JPH1191437A - Vehicular headlamp control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce signal conductors around headlamps in a system which has HID(high intensity discharge) lamps in left and right headlamps and automatically adjusts the optical axis direction. SOLUTION: HID lamp units 36L and 36R using HID lamps in vehicular left and right headlamps (head lamps) 30L and 30R as a light source, are controlled on light emission by independent ECUs(electronic control units) 20L and 20R. Various switch signals and various sensor signals are inputted to either one ECU by using a communication function of a car inside LAN, and an operation result is communicated to the other ECU in the prescribed timing, and an automatic adjustment of the optical axis direction and a lighting condition of lamp units using lamps except for the HID lamps as a light source, are controlled by driving step motors 35L and 35R of the HID lamp units 36L and 36R. Therefore, signal conductors around the headlamps 30L and 30R can be reduced, and a cost can be sharply reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an H headlight for a vehicle.
The present invention relates to a vehicular headlamp control device equipped with an ID lamp and having an automatic adjustment mechanism for the optical axis direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, vehicles equipped with an HID lamp as a vehicle headlight have been increasing. For this reason, HI
D lamps have lower power consumption (about 70%) than conventional halogen lamps, and have excellent visibility at night due to high illuminance (more than twice as high) and emission color close to sunlight. No.

[0003]

By the way, in order to use an HID lamp as a vehicle headlamp, a ballast (hereinafter, referred to as a "ballast circuit") that maintains a constant power supplied by feedback-controlling a voltage or a current. ) Is required, which is very expensive as compared with a conventional halogen lamp. In addition, since the HID lamp has high illuminance, if the optical axis of the HID lamp is directed upward due to the inclination of the vehicle body, it may give a dazzling effect to oncoming vehicles or the like. Axial direction adjustment mechanism (headlight light axis direction automatic adjustment mechanism)
In such a case, the whole system becomes more expensive.

Here, the vehicle headlight is, for example, HID
A plurality of lamp units, such as an HID lamp unit that uses a lamp as a light source to achieve a low beam (also referred to as a passing beam) state, a high beam lamp unit that uses a halogen lamp as a light source to achieve a high beam (also referred to as a running beam), and a vehicle width lamp unit. It is composed of
In this case, the headlight requires at least three lamp units, and there is also an integrated fog lamp unit, which has a problem that the number of components is large and the cost is high.

In view of the above, the present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. A plurality of lamp units constituting left and right headlights have a lamp unit using a HID lamp as a light source, and an automatic headlight optical axis direction is provided. A system equipped with an adjustment mechanism, wherein a ballast circuit for controlling light emission of an HID lamp and an electronic control unit for control are integrated, and an in-vehicle LAN is provided.
Vehicles that can reduce costs by simplifying wiring by using the communication function of (1), and further reduce the cost by dimming a lamp unit that uses a light source other than the HID lamp as the vehicle side lamp unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a headlight control device.

[0006]

According to the vehicle headlamp control apparatus of the first aspect, the HID lamp units each having a HID lamp as a light source and constituting a headlamp symmetrically disposed on the vehicle are provided. In addition, the light emission state is controlled by a light emission control means of an independent electronic control unit, and various switch signals and various sensor signals are electronically controlled by a communication function of an in-vehicle LAN by an optical axis direction adjusting means and a lighting control means. The other electronic control unit communicates the calculated result, such as the control amount of the HID lamp unit in the optical axis direction, to the other electronic control unit, and automatically adjusts the optical axis direction of the HID lamp unit and uses a light source other than the HID lamp. Since the lighting state of the lamp unit is controlled, the number of sensor signal lines can be halved, and the cost can be significantly reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the high beam lamp unit of the plurality of lamp units uses a light source other than the HID lamp, and the light source is dimmed by the PWM control of the lighting control means. Can also be used as a vehicle width lamp unit. Thereby, the number of lamp units constituting the headlight is reduced, the configuration is simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle headlamp control apparatus for controlling a HID lamp unit having a HID lamp constituting a headlamp as a light source in the optical axis direction as a control amount in the optical axis direction by the optical axis direction adjusting means. The inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane is calculated,
The actuator is driven according to the tilt angle, and the HID
The optical axis direction of the lamp unit is adjusted. in this way,
Since various sensor signals for calculating the tilt angle as the control amount need only be input to one of the electronic control units, the number of sensor signal lines can be reduced by half, and the cost can be significantly reduced.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to the present embodiment mainly includes two identically configured ECUs (El and El).
ectronic Control Unit) 20L, 2
0R, HID lamp units 36L and 36R that achieve a low beam state using a HID lamp 31 as a light source as a plurality of lamp units disposed symmetrically in the vehicle,
High beam lamp unit 3 that uses a halogen lamp as an incandescent lamp as a light source and achieves a high beam state and a vehicle width light state
7L, 37R, headlights (headlights) 30L, 30R composed of fog lamp units 38L, 38R, and HID lamp units 36L, 36R constituting the headlights 30L, 30R, for automatically adjusting the inclination angle of the optical axis with respect to the horizontal plane. And step motors 35L and 35R as actuators.

The ECUs 20L and 20R are connected to GND (ground) and VBB (battery power source).
IG (ignition switch) for U20L and 20R
A signal and an HID lamp lighting signal are input (shown by a solid line in FIG. 1). An L / R (left / right) wheel speed sensor signal and an F / R (front wheel / rear wheel side) height sensor signal as various sensor signals are input to the left ECU 20L (the solid line in FIG. 1). Shown). Further, the ECU 20
L is connected to the in-vehicle LAN, and various kinds of information, for example, an automatic dimming switch signal, a vehicle side light switch signal, a headlight switch signal, and the like are input and output through its communication function (FIG. 1).
Is shown by a solid line). Vcc for sensor from ECU20L
(Reference voltage) is output and connected to the sensor GND (ground) (shown by a solid line in FIG. 1). on the other hand,
Various sensor signals such as L / R wheel speed sensor signals are not input to the right ECU 20R, and the corresponding terminals are empty (shown by broken lines in FIG. 1). And EC
Only the in-vehicle LAN is connected to the U20R, and only information via its communication function is input / output (shown by a solid line in FIG. 1).

Next, the configuration of the ECU 20L will be described. Here, since the contents of the ECU 20L and the ECU 20R are completely the same, the same reference numerals and symbols are given as shown in FIG. 1, and the description of the configuration of the ECU 20R is omitted.

The ECU 20L has a CPU 21 as a well-known central processing unit, and a ROM 2 storing a control program.
2. RAM 23 for storing various data, B / U (backup) RAM 24, ballast circuit 25 for controlling light emission of HID lamp 31 of HID lamp unit 36L of headlight 30L, and step motor 35L of HID lamp unit 36L are driven. Drive circuit 26, other input / output circuits 27, a bus line 28 connecting them, and the like, and a logical operation circuit.

Next, a schematic diagram of FIG. 2 showing an overall configuration of a vehicle headlight optical axis direction automatic adjustment system to which a vehicle headlight control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. explain. FIG. 2 shows a headlight 30L, a step motor 35L and an E, which are disposed on the left side of the vehicle.
Various sensors and the like connected to the CU 20L are illustrated, and a headlight 30R disposed on the right side of the vehicle,
The step motor 35R, the ECU 20R, and the right wheel speed sensor 12R are omitted.

In FIG. 2, suspensions between the axle on the driver's seat side or the passenger's seat side on the front and rear sides of the vehicle and the vehicle body respectively have front (front wheel) side height sensors (vehicle height sensors) 11F and rear ( A height sensor (vehicle height sensor) 11R on the rear wheel side is mounted. From these height sensors 11F and 11R, F · R as the relative displacement (displacement of the vehicle height) between the axle on the front wheel side and the axle on the rear wheel side and the vehicle body.
A height sensor signal and a well-known ABS (Antilock Break) provided on the vehicle side as a vehicle speed sensor
From the left wheel speed sensor 12L (right wheel speed sensor 12R) used in the System control, etc., L ·
Various sensor signals such as the R wheel speed sensor signal are input to the ECU 20L mounted on the vehicle.

FIG. 3 shows the headlight 30L (30) shown in FIG.
It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part structure of HID lamp unit 36L (36R) among several lamp units which comprise R).

In FIG. 3, the HID lamp unit 36
L (36R) is mainly HID lamp 31 and its HI
A reflector 32 for fixing the D lamp 31, one rod-shaped support portion 33 for supporting the reflector 32 so as to be swingable in the direction of an arc arrow, and the other rod-shaped movable portion 34 for supporting and movable the reflector 32; The movable part 3
Step motor 35L (3
5R). For this reason, the ECU 20L
The output signal from (20R) is HID lamp unit 36
L (36R) is input to the step motor 35L (35R), and the movable section 34 is driven in the front-rear direction by the step motor 35L (35R), so that the reflector 32 is vertically moved with the tip of the support section 33 as a fulcrum. The HID lamp unit 36L (36R) is automatically adjusted in the optical axis direction by being tilted by the drive angle (a predetermined optical axis direction adjustment angle). Note that the optical axis direction of the HID lamp unit 36L (36R) is initially set on the assumption that one driver is in the vehicle.

Next, the ECU 20 used in the vehicle headlamp control device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.
A description will be given with reference to FIG. 5 based on a flowchart of FIG. Here, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the driving voltage for the high beam lamp by the PWM control of FIG. Note that this high beam lamp control routine is repeatedly executed by the CPU 21 in the ECU 20L at predetermined time intervals.

In FIG. 4, first, it is determined in step S101 whether a high beam switch (not shown) is ON. When the determination condition of step S101 is satisfied, that is, when the high-beam lamp lighting is instructed, the process proceeds to step S102, and the high-beam lamp unit 37L,
The halogen lamp of the 37R is lit at a duty ratio of 100% by PWM control, that is, the halogen lamps of the high beam lamp units 37L and 37R are lit so that the maximum light emission amount is obtained (at the time of the high beam shown in FIG. 5). To end.

On the other hand, when the determination condition in step S101 is not satisfied, that is, when the high beam switch is OFF, the process proceeds to step S103, and the headlights 30L, 3L
In a vehicle equipped with an automatic dimming system for automatically controlling ON / OFF of 0R, it is determined whether an automatic dimming switch (not shown) for operating the system is ON.
When the determination condition of step S103 is satisfied, that is, when the automatic light control switch is ON, the process proceeds to step S104, and the predetermined criterion for determining that the illuminance around the vehicle needs to turn on at least the vehicle width light in the headlights 30L and 30R. It is determined whether the value is less than the value L1. Step S104
Is satisfied, that is, when the illuminance is less than the predetermined value L1, the process proceeds to step S105, and the illuminance at this time corresponds to the illuminance lower than the predetermined value L1 for which the low beam lamps of the headlights 30L and 30R need to be turned on. It is determined whether the value exceeds the predetermined value L2.

When the determination condition of step S105 is satisfied, that is, when the illuminance at this time is lower than the predetermined value L1 and higher than the predetermined value L2, the flow shifts to step S106, where the high beam lamps (light sources) of the high beam lamp units 37L and 37R are used. Is turned on at a reduced duty ratio of 20% by PWM control, that is, the halogen lamps of the high beam lamp units 37L and 37R are used as light sources for the vehicle width lamps (when the vehicle width light shown in FIG. 5 is used). ), End this routine. For this reason, the high beam lamp units 37L and 37R can be used also as a vehicle width lamp unit.

Here, in the case of a vehicle not equipped with the above-described automatic light control system, the condition of step S103 is not satisfied, so that the process proceeds to step S107, at which time the vehicle side light switch (not shown) is ON. Is determined. When the determination condition of step S107 is satisfied, that is, when the turning on of the vehicle width lamp is instructed, the process proceeds to step S106, and the same processing is executed.

If the condition of step S104 is not satisfied,
That is, when the illuminance at this time is equal to or more than the predetermined value L1 and the headlights 30L and 30R do not need to be turned on, or when the determination condition of step S105 is not satisfied, that is, when the illuminance at this time is equal to or less than the predetermined value L2 and the low beam When the lighting of the lamp is instructed, or the determination condition of step S107 is not satisfied, that is, the vehicle width light switch is turned off (off).
If it is, the process moves to step S108. In step S108, since the lighting of the low-beam lamp is instructed, the halogen lamps of the high-beam lamp units 37L and 37R are turned off with the duty ratio of 0% by the PWM control (at the time of off-state shown in FIG. 5), and this routine ends. . When the low beam switch (not shown) is ON, the HID of the HID lamp units 36L and 36R
The light emission of the lamp 31 is controlled.

As described above, the automatic light control switch signal,
Various sensor signals such as a vehicle side light switch signal, a headlight switch signal, and an L / R wheel speed sensor signal are input to the ECU 20L. The calculation result is communicated to the ECU 20R using the communication function of the in-vehicle LAN. The HID lamp units 36L, 36R constituting the headlights 30L, 30R are automatically adjusted in the optical axis direction and light emission control, and the lighting state of each lamp unit is controlled by the ECU 20L,
Executed at 20R.

As described above, the headlamp control device for a vehicle according to the present embodiment includes the headlights 30 symmetrically disposed on the vehicle.
HI of the plurality of lamp units constituting L, 30R
HID lamp unit 36 using D lamp 31 as a light source
The light emission control means achieved by the ECUs 20L and 20R independently controlling the light emission states of the L and 36R via the ballast circuit 25, and the vehicle has an in-vehicle LAN, and the F / R height of various sensor signals is provided. E based on the sensor signal
The CU 20L calculates the control amount of the HID lamp units 36L and 36R in the optical axis direction, communicates with the ECU 20R using the communication function of the in-vehicle LAN, and communicates with the HI according to the control amount.
Optical axis direction adjusting means achieved by the ECUs 20L and 20R for adjusting the optical axis directions of the D lamp units 36L and 36R, and a light source other than the HID lamp 31 among the plurality of lamp units using the communication function of the in-vehicle LAN. High beam lamp unit 37 as a lamp unit
ECU 20L, 2 for controlling the lighting state (ON / OFF) of the fog lamp units 38L, 38R.
Lighting control means achieved at 0R.

That is, the HID lamp units 36L and 36R, which use the HID lamps 31 constituting the headlights 30L and 30R symmetrically disposed on the vehicle as light sources, have their light emitting states controlled by independent ECUs 20L and 20R, respectively. At the same time, various switch signals and various sensor signals are transmitted to either E
The HID lamp unit 36 is input to the CU and calculated.
Calculation results such as the control amounts of the L and 36Rs in the optical axis direction are communicated to the other ECU at a predetermined timing to automatically adjust the HID lamp units 36L and 36R in the optical axis direction and to use a lamp unit other than the HID lamp 31 as a light source. Since the lighting states of the high beam lamp units 37L and 37R and the fog lamp units 38L and 38R are controlled, the number of sensor signal lines can be halved and the cost can be significantly reduced.

Further, in the vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to the present embodiment, the lighting control means achieved by the ECUs 20L and 20R is such that a high beam as a lamp unit having a light source other than the HID lamp 31 among the plurality of lamp units. P for halogen lamps of lamp units 37L and 37R
The light is dimmed by the WM control so that the lamp is also used as a vehicle width lamp unit. As described above, since the high beam lamp units 37L and 37R can also be used as vehicle width lamp units, the configuration of the headlights 30L and 30R can be simplified and cost can be reduced. Further, since the configuration of the headlights 30L and 30R is simplified, the appearance design is advantageous.

In the vehicle headlamp control device according to the present embodiment, the optical axis direction adjusting means achieved by the ECUs 20L and 20R uses the optical axis direction of the HID lamp units 36L and 36R as the control amount in the optical axis direction. The inclination angles of the directions with respect to the horizontal plane are calculated, and the step motors 35L and 35R as actuators are driven via the motor drive circuit 26 in accordance with the calculated inclination angles.
The optical axis directions of L and 36R are adjusted. As described above, since various sensor signals for calculating the inclination angle as the control amount need only be input to one of the ECUs,
The number of sensor signal lines can be halved, and the cost can be significantly reduced.

In the above embodiment, the low beam side is constituted by the HID lamp and the high beam side is constituted by the halogen lamp. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the high beam side is constituted by the HID lamp. ,
The low beam side may be configured as another lamp, for example, a halogen lamp, and the low beam side may be dimmed by PWM control and used as a vehicle width lamp.

Further, in the above embodiment, the step motors 35L and 35R are used as the actuators. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
A DC motor or the like can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle headlight control device according to an example of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle headlight optical axis direction automatic adjustment system to which a vehicle headlight control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is an HID constituting the headlight of FIG. 2;
It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part structure of a lamp unit.

FIG. 4 is a view showing C in the ECU used in the vehicle headlight control device according to one embodiment of the embodiment of the present invention;
It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of the high beam lamp control in PU.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a driving voltage for a high beam lamp by the PWM control of FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 20L, 20R ECU (electronic control unit) 21 CPU 30L, 30R Headlight (headlight) 31 HID lamp 35L, 35R Step motor (actuator) 36L, 36R HID lamp unit 37L, 37R High beam lamp unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] An HID lamp (High-level lamp) of a plurality of lamp units constituting a headlight symmetrically disposed on a vehicle.
A light emission control unit that independently controls a light emission state of an HID lamp unit that uses an Intensity Discharge Lamp as a light source; and the vehicle has an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network).
The control amount in the optical axis direction of at least the HID lamp unit among the plurality of lamp units is calculated based on various sensor signals, and the optical axis direction of the HID lamp unit is calculated according to the control amount using the communication function of the in-vehicle LAN. And a lighting control means for controlling a lighting state of a lamp unit having a light source other than the HID lamp among the plurality of lamp units using a communication function of the in-vehicle LAN. A headlight control device for a vehicle, comprising: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control unit performs a PWM (Pulse Width Modula) on a light source of a lamp unit having a light source other than the HID lamp among the plurality of lamp units.
The headlight control device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle width light lamp unit is also used by dimming under control (pulse width modulation) control. 3. The optical axis direction adjusting means calculates an inclination angle of the HID lamp unit with respect to a horizontal plane as the control amount of the HID lamp unit in the optical axis direction, and operates the actuator in accordance with the calculated inclination angle. The headlight control device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device is driven to adjust an optical axis direction of the HID lamp unit.