VEHICLE HEADLAMP CONTROL APPARATUS, VEHICLE HEADLAMP CONTROL SYSTEM AND VEHICLE HEADLAMP, HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP CONTROL APPARATUS, HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP CONTROL SYSTEM AND VEHICLE HEADLAMP

• US 20090267517A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Toshifumi, Nakano, Tomoyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,395,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0094 Arrangement of electronic circuits separated from the light source, e.g. mounting of housings for starter circuits for discharge lamps arrangements being part of the light source holder F21V17/06, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/076 by electrical means including means to transmit the movements, e.g. shafts or joints
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2885 Static converters especially adapted therefor; Control thereof H05B41/2882 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

In vehicle headlamp control apparatuses, which receive a direct current voltage Es, light discharge lamps by square waves, and drive motors, in each of which the number is at least one, arithmetic operations are performed for synchronizing the square waves for lighting the discharge lamps and pulses for driving the motors with each other and for driving the motors within a substantially constant time after polarities of the square waves for lighting the discharge lamps are inverted. By using an inexpensive microcomputer, the vehicle headlamp control apparatuses make it possible to realize lighting controls for the discharge lamps and smooth drive controls for headlamps and auxiliary lamps by the motors for varying optical axes thereof.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp control apparatus which:

receives a direct current voltage;

lights a discharge lamp by a square wave; and

drives at least one motor,

wherein the square wave for lighting the discharge lamp and a pulse for driving the motor are synchronized with each other.

2. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an arithmetic operation for driving the motor is performed within a predetermined time after polarity inversion of the square wave.

3. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined time is made substantially constant regardless of a state of the motor.

4. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pulse frequency for driving the motor is set to be 2/n (n is an integer) times a frequency of the square wave for lighting the discharge lamp.

5. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pulse frequency for driving the motor is reduced as a motor difference that is a difference between a target position for driving the motor and a current position of the motor is smaller.

6. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pulse frequency is controlled so that a time taken until the motor reaches the target position can become substantially the same between left and right motors of a vehicle.

7. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pulse frequency for driving the motor is set while avoiding a resonant frequency band of the motor.

8. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, at a time of staring an operation of the motor, the motor is driven while setting the drive pulse frequency of the motor at a minimum value, and the drive pulse frequency is increased step by step in a case where the motor difference is large.

9. The vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, at a time of stopping the operation of the motor, the drive pulse frequency of the motor is reduced step by step, and the operation is stopped after driving the motor at the minimum value.

10. A vehicle headlamp control system comprising:

the vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein, in the vehicle headlamp control apparatus, a maximum operable frequency of the motor is set to be twice the frequency of the square wave for lighting the discharge lamp.

11. A vehicle headlamp, wherein the vehicle headlamp mounts thereon the vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 1.

12. A high intensity discharge lamp lighting apparatus which:

receives a direct current voltage; and

lights a high intensity discharge lamp by a square wave,

the high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus comprising;

means for performing a drive control for at least one load other than the high intensity discharge lamp,

wherein the control for the load is synchronized with the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp.

13. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the load is at least one light source, and

the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp is synchronized with lighting or extinguishing of the light source.

14. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the load is communication means, and

transmission processing of the communication means is synchronized with the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp.

15. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the transmission processing stands for transmission of a lighting state of the high intensity discharge lamp, and

processing in which the communication means transmits the lighting state of the high intensity discharge lamp is synchronized with the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp.

16. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the load is at least one sensor that reads vehicle state information, and

processing in which the sensor reads the vehicle state information is synchronized with the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp.

17. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the load is at least one motor, and

the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp and a pulse for driving the motor are synchronized with each other.

18. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein an arithmetic operation for driving the motor within a predetermined time from polarity inversion of the square wave is performed in synchronization with the polarity inversion.

19. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined time is made substantially constant regardless of a state of the motor.

20. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a pulse frequency for driving the motor is set to be 2/n (n is an integer) times a frequency of the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp.

21. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the pulse frequency for driving the motor is reduced as a motor difference that is a difference between a target position for driving the motor and a current position of the motor is smaller.

22. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the pulse frequency is controlled so that a time taken until the motor reaches the target position can become substantially the same between left and right motors of a vehicle.

23. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the pulse frequency for driving the motor is set while avoiding a resonant frequency band of the motor.

24. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, at a time of staring an operation of the motor, the motor is driven while setting the drive pulse frequency of the motor at a minimum value, and the drive pulse frequency is increased step by step in a case where the motor difference is large.

25. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, at a time of stopping the operation of the motor, the drive pulse frequency of the motor is reduced step by step, and the operation is stopped after driving the motor at the minimum value.

26. The high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 21, wherein a frequency of a square wave for driving the high intensity discharge lamp is changed in response to a set value of the drive frequency of the motor.

27. A high intensity discharge lamp control system comprising:

the high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein, in the high intensity discharge lamp control apparatus, a maximum operable frequency of the motor is set to be twice the frequency of the square wave for lighting the high intensity discharge lamp.

28. A vehicle headlamp, wherein the vehicle headlamp mounts thereon the vehicle headlamp control apparatus according to claim 12.