APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING SWIVEL ANGLES OF ON-VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling an angle of a light axis of light to be radiated from headlights mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
- angle changing means for changing the direction of the light axis of the light at an angle commanded by a command;
image capturing means for capturing images of a field of view in front of the vehicle and providing captured images;
taillight detecting means for using the captured images to detect taillights of a preceding vehicle which runs ahead of the vehicle provided with the apparatus;
position setting means for setting an illumination target position using, as a positional reference, a position of the detected taillights in the captured images;
angle calculating means for calculating the angle of the light axis of the light so that the light axis is directed to the illumination target position; and
angle commanding means for providing the command to the angle changing means, the provided command depending on the angle calculated by the angle calculating means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is provided to control an angle of a light axis of light from headlights mounted on a vehicle. In the apparatus, images of a field of view in front of the vehicle are captured, and the captured images are used to detect taillights of a preceding vehicle. A illumination target position is set by using, as a positional reference, a position of the detected taillights in the captured images, and the angle of the light axis so that the light axis is directed to the illumination target position. The command is provided to an angle changing device, where the provided command depends on the angle calculated. The angle changing device changes the direction of the light axis of the light at an angle commanded by the command.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling an angle of a light axis of light to be radiated from headlights mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
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angle changing means for changing the direction of the light axis of the light at an angle commanded by a command; image capturing means for capturing images of a field of view in front of the vehicle and providing captured images; taillight detecting means for using the captured images to detect taillights of a preceding vehicle which runs ahead of the vehicle provided with the apparatus; position setting means for setting an illumination target position using, as a positional reference, a position of the detected taillights in the captured images; angle calculating means for calculating the angle of the light axis of the light so that the light axis is directed to the illumination target position; and angle commanding means for providing the command to the angle changing means, the provided command depending on the angle calculated by the angle calculating means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for controlling an angle of a light axis of light to be radiated from headlights mounted on a vehicle, comprising:
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an angle changing device that changes the direction of the light axis of the light at an angle commanded by a command; an image capturing device that captures images of a field of view in front of the vehicle and providing captured images; a taillight detecting device that uses the captured images to detect taillights of a preceding vehicle which runs ahead of the vehicle provided with the apparatus; a position setting device that sets a illumination target position using, as a positional reference, a position of the detected taillights in the captured images; an angle calculating device that calculates the angle of the light axis of the light so that the light axis is directed to the illumination target position; and an angle commanding device that provides the command to the angle changing means, the provided command depending on the angle calculated by the angle calculating device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification