Vehicular light irradiation device and vehicular light irradiation method

Abstract

To provide a vehicular light irradiation device and a vehicular light irradiation method that allow a proper position to be irradiated with image light.SOLUTION: A vehicular light irradiation device (1000) includes: an image light irradiation part (100) for radiating image light; and an imaging part (200) for capturing an image of the outside of a vehicle. The vehicular light irradiation device adjusts a position to be irradiated with the image light, on the basis of an intersection point on extended lines of linear components, when a plurality of linear components are included in the image of the outside of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light irradiation device for a vehicle and a light irradiation method for a vehicle, and more particularly to a light irradiation device for a vehicle and a light irradiation method for a vehicle that irradiate image light of a predetermined shape. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, adaptive driving beam (ADB) light distribution control has been proposed, which uses multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a headlamp to irradiate low beams or high beams as a predetermined image light (see, for example, Patent Document 1). With this type of ADB light distribution control, it is possible to irradiate light onto areas where it is desired to irradiate light, such as the road surface or signs, while suppressing the irradiation of light onto other vehicles and pedestrians.

[0003] Also proposed is a head-up display (hereinafter referred to as HUD) device that projects an image onto the windshield of a vehicle so that the driver can read information when viewing the area ahead of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3). With such a HUD device, the driver can view the image light reflected by the windshield superimposed on the background ahead of the vehicle, thereby reducing the need to move one's line of sight while driving.

[0004] Such ADB headlights and HUD devices are vehicle light projection devices that project image light of a predetermined shape onto the outside of the vehicle or onto a predetermined position on the windshield. However, if the vehicle tilts due to vibration or the like while driving, the projection position of the image light will deviate from the predetermined position. To solve this problem, it has been proposed to use an auto-leveling technique that detects the inclination of the vehicle and corrects the projection position of the image light. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-015772 [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-119248 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2019-119262 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional auto-leveling technology only detects the inclination of the vehicle, making it difficult to project image light to the appropriate position in response to the external conditions of the vehicle when there is a change in road gradient or a curve.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has an object to provide a vehicle light irradiation device and a vehicle light irradiation method that are capable of irradiating image light at an appropriate position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle light illumination device of the present invention is equipped with an image light illumination unit that illuminates image light and an imaging unit that captures an image outside the vehicle, and is characterized in that when the image outside the vehicle contains multiple straight line components, the position at which the image light is illuminated is adjusted based on the intersection point on the extension lines of the straight line components.

[0009] In the vehicle light illumination device of the present invention, straight line components are detected from the image of the outside of the vehicle captured by the imaging unit, and the illumination position of the image light is adjusted based on the intersection of the straight line components, making it possible to illuminate the image light at an appropriate position in response to not only the inclination of the vehicle but also changes in the surrounding environment.

[0010] In one aspect of the invention, the detection of the straight line components includes detecting the straight line components in a plurality of divided regions of the image outside the vehicle, and calculating the intersection point for each of the divided regions.

[0011] In addition, in one aspect of the invention, when the intersection points differ depending on the divided regions, one of the intersection points is selected to adjust the irradiation position of the image light.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the image light irradiating unit is a headlight, and the image light is a low beam shaped with a cutoff line.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the image light emitting unit is a head-up display that displays an image via a display unit.

[0014] In one aspect of the present invention, the straight line component is a road marking or a dividing line painted on a road.

[0015] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the light illumination method for a vehicle of the present invention is characterized in that it includes an image light illumination process for illuminating image light, an imaging process for capturing an image outside the vehicle, and an image light adjustment process for adjusting the position at which the image light is illuminated based on the intersection point on the extension lines of the straight line components when the image outside the vehicle contains multiple straight line components. Effect of the Invention

[0016] The present invention can provide a vehicle light irradiation device and a vehicle light irradiation method capable of irradiating image light at an appropriate position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining irradiation of image lights L1, L2 by a headlamp 4 and a head-up display 3 using the vehicle light irradiation device 1000 according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a light irradiation device 1000 for a vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image 10 of the outside of a vehicle captured by an imaging unit 200. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle light irradiation method according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining the detection of lane markings 11, 12 in an image 10 outside the vehicle and the calculation of an intersection 15, where FIG. 5(a) is an example photograph showing the image 10 outside the vehicle, FIG. 5(b) shows the binarized image 10 outside the vehicle, and FIG. 5(c) is a diagram showing the results of a Hough transform. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams illustrating image light adjustment in a head-up display 3, where FIG. 6A shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the virtual image P before adjustment, and FIG. 6B shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the virtual image P after adjustment. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are schematic diagrams for explaining image light adjustment in a headlamp 4, where FIG. 7A shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the image light L2 before adjustment, and FIG. 7B shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the image light L2 after adjustment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating image processing according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a vehicle light irradiation method according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining irradiation of image lights L1, L2 by a headlamp 4 and a head-up display 3 using a vehicle light irradiation device 1000 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a passenger (driver) 2 is on board a vehicle 1, and the vehicle 1 is provided with a windshield WS, a head-up display 3, a headlamp 4, and a control unit (not shown).

[0019] The head-up display 3 is a part that irradiates image light L1 of a predetermined image shape based on image information from a control unit. The specific configuration of the head-up display 3 is not limited, and for example, a conventionally known display such as a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display device, or a combination of a laser light source and an optical modulation element can be used. The head-up display 3 includes a free-form surface mirror or a reflecting mirror as a conventionally known projection optical unit, but is not shown in the figure.

[0020] The headlight 4 is a part that irradiates image light L2 of a predetermined image shape. The specific configuration of the headlight 4 is not limited, but it is necessary that the headlight 4 can irradiate light shaped into a predetermined outer shape as the image light L2. An example of the image light L2 irradiated from the headlight 4 is a low beam shaped by a cutoff line. In addition, the headlight 4 may irradiate light as an image of a predetermined shape using ADB light distribution control.

[0021] The windshield WS is a part provided in front of the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 and transmits visible light. The windshield WS corresponds to the display unit in the present invention because the windshield WS reflects the image light L1 incident from the head-up display 3 toward the viewpoint of the passenger 2 on the inner surface of the vehicle 1 and transmits light from outside the vehicle 1 toward the viewpoint. Here, an example is shown in which the windshield WS is used as the display unit, but a combiner may be provided as a display unit separate from the windshield WS and may reflect light from the head-up display 3 toward the viewpoint. In addition, the windshield WS is not limited to being located in front of the vehicle 1, and may be located to the side or rear as long as it projects an image toward the viewpoint of the passenger 2.

[0022] The virtual image P is an image that is displayed as if it were formed in space when the image light L1 reflected by the windshield WS reaches the viewpoint (eyebox) of the passenger 2. The position at which the virtual image P is formed is determined by the spread angle of the light irradiated from the head-up display 3 as it travels toward the viewpoint after being reflected by the windshield WS. The content of the image projected as the virtual image P is not limited, but examples of the image include images to call attention, emergency information, speed, volume indicators, driving direction guides, and other auxiliary information. Also, while FIG. 1 shows an example in which one image is projected as the virtual image P, multiple images may be projected as the virtual image P at different positions.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 1, the head-up display 3 irradiates the windshield WS with image light L1, and the image light L1 reflected by the windshield WS reaches the viewpoint of the passenger 2. The passenger 2 visually recognizes a virtual image P through the windshield WS on an extension of the path of the image light L1. The headlight 4 irradiates the image light L2 forward of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the head-up display 3 and the headlight 4 each correspond to the image light irradiating unit in the present invention. Although the head-up display 3 and the headlight 4 are shown in Fig. 1, a conventionally known vehicle lamp such as a road surface drawing device that draws an image on the road surface may be used.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle light irradiation device 1000 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle light irradiation device 1000 includes an image light irradiation unit 100, an imaging unit 200, an image processing unit 300, and an irradiation position adjustment unit 400. The vehicle light irradiation device 1000 also includes a control unit (not shown) that is connected to each unit so as to be capable of communicating information with each unit and controls each unit. The configuration of the control unit is not limited, but examples include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for performing information processing, a memory device, a recording medium, an information communication device, and the like. The control unit controls the operation of each unit according to a predetermined program.

[0025] The image light irradiation unit 100 is a part that irradiates light shaped into a predetermined shape as image light L1, L2. When the image light irradiation unit 100 is a head-up display 3, the image light L1 is light irradiated through a windshield WS (display unit) as an example. When the image light irradiation unit 100 is a headlight 4, the image light L2 is a low beam shaped with a cutoff line as an example. The configuration of the image light irradiation unit 100 for shaping the image light L1, L2 is not limited, and may be a configuration that irradiates an image displayed on a display device with a backlight, a configuration that selectively controls the lighting of LEDs arranged in a matrix, a configuration that blocks part of the light irradiated from a light source with a shade, a configuration that controls the reflection direction of laser light, or the like. In addition, the image light irradiation unit 100 is capable of adjusting the position at which the image light L1, L2 is irradiated by an irradiation position adjustment unit 400 described later.

[0026] The imaging unit 200 is a part mounted on the vehicle 1 and captures an image of the outside of the vehicle 1. The specific configuration of the imaging unit 200 is not limited, and a conventionally known CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera can be used. The imaging unit 200 may be a monochrome camera that captures monochrome images, or a color camera that captures color images. The position at which the imaging unit 200 is provided is not limited, and the imaging unit 200 may be provided on the upper part of the windshield WS when capturing an image in front of the vehicle 1. A camera for an advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) mounted on the vehicle 1 may be used as the imaging unit 200. The image of the outside of the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 200 is transmitted to the image processing unit 300.

[0027] The image processing unit 300 is a part that acquires an image of the outside of the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 200 and processes information in the image. The image processing unit 300 is a function that is realized by a control unit provided in the vehicle light irradiation device 1000 executing a predetermined program. More specifically, the image processing unit 300 detects straight line components in the image and calculates intersections on the extensions of the straight line components. Although the method of detecting straight line components in the image is not limited, a conventionally known Hough transformation or the like can be used. The image processing in the image processing unit 300 will be described in detail later. The detection results of the straight line components and the calculation results of the intersections in the image processing unit 300 are transmitted to the irradiation position adjustment unit 400.

[0028] The irradiation position adjustment unit 400 is a part that adjusts the irradiation position of the image light L1, L2 from the image light irradiation unit 100 based on the detection result of the straight line component and the calculation result of the intersection point of the image processing unit 300. The irradiation position adjustment unit 400 is a function that is realized by a predetermined program being executed by a control unit provided in the vehicle light irradiation device 1000. The specific configuration of the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 is not limited, and for example, a configuration using a swivel actuator that mechanically adjusts the direction of the image light irradiation unit 100, a configuration that changes the image display position in the image light irradiation unit 100, a configuration that changes the irradiation direction of the image light L1, L2 using a lens or a reflector, etc. can be used.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image 10 outside the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 200. FIG. 3 shows an example of the image 10 outside the vehicle when the imaging unit 200 captures an image of the area in front of the vehicle 1 at night. The image 10 outside the vehicle is not limited to the area in front of the vehicle 1, and may be the area behind or to the side of the vehicle 1. Although FIG. 3 shows an example of a nighttime image, the image 10 outside the vehicle may be the area in daytime. As shown in FIG. 3, the image 10 outside the vehicle includes the road surface, scenery outside the roadway, distant scenery, space above the vehicle 1, and the like. Furthermore, the image 10 outside the vehicle shown in FIG. 3 includes a plurality of linearly shaped objects. Examples of linearly shaped objects include guardrails, road markings, dividing lines, trees, and road sign posts.

[0030] In this embodiment, a straight line component included in the image 10 outside the vehicle is detected in order to determine the position to which the image lights L1 and L2 are irradiated. For this purpose, it is preferable that the reference straight line component is an imaging target that reflects as much as possible the information of the road surface on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. Furthermore, if the imaging target is associated with the road surface, the image lights L1 and L2 can be irradiated in accordance with the environment outside the vehicle even if the vehicle 1 tilts due to vibration and the relative positional relationship between the vehicle 1 and the road surface changes.

[0031] The straight line components detected from the image 10 outside the vehicle are preferably imaging objects fixed on the road, and are preferably guardrails, road markings, division lines 11, 12, or road sign posts. Also, guardrails, road markings, and division lines 11, 12 are more preferable because they are provided along the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, road markings or division lines 11, 12 are most preferable because they are likely to be provided on the road and are drawn based on standards set forth in regulations.

[0032] 3, on the road surface on which the vehicle 1 is traveling, straight line components extending from a position close to the vehicle 1 to a position far from the vehicle 1 are detected as the demarcation lines 11, 12. In addition, in the image 10 of the outside of the vehicle, the demarcation lines 11, 12 are drawn only on the road surface. Therefore, in the vehicle light irradiation device 1000 of this embodiment, straight lines 13, 14 are assumed to be extensions of the demarcation lines 11, 12, and the position where the straight lines 13, 14 intersect is calculated as the intersection point 15.

[0033] The straight line drawn in the left-right direction in FIG. 3 is an assumed horizon line. When the road surface on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is a horizontal plane and the road is straight, the intersection 15 overlaps with the vanishing point of the straight lines 13 and 14. When the road surface on which the vehicle 1 is traveling is inclined or the road is curved, the intersection 15 is different from the vanishing point of the straight lines 13 and 14. In any case, the intersection 15 is a point calculated based on the division lines 11 and 12, and is highly likely to be a position where the vehicle 1 should reach in the near future, reflecting the condition of the road surface on which the vehicle 1 is traveling. In addition, the intersection 15 is a position that is highly likely to be visually recognized by the passenger (driver) 2 as the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Therefore, by adjusting the irradiation position of the image light L1, L2 based on the intersection 15 of the straight lines 13 and 14, it is possible to irradiate the image light L1, L2 at an appropriate position according to not only the inclination of the vehicle 1 but also changes in the surrounding environment.

[0034] 4 is a flowchart for explaining the vehicle light irradiation method according to the present embodiment. In the vehicle light irradiation device 1000, a control unit reads a predetermined program from a recording medium, and each unit operates according to the program to execute the vehicle light irradiation method.

[0035] First, in the image light irradiation process of step S1, the image light L1 is irradiated from the head-up display 3, which is the image light irradiation unit 100, and the image light L2 is irradiated from the headlights 4. As an example, the image light L1 includes auxiliary information related to driving such as vehicle speed, and the image light L2 is a low beam with a cut-off line. When the image light irradiation process is executed for the first time, the image lights L1 and L2 may be irradiated to a predetermined initial state position, or the image lights L1 and L2 may be irradiated to a previously recorded irradiation position at the time of the previous end. While the image light irradiation process is executed continuously, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0036] Next, in the imaging step of step S2, an image 10 of the outside of the vehicle is captured using the imaging unit 200. Here, the position and mounting angle of the imaging unit 200 on the vehicle 1 are predetermined, and the angle of view of the imaging unit 200 is also known in advance, so the coordinates in the image 10 of the outside of the vehicle and the relative positional relationship of the vehicle 1 are known. The imaging unit 200 transmits the captured image 10 of the outside of the vehicle to the image processing unit 300, and the process proceeds to step S3.

[0037] Next, in the line detection process of step S3, the image processing unit 300 detects line components included in the image 10 outside the vehicle. At this time, since the image 10 outside the vehicle contains a plurality of line components, a specific line component for determining the irradiation position of the image light L1, L2 is extracted. As an example, line components of road markings or demarcation lines 11, 12 included in the image 10 outside the vehicle are extracted and detected. Here, the method for detecting the specific line components is not limited, but for example, the image 10 outside the vehicle is subjected to a Hough transform, and line components extending from near to far from the vehicle 1 can be detected as the demarcation lines 11, 12. In particular, in the image 10 outside the vehicle, a line extending from an area located immediately in front of the vehicle 1 in a range slightly wider than the width of the vehicle 1 toward the center position of the image 10 can be estimated to be the demarcation lines 11, 12 from the position and angle. Here, an example is shown in which two demarcation lines 11, 12 are extracted as specific line components, but a larger number of lines may be extracted.

[0038] Furthermore, when executing the straight line detection process for the second or subsequent times, it is preferable to continuously trace and extract the demarcation lines 11, 12 extracted during the previous execution. There is no limitation on the method for tracing a specific straight line component, but for example, the demarcation lines 11, 12 can be extracted by applying a predetermined low-pass filter or Kalman filter to the image 10. More specifically, a uniform motion model may be used as the state transition matrix of the Kalman filter, and the Hough transformed values ​​of θ and ρ may be predicted using the following Equations 1 and 2. (Formula 1) θ(k)=θ(k-1)+Δθ(k-1)Δt (Formula 2) ρ(k)=ρ(k-1)+Δρ(k-1)Δt After the image processing unit 300 extracts the specific straight line components, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0039] Next, in the intersection detection process of step S4, the image processing unit 300 extends the specific straight line components extracted in the straight line detection process to create straight lines 13 and 14, detects the position where the straight lines 13 and 14 intersect as an intersection 15, and calculates the coordinates in the image 10 outside the vehicle. As described above, the relative positional relationship between the coordinates in the image 10 outside the vehicle and the vehicle 1 is known, so the coordinates of the intersection 15 and the relative positional relationship between the vehicle 1 can also be obtained. In addition, since the intersection 15 in the image 10 outside the vehicle is a position corresponding to the external environment of the vehicle 1 as described above, it also functions as a reference position in the external environment regardless of the inclination of the vehicle 1. Therefore, when the coordinates in the image 10 outside the vehicle are determined based on the coordinates of the intersection 15, the relative positional relationship between the reference position of the external environment and the vehicle 1 is determined. After the image processing unit 300 calculates the coordinates of the intersection 15, the process proceeds to step S5.

[0040] Next, in the image light adjustment process of step S5, the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 adjusts the irradiation positions of the image light L1, L2 irradiated from the image light irradiation unit 100 based on the coordinates of the intersection 15 calculated in the intersection detection process. The method of adjusting the irradiation positions of the image light L1, L2 is not limited, but for example, the irradiation positions can be set so that the relative positional relationship with the intersection 15 satisfies a predetermined condition. More specifically, the display position of the image can be shifted so that the image light L1, L2 is irradiated at coordinates that are a predetermined distance from the intersection 15. Here, the adjustment of the irradiation positions of the image light L1, L2 may be made to vary slowly with a predetermined time constant. Also, the irradiation positions may be adjusted only when the coordinates of the intersection 15 vary beyond a predetermined threshold. After the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 adjusts the irradiation positions of the image light L1, L2, the process proceeds to step S1 again.

[0041] Next, the extraction of straight line components and the calculation of intersection 15 in image processing unit 300 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the detection of lane markings 11, 12 in image 10 outside the vehicle and the calculation of intersection 15, where FIG. 5(a) is a photographic example showing image 10 outside the vehicle, FIG. 5(b) shows binarized image 10 outside the vehicle, and FIG. 5(c) shows the result of Hough transformation. As shown in FIG. 5(a), image 10 outside the vehicle captured by imaging unit 200 in the imaging process includes the road surface and scenery outside the road. In addition, low beam is irradiated on the road surface and scenery outside the road by image light L2 irradiated from headlight 4.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5(b), in the line detection process, the image processing unit 300 converts the image 10 of the outside of the vehicle shown in FIG. 5(a) into a black and white binary image. At this time, it is preferable to set the threshold value when converting to black and white binary in an appropriate range so that the demarcation lines 11 and 12 are clear. As shown in FIG. 5(c), when the black and white binary image is subjected to Hough transformation and peak detection, the multiple line components y=ax+b contained in the black and white binary image are converted into points (ρ, θ) in the Hough space. At this time, the curve plotted in the Hough space shown in FIG. 5(c) corresponds to the line components in the image 10, so the point where the plots intersect in the Hough space corresponds to the intersection 15 of the lines 13 and 14. This allows the image processing unit 300 to extract the line components and calculate the coordinates of the intersection 15.

[0043] Next, the adjustment of the projection position of the image light L1 by the projection position adjustment unit 400 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the image light adjustment in the head-up display 3, in which FIG. 6(a) shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the virtual image P before the adjustment, and FIG. 6(b) shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the virtual image P after the adjustment. After the image processing unit 300 calculates the coordinates of the intersection 15 from the image 10 in the intersection detection process, the projection position adjustment unit 400 sets the projection position of the virtual image P to a predetermined position. In the example shown in FIG. 6(a), the projection position of the image light L1 from the image light projection unit 100 is set so that the virtual image P is projected downward from the intersection 15 by a distance d. In FIG. 6(b), a case where the inclination angle of the vehicle 1 has changed is assumed. In FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), a position that is a distance d downward from the intersection 15 is shown as the projection position of the virtual image P, but the direction and distance are not limited.

[0044] While the vehicle light irradiation device 1000 repeatedly executes the vehicle light irradiation method shown in FIG. 4, the front of the vehicle 1 rises and the rear of the vehicle falls (tilts backward), and the imaging range of the image 10 outside the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 200 changes by Δh. In that case, the coordinate of the intersection 15 in the image 10 outside the vehicle also changes by a distance corresponding to Δh as shown in FIG. 6(b). In this case, the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 sets the irradiation position of the image light L1 from the image light irradiation unit 100 so that the virtual image P is projected downward by a distance d from the intersection 15. Therefore, the image light L1 that projects the virtual image P is irradiated to an area that has moved downward by Δh from the position where the original virtual image P' was irradiated before the vehicle 1 tilted in the coordinates in the image 10 outside the vehicle.

[0045] 6(a) and 6(b) indicate the upper end position of the image light L1 that projects the virtual image P, but the relative positional relationship with the intersection point 15 does not change. Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 tilts, the relative positional relationship between the environment outside the vehicle that the passenger 2 sees through the windshield WS and the imaging position of the virtual image P does not change, and the image light L1 can be irradiated to an appropriate position in response to changes in the surrounding environment.

[0046] Next, the irradiation position adjustment of the image light L2 by the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the image light adjustment by the headlamp 4, in which FIG. 7(a) shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the image light L2 before adjustment, and FIG. 7(b) shows the relationship between the intersection 15 and the image light L2 after adjustment. After the image processing unit 300 calculates the coordinates of the intersection 15 from the image 10 in the intersection detection process, the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 sets the irradiation position of the low beam, which is the image light L2, to a predetermined position. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), the irradiation position of the image light L2 from the image light irradiation unit 100 is set so that the elbow point in the cutoff line of the low beam becomes the intersection 15. In FIG. 7(b), a case is assumed in which the inclination angle of the vehicle 1 has changed.

[0047] Assume that the front of the vehicle 1 rises and the rear falls (tilts backward), and the imaging range of the image 10 outside the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 200 changes by Δh. In that case, the coordinate of the intersection 15 in the image 10 outside the vehicle also changes by a distance corresponding to Δh, as shown in FIG. 7(b). In this case, the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 sets the irradiation position of the image light L2 from the image light irradiation unit 100 so that the elbow point of the cutoff line becomes the intersection 15. Therefore, the image light L2 that projects the image light L2 is irradiated to an area that has moved downward by Δh from the position where the image light L2' was irradiated before the vehicle 1 tilted, in the coordinates in the image 10 outside the vehicle.

[0048] Therefore, even if the vehicle 1 tilts, the relative positional relationship between the environment outside the vehicle as viewed by the passenger 2 through the windshield WS and the imaging position of the virtual image P does not change, and the image light L2 can be irradiated to an appropriate position in response to changes in the surrounding environment.

[0049] As described above, in the vehicle light illumination device 1000 and vehicle light illumination method of this embodiment, the components of straight lines 13 and 14 are detected from the image 10 outside the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 200, and the illumination positions of the image lights L1 and L2 are adjusted based on the intersection 15 of the straight line 13 and 14 components, so that it is possible to illuminate the image lights L1 and L2 at appropriate positions in response to not only the inclination of the vehicle 1 but also changes in the surrounding environment.

[0050] Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Descriptions of contents overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining image processing according to this embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an image 10 of the outside of the vehicle is divided into a plurality of regions, and straight line components are detected in each divided region.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 8, the image 10 of the outside of the vehicle captured by the imaging unit 200 is divided into a near area R1 located near the vehicle 1 on the road surface and a far area R2 located farther than the near area R1. Here, an example of dividing the image into two areas, the near area R1 and the far area R2, is shown, but the image may be divided into a larger number of areas. The division of the areas is not limited to the road surface. Also, FIG. 8 shows an example in which the areas with different heights across the entire width of the image 10 are the near area R1 and the far area R2, but the shape of the division is not limited.

[0052] In this embodiment, a straight line component is detected within the range of the near region R1 to calculate an intersection 15a (not shown). Also, a straight line component is detected within the range of the far region R2 to calculate an intersection 15b (not shown). Here, since the near region R1 is an area located near the vehicle 1, the road surface included in the near region R1 has a large effect on the current course and inclination of the vehicle 1. Also, since the far region R2 is an area located far from the vehicle 1, the road surface included in the far region R2 has a large effect on the course and inclination of the vehicle 1 in the near future. Therefore, when the intersections 15a and 15b of the near region R1 and the far region R2, which are multiple divided regions, are different, it is preferable to select one of the multiple intersections 15a and 15b to adjust the irradiation positions of the image lights L1 and L2.

[0053] Therefore, when the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 adjusts the irradiation positions of the image lights L1 and L2 based on the intersection 15a calculated from the near region R1, irradiation can be performed according to the current situation of the vehicle 1. Also, when the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 adjusts the irradiation positions of the image lights L1 and L2 based on the intersection 15b calculated from the far region R2, irradiation can be performed according to the situation of the vehicle 1 in the near future.

[0054] 9 is a flowchart for explaining the vehicle light irradiation method according to the present embodiment. First, in an image light irradiation process of step S11, image light L1 is irradiated from the head-up display 3, which is the image light irradiation unit 100, and image light L2 is irradiated from the headlight 4. While the image light irradiation process is continuously performed, the process proceeds to step S12. Next, in an imaging process of step S12, an image 10 outside the vehicle is captured using the imaging unit 200. The imaging unit 200 transmits the captured image 10 outside the vehicle to the image processing unit 300, and the process proceeds to step S13.

[0055] Next, in a line detection process in step S13, the image processing unit 300 detects line components contained in each of the near area R1 and the far area R2 in the outside-of-vehicle image 10. After the image processing unit 300 extracts a specific line component, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0056] Next, in the intersection detection process of step S14, the image processing unit 300 extends specific line components in each of the near area R1 and the far area R2 extracted in the line detection process to create lines 13 and 14. In addition, the positions where the lines 13 and 14 intersect are detected as intersections 15a and 15b, and coordinates in the image 10 outside the vehicle are calculated. After the image processing unit 300 calculates the coordinates of the intersections 15a and 15b, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0057] Next, in the intersection discrimination process of step S15, the image processing unit 300 determines whether the coordinates of the intersections 15a, 15b match, and if they match, decides to use the intersections 15a, 15b to adjust the positions of the image lights L1, L2 and proceeds to step S17, but if they do not match, proceeds to step S16.

[0058] In the road surface change estimation process of step S16, the image processing unit 300 estimates the change in the road surface while the vehicle 1 is traveling from the difference in coordinates of the intersections 15a and 15b, and determines which of the intersections 15a and 15b to use for adjusting the irradiation position of the image light L1 and L2. As a specific example, when the difference in the height direction between the intersections 15a and 15b is greater than a threshold value and the inclination angle of the road surface is expected to change significantly, it is determined to adopt the intersection 15b in the far region R2. As another example, when the difference in the lateral direction between the intersections 15a and 15b is greater than a threshold value and the road surface is expected to curve, it is determined to adopt the intersection 15b in the far region R2. As yet another example, when the difference in the height direction and the lateral direction between the intersections 15a and 15b is smaller than a threshold value and the change in the road surface is expected to be small, it is determined to adopt the intersection 15a in the near region R1. After the image processing unit 300 determines which of the multiple intersections 15a, 15b is to be used for adjusting the positions of the image lights L1, L2, the process proceeds to step S17.

[0059] In the image light adjustment process of step S17, the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 adjusts the irradiation position of the image light L1, L2 irradiated from the image light irradiation unit 100 based on the coordinates of the intersection 15a or 15b determined in step S15 or step S16. After the irradiation position adjustment unit 400 adjusts the irradiation position of the image light L1, L2, the process proceeds to step S11 again.

[0060] As described above, in the vehicle light illumination device 1000 and vehicle light illumination method of this embodiment, straight line components are detected in each of a plurality of divided regions (near region R1, far region R2) of the image 10 outside the vehicle, and intersections 15a, 15b are calculated for each divided region, so that it is possible to illuminate image lights L1, L2 at more appropriate positions in response to changes in the surrounding environment.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1000...Light irradiation device for vehicle 100...Image light irradiation unit 200…Imaging unit 300...Image processing unit 400...Irradiation position adjustment section 1. Vehicle 2. Passenger 3. Head-up display 4…Headlight 10…Image 11,12...Division lines 13,14…straight line 15,15a,15b...intersection L1, L2…Image light R1…near area R2…Far area

Claims

1. an image light irradiation unit that irradiates image light; An imaging unit that captures an image outside the vehicle, A vehicle light illumination device comprising: a light illumination unit for illuminating a vehicle exterior including a plurality of straight line components; a light illumination unit for illuminating a vehicle exterior including a plurality of straight line components; and a light illumination unit for illuminating a vehicle exterior including a plurality of straight line components.

2. The vehicle light irradiation device according to claim 1, The detection of the straight line components includes detecting the straight line components in a plurality of divided regions of the image outside the vehicle; The light irradiation device for a vehicle is characterized in that the intersection point is calculated for each of the divided areas.

3. The vehicle light irradiation device according to claim 2, A vehicle light irradiation device comprising: a light irradiation unit for adjusting an irradiation position of the image light by selecting one of a plurality of the intersection points when the intersection points differ depending on the divided regions.

4. The vehicle light irradiation device according to claim 1, 13. A light irradiation device for a vehicle, comprising: a headlight; and a low beam shaped by a cutoff line, the image light being emitted from the image light irradiation unit.

5. The vehicle light irradiation device according to claim 1, The vehicle light irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein the image light irradiation unit is a head-up display that displays an image via a display unit.

6. 6. A light irradiation device for a vehicle according to claim 1, 2. A light irradiation device for a vehicle, wherein the straight line component is a road marking or a dividing line drawn on a road.

7. an image light irradiation step of irradiating image light; An imaging step of capturing an image outside the vehicle; A vehicle light illumination method comprising an image light adjustment process for adjusting a position at which the image light is illuminated based on the intersection point on the extension line of the straight line components when the image outside the vehicle contains multiple straight line components.

Images