Vehicular headlamp apparatus

• US 9,713,979 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Koito Manufacturing Company Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Koito Manufacturing Company Limited, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kasai, Hajime, Mochizuki, Kiyotaka, Takagaki, Tatsuya, Imaeda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): BANNAN, JULIE A
• Application Number:
  US14/426,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20150251586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• 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 1/12 due to steering position
• 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 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle

Abstract

A vehicular headlamp apparatus includes: a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle; light distribution pattern switching means for switching light distribution pattern of the headlamp between a plurality of light distribution patterns which include, at least, a high beam and a low beam; detecting means for detecting a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; controlling means for controlling the light distribution pattern switching means based on a detection result of the detecting means; and turning radius acquiring means for acquiring a turning radius of the own vehicle during running. Moreover, when the turning radius of the own vehicle acquired by the turning radius acquiring means is less than a predetermined value, the controlling means inhibits the switching of the light distribution pattern of the headlamp to a higher side.

Claims

1. A vehicular headlamp apparatus comprising:

a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle;

light distribution pattern switching means for switching light distribution pattern of the headlamp between a plurality of light distribution patterns, the plurality of light distribution patterns including, at least, a high beam and a low beam;

detecting means for detecting a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; and

controlling means for controlling the light distribution pattern switching means based on a detection result of the detecting means,

wherein

the vehicular headlamp apparatus further comprises turning radius acquiring means for acquiring a turning radius of the own vehicle during running, and

when the turning radius of the own vehicle acquired by the turning radius acquiring means is less than a predetermined value, the controlling means inhibits the switching of the light distribution pattern of the headlamp to a higher side,

characterized in that

the plurality of light distribution patterns include the high beam, the low beam and an intermediate high beam between the high beam and the low beam, and

the predetermined value comprises a first predetermined value used for determination of the inhibition of the switching to the intermediate high beam and a second predetermined value used for determination of the inhibition of the switching to the high beam, the second predetermined value being different from the first predetermined value.

2. The vehicular headlamp apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that

the turning radius acquiring means calculates the turning radius based on a steering angle of the own vehicle detected by a steering angle sensor and a rotational speed of a wheel of the own vehicle detected by a wheel speed sensor.

3. The vehicular headlamp apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that

the second predetermined value is less than the first predetermined value.

4. The vehicular headlamp apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that

when the presence of the forward vehicle is detected by the detecting means, the controlling means sets, via the light distribution pattern switching means, the light distribution pattern of either of left and right headlamps of the vehicle to the low beam or the intermediate high beam.