Vehicular light distribution control system and vehicular light distribution control method

• US 8,972,117 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Seiichi, Fujiyoshi, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, ABBY YEE
• Application Number:
  US13/882,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/36, 701/49, 340/457.2, 340468-469, 362/459, 362464-466, 362/507
• US Class Current: 701/49
• 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 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• 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

Abstract

A vehicular light distribution control system (100) controls a light distribution of headlights (3). The control system includes the following parts. The vehicle detecting part (10) detects an anterior vehicle driving in front of an occupants vehicle. The unirradiated region setting part (12) sets a region where the anterior vehicle detected by the vehicle detecting part (10) exists as an unirradiated region. The vehicle motion estimating part (13) estimates an ensuing motion of the anterior vehicle detected by the vehicle detecting part (10). The unirradiated region adjusting part (14) adjusts a size of the unirradiated region set by the unirradiated region setting part (12) depending on an estimated result 15 of the vehicle motion estimating part (13).

Claims

1. A vehicular light distribution control system configured to control a light distribution of headlights, comprising:

a vehicle detecting part configured to detect an anterior vehicle driving in front of an occupant'"'"'s vehicle;

an unirradiated region setting part configured to set a region where the anterior vehicle detected by the vehicle detecting part exists as an unirradiated region;

a vehicle motion estimating part configured to estimate an ensuing motion of the anterior vehicle detected by the vehicle detecting part;

an unirradiated region adjusting part configured to adjust before the estimated ensuing motion occurs a size of the unirradiated region set by the unirradiated region setting part depending on the ensuing motion estimated by the vehicle motion estimating part; and

a light distribution controlling part configured to generate before the estimated ensuing motion occurs a light distribution pattern including the unirradiated region whose size has been adjusted by the unirradiated region adjusting part,

wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part determines on an expanding direction or a contracting direction of the unirradiated region depending on the estimated ensuing motion, and determines on a step size of expansion or a step size of contraction of the unirradiated region and an expansion rate or a contraction rate of the unirradiated region depending on an inter-vehicular distance between the occupant'"'"'s vehicle and the anterior vehicle or a relative velocity of the anterior vehicle to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle.

2. The vehicular light distribution control system according to claim 1, wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part changes the step size of expansion or the step size of contraction of the unirradiated region depending on the distance between the occupant'"'"'s vehicle and the anterior vehicle.

3. The vehicular light distribution control system according to claim 2, wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part increases the step size of expansion or the step size of contraction of the unirradiated region with a decrease in the distance between the occupant'"'"'s vehicle and the anterior vehicle.

4. The vehicular light distribution control system according to claim 1, wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part changes the step size of expansion or the step size of contraction of the unirradiated region depending on the relative velocity of the anterior vehicle to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle.

5. The vehicular light distribution control system according to claim 1, wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part increases the step size of expansion or the step size of contraction of the unirradiated region with an increase in an absolute value of the relative velocity of the anterior vehicle to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle.

6. The vehicular light distribution control system according to claim 1, wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part changes the step size of expansion or the step size of contraction of the unirradiated region depending on an increase-decrease rate of an anterior vehicle detection angle.

7. The vehicular light distribution control system according to claim 6, wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part increases the step size of expansion or the step size of contraction of the unirradiated region with an increase in the increase-decrease rate of the anterior vehicle detection angle.

8. A vehicular light distribution control method configured to control a light distribution of headlights, comprising:

a vehicle detecting step which detects an anterior vehicle driving in front of an occupant'"'"'s vehicle;

an unirradiated region setting step which sets a region where the anterior vehicle detected in the vehicle detecting step exists as an unirradiated region;

a vehicle motion estimating step which estimates an ensuing motion of the anterior vehicle detected in the vehicle detecting step;

an unirradiated region adjusting step which adjusts before the estimated ensuing motion occurs a size of the unirradiated region set in the unirradiated region setting step depending on the ensuing motion estimated in the vehicle motion estimating step; and

a light distribution controlling step which generates before the estimated ensuing motion occurs a light distribution pattern including the unirradiated region whose size has been adjusted in the unirradiated region adjusting step,

wherein the unirradiated region adjusting part determines an expanding direction or a contracting direction of the unirradiated region depending on the estimated ensuing motion, and determines a step size of expansion or a step size of contraction of the unirradiated region and an expansion rate or a contraction rate of the unirradiated region depending on an inter-vehicular distance between the occupant'"'"'s vehicle and the anterior vehicle or a relative velocity of the anterior vehicle to the occupant'"'"'s vehicle.