JP5857760B2 - Headlight control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a headlamp control apparatus that controls a headlamp so as to reduce glare light with respect to another vehicle positioned in front of the host vehicle.

  Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a passing beam unit and a traveling beam unit are provided, and the traveling beam unit is configured by a plurality of optical modules that irradiate continuous separate parts, and is subject to the object by a front monitoring system. In a vehicle headlamp configured to sense an object distinction, position and lane, and individually turn on or off the optical module based on the result, the object detected by the front monitoring system is an oncoming vehicle. In this case, the optical module that irradiates the position of the oncoming vehicle is turned off, and when the oncoming vehicle moves from the position, the turned off optical module is turned on again.

JP 2010-95205 A

  When it is configured to turn off only the optical module that irradiates the area where the oncoming vehicle is detected, which is detected by the front monitoring system, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, glare (glare) is displayed on the oncoming vehicle. ) To ensure safety at night by appropriately setting the irradiation area of the headlamp so that the driver can easily find a pedestrian in front of the vehicle without Can do. However, since the positional relationship between the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle in front of it changes with time, the extinguishing part of the optical module is changed when the position change of the oncoming vehicle is detected. Even if configured, it is difficult to effectively reduce the influence of glare light on the oncoming vehicle.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and the headlamp illumination state is appropriately set according to the positional relationship between the host vehicle that changes over time and the other vehicle positioned in front of the host vehicle. An object of the present invention is to provide a headlamp control device that can be controlled.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a headlamp provided at a front portion of a host vehicle, a front detection unit that detects that another vehicle is positioned in front of the host vehicle, and the host vehicle using the front detection unit. Headlamp control means for controlling to suppress the irradiation of the headlamp to the area where the other vehicle is located when it is detected that the other vehicle is located in front of the headlamp. The lamp control means identifies the traveling direction of the other vehicle in accordance with the output signal of the forward detecting means, and determines the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression relative to the front side of the traveling direction of the other vehicle. Compared to

  The invention according to claim 2 is the vehicle headlamp control device according to claim 1, wherein the headlamp control means is such that the other vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle by the front detection means. When detected, the irradiation amount of the headlamp to the area where the other vehicle is located is reduced, and the irradiation suppression area of the headlamp with respect to the front side of the traveling direction of the other vehicle is set to the rear side of the traveling direction of the other vehicle. Compared to, it is set in a wide range.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the headlamp control device for a vehicle according to the first or second aspect, the headlamp control means is configured such that the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is in accordance with an output signal of the front detection means. Control that determines whether or not the vehicle is approaching, and increases the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle only when it is determined that the other vehicle is approaching the vehicle Is to execute.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the vehicle headlamp control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein whether or not the host vehicle is turning according to the traveling state of the host vehicle. The vehicle has a traveling state detection means for detecting, and the headlight control means is traveling straight when it is confirmed that the vehicle is turning according to the output signal of the traveling state detection means. Compared to the case, the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is further increased.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the vehicle headlamp control device according to claim 4, wherein the traveling state detection means has a function of detecting the turning curvature when the host vehicle is turning, The headlamp control means increases the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle as the turning curvature increases.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle headlamp control device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, when the vehicle is turning, the traveling state detecting means determines the turning direction. The headlamp control means has a function of detecting, determines the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle according to the output signal of the forward detection means, and the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle is determined. Only when it is determined that the direction is the direction opposite to the turning direction of the host vehicle, the control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is executed.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the vehicle headlamp control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the headlamp controller is responsive to the output signal of the front detector. It is determined whether the other vehicle in front is located at a side portion of the detection region or whether the other vehicle is located at the center of the detection region, and the other vehicle is located at a side portion of the detection region. When it is determined that the vehicle is located, the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is further increased as compared with the case where the vehicle is located at the center of the detection region.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle headlamp control device according to the seventh aspect, the headlamp control means is configured such that the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is in a detection region in accordance with an output signal of the front detection means. If it is determined that the other vehicle is located below the side of the detection area, or whether it is located above the side, When it is determined that the other vehicle is located below the side part, the headlamp is irradiated on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle compared to the case where it is determined that the other vehicle is located above the side part. The degree of suppression is further increased.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 1, the advancing direction of the said other vehicle is specified according to the output signal of a front detection means, and the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp with respect to the advancing direction front side of this other vehicle is set to the advancing direction of this other vehicle. Since it is configured to increase compared to the rear side, it is possible to appropriately control the irradiation state of the headlamps according to the positional relationship between the own vehicle that changes with time and the other vehicle positioned in front of it. It is possible to effectively prevent the glare light from being radiated to the other vehicle while preventing unnecessary headlamp irradiation suppression control from being executed.

  In the invention according to claim 2, when it is detected by the forward detection means that the other vehicle is located in front of the own vehicle, the irradiation amount of the headlamp to the area where the other vehicle is located is reduced. In addition, since the irradiation suppression area of the headlight with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is set to be wider than that in the rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle, the glare appears on the other vehicle that changes with time. Irradiation with light can be appropriately suppressed. In addition, it is not necessary to excessively expand the headlamp irradiation suppression area in consideration of the control error due to the position change of the other vehicle, so the presence of a pedestrian or the like located in the vicinity of the other vehicle is overlooked. There is an advantage that the glare light irradiation to other vehicles can be reliably suppressed while effectively preventing the occurrence of the above situation.

  In the invention according to claim 3, it is determined whether or not another vehicle in front of the host vehicle is approaching the host vehicle in accordance with the output signal of the forward detection means, and it is determined that the other vehicle is approaching the host vehicle. Only in the case where the preceding vehicle is moved, the control to increase the degree of suppression of the headlamp irradiation with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is executed, and the preceding vehicle located in front of the own vehicle is moving away from the own vehicle. When the influence of the headlamp on the vehicle tends to decrease, control is performed to increase the degree of suppression of the headlamp irradiation on the front side in the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle compared to the rear side in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle. Since it is configured so that the amount of headlamp irradiation with respect to the front of the vehicle is unnecessarily reduced, glare light affects the other vehicles in front of the vehicle. Without enough, ensure the front view of the vehicle at night It can be.

  In the invention according to claim 4, when it is confirmed that the host vehicle is turning according to the output signal of the traveling state detection means, the traveling direction of the other vehicle compared to the case where the host vehicle is traveling straight ahead. Since the degree of headlamp illumination suppression with respect to the front side is further increased, the headlamp illumination state is changed according to the positional relationship between the host vehicle that changes over time and the other vehicle in front of it. It can be controlled more appropriately.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 5, when the own vehicle is turning, the turning curvature is detected, and the larger the turning curvature is, the more the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is increased. Therefore, if the positional relationship between the vehicle and the other vehicle located in front of it is more prone to change due to the vehicle being in a sharp turn, the progression of the other vehicle It is possible to more reliably prevent the glare light from being irradiated to the other vehicle by setting a region that increases the degree of suppression of the headlamp irradiation with respect to the region located on the front side in the direction. .

  In the invention according to claim 6, the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle positioned in front of the own vehicle is determined according to the output signal of the forward detection means, and the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle is opposite to the turning direction of the own vehicle. Only when it is determined that the vehicle is in the direction, control is performed to further increase the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the front side of the traveling direction of the other vehicle. It is possible to effectively prevent the influence of glare light, and to effectively irradiate the headlamps in the vicinity of the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle, thereby improving the front view of the host vehicle. Can be secured.

  In the invention according to claim 7, when it is determined that the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located at a side portion of the detection region according to the output signal of the front detection means, the center portion of the detection region Compared to the case where the other vehicle is located, because it is configured to further increase the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the front side of the other vehicle in the traveling direction, when the distance between the own vehicle and the other vehicle changes suddenly, It is possible to more appropriately execute control for increasing the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the region located in front of the other vehicle in the traveling direction.

  In the invention according to claim 8, when it is determined that the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located at the side portion of the detection area according to the output signal of the front detection means, It is determined whether the other vehicle is located above the side part, and if it is determined that the other vehicle is located below the side part of the detection area, Compared to the case where it is determined that the vehicle is positioned, control is performed to further increase the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the front side of the other vehicle in the traveling direction. By executing control to sequentially increase the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the front side of the oncoming vehicle in front of the own vehicle as the vehicle approaches from the position, It can prevent more reliably that glare light is irradiated.

1 is a plan view of a vehicle provided with a headlight control device according to the present invention. It is a top view which shows the irradiation suppression state of the headlamp with respect to an oncoming vehicle. It is a top view which shows the irradiation suppression state of the headlamp with respect to a preceding vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the control operation | movement of the headlamp control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows 2nd Embodiment of the headlamp control apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the graph for a correction coefficient setting. It is a flowchart which shows the control operation | movement of the headlamp control apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the left turn state of the own vehicle. It is a top view which shows the right turn state of the own vehicle. It is a flowchart which shows the control operation of the headlamp control apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the map for a correction coefficient setting. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in which an oncoming vehicle is located in the center part of a detection area. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the oncoming vehicle moved to the right side part of the detection area. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state in which an oncoming vehicle is located in the center part of a detection area. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the oncoming vehicle moved to the left side part of the detection area.

  FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to the present invention. The headlamp control device includes a headlamp 2 provided on the left and right of the front of the vehicle body of the host vehicle 1, a front detection unit 3 that detects an obstacle or the like located on the front side of the host vehicle 1, and the front Headlight control means 4 is provided for outputting a control signal to the control unit of the headlamp 2 to control the irradiation mode. The headlamp 2 has a plurality of LED light sources disposed in correspondence with the irradiation area toward the front of the host vehicle, and a lens disposed in front thereof. Then, as will be described later, irradiation of the headlamp 2 to a specific area in the irradiation area in front of the host vehicle is performed by turning off a predetermined LED light source in accordance with a control signal output from the headlamp control means 4. It is comprised so that it can suppress.

  The front detection means 3 is configured to display image information of other vehicles positioned in front of the host vehicle 1, specifically, a preceding vehicle that travels in the same direction as the host vehicle 1 or an oncoming vehicle that travels in the opposite direction to the host vehicle 1. It consists of a CCD camera that picks up images and outputs the image information to the headlamp control means 4. In place of the CCD camera, the detection is performed on a transmitter that transmits a detection wave composed of a laser wave, a millimeter wave, an ultrasonic wave, or the like toward the front of the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle that is positioned in front of the host vehicle 1. A forward detection means having a receiver that receives the reflected wave reflected by the wave may be provided, and forward information of the host vehicle 1 may be detected based on the reflected wave.

  The headlamp control means 4 is configured to detect the other vehicle in the case where it is detected in accordance with the output signal from the front detection means 3 that an other vehicle consisting of a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle is located in front of the own vehicle 1. The LED light source that irradiates the area where the vehicle is located is turned off, or a control signal for reducing the amount of irradiation light is output to the control unit of the headlamp 2 to irradiate the headlamp 2 to the area where the other vehicle is located. And the irradiation suppression area of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle, that is, the extinguishing region or the dimming region is set to be wider than the rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. Has been.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when it is confirmed that the oncoming vehicle 5 is located in front of the host vehicle 1, a region A where the oncoming vehicle 5 is located and a region on the front side in the traveling direction That is, a control signal for stopping the irradiation of the headlamp 2 with respect to the region B closer to the own vehicle 1 or reducing the irradiation amount is output from the headlamp control means 4 to the control unit of the headlamp 2. As a result, a control is executed to increase the degree of suppressing the irradiation of the headlamp 2 to the front side in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle 5 as compared to the rear side in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle 5, that is, the side far from the own vehicle 1. The

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when it is confirmed that the preceding vehicle 6 is located in front of the host vehicle 1, the region C where the preceding vehicle 6 is located and the front side in the traveling direction thereof The control signal for stopping the irradiation of the headlamp 2 to the area D, that is, the area D far from the host vehicle 1 or reducing the irradiation amount is sent from the headlamp control means 4 to the control section of the headlamp 2. By outputting, control to increase the degree of suppressing the irradiation of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side of the preceding vehicle 6 in the traveling direction compared to the rear side in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle 5, that is, the side closer to the own vehicle 1 is performed. It is supposed to be executed.

  Note that the preceding vehicle 6 positioned in front of the host vehicle 1 is approaching the host vehicle 1 because the traveling speed of the preceding vehicle 6 is slower than that of the host vehicle 1, and the traveling speed of the preceding vehicle 6 is the own vehicle. When the preceding vehicle 6 is moving away from the own vehicle 1 because it is faster than the vehicle 1, the glare light irradiated from the own vehicle 1 to the preceding vehicle 6 may be increased. It seems that the effect tends to decrease. For this reason, the headlamp control means 4 determines whether or not another vehicle in front of the host vehicle is approaching the host vehicle 1 in accordance with the output signal of the front detection unit 3. Only when it is determined that the vehicle is approaching, the control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2, that is, the degree of suppressing the irradiation of the headlamp 2 to the front side in the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle 6 is controlled. Control that is increased as compared with the rear side in the traveling direction is executed.

  The control operation in the vehicle headlamp control apparatus will be described below based on the flowchart shown in FIG. When the control operation starts, it is first determined whether or not another vehicle is positioned in front of the host vehicle 1 (step S1). If YES is determined, is the other vehicle an oncoming vehicle 5 or not? It is determined whether or not (step S2). For example, when another vehicle is traveling in the oncoming lane according to the output signal of the forward detection means 3 comprising the CCD camera or the like, it is determined that the other vehicle is the oncoming vehicle 5, and the other vehicle When the vehicle 1 is traveling in the same traveling lane as the vehicle 1 or the passing lane in the same direction as the traveling lane, it is determined that the other vehicle is not the oncoming vehicle 5 but the preceding vehicle 6.

  When it is determined YES in step S2 and it is confirmed that the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle 1 is the oncoming vehicle 5, as shown in FIG. 2, the oncoming vehicle 5 is located. By outputting a control signal for stopping the irradiation of the area A and the area on the front side in the traveling direction from the headlamp control means 4 to the control unit of the headlamp 2, the front of the oncoming vehicle 5 with respect to the front area in the traveling direction is output. Control for suppressing irradiation of the lamp 2 is executed (step S3).

  On the other hand, if it is determined NO in step S2 and it is confirmed that the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle 1 is the preceding vehicle 6, as shown in FIG. Accordingly, it is determined whether or not the preceding vehicle 6 is approaching the host vehicle 1 (step S4). If it is determined as YES in step S4, the process proceeds to step S3, where the headlamp 2 with respect to the region C where the other vehicle (preceding vehicle 6) is located and the region D on the front side in the traveling direction thereof. By outputting a control signal for stopping the irradiation from the headlamp control means 4 to the control unit of the headlamp 2, the headlamp 2 is irradiated to the area in the traveling direction of the other vehicle (the preceding vehicle 6). Control to suppress is executed.

  When it is determined NO in step S4 and it is confirmed that the preceding vehicle 6 is not in the state of approaching the host vehicle 1, the headlamp 2 with respect to the area D on the front side in the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle 6 is determined. Without stopping the irradiation, a control signal for stopping the irradiation of the headlamp 2 only for the region C where the preceding vehicle 6 is located is output from the headlamp control means 4 to the control unit of the headlamp 2. By doing so, execution of the control which expands the area | region which suppresses irradiation of the headlamp 2 to the area | region ahead of the advancing direction of the preceding vehicle 6 is prohibited (step S5).

  As described above, the headlamp 2 provided at the front portion of the host vehicle 1, the front detection unit 3 that detects the front of the host vehicle 1, and the other vehicle is positioned in front of the host vehicle 1 by the front detection unit 3. And a headlamp control means 4 for controlling the headlamp 2 to irradiate the area where the other vehicle is located, and the output signal of the front detection means 3 is detected. The headlight is controlled to specify the traveling direction of the other vehicle according to the vehicle and to increase the degree of irradiation suppression of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side of the traveling direction of the other vehicle compared to the rear side of the traveling direction of the other vehicle. Since it is configured to be executed by the control means 4, the irradiation state of the headlamp 2 is appropriately controlled according to the positional relationship between the own vehicle 1 that changes with time and the other vehicle located in front of it. While preventing the unnecessary irradiation suppression control of the headlamp 2 from being executed, There is an advantage that the glare light is irradiated to the vehicle can be effectively prevented.

  That is, in the above embodiment, when the front detection means 3 detects that another vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle 1, the amount of irradiation of the headlamp 2 to the area where the other vehicle is located is reduced. At the same time, by stopping the irradiation of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle, or reducing the irradiation amount, the irradiation suppression area of the headlamp 2 is changed to the traveling direction of the other vehicle. Since it is configured to be set in a wider range than the rear side, it is possible to appropriately prevent the glare light from being radiated to the other vehicle that changes every moment with the passage of time. Moreover, since it is not necessary to excessively expand the irradiation suppression area of the headlamp 2 in consideration of the control error caused by the position change of the other vehicle, the presence of a pedestrian or the like located in the vicinity of the other vehicle is overlooked. There is an advantage that the glare light irradiation to other vehicles can be surely suppressed while effectively preventing the occurrence of the accident.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, according to the output signal of the front detection means 3, the said headlamp control means 4 determines whether the other vehicle which consists of the preceding vehicle 6 located ahead of the own vehicle is approaching the own vehicle 1. FIG. Only when it is determined that the preceding vehicle 6 is approaching the host vehicle 1, the control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 is executed, and the preceding vehicle positioned ahead of the host vehicle 1 is executed. When the vehicle 6 is moving away from the host vehicle 1 and the influence of the headlamp 2 on the preceding vehicle 6 tends to decrease, the headlamp 2 is irradiated on the front side in the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle 6. The control for increasing the degree of suppression compared to the rear side in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle 5 is not executed. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent the amount of irradiation of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front of the host vehicle 1 from being unnecessarily reduced, and without causing the glare light to affect other vehicles in front of the host vehicle at night. It is possible to sufficiently ensure the front view of the vehicle 1 at.

  In the above embodiment, by setting the irradiation suppression region of the headlamp 2 for the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle in a wider range than the rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle, The example in which the degree of irradiation suppression of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the direction is increased as compared with the rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle has been described. By changing the dimming degree of the headlamp 2 between the area located on the front side in the direction and the area located on the rear side in the direction of travel, or by changing the dimming speed of the headlamp 2, You may comprise so that the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 and the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle may be different.

  For example, when it is detected that another vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle 1, the peripheral region including the region where the other vehicle is located is divided into a front side and a rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. In addition, the irradiation amount of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area on the front side in the traveling direction is reduced to ¼, and the irradiation amount of the headlamp 2 with respect to the region on the rear side in the traveling direction is reduced to 3/4, or the front side in the traveling direction The dimming control of the headlamp 2 for the area of the vehicle is immediately executed, and the dimming control of the headlamp 2 for the area on the rear side in the traveling direction is executed after a certain delay time elapses. You may comprise so that the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to a direction front side may be increased compared with the back side of the advancing direction of this other vehicle. Even in such a configuration, it is possible to reliably suppress the glare light irradiation to the other vehicle while effectively preventing the occurrence of a situation in which the presence of a pedestrian or the like located in the vicinity of the other vehicle is overlooked. There is an advantage.

  In the above embodiment, the other vehicle is traveling in the oncoming lane according to the output signal of the front detection means 3 such as a CCD camera, or the same lane as the own vehicle 1 or the overtaking lane in the same direction as the traveling lane. It is configured to determine whether the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle 1 is the oncoming vehicle 5 or the preceding vehicle 6 by determining whether or not the vehicle 1 is traveling, It is also possible to determine whether or not the other vehicle is the oncoming vehicle 5 by another method.

  For example, based on the image information of the other vehicle detected by the front detection means 3 such as a CCD camera, the front surface of the other vehicle (the surface having the headlamp) is positioned on the own vehicle 1 side, or the rear surface of the other vehicle. It may be determined whether the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle 1 is the oncoming vehicle 5 by determining whether the (surface having the tail lamp) is positioned on the host vehicle 1 side. Further, by measuring the relative speed between the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle positioned in front of the host vehicle 1 and comparing the measured value of the relative speed with the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1, the measured value of the relative speed can be calculated. When the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 is higher, the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle 1 may be determined to be the oncoming vehicle 5.

  In the above embodiment, when it is confirmed that the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle 1 is the oncoming vehicle 5, the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the oncoming vehicle 5 is unconditionally set. When the control to increase is executed and the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is the preceding vehicle 6, the headlamp control means 4 determines whether the preceding vehicle 6 is approaching the host vehicle, and Only when it is determined that the vehicle is approaching the vehicle, the control for increasing the degree of irradiation suppression of the headlamp 2 is executed. Whether the preceding vehicle 6 is approaching the host vehicle or not. Regardless of this, the control may be executed to increase the degree of suppression of irradiation of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side of the preceding vehicle 6 in the traveling direction.

  In addition, when the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle 1 is the preceding vehicle 6, the irradiation light is applied from the headlamp 2 of the own vehicle 1 to the back side of the preceding vehicle 6, and therefore the influence of glare light Tends to be lower than the oncoming vehicle 5. Therefore, when it is confirmed that the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle 1 is the preceding vehicle 6 according to the output signal of the front detecting means 3, is the preceding vehicle 6 approaching the own vehicle? Regardless of whether or not the execution of the control to increase the degree of suppression of irradiation of the headlamp 2 is prohibited and only when it is confirmed that the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle 1 is the oncoming vehicle 5 You may comprise so that the control which increases the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the advancing direction front side may be performed.

  FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to the present invention. The vehicle headlamp control device according to the second embodiment detects an operation angle of the steering wheel when the front detection unit 3 detects that another vehicle is located in front of the host vehicle 1. A traveling state detecting means for detecting whether or not the own vehicle 1 is turning, that is, whether or not the own vehicle 1 is in a traveling state of a turning circuit, in accordance with an output signal of the steering angle sensor 7 or the forward detecting means 3 8, when it is confirmed that the host vehicle 1 is turning according to the output signal of the traveling state detection means 8, the front of the host vehicle 1 is compared with the case where the host vehicle 1 is traveling straight ahead. The headlamp control means 4 executes control for further increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle located at the front.

  Further, the traveling state detection means 8 has a function of detecting the turning curvature, that is, the reciprocal (1 / R) of the turning radius R when the vehicle 1 is turning. Then, based on the graph for setting the correction coefficient shown in FIG. 6, a correction coefficient K is set to correct the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 according to the turning curvature (1 / R), and the correction coefficient K Accordingly, by correcting the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle 1, the detected value of the turning curvature (1 / R) is increased as the detected value of the other vehicle increases. The headlamp control means 4 is configured to execute control for further increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction.

  Further, the traveling state detection means 8 has a function of detecting the turning direction when the host vehicle 1 is turning. The headlamp control means 4 determines the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle 1 according to the output signal of the front detection means 3, and the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle is the own vehicle. When it is determined that the direction is the direction opposite to the turning direction of 1, the control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is executed. When it is determined that the direction is the same as the turning direction of the vehicle 1, normal control is executed without executing control that further increases the degree of suppression of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side of the traveling direction of the other vehicle. Is configured to do.

  A control operation in the vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described below based on a flowchart shown in FIG. When the control operation starts, it is first determined whether or not the vehicle 1 is turning (step S11). If it is determined NO and it is confirmed that the vehicle 1 is traveling straight, The irradiation suppression area of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area located on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle is expanded as compared with the normal time, or the dimming degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is increased. Therefore, the correction coefficient K is set to 1.0 (step S12). Then, by executing the irradiation suppression control of the headlamp 2 for the control region determined based on the correction coefficient K (1.0) (step S13), control such as increasing the control region is executed. Without performing normal control.

  On the other hand, if it is determined YES in step S11 and it is confirmed that the host vehicle 1 is turning, the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle located in front of the host vehicle, that is, the traveling direction 1a of the host vehicle 1 is determined. It is determined whether or not the other vehicle is the oncoming vehicle 5 by determining whether or not the moving direction of the other vehicle in the orthogonal direction is the same direction as the turning direction of the host vehicle 1 (step S14).

  For example, when the host vehicle 1 is in a left turn state as shown in FIG. 8, that is, when the host vehicle 1 is moving laterally in the left direction 1b with respect to the traveling direction 1a, the vehicle 1 is positioned in front of the host vehicle 1. A lateral movement direction (movement direction perpendicular to the traveling direction 1a of the own vehicle 1) 5b of the oncoming vehicle 5 is opposite to the turning direction 1b of the own vehicle 1 (left direction). On the other hand, the lateral movement direction (the movement direction of the preceding vehicle 6 in the direction orthogonal to the traveling direction 1a of the own vehicle 1) 6b of the preceding vehicle 6 positioned in front of the own vehicle 1 is the same as the turning direction 1b of the own vehicle 1. Direction (left direction). Therefore, in step S14, by determining whether the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle 1 is opposite to the turning direction 1b of the own vehicle 1, the other vehicle is the oncoming vehicle 5. It can be determined whether or not.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the oncoming vehicle 5 positioned in front of the host vehicle 1 even when the host vehicle 1 is in the right turn state and the lateral movement direction with respect to the traveling direction 1 a is the right direction 1 c. The lateral movement direction 5c of the vehicle 1 is opposite to the turning direction 1c of the own vehicle 1, and the lateral movement direction 6c of the preceding vehicle 6 located in front of the own vehicle 1 is the same direction as the turning direction 1c of the own vehicle 1, In step S13, the other vehicle is the oncoming vehicle 5 by determining whether or not the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle 1 is opposite to the turning direction 1c of the own vehicle 1. It can be determined whether or not.

  It is determined YES in step S14, and it is confirmed that the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle located in front of the own vehicle 1 is opposite to the turning direction of the own vehicle 1, and the other vehicle is the oncoming vehicle 5. In this case, the correction coefficient K corresponding to the turning curvature detected by the traveling state detection means 8 is read from the correction coefficient setting graph shown in FIG. 6, and the correction coefficient K is a value larger than 1.0. After setting a value corresponding to the turning curvature (1 / R) (step S15), the process proceeds to step S13.

  And based on the correction coefficient K set to a value larger than 1.0 as mentioned above, the irradiation suppression area | region of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area | region located in the advancing direction front side of another vehicle is expanded rather than usual, Alternatively, by correcting the degree to which the irradiation amount of the headlamp 2 with respect to the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle (amount of light reduction) is increased in accordance with the turning curvature (1 / R), In step 13, control is performed to further increase the degree of suppression of irradiation of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side of the traveling direction of the vehicle.

  As described above, the traveling state detecting means 8 for detecting whether or not the own vehicle 1 is turning according to the traveling state of the own vehicle 1 is provided, and the own vehicle 1 is determined according to the output signal of the traveling state detecting means 8. When it is confirmed that the vehicle is turning, the control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle as compared with the case where the host vehicle 1 is traveling straight ahead is performed. Since it is configured to be executed by the lamp control means 4, the irradiation state of the headlamp 2 is more appropriately controlled according to the positional relationship between the own vehicle 1 that changes momentarily and the other vehicle positioned in front of it. There is an advantage that you can.

  Moreover, in the said 2nd Embodiment, when the own vehicle 1 is turning, the turning curvature (1 / R) is detected in the traveling state detection means 8, and the turning curvature detected by the traveling state detection means 8 is detected. Since the control for increasing the headlamp irradiation suppression degree with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle increases as (1 / R) increases, the headlamp control means 4 executes the control. When the positional relationship between the own vehicle 1 and the other vehicle located in front of the vehicle 1 is likely to change more significantly due to being in the state, the front of the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle It is possible to more reliably prevent the glare light from being radiated to the other vehicle by setting a region where the irradiation suppression degree of the lighting lamp 2 is increased over a wider range.

  Moreover, in the second embodiment, when the host vehicle 1 is not in the turning state, the control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 for the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is executed. When it is confirmed that the normal curving control is performed and the turning curvature (1 / R) is small and the own vehicle 1 is in the gentle turning state when the own vehicle 1 is turning, the turning curvature ( 1 / R), the correction coefficient K is set to a small value in order to correct the degree of irradiation suppression of the headlamp 2, thereby suppressing the irradiation of the headlamp 2 with respect to the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. The control for increasing the degree is configured to be executed within a limited range. Therefore, control is performed to suppress the irradiation of the headlamp 2 over a wider range than necessary even though the positional relationship between the host vehicle 1 and the other vehicle positioned in front of the host vehicle 1 is not so significantly changed. There is an advantage that it is possible to effectively prevent the glare light from being irradiated to the other vehicle in front of the own vehicle when necessary.

  Further, as shown in the second embodiment, when the host vehicle 1 is turning, the running state detection means 8 detects the turning direction and automatically detects the turning direction according to the output signal of the front detection means 3. Only when the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle located in front of the vehicle 1 is determined and the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle is determined to be opposite to the turning direction of the own vehicle 1, the traveling direction of the other vehicle is determined. In the case where control is performed to increase the degree of headlamp irradiation suppression with respect to the front side, the effect of glare light on the oncoming vehicle 5 that is rapidly approaching the host vehicle 1 is effectively reduced. In addition to being able to prevent this, it is possible to effectively ensure the front view of the vehicle 1 at night by appropriately irradiating the light from the headlamp 2 in the vicinity of the preceding vehicle 6 traveling in front of the vehicle 1. it can.

  FIG. 10 shows a control operation in the third embodiment of the vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to the present invention. In the vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to the third embodiment, in accordance with the output signal of the front detection means 3, first, the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located in which region of the detection region 9 shown in FIG. The headlamp control means 4 identifies whether or not (step S21). Next, it is determined whether or not the other vehicle is located in the center of the detection area 9 shown in FIG. 11, specifically, in the lower area c of the center or the upper area d of the center (step S22).

  If it is determined YES in step S22 and it is confirmed that the other vehicle is located in the center of the detection region, the c and d headlamps 2 for the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle The correction coefficient K for expanding the irradiation suppression area of the headlight 2 relative to the normal time or increasing the dimming degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is set to 1.0 (step) S23). Then, by executing the irradiation suppression control of the headlamp 2 for the control area determined based on the correction coefficient K (1.0) (step S24), the control area is further increased. The normal control is executed without executing.

  When it is determined NO in step S22 and it is confirmed that the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located on the left side (area a, b) or the right side (area e, f) of the detection area. 11 determines whether or not the other vehicle is located in the upper side part of the detection area 9 shown in FIG. 11, specifically, in the upper area b on the left side part or the upper area f on the right side part (step S25). ), If it is determined YES and it is confirmed that the other vehicle is located in the upper side areas b and f of the detection region suddenly, after setting the correction coefficient K to 1.5 ( Step S26), the process proceeds to step S24. Then, based on the correction coefficient K (1.5), the irradiation suppression area of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is enlarged compared to the normal time, or on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. By performing correction to increase the dimming degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the region where the vehicle is located, control is performed to further increase the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle.

  On the other hand, if it is determined NO in step S25 and it is confirmed that the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located below the side part of the detection area 9 (areas a and e), the correction coefficient K Is set to 2.0 (step S27), and then the process proceeds to step S24. As a result, compared to the case where the other vehicle is located above the side of the detection region (areas b, f), the irradiation suppression region of the headlamp 2 with respect to the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is normally set. The degree of irradiation suppression of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is corrected by increasing the dimming degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. The control to further increase is performed.

  As described above, in the vehicle headlamp control device according to the third embodiment, according to the output signal of the front detection means 3, whether the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located at a side portion of the detection region 9, When the headlamp control means 4 determines whether the vehicle is located at the center of the detection area 9, and when it is detected that the other vehicle is located at the side of the detection area, the detection area 9 Compared with the case where the vehicle is located at the center, the distance between the host vehicle 1 and the other vehicle is suddenly changed because the control for increasing the degree of suppression of the headlight irradiation with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is executed. When doing, control which increases the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the area | region located in the advancing direction of the said other vehicle can be performed more appropriately.

  Further, the headlamp control means 4 determines that the other vehicle is located in the side part of the detection area 9 according to the output signal of the front detection means 3 when the other vehicle is located on the side of the detection area 9. When it is determined whether the vehicle is located below the side of the detection area 9 or above the side, and when it is determined that the other vehicle is located below the side of the detection area 9 Since it is configured to execute control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle as compared with the case where it is determined that the vehicle is located above the side portion, There is an advantage that, when the distance from the other vehicle is abruptly changed, the control for increasing the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 for the region located on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle can be more appropriately executed.

  For example, when the host vehicle 1 is in a left turn state and the oncoming vehicle 5 is sufficiently away from the host vehicle 1 on the left-hand traffic road, as shown in FIG. Is located in the central area d of the detection area 9. When the oncoming vehicle 5 approaches the own vehicle 1 from this state, the oncoming vehicle 5 moves to the upper right area f of the detection area 9 as shown in FIG. It is determined that it has moved. As the oncoming vehicle 5 approaches the own vehicle 1 in this way, the distance between the own vehicle 1 and the oncoming vehicle 5 tends to change significantly. Therefore, when the other vehicle is located at a side portion of the detection region. By performing the control to increase the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp 2 with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle when compared with the case where it is located at the center of the detection area, It can prevent more reliably that a glare light is irradiated to a vehicle.

  Further, when the vehicle turns right on the right-hand drive road, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the oncoming vehicle 5 moves in response to the oncoming vehicle 5 approaching the own vehicle from a position sufficiently away from the own vehicle 1. Sequentially moves from the center part d of the detection area to the left side upper area b and the left side lower area a, so that it is located in front of the host vehicle 1 when it is determined that such a state has occurred. The glare light is applied to the oncoming vehicle 5 by executing control to sequentially increase the degree of suppression of the headlamp 2 on the front side of the oncoming vehicle 5 in accordance with the area where the oncoming vehicle 5 is located. It can be prevented more reliably.

  In the above-described embodiment, a part of the LED light source constituting the headlamp 2 is turned off, or the amount of light is reduced, so that the irradiation of the headlamp 2 to a specific area in the irradiation area in front of the host vehicle is performed. In the headlamp having a halogen lamp and a rotary shutter disposed in front of the halogen lamp, the irradiation area in front of the vehicle is controlled by controlling the area that is shielded by the rotary shutter. Among them, it may be configured to suppress the irradiation of the headlamp to a specific region.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Own vehicle 2 Headlamp 3 Front side detection means 4 Headlamp control means 5 Oncoming vehicle (other vehicle)
6 preceding car (other car)
8 Traveling state detection means 9 Detection area

Claims (8)

A headlamp provided at the front portion of the vehicle, a front detection means for detecting that another vehicle ahead of the host vehicle is located, the other vehicle is positioned in front of the vehicle by said front detector Headlight control means for controlling to suppress the headlamp irradiation to the area where the other vehicle is located, and the headlight control means includes the front detection According to the output signal of the means, the traveling direction of the other vehicle is specified, and the irradiation suppression degree of the headlight with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is increased as compared with the rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. A vehicle headlamp control device.   The headlamp control means reduces the irradiation amount of the headlamp with respect to the area where the other vehicle is located when the front detection means detects that the other vehicle is located in front of the own vehicle. 2. The vehicle headlamp control according to claim 1, wherein an irradiation suppression area of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is set in a wider range than the rear side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. apparatus.   The headlamp control means determines whether or not another vehicle in front of the host vehicle is approaching the host vehicle in accordance with the output signal of the forward detection means, and determines that the other vehicle is approaching the host vehicle. 3. The vehicle headlamp control device according to claim 1, wherein control for increasing the degree of suppression of headlamp irradiation with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is executed only when the other vehicle is moved.   The vehicle has traveling state detection means for detecting whether or not the vehicle is turning according to the traveling state of the own vehicle, and the headlamp control means detects whether the own vehicle is in response to the output signal of the traveling state detection means. 2. When it is confirmed that the vehicle is turning, the irradiation suppression degree of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is further increased as compared with the case where the host vehicle is traveling straight ahead. The vehicle headlamp control device according to any one of?   The traveling state detecting means has a function of detecting the turning curvature when the host vehicle is turning, and the headlamp control means is a headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle as the turning curvature increases. The vehicle headlamp control device according to claim 4, further increasing the degree of irradiation suppression.   The traveling state detection means has a function of detecting the turning direction when the host vehicle is turning, and the headlamp control means is positioned in front of the host vehicle according to the output signal of the front detection means. Only when the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle is determined and the lateral movement direction of the other vehicle is determined to be opposite to the turning direction of the own vehicle, the headlamp is irradiated on the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle. The vehicle headlamp control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein control for increasing the degree of suppression is executed.   The headlamp control means determines whether the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located at a side portion of the detection area according to the output signal of the front detection means, or the other vehicle is located at the center of the detection area. When the other vehicle is determined to be located in the lateral part of the detection region, the other vehicle is ahead in the traveling direction compared to the case where the other vehicle is located in the center of the detection region. The headlamp control device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the degree of irradiation suppression of the headlamp is further increased.   When the headlamp control means determines that the other vehicle in front of the host vehicle is located at a side portion of the detection area according to the output signal of the front detection means, the headlamp control means is below the side portion of the detection area. It is determined whether the other vehicle is located or located above the side part, and if it is determined that the other vehicle is located below the side part of the detection area, 8. The vehicle headlamp control device according to claim 7, wherein the degree of irradiation suppression of the headlamp with respect to the front side in the traveling direction of the other vehicle is further increased as compared with the case where it is determined that the vehicle is located at .

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