Vehicle lamp system

• US 9,598,000 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ito, Masayasu, Muramatsu, Takao, Maruyama, Yuta
• Primary Examiner(s): HAMMOND, DEDEI KHALIEAH
• Application Number:
  US15/067,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20160264042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G01M 11/064 by using camera or other imaging system for the light analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/068 with part of the measurements done from inside the vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle lamp system includes a camera which generates image information in a front region, a controller which generates a light distribution command for instructing a light distribution pattern based on the image information, a headlight which irradiates the front region such that the instructed light distribution pattern is obtained, and a position calibrator which detects a positional deviation between the camera and the headlight. The position calibrator detects a reference object based on the image information and measures a luminance of the reference object, and when there is a certain difference between a luminance of the reference object obtained from one light distribution pattern and a luminance of the reference object obtained from another light distribution pattern in which a light quantity of only a part is different from the one light distribution pattern, detects the positional deviation using a position of the part.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp system comprising:

a camera configured to take an image of a region in front of a vehicle to generate image information;

a controller configured to generate a light distribution command for instructing a light distribution pattern to be formed in the region in front of the vehicle based on the image information from the camera;

a headlight configured to irradiate the region in front of the vehicle such that the instructed light distribution pattern is obtained, based on the light distribution command; and

a position calibrator configured to detect a positional deviation between the camera and the headlight,

wherein the position calibrator is configured to execute;

detecting a reference object on a road based on the image information and measuring a luminance of the reference object; and

when there is a certain difference between a luminance of the reference object obtained from one light distribution pattern and a luminance of the reference object obtained from another light distribution pattern in which a light quantity of only a part of the another light distribution pattern is different from the one light distribution pattern, detecting the positional deviation using a position of the part.

2. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 1,

wherein the position calibrator comprises:

a reference object detector configured to detect the reference object based on the image information and to generate luminance data indicating a luminance of the reference object;

a pattern generator configured to generate a light distribution command for instructing a switchable light distribution pattern for calibration; and

a positional deviation detector configured to determine whether there is the certain difference between the luminance data obtained from the one light distribution pattern and the luminance data obtained from the another light distribution pattern, and to generate calibration data in accordance with a determination result.

3. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 1,

wherein the position calibrator is configured to execute:

(i) providing the headlight with a first light distribution command for instructing the one light distribution pattern;

(ii) acquiring a luminance of the reference object from first image information which is obtained when the region in front of the vehicle is irradiated in accordance with the first light distribution command;

(iii) setting a second light distribution command for instructing the another light distribution pattern and providing the headlight with the same;

(iv) acquiring a luminance of the reference object from second image information which is obtained when the region in front of the vehicle is irradiated in accordance with the second light distribution command;

(v) detecting a difference between the luminance of the reference object obtained from the first image information and the luminance of the reference object obtained from the second image information;

(vi) when a certain luminance difference is detected in (v), detecting a positional deviation amount; and

(vii) when the certain luminance difference is not detected in (v), returning to (iii), updating the other light distribution pattern while moving the part.

4. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 3,

wherein in (iii) for a first time, the part is a position of the reference object, and

wherein when the certain luminance difference is detected in (vi) for the first time, it is determined that positions of the camera and the headlight are correct.

5. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 3,

wherein in (iii), the part is gradually separated away from a position of the reference object each time of the update.

6. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 1,

wherein the reference object includes at least one of a predetermined sign, a delineator and a road image drawn on a road surface.

7. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 1,

wherein the reference object includes a leading vehicle.

8. A vehicle lamp system comprising:

a camera configured to take an image of a region in front of a vehicle to generate image information;

a controller configured to generate a light distribution command for instructing a light distribution pattern to be formed in the region in front of the vehicle, based on the image information from the camera;

a headlight configured to irradiate the region in front of the vehicle such that the instructed light distribution pattern is obtained, based on the light distribution command;

a marker generator fixed with respect to the headlight and configured to irradiate a predetermined region in front of the vehicle with a marker; and

a position calibrator configured to detect a positional deviation between the camera and the headlight based on a position of the marker appearing in the image information when the marker generator irradiates the region in front of the vehicle with the marker.