Vehicle light control system

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to effectively suppress glare to the driver of a vehicle traveling in front by adjusting the optical axis of the headlights based on glare information from a vehicle ahead. A vehicle lighting control system that controls the headlights of a vehicle includes: a glare information acquisition unit that acquires glare information related to glare detected by a vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a glare determination unit that determines, based on the glare information acquired from the vehicle ahead, whether the driver of the vehicle ahead is glared due to the light from the vehicle's headlights; and a lighting control unit that, when the glare determination unit determines that the driver of the vehicle ahead is glared due to the light from the vehicle's headlights, performs glare suppression control by lowering the optical axis of the headlights.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle lighting control system. Background Technology

[0002] Previously, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-120113 was known as a technical document related to vehicle lighting control systems. This publication describes a device that, when a vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle detects glare caused by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, performs anti-glare processing by receiving glare information from the vehicle in front to suppress glare for the driver of the vehicle.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-120113 Summary of the Invention There is glare not only caused by the headlights of oncoming vehicles, but also by the headlights of a vehicle following from behind, which can cause glare to the driver of the vehicle in front via the rearview mirror. In such cases, it is preferable to control the headlights of the vehicle itself to suppress glare.

[0004] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle lighting control system that controls the headlights of a vehicle. The vehicle lighting control system includes: a glare information acquisition unit that acquires glare information related to glare detected by a vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a glare determination unit that determines, based on the glare information acquired from the vehicle in front, whether the driver of the vehicle in front is glared due to the light from the vehicle's headlights; and a lighting control unit that, when the glare determination unit determines that the driver of the vehicle in front is glared due to the light from the vehicle's headlights, performs glare suppression control by reducing the optical axis of the headlights.

[0005] Invention Effects According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle lighting control system can effectively suppress glare to the driver of the vehicle ahead by adjusting the optical axis of the headlights based on glare information from the vehicle ahead. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle lighting control system according to one implementation method.

[0007] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of glare information generation and processing in the ECU of the vehicle ahead.

[0008] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the glare suppression control process starting in the ECU of this vehicle.

[0009] Figure 4This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the termination of glare suppression control processing in the vehicle's ECU. Detailed Implementation

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle lighting control system 100 according to one embodiment. Figure 1 The vehicle lighting control system 100 shown is a system for controlling the headlights of the vehicle M, which has the function of suppressing glare to the driver of the vehicle N by adjusting the optical axis of the headlights of the vehicle M based on glare information from the vehicle N in front.

[0012] The vehicle in front, N, is another vehicle traveling in front of this vehicle, M. This vehicle, M, can perform follow control such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) on the vehicle in front, N. In addition, the vehicle lighting control system 100 can be configured as a system among multiple vehicles including the vehicle in front, N, or it can be configured as a single vehicle system mounted on this vehicle, M.

[0013] The vehicle lighting control system 100 includes an external sensor 1, a communication unit 2, an automatic leveling mechanism 3, and an electronic control unit (ECU). The external sensor 1 is a detection device for detecting the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. The external sensor 1 includes at least one of a camera and a radar sensor.

[0014] The camera is an imaging device that captures images of the exterior of vehicle M. For example, the camera may be mounted behind the windshield of vehicle M, capturing images of the front of vehicle M. The camera sends images related to the exterior of vehicle M to ECU 10. The radar sensor is a detection device that uses radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light to detect objects around vehicle M. Radar sensors may include, for example, millimeter-wave radar or lidar (Light Detection and Ranging). The radar sensor sends information about detected objects to ECU 10.

[0015] Communication unit 2 is a component that enables vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the vehicle M and the vehicle N ahead. Mounted in the vehicle M, communication unit 2 has the function of receiving glare information transmitted from the vehicle N ahead. Specifically, communication unit 2 uses vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology to transmit and receive data with communication unit 6 of the vehicle N ahead. This allows it to acquire glare information detected by the vehicle N ahead. Communication unit 2 then transmits the received glare information to ECU 10.

[0016] The automatic leveling mechanism 3 is a mechanism for automatically adjusting the optical axis of the headlights of vehicle M. The automatic leveling mechanism 3 operates based on control signals from the ECU 10. The automatic leveling mechanism 3 includes, for example, an actuator unit connected to the headlight unit and a sensor group for detecting changes in vehicle posture. The actuator unit consists of an electric motor, a reduction gear, and a linkage (connection mechanism) for adjusting the angle of the headlights. The electric motor is driven based on control signals from the ECU 10. The rotational motion of the motor is converted into appropriate speed and torque via a reduction gear such as a worm gear or rack gear. Through this gear mechanism, the high-speed rotation of the motor is slowed down, enabling precise control. The slowed rotational motion is transmitted to the linkage, which finely adjusts the tilt angle of the headlight unit in the vertical direction. The linkage is, for example, composed of a ball joint or a linkage arm, forming a structure that allows the headlight unit to operate smoothly. The automatic leveling mechanism 3 is not limited to the above structure and can employ various known structures.

[0017] ECU10 is an electronic control unit with a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage section. The storage section may consist of, for example, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). In ECU10, various functions are implemented by executing programs stored in the storage section, for example, through the CPU. ECU10 may also be composed of multiple electronic units.

[0018] Next, the functional structure of ECU10 will be explained. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the ECU10 has a glare information acquisition unit 11 and a glare determination unit 12.

[0019] Glare information acquisition unit 11 acquires glare information transmitted from the vehicle N ahead. Specifically, glare information acquisition unit 11 receives glare information transmitted from the communication unit 6 of the vehicle N ahead via vehicle-to-vehicle communication through the communication unit 2. The glare information includes the amount of glare detected by the glare sensor 5 of the vehicle N ahead, and operating information of the auto-dimming rearview mirror, etc. However, the operating information of the auto-dimming rearview mirror is not required. Glare information acquisition unit 11 transmits the received glare information to glare determination unit 12 within ECU 10, which is used as data for glare determination.

[0020] Glare determination unit 12 determines, based on glare information sent from glare information acquisition unit 11, whether the headlights of vehicle M cause glare to the driver of vehicle N ahead. Specifically, glare determination unit 12 analyzes the received glare information and determines whether the amount of glare exceeds a reference value. Furthermore, it also considers the operating information of the automatic anti-glare rearview mirror of vehicle N ahead and the distance information between vehicle M and vehicle N ahead, and comprehensively judges the occurrence of glare.

[0021] For example, if the auto-dimming rearview mirror of the vehicle in front (N) is working and the distance between the vehicle (M) and the vehicle in front (N) is less than a certain distance, the glare determination unit 12 determines that the driver of the vehicle in front (N) is glared due to the headlights of the vehicle (M). This certain distance can be a value that varies depending on the state of the headlights (switching between high beam and low beam or the height of the light axis). When the glare determination unit 12 determines that the driver of the vehicle in front (N) is glared due to the headlights of the vehicle (M), the ECU 10 sends this result to the lighting control unit 13, issuing an instruction to adjust the light axis of the headlights.

[0022] Furthermore, the glare determination unit 12 does not necessarily need to refer to the operating information of the automatic anti-glare rearview mirror of the vehicle in front N. The glare determination unit 12 can determine whether the driver of the vehicle in front N is glared due to the light from the headlights of the vehicle in front N based on the amount of glare from the rear (the direction where the vehicle M is located) in the glare information of the vehicle in front N and the distance between the vehicle M and the vehicle in front N.

[0023] The lighting control unit 13 controls the optical axis of the headlights of vehicle M. The lighting control unit 13 is responsible for issuing instructions to the automatic leveling mechanism 3 to adjust the optical axis of the headlights based on the judgment result from the glare judgment unit 12.

[0024] Specifically, when the glare detection unit 12 determines that glare has occurred to the driver of the vehicle N ahead, the headlight control unit 13 issues an instruction to the automatic leveling mechanism 3 to lower the optical axis of the headlights (e.g., the optical axis of the low beam). The automatic leveling mechanism 3 adjusts the optical axis of the headlights to an appropriate angle according to this instruction, suppressing glare to the driver of the vehicle N ahead. During the period until the glare detection unit 12 determines that the headlights of the vehicle M have not caused glare to the driver of the vehicle N ahead, the headlight control unit 13 repeatedly issues the instruction to lower the optical axis of the headlights at predetermined intervals.

[0025] Furthermore, the lighting control unit 13 has the function of responding even when glare has been eliminated. Specifically, when the glare determination unit 12 determines that the glare to the driver of the vehicle N ahead has been eliminated, the lighting control unit 13 sends an instruction to the automatic leveling mechanism 3 to restore the optical axis of the headlights to their original position. This restoration operation is performed after a certain period of time has elapsed since the glare was eliminated. As a result, the driver's field of vision can be suppressed due to the continuous lowering of the headlight optical axis.

[0026] Next, an example of the structure of the vehicle N in front will be described. The vehicle N in front only needs to be a vehicle equipped with an auto-dimming rearview mirror system and capable of transmitting glare information via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The auto-dimming rearview mirror system is a system that automatically controls the anti-glare rearview mirror to reduce glare to the driver. The auto-dimming rearview mirror system reduces glare to the driver by automatically adjusting the reflectivity or angle of the rearview mirror. Known structures can be used as the auto-dimming rearview mirror system.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle N in front is equipped with a glare sensor 5, a communication unit 6, and an ECU 20.

[0028] Glare sensor 5 is a sensor used to detect glare to the driver of the vehicle N ahead. Specifically, glare sensor 5 is located behind the vehicle N ahead and detects how much glare the light emitted from the headlights of vehicle M causes to the driver of vehicle N ahead. Glare sensor 5 measures information such as light intensity and angle and sends this data to ECU 20.

[0029] The communication unit 6 is mounted on the vehicle ahead N and is a component for vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the vehicle ahead N and the vehicle itself M. The communication unit 6 has the function of transmitting glare information generated by the glare calculation unit 21 to the vehicle itself M. Specifically, the communication unit 6 uses wireless communication technology to transmit and receive data with the communication unit 2 of the vehicle itself M. Thus, glare information detected by the vehicle ahead N, operating information of the automatic anti-glare rearview mirror, etc., can be transmitted to the vehicle itself M. The communication unit 6 is equipped with technologies to ensure the stability and reliability of communication, so that the transmitted glare information reliably reaches the vehicle itself M.

[0030] Next, the functional structure of ECU20 will be explained. ECU20 has a glare calculation unit 21 and a glare information transmission unit 22.

[0031] Glare calculation unit 21 is mounted on the vehicle N ahead and calculates the amount of glare based on data sent from glare sensor 5. Specifically, glare calculation unit 21 receives information such as light intensity and angle detected by glare sensor 5, and analyzes this data to calculate the amount of glare. Glare calculation unit 21 determines whether the calculated amount of glare exceeds a reference value, and generates glare information if it does. This glare information includes the amount of glare, operating information of the auto-dimming rearview mirror, and other data that details the occurrence of glare for the driver of the vehicle N ahead.

[0032] Glare information transmitting unit 22 is mounted on the vehicle N ahead and transmits glare information generated by glare calculation unit 21 to the vehicle M. Specifically, glare information transmitting unit 22 uses wireless communication technology to transmit and receive data with the communication unit 2 of the vehicle M. Glare information transmitting unit 22 transmits the glare information received from glare calculation unit 21 to the vehicle M and then transmits it to the glare information acquisition unit 11 of the vehicle M. As a result, the vehicle M can grasp the glare situation of the driver of the vehicle N ahead and make appropriate adjustments to the optical axis of the headlights.

[0033] Next, the generation and processing of glare information for the vehicle N ahead will be explained. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of glare information generation and processing in the ECU20 of the vehicle N ahead.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, in step S10, ECU20 first uses glare sensor 5 to detect glare. Specifically, ECU20 receives data from glare sensor 5 to confirm whether there is glare for the driver of the vehicle N ahead. If no glare is detected, ECU20 ends the process.

[0035] Next, if glare is detected, ECU 20 proceeds to step S11 to determine whether the amount of detected glare is above a reference value. Specifically, ECU 20 analyzes the data from glare sensor 5 and calculates the amount of glare. If the calculated result is less than the reference value, ECU 20 returns to step S10 to continue glare detection.

[0036] On the other hand, if the amount of glare is determined to be above a reference value, ECU 20 proceeds to step S12 and generates glare information. Specifically, ECU 20 generates glare information including information related to the amount of glare, operating information of the auto-dimming rearview mirror, etc. This glare information is used as data to be sent to the vehicle M, which is a vehicle following the vehicle N ahead.

[0037] Next, the processing in ECU10 of vehicle M will be explained. Figure 3This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the glare suppression control process starting in ECU10 of vehicle M. For example... Figure 3 As shown, in step S20, ECU10 first receives glare information from the vehicle N ahead. Specifically, ECU10 receives the glare information transmitted from the communication unit 6 of the vehicle N ahead via the communication unit 2 and confirms its content. If no glare information is received from the vehicle N ahead, ECU10 ends the glare suppression control and begins processing.

[0038] Next, ECU 10 proceeds to step S21, whereby, based on the received glare information, it determines whether the headlights of vehicle M cause glare to the driver of vehicle N ahead. Specifically, ECU 10 analyzes data from the glare information acquisition unit 11, and the glare determination unit 12 determines the occurrence of glare. In this determination, if it is determined that no glare is caused by the headlights of vehicle M, ECU 10 ends the current glare suppression control and begins processing.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined that glare is caused by the headlights of vehicle M, ECU 10 enters step S22 and begins glare suppression control. Specifically, ECU 10 sends an instruction to the automatic leveling mechanism 3 via the lighting control unit 13 to lower the optical axis of the headlights. As a result, the optical axis of the headlights of vehicle M is adjusted to an appropriate angle to suppress glare to the driver of the vehicle N ahead.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the glare suppression control termination process. If glare suppression control has already begun in step S22 above, the glare suppression control termination process is executed.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown, in step S30, ECU10 first receives glare information from the vehicle N ahead. Specifically, ECU10 receives the glare information sent by the vehicle N ahead via the communication unit 6 of the vehicle N ahead via the communication unit 2, and confirms its content. If no glare information is received (if a predetermined time has elapsed without receiving glare information from the vehicle N ahead), ECU10 proceeds to step S33.

[0042] Next, ECU 10 proceeds to step S31, whereby, based on the received glare information, it determines whether the headlights of vehicle M have caused glare to the driver of vehicle N ahead. Specifically, ECU 10 analyzes data from the glare information acquisition unit 11, and the glare determination unit 12 determines the occurrence of glare. In this determination, if it is determined that glare caused by the headlights of vehicle M has occurred, ECU 10 proceeds to step S32. If it is determined that no glare caused by the headlights of vehicle M has occurred, ECU 10 proceeds to step S33.

[0043] In step S32, ECU 10 sends an instruction to the automatic leveling mechanism 3 via the lighting control unit 13 to further lower the optical axis of the headlights (e.g., the optical axis of the low beam headlights). As a result, the optical axis of the headlights of vehicle M is adjusted to an appropriate angle, completely eliminating glare for the driver of the vehicle N ahead. Afterwards, ECU 10 returns to step S30 and repeats the process.

[0044] In step S33, ECU10 stops the optical axis adjustment of the headlights of vehicle M. Specifically, ECU10 sends a stop instruction for optical axis adjustment to the automatic leveling mechanism 3 via the headlight control unit 13. This stops the process of further lowering the optical axis of the headlights.

[0045] Next, ECU10 proceeds to step S34, determining whether a certain amount of time has elapsed while the optical axis adjustment is stopped. Specifically, ECU10 uses an internal timer to monitor the elapsed time. If the time has not elapsed, ECU10 repeats step S34, waiting for the elapsed time to complete.

[0046] After a certain period of time, ECU10 proceeds to step S35 and issues an instruction to restore the optical axis of the headlight to its original position. Specifically, ECU10 issues an instruction to the automatic leveling mechanism 3 via the light control unit 13 to return the optical axis of the headlight to its original position. As a result, the optical axis of the headlight is restored to its original position, returning to normal illumination.

[0047] The vehicle lighting control system 100 described above can effectively suppress glare to the driver of the vehicle N by adjusting the optical axis of the headlights of the vehicle M based on glare information from the vehicle N in front.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the vehicle lighting control system 100, by combining the operating information of the automatic anti-glare rearview mirror of the vehicle in front (N) with the distance information between the vehicle in front (N) and the vehicle itself (M), glare occurrence can be determined more accurately. Specifically, when the automatic anti-glare rearview mirror of the vehicle in front is operating, this indicates that the driver of the vehicle in front (N) experiences glare. By using this information for glare determination, the occurrence of glare can be more accurately assessed. Moreover, by determining that glare has occurred when the distance between the vehicle in front (N) and the vehicle itself (M) is less than a preset glare determination distance, appropriate glare suppression control corresponding to the distance can be achieved. Thus, glare caused to the driver of the vehicle in front (N) can be effectively suppressed.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the vehicle lighting control system 100, during periods when glare is determined to be occurring to the driver of the vehicle N ahead, the glare effect can be effectively mitigated by continuously or intermittently lowering the optical axis of the headlights of the vehicle M. Moreover, by continuing to appropriately adjust the optical axis to eliminate glare, the generation of glare to the driver of the vehicle N ahead can be minimized. Furthermore, after eliminating glare, by restoring the optical axis of the headlights to their original position, the driver's field of vision in the vehicle M can be ensured.

[0050] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The present invention can be implemented in various ways, including various modifications and improvements based on the above embodiments and the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0051] The vehicle lighting control system 100 does not necessarily need to continuously lower the optical axis of the headlights. The adjustment of the headlight optical axis in glare suppression control can be performed only once. The vehicle lighting control system 100 can be configured to not automatically restore the headlight optical axis when glare detection has been eliminated.

[0052] In another embodiment of the present invention, glare can be suppressed by adjusting the light intensity of the headlights, based on glare information from the vehicle ahead N, instead of lowering the optical axis of the headlights of the vehicle M. Specifically, when the glare determination unit 12 determines that the light from the headlights of the vehicle M is causing glare to the driver of the vehicle ahead N, the headlight control unit 13 does not change the optical axis of the headlights, but instead performs glare suppression control by lowering the brightness of the headlights. Thus, glare can be suppressed while maintaining the driver's visual visibility in the vehicle M, without needing to change the optical axis of the headlights according to road conditions or driving environment.

[0053] Symbol Explanation 1-External sensor, 2-Communication unit, 3-Automatic leveling mechanism, 5-Glare sensor, 6-Communication unit, 10-ECU, 11-Glare information acquisition unit, 12-Glare judgment unit, 13-Lighting control unit, 20-ECU, 21-Glare calculation unit, 22-Glare information transmission unit, M-This vehicle, N-Vehicle in front, 100-Vehicle lighting control system.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting control system for controlling the headlights of a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: Glare information acquisition unit, which acquires glare information related to the glare detected by the vehicle in front of the vehicle from the vehicle-to-vehicle communication; Glare determination unit, based on glare information obtained from the vehicle in front, determines whether the driver of the vehicle in front is glared due to the light of the headlights of the vehicle itself. and The lighting control unit performs glare suppression control by reducing the light axis of the headlights when the glare determination unit determines that the driver of the vehicle in front is glared due to the light from the headlights of the vehicle itself.

2. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, If the glare information includes information about the operation of the auto-anti-glare rearview mirror in the vehicle in front and the distance between the vehicle in front and the vehicle is less than a preset glare detection distance, the glare detection unit determines that the driver of the vehicle in front is glared due to the light from the headlights of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, While the glare determination unit continuously determines that the headlights of the vehicle in front are causing glare to the driver of the vehicle ahead, the light control unit continuously or intermittently lowers the optical axis of the headlights.

4. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, After the headlight control unit performs the glare suppression control, and after a certain period of time has elapsed since the glare determination unit no longer determines that the headlights of the vehicle in front are causing glare to the driver of the vehicle in front, the headlight control unit restores the optical axis of the headlights to the state before the glare suppression control was performed.

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