Apparatus for controlling swivel angles of on-vehicle headlights
First Claim
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;
means for acquiring a steering angle signal which corresponds to a steering angle of the vehicle;
means for acquiring a vehicle velocity signal which corresponds to a vehicle velocity of the vehicle,means for judging whether or not a steering operation of the vehicle has been performed based on the steering angle signal;
means for determining a target swivel angle of the headlights based on the steering angle acquired and the vehicle velocity acquired;
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 judging means that the steering operation has been performed;
means for acquiring running road shape-related information related to a shape of the road on which the vehicle is running from the road on which the vehicle is running or an object on the road;
means for determining a curvature direction of the road ahead based on the running road shape-related information; and
means for prohibiting control of the swivel angle toward the target swivel angle in a case where a direction of the target swivel angle determined by the means for determining the target swivel angle is inconsistent with the curvature direction of the road ahead determined by the means for determining the curvature direction of the road ahead, even in a case where it is judged by the judging means that the steering operation has been performed.
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Accused Products
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.
9 Citations
8 Claims
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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:
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a driving mechanism that changes the swivel angle of the headlights in the lateral direction; means for acquiring a steering angle signal which corresponds to a steering angle of the vehicle; means for acquiring a vehicle velocity signal which corresponds to a vehicle velocity of the vehicle, means for judging whether or not a steering operation of the vehicle has been performed based on the steering angle signal; means for determining a target swivel angle of the headlights based on the steering angle acquired and the vehicle velocity acquired; 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 judging means that the steering operation has been performed; means for acquiring running road shape-related information related to a shape of the road on which the vehicle is running from the road on which the vehicle is running or an object on the road; means for determining a curvature direction of the road ahead based on the running road shape-related information; and means for prohibiting control of the swivel angle toward the target swivel angle in a case where a direction of the target swivel angle determined by the means for determining the target swivel angle is inconsistent with the curvature direction of the road ahead determined by the means for determining the curvature direction of the road ahead, even in a case where it is judged by the judging means that the steering operation has been performed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification