HEADLIGHT OPTICAL AXIS ADJUSTMENT DEVICE

• US 20090086496A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Origane, Toshinori, Todani, Akinobu
• Granted Patent: US 8,206,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/465
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/116 Vehicle at a stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/14 Other vehicle conditions

Abstract

The present invention aims to perform optical axis adjustment while a vehicle is stopped only in necessary situations and to avoid unnecessary adjustment, and to further enhance durability. A headlight optical axis adjustment device for adjusting an optical axis of a headlight based on a pitch angle of the vehicle includes an opened/closed state detection section for detecting an open/closed state of an open/close unit where the opened state is when a passenger gets on/out or when a baggage is being loaded/unloaded to and from the vehicle; and an optical axis adjustment permitting section for permitting optical axis adjustment of the headlight based on the pitch angle of the vehicle when the opened state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section.

Claims

1. A headlight optical axis adjustment device for adjusting an optical axis of a headlight based on a pitch angle of a vehicle;

the headlight optical axis adjustment device comprising;

an opened/closed state detection section for detecting an opened/closed state of an open/close unit where the opened state is when a passenger gets in/out or when a baggage is being loaded/unloaded to and from the vehicle; and

an optical axis adjustment permitting section for permitting optical axis adjustment of the headlight based on the pitch angle of the vehicle when the opened state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section.

2. The headlight optical axis adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a behavior detection section for detecting a behavior change of the vehicle necessary for calculating the pitch angle;

wherein

the optical axis adjustment permitting section permits the optical axis adjustment of the headlight based on the pitch angle of the vehicle when the opened state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section, and a detection value of the behavior detection section is greater than a predetermined value.

3. A headlight optical axis adjustment device for adjusting an optical axis of a headlight based on a pitch angle of a vehicle;

the headlight optical axis adjustment device comprising;

an opened/closed state detection section for detecting an opened/closed state of an open/close unit where the opened state is when a passenger gets in/out or when a baggage is being loaded/unloaded to and from the vehicle; and

an optical axis setting section for prohibiting the optical axis adjustment of the headlight based on the pitch angle of the vehicle when the opened state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section, and setting the optical axis of the headlight to a predetermined angle so as not to dazzle the drivers of oncoming vehicles and pedestrians.

4. The headlight optical axis adjustment device according to claim 3, further comprising:

a behavior detection section for detecting a behavior change of the vehicle necessary for calculating the pitch angle;

wherein

the optical axis setting section sets the optical axis of the headlight to the predetermined angle so as not to dazzle the drivers of oncoming vehicles and the pedestrians when the opened state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section, and a detection value of the behavior detection section is greater than a predetermined value.

5. A headlight optical axis adjustment device for adjusting an optical axis of a headlight based on a pitch angle of a vehicle;

the headlight optical axis adjustment device comprising;

an opened/closed state detection section for detecting an opened/closed state of an open/close unit where the opened state is when a passenger gets in/out or when a baggage is being loaded/unloaded to and from the vehicle;

a behavior detection section for detecting a behavior change of the vehicle necessary for calculating the pitch angle;

a calculation section for calculating a difference between a scheduled amount of optical axis adjustment for this time based on the pitch angle and an optical axis adjustment amount for a previous time when the closed state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section, and a time a detection value of the behavior detection section is greater than a predetermined value elapses a predetermined time; and

a first optical axis adjustment execution section for executing the optical axis adjustment according to the scheduled amount of the optical axis adjustment for this time if a value of the difference calculated by the calculation section is greater than a predetermined value.

6. The headlight optical axis adjustment device according to claim 5, wherein the first optical axis adjustment execution section does not execute further optical axis adjustment when executed number of times of the optical axis adjustment becomes greater than a predetermined number of times.

7. A headlight optical axis adjustment device for adjusting an optical axis of a headlight based on a pitch angle of a vehicle;

the headlight optical axis adjustment device comprising;

an opened/closed state detection section for detecting an opened/closed state of an open/close unit where the opened state is when a passenger gets in/out or when a baggage is being loaded/unloaded to and from the vehicle;

a behavior detection section for detecting a behavior change of the vehicle necessary for calculating the pitch angle; and

a second optical axis adjustment execution section for executing an adjustment of the optical axis based on the pitch angle both when the opened state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section and when the closed state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section;

wherein

the second optical axis adjustment execution section executes the adjustment of the optical axis based on the pitch angle when judging whether or not the detection value of the behavior detection section is greater than a first predetermined value (Hopen) for the opened state and judged as being greater if the opened state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section, and executes the adjustment of the optical axis based on the pitch angle when judging whether or not the detection value of the behavior detection section is greater than a second predetermined value for the closed state and judged as being greater if the closed state of the open/close unit is detected by the opened/closed state detection section.