Vehicle control system

Abstract

This vehicle control system illuminates the area around the vehicle with the headlights even when switching between low beams and high beams, and performs automatic braking control without delay. [Solution] The vehicle control system 1 comprises a headlight device 40, an ambient environment detection device 12 for detecting the surrounding environment of the vehicle, a brake control device 30 that performs automatic brake control according to the possibility of collision between an obstacle and the vehicle, and a headlight control device 20 that controls the headlight device 40 to switch between low beam and high beam. The headlight device 40 has a first headlight 41 located on the driver's side and a second headlight 42 located on the passenger side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle. The headlight control device 20 controls the headlight device 40 to independently switch the first headlight 41 and the second headlight 42 in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control system for a vehicle including a headlamp capable of switching an irradiation range between a low beam and a high beam.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, the headlamp of a vehicle is configured to be able to switch the irradiation range between a low beam and a high beam in response to a driver's switch operation. Also, there is known a technique that enables automatic switching of the irradiation range of the headlamp between a low beam and a high beam according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses a device configured to irradiate the high beam and the low beam alternately left and right manually or automatically so that oncoming vehicles and pedestrians in front of the vehicle illuminated by the high beam are not difficult to see.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, as a vehicle control system, there is known a collision damage mitigation braking system that automatically activates brakes and / or alarms when a collision between an obstacle in front of the vehicle and the vehicle is predicted. In a control system such as a collision damage mitigation braking system, an obstacle existing in front of the vehicle is detected by a sensor provided in the vehicle. In an environment where the brightness around the vehicle is not sufficient, such as at night, the front area is illuminated by the headlamp of the vehicle, and the sensor detects the obstacle.

[0005] Vehicle headlights sometimes use a so-called two-lamp system, where a single bulb contains both a low-beam filament and a high-beam filament. While two-lamp systems are cost-effective, they generate a significant amount of heat, making it impossible to energize both the low-beam and high-beam filaments simultaneously. Therefore, there is a moment when both the low-beam and high-beam lights are switched off during the transition between them. The aforementioned collision mitigation braking system controls the brakes based on the presence of obstacles in front of the vehicle detected by sensors and the likelihood of a collision with the vehicle. In environments with insufficient ambient light, such as at night, inadequate headlight illumination can lead to delays in obstacle detection and potentially delays in brake control. Therefore, even when using a two-lamp system as the vehicle's headlights, it is desirable to adequately illuminate the area around the vehicle during the transition between low-beam and high-beam to prevent delays in automatic brake control.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle control system that can appropriately illuminate the area around the vehicle with the headlights even when switching between low beams and high beams, and can perform automatic brake control without delay. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control system includes a headlight device for illuminating the front of the vehicle, an ambient environment detection device for detecting the surrounding environment of the vehicle, including obstacles present in front of the vehicle, a brake control device for controlling the braking force to perform automatic braking control in accordance with the possibility of collision between the obstacle detected by the ambient environment detection device and the vehicle, and a headlight control device for controlling the headlight device to switch the illumination range between low beam and high beam, wherein the headlight device has a first headlight located on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction of the front of the vehicle and having a low beam filament and a high beam filament in one bulb, and a second headlight located on the passenger side in the vehicle width direction of the front of the vehicle and having a low beam filament and a high beam filament in one bulb, and the headlight control device controls the headlight device to independently switch the first headlight and the second headlight in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The vehicle control system according to the present invention can appropriately illuminate the area around the vehicle with the headlights even when switching between low beams and high beams, and can perform automatic brake control without any delay. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control system in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the change in the illumination range when switching from low beam to high beam in one embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 schematically illustrates another example of the change in illumination range when switching from low beam to high beam. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of switching control of the illumination range of the headlight device in one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, a vehicle control system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of the vehicle control system in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control system 1 includes a headlight control device 20 and a brake control device 30. In this embodiment, the vehicle control system 1 is a vehicle safety support system configured such that the headlight control device 20 switches the illumination range of the headlight device between low beam and high beam, and the brake control device 30 performs automatic brake control according to the possibility of collision between the vehicle and an obstacle in front of the vehicle. First, the configuration related to the automatic brake control of the vehicle control system 1 will be described.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control system 1, in relation to automatic brake control, includes an ambient environment detection device 12, a wheel speed sensor 13 for detecting the wheel speed of each wheel of the vehicle, a positioning device 14 for acquiring vehicle location information, a map information database 15, a brake control device 30, and a brake device 50, etc.

[0012] The surrounding environment detection device 12 is configured to detect the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The surrounding environment detection device 12 has a camera with an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS, and is configured to output information about the area surrounding the vehicle, particularly the area in front of the vehicle including obstacles present around the vehicle, as still images and / or videos. In addition to the camera, the surrounding environment detection device 12 may also have a millimeter-wave radar, sonar sensor, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), etc. Here, the surrounding environment of the vehicle includes information such as the presence or absence of obstacles in front of the vehicle, the relative position and relative distance (distance between vehicles) between the vehicle and the obstacle, and the brightness around the vehicle. Obstacles present around the vehicle include, for example, other vehicles (preceding vehicles) in front of the lane the vehicle is traveling in, other vehicles (oncoming vehicles) in the opposite lane, pedestrians, etc. The information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle acquired by the surrounding environment detection device 12 is input to the brake control device 30.

[0013] The wheel speed sensor 13 detects the rotational speed of each wheel of the vehicle and outputs the detection result to the brake control device 30. The vehicle speed can be calculated based on the rotational speed of each wheel detected by the wheel speed sensor 13. Although only one wheel speed sensor 13 is shown in Figure 1 for simplicity, in reality, a wheel speed sensor 13 is provided for each wheel. The rotational speed of each wheel detected by the wheel speed sensor 13 is input to the brake control device 30 and also to the headlight control device 20.

[0014] The positioning device 14 is configured to acquire vehicle position information based on information from, for example, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The map information database 15 is a storage device that stores map information, such as a three-dimensional high-precision map. The map information database 15 stores information about the shape of the road, such as curvature and the number of lanes, associated with the road's position information. The current position information acquired by the positioning device 14 and the map information from the map information database 15 are input to the brake control device 30 and also to the headlight control device 20.

[0015] The brake control device 30 is composed of a computer that includes, for example, a ROM for storing programs and data, a CPU for performing calculations, a RAM for storing dynamic data and calculation results, and an input / output interface. The brake control device 30 is configured to perform so-called Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) control, which activates the vehicle's automatic brakes depending on the likelihood of a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle.

[0016] The collision damage mitigation brake control performed by the brake control device 30 is an automatic brake control that generates a strong braking force by the brake device 50 when it is determined that there is a high probability of collision with an obstacle. The brake control device 30 can also be configured to perform warning control as part of the collision damage mitigation brake control, which generates a warning by a notification device (not shown) to prompt the driver to take braking action when it is determined that there is a risk of collision with an obstacle.

[0017] The brake control device 30 is configured to determine the possibility of a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle based on image data of the area in front of the vehicle input from the surrounding environment detection device 12 and the relative distance to the obstacle in front of the vehicle. As a collision possibility, for example, the collision prediction time TTC (Time-To-Collision), which is the time required for the vehicle to approach and make contact with the obstacle, is calculated. Specifically, the relative speed between the vehicle and the obstacle, which represents the change in relative distance per unit time, is calculated from the relative distance to the obstacle, and the collision prediction time TTC is calculated as the value obtained by dividing the relative distance by the relative speed. If the calculated collision prediction time TTC is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the brake control device 30 controls the brake device 50 to generate a braking force equivalent to the system's maximum deceleration, for example.

[0018] The braking device 50 includes a brake provided on a wheel (e.g., a disc brake, a drum brake, etc.), a brake actuator connected to the brake via a hydraulic pipe, and a brake controller, and is configured to control the hydraulic pressure according to a deceleration command from the brake control device 30 and control the braking force of the brake.

[0019] Next, a configuration related to the switching control of the irradiation range of the headlamp device of the vehicle control system 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle control system 1 includes a column lever 11, the above-described surrounding environment detection device 12, a headlamp control device 20, a headlamp device 40, etc. in relation to the switching control of the irradiation range of the headlamp device.

[0020] The column lever 11 is arranged on the steering column in the front of the vehicle interior and is an operation member operated by the driver to manually switch on and off the headlamp device 40 and switch the irradiation range (high beam / low beam). The column lever 11 is also operated by the driver to select the irradiation mode of the headlamp device 40 described later. A signal indicating the operation state of the column lever 11 is input to the headlamp control device 20.

[0021] The headlamp control device 20 is composed of, for example, a computer including a ROM storing programs and data, a CPU performing arithmetic processing, a RAM storing dynamic data and arithmetic processing results, and an input / output interface. The headlamp control device 20 controls the operation of the headlamp device 40 based on the operation state of the column lever 11 and the information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle input from the surrounding environment detection device 12.

[0022] The irradiation modes of the headlamp device 40 include, for example, a manual mode, an automatic on / off mode, and an automatic irradiation range switching mode, etc. The headlamp control device 20 sets the irradiation mode of the headlamp device 40 according to the selection operation of the column lever 11. When the manual mode is set, the headlamp control device 20 controls the switching of the on and off of the headlamp device 40 and the switching of the irradiation range (high beam / low beam) according to the operation state of the column lever 11 by the driver. The operation of the column lever 11 by the driver to switch the irradiation range of the headlamp device 40 corresponds to the switching request of the low beam and high beam by the driver.

[0023] When the automatic on / off mode is set, the headlamp control device 20 automatically turns on or off the headlamp device 40 according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The headlamp control device 20 automatically switches the on and off states of the headlamp device 40 based on, for example, the brightness around the vehicle detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12.

[0024] When the automatic irradiation range switching mode (automatic switching mode) is set, the headlamp control device 20 automatically changes the irradiation range of the headlamp device 40 according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle. Specifically, when the headlamp control device 20 detects another vehicle (preceding vehicle, oncoming vehicle, etc.) or a pedestrian in front of the vehicle by the surrounding environment detection device 12, it generates a switching request for the irradiation range and switches the irradiation range of the headlamp device 40 from high beam to low beam. When the headlamp control device 20 no longer detects another vehicle or a pedestrian in front of the vehicle by the surrounding environment detection device 12, it generates a switching request for the irradiation range and switches the irradiation range of the headlamp device 40 from low beam to high beam. Such an automatic switching function of the irradiation range of the headlamp device 40 is also called an auto high beam function or a high beam assist function.

[0025] The headlight system 40 is a lighting device that illuminates the area in front of the vehicle to improve visibility of the area in front of the vehicle. The headlight system 40 has a right headlight 41 located on the right side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and a left headlight 42 located on the left side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle. For example, in left-hand traffic, the right headlight 41 is also called the first headlight located on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and the left headlight 42 is also called the second headlight located on the passenger side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle. The following will describe the case of left-hand traffic.

[0026] The right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are so-called two-lamp lights, each containing a low-beam filament and a high-beam filament within a single bulb. The right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are, for example, two-lamp halogen headlights. The headlight device 40 is configured to allow the illumination range of the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 to be changed to high beam (driving headlight) or low beam (passing headlight), respectively. The headlight device 40 switches between turning the lights on and off, and switching the illumination range (high beam / low beam), in response to control signals from the headlight control device 20.

[0027] Referring to Figure 3, the illumination range of the headlight device 40 will be explained. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the change in illumination range when switching from low beam to high beam. The illumination ranges of high beam and low beam are set according to safety standards, etc. The illumination range of the headlight device 40 is designed so that, in low beam, it can illuminate approximately 40m ahead as shown by illumination range A1 at time t1 in Figure 3, and in high beam, it can illuminate approximately 100m ahead as shown by illumination range A3 at time t3 in Figure 3.

[0028] The low beam illumination range A1 is designed so that, when viewed from inside the vehicle, the driver's side (i.e., the right side in the example of left-hand traffic as shown in Figure 3) is narrower than the passenger side (i.e., the left side) in the vehicle width direction. The high beam illumination range A3 is also designed so that the driver's side (i.e., the right side) is slightly narrower than the passenger side (i.e., the left side) in the driver's side.

[0029] As described above, when the right headlight 41 and left headlight 42 of the headlight device 40 are each configured as two-lamp halogen headlights, there is a moment when both the low beam and high beam turn off when switching between them. This is because halogen headlights generate a lot of heat, and it is not possible to energize both the low beam filament and the high beam filament at the same time.

[0030] Referring to Figure 3, the change in illumination range when the right headlight 41 and left headlight 42, which are configured as a two-lamp halogen headlight, are simultaneously switched from low beam to high beam will be explained. In Figure 3, the horizontal axis represents time t, and the vertical axis represents the direction of travel (forward) of the vehicle. An obstacle X is present in front of the vehicle.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, when the headlight system 40 is set to low beam, both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are lit, illuminating the illumination area A1 (time t1). When the headlight system 40 is switched to high beam from this state, both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 momentarily turn off (time t2), and then both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 turn on, illuminating the illumination area A3 (time t3). Even during time t2, when both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are off, a small illumination area A2 is illuminated with a small amount of light due to the effect of residual charge. However, this is insufficient to illuminate obstacle X, and in situations such as nighttime when there are no streetlights, the surrounding environment detection device 12 cannot detect obstacle X.

[0032] When switching between low beam and high beam, the time during which both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are off is very short (for example, about 0.1 seconds), and has little effect on the driver's visibility. However, the vehicle control system 1 in this embodiment is configured to perform automatic brake control by the brake control device 30, and if it is unable to recognize an obstacle X in front of the vehicle while both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are off, there is a possibility that the start of automatic brake control will be delayed.

[0033] Therefore, in this embodiment, the headlight control device 20 is configured to appropriately illuminate the area around the vehicle using the headlight device 40 so that automatic brake control can be performed without delay even when switching between low beam and high beam. Specifically, the headlight control device 20 controls the headlight device 40 to independently switch the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam. The switching control of the illumination range by the headlight control device 20 will be described in detail below.

[0034] The headlight control device 20 switches the illumination range of the headlight device 40 according to one of the following first to third controls in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam. The request to switch from low beam to high beam includes a manual switching request by operating the column lever 11 and an automatic switching request according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

[0035] A: First control The headlight control device 20, in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam, switches the left headlight 42 first, and then switches the right headlight 41. B: Second control The headlight control device 20, in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam, switches the right headlight 41 first, and then switches the left headlight 42. C: Third control The headlight control device 20 simultaneously switches the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam.

[0036] The following provides a detailed explanation of each of the first, second, and third control methods.

[0037] A: First control The first control is a basic illumination range switching control in the vehicle control system 1 of this embodiment, which is configured to perform automatic brake control. Figure 2 schematically shows an example of the change in illumination range when switching from low beam to high beam by the first control. In Figure 2, the horizontal axis represents time t, and the vertical axis represents the direction of travel of the vehicle (forward). An obstacle X is present in front of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 2, when the headlight device 40 is in low beam mode, both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are lit, and illumination range B1 is illuminated (time t1). When a request to switch from low beam to high beam is output from this state, the left headlight 42 momentarily turns off to switch to high beam, and the right headlight 41 remains lit in low beam mode (illumination range B2) (time t2). Subsequently, the high beam illumination range B3 is illuminated by the left headlight 42, and the right headlight 41 momentarily turns off to switch to high beam (time t3).

[0038] Considering the detection status of obstacle X, at time t1, obstacle X is outside the illumination range B1 of the right headlight 41 and left headlight 42 and is not illuminated, and is not detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12. At time t2, when the vehicle moves forward, the left headlight 42 is momentarily turned off, but the right headlight 41 remains illuminated, so obstacle X can be detected as it has entered the illumination range B2 of the low beam of the right headlight 41. At time t2, the brake control device 30 recognizes obstacle X detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12 as a target obstacle and executes or prepares to execute automatic brake control. At time t3, when the vehicle moves forward further, the right headlight 41 is momentarily turned off, but obstacle X is within the illumination range B3 of the high beam of the left headlight 42 and can continue to be detected.

[0039] In contrast, as shown in Figure 3, when both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are switched from low beam to high beam simultaneously, the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 momentarily turn off at time t2, so the obstacle X is not illuminated and cannot be detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12. At time t3, when both the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are switched to high beam, the obstacle X enters the illumination range A3 and is detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12. At time t3, the brake control device 30 recognizes the obstacle X detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12 as a target obstacle and executes automatic brake control.

[0040] In this way, by executing the first control, the headlight device 40 can properly illuminate the obstacle X and detect the obstacle X at time t2, so that the brake control device 30 can perform automatic brake control without delay.

[0041] As described above, the illumination range of the headlight device 40 is designed so that the range on the driver's side, i.e., the right side, is narrower in the vehicle width direction than the range on the passenger side, i.e., the left side. The right headlight 41 tends to illuminate the right side of its illumination range better, and the left headlight 42 tends to illuminate the left side of its illumination range better. While the illumination range of the left headlight 42 is being switched, i.e., while the left headlight 42 is momentarily turned off, the right headlight 41 continues to be illuminated in low beam mode. Therefore, even if there is an obstacle on the right side where the illumination range is narrower, the surrounding environment detection device 12 can reliably detect the obstacle.

[0042] B: Second control The headlight control device 20 performs a second control when the vehicle is traveling on a road with multiple lanes. In the case of a road with multiple lanes in a left-hand traffic zone, the vehicle is traveling in the left lane of the road, so it is desirable to reliably grasp information about obstacles located at the left edge of the road. Therefore, while the left headlight 42 remains illuminated, the right headlight 41 is switched from low beam to high beam.

[0043] Furthermore, the headlight control device 20 performs a second control when the vehicle is traveling through a curved section where the vehicle's own lane is on the inside of the curve and the oncoming lane is on the outside. Here, a curved section is a section where the radius of curvature (turning radius) of the road is less than or equal to a predetermined value (for example, about 30m), and generally represents a section that is recognized as a sharp curve. In a curved section where the vehicle's own lane is on the inside of the curve and the oncoming lane is on the outside, that is, a left curve section in a left-hand traffic section, the low beam cannot illuminate the oncoming lane far enough. Therefore, the right headlight 41 is first switched from low beam to high beam to illuminate the right-hand area in front of the vehicle, including the oncoming lane, far enough away.

[0044] The headlight control device 20 determines, for example, whether the vehicle is traveling through a curved section, and if so, whether it is a left curve or a right curve, based on current location information acquired by the positioning device 14 and road shape information input from the map information database 15. The headlight control device 20 can also determine whether the vehicle is traveling through a left curve section based on image data of the vehicle's surroundings acquired by the surrounding environment detection device 12.

[0045] C: Third control The headlight control device 20 executes a third control when the surrounding environment detection device 12 detects an obstacle that is subject to automatic braking control. In this case, the illumination range of the headlight device 40 changes as shown in Figure 3. Here, an obstacle subject to automatic braking control is an obstacle such as another vehicle or pedestrian that requires automatic braking control to be executed in order to avoid a collision between the obstacle and the vehicle. For example, lightweight flying objects do not qualify as target obstacles even if they are detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12. If the obstacle X has already been recognized by the brake control device 30, there is no delay in automatic braking control targeting the obstacle X, so the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are switched simultaneously to illuminate the illumination range with sufficient light intensity.

[0046] Furthermore, the headlight control device 20 performs a third control when the vehicle speed is in the high-speed range and the weather is bad with poor visibility. The headlight control device 20 determines that the vehicle speed is in the high-speed range when the vehicle speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 13 is approximately 50 km / h or higher. The headlight control device 20 is configured to acquire information on bad weather with poor visibility, such as rain, snow, or fog, based on image data of the vehicle's surroundings acquired by the surrounding environment detection device 12, or to acquire information on whether it is raining or snowing, for example, from the operating status of the wipers (not shown). At high speeds, the effective distance that can be illuminated by the low beams is shortened, so when the vehicle is traveling at high speed in an environment with poor visibility, the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are switched simultaneously to quickly switch to high beams.

[0047] The switching control of the illumination range of the headlight device 40 in this embodiment will be described in detail below using the flowchart in Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of switching control of the illumination range of the headlight device 40 in this embodiment. The process shown in Figure 4 is mainly executed periodically by the headlight control device 20.

[0048] In step S101, the headlight control device 20 determines whether there is a request to switch the illumination range of the headlight device 40 from low beam to high beam. If there is a request to switch manually or automatically from low beam to high beam, the process proceeds to step S102; if there is no request to switch, this process ends.

[0049] In step S102, the headlight control device 20 determines whether or not an obstacle subject to automatic brake control has been detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12. The headlight control device 20 may also obtain information regarding the presence or absence of an obstacle from the brake control device 30. If an obstacle is detected, the process proceeds to step S107; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0050] In step S103, the headlight control device 20 determines whether the vehicle speed is in the high-speed range and whether the weather is poor with poor visibility. If the vehicle speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 13 is, for example, in the high-speed range of approximately 50 km / h or more, and the surrounding environment of the vehicle is rain, snow, fog, etc. and visibility is poor, the device proceeds to step S107; otherwise, it proceeds to step S104.

[0051] In step S104, the headlight control device 20 determines whether the vehicle is traveling in a left curve section based on, for example, the current location information acquired by the positioning device 14 and the road shape information input from the map information database 15. If the vehicle is traveling in a left curve section, the process proceeds to step S105; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0052] In step S105, the headlight control device 20 switches the illumination range of the headlight device 40 according to the first control described above. That is, if no target obstacle is detected, the vehicle is traveling at a low speed or has good visibility, and is not in a left curve section, the headlight control device 20 switches the left headlight 42 first, and then switches the right headlight 41.

[0053] In step S106, the headlight control device 20 switches the illumination range of the headlight device 40 according to the second control described above. That is, if no target obstacle is detected, the vehicle is traveling at a low speed or has good visibility, and is in a left curve section, the headlight control device 20 switches the right headlight 41 first, and then switches the left headlight 42.

[0054] In step S107, the headlight control device 20 switches the illumination range of the headlight device 40 according to the third control described above. That is, if an obstacle is detected, or if it is a high-speed area with poor visibility, the headlight control device 20 switches the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 simultaneously. This completes the current process.

[0055] The vehicle control system 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, can achieve the following effects.

[0056] (1) The vehicle control system 1 includes a headlight device 40 that illuminates the front of the vehicle, an ambient environment detection device 12 that detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle, including obstacles present in front of the vehicle, a brake control device 30 that controls the braking force to perform automatic braking control according to the possibility of collision between the vehicle and obstacles detected by the ambient environment detection device 12, and a headlight control device 20 that controls the headlight device 40 to switch the illumination range between low beam and high beam. The headlight device 40 has a right headlight (first headlight) 41 located on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle and having a low beam filament and a high beam filament in one bulb, and a left headlight (second headlight) 42 located on the passenger side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle and having a low beam filament and a high beam filament in one bulb. The headlight control device 20 controls the headlight device 40 to independently switch the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam.

[0057] A so-called two-lamp headlight system 40, which has both a low-beam filament and a high-beam filament in a single bulb, is advantageous in terms of cost, but it generates a lot of heat, and it is not possible to energize both the low-beam and high-beam filaments simultaneously. Therefore, when switching between low beam and high beam, there is a moment when both the low beam and high beam are turned off. The time when both the low beam and high beam are turned off is very short and has little effect on the driver's visibility. However, in a vehicle control system 1 capable of performing automatic brake control, if the illumination from the headlight system 40 is insufficient in environments where the surrounding brightness of the vehicle is not sufficient, such as when driving on a road without streetlights at night, there is a possibility that the detection of obstacles will be delayed, and the brake control will be delayed. Therefore, in the vehicle control system 1 in this embodiment, the switching of the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 are performed independently in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam. This allows the vehicle's surroundings to be properly illuminated when switching between low and high beams, using a cost-effective two-lamp headlight system 40, so as not to cause any delay in automatic braking control.

[0058] (2) When the headlight control device 20 is set to an automatic illumination range switching mode (automatic switching mode) that automatically switches the headlight device 40 between low beam and high beam according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, the headlight control device 20 controls the headlight device 40 to independently switch the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle. In the automatic illumination range switching mode, the switching from low beam to high beam is performed automatically, so the illumination range will be switched at an unintended time for the driver. Therefore, by independently switching the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42, the area around the vehicle can be properly illuminated when switching from low beam to high beam.

[0059] (3) The illumination range of the headlight device 40 is designed such that, when viewed from inside the vehicle, the illumination range on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction is narrower than the illumination range on the passenger side. The headlight control device 20 performs a first control in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam, which involves switching the left headlight 42 and then the right headlight 41. As shown in Figure 2, the illumination range on the driver's side by the headlight device 40 is narrower than the illumination range on the passenger side, so obstacles X on the driver's side, i.e., on the opposing lane side, may be outside the illumination range and not be detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12. Therefore, by maintaining the illumination state of the right headlight 41 when the left headlight 42 momentarily turns off, obstacles X can be illuminated and reliably detected by the surrounding environment detection device 12. When the left headlight 42 is off, only the right headlight 41 is used for illumination, resulting in a decrease in light intensity. However, the right side in the vehicle width direction, i.e., the oncoming lane side, is well illuminated, allowing for rapid detection of obstacles that can be targeted by automatic braking control.

[0060] (4) When the vehicle is traveling on a road with multiple lanes, the headlight control device 20 performs a second control in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam, which involves switching the right headlight 41 and then switching the left headlight 42. On a road with multiple lanes, the vehicle is traveling in the left lane of the road, so it is desirable to be able to reliably grasp information about obstacles located on the left edge of the road. Therefore, by switching the right headlight 41 from low beam to high beam while the left headlight 42 remains illuminated, the left side of the road can be well illuminated by the left headlight 42, and obstacles that are targets for automatic braking control can be quickly detected.

[0061] (5) When the surrounding environment detection device 12 detects an obstacle that is subject to automatic brake control, the headlight control device 20 performs a third control in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam, simultaneously switching the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42. If the surrounding environment detection device 12 has already detected an obstacle that is subject to automatic brake control, the brake control device 30 recognizes the presence of the obstacle and retains that information, so there is no delay in automatic brake control targeting the obstacle. Therefore, by switching the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42 simultaneously, the illumination range is illuminated with sufficient light intensity by the right headlight 41 and the left headlight 42.

[0062] (6) When the vehicle is traveling in a curved section where the lane the vehicle is traveling in is on the inside of the curve and the oncoming lane is on the outside of the curve, the headlight control device 20 performs a second control in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam, which involves switching the right headlight 41 first, and then switching the left headlight 42. In a curved section where the vehicle's lane is on the inside of the curve and the oncoming lane is on the outside of the curve, i.e., a left curve section, the low beam cannot illuminate the oncoming lane far enough. Therefore, by switching the right headlight 41 from low beam to high beam first, the right-hand area in front of the vehicle, including the oncoming lane, can be illuminated far enough, thereby enabling rapid detection of obstacles that are targets for automatic braking control.

[0063] -Variations- (1) In the above-described embodiment, the traffic arrangement for left-hand traffic was explained as an example. In the case of right-hand traffic, the left headlight 42 is a first headlight located on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and the right headlight 41 is a second headlight located on the passenger side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle.

[0064] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the illumination range of the headlight device 40 was designed such that the area on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction is narrower than the area on the passenger side when viewed from inside the vehicle. However, it is not limited to this, and the driver's side area and the passenger side area of ​​the illumination range in the vehicle width direction may be the same (symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle).

[0065] (3) In the embodiments described above, the vehicle control system 1 is configured as a system that performs automatic brake control (collision damage mitigation brake control) according to the possibility of collision between the vehicle and an obstacle. However, it is not limited to this, and the vehicle control system 1 may be configured as a system that performs deceleration control and steering control to avoid a collision when a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle is predicted. Alternatively, the vehicle control system 1 may be configured as a system that does not perform deceleration control and / or steering control according to the possibility of collision between the vehicle and an obstacle, but only performs switching control of the illumination range of the headlight device 40 by the headlight control device 20.

[0066] (4) The headlight device 40 does not have to be a halogen headlight, as long as it is a two-lamp light with a low-beam filament and a high-beam filament in one bulb.

[0067] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various further modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 1. Vehicle control system 12. Ambient Environment Detection Device 20 Headlight control device 30 Brake control device 40 Headlight unit, 41 Right headlight, 42 Left headlight 50 Brake system

Claims

1. A headlight system that illuminates the front of the vehicle, An ambient environment detection device that detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle, including obstacles located in front of the vehicle, A brake control device that controls the braking force to perform automatic braking control according to the possibility of collision between the vehicle and an obstacle detected by the surrounding environment detection device, A headlight control device that controls the headlight device to switch the illumination range between low beam and high beam. Equipped with, The headlight device comprises a first headlight positioned on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle and having a low-beam filament and a high-beam filament in one bulb, and a second headlight positioned on the passenger side in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle and having a low-beam filament and a high-beam filament in one bulb, The headlight control device is a vehicle control system that controls the headlight device to independently switch the first headlight and the second headlight in response to a request to switch from low beam to high beam.

2. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the headlight control device is set to an automatic switching mode that automatically switches the headlight device between low beam and high beam according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle, and the headlight device is controlled to independently switch the first headlight and the second headlight in response to the switching request from low beam to high beam according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle.

3. The illumination range of the aforementioned headlight device is designed such that, when viewed from inside the vehicle, the illumination range on the driver's side in the vehicle width direction is narrower than the illumination range on the passenger side. The vehicle control system according to claim 1, wherein the headlight control device performs a first control in which, in response to the request to switch from low beam to high beam, the second headlight is switched and then the first headlight is switched.

4. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the headlight control device, when the vehicle is traveling on a road with multiple lanes, performs a second control in which it switches the first headlight and then switches the second headlight in response to the request to switch from low beam to high beam.

5. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the headlight control device, when an obstacle subject to automatic braking control is detected by the surrounding environment detection device, performs a third control that simultaneously switches the first headlight and the second headlight in response to the request to switch from low beam to high beam.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 3, wherein the headlight control device performs a second control in response to the request to switch from low beam to high beam when the vehicle is traveling in a curved section where the lane the vehicle is traveling in is on the inside of the curve and the oncoming lane is on the outside of the curve, by switching the first headlight and then switching the second headlight.

Images