gradient is larger (as the uphill is steeper), appropriate control is performed according to the change in the gradient, and the host vehicle Even when the vehicle is traveling on a traveling road having a slope, it is possible to avoid glare on the oncoming vehicle.

  Also, the light distribution control according to the height of the partitioning object and the gradient of the host vehicle is performed only when the host vehicle is driving in a lane adjacent to the oncoming lane (the left lane in the case of left-hand traffic). Therefore, when traveling in a lane that is not adjacent to the oncoming lane, control according to the height of the partitioning object and the gradient of the host vehicle is not performed, and visibility in front of the host vehicle is improved without performing unnecessary light distribution control. be able to.

  In addition, since the light distribution of the lighting is controlled when driving on a motorway such as an expressway, it is not assumed that a pedestrian will enter the road, and the height of the illumination light is set low. However, problems such as delayed recognition of pedestrians do not occur.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which some of the plurality of LEDs included in the headlamps 21R and 21L are turned off has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to turning off, and the luminance of the LEDs having a predetermined height or more is set. It is also possible to avoid glare given to the oncoming vehicle by lowering. Specifically, the brightness of the LED in the extinguishing region (the LED shown in black) shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B may be lowered without being extinguished.

[Description of Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first and second embodiments described above, the example in which the gradient of the host vehicle is detected and the height at which the illumination light is irradiated is changed according to the angle of the gradient has been described. In 2nd Embodiment, the height which irradiates illumination light is changed according to the relative angle of the gradient of the own vehicle, and the gradient of an oncoming lane.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle lighting control apparatus according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the control device 101 according to the second embodiment includes a travel lane detection unit 11, an ambient condition detection unit 12, and a lighting control unit 14, as in the first embodiment described above. . Further, a host vehicle gradient detecting unit 31 that detects the gradient of the host vehicle and an oncoming lane gradient detecting unit 32 are provided.

  The own vehicle gradient detection unit 31 detects the gradient of the own vehicle based on the detection data of the acceleration sensor 17 in the same manner as the gradient detection unit 13 shown in FIG.

  The oncoming lane gradient detector 32 detects the oncoming lane gradient based on the current position information detected by the GPS 15 and the map data.

  Since the configuration of the control device 101 shown in FIG. 8 is the same as that of FIG. 1 except for the host vehicle gradient detection unit 31 and the oncoming lane gradient detection unit 32, the same reference numerals are given and description of the configuration is omitted.

Next, a processing procedure of the control device 101 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 9 is executed by the control device 101 shown in FIG.
First, in step S31, the traveling lane detector 11 sets a traffic zone. Specifically, left-hand traffic or right-hand traffic is set.

  In step S <b> 32, the traveling lane detector 11 determines whether or not the host vehicle is traveling on an automobile-only road based on the current position information acquired from the GPS 15. If the vehicle is not traveling on an automobile road (NO in step S32), in step S39, the illumination control unit 14 controls the headlamps 21R and 21L so as to obtain a normal light distribution. The normal light distribution is, for example, controlling to have a low beam in all areas while traveling in an urban area, detecting the presence of oncoming vehicles, and setting only the area facing the oncoming vehicle as a low beam, This is a control in which the region is a high beam.

  If the vehicle is traveling on an automobile-only road (YES in step S32), in step S33, the traveling lane detector 11 determines the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on the current position information acquired from the GPS 15. To detect. It is determined whether the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling is the rightmost lane. In the case of right-hand traffic, it is determined whether the vehicle is traveling in the leftmost lane.

  When the vehicle is not traveling in the rightmost lane (NO in step S33), in step S40, the illumination control unit 14 irradiates illumination light forward with the headlamps 21R and 21L as high beams. The fact that the vehicle is not traveling at the right end is, for example, the case where the vehicle is traveling on the left side or the center lane of a three-lane road, and at least one lane exists between the opposite lanes. In this case, since it can be estimated that glare is not given to the oncoming vehicle even as a high beam, the headlamps 21R and 21L are used as a high beam to improve the visibility in front of the host vehicle.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane (YES in step S33), in step S34, the surrounding state detection unit 12 includes a fence, a reflector, and the like interposed between the traveling lane of the host vehicle and the opposite lane. The height of the partition object is detected. Specifically, the height of the partition object is detected by image processing based on the image captured by the camera 16.

  In step S35, the host vehicle gradient detection unit 31 detects the gradient of the host vehicle. Specifically, based on the output signal of the acceleration sensor 17 mounted on the vehicle, a gradient facing the traveling direction of the host vehicle is detected. For example, when the host vehicle is traveling uphill, the inclination angle of the uphill is detected.

  In step S36, the oncoming lane gradient detecting unit 32 detects the oncoming lane gradient based on the current position information and map data detected by the GPS 15.

  In step S37, the illumination control unit 14 calculates a relative inclination angle between the gradient of the host vehicle and the gradient of the oncoming lane. With the opposite lane as a reference, the gradient of the host vehicle when the gradient of the opposite lane is zero is set as a relative inclination angle. For example, even when the host vehicle is traveling uphill, the relative inclination angle is zero if the opposite lane has the same gradient as this.

  In step S38, the illumination control unit 14 sets the height of the illumination light on the oncoming vehicle side of the headlamps 21R and 21L based on the height of the partition object and the relative inclination angle. Specifically, based on the height of the partition object, the height of the illumination light irradiated from each of the headlamps 21R and 21L is controlled so that light is irradiated to a region lower than the height of the partition object. Furthermore, the height of the illumination light is controlled according to the relative inclination angle. That is, among the plurality of LEDs of the headlamps 21R and 21L, some LEDs existing in the upper right region are turned off.

  Thus, in the vehicle lighting control device 101 according to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment described above, when the host vehicle is traveling in a lane adjacent to the oncoming lane, the partition object The height of the illumination light irradiated from each of the headlamps 21R and 21L is controlled so that light is irradiated to a lower area. At this time, the height at which the illumination light is irradiated is changed according to the height of the partition object and the relative inclination angle.

  Therefore, the height of the illumination light is changed according to the relative angle between the gradient of the host vehicle and the gradient of the oncoming lane, so that it is not affected by the gradient of the travel path on which the host vehicle travels. It is possible to reliably prevent glare from being given to the vehicle.

  Further, in the second embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment described above, glare given to the oncoming vehicle can be avoided by reducing the luminance instead of turning off the LED having a predetermined height or more. .

  As mentioned above, although the control method of the vehicle illumination of this invention and the control apparatus of the vehicle illumination were demonstrated based on embodiment of illustration, this invention is not limited to this, The structure of each part is the same Any configuration having a function can be replaced.

  For example, in each embodiment, the example in which the light distribution of the headlamps 21R and 21L is controlled when the vehicle is traveling on an automobile road has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle travels on a general road. It is possible to apply even when it is.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Driving lane detection part 12 Ambient condition detection part 13 Gradient detection part (gradient detection circuit)
14 Illumination control unit (illumination control circuit)
15 GPS
16 Camera 17 Acceleration sensor 21L Headlight 21R Headlight 31 Own vehicle gradient detector (gradient detection circuit)
32 Oncoming lane gradient detection unit 100, 101 Controller C1 Partition object L1 Traveling lane L2 Oncoming lane V1 Own vehicle V2 Oncoming vehicle

Claims (8)

A vehicle lighting control method for controlling lighting of a host vehicle,
When reducing the irradiation height of illumination light applied to at least the oncoming lane side to a predetermined height or less, the predetermined height is decreased as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle increases. Control method. A vehicle lighting control method for controlling lighting of a host vehicle,
The vehicle illumination control method characterized by lowering the predetermined height as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle increases when reducing the luminance of illumination light of a predetermined height or more irradiated to at least the opposite lane side . 3. The vehicle lighting control method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined height is lowered as the height of a partitioning object interposed between the traveling lane and the opposite lane of the host vehicle is lower. Only when the vehicle is driving in the lane closest to the partition object,
The vehicle lighting control method according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined height is lowered as the height of a partitioning object interposed between the traveling lane and the opposite lane of the host vehicle is lower. The relative angle between the gradient toward the traveling direction of the host vehicle and the gradient of the opposite lane toward the traveling direction of the host vehicle is acquired, and the predetermined height decreases as the angle of the relative upward gradient increases. The vehicle lighting control method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The vehicle lighting control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the traveling lane and the opposite lane in which the host vehicle travels are an automobile-only road. A vehicle lighting control device for controlling the lighting of the host vehicle,
A gradient detection circuit for detecting a gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
An illumination control circuit that reduces the predetermined height as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle increases when the irradiation height of the illumination light applied to at least the opposite lane side is reduced to a predetermined height or less;
A vehicle lighting control apparatus comprising: A vehicle lighting control device for controlling the lighting of the host vehicle,
A gradient detection circuit for detecting a gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
An illumination control circuit that lowers the predetermined height as the upward gradient in the traveling direction of the host vehicle increases when reducing the luminance of illumination light of a predetermined height or more irradiated to at least the opposite lane side;
A vehicle lighting control apparatus comprising:

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