Apparatus for controlling swivel angles of on-vehicle headlights

• US 20080103661A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ishiguro, Koji, Sugimoto, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/122 with electrical actuating means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature

Abstract

An apparatus controls a swivel angle of on-vehicle headlights, the swivel angle of the lights being changeable in a lateral direction of the vehicle. A target swivel angle of the headlights is determined based on, for example, load map data of the road ahead the vehicle, and a control start point is determined based on the current position information and the road map data. The swivel angle is controlled to the target swivel angle in response to a state where the current position of the vehicle has reached the control start point. Running road shape-related information and a curvature direction of the road ahead are acquired. A control of the swivel angle toward the target swivel angle is prohibited when a direction of the target swivel angle determined is inconsistent with the curvature direction of the road, even in a case where the vehicle has reached the control start point.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a swivel angle of headlights mounted on a vehicle, wherein the swivel angle of the headlights is changeable in a lateral direction of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a driving mechanism that changes the swivel angle of the headlights in the lateral direction;

position information acquisition means for acquiring current position information which corresponds to a current position of the vehicle;

road map data acquisition means for acquiring road map data of a road ahead based on the current position information;

target angle determination means for determining a target swivel angle of the headlights based on the road map data of the road ahead acquired by the road map data acquisition means;

control start point determination means for determining a control start point at a position closer to the vehicle than an end of a curved road positioned in front of the vehicle based on the current position information and the road map data of the road ahead;

swivel control means for controlling the swivel angle to the target swivel angle determined by the target angle determination means by driving the driving mechanism in response to a state where the current position of the vehicle has reached the control start point;

shape information acquisition means for acquiring running road shape-related information related to the shape of a road on which the vehicle is running, from the road on which the vehicle is running or an object on the road;

road shape determination means for determining a curvature direction of the road ahead based on the running road shape-related information; and

control prohibiting means for prohibiting a control of the swivel angle toward the target swivel angle in a case where a direction of the target swivel angle determined by the target angle determination means is inconsistent with the curvature direction of the road ahead determined by the road shape determination means, even in a case where the vehicle has reached the control start point.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the shape information acquisition means acquires as the running road shape-related information an image in front of the vehicle from a camera installed in the vehicle and which picks up an image in front of the vehicle, and

the road shape determination means determines the curvature direction of the road ahead by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not a road compartment line is within the image by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on the shape of the road compartment line in a case where the road shape determination means judges that the road compartment line is present.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not a road traffic sign showing the shape of the road ahead is present within the image by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on the road traffic sign in a case where the road shape determination means judges that the road traffic sign is present.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not a plurality of pavement markings for deceleration which are indicated on the road continuously are present by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on the direction in which the pavement markings for deceleration change in a case where the road shape determination means judges that the plurality of pavement markings for deceleration are present.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not an advancing vehicle which is running ahead is present within the image by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on a positional change of the advancing vehicle in the a where the road shape determination means judges that the advancing vehicle is present.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the shape information acquisition means acquires, as the running road shape-related information, a signal of a reflected wave from a radar device installed in the vehicle, which emits a transmitted wave to the front of the vehicle, and which receives a reflected wave of the transmitted wave, and

the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not an advancing vehicle which is running in the front is present based on the signal of the reflected wave, and means for determining the curvature direction based on a positional change of the advancing vehicle in the a where the road shape determination means judges that the advancing vehicle is present.

8. An apparatus for controlling a swivel angle of headlights mounted on a vehicle, wherein the swivel angle of the headlights is changeable in a lateral direction of the vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a driving mechanism that changes the swivel angle of the headlights in the lateral direction;

steering angle signal acquisition means for acquiring a steering angle signal which corresponds to a steering angle of the vehicle;

vehicle velocity signal acquisition means for acquiring a vehicle velocity signal which corresponds to a vehicle velocity of the vehicle,

turning judgment means for judging whether or not a steering operation of the vehicle has been performed based on the steering angle signal;

target angle determination means for determining a target swivel angle of the headlights based on the steering angle acquired and the vehicle velocity acquired;

swivel control means for controlling the swivel angle to the target swivel angle by driving the driving mechanism in response to a case where it is judged by the turning judgment means that steering operation has been performed;

shape information acquisition means for acquiring the running road shape-related information related to the shape of the road on which the vehicle is running from the road on which the vehicle is running or the object on the road;

road shape determination means for determining the curvature direction of the road ahead based on the running road shape-related information; and

control prohibiting means for prohibiting a control of the swivel angle toward the target swivel angle in a case where a direction of the target swivel angle determined by the target angle determination means is in consistent with the curvature direction of the road ahead determined by the road shape determination means, even in a case where it is judged by the turning judgment means that steering operation has been performed.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the shape information acquisition means acquires as the running road shape-related information an image in front of the vehicle from a camera installed in the vehicle and which picks up an image in front of the vehicle, and

the road shape determination means determines the curvature direction of the road ahead by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not a road compartment line is within the image by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on the shape of the road compartment line in a case where the road shape determination means judges that the road compartment line is present.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not a road traffic sign showing the shape of the road ahead is present within the image by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on the road traffic sign in a case where the road shape determination means judges that the road traffic sign is present.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not a plurality of pavement markings for deceleration which are indicated on the road continuously are present by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on the direction in which the pavement markings for deceleration change in a case where the road shape determination means judges that the plurality of pavement markings for deceleration are present.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not an advancing vehicle which is running ahead is present within the image by analyzing the image in front of the vehicle, and means for determining the curvature direction based on a positional change of the advancing vehicle in the a where the road shape determination means judges that the advancing vehicle is present.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein,

the shape information acquisition means acquires, as the running road shape-related information, a signal of a reflected wave from a radar device installed in the vehicle, which emits a transmitted wave to the front of the vehicle, and which receives a reflected wave of the transmitted wave, and

the road shape determination means includes means for judging whether or not an advancing vehicle which is running in the front is present based on the signal of the reflected wave, and means for determining the curvature direction based on a positional change of the advancing vehicle in the a where the road shape determination means judges that the advancing vehicle is present.

15. A method of controlling a swivel angle of headlights mounted on a vehicle, wherein the swivel angle of the headlights is changeable in a lateral direction of the vehicle, the vehicle mounting thereon a driving mechanism that changes the swivel angle of the headlights in the lateral direction, comprising steps of:

acquiring current position information which corresponds to a current position of the vehicle;

acquiring road map data of a road ahead based on the current position information;

determining a target swivel angle of the headlights based on the road map data of the road ahead acquired;

determining a control start point at a position closer to the vehicle than an end of a curved road positioned in front of the vehicle based on the current position information and the road map data of the road ahead;

controlling the swivel angle to the determined target swivel angle by driving the driving mechanism in response to a state where the current position of the vehicle has reached the control start point;

acquiring running road shape-related information related to the shape of a road on which the vehicle is running, from the road on which the vehicle is running or an object on the road;

determining a curvature direction of the road ahead based on the running road shape-related information; and

prohibiting a control of the swivel angle toward the target swivel angle in a case where a direction of the determined target swivel angle is inconsistent with the curvature direction of the road ahead determined, even in a case where the vehicle has reached the control start point.