APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING HEAD LAMP FOR VEHICLES

• US 20120134164A1
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SL Corporation
• Original Assignee: SL Corporation
• Inventors: Park, Jong Ryoul, Son, Young Ho, Lee, Jae Gun
• Application Number:
  US13/277,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20120134164A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/464
• 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 apparatus for controlling a head lamp for vehicles which includes an image providing unit which acquires image information in front of a subject vehicle through a camera module and an information processing unit which detects a position of a vehicle in front of the subject vehicle based on the image information to determine a high beam avoidance area. In particular, a light source unit irradiates a high beam and a low beam in the head lamp based on the driving information acquired. In particular, the high beam avoidance area is represented by an angular range, and is within a range of 90 degrees with respect to a forward direction of the subject vehicle, and the angular range of the high beam avoidance area is determined based on outermost vehicles on left and right sides in the image information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling at least one head lamp of a vehicle, comprising:

an image providing unit configured to acquire image information in front of a subject vehicle through a camera module;

an information processing unit configured to detect a position of a vehicle in front of the subject vehicle based on the image information to determine a high beam avoidance area; and

a light source unit configured to irradiate a high beam and a low beam in the head lamp,

wherein the high beam avoidance area is represented by an angular range, and is within a range of 90 degrees with respect to a forward direction of the subject vehicle, and the angular range of the high beam avoidance area is determined based on outermost vehicles on left and right sides in the image information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source unit is configured as a discharge bulb type or light emitting diode (LED) type light source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a light blocking unit configured to block at least some of the high beam light irradiated from the light source unit to control irradiation of the high beam; and

a light blocking control unit configured to determine a position of the light blocking unit corresponding to the high beam avoidance area.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light blocking unit is slidable to block at least some of the high beam light according to the position of the light blocking unit.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the light blocking unit is rotatable to block at least some of the high beam light according to a rotation angle of the light blocking unit.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head lamp includes first and second head lamps.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the high beam avoidance area is individually determined in each of the first and second head lamps.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the head lamps are individually swiveled.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a driving information detection unit configured to detect driving information including a steering angle of the vehicle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the high beam avoidance area is determined taking into consideration both of the image information and the driving information.

11. A method for controlling a head lamp for vehicles, comprising:

acquiring image information in front of a subject vehicle through a camera module;

determining a high beam avoidance area by detecting a position of a vehicle in front of the subject vehicle based on the image information; and

blocking at least some of a high beam light in the head lamp corresponding to the high beam avoidance area,

wherein the high beam avoidance area is represented by an angular range, and is within a range of 90 degrees with respect to a forward direction of the subject vehicle, and the angular range of the high beam avoidance area is determined based on outermost vehicles on left and right sides in the image information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting driving information including a steering angle of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining a high beam avoidance area comprises determining the high beam avoidance area taking into consideration both of the image information and the driving information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the head lamp includes first and second head lamps.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the high beam avoidance area is individually determined in each of the first and second head lamps.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the high beam is irradiated by a discharge bulb type or LED type light source.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said blocking at least some of a high beam light comprises moving a light blocking unit to a specific position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the light blocking unit is slidable.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the light blocking unit is rotatable.

20. An apparatus for controlling at least one head lamp of a vehicle, comprising:

a first unit configured to acquire image information in front of a subject vehicle through a camera module;

a second unit configured to detect a position of a vehicle in front of the subject vehicle based on the image information to determine a high beam avoidance area; and

a third unit configured to irradiate a high beam and a low beam in the head lamp.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the high beam avoidance area is represented by an angular range, and is within a range of 90 degrees with respect to a forward direction of the subject vehicle, and the angular range of the high beam avoidance area is determined based on outermost vehicles on left and right sides in the image information.

22. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor, comprising:

program instructions that acquire image information in front of a subject vehicle through a camera module;

program instructions that determine a high beam avoidance area by detecting a position of a vehicle in front of the subject vehicle based on the image information; and

program instructions that control an apparatus to block at least some of a high beam light in the head lamp corresponding to the high beam avoidance area based on the driving information acquired,

wherein the high beam avoidance area is represented by an angular range, and is within a range of 90 degrees with respect to a forward direction of the subject vehicle, and the angular range of the high beam avoidance area is determined based on outermost vehicles on left and right sides in the image information.