Vehicle headlamp apparatus
First Claim
1. A vehicle headlamp apparatus comprising:
- a low beam lamp unit which forms a low beam distribution pattern having a cutoff line along an upper edge thereof;
a first additional lamp unit which forms a first additional light distributing pattern at least partially above the cutoff line of the low beam distributing pattern, the first additional light distributing pattern comprising a plurality of first partial regions, and the first additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward each of the first partial regions is adjustable;
a second additional lamp unit which forms a second additional light distributing pattern overlapping with the first additional light distributing pattern, the second additional light distributing pattern comprising a plurality of second partial regions, each of the second partial regions partially overlapping at least one of the first partial regions, and the second additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward each of the second partial regions is adjustable;
a camera which captures an image of a forward region of a vehicle to produce image data; and
a controller configured to control the first additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward each of the first partial regions and configured to control the second additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward each of the second partial regions based on the produced image data,wherein the first additional lamp unit comprises a plurality of first light emitting devices, each of the plurality of first light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the first partial regions,wherein the second additional lamp unit comprises a plurality of second light emitting devices, each of the plurality of second light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the second partial regions,wherein the controller is configured to individually control the plurality of first light emitting devices and individually controls the plurality of second light emitting devices such that the controller is configured to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward one of the first partial regions together with the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward at least one of the second partial regions that partially overlaps said one of the first partial regions with the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the remaining ones of the first and second partial regions being maintained, andwherein a rear focal point of the first additional lamp unit is provided on a light emitting surface of one of plurality of first light emitting devices and a rear focal point of the second additional lamp unit is provided on an outer edge of one of plurality of second light emitting devices, andwherein in response to a position of an oncoming vehicle obtained from the produced image data being placed on a dividing line between one region of the first or second partial regions and an adjacent region of respective first or second partial regions, the controller is configured to control the first or second light emitting devices corresponding to the one and adjacent regions to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the one and adjacent regions.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle headlamp apparatus is provided. The vehicle headlamp apparatus includes a lamp unit, a first additional lamp unit which forms a first light distribution pattern, a second additional lamp unit which forms a second light distribution pattern overlapping with the first light distribution pattern, and a controller. The first light distribution pattern includes at least one first partial region, and the first additional lamp unit adjusts a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward the first partial region. The second light distribution pattern includes at least one second partial region which partially overlaps with the first partial region, and the second additional lamp unit adjusts a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward the second partial region. The controller controls the first additional lamp unit and the second additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the partial regions.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle headlamp apparatus comprising:
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a low beam lamp unit which forms a low beam distribution pattern having a cutoff line along an upper edge thereof; a first additional lamp unit which forms a first additional light distributing pattern at least partially above the cutoff line of the low beam distributing pattern, the first additional light distributing pattern comprising a plurality of first partial regions, and the first additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward each of the first partial regions is adjustable; a second additional lamp unit which forms a second additional light distributing pattern overlapping with the first additional light distributing pattern, the second additional light distributing pattern comprising a plurality of second partial regions, each of the second partial regions partially overlapping at least one of the first partial regions, and the second additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward each of the second partial regions is adjustable; a camera which captures an image of a forward region of a vehicle to produce image data; and a controller configured to control the first additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward each of the first partial regions and configured to control the second additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward each of the second partial regions based on the produced image data, wherein the first additional lamp unit comprises a plurality of first light emitting devices, each of the plurality of first light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the first partial regions, wherein the second additional lamp unit comprises a plurality of second light emitting devices, each of the plurality of second light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the second partial regions, wherein the controller is configured to individually control the plurality of first light emitting devices and individually controls the plurality of second light emitting devices such that the controller is configured to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward one of the first partial regions together with the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward at least one of the second partial regions that partially overlaps said one of the first partial regions with the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the remaining ones of the first and second partial regions being maintained, and wherein a rear focal point of the first additional lamp unit is provided on a light emitting surface of one of plurality of first light emitting devices and a rear focal point of the second additional lamp unit is provided on an outer edge of one of plurality of second light emitting devices, and wherein in response to a position of an oncoming vehicle obtained from the produced image data being placed on a dividing line between one region of the first or second partial regions and an adjacent region of respective first or second partial regions, the controller is configured to control the first or second light emitting devices corresponding to the one and adjacent regions to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the one and adjacent regions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A vehicle headlamp apparatus comprising:
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a camera which captures an image of a forward region of a vehicle to produce image data; a first headlamp comprising; a first low-beam lamp unit comprising a light source bulb and a reflector; and a first additional lamp unit comprising; a first projection lens; and at least four rectangular first light emitting devices arranged side by side in a row, each of the rectangular first light emitting devices having a same height and a same width; and a second headlamp comprising; a second low-beam lamp unit comprising a light source bulb and a reflector; and a second additional lamp unit comprising; a second projection lens; at least three rectangular second light emitting devices arranged side by side in a row, each of the rectangular second light emitting devices having a same height, an outside device width of each of the rectangular second light emitting devices on outside ends of the row being the same and an inside device width of each of the rectangular second light emitting devices on the inside of the row being the same, the outside device width being greater than the inside device width; and a controller which controls the first additional lamp unit and the second additional lamp unit based on the produced image data; wherein light emitted from one of the second light emitting devices partially overlaps light emitted from a corresponding two of the first light emitting devices, and wherein a rear focal point of the first projection lens is provided on a light emitting surface of one of the at least four rectangular first light emitting devices and a rear focal point of the second projection lens is provided on an outer edge of one of the at least three rectangular second light emitting devices, wherein in response to a position of an oncoming vehicle obtained from the produced image data being placed on a dividing line between one region generated by one of the first light emitting devices and an adjacent region generated by an adjacent light emitting device of the first light emitting devices, the controller is configured to control the one and adjacent light emitting devices of the first light emitting devices to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the one and adjacent regions, and wherein in response to a position of an oncoming vehicle obtained from the produced image data being placed on a dividing line between one region generated by one of the second light emitting devices and an adjacent region generated by an adjacent light emitting device of the second light emitting devices, the controller is configured to control the one and adjacent light emitting devices of the second light emitting devices to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the one and adjacent regions. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A vehicle headlamp apparatus comprising:
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a low beam lamp unit which forms a low beam distribution pattern having a cutoff line along an upper edge thereof; a first additional lamp unit which forms a first additional light distributing pattern at least partially above the cutoff line of the low beam distributing pattern, the first additional light distributing pattern comprising at least one first partial region, and the first additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward the first partial region is adjustable; a second additional lamp unit which forms a second additional light distributing pattern overlapping with the first additional light distributing pattern, the second additional light distributing pattern comprising at least one second partial region which partially overlaps with the first partial region, and the second additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward the second partial region is adjustable; a camera which captures an image of a forward region of a vehicle to produce image data; and a controller which controls the first additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the first partial region and which controls the second additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the second partial region based on the produced image data, wherein the first additional lamp unit comprises; a first projection lens; and a plurality of first light emitting devices, each of the plurality of first light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the at least one first partial regions, the second additional lamp unit comprises; a second projection lens; and a plurality of second light emitting devices, each of the plurality of second light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the at least one second partial regions, and the controller individually controls the plurality of first light emitting devices and individually controls the plurality of second light emitting devices, wherein a number of the plurality of first light emitting devices is different from a number of the plurality of second light emitting devices, wherein a rear focal point of the first projection lens is provided on a light emitting surface of one of plurality of first light emitting devices and a rear focal point of the second projection lens is provided on an outer edge of one of plurality of second light emitting devices, and wherein in response to a position of an oncoming vehicle obtained from the produced image data being placed on a dividing line between one region of the at least one first or second partial regions and an adjacent region of respective at least one partial first or second partial regions, the controller is configured to control the first or second light emitting devices corresponding to the one and adjacent regions to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the one and adjacent regions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification