Vehicle headlight device

• US 7,999,478 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Noyori, Yasushi, Kitagawa, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Tung X
• Application Number:
  US12/105,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20080259625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/82, 315/88, 315/291, 307/10.1, 307/10.8, 362/507, 362/512
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0088 Details of electrical connections B60Q1/305 takes precedence; electrical connection of the light source itself F21S41/192, F21S43/195
• 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 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not

Abstract

A vehicle headlight device includes a lower beam unit for illuminating a lower beam, an upper beam/infrared ray switching unit for switching between illuminating an upper beam and an infrared ray, a low-beam abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of the lower beam unit, a power-supply abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of a power supply of the vehicle headlight, and a control circuit that inhibits the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit from illuminating the infrared ray when an abnormality is detected by either the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit or the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlight device comprising:

a lower beam unit for illuminating a lower beam, an upper beam/infrared ray switching unit for switching between illuminating an upper beam and an infrared ray, a control circuit that receives power from a power supply, and controls the switching of the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit;

a low-beam abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of the lower beam unit and outputting an abnormal signal upon detection of abnormality;

a power-supply abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of the power supply and outputting an abnormal signal upon detection of abnormality; and

an infrared ray stop signal generating circuit for outputting an infrared ray stop signal to the control circuit based on the abnormal signal from the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit or the abnormal signal from the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit;

wherein the control circuit inhibits the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit from illuminating the infrared ray in response to receiving the infrared ray stop signal from the infrared ray stop signal generating circuit, and commands the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit to illuminate the upper beam or the infrared ray when the infrared ray stop signal is not received from the infrared ray stop signal generating circuit.

2. The vehicle headlight device according to claim 1, wherein the infrared ray stop signal generating circuit comprising two sets of electronic circuits each of which comprises a transistor and a plurality of resistors, wherein outputs of both electronic circuits are connected to the control circuit as one added signal line, wherein one electronic circuit outputs a first infrared ray stop signal in response to an abnormal signal from the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit, and wherein other electronic circuit outputs a second infrared ray stop signal in response to an abnormal signal from the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit.

3. The vehicle headlight device according to claim 2, wherein the lower beam unit comprises:

a light emitting diode for emitting the lower beam; and

a lower beam lighting circuit for lighting the light emitting diode, and wherein the lower beam lighting circuit, the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit, and the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit are constructed integrally.

4. The vehicle headlight device according to claim 1, wherein the lower beam unit comprises:

a light emitting diode for emitting the lower beam; and

a lower beam lighting circuit for lighting the light emitting diode, and wherein the lower beam lighting circuit, the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit, and the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit are constructed integrally.

5. The vehicle headlight device according to claim 1, wherein the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit comprises:

a light source that emits light; and

an infrared ray transmission filter movable into and out of a transmission path of the light emitted from the light source, wherein the switching between illuminating the upper beam and the infrared ray is based on the movement of the infrared ray transmission filter.

6. A vehicle headlight device comprising:

a lower beam unit for illuminating a lower beam;

an upper beam/infrared ray switching unit for switching between illuminating an upper beam and an infrared ray;

a low-beam abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of the lower beam unit;

a power-supply abnormality detecting circuit for detecting an abnormality of a power supply of the vehicle headlight;

a control circuit that inhibits the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit from illuminating the infrared ray when an abnormality is detected by either the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit or the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit; and

an infrared ray stop signal generating circuit for outputting an infrared ray stop signal to the control circuit based on the detection of an abnormality by either the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit or the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit, wherein the control circuit inhibits the upper beam/infrared ray switching unit from illuminating the infrared ray when the infrared ray stop signal is received.

7. The vehicle headlight device according to claim 6, wherein the infrared ray stop signal generating circuit comprises:

a first electronic circuit that outputs a first infrared ray stop signal when an abnormality is detected by the low-beam abnormality detecting circuit; and

a second electronic circuit that outputs a second infrared ray stop signal when an abnormality is detected by the power-supply abnormality detecting circuit, wherein outputs of the first electronic circuit and second electronic circuit are connected to the control circuit as one added signal line.

8. The vehicle headlight device according to claim 7, wherein the first electronic circuit and the second electronic circuit each comprise a transistor and a plurality of resistors.