HEADLAMP CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20200130562A1
• Filed: 09/25/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: SUNG, Jun Young
• Granted Patent: US 10,787,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• 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 1/18 being additional front lights bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/28 for indicating front of vehicle
• 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 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/60 characterised by a variable light distribution

Abstract

A headlamp control apparatus may include: an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a forward image of a vehicle; a driving information acquisition unit configured to acquire driving information including one or more of driving environment information and driving state information of the vehicle; and a control unit configured to decide a shadow area for a position of a forward vehicle, which is recognized based on the forward image acquired by the image acquisition unit, and control light emission of a headlamp according to the decided shadow area, wherein the control unit controls the light emission of the headlamp by variably adjusting the shadow area based on the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit.

Claims

1. A headlamp control apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition unit configured to acquire a forward image of a vehicle;

a driving information acquisition unit configured to acquire driving information including one or more of driving environment information and driving state information of the vehicle; and

a control unit configured to decide a shadow area for a position of a forward vehicle, which is recognized based on the forward image acquired by the image acquisition unit, and control light emission of a headlamp according to the decided shadow area, wherein the control unit controls the light emission of the headlamp by variably adjusting the shadow area based on the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit.

2. The headlamp control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shadow area comprises a shadow area main region and a shadow area margin region,

wherein the control unit decides a region corresponding to the position of the forward vehicle as the shadow area main region, and decides the left and right sides of the shadow area main region as the preset shadow area margin region, in order to control the light emission of the headlamp, wherein the control unit controls the light emission of the headlamp by variably adjusting the shadow area margin region based on the driving information.

3. The headlamp control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the driving environment information comprises lane information of a road on which the vehicle is traveling,

wherein the control unit variably adjusts the shadow area margin region based on the magnitude and direction of the curvature of the road, determined from the lane information.

4. The headlamp control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit expands the shadow area margin region only when the magnitude of the curvature of the road is equal to or more than a preset reference curvature, wherein as the magnitude of the curvature of the road increases, the control unit further expands the shadow area margin region.

5. The headlamp control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control unit expands a left shadow area margin region when the direction of the curvature of the road is right, and expands a right shadow area margin region when the direction of the curvature of the road is left.

6. The headlamp control apparatus of claim 2, wherein the driving state information comprises a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit variably adjusts the shadow area margin region based on the magnitude and direction of the steering angle.

7. The headlamp control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit expands the shadow area margin region only when the magnitude of the steering angle is equal to or more than a preset reference steering angle, wherein as the magnitude of the steering angle is increased, the control unit further expands the shadow area margin region.

8. The headlamp control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit expands a left shadow area margin region when the direction of the steering angle is right, and expands a right shadow area margin region when the direction of the steering angle is left.

9. A headlamp control method comprising:

acquiring, by an image acquisition unit, a forward image of a vehicle;

acquiring, by a driving information acquisition unit, driving information including one or more of driving environment information and driving state information of the vehicle; and

deciding, by a control unit, a shadow area for a position of a forward vehicle, which is recognized based on the forward image acquired by the image acquisition unit, and controlling light emission of a headlamp according to the decided shadow area, wherein the control unit controls the light emission of the headlamp by variably adjusting the shadow area based on the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition unit.

10. The headlamp control method of claim 9, wherein the shadow area comprises a shadow area main region and a shadow area margin region,

wherein in the controlling of the light emission of the headlamp, the control unit decides a region corresponding to the position of the forward vehicle as the shadow area main region, and decides the left and right sides of the shadow area main region as the preset shadow area margin region, in order to control the light emission of the headlamp, wherein the control unit controls the light emission of the headlamp by variably adjusting the shadow area margin region based on the driving information.

11. The headlamp control method of claim 10, wherein the driving environment information comprises lane information of a road on which the vehicle is traveling,

wherein the controlling of the light emission of the headlamp comprises variably adjusting, by the control unit, the shadow area margin region based on the magnitude and direction of the curvature of the road, determined from the lane information.

12. The headlamp control method of claim 11, wherein in the variably adjusting of the shadow area margin region,

the control unit expands the shadow area margin region only when the magnitude of the curvature of the road is equal to or more than a preset reference curvature, wherein as the magnitude of the curvature of the road increases, the control unit further expands the shadow area margin region.

13. The headlamp control method of claim 11, wherein in the variably adjusting of the shadow area margin region,

the control unit expands a left shadow area margin region when the direction of the curvature of the road is right, and expands a right shadow area margin region when the direction of the curvature of the road is left.

14. The headlamp control method of claim 10, wherein the driving state information comprises a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle,

wherein the controlling of the light emission of the headlamp comprises variably adjusting, by the control unit, the shadow area margin region based on the magnitude and direction of the steering angle.

15. The headlamp control method of claim 14, wherein in the variably adjusting of the shadow area margin region,

the control unit expands the shadow area margin region only when the magnitude of the steering angle is equal to or more than a preset reference steering angle, wherein as the magnitude of the steering angle is increased, the control unit further expands the shadow area margin region.

16. The headlamp control method of claim 14, wherein in the variably adjusting of the shadow area margin region,

the control unit expands a left shadow area margin region when the direction of the steering angle is right, and expands a right shadow area margin region when the direction of the steering angle is left.