Vehicle lamp and controller thereof

Abstract

A variable light distribution lamp (110) includes a plurality of pixels (PIX) arranged in a matrix, the brightness of each of the pixels (PIX) being individually controllable. A variable light distribution lamp (110) is configured so as to be able to irradiate a first light beam (BM1) having an intensity distribution corresponding to the brightness distribution of a plurality of pixels (PIX) to a first portion (6) including a cutoff line (CL) of low-beam light distribution (4). The light distribution fixed lamp (150) covers a second portion (8) including the lower end of the low beam distribution (4), and is configured so as to be able to irradiate the second portion (8) with a second light beam (BM2) having a fixed intensity distribution. The controller (130) sets a predetermined brightness distribution independent of the pitch angle ([theta] p) of the vehicle body for a plurality of pixels (PIX) of the variable light distribution lamp (110), changes the position of the cut-off line (CL) in accordance with the pitch angle ([theta] p), and closes the pixels (PIX) corresponding to a portion above the cut-off line (CL).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle lamps. Background Art

[0002] The light distribution pattern of the headlamp of an automobile is regulated by regulations so as not to cause glare to surrounding traffic participants. The front-back inclination of the vehicle body changes depending on the number of passengers or the weight of the cargo. As a result, the road surface (ground) and the optical axis of the headlamp incline and change, and thus the irradiation range of the headlamp also changes in the up-down direction. When the irradiation range shifts upward, glare may be caused, and when the irradiation range shifts downward, the irradiation range in front of the vehicle becomes narrow.

[0003] In order to correct the change in the optical axis of the headlamp based on the front-back inclination change of the vehicle body, a leveling actuator is built into the headlamp. There is a technique called automatic leveling that automatically controls the leveling actuator according to the inclination of the vehicle body. The automatic leveling obtains the front-back inclination of the vehicle body through a sensor provided on the vehicle body, and corrects the optical axis of the lamp unit in the headlamp by means of an actuator so as to eliminate the inclination.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: International Publication WO2021 / 182151A1

[0007] Patent Document 2: International Publication WO2021 / 200701A1 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] Conventional automatic leveling is designed to meet the regulations that do not cause glare to surrounding traffic participants, and in most cases, glare caused by sudden vehicle body vibrations during driving is allowed.

[0010] The present disclosure has been obtained in related situations, and one of its exemplary purposes is to provide a lamp system that provides a good field of view regardless of changes in the vehicle body posture.

[0011] Method for Solving the Technical Problem

[0012] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a light distribution variable lamp including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and capable of individually controlling the brightness of each pixel, configured to irradiate a first part of a cut-off line including a low beam light distribution with a first light beam having an intensity distribution corresponding to the brightness distribution of the plurality of pixels; a light distribution fixed lamp covering a second part including the lower end of the low beam light distribution and emitting a second light beam having a fixed intensity distribution; and a controller that sets a prescribed brightness distribution independent of the pitch angle of the vehicle body for the plurality of pixels of the light distribution variable lamp, and at the same time changes the position of the cut-off line according to the pitch angle and turns off the corresponding pixels in the part above the cut-off line.

[0013] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a controller for a vehicle lamp. The vehicle lamp includes: a light distribution variable lamp including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and capable of individually controlling the brightness of each pixel, configured to irradiate a first part of a cut-off line including a low beam light distribution with a first light beam having an intensity distribution corresponding to the brightness distribution of the plurality of pixels; and a light distribution fixed lamp covering a second part including the lower end of the low beam light distribution and emitting a second light beam having a fixed intensity distribution. The controller sets a prescribed brightness distribution independent of the pitch angle of the vehicle body for the plurality of pixels of the light distribution variable lamp, and at the same time changes the position of the cut-off line according to the pitch angle and turns off the corresponding pixels in the part above the cut-off line.

[0014] It should be noted that the solutions obtained by arbitrarily combining the above components and the solutions obtained by mutually replacing the components or expressions between methods, devices, systems, etc. are also effective as the solutions of the present invention or the present disclosure. And the description of this item (the method for solving technical problems) does not cover all the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the sub-combinations of these described features can also be regarded as the present invention.

[0015] Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a good field of view regardless of changes in the vehicle body posture. Description of the Drawings

[0017] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the lamp system of the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 is for explaining Figure 1 the formation of the low beam light distribution of the lamp system.

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the control of the low beam light distribution based on the change in the pitch angle θp.

[0020] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the controller.

[0021] Figure 5 Is an illustration Figure 4 Of the processing of the controller Detailed implementation mode

[0022] (Summary of the implementation mode)

[0023] The summary of several exemplary implementation modes of the present disclosure is described. This summary serves as a preface to the subsequent detailed description. For the purpose of a basic understanding of the implementation mode, several concepts of one or more implementation modes are briefly described, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the disclosure. In addition, this summary is not an overall summary of all implementation modes to be considered, and it is not intended to limit the essential components of the implementation mode. For convenience, "one implementation mode" is sometimes used to indicate one implementation mode (example or variant) or multiple implementation modes (example or variant) disclosed in this specification.

[0024] A vehicle lamp according to one implementation mode includes: a light distribution variable lamp including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and capable of individually controlling the brightness of each pixel, configured to irradiate a first part including a cut-off line of low beam light distribution with a first light beam having an intensity distribution corresponding to the brightness distribution of the plurality of pixels; a light distribution fixed lamp covering a second part including the lower end of the low beam light distribution and emitting a second light beam having a fixed intensity distribution; and a controller that sets a prescribed brightness distribution independent of the pitch angle of the vehicle body for the plurality of pixels of the light distribution variable lamp, and at the same time changes the position of the cut-off line according to the pitch angle and turns off the pixels corresponding to the part above the cut-off line.

[0025] According to this configuration, in the case where the rear part of the vehicle body sinks (the vehicle head tilts upward), glare can be prevented by lowering the cut-off line downward, and in the case where the front part of the vehicle body sinks (the vehicle head sinks), the cut-off line can be raised upward to prevent the distant view from becoming dark. In addition, by performing this control while tracking the dynamic change of the pitch angle of the vehicle body, even when the vehicle body vibrates in the front-rear direction, the position of the cut-off line on the imaginary vertical screen in front of the vehicle can be constantly and fixedly maintained, the object in front of the vehicle can be prevented from becoming brighter or darker, and furthermore, an improved view can be provided. And the intensity distribution of the overlapping part of the first light beam and the second light beam is kept fixed regardless of the pitch angle, so floating can be prevented. In this way, a good view can be provided regardless of the change in the vehicle body posture.

[0026] In one embodiment, the controller may also store: a first image, having the same number of horizontal pixels as the horizontal pixels of the plurality of pixels and the same number of vertical pixels as the vertical pixels of the plurality of pixels, mapping a specified luminance distribution; and a second image, having the same number of horizontal pixels as the horizontal pixels of the plurality of pixels and a number of vertical pixels greater than the number of vertical pixels of the plurality of pixels, with the upper side of the brightness cut-off line filled with a first value and the lower side filled with a second value. The controller may also select a part corresponding to the pitch angle from the second image to generate a third image, and perform an operation on the third image and the first image to generate a fourth image for setting the light distribution variable lamp.

[0027] (Embodiment)

[0028] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in the respective drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are appropriately omitted. In addition, the embodiments are for illustration and not for limitation, and not all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are essential parts of the disclosure.

[0029] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the lighting system 100 of the embodiment. The lighting system 100 is mounted on an automobile and has the function of a headlamp for irradiating the field of view in front of the vehicle. Part or all of the lighting system 100 is a vehicle lamp 102.

[0030] Due to the front-rear weight balance and the movement of the vehicle body of the automobile, the tilt angle in the front-rear direction changes. The tilt angle in the front-rear direction corresponds to the rotation around a horizontal axis (pitch axis) extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, and this tilt angle is called the pitch angle θp.

[0031] The lighting system 100 has a function (automatic leveling function) of automatically adjusting the pitch direction optical axis of the headlamp according to the pitch angle θp.

[0032] The lighting system 100 includes a light distribution variable lamp 110, a light distribution fixed lamp 150, and a tilt sensor 160.

[0033] The light distribution variable lamp 110 and the light distribution fixed lamp 150 irradiate different parts in the low beam light distribution. Figure 1 A hypothetical vertical screen 2 is shown, and the low beam light distribution 4 is schematically shown in the hypothetical vertical screen 2.

[0034] The light distribution variable lamp 110 covers the first part 6 of the low beam light distribution 4, which includes the upper side of the cut-off line (upper end) CL. On the other hand, the light distribution fixed lamp 150 covers the second part 8 of the low beam light distribution 4 that includes the lower end. The second part 8 is called the diffused low beam light distribution. The first part 6 and the second part 8 overlap. The cut-off line CL includes a horizontal cut-off line CLa and an inclined cut-off line CLb, which intersect at the elbow point LB.

[0035] In addition, the light distribution variable lamp 110 also serves as a light source for high beam and functions as so-called ADB and the like.

[0036] The light distribution variable lamp 110 includes a high-precision lamp unit 120 and a controller 130. The high-precision lamp unit 120 includes a light-emitting element array 122 and an illumination optical system 124. The light-emitting element array 122 includes a plurality of pixels PIX arranged in a matrix, and the brightness of each pixel PIX can be individually controlled with multiple gray levels. As the light-emitting element array 122, an LED array can be used.

[0037] The controller 130 controls the brightness of the plurality of pixels PIX of the light-emitting element array 122. The illumination optical system 124 projects the output light of the light-emitting element array 122 in front of the vehicle. The illumination optical system 124 can be a lens optical system, a reflection optical system, or a combination thereof.

[0038] It should be noted that the correspondence between the position of a certain pixel and the illumination area on the imaginary vertical screen 2 corresponding to the pixel is determined by the illumination optical system 124, and there are cases of mirror image relationship (left-right flipping), up-down flipping, or up-down and left-right flipping.

[0039] The high-precision lamp unit 120 is configured to be able to irradiate the first part 6 including the cut-off line CL of the low beam light distribution 4 with a first light beam BM1 having an intensity distribution corresponding to the brightness distribution of the plurality of pixels PIX.

[0040] The light distribution fixed lamp 150 includes the lower end of the low beam light distribution 4, covers the second part 8 that overlaps with a part of the first part 6, and irradiates the second part 8 with a second light beam BM2 having a fixed intensity distribution.

[0041] Figure 2 It is an illustration of the low beam light distribution 4 formed by the Figure 1 lamp system 100. The rectangle represents the irradiable range 10 of the light distribution variable lamp 110, and the irradiable range 10 is divided into a plurality of grids (sub-regions) 12 corresponding to the plurality of pixels PIX. The illuminance of each grid 12 corresponds to the brightness of the corresponding pixel PIX.

[0042] When all the pixels of the light-emitting element array 122 are lit, all the grids 12 within the irradiable range 10 are irradiated with the first light beam BM1. When a part of the pixels PIX of the light-emitting element array 122 are turned off, the illuminance of the grid 12 corresponding to the pixel is substantially zero. In addition, the so-called turning off of the pixel PIX is not limited to the case where the brightness is zero, that is, the case where the illuminance of the corresponding grid 12 is zero, and may also include the case where the brightness is very small, that is, the case where the illuminance of the corresponding grid 12 is not zero but very small.

[0043] The controller 130 turns off the pixels corresponding to the grids 12 above the brightness cut-off line CL and turns on the pixels corresponding to the grids 12 below the brightness cut-off line CL, forming the first part 6 including the brightness cut-off line CL in the low beam distribution 4.

[0044] In addition, the illuminance of the first part 6 below the brightness cut-off line CL is not uniform and has a certain distribution. This will be described later.

[0045] Return Figure 1 The tilt sensor 160 is configured to be able to detect the rotation angle (pitch angle) around the pitch axis of the vehicle body. The controller 130 can generate the pitch angle θp of the vehicle body according to the output S1 of the tilt sensor 160. For example, a gyro sensor can be used as the tilt sensor 160, and the controller 130 can generate the pitch angle θp by integrating the angular velocity ωp around the pitch axis generated by the gyro sensor. The tilt sensor 160 can also be provided inside the housing of the headlamp, or can be externally provided to the housing of the headlamp. Alternatively, the tilt sensor 160 can be provided on the vehicle body side.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the controller 130 dynamically and adaptively corrects the position of the brightness cut-off line CL of the low beam distribution 4 according to the variation of the pitch angle θp caused by various factors during the vehicle stationary period and the driving period.

[0047] The controller 130 sets a prescribed brightness distribution for a plurality of pixels PIX of the light-emitting element array 122 that does not depend on the pitch angle θp of the vehicle body. And the controller 130 shifts the position in the height direction of the boundary 126 between the on-pixel region and the off-pixel region among the plurality of pixels PIX in such a way that the position of the brightness cut-off line CL changes according to the pitch angle θp.

[0048] The above is the configuration of the lamp system 100.

[0049] Figure 3 It is a diagram for explaining the control of the low beam distribution 4 based on the variation of the pitch angle θp. On the Figure 3 left side of the figure, the low beam distribution 4a in the state where the vehicle body 30 is pitched up (θp > 0°) is shown. In the Figure 3The center shows the low beam distribution 4b when the inclination of the vehicle body 30 is zero (θp = 0°). Figure 3 The right side shows the low beam distribution 4c when the vehicle body 30 is in a state where the front of the vehicle sinks (θp < 0°). 0° shows the angle with the road surface level. The shading in the figure indicates the illuminance of each grid.

[0050] When the pitch angle θp changes, the second part 8 formed by the fixed light distribution lamp 150 moves up and down relative to the horizontal 0°. On the other hand, the first part 6 formed by the variable light distribution lamp 110 controls the position of the boundary between the turned-on pixel area and the turned-off pixel area of a plurality of pixels PIX in such a way that even when the pitch angle θp changes, the height of the cut-off line CL remains near the horizontal 0° (specifically, -0.57°).

[0051] On the other hand, as described above, a prescribed luminance distribution independent of the pitch angle θp of the vehicle body 30 is set for the plurality of pixels PIX. Therefore, when focusing on one pixel within the turned-on pixel area, the luminance of this pixel is fixed regardless of the pitch angle θp. Thus, the illuminance of each grid is also fixed regardless of the pitch angle θp.

[0052] The above is the operation of the lighting fixture system 100.

[0053] According to this lighting fixture system 100, even when the vehicle body is in a posture where the front of the vehicle is raised or the front of the vehicle sinks, the height of the cut-off line CL is controlled in a way that remains substantially horizontal. Thereby, a good field of view can be provided to the driver.

[0054] The lighting fixture system 100 also has the following advantages. In Figure 3 , attention is focused on the overlapping area of the first part 6 and the second part 8. If the illuminance of the overlapping area varies according to the pitch angle θp, this will be recognized as uneven light distribution by the driver, which is not ideal.

[0055] In the present embodiment, the illuminance distribution of the first part 6 and the illuminance distribution of the second part 8 within the overlapping area are fixed regardless of the pitch angle θp. Therefore, even when the pitch angle θp changes, the illuminance distribution (or illuminance) within the overlapping area does not change. Thereby, uneven light distribution can be suppressed.

[0056] Next, an example of the specific processing of the controller 130 will be described.

[0057] Figure 4It is a functional block diagram of the controller 130. The controller 130 includes a memory 132 and an arithmetic processing unit 134. The memory 132 stores a first image IMG1 and a second image IMG2. In the first image IMG1, the number of horizontal pixels is equal to the number of horizontal pixels of the light-emitting element array 122, and the number of vertical pixels is equal to the number of vertical pixels of the light-emitting element array 122. A prescribed luminance distribution is mapped onto the first image IMG1. The first image IMG1 is also referred to as the basic light distribution image.

[0058] In the second image IMG2, the number of horizontal pixels is equal to the number of horizontal pixels of the light-emitting element array 122, and the number of vertical pixels is greater than the number of vertical pixels of the light-emitting element array 122. In the second image IMG2, the upper side of the light and dark cut-off line CL is filled with a first value (e.g., 0), and the lower side is filled with a second value (e.g., 1).

[0059] The mask image generation unit 136 selects a part corresponding to the pitch angle θp from the second image IMG2 and generates a third image IMG3. The third image IMG3 is also referred to as the mask image. The number of horizontal and vertical pixels of the third image IMG3 is equal to the number of horizontal and vertical pixels of the light-emitting element array 122, respectively.

[0060] The light distribution image generation unit 138 performs an operation on the third image IMG3 and the first image IMG1 to generate a fourth image IMG4 set for the light-emitting element array 122 of the light distribution variable lamp 110. The fourth image IMG4 is also referred to as the light distribution image.

[0061] Figure 5 It is a diagram for explaining Figure 4 the processing of the controller 130. The first image IMG1 has a prescribed luminance distribution that is brighter in the center and darker toward the periphery. In the second image IMG2, the area above the light and dark cut-off line CL is filled with the first value 0, and the area below the light and dark cut-off line CL is filled with the second value 1.

[0062] The mask image generation unit 136 applies a frame FRM to the second image IMG2 and outputs the pixels within the frame as the third image IMG3. The position of the frame FRM in the height direction is controlled according to the pitch angle θp. Specifically, the larger the pitch angle θp (θp > 0°), the more the position of the frame FRM moves upward, and the smaller the pitch angle θp (θp < 0°), the more the position of the frame FRM moves downward.

[0063] The light distribution image generation unit 138 operates on the first image IMG1 and the third image IMG3 to generate a fourth image IMG4. For example, when the pixel corresponding to the third image IMG3 is 0, the light distribution image generation unit 138 replaces each pixel of the first image IMG1 with zero (or a sufficiently small value). The light distribution image generation unit 138 may also generate the fourth image IMG4 according to the following formula.

[0064] IMG4(x, y) = IMG1(x, y) × IMG3(x, y)

[0065] (Modification example)

[0066] In the embodiment, a gyro sensor is used as the tilt sensor 160, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the tilt sensor 160 may also be a set of vehicle height sensors installed at the front and rear of the vehicle body.

[0067] According to the embodiment, the present disclosure is described using specific statements. However, the embodiment only shows the principles and applications of the present disclosure. For the embodiment, within the scope of the idea of the present disclosure defined by the claims, various modification examples or configuration changes are allowed.

[0068] Industrial availability

[0069] The present disclosure relates to vehicle lamps.

[0070] Explanation of reference numerals

[0071] 100... lamp system, 110... light distribution variable lamp, 120... high-precision lamp unit, 122... light-emitting element array, 124... irradiation optical system, PIX... pixel, 130... controller, 132... memory, 134... arithmetic processing unit, 136... mask image generation unit, 138... light distribution image generation unit, 150... light distribution fixed lamp, 160... tilt sensor, BM1... first light beam, BM2... second light beam, 6... first part, 8... second part.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp, characterized in that, Comprising: A light distribution variable lamp, including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having independently controllable brightness of each pixel, configured to irradiate a first part including a cut-off line of low beam light distribution with a first light beam corresponding to the brightness distribution of the plurality of pixels; A light distribution fixed lamp, covering a second part including the lower end of the low beam light distribution, configured to irradiate the second part with a second light beam having a fixed light distribution; And A controller, which sets a prescribed brightness distribution independent of the vehicle body pitch angle for the plurality of pixels of the light distribution variable lamp, changes the position of the cut-off line according to the pitch angle, and turns off the pixels corresponding to the part above the cut-off line.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that The controller stores A first image, having the same number of horizontal pixels as the plurality of pixels, having the same number of vertical pixels as the plurality of pixels, and mapping the prescribed brightness distribution, and A second image, having the same number of horizontal pixels as the plurality of pixels, having a greater number of vertical pixels than the plurality of pixels, and having the upper side of the cut-off line filled with a first value and the lower side filled with a second value; Selects a part corresponding to the pitch angle from the second image, generates a third image, and performs an operation on the third image and the first image to generate a fourth image for setting the light distribution variable lamp.

3. A controller, which is a controller for controlling a light distribution variable lamp used together with a fixed light lamp, characterized in that The light distribution variable lamp includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and having individually controllable brightness of each pixel, configured to irradiate a first part including a cut-off line of low beam light distribution with a first light beam corresponding to the brightness distribution of the plurality of pixels, The light distribution fixed lamp covers a second part including the lower end of the low beam light distribution, configured to irradiate the second part with a second light beam having a fixed light distribution, The controller sets a prescribed brightness distribution independent of the vehicle body pitch angle for the plurality of pixels of the light distribution variable lamp, changes the position of the cut-off line according to the pitch angle, and turns off the pixels corresponding to the part above the cut-off line.

4. The controller according to claim 3, characterized in that The controller stores A first image, having the same number of horizontal pixels as the plurality of pixels, having the same number of vertical pixels as the plurality of pixels, and mapping the prescribed brightness distribution, and A second image, having the same number of horizontal pixels as the plurality of pixels, having a greater number of vertical pixels than the plurality of pixels, and having the upper side of the cut-off line filled with a first value and the lower side filled with a second value; Selects a part corresponding to the pitch angle from the second image, generates a third image, and performs an operation on the third image and the first image to generate a fourth image for setting the light distribution variable lamp.

Images