JP7081934B2 - Vehicle lighting control device, vehicle lighting control method, vehicle lighting system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lighting control technique for a vehicle lamp that selectively irradiates light according to the position of a vehicle in front.

As a vehicle lighting tool, a device that controls the lighting of the traveling light (driving beam) of the headlight of the own vehicle is known according to the state of the vehicle in front. When a vehicle is in front of the vehicle, the headlights of the vehicle are arranged so that, for example, only the part of the vehicle is shielded (or dimmed) and the other parts are illuminated with light. The light condition is controlled. Such light distribution control is also called ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) control. A prior example of such a lamp for a vehicle is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-79044 (Patent Document 1).

The vehicle lighting equipment of the preceding example as described above can detect a vehicle in front by detecting the position of the vehicle body of the vehicle in front (preceding vehicle or oncoming vehicle) imaged by a camera, or the position of a tail light or a headlight by image processing. It is detected, and the light distribution control is performed so that the light from the traveling light of the own vehicle is not irradiated to the portion of the vehicle in front of them. Further, as a method for detecting a vehicle in front, a method such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) may be used, or this may be used in combination with a camera. By using the position detection by the camera and the distance detection by LiDAR or the like together, the shading range can be set more accurately.

By the way, in the above-mentioned vehicle lighting equipment, when the vehicle in front enters a slope, the position of the vehicle in front relative to the own vehicle changes in the vertical direction. It may be out of the detection range. In this case, the light distribution control is performed assuming that the vehicle in front does not exist, or the light distribution control is performed assuming that the distance to the vehicle in front is infinite (undetectable), so that it is difficult to set an appropriate shading range. Therefore, the inconvenience of giving glare to the vehicle in front may occur.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-79044

One of the specific aspects of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of avoiding giving glare to a vehicle in front even when the position of the vehicle in front relative to the vehicle in the vertical direction changes. ..

[1 ] The lighting control device for vehicle lighting according to the present invention is (a) a device for controlling vehicle lighting in order to perform selective light irradiation by a light distribution pattern according to the situation of the vehicle in front. When (b) the detection unit that detects the position of the vehicle in front and the mutual distance from the own vehicle and (c) the vehicle in front deviates from the detection range in the vertical direction by the detection unit, the vehicle is subsequently described. A management unit that detects that the own vehicle has traveled a distance corresponding to the mutual distance based on the mutual distance and information on the vehicle speed of the own vehicle, and (d) the position of the preceding vehicle. A light distribution setting unit that sets a light distribution pattern according to the mutual distance, and (e) a lighting control unit that supplies a control signal corresponding to the light distribution pattern to the vehicle lighting tool are included (f). ) When the vehicle in front deviates from the detection range in the vertical direction, the light distribution setting unit sets the light distribution pattern previously set by the management unit to a distance corresponding to the mutual distance. It is a lighting control device for vehicle lighting that is maintained until it is detected that the vehicle has traveled .
[2 ] The vehicle lighting system according to the present invention is a vehicle lighting system including the above-mentioned lighting control device and the vehicle lighting controlled by the lighting control device.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to avoid giving glare to the vehicle in front even when the position of the vehicle in front relative to the own vehicle in the vertical direction fluctuates.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle lamp system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a detection range in the vertical direction of the distance sensor. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of lighting control in the control unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an upper threshold value and a lower threshold value. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a state of lighting control by the vehicle lamp system.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle lamp system according to an embodiment. The illustrated vehicle lamp system includes a camera 10, a distance sensor 11, a vehicle speed sensor 12, a control unit 13, and a pair of lamp units (vehicle lamps) 14R and 14L. In this embodiment, a lighting control device includes a camera 10, a distance sensor 11, a vehicle speed sensor 12, and a control unit 13.

The camera 10 is installed at a predetermined position of the own vehicle (for example, the upper part inside the windshield), and photographs the space in front of the own vehicle. If the vehicle is equipped with a camera for other purposes, the camera 10 can be omitted by using the output of the camera.

The distance sensor 11 detects the mutual distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "forward vehicle") existing in front of the own vehicle. If the vehicle is provided with a sensor capable of detecting the mutual distance for other purposes, the distance sensor 11 can be omitted by using the output of the sensor.

The vehicle speed sensor 12 detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle. If the vehicle is provided with a vehicle speed sensor or the like for other purposes, the vehicle speed sensor 12 can be omitted by using the vehicle speed detected by the sensor or the like.

The control unit 13 is for controlling the overall operation of the vehicle lamp system, and is realized by, for example, executing a predetermined operation program in a microcomputer.

Each of the lamp units 14R and 14L is provided on the left and right sides of the front portion of the vehicle, and is for irradiating the front of the vehicle with light. Each of these lamp units 14R and 14L includes, for example, a plurality of light emitting elements (LEDs) arranged in a matrix, a drive circuit for driving these light emitting elements, a lens for projecting light emitted by each light emitting element, and the like. Is configured to include. By individually turning on and off each light emitting element by the drive circuit based on the control signal supplied from the control unit 13, it is possible to irradiate the space in front of the own vehicle with various light distribution patterns.

The control unit 13 described above is a functional block configured by executing a predetermined operation program on a microcomputer, and includes a vehicle position detection unit 20, a vehicle state detection unit 21, a supplementary time management unit 22, and a light distribution setting unit 23. It is configured to include a lighting control unit 24. The vehicle position detection unit 20 and the vehicle state detection unit 21 correspond to the "detection unit", and the supplementary time management unit 22 corresponds to the "management unit".

The vehicle position detection unit 20 detects the position of the vehicle in front by performing image recognition processing on an image acquired from the camera 10 (an image of the space in front of the own vehicle). The position of the vehicle in front is expressed by, for example, detecting the headlights and taillights of the vehicle in front in the image and expressing the positions as relative angles in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) with respect to the predetermined position of the own vehicle. Specified by.

The vehicle state detection unit 21 detects the state of the vehicle in front based on the detection result of the distance sensor 11. Specifically, the vehicle state detection unit 21 detects the state of the vehicle in front, such as the position of the vehicle in front within the detection range in the vertical direction by the distance sensor 11, or whether the vehicle in front is out of the detection range.

When the vehicle state detection unit 21 detects that the vehicle in front is out of the detection range of the distance sensor 11, the supplementary time management unit 22 includes the vehicle in front and the vehicle in front detected by the distance sensor 11 immediately before the detection. Based on the mutual distance between the vehicles and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 12, the time required for the own vehicle to travel the above-mentioned mutual distance is calculated. As will be described in detail later, this time is a time set to maintain the light distribution pattern without changing in a situation where the state of the vehicle in front cannot be detected, and is hereinafter referred to as a “complementary time”. Then, the supplementary time management unit 22 manages whether or not the supplementary time has elapsed after the supplementary time is obtained. This means managing whether or not the own vehicle has traveled a distance corresponding to the above-mentioned mutual distance. It is also possible to read the vehicle speed pulse from the vehicle speed sensor 12 instead of using the complement time, and use this vehicle speed pulse to manage whether or not the own vehicle has traveled a distance corresponding to the above-mentioned mutual distance. Is.

The light distribution setting unit 23 sets the light distribution pattern variably according to the mutual distance between the position of the vehicle in front detected by the vehicle position detection unit 20 and the vehicle in front detected by the distance sensor 11. This light distribution pattern indicates, for example, the brightness and darkness of the light irradiated in the range corresponding to the traveling beam (so-called high beam). The light distribution pattern includes a light irradiation range and a light non-illumination range (dimming range). For example, a certain range set corresponding to the position where the vehicle in front exists is set as the non-irradiation range, and the range corresponding to the position where the vehicle in front does not exist is set as the light irradiation range.

At this time, for example, the width (length) in the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the light irradiation range and the non-irradiation range is set in consideration of the mutual distance. For example, even if the distance between the taillights of the front vehicle is narrow, the preferable light distribution pattern may differ depending on whether the small front vehicle is relatively close to the front vehicle or the large front vehicle is relatively far away. In such a case, a more preferable light distribution pattern can be set by considering the mutual distance.

The lighting control unit 24 generates a control signal (light distribution control signal) according to the light distribution pattern set by the light distribution setting unit 23, and outputs the control signal (light distribution control signal) to the lamp units 14R and 14L.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a detection range in the vertical direction of the distance sensor. As shown in the figure, the distance sensor 11 is installed at a predetermined position on the lower front side of the own vehicle 50, for example, and has a constant detection range in each of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Of these, the detection range in the vertical direction can be indicated by, for example, an angle θ in each of the upward and downward directions with reference to the virtual axis (indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure) corresponding to the front-rear direction of the own vehicle. For example, the upward direction is represented by a positive numerical value and the downward direction is represented by a negative numerical value. As shown in the figure, for example, assuming that both the own vehicle 50 and the front vehicle 60 are traveling to the right in the figure, there is a slope in front of the own vehicle 50, and the front vehicle 60 is already traveling on this slope. And. In such a case, a situation may occur in which the vehicle in front 60 deviates from the detection range of the distance sensor 11. Although an uphill road is illustrated here, the same applies to a downhill road.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of lighting control in the control unit. Hereinafter, the processing procedure will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart. It should be noted that each of the illustrated processes can be executed by changing the order of each other as long as the results do not cause contradiction or inconsistency, and such an embodiment is not excluded.

The vehicle state detection unit 21 acquires the vehicle speed of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 12 (step S11). Further, the vehicle position detection unit 20 and the vehicle state detection unit 21 detect the information on the vehicle ahead (step S12). Specifically, the vehicle position detection unit 20 detects the position of the vehicle in front based on the image taken by the camera 10. Further, the vehicle state detection unit 21 detects the state of the vehicle in front based on the detection result of the distance sensor 11.

Next, the vehicle state detection unit 21 determines whether or not the vehicle in front exists based on the detected state of the vehicle in front (step S13). When there is no vehicle in front (step S13; YES), the vehicle state detection unit 21 determines whether or not the previous value of the upward angle is equal to or greater than a predetermined upper threshold value (step S14). It is assumed that the process according to the flow shown in FIG. 3 has already been executed once or more, and the previous value is stored in a memory or the like (not shown) (the same applies to the following).

Here, the upward angle is the magnitude of the upward angle detected as the range in which the vehicle in front exists. Further, the upper threshold value is a threshold value set to a value smaller than the upper detection range limit value in the vertical detection range by the distance sensor 11 as shown in FIG.

When the previous value of the upper angle is equal to or higher than the upper threshold value, it can be estimated that the vertical position of the vehicle in front was near the boundary inside and outside the detection range of the distance sensor 11 in the previous processing opportunity. The fact that the condition is satisfied and that the vehicle in front does not exist at this processing opportunity can be presumed that the vehicle in front is out of the detection range in the vertical direction of the distance sensor 11. That is, it can be detected that the vehicle in front is out of the detection range in the vertical direction.

When the previous value of the upward angle is equal to or greater than the upward threshold value (step S14; YES), the complement time management unit 22 sets the front vehicle and the own vehicle detected by the distance sensor 11 at an arbitrary timing immediately before that. Based on the mutual distance and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 12, the complement time, which is the time required for the own vehicle to travel the above-mentioned mutual distance, is calculated (step S15).

Next, the complement time management unit 22 gives a command to the light distribution setting unit 23 to maintain the light distribution pattern before the vehicle in front is out of the detection range. Based on this command, the light distribution setting unit 23 maintains, for example, the light distribution pattern set in the previous processing opportunity. The lighting control unit 24 generates a control signal (light distribution control signal) according to the light distribution pattern set by the light distribution setting unit 23, and outputs the control signal (light distribution control signal) to the lamp units 14R and 14L. As a result, the light distribution control is executed according to the light distribution pattern before the disappearance of the vehicle in front (step S16). After that, the process returns to step 11 and the subsequent processing is executed.

On the other hand, when the previous value of the upper angle is smaller than the upper threshold value (step S14; NO), the vehicle state detection unit 21 determines whether or not the previous value of the lower angle is equal to or less than the predetermined lower threshold value. Determination (step S17).

Here, the downward angle is the magnitude of the downward angle detected as the range in which the vehicle in front exists. Further, the lower threshold value is a threshold value set to a value larger than the lower detection range limit value in the vertical detection range by the distance sensor 11 as shown in FIG.

When the previous value of the lower angle is equal to or less than the lower threshold value, it can be estimated that the vertical position of the vehicle in front was near the boundary inside and outside the detection range of the distance sensor 11 in the previous processing opportunity. Then, it can be presumed that the vehicle in front is out of the detection range of the distance sensor 11 if the condition is satisfied and the vehicle in front does not exist at this processing opportunity. That is, it can be detected that the vehicle in front is out of the detection range.

When the previous value of the downward angle is equal to or less than the downward threshold value (step S17; YES), the complement time management unit 22 determines the front vehicle and the own vehicle detected by the distance sensor 11 at an arbitrary timing immediately before that. Based on the mutual distance and the vehicle speed of the own vehicle detected by the vehicle speed sensor 12, the complement time, which is the time required for the own vehicle to travel the above-mentioned mutual distance, is calculated (step S18).

Next, similarly to the above, the light distribution control is executed according to the light distribution pattern before the disappearance of the vehicle in front (step S16). After that, the process returns to step 11 and the subsequent processing is executed.

Further, when the previous value of the downward angle is larger than the downward threshold value (step S17; NO), the complement time management unit 22 determines whether or not the set complement time has elapsed (step S19). In the processing of this step, for example, in the processing opportunity after the complement time is set in steps S15 to 18, the upward angle or the downward angle is undetermined because the vehicle in front no longer exists, and the steps 14 and 18 are performed. This is a process corresponding to the case where a negative determination is made in each of 17.

If the complement time has not elapsed (step S19; NO), the light distribution control is executed according to the light distribution pattern before the disappearance of the vehicle in front, as described above (step S16). After that, the process returns to step 11 and the subsequent processing is executed.

When the complement time has elapsed (step S19; YES), the light distribution setting unit 23 sets a light distribution pattern in which the entire range is the light irradiation range without providing the light blocking range. The lighting control unit 24 generates a control signal (light distribution control signal) according to the light distribution pattern set by the light distribution setting unit 23, and outputs the control signal (light distribution control signal) to the lamp units 14R and 14L. As a result, the light distribution control is executed by the light distribution pattern with the entire range as the light irradiation range (step S20). After that, the process returns to step 11 and the subsequent processing is executed.

On the other hand, in step 13 described above, when it is determined that the vehicle in front exists (step S13; NO), the complement time management unit 22 clears the set complement time (step S21).

In this case, the light distribution setting unit 23 sets the light distribution pattern based on the information of the vehicle ahead in the current processing opportunity detected in step 12. The lighting control unit 24 generates a control signal (light distribution control signal) according to the light distribution pattern set by the light distribution setting unit 23, and outputs the control signal (light distribution control signal) to the lamp units 14R and 14L. As a result, the light distribution control is executed by the light distribution pattern according to the position of the vehicle in front and the mutual distance (step S22). After that, the process returns to step 11 and the subsequent processing is executed.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a state of lighting control by the vehicle lamp system. FIG. 5A shows a state immediately before the vehicle in front 60 enters the slope. In this case, the range including the rear glass, the rear-view mirror, etc. of the front vehicle 60 is set as the light-shielding range 70, and the other range is set as the light irradiation range according to the position of the front vehicle 60 and the mutual distance. Lighting control by the light pattern is executed. The low beam is also irradiated. FIG. 5B shows a state when the vehicle in front 60 enters the slope. In this case, the light distribution pattern according to the light shielding range 70 and the light irradiation range shown in FIG. 5A is maintained, and glare to the vehicle in front 60 is prevented. FIG. 5C shows a comparative example. In this case, since the vehicle in front 60 has entered the slope and is out of the detection range, the lighting control is executed by the light distribution pattern in which the light shielding range 70 is canceled assuming that the vehicle 60 in front does not exist. As a result, it can be seen that the situation is such that glare is given to the vehicle in front 60.

According to the above embodiment, it is possible to avoid giving glare to the vehicle in front even when the position of the vehicle in front relative to the own vehicle in the vertical direction changes.

The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified and carried out within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a lamp unit having a plurality of light emitting elements is mentioned as a configuration example of the lamp unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. A lamp unit that selectively irradiates light by scanning a phosphor or the like with a laser element may be used, or a lamp unit that performs selective light irradiation by combining a light source and a plurality of shielding plates may be used. ..

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the state of the vehicle in front is detected by using the camera and the distance sensor together, but the position of the vehicle in front and the mutual distance are detected by a sensor such as LiDAR to control the light distribution. The present invention can also be applied to cases.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, shading (non-irradiation) is shown as a typical example of dimming corresponding to the position of the vehicle in front, but as another example of dimming, the intensity of light is increased to the extent that glare is not given. It may be lowered.

10: Camera 11: Distance sensor 12: Vehicle speed sensor 13: Control unit 14L, 14R: Lamp unit 20: Vehicle position detection unit 21: Vehicle status detection unit 22: Complementary time management unit 23: Light distribution setting unit 24: Lighting control unit 50: Own vehicle 60: Vehicle in front 70: Shading range (dimming range)

Claims (5)

A device that controls vehicle lighting fixtures to perform selective light irradiation with a light distribution pattern according to the situation of the vehicle in front.
A detection unit that detects the position of the vehicle in front and the mutual distance from the own vehicle,
When the vehicle in front deviates from the detection range in the vertical direction by the detection unit, the distance corresponding to the mutual distance is subsequently determined by the own vehicle based on the mutual distance and the information on the vehicle speed of the own vehicle. A management unit that detects that the vehicle has traveled,
A light distribution setting unit that sets a light distribution pattern according to the position of the vehicle in front and the mutual distance.
A lighting control unit that supplies a control signal corresponding to the light distribution pattern to the vehicle lamp,
Including
When the vehicle in front deviates from the detection range in the vertical direction, the light distribution setting unit sets the light distribution pattern set earlier than that, and the management unit sets a distance corresponding to the mutual distance of the own vehicle. Maintain until it is detected that the vehicle has traveled,
Lighting control device for vehicle lamps. The detection range in the vertical direction by the detection unit is at least a detection range for detecting the mutual distance.
The lighting control device according to claim 1 . The management unit obtains the time required for the own vehicle to travel a distance corresponding to the mutual distance based on the mutual distance and the information on the vehicle speed of the own vehicle, and when the time has elapsed, the management unit obtains the time required for the own vehicle to travel. Detects that the own vehicle has traveled a distance corresponding to the mutual distance.
The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2 . A vehicle lighting system including the lighting control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and a vehicle lighting device controlled by the lighting control device. The detection unit is based on the output from the camera that captures the space in front of the own vehicle and the output from the distance sensor that detects the mutual distance between the own vehicle and another vehicle existing in front of the own vehicle. The position and the mutual distance are detected, or both the position of the vehicle in front and the mutual distance are detected by LiDAR.
The vehicle lighting system according to claim 4.

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