Vehicle lighting control system, control method for vehicle lighting control system, and program

Abstract

By determining whether or not dimming control is possible based on the likelihood of collision, the system suppresses the decrease in recognition accuracy of the target of illumination control due to dimming control under inappropriate circumstances. [Solution] A vehicle lighting control system that suppresses glare from an illumination target by controlling the illumination of the vehicle's lights when an illumination target is detected in front of the vehicle, and includes a lighting control unit that determines whether or not to perform dimming control on the illumination target based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the illumination target.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting control system, a control method for a vehicle lighting control system, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a technical document related to a vehicle lighting control system, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-101069 is known. This publication discloses a control device that performs dimming control using a light distribution map corresponding to the steering angle in dimming control for improving visibility at night and preventing glare to others. In this control device, by using a light distribution map corresponding to the steering angle, glare to the vehicle ahead can be suppressed even when passing through a curved road, and the forward visibility can be improved.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, as a result of performing dimming control on an irradiation control target such as a pedestrian, the recognition accuracy of the irradiation control target may decrease, which may adversely affect vehicle control based on the recognition of the irradiation control target. Therefore, it is desirable to determine whether dimming control is possible according to the situation.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle lighting control system that performs dimming control to suppress glare of an irradiation control target by controlling the irradiation of light by a vehicle lighting device when detecting an irradiation control target in front of the vehicle, the vehicle lighting control system including a lighting control unit that determines whether dimming control for the irradiation control target is possible based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the irradiation control target.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, when a target for illumination control is detected in front of the vehicle, dimming control can be performed to suppress glare from the target by controlling the illumination of light by the vehicle's lights. Furthermore, by providing a lighting control unit that determines whether or not to perform dimming control on the target based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the target, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the recognition accuracy of the target due to dimming control under inappropriate circumstances.

[0007] In a vehicle lighting control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the lighting control unit does not need to perform dimming control for the target of illumination control when there is a high probability of collision. According to this vehicle lighting control system, if there is a high probability of collision, it is determined that dimming control will not be performed on the target of illumination control. This avoids a decrease in the accuracy of recognizing targets with a high probability of collision due to dimming control, thereby improving the driving safety of vehicles at night.

[0008] In a vehicle lighting control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the lighting control unit may reduce the amount of dimming control applied to the illumination control target when the collision probability is moderate, compared to when the collision probability is low. This vehicle lighting control system reduces the amount of light reduction when the collision probability is moderate compared to when the collision probability is low, thereby suppressing glare on the target of illumination control while making it easier to ensure the recognition accuracy of the target of illumination control.

[0009] In a vehicle lighting control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the lighting control unit may reduce the amount of dimming control applied to the target of illumination control as the likelihood of collision increases. According to this vehicle lighting control system, the amount of dimming applied to the target of illumination control is reduced as the likelihood of collision increases, thereby suppressing glare on the target of illumination control while making it easier to ensure the accuracy of the target of illumination control.

[0010] In a vehicle lighting control system according to one aspect of the present invention, the lighting control unit may perform brightness enhancement control on a portion of the illumination control target where glare does not occur, when there is a high probability of collision. This vehicle lighting control system improves the accuracy of recognizing targets with a high probability of collision by applying increased brightness control to areas where glare does not occur when there is a high probability of collision.

[0011] In a vehicle lighting control system according to one aspect of the present invention, if the object to be illuminated is in motion, the possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the object to be illuminated may be determined based on the predicted path of the object to be illuminated and the path of the vehicle. This vehicle lighting control system allows for a more accurate determination of collision probability by comparing the predicted path based on the detection results with the vehicle's path when the target of illumination control is moving.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is a control method for a vehicle lighting control system that, when it detects an illumination control target in front of the vehicle, performs dimming control to suppress glare from the illumination control target by controlling the illumination of the vehicle's lighting equipment, wherein it determines whether or not dimming control is possible based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the illumination control target.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, a control method for a vehicle lighting control system can be used to suppress glare from an illuminated target by controlling the illumination of the vehicle's lights when an illuminated target located in front of the vehicle is detected. Furthermore, by determining whether or not to perform dimming control on the illuminated target based on the likelihood of a collision between the vehicle and the illuminated target, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the recognition accuracy of the illuminated target due to dimming control under inappropriate circumstances.

[0014] A further aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a vehicle's computer to perform dimming control to suppress glare from an illumination-controlled object by controlling the illumination of the vehicle's lights when an illumination-controlled object is detected in front of the vehicle, wherein the computer operates as a lighting control unit that determines whether or not dimming control is possible based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the illumination-controlled object.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, when a target for illumination control is detected in front of the vehicle, dimming control can be performed to suppress glare from the target by controlling the illumination of light from the vehicle's lights. Furthermore, by determining whether or not dimming control can be applied to the target based on the likelihood of a collision between the vehicle and the target, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the recognition accuracy of the target due to dimming control under inappropriate circumstances. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to each aspect of the present invention, by determining whether or not dimming control is possible based on the possibility of collision, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the recognition accuracy of the target of irradiation control due to dimming control under inappropriate circumstances. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing a vehicle lighting control system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a situation where a pedestrian, who is the target of irradiation control, is standing still. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a situation where a pedestrian, who is the target of the irradiation control, is moving laterally toward the road. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a situation where a pedestrian, who is the target of the light control, is attempting to cross the road. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of a dimming control process. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows an example of the process for setting the area to be dimmed.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle lighting control system 100 according to an embodiment. The vehicle lighting control system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as a passenger car or a freight car, and is a system for controlling the light irradiation by the high-definition headlamp 7 of the vehicle. The vehicle may be a vehicle having an automatic driving function.

[0020] The vehicle lighting control system 100 has a function of detecting an irradiation control target such as a pedestrian or a bicycle in a nighttime or low-illuminance space, and performing dimming control to reduce glare to these targets. Further, the vehicle lighting control system 100 has a function of determining whether dimming control is possible based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the irradiation control target. The irradiation control target may include other vehicles.

[0021] The dimming control for the irradiation control target may be a part of the function of ADB [Adaptive Driving Beam], or may be a function different from ADB. The dimming control is executed when the high-definition headlamp 7 of the vehicle is lit. The dimming control may be executed only when the high-definition headlamp 7 is in the high beam mode, or may be executed without distinguishing between the high beam and the low beam. Well-known conditions can be adopted as the start conditions of the dimming control.

[0022] [Configuration of Vehicle Lighting Control System] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle lighting control system 100 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10 that comprehensively manages the system. The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory unit. The memory unit consists of, for example, ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The ECU 10 realizes various functions by, for example, executing a program stored in the memory unit with the CPU. The ECU 10 may be composed of multiple electronic units.

[0023] The ECU10 is connected to the front camera 1, vehicle speed sensor 2, steering angle sensor 3, height sensor 4, GNSS receiver 5, map database 6, high-definition headlamp 7, and HMI 8.

[0024] Front camera 1 is a camera that captures images of the area in front of the vehicle. Front camera 1 captures images of the direction of illumination of the high-definition headlamp 7. Front camera 1 transmits the captured images to the ECU 10. Vehicle speed sensor 2 detects the vehicle speed and transmits that information to the ECU 10. Steering angle sensor 3 detects the vehicle's steering angle and transmits that information to the ECU 10.

[0025] The height sensor 4 is a sensor for detecting the vehicle's ride height. The height sensor 4 detects changes in ride height in response to changes in the vehicle's front-to-rear tilt and load. Specifically, the height sensor 4 is attached to the vehicle's suspension system and detects changes in ride height when the vehicle's ride height changes due to loading cargo or passengers getting in and out. The height sensor 4 transmits ride height information to the ECU 10.

[0026] The GNSS receiver 5 receives signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and determines the vehicle's position. The GNSS receiver 5 may also be part of the GPS (Global Positioning System). The GNSS receiver 5 transmits the measured vehicle position information to the ECU 10.

[0027] The map database 6 is a database that stores map information. The map database 6 is formed in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) installed in a vehicle. The map information includes road location information, road shape information (e.g., types of curves and straight sections, curvature of curves, etc.), and location information of intersections and junctions. The map information may also include traffic regulation information such as legal speed limits associated with the location information. The map database 6 may also be formed on an external server that can communicate with the vehicle.

[0028] The high-definition headlamp 7 is the headlight (headlamp) of the vehicle. The high-definition headlamp 7 is composed of, for example, micro-LEDs or matrix LEDs, and is configured to adjust the amount of light emitted in a specific direction (specific area) according to instructions from the ECU 10. The high-definition headlamp 7 can individually control a large number of minute light sources and has a resolution of, for example, about 20,000. Note that the vehicle lighting equipment controlled by the vehicle lighting control system 100 is not limited to the high-definition headlamp 7. Any vehicle lighting equipment that can adjust the amount of light emitted in a specific direction (specific area) according to instructions from the ECU 10 is acceptable.

[0029] HMI8 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between ECU10 and the driver. HMI8 includes, for example, a display and speakers installed in the vehicle cabin. HMI8 outputs images from the display and audio from the speakers in response to control signals from ECU10. The display may be a MID (Multi-Information Display) or a HUD (Head-Up Display). HMI8 may also be equipped with various indicators. Note that ECU10 does not necessarily need to be connected to the height sensor 4, GNSS receiver 5, map database 6, and HMI8.

[0030] Next, the functional configuration of the ECU 10 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the ECU 10 includes an illumination control target detection unit 11, a collision possibility determination unit 12, a control target area setting unit 13, and a lighting control unit 14. Note that some of the processing of these ECU 10 units may be performed on an external server.

[0031] The irradiation control target detection unit 11 detects an irradiation control target located in front of the vehicle based on image data acquired from the front camera 1. The irradiation control target detection unit 11 may detect the irradiation control target using a machine learning algorithm or a deep learning-based algorithm, or it may detect the irradiation control target using a rule-based algorithm.

[0032] Specifically, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 receives image data transmitted from the front camera 1 and detects the irradiation control target using image recognition technology. First, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 performs image preprocessing on the image data, such as noise reduction and contrast adjustment. This improves the quality of the image data and increases the accuracy of recognition of the irradiation control target.

[0033] Next, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 extracts features from the pre-processed image data. Features such as HOG (Histogram of Oriented Gradients) and SIFT (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform) are used. These features are used to represent the shape and texture of the irradiation control target. After the features are extracted, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 detects the irradiation control target using machine learning or deep learning techniques. For example, machine learning algorithms such as Support Vector Machines (SVM) or Random Forests are used to detect the irradiation control target from the features. Deep learning-based algorithms such as CNN (Convolutional Neural Network), YOLO (You Only Look Once), and SSD (Single Shot Multi Box Detector) may also be used.

[0034] The irradiation control target detection unit 11 sets a target area based on the detected position information of the irradiation control target and tracks the irradiation control target across consecutive image frames. Color-based tracking methods and optical flow methods are employed for tracking the irradiation control target. This allows for accurate determination of the irradiation control target's position even when it is moving. Furthermore, the direction of the irradiation control target's movement can be determined.

[0035] The irradiation control target detection unit 11 determines whether the detected irradiation control target is a pedestrian or a bicycle. Various algorithms and pattern matching techniques are used for this purpose. For example, the type of irradiation control target is determined based on the characteristic shape and movement of a pedestrian, or the shape and movement of a bicycle.

[0036] Furthermore, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 may also detect the pedestrian's head and recognize the direction of the pedestrian's face. This makes it possible to determine whether the pedestrian is facing the direction of the vehicle's movement or another direction. The direction of the pedestrian's face is important information for predicting the pedestrian's intentions and actions.

[0037] The irradiation control target detection unit 11 may determine the direction of movement of the pedestrian. For example, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 determines that the irradiation control target is moving laterally if the pedestrian's longitudinal speed is less than a certain value and the pedestrian's lateral speed is greater than or equal to a certain value. The longitudinal direction is the front-to-back direction of the vehicle, that is, the direction facing the vehicle or the direction facing away from the vehicle.

[0038] Similarly, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 may determine that the irradiation control target is moving vertically if its vertical velocity is above a certain value and its horizontal velocity is below a certain value. The irradiation control target detection unit 11 may also predict the pedestrian's path based on the pedestrian detection result. For example, the irradiation control target detection unit 11 may predict the path a pedestrian is about to take to cross the road. The prediction of face orientation, direction of movement, and path described above can also be performed in the same way when the irradiation control target is a bicycle.

[0039] The collision possibility determination unit 12 determines the possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the target of illumination control. Specifically, the collision possibility determination unit 12 predicts the vehicle's path based on information from the vehicle speed sensor 2, steering angle sensor 3, GNSS receiver 5, and map database 6. The collision possibility determination unit 12 calculates the possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the target of illumination control based on the predicted vehicle path and the predicted path of the target of illumination control detected by the illumination control target detection unit 11.

[0040] The collision possibility determination unit 12 determines, for example, whether the vehicle's path and the path of the light-controlled object intersect, or whether the light-controlled object is moving toward the vehicle's path. The collision possibility determination unit 12 determines that if the light-controlled object is moving toward the vehicle's path, the collision possibility is higher than if the light-controlled object were not moving toward the vehicle's path. On the other hand, if the light-controlled object is moving away from the vehicle's path, the collision possibility is determined to be low.

[0041] The collision possibility determination unit 12 may determine the collision possibility in three stages: high, medium, and low. The collision possibility determination unit 12 determines that the collision possibility is high if the collision possibility is equal to or greater than the first threshold. The collision possibility determination unit 12 determines that the collision possibility is medium if the collision possibility is less than the first threshold but equal to or greater than the second threshold. The second threshold has a value smaller than the first threshold. The collision possibility determination unit 12 determines that the collision possibility is low if the collision possibility is less than the first threshold.

[0042] The collision possibility determination unit 12 may use machine learning algorithms or deep learning algorithms to calculate or determine the possibility of collision. For example, the collision possibility determination unit 12 may use the vehicle's trajectory and the trajectory of the illumination-controlled object as inputs to determine the possibility of collision using machine learning algorithms or deep learning algorithms. The collision possibility determination unit 12 may also use the vehicle's speed and steering angle and the detection result of the illumination-controlled object as inputs to determine the possibility of collision using machine learning algorithms or deep learning algorithms without performing trajectory prediction. The method for calculating and determining the possibility of collision is not limited to the above, and well-known methods can be adopted. The collision possibility determination unit 12 may determine the possibility of collision in two stages, high and low, or in four or more stages.

[0043] The control target area setting unit 13 sets a dimming target area for dimming control for the illumination control target if it is not determined that there is a high probability of collision (for example, if the probability of collision is determined to be moderate or low). Specifically, the control target area setting unit 13 sets a dimming target area including the head of the illumination control target based on the position information of the illumination control target provided by the illumination control target detection unit 11. The dimming target area is an area in which the light intensity of the high-definition headlamp 7 is reduced in order to suppress glare for the illumination control target. The dimming target area only needs to include the head of the illumination control target, such as a pedestrian or cyclist, and may also include the upper body or the entire body of the illumination control target.

[0044] The controlled area setting unit 13 may change the dimming target area depending on the direction of movement of the illumination-controlled object or the orientation of the illumination-controlled object. Changing the dimming target area includes changing the size of the dimming target area or changing the shape of the dimming target area. For example, if the illumination-controlled object is moving laterally as viewed from the vehicle, the controlled area setting unit 13 sets the lateral width of the dimming target area to be larger than when the illumination-controlled object is not moving laterally.

[0045] Here, Figure 2 shows an example of a situation where a pedestrian, who is the target of illumination control, is standing still. Figure 2 shows the road R on which the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle's path C, the standing pedestrian P1, and the dimming target area TA. It also shows the lateral width W and height H of the rectangular dimming target area TA. As shown in Figure 2, the control target area setting unit 13 sets the dimming target area TA to include the face and upper body of the standing pedestrian P1, for example.

[0046] Figure 3 shows an example of a situation where a pedestrian, who is the target of illumination control, is moving laterally toward the road. Lateral direction refers to the direction sideways from the perspective of the vehicle. Lateral direction corresponds to the width direction of the vehicle. Figure 3 shows a pedestrian P2 moving laterally, the path CP of pedestrian P2, and the dimming target area TB. As shown in Figure 3, the control target area setting unit 13 sets a larger dimming target area TB for pedestrian P2 moving laterally compared to pedestrian P1 in Figure 2. The dimming target area TB is the area that includes the face and upper body of pedestrian P2. Note that pedestrian P2 shown in Figure 3 is not determined to have a high probability of colliding with a vehicle.

[0047] The control target area setting unit 13 sets the width W of the dimming target area TB for a pedestrian P2 moving laterally to be larger than the dimming target area TA for a stationary pedestrian P1. The control target area setting unit 13 may set the height H of the dimming target area TA and the dimming target area TB to be the same. In other words, the control target area setting unit 13 may make the dimming target area TB a horizontally elongated rectangle compared to the dimming target area TA. This reduces the possibility that the face of a pedestrian P2 moving laterally will be outside the dimming target area TB and cause glare. In this case, the lateral direction may be the direction away from the roadway R on which vehicles are traveling.

[0048] The control target area setting unit 13 may set the dimming target area TB so that both the width W and height H are larger than the dimming target area TA in Figure 2 if the pedestrian P2 is moving diagonally rather than directly sideways. The control target area setting unit 13 may tilt the dimming target area TB so that the direction of movement of the pedestrian P2 matches the width direction of the dimming target area TB. The control target area setting unit 13 may change the dimming target area TB so that the area extends in the direction of movement of the pedestrian P2.

[0049] The control target area setting unit 13 may change the size and shape of the dimming target area for a pedestrian moving vertically compared to the dimming target area TA for a stationary pedestrian P1. For example, the control target area setting unit 13 may set the height H of the dimming target area for a pedestrian moving vertically to be larger than the dimming target area TA for a stationary pedestrian P1. The control target area setting unit 13 may also increase the width W of the dimming target area for a pedestrian moving vertically compared to the dimming target area TA, or it may not change it. The width W of the dimming target area for a pedestrian moving vertically may also be decreased. This reduces the possibility that the face of a pedestrian moving vertically will move outside the dimming target area and cause glare.

[0050] The control target area setting unit 13 may be set so that even when the irradiation control target is not moving laterally, when the irradiation control target is facing laterally, the lateral width of the dimming target area is larger than when the irradiation control target is not facing laterally. Specifically, in the case of a stationary pedestrian P1 shown in Figure 2, the control target area setting unit 13 may be set so that when the pedestrian P1's face is facing laterally, the width W of the dimming target area TA is larger than when the pedestrian P1's face is not facing laterally.

[0051] The control target area setting unit 13 may also apply the change in width W based on the direction of the face even when the pedestrian P1 is moving in the vertical direction (for example, when moving in the front-to-back direction of the vehicle, away from the vehicle). Even when the pedestrian P1 is moving in the vertical direction, if the pedestrian P1's face is facing sideways, the control target area setting unit 13 may set the width W of the dimming target area TA to be larger than when the pedestrian P1 is not facing sideways, because the pedestrian P1 may change its direction of movement to the sideways.

[0052] Furthermore, the control target area setting unit 13 may increase the size of the dimming target area when the target of illumination control is a bicycle compared to when the target of illumination control is a pedestrian. This is because bicycles move at a faster speed than pedestrians.

[0053] The control target area setting unit 13 may set a light-enhancing target area for the illumination control target if it determines that there is a high probability of collision. The control target area setting unit 13 sets a light-enhancing target area for a part of the illumination control target that does not produce glare on the illumination control target. Here, Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which a pedestrian, who is the illumination control target, is about to cross a road. In Figure 4, the pedestrian P3 and the light-enhancing target area TC are shown on the road R, moving laterally. Assume that the collision probability determination unit 12 has determined that there is a high probability of collision with the vehicle for the pedestrian P3 shown in Figure 4.

[0054] In this case, the control target area setting unit 13 sets the light-enhancing target area TC for the body portion of pedestrian P3 so as not to include the head of pedestrian P3. The control target area setting unit 13 sets the light-enhancing target area TC not to include the head in order to avoid increasing the probability of glare occurring for pedestrian P3 due to the light-enhancing. The light-enhancing target area TC may be an area that includes the lower half of pedestrian P3's body up to the feet, or an area that includes the entire body from the neck down. If the illumination control target is a bicycle, the light-enhancing target area TC does not need to include the head of the person riding the bicycle. The light-enhancing target area TC may be an area that includes only the bicycle portion excluding the person riding the bicycle, or an area that includes the legs of the person riding the bicycle, etc. The control target area setting unit 13 may also set the light-dimming target area based on the determination of whether or not dimming control is possible in the lighting control unit 14, which will be described later. The same applies to the light-enhancing target area.

[0055] The lighting control unit 14 controls the vehicle's high-definition headlamps 7. Based on the collision possibility between the vehicle and the illumination control target determined by the collision possibility determination unit 12, the lighting control unit 14 determines whether or not to perform dimming control on the illumination control target.

[0056] If the lighting control unit 14 determines that there is a high probability of collision between the vehicle and the target of illumination control, it decides not to perform dimming control for the target of illumination control. In this case, the lighting control unit 14 may perform brightening control for the target of illumination control. Brightening control is a control that improves the recognition accuracy of the target of illumination control by the front camera 1 by increasing the amount of light emitted by the high-definition headlamp 7 to the target of illumination control with a high probability of collision. The lighting control unit 14 precisely adjusts the amount of light for a specific area by individually controlling each light source of the high-definition headlamp 7, which is composed of, for example, micro LEDs and matrix LEDs.

[0057] The lighting control unit 14 performs a brightness-enhancing control to increase the amount of light emitted by the high-definition headlamp 7 to the brightening target area set by the control target area setting unit 13. The increase in light intensity may be a constant value, or it may be increased until the reliability of detection by the front camera 1 exceeds a predetermined value. The reliability of detection by the front camera 1 can be calculated from the image features using a well-known method, for example, a machine learning algorithm such as a support vector machine or random forest, or a deep learning-based algorithm. When performing brightness-enhancing control, the vehicle lighting control system 100 may notify the vehicle driver via the HMI 8 that the amount of light emitted to the target area will be increased. The vehicle lighting control system 100 may notify by displaying an image or text on the HMI 8 display, or by outputting audio from a speaker.

[0058] The lighting control unit 14 enables the forward camera 1 to more accurately detect the target of illumination control through brightness enhancement control, allowing the vehicle's driving assistance systems, such as PCS (Pre-Crash Safety), to be properly executed. PCS is a system that provides a function to automatically apply the brakes when there is a high risk of collision, and its effectiveness can be enhanced by improving the accuracy of recognition of the target of illumination control.

[0059] If the lighting control unit 14 determines that there is no high probability of collision between the vehicle and the illumination control target (for example, if the probability of collision is moderate or low), it performs dimming control for the illumination control target. For example, the lighting control unit 14 gradually reduces the amount of light from the high-definition headlamp 7 in the dimming target area of ​​the illumination control target.

[0060] The lighting control unit 14 may change the amount of dimming in the dimming control based on the likelihood of collision between the vehicle and the target of illumination control. When the likelihood of collision is moderate, the lighting control unit 14 may reduce the amount of dimming control applied to the target of illumination control compared to when the likelihood of collision is low. For example, if the lighting control unit 14 determines that the likelihood of collision is higher the closer the pedestrian P2 in Figure 3 is to the road R, it can reduce the amount of dimming control applied to the pedestrian P2 the closer the pedestrian P2 is to the road R, thereby avoiding a decrease in the detection accuracy of the front camera 1 due to dimming.

[0061] Similarly, the lighting control unit 14 may reduce the amount of dimming control applied to the target of illumination control as the likelihood of collision increases. In this case as well, by appropriately reducing the amount of light applied to the target of illumination control, glare can be suppressed while avoiding a decrease in the detection accuracy of the front camera 1 due to dimming in accordance with the likelihood of collision.

[0062] [program] The program causes the ECU 10 (computer) to function (operate) as the illumination control target detection unit 11, collision possibility determination unit 12, control target area setting unit 13, and lighting control unit 14 described above. The program is provided, for example, by a non-temporary recording medium such as ROM or semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the program may be provided via wireless communication from a network or the like.

[0063] [Control method for vehicle lighting control system] Next, the control method of the vehicle lighting control system 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the dimming control process. The dimming control process is executed when the high-definition headlamp 7 is switched to high beam when the vehicle user has turned on the dimming control function.

[0064] As shown in Figure 5, in step S10, the ECU 10 detects an irradiation control target using the irradiation control target detection unit 11 based on image data acquired from the front camera 1. If no irradiation control target is detected, the ECU 10 terminates the dimming control process. On the other hand, if an irradiation control target is detected, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S11.

[0065] In step S11, the ECU 10 uses the collision possibility determination unit 12 to calculate the likelihood of a collision between the vehicle and the target of illumination control, based on information from the vehicle speed sensor 2, steering angle sensor 3, GNSS receiver 5, and map database 6. Specifically, the collision possibility is calculated based on whether the vehicle's path and the target of illumination control intersect, or whether the target of illumination control is moving toward the vehicle's path.

[0066] Next, in step S12, the ECU 10 determines whether there is a high probability of collision. If it is determined that there is a high probability of collision, the ECU 10 terminates the dimming control process without performing dimming control.

[0067] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the likelihood of collision is not high, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the ECU 10 determines whether the likelihood of collision is low. If it is determined that the likelihood of collision is low, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the ECU 10 uses the control target area setting unit 13 to set the dimming target area for the illumination control target. Subsequently, in step S15, the ECU 10 uses the light control unit 14 to perform dimming control on the illumination control target using the high-definition headlamp 7. This suppresses glare on the illumination control target. After that, the ECU 10 terminates the dimming control process.

[0068] If it is determined in step S13 that the probability of collision is not low, that is, if it is determined that the probability of collision is moderate, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S16. In step S16, the ECU 10 uses the control target area setting unit 13 to set the dimming target area for the illumination control target. Subsequently, in step S17, the ECU 10 uses the lighting control unit 14 to perform dimming control with a reduced amount of dimming. This is dimming control with a reduced amount of dimming compared to step S15. This makes it possible to avoid a decrease in the detection accuracy of the front camera 1 due to dimming depending on the probability of collision. After that, the ECU 10 terminates the dimming control process.

[0069] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the process for setting the dimming target area. The dimming target area setting process shown in Figure 6 is performed, for example, in steps S14 and S16 of Figure 5.

[0070] As shown in Figure 6, first, in step S20, the ECU 10 determines whether the irradiation-controlled object is moving laterally. If it is determined that the irradiation-controlled object is moving laterally, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S21.

[0071] In step S21, the ECU 10 sets a dimming target area that has been expanded laterally. Specifically, when the target being illuminated is moving laterally, the dimming target area is expanded to take into account the range of movement, so that the target being illuminated does not move out of the dimming target area and appropriate dimming control is always performed. This effectively suppresses glare on the target being illuminated. After that, the ECU 10 finishes the dimming target area setting process.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S20 that the target of illumination control is not moving laterally, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S22. In step S22, the ECU 10 determines whether the target of illumination control is facing laterally. Facing laterally means that the face of the pedestrian or cyclist, who is the target of illumination control, is facing left or right from the perspective of the vehicle. If it is determined that the target of illumination control is facing laterally, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S23.

[0073] In step S23, the ECU 10 sets a dimming target area that is slightly expanded horizontally. Specifically, if the target being illuminated is facing sideways, the dimming target area is set to be slightly wider than the normal dimming target area so that its face and upper body do not fall outside the dimming target area. This allows for appropriate dimming control and suppression of glare on the target being illuminated, even when the target is facing sideways. The dimming target area set in step S23 can have a shorter width W compared to the dimming target area set in step S22. After that, the ECU 10 finishes the dimming target area setting process.

[0074] If step S22 determines that the target of irradiation control is not facing sideways, the ECU 10 proceeds to step S24. In step S24, the ECU 10 sets the normal dimming target area. Specifically, if the target of irradiation control is not moving sideways or is not facing sideways, it sets the dimming target area of ​​the normal size. The normal size is, for example, the initial size. After that, the ECU 10 finishes the dimming target area setting process.

[0075] According to the vehicle lighting control system 100 described above, when a target for illumination control is detected in front of the vehicle, dimming control can be performed to suppress glare from the target by controlling the illumination of light by the vehicle's high-definition headlamps 7. Furthermore, by providing a lighting control unit that determines whether or not to perform dimming control on the target based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the target, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the recognition accuracy of the target due to dimming control under inappropriate circumstances.

[0076] Specifically, the vehicle lighting control system 100 can avoid a decrease in the recognition accuracy of targets with a high probability of collision by determining that dimming control will not be performed when there is a high probability of collision, thereby improving the driving safety of the vehicle.

[0077] Furthermore, according to the vehicle lighting control system 100, by reducing the amount of dimming when the collision probability is moderate compared to when the collision probability is low, it is possible to suppress glare on the target of illumination control while making it easier to ensure the recognition accuracy of the target of illumination control. The same applies when the amount of dimming control for the target of illumination control is reduced as the collision probability increases.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the vehicle lighting control system 100, when there is a high probability of collision, the accuracy of recognizing the illumination target with a high probability of collision can be improved by performing brightness enhancement control on a part of the illumination target that does not produce glare (for example, the body), thereby improving the driving safety of the vehicle.

[0079] Furthermore, according to the vehicle lighting control system 100, when the object to be illuminated is moving, the system can determine the possibility of collision by comparing the predicted path based on the detection results with the vehicle's path, thereby enabling a more accurate determination of the possibility of collision.

[0080] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The present invention can be implemented in various forms, starting with the embodiments described above, by making various changes and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0081] The vehicle lighting control system 100 does not necessarily need to change the dimming area according to the direction of movement or the orientation of the illuminated object. The control target area setting unit 13 may set a dimming area of ​​a fixed size regardless of the direction of movement or the orientation of the illuminated object. The vehicle lighting control system 100 can perform dimming or brightening control individually for multiple illuminated objects. The vehicle lighting control system 100 may perform brightening control on illuminated objects with a high probability of collision with a vehicle, and dimming control on illuminated objects with a low probability of collision with a vehicle, among the multiple illuminated objects located within the illumination range of the high-definition headlamp 7.

[0082] The vehicle lighting control system 100 may perform dimming control on the illumination target even when there is a high probability of collision. When there is a high probability of collision, the vehicle lighting control system 100 may perform dimming control with a significantly smaller amount of dimming compared to when there is no high probability of collision. In this case, the vehicle lighting control system 100 may perform both dimming control on the dimming target area including the face and brightening control on the brightening target area not including the face for the illumination target determined to have a high probability of collision.

[0083] The vehicle lighting control system 100 may take into account the weather conditions around the vehicle when performing dimming or brightening control. The lighting control unit 14 can recognize the weather conditions, for example, by using a vehicle rain sensor, wiper operation status, or by acquiring weather information from an external server. When it is raining or foggy, glare is less likely to occur on the target of illumination control, but the accuracy of recognition of the target by the front camera 1 is likely to decrease. For this reason, the vehicle lighting control system 100 may not perform dimming control in adverse weather conditions such as rain or fog.

[0084] On the other hand, the vehicle lighting control system 100 may lower the collision possibility determination threshold and perform brightening control even for illumination targets that are a short distance from the vehicle. Also, the vehicle lighting control system 100 may set a higher value for the amount of light in brightening control during bad weather such as rain or fog compared to when there is no bad weather. Although pedestrians and bicycles are given as examples of illumination targets, the illumination targets during brightening control may also include animals such as dogs, cats, and deer, as well as objects on the road such as parked vehicles and fallen objects. Even when the illumination target is an animal, the brightening target area can be set to a part that does not cause glare by avoiding the face.

[0085] The vehicle lighting control system 100 may change the dimming area according to the speed of movement when the object to be illuminated is moving. The vehicle lighting control system 100 may increase the size of the dimming area as the speed of movement of the object to be illuminated increases, or change the shape of the dimming area so that it extends in the direction of movement as the speed of movement of the object to be illuminated increases. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 1...Front camera, 2...Vehicle speed sensor, 3...Steering angle sensor, 4...Height sensor, 5...GNSS receiver, 6...Map database, 7...High-definition headlamp, 8...HMI, 10...ECU, 11...Illumination control target detection unit, 12...Collision possibility determination unit, 13...Control target area setting unit, 14...Lighting control unit, 100...Vehicle lighting control system.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting control system that, when it detects an illumination control target in front of the vehicle, controls the illumination of the vehicle's lighting devices to suppress glare from the illumination control target, A vehicle lighting control system comprising a lighting control unit that determines whether or not to perform the dimming control on the illumination control target based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the illumination control target.

2. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting control unit does not perform the dimming control for the target of illumination control when there is a high probability of collision.

3. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting control unit reduces the amount of dimming control for the target of illumination control when the collision probability is moderate, compared to when the collision probability is low.

4. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 2, wherein the lighting control unit reduces the amount of dimming control applied to the target of illumination control as the likelihood of collision increases.

5. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lighting control unit performs a light-enhancing control on a portion of the illumination control target that does not produce glare on the illumination control target when there is a high probability of collision.

6. The vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the illumination control target is in motion, the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the illumination control target is determined based on the predicted path from the detection result of the illumination control target and the path of the vehicle.

7. A control method for a vehicle lighting control system that, when it detects an illumination control target in front of the vehicle, controls the illumination of the vehicle's lighting devices to suppress glare from the illumination control target, wherein the system performs dimming control, A control method for a vehicle lighting control system, wherein the vehicle lighting control system determines whether or not to perform the dimming control based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the target of illumination control.

8. A program that causes the vehicle's computer to operate to perform dimming control to suppress glare from an illuminated target in front of the vehicle by controlling the illumination of the vehicle's lights when an illuminated target is detected in front of the vehicle, A program that operates the computer as a lighting control unit that determines whether or not to perform the dimming control based on the possibility of collision between the vehicle and the target of illumination control.

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