JP3149496B2 - Automatic lighting control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic light-on / light-off control for preventing a light-on / off control from being erroneously performed depending on a driving environment, such as when driving under a guard or under a street light at night. It relates to a control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to automatically control the turning on and off of small lamps and headlights, ambient brightness is detected using a photodetector such as a photodiode, and an output signal from the photodetector is specified. A device for controlling the lighting of the headlight when it is reduced below the threshold value has been considered and is being implemented. In this case, in order to prevent the occurrence of erroneous control that is automatically turned on when passing through a temporarily dark place such as under a guard in a bright daytime, for example, even if the surroundings are dark, a few It is considered that the light is not turned on for a second.

However, there is no problem when the vehicle passes under the guard at a certain speed or more, but when the vehicle passes under the guard at a low speed or stops under the guard, the headlights are turned on. Is done. In addition, the headlights are turned on when the vehicle is traveling under the guard during traveling at twilight, or when a large truck or the like comes next to the vehicle and the light incident on the photodetector is blocked. Therefore, the situation becomes very troublesome for the driver.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is intended to prevent accidental lighting in a state where light is temporarily or partially blocked, such as under a guard. Provided is an automatic light-on / off control device that prevents erroneous turning off due to the influence of street lamps or the like during night driving, and performs stable control without inconvenience for a driver. What you want to do.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic light -on / off control device, comprising a plurality of photodetectors arranged two-dimensionally on one surface; Combination of optical means for condensing and projecting a light image around the vehicle on the arrangement surface of the plurality of light detection elements of the detection means, and brightness based on output signals from each of the plurality of light detection elements of the light detection means
Means for judging the pattern and judging whether the headlights are turned on or off.

[0006]

In the automatic light-on / off control device configured as described above, for example, when the vehicle is traveling under the guard, since a bright place is present in a part of the front, the light detecting element of the light detecting means is partially provided. In, this bright part is detected. In addition, in the state of passing under the street light during night driving,
Since the brightness is detected only above the vehicle, it is possible to prevent the surroundings from being mistaken for bright daytime running. That is, by determining the combination of the detection outputs of each of the plurality of light detection elements of the light detection means, the surrounding brightness condition can be determined, so that accurate and stable headlight on / off control is performed. Become.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration.
(A) The photodetector 11 is set as shown in the figure. This photodetector 11 is composed of nine photodetectors arranged in a plane in three rows vertically as indicated by A, B and C in the figure, and three rows horizontally as indicated by 1, 2, and 3 in FIG. 111, 112,..., 119.

In this manner, the plurality of photodetectors 111, 11
An imaging lens 12 is provided for the photodetector 11 in which
A light image of the surroundings including the front of the vehicle is projected therethrough, and is formed on the surface of the photodetector 11. Each of the light detecting elements 111, 112,... Of the light detector 11 outputs a signal having a level corresponding to the intensity of the incident light.
The patterns of the detection output from each of the light detecting elements 111, 112,... Are obtained.

In the photodetector 11 set as described above, each block obtained by dividing the vertical direction into three parts,
Each of the divided blocks is detected, and the brightness of each of the nine divided blocks is detected. Then, whether the headlight is turned on or off is determined based on the brightness pattern detected in each block, and a command is given to the lighting control unit.

A specific example will be described below. First, in the daytime, when there is no obstacle that blocks light, as shown in FIG. 2A, light is equally input to each of the blocks A, B, and C of the photodetector 11. It is determined as “bright” in the block. Therefore, in such a state, it is determined that the daylight has sufficient brightness, and a command to turn off the headlights is issued. Conversely, as shown in FIG.
When it is determined that each of the blocks B and C is “dark”, it is determined that it is night and a lighting instruction is issued.

Next, when the vehicle enters under the guard as shown in FIG. 2C, light input from above to the photodetector 11 is blocked by the guard, and light from above is detected. "Dark" is determined in block A where input is detected. However, when there is a vehicle under the guard, the front of the vehicle is open,
The light from the front is input to the photodetector 11, and "bright" is detected in two blocks B and C below the photodetector 11.

That is, in such a state that the brightness is not detected in the upper region but the brightness is detected in the two lower blocks, the light at the top of the vehicle is blocked, Since sufficient brightness is detected in a block including a slightly upper portion, the daylight is determined and the headlight is turned off.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (A), when the vehicle is running under a streetlight as shown in FIG. 3A, "brightness" is detected only in the block A which detects light from the uppermost position. . Therefore, in such a state, it can be determined that light is input only from one specified direction, and it can be determined that special illumination light is being input. Be emitted.

In a state where the vehicle approaches the exit of the tunnel as shown in FIG. 1B, only light from a distant exit is input to the photodetector 11. Accordingly, in this state, light is detected only in the block C below the photodetector 11, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in a tunnel, and the headlights are controlled to be turned on. In addition, this state is the same state as when bed light of an oncoming vehicle is detected from the front during night driving, and is not turned off even when headlight of an oncoming vehicle is detected.

As a further special traveling condition, there is a case where a roof protrudes from one side of the road, for example, as in a three-dimensional road as shown in FIG. In such a case, one side of the vehicle is shaded and brightness is present on the other side, and "bright" is detected only in the "3" blocks arranged in the lateral direction of the photodetector 11. Is done. Therefore, in such a state, it is determined that it is daytime, and the control for turning off the headlights is performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the photodetector 11 is constructed by arranging a plurality of photodetectors 111, 112,... In a grid pattern in the vertical and horizontal directions. A plurality of photodetectors may be arranged in a cross shape as long as it can detect light and dark in the vertical and horizontal directions of the light image to be formed, and a plurality of photodetectors may be arranged along the circumference. Even if they are arranged, the object can be achieved.

[0017]

As described above, according to the automatic light-on / off control device according to the present invention, a pattern of the brightness around the vehicle is detected. It is possible to determine whether the vehicle is running at night when it is required or at daytime when lighting is not required, and the headlight is not turned on in a situation where lighting is not required. That is, only in a situation where the driver needs illumination, the lighting control of the headlights is executed, and the automatic lighting and extinguishing control of the headlights is performed without any trouble.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a configuration diagram for explaining an automatic light-on / off control device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an arrangement of photodetectors of a photodetector used in the device. The figure which shows a state.

FIGS. 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating states of light detection inputs corresponding to running conditions of a vehicle.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a state of a light detection input corresponding to another example of a traveling condition of a vehicle.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the vehicle further travels on a three-dimensional road portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 photodetector, 111, 112, photodetector, 12 imaging lens.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Keiji Horiba 1-1-1, Showa-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Japan Inside Denso Co., Ltd. 141727 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B60Q 1/02 G01J 1/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A light detecting means comprising a plurality of light detecting elements arranged two-dimensionally on one surface, and a vehicle mounted on an arrangement surface of the plurality of light detecting elements of the light detecting means. An optical unit for condensing and projecting a surrounding light image, and a unit for judging a combination pattern of brightness by an output signal from each of the plurality of light detecting elements of the light detecting unit, and judging on / off of a headlight. An automatic light-on / off control device, comprising: