Headlight control device and method for vehicles

• US 7,898,182 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Futamura, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): A; Minh D
• Application Number:
  US11/804,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 315 76- 83
• US Class Current: 315/80
• 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light

Abstract

If a beam state of headlight is manually switched over in a manual control mode, threshold values of vehicle speed, steering angle or the like, are learned for determining the switching over to the low-beam state or to the high-beam state based on the results detected by a speed sensor, illumination sensor, steering angle sensor and weather sensor, and are stored in a nonvolatile memory. In an automatic control mode, a CPU determines the switching over to the low-beam state or to the high-beam state based on the traveling condition detected by the illumination sensor by using the threshold values for determining the switching over learned in the manual control mode. The CPU automatically switches over the state of the beam of the headlight based upon the determination result.

Claims

1. A headlight control device for vehicles comprising:

means for manually switching an illumination state of a headlight between a first illumination state and a second illumination state where the amount of illumination to a distance is larger than that in the first illumination state;

means for detecting a traveling condition of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit including means for automatically switching the illumination state of the headlight and means for learning a threshold value;

wherein

the automatically switching means is configured to switch the illumination state of the headlight between the first illumination state and the second illumination state based on the threshold value depending upon the traveling condition detected by the detecting means;

the learning means is configured to learn a new threshold value for determining switching between the first illumination state and the second illumination state based on the traveling condition detected by the detecting means when the illumination state of the headlight is manually switched by the manually switching means, and

the automatically switching means is configured to determine the switching between the first illumination state and the second illumination state by using the new threshold value for determining the switching over learned by the learning means.

2. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the learning means learns the new threshold value for determining the switching during a predetermined learning condition.

3. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein the learning condition includes a case where a value representing the traveling condition detected by the detecting means at the time of manual switching is a normal value.

4. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for switching over an operation mode between an automatic control mode which enables the operation of the automatically switching means and a manual control mode which inhibits the operation of the automatically switching means,

wherein the learning condition includes a case where the manual control mode is assumed.

5. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the learning means learns the new threshold value for determining the switching by moderating the value representing the traveling condition detected by the detecting means at the time of manual switching.

6. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for adjusting the threshold value for determining the switching.

7. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting front illumination, and the learning means learns a threshold illumination level as the new threshold value for determining the switching.

8. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a vehicle speed, and the learning means learns a threshold vehicle speed as the new threshold value for determining the switching.

9. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a turning condition, and the learning means learns a threshold value related to the turning condition as the new threshold value for determining the switching.

10. The headlight control device for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means includes means for detecting a weather condition, and the learning means learns a threshold value related to the weather condition as the new threshold value for determining the switching.

11. A headlight control method for vehicles comprising:

detecting a traveling condition of a vehicle;

automatically switching an illumination state of a headlight between a first illumination state and a second illumination state depending upon a comparison of a detected traveling condition with a threshold value, the amount of illumination to a distance being larger in the second illumination state than that in the first illumination state; and

learning a new threshold value for determining automatic switching between the first illumination state and the second illumination state based on the traveling condition detected when the illumination state of the headlight is manually switched over by a manual switch.

12. The headlight control method according to claim 11, wherein the learning step learns the new threshold value only in a predetermined learning condition in which the detected traveling condition at the time of manual switching over is not an abnormal value.

13. The headlight control method according to claim 11, wherein the learning step learns, as the new threshold value, at least one of a vehicle front illumination level, a vehicle speed, a vehicle turning condition, and a weather condition.

14. The headlight control method according to claim 11, further comprising:

delaying the automatic switching over from the first illumination state to the second illumination state for a predetermined time after a determination of switching based on the comparison of the detected traveling condition.

15. A headlight control device for vehicles comprising:

means for manually switching an illumination state of a headlight between a first illumination state and a second illumination state where the amount of illumination to a distance is larger than that in the first illumination state;

means for detecting a traveling condition of the vehicle; and

an electronic control unit including means for automatically switching the illumination state of the headlight and means for changing a threshold value;

wherein

the automatically switching means switches the illumination state of the headlight between the first illumination state and the second illumination state based upon the threshold value and depending upon the traveling condition detected by the detecting means;

the changing means changes the threshold value for determining switching between the first illumination state and the second illumination state based on the traveling condition detected by the detecting means when the illumination state of the headlight is manually switched by the manually switching means, and

the automatically switching means determines the switching between the first illumination state and the second illumination state by using the changed threshold value for determining the switching changed by the changing means.