Headlight control device

• US 9,415,719 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Yuto, Hayakawa, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Alexander H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia, Christian L
• Application Number:
  US14/314,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20150002015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/08 automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• 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 2300/054 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 2300/144 Rearward ratio actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/00 Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps reversing lights F21S43/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A headlight control device automatically switches a light distribution pattern of a headlight for illumination ahead of a vehicle. The headlight control device including an imager that sequentially takes images of a view ahead of the vehicle in a predetermined frame rate, an another-vehicle recognizer that recognizes a light source of another vehicle from each of the images sequentially taken by the imager, a light distribution controller that switches the light distribution pattern according to a recognition result of the another-vehicle recognizer, and a signal provider that provides a signal to illumination light of the headlight by causing the luminance of the headlight to change in a predetermined cycle. The another-vehicle recognizer recognizes, as reflected light of the headlight of the vehicle, a light source which is present within the image and of which luminance change is substantially similar to a luminance change of the signal.

Claims

1. A headlight control device that automatically switches a light distribution pattern of a headlight for illumination ahead of a vehicle, the headlight control device comprising:

an imager that sequentially takes images of a view ahead of the vehicle in a predetermined frame rate;

an another-vehicle recognizer that recognizes a light source of another vehicle from each of the images sequentially taken by the imager;

a driving information detection unit detecting information relating to a state of the vehicle;

a light distribution controller that switches the light distribution pattern according to a recognition result of the another-vehicle recognizer and the driving information detection unit; and

a signal provider that provides a signal to illumination light of the headlight by causing the luminance of the headlight to change in a predetermined cycle,

wherein when the another-vehicle recognizer recognizes, as reflected light of the headlight of the vehicle, a light source which is present within the image and of which luminance change is substantially similar to a luminance change of the signal, the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for high beam,

wherein when the another-vehicle recognizer is unable to recognize the presence or absence of reflected light of the headlight of the vehicle due to ambient light levels, the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for low beam, and

wherein when the another-vehicle recognizer recognizes a light source of another vehicle, the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for low beam.

3. The headlight control device according to claim 1, wherein the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for high beam in a case where the another-vehicle recognizer recognizes reflected light of the headlight of the vehicle and does not recognize a light source of another vehicle.

5. The headlight control device according to claim 1, further comprising a driving information detection unit detecting information relating to a state of the vehicle,

wherein the driving information detection unit comprises at least one of a speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a horizontal acceleration sensor, and a yaw-rate sensor.

6. The headlight control device according to claim 5, wherein the driving information detection unit detects at least one of a vehicle speed, a vehicle steering angle, a vehicle steering wheel angle, a horizontal acceleration, a transmission gear position and a yaw rate.

7. The headlight control device according to claim 5, wherein the driving information detection unit detects a transmission gear position, and

wherein the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for high beam in a case where the transmission gear position is detected in a forward gear.

9. The headlight control device according to claim 1, further comprising a driving information detection unit detecting information relating to a state of the vehicle,

wherein the driving information detection unit comprises at least one of a horizontal acceleration sensor and a yaw-rate sensor.

10. The headlight control device according to claim 9, wherein the driving information detection unit detects at least one of a horizontal acceleration and a way rate.

11. The headlight control device according to claim 1, wherein the another-vehicle recognizer only recognizes the light source from each of the images sequentially taken by the imager when a pixel group having a predetermined luminance or greater is present in the images.

2. A headlight control device that automatically switches a light distribution pattern of a headlight for illumination ahead of a vehicle, the headlight control device comprising:

an imager that sequentially takes images of a view ahead of the vehicle in a predetermined frame rate;

an another-vehicle recognizer that recognizes a light source of another vehicle from each of the images sequentially taken by the imager;

a light distribution controller that switches the light distribution pattern according to a recognition result of the another-vehicle recognizer; and

a luminance changer to change the luminance of the headlight in a predetermined cycle,

wherein when the another-vehicle recognizer recognizes, as reflected light of the headlight of the vehicle, a light source which is present within the image and of which luminance changes in a cycle substantially identical to a cycle of a luminance change of the headlight of the vehicle, the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for high beam, and

wherein when the another-vehicle recognizer is unable to recognize the presence or absence of reflected light of the headlight of the vehicle due to ambient light levels, the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for low beam, and

wherein when the another-vehicle recognizer recognizes a light source of another vehicle, the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for low beam wherein the another vehicle recognizer can detect a taillight from a headlight.

4. The headlight control device according to claim 2, wherein the light distribution controller sets the light distribution pattern of the headlight to light distribution for high beam in a case where the another-vehicle recognizer recognizes reflected light of the headlight of the vehicle and does not recognize a light source of another vehicle.

8. The headlight control device according to claim 2, wherein the another-vehicle recognizer can differentiate between a taillight and a headlight, and

wherein the another-vehicle recognizer recognizes the taillight by detecting high-luminance red-pixels.

12. The headlight control device according to claim 2, wherein the another-vehicle recognizer only recognizes the light source from each of the images sequentially taken by the imager when a pixel group having a predetermined luminance or greater is present in the images.