JPS62253541A - Automatic light control device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control the light-on timing at the time of entering a tunnel constant by providing a means variably controlling the time from a light-on command to the actual lighting in response to the illumination before the entrance when a vehicle enters a tunnel. CONSTITUTION:The illumination H detected by an illumination sensor 1 is compared with a threshold value by a control means 11, and if it is darker than this value, a light 2 is turned on. When a detecting means 12 detects that a vehicle enters a tunnel, the time from the light-on command of the light 2 due to the decrease of the illumination below the threshold value to the actual lighting is variably adjusted by an adjusting means 13 in response to the illumination H before the entrance so that it is corrected longer as the illumination H is darker. Accordingly, the light-on timing of the light 2 at the time of entering the tunnel is perpetually kept constant regardless of the daytime of the dusk.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic light control device for a vehicle that automatically controls turning on and off of lights according to the illuminance outside the vehicle. This relates to measures to keep the lighting timing of lights constant when entering a vehicle.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, this type of vehicle light control device has been equipped with an illuminance sensor consisting of a light-receiving element or the like that detects the illuminance outside the vehicle, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-140620. It is well known that the vehicle lights are automatically turned on when the detected illuminance is below a predetermined threshold.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) By the way, when controlling the lighting of the lights based on the comparison between the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor and the threshold value as in this conventional method, it is necessary to turn on the lights when the vehicle enters the tunnel. When turning on the lights, for example, the drop in detected illuminance to the threshold during daytime is longer than at twilight, so the timing of turning on the lights is very different between daytime and twilight, and as a result, the driver of the vehicle feels uncomfortable. There was a problem with having .

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to variably control the time from the lighting command to the actual lighting of the light when entering the tunnel, depending on the illuminance before entering the tunnel. By doing so, it is possible to control the lighting timing of the light when entering a tunnel to be always constant regardless of whether it is daytime or nighttime.

(Means for Solving the Problem) In order to achieve this object, the solving means of the present invention, as shown in FIG. The present invention is based on an automatic light control device for a vehicle, which is equipped with a control means 1 for automatically turning on vehicle lights 2 when the illuminance H obtained is darker (lower) than a predetermined threshold value.

This automatic light control device is provided with a tunnel entry detection means 12 for detecting that the vehicle has entered the tunnel, and receives the output of the tunnel entry detection means 12 to detect when the vehicle enters the tunnel.
Adjustment to variably adjust the time T from when the detected illuminance T1, which is processed by the control means 11, falls below the threshold value to the lighting of the vehicle lights 2, so that it becomes longer as the illuminance H before entering the tunnel becomes darker. The configuration is such that a means 13 is provided.

(Function) With this configuration, in the present invention, the illuminance 1'' of the light incident on the vehicle is detected by the illuminance sensor 1, and the detected illuminance H is compared with a threshold value by the control means 11 to determine the threshold value. Light 2 is turned on when it is dark depending on the value. and,
When the vehicle enters a tunnel, this is detected by the tunnel entry detecting means 12, and the adjusting means 13 that receives the output of the detecting means 12 adjusts the detected illuminance H.
The time 1- from the lighting command for light 2 to the actual lighting due to the decrease below the threshold value of 1- is the illuminance 1 before entering the tunnel.
” and is corrected so that the darker the illuminance H is, the longer it becomes. For this reason, for example, when entering a tunnel at low light, the time T from the decrease in illuminance H as one enters a tunnel until the lighting of light 2 becomes longer and becomes equal to that during daytime, and therefore, regardless of whether it is daytime or twilight, when entering a tunnel This means that the lighting timing of the light 2 can always be kept constant.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings from FIG. 2 onwards.

FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an automobile. Reference numeral 1 denotes an illuminance sensor consisting of a light receiving element, etc., which detects the illuminance H outside the vehicle. For example, it is mounted facing upward on a mounting base placed on the dash panel at the front of the single room so that light that passes through the glass enters from above.

On the other hand, 2 is a headlight that illuminates the front of the vehicle, and the headlight 2 is composed of a high beam lamp 3 for driving that illuminates the front of the vehicle far away, and a low beam lamp 4 for passing each other that illuminates the same nearby area. These beam lamps 3, 4 are connected to a changeover switch 5 and a lighting/extinguishing control relay 1 for switching the lighting of both beam lamps 3.4.
It is connected to a battery power source via a relay switch 10a. 6 is a keyless switch that is turned ON when the key of the ignition key switch (not shown) is inserted into the key cylinder; 7 is a switch that is turned ON when executing automatic light control; 8 is the headlight 2 mentioned above; This is a light switch that is manually operated to turn the light on and off. The above-mentioned illuminance sensor] and three switches 6 to 8 are connected to a microcomputer 9 for controlling the turning on and off of the above-mentioned HeraDry (2), and when a control signal is output from this microcomputer 9, The on/off control relay 10 is operated to turn on the headlights 2.

The signal processing procedure performed by the microcomputer 9 will be explained with reference to FIG. 3. First, in the first step S1 after the start, the outside illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor 1 is inputted, and the next step In step S2, the rate of change of illuminance H is calculated = dH/dt@.Roughly, in step S3, it is determined whether or not this rate of change H- is lower than a predetermined value a, and this determination is H-< If YES in a, that is, if the incident illuminance H is gradually decreasing, the previous steps S2 and S3 are repeated.

Further, the determination is No as H'≧a. In other words, the incident illuminance H
If the illuminance is rapidly decreasing, it is assumed that the vehicle has entered a tunnel, etc., and the illuminance is decreased in step S4.
” is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. When this determination is YES for H≦, it is assumed that the vehicle has entered the tunnel, and in step S5, the illuminance 1" at the time of entering the tunnel has decreased to the threshold value or less. A timer time T until the light 2 is turned on is set corresponding to the illuminance H before entering the tunnel, and it is checked in the next step S6 whether or not the timer time T has elapsed. Turn on light 2.

If the determination in step S4 is NO (H>k), it is assumed that the vehicle is passing under an elevated bridge, and the process proceeds to step S8 to turn off the headlights 2. keep it in good condition. After the above steps Sy and Sa, the process returns to the first step St and the subsequent step 32
, 83, . . . are repeated.

Therefore, in this embodiment, step S4 of the above control procedure
, S7 constitutes a control means 11 that automatically turns on the headlights 2 when the illuminance 14 detected by the illuminance sensor 1 is lower than a predetermined threshold value.

Further, step S2.83 constitutes the tunnel entry detecting means 12 which detects that the vehicle has entered the tunnel.

Roughly speaking, in steps Ss and Ss, the output of the tunnel entry detecting means 12 is received, and when the automobile enters the tunnel, a command is issued to turn on the headlights 2 due to a decrease in the detected illuminance H below the threshold value. Adjustment means 13 is configured to variably adjust the time until actual lighting according to the illuminance 1fI-1 before entering the tunnel, and to make the illuminance H as long as it is low.

Therefore, in the above embodiment, the keyless switch 6, light switch 8, and auto switch 7 are made of gold.
When the N operation is being performed, the illuminance H detected by the illuminance sensor 1 is detected and stored in the microcomputer 9. And white! When car 71 entered the tunnel,
Change rate 1 of illuminance H input to the illuminance sensor 1"-
becomes faster than the predetermined value a, and the illuminance H itself falls below the threshold value, so it is determined that the car is entering a tunnel, and the headlights 2 are turned on.

At that time, as shown in FIG. 4, the timer period from when the illuminance H at the time of entering the tunnel decreases beyond the threshold value k to when the headlights 2 are turned on is the tunnel detected and stored. The illuminance before entering the interior is set according to 1-(,
The timer time T is shortened during the daytime when the illuminance L is bright (high) as shown in (a) of the same figure, and the timer time T is adjusted to be longer at dusk when the illuminance H is dark (low) as shown in (b) of the same figure. Ru. Therefore, the time from when the car enters the tunnel to when the headlights 2 are turned on can be adjusted to be constant regardless of whether it is daytime or twilight, thereby ensuring that the car occupants do not feel uncomfortable. It can be resolved.

In addition, although the said Example showed the case where it applied to an automobile, it goes without saying that this invention can be applied to other vehicles.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, when the vehicle enters a tunnel, the automatic light control device that automatically turns on the lights in response to a decrease in outside illuminance can be used. By variably controlling the time from the lighting command (1) to actual lighting depending on the illuminance before entering the tunnel, the time from entering the tunnel to turning on the light is always constant regardless of daytime or twilight. Therefore, it is possible to reliably eliminate the discomfort felt by the driver of the vehicle.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the present invention. 2 to 4 show embodiments of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of an automatic light control device, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of signal processing performed by a microcomputer, and FIG. The figure is a characteristic diagram showing the change characteristics of illuminance at daytime and at dusk. 1... illuminance sensor, 2... headlight, 9...
Microcomputer, 11... Control means, 12...
- Detection means when entering a tunnel, 13...Adjustment means, Steller...Illuminance. 1X tsubo person nσ 1)
Zumu Ko5 (, 2; Subjects: Figure 1 Figure 2 10B Z←Heradolite)

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Automation of a vehicle equipped with an illuminance sensor that detects the illuminance outside the vehicle and a control means that automatically turns on the vehicle lights when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is lower than a predetermined threshold. The light control device includes a tunnel entry detecting means for detecting that the vehicle has entered the tunnel, and a detected illuminance that receives the output of the tunnel entering detecting means and is processed by the control means when the vehicle enters the tunnel. An automatic light control device for a vehicle, comprising an adjustment means for variably adjusting the time from when the illuminance falls below a threshold value until the vehicle lights are turned on so that the darker the illuminance before entering the tunnel, the longer it becomes.