Control device, vehicular lighting fixture system and program

Abstract

To provide proper light distribution control in accordance with a travel environment.SOLUTION: A control device 100 controls a vehicular lighting fixture that can emit a light distribution pattern forward of a vehicle. The control device 100 includes a controller for controlling emission of a light distribution pattern. The controller controls driving of the vehicular lighting fixture so that a light distribution pattern determined in accordance with a content of the mark of a road sign included in a captured image that captures a vehicle forward direction is emitted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles equipped with cameras that capture images in front of the vehicle have been devised. Devices that use images from such cameras to recognize the contents of road signs have also been developed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a road sign recognition device for vehicles that determines the presence or absence of a road sign in an image obtained by a camera, calculates the position of the road sign when it is determined that a road sign is present, and controls the irradiation direction of a vehicle lighting device so that illumination light is directed toward the calculated position of the road sign. This device makes it easier for the driver to see the road sign. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-121615 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, although the above-mentioned road sign recognition device can improve the visibility of road signs for drivers, the driver needs to manually switch the light distribution of the vehicle lamp in order to understand the sign content and perform appropriate light distribution according to the vehicle driving environment. In this case, the timing of switching the light distribution is delayed and the switching work is complicated, so there is room for further improvement from the viewpoint of driving safety.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of the exemplary objects of the present invention is to provide a new technique for realizing appropriate light distribution control according to the driving environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device for controlling a vehicle lamp capable of irradiating a light distribution pattern ahead of the vehicle, and includes a control unit for controlling the irradiation of the light distribution pattern. The control unit controls the driving of the vehicle lamp so that a light distribution pattern determined by the contents of a road sign mark included in an image captured in front of the vehicle is irradiated.

[0007] According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a control device capable of controlling the irradiation of an appropriate light distribution pattern according to the road conditions ahead of the vehicle that are inferred from the contents of the markings on the road sign.

[0008] The present invention may further include a determination unit that determines the content of the mark on the road sign based on the captured image. This makes it possible to realize a control device that can perform a process ranging from determining the content of the mark on the road sign to controlling the irradiation of an appropriate light distribution pattern.

[0009] When a road sign that makes the driver aware of the risk of an object jumping out from the road shoulder onto the road is identified, the control unit may control the driving of the vehicle lamp so that a road shoulder light distribution pattern that illuminates a wider range of the road shoulder side compared to the low beam light distribution pattern or the high beam light distribution pattern is irradiated. This makes it easier to find an object jumping out from the road shoulder onto the road more quickly. Here, examples of the object include an animal, a pedestrian, a vehicle, etc. Examples of a situation in which an object jumps out from the road shoulder onto the road include a case where there is a mountain or a cliff on the road shoulder, and an intersection with poor visibility.

[0010] The control unit may control the driving of the vehicle lamp so that the road shoulder light distribution pattern is illuminated brighter than the low beam light distribution pattern or the high beam light distribution pattern, thereby making it easier to recognize an object that jumps out onto the road from the road shoulder.

[0011] When a road sign that makes the driver aware of a situation in which caution is required for driving on the road ahead of the vehicle is identified, the control unit may control the driving of the vehicle lamp so that a far-field light distribution pattern that irradiates a far-field area compared to the low beam light distribution pattern is irradiated. This makes it easier to recognize a situation further away in front of the vehicle more quickly. Here, examples of situations in which caution is required for driving on the road ahead of the vehicle include a case where the road surface in front of the vehicle is under construction or the road surface is uneven.

[0012] The control unit may control the driving of the vehicle lamp so that the distant light distribution pattern is illuminated brighter than the low beam light distribution pattern or the high beam light distribution pattern, thereby making it easier to recognize a situation further ahead in front of the vehicle.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle lighting system. The vehicle lighting system includes a vehicle lighting device capable of irradiating a light distribution pattern ahead of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the irradiation of the light distribution pattern. The control unit controls the driving of the vehicle lighting device so that a light distribution pattern determined by the contents of a road sign mark included in an image captured in front of the vehicle is irradiated.

[0014] According to this embodiment, it is possible to emit an appropriate light distribution pattern according to the road conditions ahead of the vehicle that are inferred from the contents of the markings on the road sign.

[0015] The vehicle lamp may have a light source in which a plurality of light-emitting regions are arranged in a matrix. The control unit may be configured to be capable of forming a plurality of light distribution patterns by changing the illumination state of some of the plurality of light-emitting regions. This allows an area along the shape of a light distribution pattern corresponding to the content of a mark on a road sign to be selectively brighter than the surrounding area.

[0016] Yet another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a control unit to execute the program, the control unit controlling the irradiation of a light distribution pattern formed by a vehicle lamp ahead of the vehicle. The program also causes the control unit to execute a step of controlling the driving of the vehicle lamp so as to irradiate a light distribution pattern determined by the contents of a mark of a road sign included in an image captured in front of the vehicle.

[0017] According to this aspect, the control unit can be caused to control the driving of the vehicle lighting fixture so as to emit an appropriate light distribution pattern according to the road conditions ahead of the vehicle, which are inferred from the content of the road sign mark.

[0018] Any combination of the above components, and any conversion between the expression of the present invention and methods such as manufacturing methods and control methods, devices such as lamps, lighting, and control devices, light-emitting modules, light sources, programs, computer-readable recording media, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize appropriate light distribution control according to the driving environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle lighting system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first light distribution pattern formed by the vehicle lighting system. [Diagram 3] 3(a) to 3(d) are diagrams showing examples of warning signs. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image including a road condition ahead of a vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image including a road condition ahead of a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. In addition, the embodiments are not intended to limit the invention, but are merely examples, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0022] The vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment is a vehicle headlamp arranged in front of the vehicle, and constitutes a vehicle lamp system by appropriately combining with various control units, sensors, etc. First, a schematic configuration of the vehicle lamp system according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the vehicle lamp system according to the present embodiment.

[0023] The vehicle lighting system 10 includes a camera unit 12 compatible with ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), a center ECU 14, and a lamp switch 20. The camera unit 12 includes a front camera 22 that captures an image ahead of the vehicle, and a camera ECU 24 that detects objects such as signs and vehicles present ahead of the vehicle based on information about an image captured by the front camera 22. The center ECU 14 includes a processor (arithmetic unit) 14a that executes programs required for various controls, and a memory (storage medium) 14b that stores the programs. Although the camera unit 12 and the center ECU 14 according to this embodiment are provided on the vehicle body side, they may be provided anywhere in the vehicle.

[0024] Furthermore, the vehicle lighting system 10 includes a lamp ECU 26, a low beam lamp 28 and a high beam lamp 30 whose light distribution is controlled by the lamp ECU 26, a controller 32 for a high-definition ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam), and a high-definition LED unit 34 for the ADB controlled by the controller 32. The lamp ECU 26 has a processor 26a that executes programs required for various controls, and a memory 26b that stores the programs. The lamp ECU 26 and the controller 32 according to this embodiment are provided in any of the low beam lamp 28, the high beam lamp 30, or the LED unit 34, which are vehicle lighting devices.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first light distribution pattern formed by the vehicle lighting system. The first light distribution pattern P1 shown in Fig. 2 is a pattern in which a low beam light distribution pattern PL formed by the Lo beam lamp 28, a high beam light distribution pattern PH formed by the Hi beam lamp 30, and an ADB light distribution pattern PHL formed by the LED unit 34 are overlapped. At night, the vehicle travels while illuminating the front of the vehicle with the first light distribution pattern P1 shown in Fig. 2 by each lamp provided in the vehicle lighting system 10.

[0026] The light source and optical members of the low beam lamp 28 are appropriately selected to illuminate the area near the vehicle below the HH line. The light source and optical members of the high beam lamp 30 are appropriately selected to illuminate the distant area above the HH line. The high beam lamp 30 has eight LEDs lined up in one direction, and by controlling the turning on and off of each LED, a light distribution pattern can be formed in which a part of the high beam light distribution pattern PH is blocked or dimmed.

[0027] The LED unit 34 is a vehicle lamp capable of illuminating the area in front of the vehicle with light emitted from the LED unit 34, in which a light source and optical members are appropriately selected so as to illuminate an area centered on the intersection of the HH line and the V line. The ADB light distribution pattern PHL is a light distribution pattern that overlaps with both the low beam light distribution pattern PL and the high beam light distribution pattern PH, centered on the intersection of the HH line and the V line. In addition, by individually controlling the drive current of each LED and reducing or eliminating the drive current of some LEDs, some pixels of the matrix that constitutes the ADB light distribution pattern PHL can be shaded or dimmed. This makes it possible to minimize the shaded area when preventing glare on vehicles and people included in the range of the ADB light distribution pattern PHL, while maintaining visibility in other areas.

[0028] The LED unit 34 has a light source in which 64 LEDs 34a (light-emitting regions) are arranged in a matrix, and driving of each LED is individually controlled based on instructions from the controller 32. The LED unit 34 may have 20 or more light-emitting elements arranged in the short side direction of a rectangle, and 100 or more light-emitting elements arranged in the long side direction. Also, other than LEDs, organic EL elements, liquid crystal shutters, MEMS mirrors, and the like can be used as light sources as long as they can individually turn on and off the matrix-shaped light-emitting regions.

[0029] The controller 32 is configured to be able to form a plurality of light distribution patterns with different brightness of partial regions by changing the illumination state of some of the plurality of light-emitting regions. In other words, the controller 32 controls the vehicle lamp so as to illuminate a selected light distribution pattern by controlling the amount of light emitted from each of the plurality of light-emitting regions. This allows various light distribution patterns to be formed with one LED unit 34. Even if there are a plurality of partial regions where a reflecting object exists, a light distribution pattern in which the brightness of each partial region is adjusted can be formed.

[0030] The control device 100 according to this embodiment may include a center ECU 14, a camera ECU 24, and a lamp ECU 26, as shown in FIG. 1. If the desired function can be realized by the center ECU 14 alone, the center ECU 14 alone may become the control device 100. In that case, the processor 14a corresponds to the control unit. If the desired function can be realized by the lamp ECU 26 alone, the lamp ECU 26 alone may become the control device 100. In that case, the processor 26a corresponds to the control unit. There is no particular limitation on the combination of parts that constitute the control device and control unit according to this embodiment.

[0031] The control device 100 controls vehicle lighting devices (the low beam lamp 28, the high beam lamp 30, and the LED unit 34) capable of emitting a light distribution pattern ahead of the vehicle. In detail, when the processor 26a receives instruction information X1 of the light distribution pattern determined by the processor 14a, the processor 26a outputs control signals (supply voltage and image data) according to the instruction information X1 to each lamp and controller.

[0032] On the other hand, the center ECU 14, which receives the image information X2 of the image of the front of the vehicle captured by the camera unit 12, has a discrimination unit 15a that discriminates the contents of the mark of the road sign included in the image information X2, and a decision unit 15b that decides a predetermined light distribution pattern according to the contents of the discriminated mark of the road sign and transmits the above-mentioned instruction information X1. This allows the control device 100 to control the driving of each lamp so that a desired light distribution pattern is emitted according to the contents of the mark of the road sign present in front of the vehicle. In other words, the control device 100 can control the emission of an appropriate light distribution pattern according to the road conditions ahead of the vehicle that are inferred from the contents of the mark of the road sign present in front of the vehicle.

[0033] Road signs that can estimate the road conditions ahead of the vehicle include, for example, warning signs. Warning signs are signs that inform drivers of things to be careful of and dangers on the road in advance. Figs. 3(a) to 3(d) are diagrams showing examples of warning signs. The mark on the warning sign shown in Fig. 3(a) is "Animals may jump out", the mark on the warning sign shown in Fig. 3(b) is "Road construction in progress", the mark on the warning sign shown in Fig. 3(c) is "Schools, kindergartens, daycare centers, etc. present", and the mark on the warning sign shown in Fig. 3(d) is "Road unevenness". There are also warning signs with marks of various contents such as the shape of intersections and road shapes, and the road conditions ahead of the vehicle can be estimated in advance from each warning sign.

[0034] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image including the road conditions ahead of the vehicle. A road sign 36 shown in Fig. 4 has a mark showing that there is a risk of an animal jumping out, as shown in Fig. 3(a).

[0035] The discrimination unit 15a of the control device 100 according to this embodiment discriminates the contents of the mark of the road sign 36 based on the captured image. Then, the determination unit 15b determines an appropriate light distribution pattern from the contents of the discriminated mark of the road sign 36, and transmits instruction information X1 thereof to the lamp ECU 26. In the situation shown in Fig. 4, the road sign 36 is discriminated as a warning sign that makes the driver aware of the risk of an object jumping out from the road shoulder onto the road.

[0036] The lamp ECU 26, which has received the instruction information X1, controls the driving of the vehicle lamp so that the road shoulder light distribution pattern P2, which has a wider range of illumination on the road shoulder R1 side than the low beam light distribution pattern PL or the high beam light distribution pattern PH, is illuminated. Specifically, the lamp ECU 26 controls the Lo beam lamp 28 so as to illuminate the low beam light distribution pattern PL. In addition, the lamp ECU 26 controls the driving of each LED of the Hi beam lamp 30 so as to illuminate the left region PH1 of the high beam light distribution pattern PH among the multiple LEDs that the Hi beam lamp 30 has. In addition, the lamp ECU 26 controls the driving of each LED 34a of the LED unit 34 so as to illuminate the triangular region PHL1 including the vanishing point D among the ADB light distribution pattern PHL, which is highly precise and can be changed in a variety of shapes.

[0037] The left side area PH1 includes the slope on the mountain side. The triangular area PHL1 includes an area including the road shoulder in front of the vehicle. Therefore, it becomes easier to find an object that runs down the slope and jumps out from the road shoulder onto the road more quickly. Here, examples of the object include animals and falling rocks. Examples of a situation in which an object jumps out from the road shoulder onto the road include a case in which there is a mountain or a cliff on the road shoulder as shown in FIG. 4. Note that when the road sign shown in FIG. 3(c) is present in front of the vehicle, a situation in which a child jumps out from an intersection with poor visibility is assumed. In that case, too, it becomes easier to find a child that jumps out from the road shoulder onto the road more quickly by illuminating the vicinity of the intersection with the road shoulder light distribution pattern P2.

[0038] In addition, the lamp ECU 26 according to the present embodiment controls the driving of the high beam lamp 30 and the LED unit 34 so that the road shoulder light distribution pattern P2 is illuminated brighter than the low beam light distribution pattern PL or the high beam light distribution pattern PH. The LED unit 34 has a large number of LEDs 34a arranged in a matrix, so that the area along the shape of the light distribution pattern according to the content of the mark of the road sign can be selectively illuminated brighter than the surroundings. For example, the controller 32 controls the driving of the LEDs 34a that illuminate the road center area C including the vanishing point D so that the brightness of the road center area C is increased. This allows the driver to recognize an object jumping out from the road shoulder R onto the road earlier and more easily.

[0039] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a captured image including the road conditions ahead of the vehicle. A road sign 38 shown in Fig. 5 has a mark indicating that the road is under construction, as shown in Fig. 3(b).

[0040] As described above, the discrimination unit 15a discriminates the contents of the mark of the road sign 38 based on the captured image. Then, the determination unit 15b determines an appropriate light distribution pattern from the contents of the discriminated mark of the road sign 38, and transmits the instruction information X1 to the lamp ECU 26. In the situation shown in Fig. 5, the road sign 38 is discriminated as a warning sign that notifies the driver of a situation in which caution is required while driving on the road ahead of the vehicle. Specifically, the situation is that the oncoming lane area R2 ahead of the vehicle is under construction.

[0041] The lamp ECU 26, which has received the instruction information X1, controls the driving of the vehicle lamp so that a far-field light distribution pattern P3 that irradiates a far-field area compared to the low-beam light distribution pattern PL is irradiated. Specifically, the lamp ECU 26 controls the Lo-beam lamp 28 so as to irradiate the low-beam light distribution pattern PL. In addition, the lamp ECU 26 controls the Hi-beam lamp 30 so as to irradiate the high-beam light distribution pattern PH. The lamp ECU 26 also controls the driving of each LED 34a of the LED unit 34 so as to irradiate an elliptical area PHL2 including the vanishing point D of the ADB light distribution pattern PHL.

[0042] The elliptical region PHL2 includes the boundary between the lane of the vehicle and the oncoming lane. The lamp ECU 26 according to the present embodiment controls the driving of the LED unit 34 so that the distant light distribution pattern P3 is irradiated brighter than the low beam light distribution pattern PL or the high beam light distribution pattern PH. This makes it easier to quickly recognize the oncoming lane region R2 under construction further ahead of the vehicle. Even when a road sign indicating road irregularities as shown in FIG. 3(d) is detected, the lamp ECU 26 controls each lamp to irradiate the distant light distribution pattern P3 ahead of the vehicle.

[0043] As described above, the vehicle lighting system 10 according to the present embodiment can achieve appropriate light distribution control according to the driving environment.

[0044] The invention of the vehicle lighting system according to the present embodiment can be regarded as an invention of a single control device having a control unit. It can also be regarded as an invention of a program executed by a control unit that controls the vehicle lighting. This program is a program executed by the lamp ECU 26 and the center ECU 14 that control the irradiation of a light distribution pattern formed by the vehicle lighting in front of the vehicle. This program also causes the lamp ECU 26 and the center ECU 14 to execute a step of controlling the driving of the vehicle lighting so that a light distribution pattern determined by the contents of a road sign mark included in a captured image of the area in front of the vehicle is irradiated.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and suitable combinations or substitutions of the configurations of the embodiment are also included in the present invention. In addition, it is possible to suitably rearrange the combinations and processing order in the embodiment based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, and to make modifications such as various design changes to the embodiment, and the embodiment to which such modifications have been made is also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10 vehicle lighting system, 12 camera unit, 14 center ECU, 14a processor, 15a discrimination unit, 15b decision unit, 20 lamp switch, 22 forward camera, 24 camera ECU, 26 lamp ECU, 26a processor, 26b memory, 28 low beam lamp, 30 high beam lamp, 32 controller, 34 LED unit, 34a LED, 36 road sign, 38 road sign, 100 control device, P1 first light distribution pattern, P2 road shoulder light distribution pattern, P3 distant light distribution pattern, PL low beam light distribution pattern, PH high beam light distribution pattern, PHL ADB light distribution pattern, R1 road shoulder, R2 oncoming lane area.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling a vehicle lamp capable of emitting a light distribution pattern ahead of a vehicle, A control unit that controls irradiation of the light distribution pattern, The control unit is A control device that controls driving of the vehicle lamp so that a light distribution pattern determined based on the contents of a road sign mark included in an image captured in front of the vehicle is irradiated.

2. 2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a discrimination unit that discriminates the content of a mark on a road sign based on the captured image.

3. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when a road sign that alerts the driver to the risk of an object jumping out onto the road from the road shoulder is identified, the control unit controls the driving of the vehicle lamp so that a road shoulder light distribution pattern that has a wider range of illumination toward the road shoulder compared to a low beam light distribution pattern or a high beam light distribution pattern is irradiated.

4. 4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls driving of the vehicle lamp so that the road shoulder light distribution pattern is illuminated brighter than a low beam light distribution pattern or a high beam light distribution pattern.

5. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when a road sign that notifies the driver of a situation in which caution is required when driving on the road ahead of the vehicle is identified, the control unit controls the driving of the vehicle lamp so that a far-field light distribution pattern that irradiates a distant area compared to a light distribution pattern for low beam is emitted.

6. 6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit controls driving of the vehicle lamp so that the far-field light distribution pattern is illuminated brighter than a low beam light distribution pattern or a high beam light distribution pattern.

7. A vehicle lamp capable of emitting a light distribution pattern ahead of the vehicle; A control unit that controls the irradiation of the light distribution pattern, The control unit is A vehicle lighting system, characterized in that driving of the vehicle lighting is controlled so that a light distribution pattern determined based on the content of a road sign mark contained in an image captured in front of the vehicle is irradiated.

8. The vehicle lamp has a light source in which a plurality of light-emitting regions are arranged in a matrix, The vehicle lighting system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of forming a plurality of light distribution patterns by changing an illumination state of some of the plurality of light-emitting regions.

9. A program to be executed by a control unit that controls irradiation of a light distribution pattern formed in front of a vehicle by a vehicle lamp, The program is characterized by causing the control unit to execute a step of controlling the drive of the vehicle lamp so that a light distribution pattern determined based on the content of a road sign mark contained in an image captured in front of the vehicle is emitted.

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