Head lamp device for vehicle

• US 5,562,336 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gotou, Shinichirou
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raab, Sara
• Application Number:
  US08/472,224
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 362/37, 362/61, 362/71, 362/276, 362/802, 364/449, 364/424.05, 180/168
• US Class Current: 362/466
• 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 1/115 by electric means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/122 with electrical actuating means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/128 Steering dead zone
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/332 on city roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/333 on suburban or country roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/335 Number or size of road lanes

Abstract

A head lamp device for a vehicle in which a light distribution can be properly adjusted in response to a state of a road or a running environment and visibility can be improved is provided. The head lamp device for a vehicle capable of adjusting a lighting region in a forward direction of the vehicle comprises proper vehicle position sensing means for sensing a proper vehicle running position in a lateral direction of a road, and control means for calculating a distance from the proper vehicle running position to a center line on the road and adjusting a lighting region of the head lamp in such a way that the lighting region is expanded more and more toward the center line as the calculated distance is longer and longer.

Claims

1. A head lamp device for a vehicle capable of adjusting a lighting region in a forward direction of the vehicle comprising:

proper vehicle position sensing means for sensing a proper vehicle running position in a lateral direction of a road; and

control means for calculating a distance from said proper vehicle running position to a center line on the road and adjusting a lighting region of the head lamp such that the lighting region is more expanded toward the center line as said distance is longer.

2. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 including steering angle sensing means for sensing a steering angle of a steering device;

and

said control means controls an adjusting amount for the lighting region in response to the calculated distance extending up to said center line and to said sensed steering angle.

3. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 2, including at least one of a receiver device for receiving information transmitted from an on-road transmitter and a map information memory device storing map information including road data, and said road width sensing means senses the road width in response to information obtained from at least one of said receiver device and said map information memory device.

4. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 including a receiver device for receiving information transmitted from an on-road transmitter, and said road width sensing means sense a road width in response to information received by said receiver device.

5. A head lamp for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1 including a map information memory device for storing map information including road data, and said road width sensing means sense a road width in response to information stored in said map information memory device.

6. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, including urban area sensing means for sensing if an area where the vehicle runs is an urban area;

steering angle sensing means for sensing a steering angle of the steering device; and

said control means also determines an adjusting amount of a lighting region in response to said sensed steering angle and expands a predetermined reference non-sensitive range of the lighting region to the steering angle when the vehicle runs in the urban area.

7. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 6, including dwelling area sensing means for sensing if an area where the vehicle runs is a dwelling area;

and

said control means further controls a lateral width of the lighting region to be larger than a predetermined reference value when the vehicle runs in the dwelling area.

8. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 7, including central separating zone sensing means for sensing if a central separating zone for separating a lane where the proper vehicle runs from a lane where an opposing vehicle runs is present;

and

control means for adjusting an optical axis of said head lamp to an upward orientation when the vehicle runs on a road having the central separating zone so as to increase a far-reaching side distance of the lighting region.

9. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, including dwelling area sensing means for sensing if an area where the vehicle runs is a dwelling area;

and

said control means additionally controls a lateral width of the lighting region to be larger than a predetermined reference value when the vehicle runs in the dwelling area.

10. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, including central separating zone sensing means for sensing if a central separating zone for separating a lane where the proper vehicle runs from a lane where an opposing vehicle runs is present;

and

said control means further adjusts an optical axis of said head lamp to an upward orientation when the vehicle runs on a road having the central separating zone so as to increase a far-reaching side distance of the lighting region.

11. A head lamp device for a vehicle capable of adjusting a lighting region in a forward direction of the vehicle comprising:

running lane sensing means for sensing a proper vehicle running lane in a lateral direction of a road; and

control means for calculating number of lanes ranging from the running lane of said proper vehicle to a center line on the road and adjusting a lighting region of the head lamp such that the lighting region is more expanded toward the center line as the number of said lanes is increased.

12. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 11 including steering angle sensing means for sensing a steering angle of a steering device;

and

said control means controls an adjusting amount for the lighting region in response to the calculated number of lanes and to said sensed steering angle.

13. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 12, including at least one of a receiver device for receiving information transmitted from an on-road transmitter and a map information memory device storing map information including road data, and said running lane sensing means senses the proper vehicle running lane in response to information obtained from at least one of said receiver device and said map information memory device.

14. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 11, including at least one of a receiver device for receiving information transmitted from an on-road transmitter and a map information memory device storing map information including road data, and said running lane sensing means senses the proper vehicle running lane in response to information obtained from at least one of said receiver device and said map information memory device.

15. A head lamp device for a vehicle capable of adjusting a lighting region in a forward direction of the vehicle comprising:

urban area sensing means for sensing if an area where the vehicle runs is an urban area;

steering angle sensing means for sensing a steering angle of a steering device; and

control means for determining an adjusting amount of a lighting region in response to said sensed steering angle and expanding a predetermined reference non-sensitive range of the lighting region to the steering angle when the vehicle runs in the urban area.

16. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 15, including at least one of a receiver device for receiving information transmitted from an on-road transmitter and a map information memory device storing map information including road data, and said urban area sensing means senses the urban area in response to information obtained from at least one of said receiver device and said map information memory device.

17. A head lamp device for a vehicle capable of adjusting a lighting region in a forward direction of the vehicle comprising:

dwelling area sensing means for sensing if an area where the vehicle runs is a dwelling area; and

control means for controlling a lateral width of the lighting region to be larger than a predetermined reference value when the vehicle runs in the dwelling area.

18. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 17, including at least one of a receiver device for receiving information transmitted from an on-road transmitter and a map information memory device storing map information including road data, and said dwelling area sensing means senses the dwelling area in response to information obtained from at least one of said receiver device and said map information memory device.

19. A head lamp device for a vehicle capable of adjusting a lighting region in a forward direction of the vehicle comprising:

central separating zone sensing means for sensing if a central separating zone for separating a lane where a proper vehicle runs from a lane where an opposing vehicle runs is present; and

control means for adjusting an optical axis of said head amp to an upward orientation when the vehicle runs on a road having the central separating zone so as to increase a far reaching side distance of the lighting region.

20. A head lamp device for a vehicle as set forth in claim 19, including at least one of a receiver device for receiving information transmitted from an on-road transmitter and a map information memory device storing map information including road data, and said central separating zone sensing means senses the central separating zone in response to information obtained from at least one of said receiver device and said map information memory device.