Automatic automobile headlamp leveling device

• US 6,349,251 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Toda, Atsushi, Takeuchi, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): LOUIS JACQUES, JACQUES H
• Application Number:
  US09/502,318
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 701/49, 701/36, 362/465, 362/459, 362/460, 362/466, 362/40, 362/525, 362/532, 362/464, 315/360, 315/82, 315/363, 315/77, 340/469, 340/939, 340/457.2, 340/468, 340/458, 307/10.8, 307/9.1, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 701/49
• 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 2300/116 Vehicle at a stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch

Abstract

An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device is provided for a headlamp which is driven by an actuator so that a light axis of the headlamp can be tilted up or down relative to a vehicle body. A vehicle speed detection sensor is provided for detecting the vehicle speed, a pitch angle detection sensor is provided for detecting a pitch angle of the vehicle, a storage section is provided for storing a plurality of pitch angle data of the vehicle detected by the pitch angle detection sensor, and a control section is provided for controlling the driving of the actuators. The control section controls the driving of the actuators based on the pitch angle data so that the light axes of the headlamps always stay in a certain tilted state relative to the surface of a road. The storage section is constructed so as to store a plurality of data ranging from latest pitch angle data to pitch angle data detected a predetermined time period prior to the latest data, and the control section controls the driving of the actuator at certain intervals based when the vehicle is at a stop, and when the vehicle is starting, it controls the driving of the actuators based on pitch angle data detected immediately prior to the start of the vehicle by the vehicle speed sensor.

Claims

1. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device, comprising:

at least one headlamp, each adapted to be driven by an actuator such that a light axis thereof is tilted up and/or down relative to a vehicle body;

control means for controlling the driving of said actuator;

vehicle speed detection means for detecting a speed of the vehicle;

pitch angle detection means for detecting a pitch angle of the vehicle; and

a storage section for storing pitch angle data of the vehicle detected by said pitch angle detection means,

wherein said control means controls the driving of said actuator based on pitch angle data detected by said pitch angle detection means so that the light axis of said at least one headlamp stays in a certain tilted state relative to the surface of a road,

wherein said storage section stores a plurality of data ranging from latest pitch angle data to pitch angle data detected a predetermined time period prior to said latest data,

wherein said control means judges whether the vehicle is at a stop or is starting based on outputs from said vehicle speed sensors and then controls the driving of said actuator at certain intervals based on the latest pitch angle data when the vehicle is at a stop, and it controls the driving of said actuator based on pitch angle data detected prior to the start of movement of the vehicle from its stopped position when the vehicle is starting, and

wherein pitch angle data detected a predetermined time period prior to the detection of the start of the vehicle by the vehicle speed sensors is used as the pitch angle data detected prior to the start of the vehicle, and subsequently used for controlling the driving of said actuator while the vehicle is starting.

2. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined time period is set within a range from 1 to 3 seconds.

3. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device as set forth in claim 2, wherein pitch angle data stored in said storage section are replaced sequentially for data updating in such a manner that oldest pitch angle data are replaced with latest pitch angle data every time latest pitch angle data are inputted.

4. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device as set forth in claim 2, wherein controlling of said actuator is performed provided that the headlamps are turned on.

5. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said actuator driving intervals are set so as to be longer than a maximum driving time of said actuator that is required for each leveling operation.

6. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device as set forth in claim 1, wherein pitch angle data stored in said storage section are replaced sequentially for data updating in such a manner that oldest pitch angle data are replaced with latest pitch angle data every time latest pitch angle data are inputted.

7. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device as set forth in claim 1, wherein controlling of said actuator is performed provided that the headlamps are turned on.

8. An automatic automobile headlamp leveling device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said actuator driving intervals are set so as to be longer than a maximum driving time of said actuator that is required for each leveling operation.

9. A method for adjusting an automobile headlamp comprising:

storing pitch angle data at predetermined intervals in a memory when the automobile is at a stop;

driving an actuator at predetermined intervals to tilt an automobile headlamp when the automobile is at a stop, the driving based on the latest pitch angle data;

determining when the automobile is starting to move from a stop condition; and

driving the actuator when the vehicle is starting based on the pitch angle data detected a predetermined time period prior to the detection of the start of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising sequentially replacing the pitch angle data in the memory.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the driving intervals are longer than a maximum driving time of an actuator required for a leveling operation.