Vehicle light control system

• US 7,791,459 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Teramura, Eiji, Horii, Yasutoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/906,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 340/438, 362/37, 362/40, 362/41, 362/42, 362/43
• US Class Current: 340/438
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/336 Crossings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers

Abstract

The vehicle light control system includes a light device emitting an illumination light around an object vehicle on which the vehicle light control system is mounted, an information obtaining device obtaining integrated information including at least vehicle information indicating a behavior of the object vehicle, a control unit including an illumination target candidate setting function of setting a plurality of illumination target candidates which a driver of the object vehicle should pay attention on the basis of the integrated information, the plurality of the illumination target candidates being given a risk degree respectively, and a determination function of selecting an illumination target from among the plurality of the illumination target candidates on the basis of the risk degree, and an actuator device controlling the light device such that the illumination light is emitted in a direction of the illumination target.

Claims

1. A vehicle light control system comprising:

a light device emitting an illumination light around an object vehicle on which said vehicle light control system is mounted;

an information obtaining device obtaining integrated information including at least vehicle information indicating a behavior of said object vehicle;

a control unit including an illumination target candidate setting function of setting a plurality of illumination target candidates which a driver of said object vehicle should pay attention to on the basis of said integrated information, said plurality of said illumination target candidates being given a risk degree respectively, and a determination function of selecting an illumination target from among said plurality of said illumination target candidates on the basis of said risk degree; and

an actuator device controlling said light device such that said illumination light is emitted in a direction of travel of said object vehicle and in a direction of said illumination target different from the direction of travel;

wherein

said information obtaining device includes a vehicle information obtaining device obtaining said vehicle information, and a direction-change-information obtaining device obtaining direction change information including at least information indicating a new direction to which said vehicle can change, said integrated information being constituted by said vehicle information and said lane change information, said illumination target candidate setting function determines said new direction as one of said illumination target candidates when said integrated information indicates that said object vehicle is intending to change directions; and

said direction-change-information obtaining device includes an obstacle detecting function of detecting an obstacle existing on said driving road, and an avoidable area detecting function of detecting an avoidable area to avoid said obstacle, and is configured to set said avoidable area detected by said avoidable area detecting function as said new direction.

2. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein said information obtaining device includes an intersection information obtaining device obtaining intersection information indicating at least a position and a configuration of an intersection on a driving road which said vehicle is driving on, said integrated information being constituted by said vehicle information and said intersection information.

3. The vehicle light control system according to claim 2, wherein said illumination target candidate setting function is configured to set, as one of said illumination target candidates, a direction in which there exists an intersection entrance of a crossing road with which said driving road intersects at said intersection, when said integrated information indicates that said object vehicle has entered an area predetermined for said intersection.

4. The vehicle light control system according to claim 3, wherein, when said integrated information indicates that said object vehicle has entered said predetermined area, said illumination target candidates set by said illumination target candidate setting function are respectively given said risk degree determined depending on at least one of said configuration of said intersection, priorities of said driving road and said crossing road, and a speed of said object vehicle.

5. The vehicle light control system according to claim 3, wherein, when said integrated information indicates that said object vehicle is making or intending to make a right turn in said intersection, said illumination target candidate setting function sets a direction of an oncoming lane of said driving road as one of said illumination target candidates.

6. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein, when said integrated information indicates that a speed of said object vehicle is lower than a predetermined speed, said illumination target candidate setting function sets a direction of travel of steering tires of said object vehicle as one of said illumination target candidates.

7. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein, when said integrated information indicates that a speed of said object vehicle is higher than a predetermined speed, said illumination target candidate setting function sets a direction of a future prediction position at which said object vehicle is predicted to be a predetermined time after a current time as one of said illumination target candidates.

8. The vehicle light control system according to claim 7, wherein, when said integrated information indicates that said object vehicle is side-slipping, said illumination target candidate setting function determines said future position on the basis of a direction in which said object vehicle is side-slipping.

9. The vehicle light control system according to claim 7, wherein, when said integrated information indicates that said object vehicle is not side-slipping, said illumination target candidate setting function determines said future position on the basis of steering information included in said integrated information and indicating a steering angle of said object vehicle and a driving direction of said object vehicle.

10. The vehicle light control system according to claim 9, wherein, when said integrated information indicates that said object vehicle is making a backward turn, said illumination target candidate setting function determines, as said future position, a position at which an outer steering tire of said object vehicle is predicted to exist.

11. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein said direction-change-information obtaining device is constituted by a route setting function of a navigation system mounted on said object vehicle.

12. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein said illumination target candidate setting function is configured to set, as said one of illumination target candidates, a direction in which there is a possibility that there exists a body with which said object vehicle may collide.

13. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein said illumination target candidate setting function is configured to set, as said one of illumination target candidates, a direction in which there is a possibility that there exists a body moving toward said object vehicle.

14. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein said light device is a headlight device including at least two light sources, said actuator device controlling at least one of said light sources.

15. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein said actuator device is configured to control at least one of a light axis of said headlight device in a vehicle width direction, and an emission angle of said illumination light in a vehicle height direction.

16. The vehicle light control system according to claim 1, wherein said actuator device is configured to vary intensity of said illumination light depending on said risk degree given to said illumination target selected by said determination function.