Vehicle headlamp system and dimming-type vehicle headlamp

• US 7,112,925 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Ken, Yotoriyama, Shigeyoshi, Numajiri, Yasuyoshi, Fukawa, Kiyotaka, Okawa, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alemu, Ephrem
• Application Number:
  US10/797,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20040178739A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 315/82, 315/79, 315/80, 315/83, 362/41, 362/43, 362464-467, 362/276, 362/802, 307/10.8, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 315/82
• 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 1/12 due to steering position
• 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 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/128 Steering dead zone
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation

Abstract

Lamp units for radiating a beam ahead of a vehicle in a light distribution pattern are housed in a lamp body. Illumination of the auxiliary lamp units is controlled based on driving conditions. Illumination control means extinguish light through dimming by gradually decreasing voltage applied to the light sources. When the applied voltage has dropped to a threshold value, the applied voltage is controlled to zero immediately. Compared to when the lamps remaining in an illuminated state are suddenly extinguished, a change in quantity of light is mild, and no uncertainty arises. Below a threshold value where the applied voltage gradually drops to the threshold value and a change may arise in the filament crystalline structure due to annealing at a transition temperature, the applied voltage approaches zero. Hence, the filament does not pass from the transition temperature while being rapidly cooled, thus avoiding filament crystalline structure change.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp system including a headlamp and configured to control illumination of lamp units in accordance with a driving condition, the headlamp comprising lamp units housed in a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body, and a front lens, and to emit a beam ahead of said vehicle in a light distribution pattern, the system comprising:

a dimming unit that controls said illumination by adjusting an amount of power fed to a light source of at least one of the lamp units to adjust the quantity of light radiated from said lamp unit, wherein

said dimming unit gradually decreases an effective value of a light source applied voltage to extinguish said lamp unit, and sets said effective value of said light source applied voltage to zero in one stroke when said effective value of said applied voltage has decreased to a threshold value, and wherein

said dimming control decreases said effective value of the voltage applied to said light source to the threshold value over a predetermined period of time.

2. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is about one to two seconds.

3. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 1, wherein said threshold value of said effective value of said light source applied voltage is a value within a range of about 7 volts to 9 volts.

4. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 1, wherein dimming control performed by said dimming unit at the time of extinction is configured to lower said effective value of said light source applied voltage to the threshold value along a locus of an upwardly-convex-shaped continuous hyperbola.

5. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said lamp units subjected to said dimming control operation are configured to be illuminated and extinguished based on a switching operation;

wherein, when illumination of an environment is at least a value or more, power is not fed to said light source of said one of said lamp units when said switching operation is performed; and

wherein, when illumination of said environment is at least said value or more during illumination of said at least one of said lamp units, said effective value of said voltage applied to said light source of said at least one of lamp units is set to zero in one stroke.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said threshold value of said effective value of said light source applied voltage is one of about 8.5 volts and about 9.0 volts.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said driving condition is based on an input received from at least one of a vehicle speed sensor switch, a blinker adjustment switch, a steering angle sensor, and a beam changeover switch.

8. A vehicle headlamp system having a headlamp in which is provided at least one lamp unit and an auxiliary lamp, and configured to control illumination of one of the at least one lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp in accordance with a driving condition, the at least one lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp housed in a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body, and a front lens, and to emit a beam ahead of said vehicle in a light distribution pattern, the system comprising:

a dimming unit that controls said illumination by adjusting at least one of (a) an amount of power fed to a light source of at least one of the at least one lamp unit, and (b) an amount of power fed to a light source of said auxiliary lamp, to respectively adjust at least one of (a) a quantity of light radiated from said lamp unit and (b) a quantity of light radiated from said auxiliary lamp unit, wherein

said dimming unit gradually decreases an effective value of a light source applied voltage to extinguish at least one of said lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp, and sets said effective value of said applied voltage to zero in one stroke when said effective value of said applied voltage has decreased to a threshold value, and wherein

said dimming control decreases said effective value of the voltage applied to said light source to the threshold value over a predetermined period of time.

9. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined period of time is about one to two seconds.

10. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 8, wherein said threshold value of said effective value of said light source applied voltage is a value within a range of about 7 volts to 9 volts.

11. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 8, wherein dimming control performed by said dimming unit at the time of extinction is configured to lower said effective value of said light source applied voltage to the threshold value along a locus of an upwardly-convex-shaped continuous hyperbola.

12. The vehicle headlamp system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp subjected to said dimming control operation are configured to be illuminated and extinguished based on a switching operation;

wherein, when illumination of an environment is at least a value, power is not fed to said light source of said one of said lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp when said switching operation is performed; and

wherein, when illumination of said environment is at least said value or more during illumination of said at least one of said lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp, said effective value of said voltage applied to said light source of said at least one of lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp is set to zero in one stroke.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said threshold value of said effective value of said light source applied voltage is one of about 8.5 volts and about 9.0 volts.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said driving condition is based on an input received from at least one of a vehicle speed sensor switch, a blinker adjustment switch, a steering angle sensor, and a beam changeover switch.

15. A vehicle headlamp system configured to control illumination of one of a lamp unit and an auxiliary lamp disposed in a vicinity of said headlamp, in accordance with a driving condition and to emit a beam ahead of said vehicle in a light distribution pattern, comprising:

the headlamp including at least one lamp unit housed in a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body, and a front lens; and

means for controlling said illumination by adjusting at least one of (a) power input to a light source of the lamp unit, and (b) power input to a light source of said auxiliary lamp, to respectively adjust at least one of (a) a quantity of light radiated from said lamp unit and (b) a quantity of light radiated from said auxiliary lamp unit,

wherein

said means for controlling gradually decreases an effective value of a light source applied voltage to extinguish said one of said lamp unit and said auxiliary lamp, and sets said effective value of said applied voltage to zero in one stroke when said effective value of said applied voltage has decreased to a threshold value, and

wherein said means for controlling decreases said effective value of the voltage applied to said light source to the threshold value over a predetermined period of time.