JP3524266B2 - Automatic lamp turn-on / off device for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp automatic lighting / extinguishing device for automatically turning on / off the lamp of the vehicle according to the illuminance outside the vehicle, and particularly to an artificial lighting device such as an illumination light in a tunnel or a street light. The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp automatic lighting / extinguishing device which is improved so as not to malfunction due to light rays.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various technologies have been proposed for automatically turning on / off a lamp of a vehicle according to the illuminance outside the vehicle. For example, in this type of vehicle lamp automatic lighting / extinguishing device, a vehicle is equipped with a light receiving sensor using a photoelectric conversion element such as a photodiode, and the output potential of this light receiving sensor is compared with a preset threshold potential. By doing so, when it is determined that the illuminance outside the vehicle is low enough to illuminate the lamp, the vehicle lamp is automatically turned on. Further, when it is determined that the illuminance outside the vehicle has reached a high illuminance at which the lamp should be turned off, the lamp is automatically turned off. As a prior art showing this type of technology, there is JP-A-6-135281.

[0003]

However, the photodiode used for the light receiving sensor has a wavelength of about 50.
Photodiodes (hereinafter referred to as "visible light photodiodes") that are sensitive to light of 0 to 600 [nm],
There are photodiodes (hereinafter referred to as "infrared photodiodes") that are sensitive to light having a wavelength of about 900 to 1000 [nm], but each has its drawbacks. For example, when a visible light photodiode is used, it is easy to react to a light beam that has a peak in the visible light region such as an illumination light in a tunnel or a street light, so that the vehicle passes under the illumination light in the tunnel or under the street light. Then, it may be determined that the illuminance outside the vehicle is high, and the lamp of the vehicle may be erroneously turned off. Also, when using an infrared photodiode, it is difficult to match the received light signal level with the illuminance seen by the occupant's eyes, and moreover, the vehicle lamp is turned on in response to the light of the infrared camera used for controlling the speed limit, etc. There was a problem that it went out by mistake.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp automatic lighting / extinguishing device which does not malfunction due to an artificial light ray such as an illumination light in a tunnel or a street light. It is what

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, first of all, the invention according to claim 1 uses a relative component in the visible light region.
Infrared light sensor with visible light having peak value of light sensitivity
An infrared light receiving sensor having a peak value of relative spectral sensitivity in the light beam region, and an illuminance outside the vehicle from the visible light receiving sensor.
Compare and compare the corresponding signal level with a preset level
The first comparison circuit that outputs a signal according to the result, and the infrared
The signal level from the line sensor and the signal level according to the illuminance outside the vehicle
For comparison, the level is set and a signal is output according to the comparison result.
The second comparison circuit, and the first comparison circuit and the second comparison circuit
And a logical sum circuit that takes the logical sum of both signals from the
Turns off the vehicle lamp according to the output from the logical sum circuit
There is provided a vehicle lamp automatic lighting / extinguishing device.

According to a second aspect of the invention, the visible light receiving sensor has a wavelength of about 500 to 600 [nm].
A visible light photodiode having a peak value of relative spectral sensitivity in the visible light region is used, and infrared light having a wavelength of about 900 to 1000 [nm] is used as the infrared light receiving sensor.
Provided is a vehicle lamp automatic lighting / extinguishing device using an infrared ray photodiode having a peak value of relative spectral sensitivity in a linear region .

[0007]

[0008]

1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.
It will be explained based on. First, 1 in the drawing is a visible light receiving sensor. The visible light receiving sensor 1 is a sensor having a characteristic that it is sensitive to light in the visible light region, and is composed of a visible light photodiode 11 and an amplifier 12. Incidentally, the visible light photodiode 11 is a photodiode having a peak value of relative spectral sensitivity in a wavelength range of about 500 to 600 [nm], and when a light beam is applied to a PN junction with a reverse bias voltage applied, The amount of electric current depends on the illuminance. The amplifier 12 outputs a voltage according to the current flowing through the visible light photodiode 11.

Next, 2 is an infrared ray receiving sensor. The infrared light receiving sensor 2 is a sensor having a characteristic that it is sensitive to light in the infrared region, and is composed of an infrared photodiode 21 and an amplifier 22. By the way, the visible light photodiode 11 has a wavelength of about 900 to 1000 [n.
[m] is a photodiode having a peak value of relative spectral sensitivity, and when a light beam is applied to the PN junction with a reverse bias voltage applied as in the visible light photodiode 11, an amount corresponding to the illuminance is obtained. It is made to flow the electric current. Further, the amplifier 22 outputs a voltage according to the current flowing through the infrared photodiode 21 like the amplifier 12.

Next, 4 is a controller. The controller 4 is a circuit for turning on / off the lamp 3 such as a headlamp or a small lamp of a vehicle in response to signals from the light receiving sensors 1 and 2, and a logical sum circuit 41, a comparison circuit 42, an output circuit 43 and a constant circuit. It is configured by the voltage circuit 44.
The controller 4 will be described in detail below.
1 is composed of diodes 41A and 41B and resistors 41C and 41D.

Further, the comparison circuit 42 is a comparator 42.
A and 42B, and a resistor 42 for setting the threshold potential, which is connected to the non-inverting input section of the comparators 42A and 42B.
C, 42D, 42E, 42F and the comparator 42
A and 42B are composed of resistors 42G and 42H for hysteresis setting that are feedback-connected between the non-inverting input section and the output section. The output sections of the comparators 42A and 42B are connected to the OR circuit 41, and the inverting input section is connected. The visible light receiving sensor 1
And the infrared light receiving sensor 2.

The output circuit 43 comprises a transistor 43A whose base is connected to the output portion of the OR circuit 41, a relay coil 43B connected to the collector of the transistor 43A, and a contact 43C connected to the lamp 3. ing.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
The visible light receiving sensor 1 inputs the potential of the level corresponding to the illuminance of the received light in the visible light region to the comparator 42A of the comparison circuit 42, and the infrared receiving sensor 2 sets the potential of the level corresponding to the illuminance of the infrared region. It is input to the comparator 42B of the comparison circuit 42.

The comparator 42A compares the potential output from the visible light receiving sensor 1 with the threshold potential set by the resistors 42C and 42D, and the illuminance of the received light of the visible light receiving sensor 1 becomes low, so that the visible light receiving sensor 1 is detected.
When the output potential of the above becomes lower than the threshold potential of the comparator 42A, a high potential is output to the output section.

Similarly, the comparator 42B compares the potential output from the infrared light receiving sensor 2 with the threshold potential set by the resistors 42E and 42F, and the illuminance of the received light beam of the infrared light receiving sensor 2 becomes low and the infrared light receiving sensor 2
When the output potential of the signal becomes lower than the threshold potential of the comparator 42B, the high potential is output to the output section.

The OR circuit 41 includes the comparator 42.
When a high potential is input from at least one of A and 42B, the base of the transistor 43 of the output circuit 43 is forward biased. As a result, in the output circuit 43, the transistor 43 is turned on, the contact 43C is closed, and the lamp 3 is turned on.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The device of the second embodiment is basically the same as that shown in the first embodiment, and the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same symbols in FIG.
Here, a different configuration, that is, the controller 6 will be described.

The controller 6 comprises an OR circuit 61, a comparison circuit 62, an output circuit 63 and a constant voltage circuit 64. First, the logical sum circuit 61, the output circuit 63, and the constant voltage circuit 64 are the logical sum circuit 4 of the first embodiment.
1, the output circuit 43 and the constant voltage circuit 44 are the same, and the OR circuit 61 includes diodes 61A and 61B and a resistor 61.
The output circuit 63 is configured by a transistor 63A, a relay coil 63B, and a contact 63C.

The comparison circuit 62 is a comparator 62A.
To 62C, and a resistor 62D for setting a threshold potential, which is connected to the non-inverting input section of the comparators 62A to 62C.
.About.62I, and resistors 62J to 62L for hysteresis setting which are feedback-connected between the non-inverting input section and the output section of the comparators 62A to 62C. The comparator 62A has an output connected to the OR circuit 41, and the comparators 62B and 62C have an output connected to the AND gate 62M.
Is connected to the OR circuit 61 via
A and 62B have an inverting input section connected to the visible light receiving sensor 1, and a comparator 62C has an inverting input section connected to the infrared receiving sensor 2.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described.
The threshold potential set in the comparator 62B is
A high potential signal output from the comparator 62C is set so as to correspond to the potential output by the visible light receiving sensor 1 when receiving an illuminance that is darker than sunlight and brighter than an artificial lamp, and unless the output of the comparator 62B is high. Does not pass through the AND gate 62M. The other operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0021]

Since the present invention has the above-described structure and operation, the automatic lamp lighting / extinguishing device for a vehicle receives artificial light such as an illumination light in a tunnel or a street light and turns off the lamp. Does not malfunction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an electrical circuit diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Visible light receiving sensor 2 Infrared sensor 3 lamps 4,6 controller

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A peak value of relative spectral sensitivity in the visible light region.
A visible light receiving sensor (1) having, in the infrared ray region
The infrared light receiving sensor (2) having the peak value of the relative spectral sensitivity and the outside of the vehicle from the visible light receiving sensor ( 1 )
Compare the signal level according to the illuminance with a preset level
The first comparison circuit that outputs a signal according to the comparison result
The signal from the infrared light receiving sensor (2) according to the illuminance outside the vehicle
No. level and a preset level and compare the results.
A second comparison circuit that outputs the same signal, and the first comparison circuit and
And OR circuit for ORing both signals from the second comparison circuit
(41, 61), and the logical sum circuit (41, 6)
Turn off the lamp (3) of the vehicle according to the output from 1)
The vehicle lamp automatic point off apparatus to so that. 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the visible light receiving sensor (1) has a wavelength of about 500 to 60.
The peak value of the relative spectral sensitivity in the visible region of 0 [nm]
The visible light photodiode (11) is used, and the infrared light receiving sensor (2) has a wavelength of about 900.
In the infrared ray region of ~ 1000 [nm], the relative spectral sensitivity
A vehicle lamp automatic lighting / extinguishing device using an infrared ray photodiode (21) having a peak value .