VEHICLE HEADLIGHT AND LIGHT DISTRIBUTION CONTROL DEVICE OF VEHICLE HEADLIGHT

• US 20190001868A1
• Filed: 05/22/2018
• Published: 01/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kaino, Akira, Fujihara, Yoshitaka
• Application Number:
  US15/986,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20190001868A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/05 Special features for controlling or switching of the light beam
• 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 2300/33 Driving situation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle headlight that can improve visual responsiveness during nighttime driving. The vehicle headlight includes a processor configured to control at least one light source so as to radiate light directed to a road surface forward of a vehicle and form a first light distribution pattern having a hot zone at a central region in the vehicle width direction, and to radiate light toward a roadside forward of the vehicle and form a second light distribution pattern having a hot zone at a position offset outwardly in the vehicle width direction from the hot zone of the first light distribution pattern, in an overlapped area with the first light distribution pattern. The irradiation range of light directed at the objects on the roadside has an upper edge part that extends in a direction inclined inwardly in the vehicle width direction forward of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlight, comprising:

at least one light source configured to radiate light; and

a processor configured to control the at least one light source to;

direct light to the road surface forward of a vehicle, for forming a first light distribution pattern having a hot zone in a central region in a vehicle width direction, and

direct light to a roadside forward of the vehicle, for forming a second light distribution pattern, which has a hot zone on a position offset outwardly in the vehicle width direction from the hot zone of the first light distribution pattern, in an overlapped region with the first light distribution pattern, wherein

an irradiation range of light directed at objects on the roadside has an upper edge part that extends in a direction inclined inwardly in the vehicle width direction forward of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle headlight according to claim 1, wherein

an upper edge part of the irradiation range is a linear part provided so as to extend toward a vanishing point in the field of view forward of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle headlight according to claim 2, wherein

an illuminance of the hot zone of the second light distribution pattern is equivalent to an illuminance of the hot zone in the first light distribution pattern.

4. The vehicle headlight according to claim 1, wherein

an illuminance of the hot zone of the second light distribution pattern is equivalent to an illuminance of the hot zone in the first light distribution pattern.

7. The vehicle headlight according to claim 3, further comprising a camera for filming scenes forward of the vehicle,

wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the vanishing point based on the filmed scenes.

5. A vehicle headlight, comprising:

at least one first light source for emitting light at a first wavelength,

at least one second light source for emitting light at a second wavelength, and

a processor configured to control the first and second light sources for forming a first irradiation area, to which the light emitted from the at least one first light source is radiated, and a second irradiation area, to which the light emitted from the at least one second light source is radiated, to be adjacent to each other, and for forming a boundary between the first irradiation area and the second irradiation area so as to extend toward a vanishing point, in the field of view forward of a vehicle.

6. A vehicle headlight, comprising:

at least one light source configured to radiate light; and

a processor configured to control the at least one light source to radiate light with a first illuminance toward a first irradiation area in the field of view forward of a vehicle, form a second irradiation area having a contour part extended toward a vanishing point in the field of view forward of the vehicle, and radiate light with a second illuminance toward the second irradiation area.