JP2022141445A - Control device of vehicle lamp, control method of the lamp vehicle, vehicle lamp system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a control device of a vehicle lamp, a control method of the same, and a vehicle lamp system which improve visibility of a pedestrian from an oncoming car side.SOLUTION: A vehicle lamp system is a device for controlling operation of a vehicle lamp which can achieve selective light irradiation, and controls light distribution of the vehicle lamp including a head lamp so that an irradiation light 120 can be formed on a background area behind a pedestrian 102 on an extension of a first virtual straight line passing a position of an oncoming vehicle 101 and a position of the pedestrian 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp control device and control method, and a vehicle lamp system.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-108101 (Patent Document 1) discloses that when the illuminance of a predetermined light projection range is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and a pedestrian is detected within the light projection range, the vehicle in the light projection range is detected. A headlight control device is disclosed that automatically reduces the illuminance of headlights so that pedestrians can be visually recognized as shadows cast by the headlights of oncoming vehicles. Further, in Japanese Patent No. 5361571 (Patent Document 2), when the vehicle is in a substantially stopped state, an intermediate region in the vehicle width direction located between a pair of left and right headlamps on the front portion of the vehicle is covered substantially over the entire width. A vehicle lighting configured to emit light from a luminous body configured to emit light and to dim each headlamp in order to make pedestrians between the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle easier to see from the oncoming vehicle side. system is described.

However, in the headlight device described in Patent Literature 1, no particular consideration is given to improving the visibility of pedestrians on the side of oncoming vehicles. In addition, in the vehicle light emitting system described in Patent Document 2, the light emitting body provided in the front of the vehicle is configured to make a part of the pedestrian's body stand out as a silhouette, so that the pedestrian can be seen outside the front of the vehicle. It is considered that the pedestrian's visibility does not improve so much in such a case where the vehicle exists in the position.

JP 2019-108101 A Japanese Patent No. 5361571

One of the purposes of the specific aspect of the present disclosure is to improve the visibility of pedestrians from the oncoming vehicle side.

[1] A control device for a vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a device for (a) controlling the operation of a vehicle lamp capable of selective light irradiation, and A control device for a vehicle lamp, which controls the vehicle lamp so as to form illumination light on a background area behind the pedestrian on an extension of a first imaginary straight line passing through the position of the pedestrian. .
[2] A control device for a vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a device that (a) controls the operation of a vehicle lamp capable of selective light irradiation, and (b) controls the position of an oncoming vehicle and the position of the oncoming vehicle. (c) a setting unit for setting a background area behind the pedestrian on an extension of a first imaginary straight line passing through the position of the pedestrian; and a control signal generator that generates a .
[3] A method of controlling a vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method of (a) controlling an operation of a vehicle lamp capable of selective light irradiation, and comprising: (b) a position of an oncoming vehicle; A control method for a vehicle lamp, wherein the vehicle lamp is controlled so as to form illumination light on a background area behind the pedestrian on an extension of a first imaginary straight line passing through the position of the pedestrian. .
[4] A vehicle lamp control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle lamp system including the control device according to 1 or 2 above and a vehicle lamp controlled by the control device.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the visibility of pedestrians from the oncoming vehicle side.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp system according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a variable light distribution unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer system that implements the controller. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the principle of setting the area behind the pedestrian (background area) according to the positions of the oncoming vehicle and the pedestrian. FIG. 5 is a diagram for schematically explaining light distribution control by the vehicle lamp system. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the vehicle lamp system. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a method of detecting the presence or absence of a pedestrian in step S13. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining an example of light distribution control by the vehicle lamp system. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining an example of light distribution control by the vehicle lamp system.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp system according to one embodiment. The illustrated vehicle lamp system includes an imaging device 10, a radar device 11, an illuminance sensor 12, a controller 13, and a pair of headlamps (vehicle lamps) 14L and 14R.

The imaging device 10 captures the space ahead of the vehicle and generates an image of the space. In addition, the imaging device 10 detects the positions of preceding vehicles and oncoming vehicles, as well as the positions of objects such as pedestrians, by performing predetermined image recognition processing on the captured images. do. This imaging device 10 is installed, for example, above the inner side of the windshield of the own vehicle. The imaging device 10 includes, for example, a camera that generates an image and an image processor that performs image recognition processing on the image. Note that the image recognition processing function may be implemented in the controller 13 .

The radar device 11 emits radio waves and measures the reflected waves, thereby detecting the positions, distances, directions of existence of preceding vehicles, oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, and the like. In addition, instead of the radar device 11, a lidar device (LIDAR: Light Detection and Ranging) that detects the position, distance, direction of existence, etc. of preceding vehicles, oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, etc. using scattered light from laser irradiation is used. good too.

The controller 13 controls the operation of the pair of headlights 14L, 14R. The controller 13 includes a vehicle position acquisition unit 20, a pedestrian position acquisition unit 21, a light distribution pattern setting unit 22, and a control signal generation unit 23 as functional blocks. The controller 13 uses a computer system having, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., as shown in FIG. 3 to be described later. It is realized by executing This controller 13 corresponds to the "control device". Also, the light distribution pattern setting section corresponds to the "setting section".

The vehicle position acquisition unit 20 acquires signals or data representing the position of the forward vehicle from the imaging device 10 . The forward vehicle referred to here is, for example, an oncoming vehicle, a preceding vehicle, or the like. The position of the forward vehicle is represented, for example, by a relative angle with respect to the own vehicle position (the position of the imaging device 10). The vehicle position acquisition unit 20 may acquire the position of the forward vehicle from the radar device 11 or may acquire the position of the forward vehicle from both the radar device 11 and the imaging device 10 . When acquiring from both, the priority of the information (for example, priority is given to the imaging device 10) may be determined.

The pedestrian position acquisition unit 21 acquires signals or data representing the position of the pedestrian from the imaging device 10 . The pedestrian's position is represented, for example, by a relative angle with respect to the own vehicle position (the position of the imaging device 10). The vehicle position acquisition unit 20 may acquire the pedestrian's position from the radar device 11 or may acquire the pedestrian's position from both the radar device 11 and the imaging device 10 . When acquiring from both, the priority of the information (for example, priority is given to the imaging device 10) may be determined.

The light distribution pattern setting unit 22 determines the area behind the pedestrian (from the oncoming vehicle) according to the position of the oncoming vehicle acquired by the vehicle position acquiring unit 20 and the pedestrian position acquired by the pedestrian position acquiring unit 21. A light distribution pattern is set so that irradiation light is formed in an area that becomes a background of a pedestrian when viewed (hereinafter referred to as a "background area"). A specific method for setting the light distribution pattern will be described later.

The control signal generator 23 generates a control signal corresponding to the light distribution pattern set by the light distribution pattern setting unit 22, and supplies the control signal to the variable light distribution unit 31 of each of the headlights 14L and 14R. Further, the control signal generator 23 generates a control signal corresponding to low beam and supplies it to the low beam unit 30 of each headlamp 14L, 14R.

The headlights 14L and 14R are provided one by one on the left and right sides of the front part of the vehicle, and are for illuminating the front of the vehicle. Each headlamp 14L, 14R has a low beam unit 30 and a variable light distribution unit 31, respectively.

The low beam unit 30 has, for example, a light source bulb and a reflector, operates in response to a control signal from the controller 13, reflects light emitted from the light source bulb by the reflector, and shields part of the reflected light with a light shielding plate. By doing so, light for forming a low beam (passing light) that mainly irradiates an area relatively close to the vehicle is generated.

The variable light distribution unit 31 receives a control signal from the controller 13 and operates to form light that is irradiated to the space behind the pedestrian. As such a variable light distribution unit 31, for example, a variable light distribution unit using a liquid crystal element as exemplified in FIG. 2, which will be described later, can be used. As the variable light distribution unit 31, a variable light distribution unit that forms a light distribution pattern by arranging a plurality of LEDs and selectively turning on/off the LEDs, or a variable light distribution unit that movably reflects light from a laser element. Various types of variable light distribution units, such as a variable light distribution unit that forms a light distribution pattern by scanning with a plate and turning on and off a laser element at high speed, can also be used.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a variable light distribution unit. The variable light distribution unit 31 shown in FIG.

The light source 150 includes, for example, a white light LED configured by combining a light emitting element (LED) that emits blue light with a yellow phosphor. The light source 150 comprises, for example, a plurality of white light LEDs arranged in a matrix or line. As the light source 150, in addition to the LED, it is possible to use a light source generally used for vehicles such as a laser, a light bulb, and a discharge lamp. It should be noted that other optical systems (for example, lenses, reflecting mirrors, and combinations thereof) may exist on the path from the light source 150 to the liquid crystal element 151 .

The liquid crystal element 151 has, for example, a plurality of individually controllable pixel portions (light modulation regions), and a driver (not shown) that operates in accordance with a control signal from the controller 13 . The transmittance of each pixel portion is variably set according to the magnitude of the applied voltage. When the light from the light source 150 is incident on the liquid crystal element 151 and is transmitted through the liquid crystal element 151, an image having brightness and darkness corresponding to the light distribution pattern described above is formed.

The pair of polarizing plates 152a and 152b, for example, have their polarizing axes substantially perpendicular to each other, and are arranged to face each other with the liquid crystal element 151 interposed therebetween. As the polarizing plates 152a and 152b, for example, absorption polarizing plates made of general organic materials (iodine-based, dye-based) can be used. Moreover, when it is desired to emphasize heat resistance, it is also preferable to use a wire grid type polarizing plate. Alternatively, an absorption polarizing plate and a wire grid polarizing plate may be used in combination.

The projection lens 153 expands an image (a bright and dark image) formed by the light passing through the liquid crystal element 151 and projects it forward of the vehicle, and an appropriately designed lens is used. For example, in this embodiment, a reverse projection type projector lens is used.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer system that implements the controller. The illustrated computer system includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, a storage device 204, and an external interface (I/F) 205 that are communicatively connected. The CPU 201 operates based on a basic control program read from the ROM 202, reads a program (application program) 206 stored in the storage device 204, and executes the program, thereby realizing the functions of the controller 13 described above. A RAM 203 temporarily stores data to be used when the CPU 201 operates. The storage device 204 is a non-volatile data storage device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various data such as the program 206 . An external interface 205 is an interface that connects the CPU 201 and an external device, and is used to connect the imaging device 10 and the CPU 201, for example.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the principle of setting the area behind the pedestrian (background area) according to the positions of the oncoming vehicle and the pedestrian. FIGS. 4A and 4B schematically show a plan view of the host vehicle 100, the oncoming vehicle 101, and the pedestrian 102 from above. As shown in the figure, the relative positions of the oncoming vehicle 101 and the pedestrian 102 are defined, for example, with the position of the own vehicle 100 as the origin (0, 0), the traveling direction of the own vehicle 100 as the x axis, and the vehicle width direction as the y axis. can be expressed as coordinate values taken in Here, let the position coordinates of the oncoming vehicle 101 be (x1, y1) and the position coordinates of the pedestrian 102 be (x2, y2). Here, the position coordinates (0, 0) of the own vehicle 100 are, for example, the installation position of the imaging device 10, and generally correspond to the center of the own vehicle 100 in the vehicle width direction. Further, the position coordinates of the oncoming vehicle 101 can be determined corresponding to the center position of the oncoming vehicle 101 in the vehicle width direction, which is the front portion of the oncoming vehicle 101, for example. Also, the position coordinates of the pedestrian 102 can be determined corresponding to the position of the head of the pedestrian 102, for example.

A straight line (first imaginary straight line) 103 passing through the position coordinates (x1, y1) of the oncoming vehicle 101 and the position coordinates (x2, y2) of the pedestrian 102 is assumed. This straight line 103 can be represented on xy coordinates as follows.
y={(y1-y2)/(x1-x2)}x+{(x1y2-x2y2)/(x1-x2)} (1)

Also, a straight line (second imaginary straight line) 104 passing through the position coordinates (0, 0) of the vehicle 100 and the position coordinates (x2, y2) of the pedestrian 102 is assumed. This straight line 104 can be represented on xy coordinates as follows.
y=(y2/x2)x (2)

Based on the above equation (1), the background area 110 is set on the extension (on the extension line) of the straight line 103 and behind the pedestrian 102 . This background area 110 is further set to an area where a straight line with a greater slope than the slope (y2/x2) of the equation (2) can be assumed (the area above the straight line 104 in the figure) based on the above equation (2). preferably. In other words, it is preferable to set the background area 110 in the area behind the pedestrian 102 with the straight line 104 defined by the equation (2) as the boundary, and the background area 110 is set in this way in the present embodiment. By setting such a background area 110 variably according to the position of the pedestrian 102 and forming irradiation light corresponding to the background area 110, the pedestrian 102 can be seen in front of the own vehicle 100 or the oncoming vehicle 101 When the pedestrian 102 is in a position where there is no traffic, for example, when the pedestrian 102 is on the side of the road (see FIG. 4A), or when the pedestrian 102 is in front of the own vehicle 100 (see FIG. 4B). A background area 110 can be set behind the pedestrian 102 regardless of the position.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for schematically explaining light distribution control by the vehicle lamp system. FIG. 5 also schematically shows a plan view of the own vehicle 100, the oncoming vehicle 101, and the pedestrian 102 from above. Here, as an example, there is a pedestrian 102 on the side of the road, and a background area 110 is set behind the pedestrian 102 to form the irradiation light 120 . A low beam 121 that is the light emitted by the low beam unit 30 is also shown.

By forming the illumination light 120 behind the pedestrian 102, the pedestrian 102 can be seen as a silhouette when viewed from the oncoming vehicle 101 side, so the visibility of the pedestrian 102 is improved. In other words, in this situation, the oncoming vehicle 101 is often irradiated with only a low beam, and sufficient light does not reach the pedestrian. Thus, the silhouette of the pedestrian 102 can be emphasized, and the visibility of the pedestrian 102 from the oncoming vehicle 101 side can be improved.

In addition, since the pedestrian 102 is not in front of the vehicle 100, but is in the side of the road (for example, before the crossing starts), the presence of the pedestrian 102 can be easily detected by the oncoming vehicle 101. Become. In addition, when an object such as a fence, a signboard, or a tree exists behind the pedestrian 102, the space behind the pedestrian 102 or the foot of the pedestrian 102 may be affected by the reflected light generated by the irradiation of the irradiation light 120 on these objects. Since the brightness of the road surface becomes even stronger, the silhouette is more emphasized. Note that the irradiation light 120 may be irradiated onto the road surface behind the pedestrian 102 .

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the vehicle lamp system. As for each operation procedure, it is possible to change the order of each processing step or add another processing step as long as the result is not contradictory or inconsistent, and such a mode is not excluded.

If the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 12 is equal to or less than a certain value (step S11; YES), there is an oncoming vehicle based on the data acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 20 (step S12; YES), and there is a pedestrian If there is a pedestrian based on the data acquired by the position acquisition unit 21 (step S13; YES), the light distribution pattern setting unit 22 acquires the position coordinates of the oncoming vehicle from the vehicle position acquisition unit 20, and , the position coordinates of the pedestrian are obtained from the pedestrian position obtaining unit 21 (step S14).

On the other hand, if the illuminance is greater than a certain value (step S11; NO), if there is no oncoming vehicle (step S12; NO), or if there is no pedestrian (step S13; NO), the process returns to step S11. .

It should be noted that the "fixed value" in step S11 is a value that is determined in advance assuming situations in which light irradiation in front of the vehicle is necessary due to nighttime or cloudy weather, etc., and is appropriately set based on experiments and the like. can.

Next, the light distribution pattern setting unit 22 sets a background area behind the pedestrian based on the obtained positional coordinates of the oncoming vehicle and the pedestrian and the positional coordinates of the own vehicle (step S15).

When the position of the pedestrian exists within the predetermined range in front of the vehicle (step S16; YES), the light distribution pattern setting unit 22 transfers the setting contents of the light distribution pattern including the background area to the control signal generating unit 23. . On the other hand, if the position of the pedestrian is outside the predetermined range in front of the vehicle (step S16; NO), the process returns to step S11. That is, the background area is not irradiated with light. Also, if the background region was irradiated with light at the previous processing opportunity, this light irradiation is stopped.

Here, "within a predetermined range (angle range)" in step S16 means, for example, a range forming angles θ1 and θ2 to the left and right with respect to the traveling direction (front-rear direction) of the own vehicle 100 as shown in FIG. Can be set. Specifically, when tan θ1>y2/x2>tan θ2, it can be determined that the pedestrian's position is within the predetermined range. If y2/x2≧tan θ1 or y2/x2≦tan θ2, it can be determined that the pedestrian's position is outside the predetermined range. The angles .theta.1 and .theta.2 can be set, for example, to correspond to the maximum light irradiation range of the headlights 14L and 14R. As an example, it is possible to set θ1=20° and θ2=−20°.

The control signal generation unit 23 generates a control signal for forming irradiation light corresponding to the light distribution pattern including the set background area, and outputs the control signal to each of the headlights 14L and 14R (step S17). Thereby, illumination light is formed in the background area of the pedestrian (see FIG. 5). After that, the process returns to step S14.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining an example of light distribution control by the vehicle lamp system. Similarly, FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining an example of light distribution control by the vehicle lamp system. Here, the state seen ahead from the own vehicle side is shown typically. In each drawing, the numbers attached to the horizontal and vertical axes indicate angles (unit: deg) in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction as seen from the own vehicle.

In the example shown in FIG. 8A, a pedestrian 102 exists on the side of the road relatively far from the own vehicle, and an oncoming vehicle 101 also exists. In this case, the low beam 121 is basically formed without emitting the high beam from the own vehicle. Also, the illumination light 120 is formed in the background area of the pedestrian 102 . In the example shown in FIG. 8B, the pedestrian 102 starts crossing from the state shown in FIG. In this case, the background area of the pedestrian 102 is set according to the relative positional relationship between the oncoming vehicle 101 and the pedestrian 102, and the illumination light 120 is formed accordingly. Due to such an effect of the irradiation light 120, the visibility of the pedestrian 102 from the oncoming lane 101 side can be improved from before the pedestrian 102 starts to cross the road to while the pedestrian 102 is crossing the road. The same applies to the examples shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. Even if the pedestrian 102 is relatively close to the own vehicle, the effect of the irradiation light 120 causes the pedestrian 102 to start crossing. The visibility of the pedestrian 102 from the opposite lane 101 side can be continuously improved from the front to the crossing.

Thus, according to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to improve the visibility of pedestrians from the oncoming vehicle side.

It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a pedestrian was given as an example of the target object, but a bicycle rider or the like may be used as the target object. In the above-described embodiment, no particular reference was made to the preceding vehicle, but for example, when there is a preceding vehicle, control may be performed so that the irradiation light 120 is not formed. Further, when it is detected that an oncoming vehicle is turning on the low beam or high beam, the illumination light to the background area may be formed.

In the above-described embodiment, while the pedestrian is within a predetermined range in front of the vehicle, the background area is illuminated with light. When the vehicle comes closer to the pedestrian than the distance (for example, about 40 m), the light irradiation of the pedestrian's background area by the own vehicle may be stopped or the light may be reduced.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the brightness (luminance) of the illumination light to the background area of the pedestrian was not particularly mentioned, but the brightness may be set variably. In this case, for example, the brightness of the illumination light to the background area may be increased as the distance between the oncoming vehicle and the pedestrian becomes shorter. As a result, as the oncoming vehicle approaches the pedestrian, the light emitted from the oncoming vehicle to the pedestrian gradually becomes brighter, and the background area can also be made brighter, thereby weakening the silhouette vision effect of the pedestrian. can be prevented. Even in this case, it is more preferable to reduce the illumination light to the background area as described above after the mutual distance between the oncoming vehicle and the pedestrian approaches a certain distance (a distance equal to or less than the reference value). The term "dimming" as used herein includes making the brightness of the irradiation light substantially zero, that is, stopping the light irradiation.

10: imaging device, 11: radar device, 12: illuminance sensor, 13: controller, 14L, 14R: headlight, 20: vehicle position acquisition unit, 21: pedestrian position acquisition unit, 22: light distribution pattern setting unit, 23: control signal generator, 30: low beam unit, 31: variable light distribution unit, 100: host vehicle, 101: oncoming vehicle, 102: pedestrian

Claims (10)

A device for controlling the operation of a vehicle lamp capable of selective light irradiation,
controlling the vehicle lamp so as to form illumination light on a background area behind the pedestrian on an extension of a first imaginary straight line passing through the position of the oncoming vehicle and the position of the pedestrian;
A control device for a vehicle lamp. A device for controlling the operation of a vehicle lamp capable of selective light irradiation,
a setting unit that sets a background area behind the pedestrian on an extension of a first imaginary straight line passing through the position of the oncoming vehicle and the position of the pedestrian;
a control signal generation unit that generates a control signal that causes the vehicle lamp to form the irradiation light for the background area;
A control device for a vehicle lamp, comprising: The background area is set in an area behind the pedestrian bounded by a second virtual straight line passing through the position of the pedestrian and the position of the own vehicle.
3. The control device for a vehicle lamp according to claim 1. Illuminated light is formed on at least one of the air, an object, and a road surface behind the pedestrian.
A control device for a vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Forming the illumination light when a pedestrian exists within a certain angular range with respect to the traveling direction of the own vehicle;
A control device for a vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4. wherein the certain angle range is set corresponding to a light irradiation range of the vehicle lamp;
The control device for a vehicle lamp according to claim 5. making the illumination light brighter as the distance between the pedestrian and the oncoming vehicle becomes shorter;
A control device for a vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6. dimming the illumination light when the distance between the pedestrian and the oncoming vehicle becomes shorter than a reference value;
The vehicle lamp control device according to claim 7 . A method for controlling the operation of a vehicle lamp capable of selective light irradiation, comprising:
controlling the vehicle lamp so as to form illumination light on a background area behind the pedestrian on an extension of a first imaginary straight line passing through the position of the oncoming vehicle and the position of the pedestrian;
A control method for a vehicle lamp. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8;
a vehicle lamp controlled by the control device;
A vehicle lighting system, comprising:

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