Vehicular automatic light control apparatus

• US 7,378,753 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Asakura, Masahiko, Yamazaki, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAVALLARI, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/203,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20060108932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.8, 307/10.1, 340/438, 340/602, 315/82, 318/483, 382/104
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• 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 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• 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

A headlight is turned on if an external illuminance value outside of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a first threshold value if the non-rainfall state is judged from windshield wiper activation, and is permitted to be turned on if the external illuminance value is equal to or lower than a second threshold value higher than the first predetermined illuminance value if the rainfall state is judged. When the vehicle is capable of being driven and the headlight is turned on, if an average illuminance value of the external illuminance value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, then the second threshold value switches to the first threshold value. When the headlight is turned off, if the activation of the wiper has not been confirmed for a first predetermined period, then the second threshold value switches to the first threshold value.

Claims

1. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus comprising:

a wiper status detection device for judging a non-rainfall state or a rainfall state based on information about a wiping operation of a windshield wiper of a vehicle;

a light sensor for detecting external illuminance;

a headlight control device for turning on a headlight if an external illuminance value outside of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a first illuminance threshold value if the non-rainfall state is judged, and for turning the headlight on if the external illuminance value is equal to or lower than a second illuminance threshold value, which is higher than said first illuminance threshold value, if the rainfall state is judged,

said headlight control device comprising;

an average illuminance value calculator for determining an average illuminance value of the detected external illuminance in predetermined periods when the vehicle is capable of being driven; and

a threshold switching device for switching an operating threshold between the second illuminance threshold value and the first illuminance threshold value under different conditions based on whether the headlight is turned on or off;

wherein said threshold switching device switches the operating threshold from the second illuminance threshold value to the first illuminance threshold value when the determined average illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the headlight is turned on, and switches the operating threshold from the second threshold value to the first threshold value when the wiping operation of the wiper has not been confirmed for another predetermined period and the headlight is turned off.

2. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a tunnel detecting device for detecting when the vehicle is passing through a tunnel;

wherein said switching device switches from the second illuminance threshold value to the first illuminance threshold when the wiping operation of the wiper has not been confirmed for a second predetermined period,

wherein the vehicle is determined to be passing through a tunnel by said tunnel detecting device when the headlight is turned on and when the determined average illuminance value is less than the predetermined value.

3. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said tunnel detecting device detects that the vehicle is passing through a tunnel when a predetermined external illuminance value is detected in common intervals.

4. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiper status detection device is operable to determine wiping operation of the wiper by counting revolutions of a wiper drive shaft during a predetermined time period.

5. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second illuminance threshold value has an integer value greater than the first illuminance threshold value.

6. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first illuminance threshold value is 300 luxes and the second illuminance threshold value is 900 luxes.

7. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-rainfall state is determined when the wiping operation of the wiper has not been confirmed for 30 seconds.

8. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus comprising:

a wiper status detection device for judging a non-rainfall state or a rainfall state based on information about a wiping operation of a windshield wiper of a vehicle, wherein the wiper status detection device determines wiping operation of the wiper by counting a number of revolutions of a wiper drive shaft during a predetermined time period;

a light sensor for detecting external illuminance; and

a headlight control device comprising;

an average illuminance value calculator for determining an average illuminance value of the external illuminance in predetermined periods when the vehicle is capable of being driven; and

a threshold switching device for switching an operating threshold between the second illuminance threshold value and the first illuminance threshold value under different conditions based on whether the headlight is turned on or off;

wherein, if the non-rainfall state is judged, said headlight control device turns on a headlight if an external illuminance value outside of the vehicle is equal to or lower than a first illuminance threshold value, and if the rainfall state is judged, said headlight control device turns on the headlight if the external illuminance value is equal to or lower than a second illuminance threshold value, which is higher than said first illuminance threshold value, wherein the illuminance values are integers,

and wherein said threshold switching device switches the operating threshold from the second illuminance threshold value to the first illuminance threshold value when the headlight is turned on and the determined average illuminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and switches the operating threshold from the second threshold value to the first threshold value when the headlight is turned off and the wiping operation of the wiper has not been confirmed for another predetermined time period.

9. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second illuminance threshold value has an integer value greater than the first illuminance threshold value.

10. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first illuminance threshold value is 300 luxes and the second illuminance threshold value is 900 luxes.

11. A vehicular automatic light control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the non-rainfall state is determined when the wiping operation of the wiper has not been confirmed for 30 seconds.