On-vehicle light distribution control system

• US 9,056,581 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Katsuno, Toshiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Puentes, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/823,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20130175926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,702 Days
• Field of Search: 340/982, 340/468, 340/469
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/08 automatically
• 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 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

An on-vehicle light distribution control system (100) for controlling light distribution of headlights (3), includes a vehicle detecting unit (10) configured to detect a front vehicle (LV) travelling in front of a self-vehicle; a detection difficulty determining unit (12) configured to determine difficulty of the detection by the vehicle detecting unit (10); an operational condition changing unit (14) configured to change an operational condition of light distribution control according to a determination result of the detection difficulty determining unit (12); and a light distribution control state display unit (13) configured to display a present state of the light distribution control for which the operational condition is changed by the operational condition changing unit (14).

Claims

1. An on-vehicle light distribution control system for controlling light distribution of headlights, the on-vehicle light distribution control system comprising:

a vehicle detecting unit configured to detect a front vehicle travelling in front of a self-vehicle;

a detection difficulty determining unit configured to determine difficulty of the detection of the front vehicle by the vehicle detecting unit within a detection range of the vehicle detecting unit;

an operational condition changing unit configured to change an operational condition of light distribution control according to a determination result of the detection difficulty determining unit; and

a light distribution control state display unit configured to display a present state of the light distribution control for which the operational condition is changed by the operational condition changing unit,

wherein the operational condition changing unit reduces a light distribution control upper limit distance as the difficulty in detecting a front vehicle increases, and increases the light distribution control upper limit distance as the difficulty in detecting a front vehicle decreases.

2. The on-vehicle light distribution control system according to claim 1, wherein

the detection difficulty determining unit determines the difficulty of the detection of the front vehicle by the vehicle detecting unit based on an environment surrounding the self-vehicle.

3. An on-vehicle light distribution control system for controlling light distribution of headlights, the on-vehicle light distribution control system comprising:

a vehicle detecting unit configured to detect a front vehicle travelling in front of a self-vehicle;

a detection difficulty determining unit configured to determine difficulty of the detection of the front vehicle by the vehicle detecting unit;

an operational condition changing unit configured to change an operational condition of light distribution control according to a determination result of the detection difficulty determining unit; and

a light distribution control state display unit configured to display a present state of the light distribution control for which the operational condition is changed by the operational condition changing unit, wherein

the on-vehicle light distribution control system operates the light distribution control when a distance between the self-vehicle and the front vehicle is less than or equal to a predetermined distance,

the vehicle detecting unit detects the front vehicle by using an image output by an image sensor that takes images of an area in front of the self-vehicle,

the detection difficulty determining unit determines that the detection by the vehicle detecting unit is difficult when a number of light sources in the image output by the image sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and

the operational condition changing unit reduces the predetermined distance when the detection by the vehicle detecting unit is determined as being difficult, and

the operational condition changing unit reduces a light distribution control upper limit distance as the difficulty in detecting a front vehicle increases, and increases the light distribution control upper limit distance as the difficulty in detecting a front vehicle decreases.