Apparatus for automatically adjusting direction of light axis of vehicle headlight

• US 7,104,664 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Yoshitaka, Ishiguro, Koji, Sugimoto, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/948,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20050068782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 362/36, 362/37, 362/39, 362/40, 362/46, 362/53, 362/282, 362/284, 362/276, 362/322, 362/324, 362/465, 362/464, 362/466, 362/802, 180/168
• US Class Current: 362/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/12 due to steering position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/128 Steering dead zone
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/336 Crossings

Abstract

The apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight of the invention has a configuration in which the swivel control unit determines that the vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts the swivel control on the light axis of a vehicle headlight, if the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed and at least one of the conditions that the turn indication signal is in the on state, and that the steering angle is outside a predetermined angular range is satisfied. The swivel control unit resumes the swivel control when the turn indication signal is changed into the off state.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of said vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of said vehicle; and

a swivel control unit for performing a swivel control by which said direction of said light axis of said vehicle headlight is swiveled horizontally by a swiveling angle depending on said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said steering angle detected by said steering angle sensor, and a turn indication signal produced by a turn indicator of said vehicle,

wherein said swivel control unit determines that said vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts said swivel control, if said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed and at least one of conditions that said turn indication signal is in an on state, and that said steering angle is outside a predetermined angular range is satisfied, said swivel control unit resuming said swivel control when said turn-indication signal is changed into an off state.

2. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of said vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of said vehicle; and

a swivel control unit for performing a swivel control by which said direction of said light axis of said vehicle headlight is swiveled horizontally by a swiveling angle depending on said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said steering angle detected by said steering angle sensor, and a turn indication signal produced by a turn indicator of said vehicle,

wherein said swivel control unit determines that said vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts said swivel control, if said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed, and a condition that said turn indication signal is in an on state is satisfied, said swivel control unit resuming said swivel control when said turn indication signal is changed into an off state.

3. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of said vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of said vehicle; and

a swivel control unit for performing a swivel control by which said direction of said light axis of said vehicle headlight is swiveled horizontally by a swiveling angle depending on said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said steering angle detected by said steering angle sensor, and a turn indication signal produced by a turn indicator of said vehicle,

wherein said swivel control unit determines that said vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts said swivel control, if said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed and at least one of conditions that said turn indication signal is in an on state, and that said steering angle is outside a predetermined angular range, said swivel control unit resuming said swivel control when said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor exceeds said predetermined threshold speed, and

wherein said swivel control unit subjects said swiveling angle to a strong filtering for a predetermined time period when said swivel control is resumed, and subsequently to a weak filtering in order to avoid abrupt change in said direction of said light axis during said predetermined time period.

4. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of said vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of said vehicle; and

a swivel control unit for performing a swivel control by which said direction of said light axis of said vehicle headlight is swiveled horizontally by a swiveling angle depending on said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said steering angle detected by said steering angle sensor, and a turn indication signal produced by a turn indicator of said vehicle,

wherein said swivel control unit determines that said vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts said swivel control, if said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed, and a condition that said turn indication signal is in an on state is satisfied, said swivel control unit resuming said swivel control when said vehicle speed exceeds said predetermined threshold speed, and

wherein said swivel control unit subjects said swiveling angle to a filtering for a predetermined time period when said swivel control is resumed in order to avoid abrupt change in said direction of said light axis during said predetermined time period.

5. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of said vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of said vehicle; and

a swivel control unit for performing a swivel control by which said direction of said light axis of said vehicle headlight is swiveled horizontally by a swiveling angle depending on said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said steering angle detected by said steering angle sensor, and a turn indication signal produced by a turn indicator of said vehicle,

wherein said swivel control unit determines that said vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts said swivel control, if said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed and at least one of conditions that said turn indication signal is in an on state, and that said steering angle is outside a predetermined angular range is satisfied, said swivel control unit resuming said swivel control upon detecting a change larger than a predetermined value in at least one of signals outputted from sensors mounted on said vehicle to detect an attitude of said vehicle.

6. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight according to claim 5, wherein said swivel control unit resumes said swivel control upon detecting

a lowering to within a predetermined threshold in at least one of a yaw rate signal outputted from a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration signal outputted from a lateral acceleration sensor, a pitch angle signal outputted from a pitch angle sensor, a rolling angle signal outputted from a rolling angle sensor, and a vehicle swivel speed signal outputted from an vehicle swivel speed sensor, or upon detecting

a lowering to within a threshold in at least one of a difference between air pressure signals indicative of air pressures of left and right tires outputted from left and right air pressure sensors, a difference between left and right wheel speed signals outputted from left and right wheel speed sensors, a difference between left and right vehicle height signals outputted from left and right vehicle height sensors, and a difference between front and rear vehicle height signals outputted from front and rear vehicle height sensors.

7. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight comprising:

a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed of said vehicle;

a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of said vehicle; and

a swivel control unit for performing a swivel control by which said direction of said light axis of said vehicle headlight is swiveled horizontally by a swiveling angle depending on said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor, said steering angle detected by said steering angle sensor, and a turn indication signal produced by a turn indicator of said vehicle,

wherein said swivel control unit determines that said vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts said swivel control, if said vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed and a condition that said turn indication signal is in an on state is satisfied, said swivel control unit resuming said swivel control upon detecting a change larger than a predetermined value in at least one of signals outputted from sensors mounted on said vehicle to detect an attitude of said vehicle.

8. An apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight according to claim 7, wherein said swivel control unit resumes said swivel control upon detecting

a lowering to within a predetermined threshold in at least one of a yaw rate signal outputted from a yaw rate sensor, a lateral acceleration signal outputted from a lateral acceleration sensor, a pitch angle signal outputted from a pitch angle sensor, a rolling angle signal outputted from a rolling angle sensor, and a vehicle swivel speed signal outputted from an vehicle swivel speed sensor, or upon detecting

a lowering to within a threshold in at least one of a difference between air pressure signals indicative of air pressures of left and right tires outputted from left and right air pressure sensors, a difference between left and right wheel speed signals outputted from left and right wheel speed sensors, a difference between left and right vehicle height signals outputted from left and right vehicle height sensors, and a difference between front and rear vehicle height signals outputted from front and rear vehicle height sensors.