Light control device for vehicle

• US 20050157509A1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/465
• 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 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges

Abstract

In a light control device for a vehicle, a control portion determines whether an illuminance detected by an illuminance sensor reaches a first reference illuminance, and performs a turning on or off control of lights of the vehicle based on the determined result. When the control portion receives an external environment change signal from an environment change detecting means, the control portion uses a second reference illuminance higher than the first reference illuminance, instead of the first reference illuminance, and performs the turning on or off control when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor reaches the second reference illuminance. Accordingly, vehicle lights can be suitably turned on or off in accordance with an external environment of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A light control device for a vehicle, comprising:

an upper side illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at an upper side of the vehicle;

a control portion which determines whether the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor reaches a preset first reference illuminance, and performs a turning on or off control of a light of the vehicle based on a determined result; and

an environment change detecting means for detecting a predetermined external environment change of the vehicle, the environment change detecting means connected to the control portion to send an external environment change signal to the control portion when the environment change detecting means detects the predetermined external environment change, wherein;

when the control portion receives the external environment change signal from the environment change detecting means, the control portion uses a second reference illuminance higher than the first reference illuminance, instead of the first reference illuminance, and performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor with the second reference illuminance.

2. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the environment condition detecting means includes a tunnel detecting means for detecting a tunnel; and

when the control portion receives a tunnel detection signal from the tunnel detecting means, the control portion performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor with a tunnel reference illuminance used as the second reference illuminance.

3. The light control device according to claim 2, further comprising

a front side illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at a front side of the vehicle, wherein the tunnel detecting means detects a tunnel using the illuminance detected by the front side illuminance sensor.

4. The light control device according to claim 2, wherein:

the tunnel detecting means detects a tunnel based on fluctuation of the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor.

5. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the environment condition detecting means includes a precipitation detecting means for detecting a precipitation; and

when the control portion receives a precipitation detection signal from the precipitation detecting means, the control portion performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor with a precipitation reference illuminance used as the second reference illuminance.

6. The light control device according to claim 5, wherein the precipitation detecting means is a rain sensor for detecting rain drops on a windshield of the vehicle.

7. The light control device according to claim 5, wherein the precipitation detecting means detects the precipitation based on a drive operation of a wiper drive device of the vehicle.

8. The light control device according to claim 5, wherein:

the precipitation detecting means outputs the precipitation detection signal in multiple steps in accordance with the precipitation; and

the precipitation reference illuminance is set in multiple steps in accordance with the precipitation detection signal.

9. The light control device according to claim 5, wherein:

the environment condition detecting means further includes a tunnel detecting means for detecting a tunnel; and

the tunnel detecting means detects a tunnel based on fluctuation of illuminance detected by the first illuminance sensor;

when the control portion receives a tunnel detection signal from the tunnel detecting means, the control portion performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor with a tunnel reference illuminance used as the second reference illuminance, regardless of the precipitation detecting signal; and

when the control portion receives the precipitation detection signal from the precipitation detecting means without receiving the tunnel detection signal, the control portion performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor with the precipitation reference illuminance.

10. The light control device according to claim 5, further comprising

a front side illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at a front side of the vehicle, wherein:

the environment condition detecting means further includes a tunnel detecting means for detecting a tunnel; and

the tunnel detecting means detects the tunnel based on the illuminance detected by the front side illuminance sensor;

when the control portion receives a tunnel detection signal from the tunnel detecting means, the control portion performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor with a tunnel reference illuminance used as the second reference illuminance, regardless of the precipitation detection signal; and

when the control portion receives the precipitation detection signal from the precipitation detecting means without receiving the tunnel detection signal, the control portion performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor with the precipitation reference illuminance.

11. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the control portion performs the turning on or off control of the light at a time delayed by a predetermined time after the control portion determines that the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor reaches the first reference illuminance;

the environment condition detecting means includes a tunnel detecting means for detecting a tunnel; and

when the control portion receives a tunnel detection signal from the tunnel detecting means, the control portion performs the turning on or off control of the light at a time delayed by a delay time shorter than the predetermined time after the control portion determines that the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor reaches the second reference illuminance.

12. The light control device according to claim 11, further comprising

a front side illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at a front side of the vehicle, wherein the tunnel detecting means detects a tunnel using the illuminance detected by the front side illuminance sensor.

13. The light control device according to claim 11, wherein:

the tunnel detecting means detects a tunnel based on fluctuation of the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor.

14. The light control device according to claim 1, wherein the second reference illuminance is set to be changed in accordance with the external environment change signal.

15. A light control device for a vehicle, comprising:

an illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at an upper side of the vehicle;

a control portion which determines whether the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is equal to or lower than a first reference illuminance, and performs a turning on or off control of a light of the vehicle based on a determined result;

a tunnel detecting means for detecting a tunnel; and

when the control portion receives a tunnel detection signal from the tunnel detecting means, the control portion uses a second reference illuminance higher than the first reference illuminance, instead of the first reference illuminance, and performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor with the second reference illuminance.

16. A light control device for a vehicle, comprising:

an illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at an upper side of the vehicle;

a control portion which determines whether the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is equal to or lower than a first reference illuminance, and performs a turning on or off control of a light of the vehicle based on a determined result;

a precipitation detecting means for detecting a precipitation; and

when the control portion receives a precipitation detection signal from the precipitation detecting means, the control portion uses a second reference illuminance higher than the first reference illuminance, instead of the first reference illuminance, and performs the turning on or off control by comparing the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor with the second reference illuminance.

17. A light control device for a vehicle, comprising:

an upper side illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at an upper side of the vehicle;

a control portion which determines whether the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference illuminance, and performs a turning on or off control of a light of the vehicle based on a determined result at a time delayed by a predetermined time from the determination;

a tunnel detecting means for detecting a tunnel; and

when the control portion receives a tunnel detection signal from the tunnel detecting means, the control portion performs the turning on or off control of the light at a time delayed by a delay time shorter than the predetermined time, from the determination.

18. The light control device according to claim 17, further comprising

a front side illuminance sensor for detecting an illuminance at a front side of the vehicle, wherein the tunnel detecting means detects a tunnel using the illuminance detected by the front side illuminance sensor.

19. The light control device according to claim 17, wherein:

the tunnel detecting means detects a tunnel based on fluctuation of the illuminance detected by the first illuminance sensor.

20. The light control device according to claim 17, wherein:

when the control portion receives the tunnel detection signal from the tunnel detecting means, the control portion uses a tunnel reference illuminance higher than the predetermined reference illuminance, instead of the predetermined reference illuminance, and performs the turning on or off control at a time delayed by the delay time after determining whether the illuminance detected by the upper side illuminance sensor reaches the tunnel reference illuminance.