WO2021039577A1 - Vehicle lighting - Google Patents
Vehicle lighting Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2021039577A1 WO2021039577A1 PCT/JP2020/031430 JP2020031430W WO2021039577A1 WO 2021039577 A1 WO2021039577 A1 WO 2021039577A1 JP 2020031430 W JP2020031430 W JP 2020031430W WO 2021039577 A1 WO2021039577 A1 WO 2021039577A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- vehicle
- pedestrian
- camera
- light source
- driver
- Prior art date
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
- B60Q1/02—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
- B60Q1/04—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights
- B60Q1/14—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights having dimming means
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a vehicle lamp that adjusts the lighting so that a driver can easily see the object when a predetermined object is detected in front of the vehicle (traveling direction).
- the headlight HL1 of the own vehicle J, the headlight HL2 of the oncoming vehicle T, the illumination L by the street light G, and the like may illuminate the road surface in an overlapping manner.
- the road surface brightness increases in the overlapping range, the contrast between the road surface and the pedestrian H decreases, and the pedestrian H is almost invisible to the driver of the own vehicle J, that is, a glare called an evaporation phenomenon is likely to occur.
- a glare called an evaporation phenomenon is likely to occur.
- raindrops on the road surface diffusely reflect the headlight light, so that the road surface brightness is further increased and the evaporation phenomenon is likely to occur. For this reason, in rainy weather, it becomes more difficult to see pedestrians and bicycles crossing the pedestrian crossing, and accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles and rear-end collisions due to sudden braking are likely to occur.
- Patent Document 1 describes a lighting system that notifies a driver of the whereabouts of a plurality of pedestrians by directing the lighting of a spot lamp from a pedestrian currently irradiating to a newly detected pedestrian.
- Patent Document 2 describes a vehicle headlight system in which a lamp unit swivels to a position of a pedestrian when a pedestrian existing in front of the vehicle is detected and a marking light is emitted. Then, in Patent Document 3, a pedestrian in front of the vehicle is detected, the possibility of the pedestrian entering the traveling line of the vehicle is evaluated, a marking light is irradiated using the evaluation result, and the pedestrian is marked.
- the headlight control device is introduced.
- the driver is alerted by irradiating the pedestrian or the like with light, but in these methods, the oncoming vehicle and the pedestrian or the like are used. Suddenly feels dazzling. Further, these spot lights may overlap with the light of an oncoming vehicle or the like to cause another glare depending on the road surface environment.
- an object of the present invention is to adjust the illumination of the own vehicle on the road in a state where it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize an object on the road surface such as a pedestrian due to the headlights or street lights of an oncoming vehicle.
- the purpose of the present invention is to provide vehicle lighting equipment that can make pedestrians and the like easier to see.
- the vehicle lighting equipment of the present invention includes a light source, a sensor for detecting a predetermined object around the vehicle, a camera for photographing the object, and a control means for controlling the light source.
- the control means includes an extraction means for extracting a region including an object from an image of a camera, and a lighting adjusting means for dimming the illumination of the region.
- the illumination adjusting means may dimming the illumination of the region including the object when the brightness of the region is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.
- the lighting adjusting means may make adjustments to block the above-mentioned area.
- the control means can also turn off the light source during shooting by the camera. Further, the control means can also determine whether or not a predetermined object around the vehicle is a pedestrian.
- a predetermined object around the vehicle is detected by a sensor, an area including the predetermined object is extracted from an image taken by the camera, and the peripheral area of the object is dimmed.
- FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state at the time of camera shooting. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the light distribution was controlled so that the periphery of an object is dimmed. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of light distribution control. It is a bird's-eye view showing how glare occurred, which is a so-called evaporation phenomenon.
- the predetermined object will be described as a pedestrian H, and the predetermined object includes an object such as an animal or an obstacle that the driver should see while driving.
- the vehicle lighting fixture 1 of the present invention includes a light source unit 4 equipped with a light source that illuminates the front of the vehicle, a sensor 2 that detects the environment around the vehicle, and a front of the vehicle including a pedestrian H. It is composed of a camera 3 that captures a field of view and a control unit 5 that controls them.
- the sensor 2 detects the pedestrian H by emitting an electromagnetic wave such as a laser beam in front of the vehicle and receiving the reflected wave.
- an electromagnetic wave such as a laser beam in front of the vehicle
- LiDAR which is an optical sensor using laser light
- a millimeter wave radar, an infrared radar, or the like can be adopted.
- the camera 3 is a sensing camera capable of recognizing and acquiring the situation of the outside world by photographing the space around the front of the vehicle and recognizing a predetermined pedestrian H in front of the vehicle or measuring the distance from the image. is there.
- the light source unit 4 uses an LED array composed of a large number of LEDs that can be turned on and off independently as a light source, or reflects the light emitted from the light source to the front of the vehicle by a reflector and scans the area in front of the vehicle with the reflected light. By doing so, it is possible to dimming or blocking a part of the irradiation range of the emitted light, such as a variable light distribution head lamp (ADB) that can form a predetermined light distribution pattern.
- a lamp unit having a function can be adopted.
- the control unit 5 is composed of an object detection unit 51, an area extraction unit 52, and a lighting adjustment unit 53.
- the object detection unit 51 detects the presence of the pedestrian H in front of the vehicle based on the information obtained from the sensor 2.
- the object detection unit 51 can detect the pedestrian H in a distance range of about 50 to 100 m in front of the vehicle, and in particular, detects the pedestrian H in the vicinity of about 50 m in front of the vehicle with higher accuracy.
- "around 50 m in front of the vehicle” corresponds to "a distance that a vehicle at a speed of 60 km / h travels within 3 seconds".
- the region extraction unit 52 photographs the front of the vehicle with the camera 3, and based on the captured image, captures the peripheral regions (left and right and behind the pedestrian H) that affect the occurrence of glare, which causes the pedestrian H to be difficult to see. Extract.
- the lighting adjustment unit 53 adjusts the irradiation of light by the light source unit 4. Specifically, the light source unit 4 is turned off and turned on when the camera 3 photographs the front of the vehicle. Further, when the brightness on the road of the region R is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the irradiation by the light source unit 4 in the peripheral region of the pedestrian H is irradiated with an irradiation pattern that dims or blocks light.
- FIG. 2 shows a state in which the front of the vehicle is viewed from the own vehicle J.
- the irradiation range HL1 of the headlight of the own vehicle J and the irradiation range HL2 of the headlight of the oncoming vehicle T overlap, and the pedestrian H exists at a place where the irradiation ranges overlap.
- the pedestrian H exists at a place where the irradiation ranges overlap.
- the brightness of the road surface is high, an evaporation phenomenon occurs, and it is difficult for the pedestrian H to be seen from the own vehicle J.
- the object detection unit 51 detects the presence of a pedestrian H on the road in front of the vehicle based on the information obtained from the sensor 2 (FIG. 5: S1).
- the object detection unit 51 may make a determination by taking into account the information from the image captured by the camera 3 in addition to the information from the sensor 2. It is also possible to determine based on the attributes of the object on the road, that is, whether it is an obstacle which is a mere object, whether it is a pedestrian H, or whether it is a detection result by the sensor 2 and / or the camera 3.
- the area extraction unit 52 takes an image of the front of the vehicle with the camera 3 (FIG. 5: S2).
- the area extraction unit 52 turns off the light source unit 4.
- the extinguishing time of the light source unit 4 is a time (30 to 100 msec) that is not visible to surrounding people including the driver, and has no effect on driving or surrounding pedestrians.
- the area extraction unit 52 extracts the range including the pedestrian H as the area R for calculating the brightness (FIG. 5: S3).
- the range to be determined as the area R is preferably a range having a radius of about 0.5 m centered on the pedestrian H.
- the illumination adjusting unit 53 includes the illumination region to be irradiated and the region R in the irradiation range by the light source unit 4.
- a light distribution pattern consisting of a combination of a dimming or shading region and a light-shielding region is determined so that the brightness on the road surface is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and is irradiated (FIG. 5: S5).
- the irradiation of the light HL1 to the periphery of the pedestrian H is dimmed or shielded, so that the pedestrian H is in a silhouette state from the driver of the own vehicle J due to the irradiation by the light HL2 of the headlight of the oncoming vehicle T. You will be able to see it. Therefore, it becomes easier for the driver to visually recognize the pedestrian H.
- control from the start to the end is repeated at intervals of 35 msec to 1000 msec. Therefore, even if the pedestrian H moves on the road, the pedestrian H is always visually recognized because the pedestrian H is followed for each routine, the light distribution pattern is determined for each situation, and the light source unit 4 irradiates the light. You can maintain a comfortable state. Further, when the pedestrian H disappears from the road in front of the own vehicle J, that is, when the sensor 2 does not detect the pedestrian H, there is no area for dimming or shading, and the normal full irradiation light distribution. Return to the pattern.
- the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the configuration of each part can be arbitrarily changed and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, it is determined whether or not the object on the road is a pedestrian H, an animal, or a mere object, and the light distribution control of the present invention is performed only when the object is a pedestrian H. The characteristics may be determined and the light distribution pattern may be set according to the attributes / characteristics. In addition, the configuration of each part can be arbitrarily changed and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Abstract
The present invention makes it easy for a driver to visually recognize a pedestrian or the like on the road by adjusting irradiation through illumination from an own vehicle in a state in which it is difficult for a driver to visually recognize an object such as a pedestrian on a road surface due to headlights of an oncoming vehicle. When an object detection unit (51) detects, on the basis of information from a sensor (2), the presence of a pedestrian (H) on the road in front of a vehicle, an area extraction unit (52) turns off a light source unit (4) via an illumination adjustment unit (53), and then photographs the front side of the vehicle with a camera (3). The area extraction unit (52) extracts, from an image captured by the camera, an area (R) including the pedestrian (H) and affecting the occurrence of glare, which causes the driver to have difficulty in visually recognizing the pedestrian (H). When the brightness on the road of the area (R) is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the illumination adjustment unit (53) allows the driver to see the pedestrian (H) in a silhouette by irradiating the front side of the vehicle with the light source unit (4) in a light distribution pattern in which the area around the pedestrian (H) is dimmed or blocked.
Description
本発明は、車両前方（進行方向）に所定の対象物を検出した場合に、ドライバーが該対象物を視認しやすいように照明を調整する車両用灯具に関するものである。
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp that adjusts the lighting so that a driver can easily see the object when a predetermined object is detected in front of the vehicle (traveling direction).
夜間走行中、例えば図６に示すように、自車両ＪのヘッドライトＨＬ１、対向車ＴのヘッドライトＨＬ２、街灯Ｇによる照明Ｌ等が、路面を重複して照射する場合がある。このような場合、重複範囲において路面輝度が上昇し、路面と歩行者Ｈとのコントラストが低下して、自車両Ｊのドライバーから歩行者Ｈがほぼ見えなくなる現象、いわゆる蒸発現象というグレアが生じやすくなる。特に、雨天時には路面上の雨滴がヘッドライト光を乱反射するため、より路面輝度が上昇し、蒸発現象が生じやすくなる。このため、雨天時には、横断歩道を横切る歩行者や自転車が一層見えにくくなり、歩行者・自転車の巻き込み事故や、急ブレーキによる追突事故が起こりやすくなる。
During night driving, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, the headlight HL1 of the own vehicle J, the headlight HL2 of the oncoming vehicle T, the illumination L by the street light G, and the like may illuminate the road surface in an overlapping manner. In such a case, the road surface brightness increases in the overlapping range, the contrast between the road surface and the pedestrian H decreases, and the pedestrian H is almost invisible to the driver of the own vehicle J, that is, a glare called an evaporation phenomenon is likely to occur. Become. In particular, in rainy weather, raindrops on the road surface diffusely reflect the headlight light, so that the road surface brightness is further increased and the evaporation phenomenon is likely to occur. For this reason, in rainy weather, it becomes more difficult to see pedestrians and bicycles crossing the pedestrian crossing, and accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles and rear-end collisions due to sudden braking are likely to occur.
このような状況を改善するべく、従来、歩行者の位置をカメラやレーダーで検知し、検知した歩行者にスポット光を照射することで、ドライバーに歩行者の存在を知らせるシステムが知られている。例えば、特許文献１では、スポットランプの照明を現在照射中の歩行者から新たに検知した歩行者に向けることで、複数の歩行者の所在をドライバーに知らせる照明システムが記載されている。また、特許文献２では、車両の前方に存在する歩行者を検出すると、その歩行者の位置へランプユニットがスイブルしてマーキング光が照射される車両用前照灯システムが記載されている。そして、特許文献３では、車両前方の歩行者を検出し、歩行者が車両の走行ラインに進入する可能性を評価し、評価結果を用いてマーキングライトを照射し、歩行者マーキングを行う車両用ヘッドライトの制御装置が紹介されている。
In order to improve such a situation, a system has conventionally been known that detects the position of a pedestrian with a camera or radar and irradiates the detected pedestrian with spot light to notify the driver of the existence of the pedestrian. .. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a lighting system that notifies a driver of the whereabouts of a plurality of pedestrians by directing the lighting of a spot lamp from a pedestrian currently irradiating to a newly detected pedestrian. Further, Patent Document 2 describes a vehicle headlight system in which a lamp unit swivels to a position of a pedestrian when a pedestrian existing in front of the vehicle is detected and a marking light is emitted. Then, in Patent Document 3, a pedestrian in front of the vehicle is detected, the possibility of the pedestrian entering the traveling line of the vehicle is evaluated, a marking light is irradiated using the evaluation result, and the pedestrian is marked. The headlight control device is introduced.
しかし、従来の技術によれば、いずれの場合も、歩行者等に対して光を照射することでドライバーへの注意喚起を実現することとしているが、これらの手法では、対向車及び歩行者等が突然眩しさを感じることになる。さらに、これらのスポット光は対向車の光等に重なることで路面の環境によっては別のグレアを引き起こすおそれもある。
However, according to the conventional technology, in any case, the driver is alerted by irradiating the pedestrian or the like with light, but in these methods, the oncoming vehicle and the pedestrian or the like are used. Suddenly feels dazzling. Further, these spot lights may overlap with the light of an oncoming vehicle or the like to cause another glare depending on the road surface environment.
そこで、本発明の目的は、対向車のヘッドライトや街灯等によってドライバーが歩行者等の路面上の対象物を視認しづらい状態において、自車両の照明の照射を調整することでドライバーが路上の歩行者等を視認しやすくすることができる車両用灯具を提供することにある。
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to adjust the illumination of the own vehicle on the road in a state where it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize an object on the road surface such as a pedestrian due to the headlights or street lights of an oncoming vehicle. The purpose of the present invention is to provide vehicle lighting equipment that can make pedestrians and the like easier to see.
上記課題を解決するために、本発明の車両用灯具は、光源と、車両周辺の所定の対象物を検出するセンサと、対象物を撮影するカメラと、光源を制御する制御手段と、を備え、制御手段が、カメラの映像から対象物を含む領域を抽出する抽出手段と、領域の照明を減光する照明調整手段と、を含むことを特徴とする。
In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle lighting equipment of the present invention includes a light source, a sensor for detecting a predetermined object around the vehicle, a camera for photographing the object, and a control means for controlling the light source. The control means includes an extraction means for extracting a region including an object from an image of a camera, and a lighting adjusting means for dimming the illumination of the region.
また、照明調整手段は、対象物を含む領域の輝度が所定値以上であった場合に、該領域の照明を減光することとしてもよい。あるいは、照明調整手段は、前記の領域を遮光する調整を行ってもよい。その他、制御手段は、カメラの撮影中に、光源を消灯することもできる。また、制御手段は、車両周辺の所定の対象物が歩行者であるか否かの判断をすることも可能である。
Further, the illumination adjusting means may dimming the illumination of the region including the object when the brightness of the region is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Alternatively, the lighting adjusting means may make adjustments to block the above-mentioned area. In addition, the control means can also turn off the light source during shooting by the camera. Further, the control means can also determine whether or not a predetermined object around the vehicle is a pedestrian.
本発明の車両用灯具によれば、車両周辺の所定の対象物をセンサで検出し、カメラで撮影した映像から所定の対象物を含む領域を抽出し、対象物の周辺領域について減光するため、対象物をシルエット視の状態にして、ドライバーの視認性を上昇させることができるという利点がある。
According to the vehicle lighting equipment of the present invention, a predetermined object around the vehicle is detected by a sensor, an area including the predetermined object is extracted from an image taken by the camera, and the peripheral area of the object is dimmed. There is an advantage that the visibility of the driver can be improved by putting the object in a silhouette view.
以下、本発明の一実施形態を示す車両用灯具について、図面に基づいて説明する。以下の説明では、「所定の対象物」を歩行者Ｈとして説明するが、所定の対象物には、動物や障害物等、運転中にドライバーが視認すべき物体を含む。
Hereinafter, a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the "predetermined object" will be described as a pedestrian H, and the predetermined object includes an object such as an animal or an obstacle that the driver should see while driving.
図１に示すように、本発明の車両用灯具１は、車両の前方を照明する光源を搭載した光源ユニット４と、車両周辺の環境を検知するセンサ２と、歩行者Ｈを含む車両前方の視界を撮影するカメラ３と、これらを制御する制御部５から構成される。
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle lighting fixture 1 of the present invention includes a light source unit 4 equipped with a light source that illuminates the front of the vehicle, a sensor 2 that detects the environment around the vehicle, and a front of the vehicle including a pedestrian H. It is composed of a camera 3 that captures a field of view and a control unit 5 that controls them.
センサ２は、車両前方に、レーザー光等の電磁波を発し、反射波を受信することによって、歩行者Ｈを検知する。センサ２としては、レーザー光を用いた光センサであるＬｉＤＡＲや、ミリ波レーダー、赤外線レーダー等を採用することができる。
The sensor 2 detects the pedestrian H by emitting an electromagnetic wave such as a laser beam in front of the vehicle and receiving the reflected wave. As the sensor 2, LiDAR, which is an optical sensor using laser light, a millimeter wave radar, an infrared radar, or the like can be adopted.
カメラ３は、車両前方周辺の空間を撮影し、その画像から車両前方の所定の歩行者Ｈを認識したり距離を計測したりすることで外界の状況を認識・取得することができるセンシングカメラである。
The camera 3 is a sensing camera capable of recognizing and acquiring the situation of the outside world by photographing the space around the front of the vehicle and recognizing a predetermined pedestrian H in front of the vehicle or measuring the distance from the image. is there.
光源ユニット４は、独立して点消灯可能な多数のＬＥＤからなるＬＥＤアレイを光源として利用したり、光源から出射した光をリフレクタで車両前方に反射しその反射光で車両前方の領域を走査したりすることで、所定の配光パターンを形成することができる配光可変ヘッドランプ（ＡＤＢ）といった、出射される光の照射範囲の一部の領域を減光・遮光することができる配光可変機能を有するランプユニットを採用することができる。
The light source unit 4 uses an LED array composed of a large number of LEDs that can be turned on and off independently as a light source, or reflects the light emitted from the light source to the front of the vehicle by a reflector and scans the area in front of the vehicle with the reflected light. By doing so, it is possible to dimming or blocking a part of the irradiation range of the emitted light, such as a variable light distribution head lamp (ADB) that can form a predetermined light distribution pattern. A lamp unit having a function can be adopted.
制御部５は、対象物検出部５１と、領域抽出部５２と、照明調整部５３から構成される。
The control unit 5 is composed of an object detection unit 51, an area extraction unit 52, and a lighting adjustment unit 53.
対象物検出部５１は、センサ２から得られた情報に基づき車両前方の歩行者Ｈの存在を検出する。対象物検出部５１は、車両前方５０～１００ｍ程度の距離範囲での歩行者Ｈを検出することができるが、特に、車両前方約５０ｍ付近の歩行者Ｈをより精度高く検出する。ここで、「車両前方約５０ｍ付近」は、「時速６０ｋｍの車両が、３秒以内に移動する距離」に相当する。
The object detection unit 51 detects the presence of the pedestrian H in front of the vehicle based on the information obtained from the sensor 2. The object detection unit 51 can detect the pedestrian H in a distance range of about 50 to 100 m in front of the vehicle, and in particular, detects the pedestrian H in the vicinity of about 50 m in front of the vehicle with higher accuracy. Here, "around 50 m in front of the vehicle" corresponds to "a distance that a vehicle at a speed of 60 km / h travels within 3 seconds".
領域抽出部５２は、カメラ３で車両前方を撮影し、撮影された映像に基づき歩行者Ｈが視認しにくい原因となるグレア発生に影響する周辺（歩行者Ｈの左右及び後方）の領域Ｒを抽出する。
The region extraction unit 52 photographs the front of the vehicle with the camera 3, and based on the captured image, captures the peripheral regions (left and right and behind the pedestrian H) that affect the occurrence of glare, which causes the pedestrian H to be difficult to see. Extract.
照明調整部５３は、光源ユニット４による光の照射を調整する。具体的には、カメラ３で車両前方を撮影する際に光源ユニット４を消点灯する。また、領域Ｒの路上の輝度が所定値以上の場合、歩行者Ｈの周辺領域の光源ユニット４による照射を減光・遮光する照射パターンで照射する。
The lighting adjustment unit 53 adjusts the irradiation of light by the light source unit 4. Specifically, the light source unit 4 is turned off and turned on when the camera 3 photographs the front of the vehicle. Further, when the brightness on the road of the region R is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the irradiation by the light source unit 4 in the peripheral region of the pedestrian H is irradiated with an irradiation pattern that dims or blocks light.
次に、制御部５で行われる本発明の配光制御について、図２～５に基づいて説明する。図２は、自車両Ｊから車両前方を見た様子を示している。自車両Ｊの前照灯の照射範囲ＨＬ１と対向車Ｔの前照灯の照射範囲ＨＬ２が重なっており、その照射範囲が重複した箇所に歩行者Ｈが存在する。しかし、路面の輝度が高いため、蒸発現象が発生し、自車両Ｊからは歩行者Hが見えにくい状態となっている。
Next, the light distribution control of the present invention performed by the control unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the front of the vehicle is viewed from the own vehicle J. The irradiation range HL1 of the headlight of the own vehicle J and the irradiation range HL2 of the headlight of the oncoming vehicle T overlap, and the pedestrian H exists at a place where the irradiation ranges overlap. However, since the brightness of the road surface is high, an evaporation phenomenon occurs, and it is difficult for the pedestrian H to be seen from the own vehicle J.
まず、対象物検出部５１は、センサ２から得られた情報に基づいて車両前方の路上の歩行者Ｈの存在を検出する（図５：Ｓ１）。対象物検出部５１は、センサ２からの情報に加えてカメラ３で撮影した映像からの情報も加味して判断してもよい。また、路上の対象物の属性、すなわち、単なる物体である障害物かどうか、歩行者Ｈであるかどうか、センサ２及び／又はカメラ３による検出結果に基づいて判断することもできる。
First, the object detection unit 51 detects the presence of a pedestrian H on the road in front of the vehicle based on the information obtained from the sensor 2 (FIG. 5: S1). The object detection unit 51 may make a determination by taking into account the information from the image captured by the camera 3 in addition to the information from the sensor 2. It is also possible to determine based on the attributes of the object on the road, that is, whether it is an obstacle which is a mere object, whether it is a pedestrian H, or whether it is a detection result by the sensor 2 and / or the camera 3.
次に、対象物検出部５１が路上の歩行者Ｈを検出すると、領域抽出部５２は、カメラ３で車両前方の画像を撮影する（図５：Ｓ２）。
Next, when the object detection unit 51 detects the pedestrian H on the road, the area extraction unit 52 takes an image of the front of the vehicle with the camera 3 (FIG. 5: S2).
カメラ３による撮影を行う際に、図３で示すように、領域抽出部５２は光源ユニット４を消灯する。光源ユニット４を消灯して撮影することで、対向車Ｔの照射範囲ＨＬ２の光のみに影響を受けた路面の映像が撮影でき、路面の輝度を精度高く検出できる映像を撮影できるようになる。光源ユニット４の消灯時間はドライバーを含む周囲の人に視認されない程度の時間（３０～１００ｍｓｅｃ）であり、運転や周囲の歩行者等の人に与える影響はない。
When taking a picture with the camera 3, as shown in FIG. 3, the area extraction unit 52 turns off the light source unit 4. By turning off the light source unit 4 and taking a picture, it is possible to take an image of the road surface affected only by the light of the irradiation range HL2 of the oncoming vehicle T, and it is possible to take an image capable of detecting the brightness of the road surface with high accuracy. The extinguishing time of the light source unit 4 is a time (30 to 100 msec) that is not visible to surrounding people including the driver, and has no effect on driving or surrounding pedestrians.
続いて、カメラ３の撮影画像の情報に基づいて、領域抽出部５２は、歩行者Ｈを含む範囲を、輝度を算出するための領域Ｒとして抽出する（図５：Ｓ３）。領域Ｒとして判定する範囲は、歩行者Ｈを中心とする半径０．５ｍ程度の範囲が好ましい。
Subsequently, based on the information of the captured image of the camera 3, the area extraction unit 52 extracts the range including the pedestrian H as the area R for calculating the brightness (FIG. 5: S3). The range to be determined as the area R is preferably a range having a radius of about 0.5 m centered on the pedestrian H.
そして、領域Ｒの輝度が所定値以上の場合（図５：Ｓ４）、図４に示すように、照明調整部５３は、光源ユニット４による照射範囲のうち、照射すべき点灯領域と、領域Ｒの路面上の輝度が所定値以下になるように減光又は遮光する領域と、の組み合わせからなる配光パターンを決定し、照射する（図５：Ｓ５）。
Then, when the brightness of the region R is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (FIG. 5: S4), as shown in FIG. 4, the illumination adjusting unit 53 includes the illumination region to be irradiated and the region R in the irradiation range by the light source unit 4. A light distribution pattern consisting of a combination of a dimming or shading region and a light-shielding region is determined so that the brightness on the road surface is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and is irradiated (FIG. 5: S5).
歩行者Ｈの周辺への光ＨＬ１の照射が減光又は遮光されることで、歩行者Ｈは対向車Ｔの前照灯の光ＨＬ２による照射により、自車両Ｊのドライバーからはシルエットの状態で見えることとなる。よって、ドライバーによる歩行者Ｈの視認しやすくなる。
The irradiation of the light HL1 to the periphery of the pedestrian H is dimmed or shielded, so that the pedestrian H is in a silhouette state from the driver of the own vehicle J due to the irradiation by the light HL2 of the headlight of the oncoming vehicle T. You will be able to see it. Therefore, it becomes easier for the driver to visually recognize the pedestrian H.
図５に示された本発明の配光制御のルーチンは、スタートからエンドまでの制御を３５ｍｓｅｃ～１０００ｍｓｅｃの間隔で繰り返し行われる。従って、もし歩行者Ｈが路上を移動したとしても、ルーチン毎に歩行者Ｈを追随しその状況毎に配光パターンを決定して光源ユニット４から照射をするので、常に歩行者Ｈが視認しやすい状態を維持できる。
また、歩行者Ｈが自車両Ｊ前方の路上からいなくなった場合、つまり、センサ２が歩行者Ｈを検出しない状態となれば、減光又は遮光する領域がなくなり、通常の全照射の配光パターンに戻る。 In the light distribution control routine of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, control from the start to the end is repeated at intervals of 35 msec to 1000 msec. Therefore, even if the pedestrian H moves on the road, the pedestrian H is always visually recognized because the pedestrian H is followed for each routine, the light distribution pattern is determined for each situation, and the light source unit 4 irradiates the light. You can maintain a comfortable state.
Further, when the pedestrian H disappears from the road in front of the own vehicle J, that is, when the sensor 2 does not detect the pedestrian H, there is no area for dimming or shading, and the normal full irradiation light distribution. Return to the pattern.
また、歩行者Ｈが自車両Ｊ前方の路上からいなくなった場合、つまり、センサ２が歩行者Ｈを検出しない状態となれば、減光又は遮光する領域がなくなり、通常の全照射の配光パターンに戻る。 In the light distribution control routine of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, control from the start to the end is repeated at intervals of 35 msec to 1000 msec. Therefore, even if the pedestrian H moves on the road, the pedestrian H is always visually recognized because the pedestrian H is followed for each routine, the light distribution pattern is determined for each situation, and the light source unit 4 irradiates the light. You can maintain a comfortable state.
Further, when the pedestrian H disappears from the road in front of the own vehicle J, that is, when the sensor 2 does not detect the pedestrian H, there is no area for dimming or shading, and the normal full irradiation light distribution. Return to the pattern.
なお、本発明は、上記実施形態に限定されるものではなく、本発明の趣旨を逸脱しない範囲で、各部の構成を任意に変更して実施することも可能である。例えば、路上の対象物が歩行者Ｈ、動物、単なる物体であるか否かを判断し、歩行者Ｈであった場合にのみ本発明の配光制御を行うといったように、対象物の属性や特徴を判断し、属性・特徴に応じて配光パターンを設定してもよい。その他、本発明の趣旨を逸脱しない範囲で、各部の構成を任意に変更して実施することも可能である。
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and the configuration of each part can be arbitrarily changed and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, it is determined whether or not the object on the road is a pedestrian H, an animal, or a mere object, and the light distribution control of the present invention is performed only when the object is a pedestrian H. The characteristics may be determined and the light distribution pattern may be set according to the attributes / characteristics. In addition, the configuration of each part can be arbitrarily changed and implemented without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
１ 車両用灯具
２ センサ
３ カメラ
４ 光源ユニット
５ 制御部
５１ 対象物検出部
５２ 領域抽出部
５３ 照明調整部
Ｇ 街灯
Ｈ 歩行者
ＨＬ１ 自車両Ｊのヘッドライトの照射範囲
ＨＬ２ 対向車Ｔのヘッドライトの照射範囲
Ｊ 自車両
Ｔ 対向車
1 Vehicle lighting equipment 2 Sensor 3 Camera 4 Light source unit 5 Control unit 51 Object detection unit 52Area extraction unit 53 Lighting adjustment unit G Street light H Pedestrian HL1 Headlight irradiation range of own vehicle J HL2 Headlight of oncoming vehicle T Irradiation range J Own vehicle T Oncoming vehicle
２ センサ
３ カメラ
４ 光源ユニット
５ 制御部
５１ 対象物検出部
５２ 領域抽出部
５３ 照明調整部
Ｇ 街灯
Ｈ 歩行者
ＨＬ１ 自車両Ｊのヘッドライトの照射範囲
ＨＬ２ 対向車Ｔのヘッドライトの照射範囲
Ｊ 自車両
Ｔ 対向車
1 Vehicle lighting equipment 2 Sensor 3 Camera 4 Light source unit 5 Control unit 51 Object detection unit 52
Claims (5)
- 光源と、車両周辺の所定の対象物を検出するセンサと、前記対象物を撮影するカメラと、前記光源を制御する制御手段と、を備え、
前記制御手段が、前記カメラの映像から前記対象物を含む領域を抽出する抽出手段と、前記領域の照明を減光する照明調整手段と、を含むことを特徴とする車両用灯具。 A light source, a sensor for detecting a predetermined object around the vehicle, a camera for photographing the object, and a control means for controlling the light source are provided.
A vehicle lighting device, wherein the control means includes an extraction means for extracting a region including the object from an image of the camera, and a lighting adjusting means for dimming the illumination of the region. - 前記照明調整手段は、前記領域の輝度を算出し、前記輝度が所定値以上であった場合に、前記領域の照明を減光する請求項１に記載の車両用灯具。 The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the lighting adjusting means calculates the brightness of the region and dims the lighting of the region when the brightness is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.
- 前記照明調整手段は、前記領域を遮光する請求項１または２に記載の車両用灯具。 The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting adjusting means shields the area from light.
- 前記抽出手段は、前記カメラの撮影中に、前記光源を消灯する請求項１～３のいずれか一項に記載の車両用灯具。 The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the extraction means turns off the light source during shooting by the camera.
- 前記所定の対象物が歩行者である請求項１～４のいずれか一項に記載の車両用灯具。
The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the predetermined object is a pedestrian.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2021542807A JPWO2021039577A1 (en) | 2019-08-26 | 2020-08-20 |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2019153851 | 2019-08-26 | ||
| JP2019-153851 | 2019-08-26 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| WO2021039577A1 true WO2021039577A1 (en) | 2021-03-04 |
Family
ID=74685511
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2020/031430 WO2021039577A1 (en) | 2019-08-26 | 2020-08-20 | Vehicle lighting |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JPWO2021039577A1 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2021039577A1 (en) |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2013119357A (en) * | 2011-12-08 | 2013-06-17 | Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc | Illumination control device |
| JP2019108101A (en) * | 2017-12-20 | 2019-07-04 | 三菱自動車工業株式会社 | Vehicle control unit |
-
2020
- 2020-08-20 WO PCT/JP2020/031430 patent/WO2021039577A1/en active Application Filing
- 2020-08-20 JP JP2021542807A patent/JPWO2021039577A1/ja active Pending
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP2013119357A (en) * | 2011-12-08 | 2013-06-17 | Toyota Central R&D Labs Inc | Illumination control device |
| JP2019108101A (en) * | 2017-12-20 | 2019-07-04 | 三菱自動車工業株式会社 | Vehicle control unit |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPWO2021039577A1 (en) | 2021-03-04 |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| JP5779028B2 (en) | Light distribution control means for headlamp | |
| US10618458B2 (en) | Vehicle headlight control device | |
| US7899213B2 (en) | Image processing system and vehicle control system | |
| KR101232308B1 (en) | Apparatus and method for controlling head lamp for vehicles | |
| JP5313638B2 (en) | Vehicle headlamp device | |
| JP2011051441A (en) | Headlight system for vehicle | |
| JP2012240530A (en) | Image processing apparatus | |
| JP2004185105A (en) | Obstacle informing device | |
| WO2010050095A1 (en) | Headlamp controller | |
| JP2013097885A (en) | Headlight device and headlight system | |
| JP7208488B2 (en) | Reflected light detection device, reflected light detection method and program | |
| JP2020147183A (en) | Vehicular headlamp and method for controlling vehicular headlamp | |
| KR20150134793A (en) | Lamp for vehicle and controlling method foe the same | |
| WO2021039577A1 (en) | Vehicle lighting | |
| JP5643877B2 (en) | Vehicle headlamp device | |
| JP2012196999A (en) | Vehicle lighting device and method | |
| JP7137414B2 (en) | vehicle lamp | |
| KR101356421B1 (en) | System and method for controlling head lamp on vehicles | |
| JP2012185669A (en) | Vehicle detecting device and vehicle light distribution controlling device using the same | |
| KR101055078B1 (en) | Vehicle uplight control system using camera and its method | |
| JP6278217B1 (en) | Vehicle headlight control device | |
| JP7165536B2 (en) | Vehicle lighting system | |
| CN112240529B (en) | Light distribution control device and vehicle lamp system | |
| KR20230101857A (en) | Vehicle lighting adjustment method and vehicle when operating at a construction site | |
| JP2023116083A (en) | Vehicular headlight device |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 20856773 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
| ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 2021542807 Country of ref document: JP Kind code of ref document: A |
|
| NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
| 122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |
Ref document number: 20856773 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |