AUTOMOTIVE HEADLAMP APPARATUS CONTROLLING LIGHT DISTRIBUTION PATTERN

• US 20110012510A1
• Filed: 07/14/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: TANI, Kentaro, UCHIDA, Naoki, SATO, Noriko, TANAKA, Hidetada, KOMATSU, Motohiro, KOTAJIMA, Takuya, ISHIDA, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,487,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/332 on city roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162

Abstract

An automotive headlamp apparatus comprises: a lamp unit configured to be capable of forming an additional light distribution pattern that includes an upper area above the cut-off line of a light distribution pattern for low beam and that is divided into a plurality of individual patterns; and a controller configured to control formation of each of the individual patterns in accordance with presence of a forward vehicle. The controller reduces the illuminance of an individual pattern overlapping an area where a forward vehicle is present and increases the illuminance of at least one of other individual patterns.

Claims

1. An automotive headlamp apparatus comprising:

a lamp unit configured to be capable of forming an additional light distribution pattern that includes an upper area above the cut-off line of a light distribution pattern for low beam and that is divided into a plurality of individual patterns; and

a controller configured to control formation of each of the individual patterns in accordance with presence of a forward vehicle, wherein the controller reduces the illuminance of an individual pattern overlapping an area where a forward vehicle is present and increases the illuminance of at least one of other individual patterns.

2. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when an obstacle has been detected in front of the vehicle by an obstacle detection apparatus, the controller increases the illuminance of at least one of the other individual patterns.

3. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller increases, of the other individual patterns, the illuminance of an individual pattern overlapping an area where high visibility is demanded, the area being determined in accordance with a driving road of the driver'"'"'s vehicle.

4. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the driving road is an urban road, the area where high visibility is demanded is a road shoulder area of the road.

5. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, when the driving road is a curved road, the area where high visibility is demanded is an exit area of the curved road.

6. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller reduce, of the other individual patterns, the illuminance of the individual pattern adjacent to the individual pattern overlapping an area where a forward vehicle is present.

7. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller reduces, of the other individual patterns, the illuminance of individual patterns excluding the individual pattern overlapping an area where high visibility is demanded.

8. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the obstacle is a pedestrian.

9. The automotive headlamp apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller makes the illuminance of the adjacent individual pattern higher than that of the individual pattern overlapping an area where a forward vehicle is present.

10. A control apparatus for a lamp unit configured to be capable of forming an additional light distribution pattern that includes an upper area above the cut-off line of a light distribution pattern for low beam and that is divided into a plurality of individual patterns, wherein the control apparatus is configured to output a control signal that reduces the illuminance of an individual pattern overlapping an area where a forward vehicle is present and that increases the illuminance of at least one of other individual patterns.

11. A lamp unit configured to be capable of forming an additional light distribution pattern that includes an upper area above the cut-off line of a light distribution pattern for low beam and that is divided into a plurality of individual patterns, and also configured to reduce the illuminance of an individual pattern overlapping an area where a forward vehicle is present and to increase the illuminance of at least one of other individual patterns.