Light distribution control device and light distribution control method

Abstract

The objective of the present invention is to provide a technology that enables a driver to perform appropriate coordinated illumination. The light distribution control device includes a control unit having a plurality of emphasis illumination modes that causes the lighting device to perform emphasis illumination based on at least one of the information acquired by the information acquisition unit. The control unit transitions from the active illumination mode to a different illumination mode when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in the active illumination mode, and when there are a plurality of emphasis illumination modes in the different illumination mode, performs coordinated illumination that makes the prominence of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the plurality of emphasis illumination modes higher than the prominence of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes based on the active illumination mode and the transition condition.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a light distribution control device and a light distribution control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various technologies have been proposed for light distribution control devices that cause vehicle lighting devices to emit emphasized light when the surroundings of the vehicle are dark. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that causes lighting devices to emit emphasized light to obstacles that affect the running of the vehicle. For example, Patent Document 2 proposes a technology that causes lighting devices to emit emphasized light in the line of sight of the vehicle driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-38878 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-111328 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when different emphasis illuminations are simultaneously executed with the same saliency, it is difficult for the driver to know which emphasis illumination to pay attention to, and there is a problem that appropriate emphasis illumination cannot be executed for the driver.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technique capable of performing emphasized illumination appropriate for the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A light distribution control device according to the present disclosure is a light distribution control device that controls the light distribution of a vehicle lighting device, and includes an information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of information regarding the surroundings of the vehicle, information regarding the vehicle, and line-of-sight information regarding the line-of-sight direction of a driver of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the lighting device to emit emphasized light based on at least one of the information. The target type is different and a control unit having a plurality of emphasis illumination modes, the control unit transitioning from the illumination mode being executed to a different illumination mode when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in the illumination mode being executed, and The types of targets to be highlighted are different Multiple emphasis illumination modes at the same time Sometimes, based on the current irradiation mode and transition conditions, The types of targets to be highlighted are different Coordinated illumination is executed to make the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, based on the illumination mode being executed and the transition condition, the coordinated illumination is executed to make the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes. With such a configuration, it is possible to perform illumination appropriate for the driver.

[0008] The objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a light distribution control device according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 2] 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first modification of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transition of illumination modes. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light distribution control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light distribution control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transition of illumination modes. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 2. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 2. [Figure 17] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 2. FIG. [Figure 18] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 2. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transition of illumination modes. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a fifth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a fifth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 22]FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a light distribution control device according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 23] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to embodiment 3. FIG. [Figure 24] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to embodiment 3. FIG. [Diagram 25] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first modification of the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 26] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first modification of the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 27] 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the light distribution control device according to the first modification of the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a third modification of the third embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a third modification of the third embodiment. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a light distribution control device according to another modified example. [Diagram 31] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a light distribution control device according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Embodiment 1> 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a light distribution control device 1 according to the present embodiment 1. The light distribution control device 1 is provided in a vehicle system, which includes a periphery detection device 21, a line of sight detection device 22, and a lighting device 23 in addition to the light distribution control device 1. First, before explaining the light distribution control device 1, the periphery detection device 21, the line of sight detection device 22, and the lighting device 23 will be explained.

[0011] The periphery detection device 21 detects information about the periphery of the vehicle. Examples of the information about the periphery of the vehicle include information about objects around the vehicle and information about the situation around the vehicle. The information about objects around the vehicle includes some information about the objects, such as the position, type, and moving direction of the objects around the vehicle. The objects include, for example, obstacles, features such as roads and road signs, pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles (e.g., bicycles, motorcycles, etc.), and four-wheeled vehicles. The periphery detection device 21 is composed of, for example, an object detection sensor represented by a millimeter wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), or an ultrasonic sensor, or an image recognition device directed toward the outside of the vehicle, represented by a camera, or both.

[0012] The gaze detection device 22, for example, photographs a facial image of the driver of the vehicle, detects the gaze direction of the driver from the facial image, and generates gaze information indicating the gaze direction. The gaze detection device 22 may detect the direction of the driver's face from the facial image as the gaze direction. Alternatively, the gaze detection device 22 may detect the gaze direction based on the direction of the driver's eyeballs rather than an image. The gaze detection device 22 includes, for example, an image recognition device facing the inside of the vehicle.

[0013] The lighting device 23 includes a headlight 23a and a sublight 23b provided on the vehicle. The headlight 23a is a main lighting device that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle and is configured to be switchable between a high beam as a driving light and a low beam as a passing light. The sublight 23b is configured to illuminate in an arbitrary direction with various shapes of illumination areas, thereby enabling illumination that can support the driver's driving, that is, spot illumination.

[0014] In the following description, the light distribution of the sub-light 23b is described as being controlled by the light distribution control device 1, but is not limited to this. For example, if the headlight 23a has a spot illumination function, the light distribution of that function may be controlled by the light distribution control device 1. Also, as long as spot illumination is possible, the configuration of the lighting device 23 is not limited to the above.

[0015] Next, a description will be given of the light distribution control device 1. The light distribution control device 1 controls the light distribution of the sub-light 23b of the lighting device 23. In the present embodiment 1, the light distribution control device 1 includes a surrounding information acquisition unit 11a, a line-of-sight information acquisition unit 11b, an attention-required area identification unit 12a, and a light distribution control unit 12b.

[0016] The surrounding information acquisition unit 11a acquires surrounding information from the surrounding detection device 21. In the first embodiment, the surrounding information acquisition unit 11a includes, for example, an interface of the surrounding detection device 21, but may include the surrounding detection device 21 itself.

[0017] The gaze information acquiring unit 11b acquires gaze information from the gaze detection device 22. In the first embodiment, the gaze information acquiring unit 11b includes, for example, an interface of the gaze detection device 22, but may include the gaze detection device 22 itself.

[0018] The peripheral information acquisition unit 11a and line-of-sight information acquisition unit 11b described above are included in the concept of the information acquisition unit 11. In the present embodiment 1, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires peripheral information and line-of-sight information. However, the information acquisition unit 11 is not limited to this, and may be configured to acquire at least any one of peripheral information, vehicle information, and line-of-sight information, as described in embodiment 3.

[0019] The attention-required area identifying unit 12a determines whether there is a caution-required object around the vehicle that the driver should be aware of while the vehicle is traveling, based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information acquiring unit 11a. The caution-required object includes, for example, an obstacle and a moving object such as a pedestrian or a motorcycle. When the attention-required area identifying unit 12a determines that there is a caution-required object around the vehicle, it identifies an area including the caution-required object as a caution-required area.

[0020] The light distribution control unit 12b has, as emphasis illumination modes, an attention-required area illumination mode A in which the sub-light 23b is caused to illuminate the attention-required area identified by the attention-required area identification unit 12a, and a gaze-linked illumination mode B in which the sub-light 23b is caused to illuminate the direction of the driver's gaze indicated by the gaze information. When the light distribution control unit 12b executes the attention-required area illumination mode A, the driver's visibility of the attention-required area can be improved. On the other hand, when the light distribution control unit 12b executes the gaze-linked illumination mode B, the driver's visibility in the direction the driver wants to see can be improved.

[0021] In addition, when simultaneously executing both the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B, the light distribution control unit 12b executes coordinated illumination in which the saliency of the illumination mode of the attention-required area illumination mode A or the saliency of the illumination mode of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the other. In the present embodiment 1, the coordinated illumination includes a gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba in which the saliency of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the saliency of the attention-required area illumination mode A.

[0022] That is, in the present embodiment 1, the light distribution control unit 12b transitions from the active illumination mode to a different illumination mode when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in the active illumination mode, and when there are multiple emphasis illumination modes in the different illumination mode, performs coordinated illumination to make the saliency of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the multiple emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes based on the active illumination mode and the transition condition. In the following, as an example, a configuration in which the attention area illumination mode A is executed and the driver's line of sight is directed toward the attention area is satisfied as a predetermined transition condition, and transition is made to the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba as a different illumination mode is described. In addition, in the following, a configuration in which the difference in the saliency of the illumination mode corresponds to the difference in brightness such as the luminous intensity and illuminance of the illumination is described. Note that saliency is the degree to which a person's attention is attracted, and therefore the difference in saliency is not limited to the difference in brightness, but may be a difference in blinking, color, marking, or other modes.

[0023] The attention-required area specifying unit 12a and the light distribution control unit 12b described above are included in the concept of the control unit 12. In the present embodiment 1, the control unit 12 has a plurality of emphasis illumination modes, namely, the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and executes the attention-required area illumination mode A, the gaze-linked illumination mode B, or the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba.

[0024] However, as described in the third embodiment, the multiple emphasis illumination modes for causing the sub-light 23b to perform emphasis illumination based on at least one of the pieces of information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 are not limited to the attention area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Even in this case, the control unit 12 may execute coordinated illumination that makes the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the multiple emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes.

[0025] <Operation> Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light distribution control device 1 according to the embodiment 1. The operation in Fig. 2 is performed, for example, when the illumination of the headlight 23a is on. For convenience of explanation, the following description will be given assuming that a cautionary object that has been detected once continues to be detected.

[0026] When the headlight 23a is turned on, in step S1, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the normal illumination mode O. In the normal illumination mode O, illumination of the headlight 23a is executed, but accentuated illumination of the sublight 23b is not executed. In the normal illumination mode O according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the illumination area 32 of the headlight 23a on a road where the vehicle runs on the left side is an illumination area of ​​a low beam, and the illumination reach distance of the right side of the illumination area 32 is shorter than that of the left side. This illumination can suppress dazzle of the driver of an oncoming vehicle traveling in the right lane. Note that FIG. 3 also illustrates the driver's line of sight 33 and the road 34 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 31.

[0027] In step S2 of FIG. 2, the surrounding information acquisition unit 11a acquires surrounding information from the surrounding detection device .

[0028] In step S3, the gaze information acquisition unit 11b acquires gaze information from the gaze detection device 22 and determines the current gaze direction of the driver based on the gaze information. The gaze information acquisition unit 11b may determine the gaze distribution of the driver based on the time series of the gaze direction indicated by the gaze information and determine the gaze direction of the driver from the gaze distribution, or may determine the gaze direction indicated by the gaze information as the gaze direction of the driver as it is. When the gaze information indicates the gaze distribution of the driver, the gaze information acquisition unit 11b may determine the gaze direction of the driver from the gaze distribution of the driver indicated by the gaze information.

[0029] In step S4, the light distribution control unit 12b determines which irradiation mode is currently being executed. If it is determined that the normal irradiation mode O is being executed, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is determined that the independent attention-required area irradiation mode A is being executed, the process proceeds to step S10. If it is determined that the gaze-linked irradiation priority mode Cba is being executed, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0030] In step S5, the attention-required area identification unit 12a determines the type of object around the vehicle based on the peripheral information, and determines that there is a caution target when the type of the object is a predetermined type. The caution target is, for example, a pedestrian or a motorcycle.

[0031] The attention-required area identifying unit 12a may determine whether or not there is an object requiring attention based on the positional relationship between the vehicle or the road in the traveling direction of the vehicle and the pedestrian or motorcycle. As an example, the attention-required area identifying unit 12a may determine that there is an object requiring attention when a pedestrian is present within 2 m of the road in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The attention-required area identifying unit 12a may also determine whether or not there is an object requiring attention taking into account the moving direction of the pedestrian or motorcycle. As an example, the attention-required area identifying unit 12a may determine that there is an object requiring attention when a pedestrian is approaching the road in the traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0032] The caution-required area identifying unit 12a may determine, for example, a bicycle traveling on a bicycle-only road, a bicycle, a light vehicle, or a motorcycle traveling on the edge of a roadway, and a moving object without lights coming out from a side road as caution-required objects. The caution-required area identifying unit 12a may also determine whether or not there is a caution-required object by taking into account the traveling speed of the vehicle as vehicle information.

[0033] In step S5 described above, the attention-required region identifying unit 12a identifies an attention-required region when it is determined that there is an attention-required object. In addition, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether or not the attention-required region identifying unit 12a has identified an attention-required region (i.e., whether or not it has determined that there is an attention-required object). If it is determined that an attention-required region has been identified, the process proceeds to step S6, and if it is determined that an attention-required region has not been identified, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0034] In step S6, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute the cautionary area illumination mode A alone.

[0035] In step S7, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the single caution area illumination mode A, and causes the sub-light 23b to illuminate the caution area identified by the caution area identification unit 12a in an emphasized manner. That is, the normal illumination mode O is being executed as the illumination mode being executed in step S4, and the condition that the caution area is identified as the predetermined transition condition in step S5 is satisfied, so that the illumination mode transitions to the caution area illumination mode A as a different illumination mode in steps S6 and S7. However, in this case, since there are no multiple emphasis illumination modes, cooperative illumination is not executed. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the illumination state of the single caution area illumination mode A. In the example of FIG. 4, the pedestrian 35 on the left in front of the vehicle 31 is determined to be a caution target, and a certain area including the pedestrian 35 and its surroundings is illuminated in an emphasized manner as the caution area 36.

[0036] In step S8 in FIG. 2, the light distribution control unit 12b judges whether or not the end condition is satisfied. The end condition corresponds to, for example, the headlight 23a being turned off or the vehicle being driven. If it is judged that the end condition is satisfied, the operation of FIG. 2 ends, and if it is not judged that the end condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S2. If a series of processes of steps S2→S3→S4→S5→S8→S2 are repeated, the normal irradiation mode O continues to be executed. On the other hand, if the caution area irradiation mode A is executed alone in steps S6→S7→S8, and the process of S8→S2→S3 is executed, it is judged that the caution area irradiation mode A is executed alone in step S4, and the process proceeds to step S10.

[0037] In step S10, the attention area illumination mode A is being executed as the illumination mode being executed. In step S10, the light distribution control unit 12b judges whether or not the driver has seen the attention area as a judgment of a predetermined transition condition based on the line of sight direction obtained from the line of sight information and the direction of the attention object. For example, the light distribution control unit 12b judges that the driver has seen the attention area when the angle between the line of sight direction and the direction of the attention object is within 2 degrees. If it is judged that the driver has seen the attention area, the process proceeds to step S11, and if it is not judged that the driver has seen the attention area, the process proceeds to step S6. If a series of processes of steps S10→S6→S7→S8→S2→S3→S4→S10 is repeated, the execution of the attention area illumination mode A alone is continued.

[0038] In step S11, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba as a different illumination mode.

[0039] In step S12, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the attention-required area illumination mode A while executing the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and causes the sub-light 23b to illuminate in the gaze direction for emphasis.

[0040] In step S13, the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba has a plurality of emphasis illumination modes. Therefore, the light distribution control unit 12b executes coordinated illumination based on the satisfaction of the condition that the driver has visually recognized the attention area while the attention area illumination mode A is being executed. In step S13, the light distribution control unit 12b executes coordinated illumination in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba by performing at least one of lowering the brightness of illumination in the attention area illumination mode A and increasing the brightness of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B. That is, the fact that the driver has visually recognized the attention area while the attention area illumination mode A is being executed means that the significance of emphasis illumination by the attention area illumination mode A, which is to direct the driver's attention to the pedestrian 35, has been achieved. After visually recognizing the attention area, the driver tries to grasp the situation around the pedestrian 35 in order to determine how dangerous the pedestrian 35 is. To support this, emphasis illumination by the gaze-linked illumination mode B is executed. Under these circumstances, it is the gaze-linked illumination mode B that requires more conspicuous emphasis illumination. The light distribution control unit 12b executes coordinated illumination in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba based on this control concept.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the illumination state of the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba. In the figures following FIG. 5, dot hatching indicates relatively low saliency. In the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba, the gaze-illuminated area 37 illuminated based on the gaze direction is controlled to be brighter than the attention area 36, ​​but as in the example of FIG. 5, the overlapping portion of the attention area 36 and the gaze-illuminated area 37 is brighter than the gaze-illuminated area 37 alone. The shape of the attention area 36 and the gaze-illuminated area 37 at this time may be the same or different.

[0042] After step S13 in Fig. 2, the process proceeds to step S8. When the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed in steps S11 → S12 → S13 and the process of S8 → S2 → S3 is executed, it is determined in step S4 that the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, so the process proceeds to step S20. The illumination mode being executed at this time corresponds to the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba.

[0043] In step S20, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds a first threshold value (e.g., 10 seconds) as a determination of the predetermined transition condition. If it is determined that the elapsed time exceeds the first threshold value, the predetermined transition condition is satisfied and the process proceeds to step S21, whereas if it is not determined that the elapsed time exceeds the first threshold value, the predetermined transition condition is not satisfied and the process proceeds to step S11. If a series of processes from steps S20→S11→S12→S13→S8→S2→S3→S4→S20 is repeated, the execution of the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba continues.

[0044] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination state when the driver moves his / her line of sight from the attention area 36 while the line of sight-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed. The shape of the line of sight illumination area 37 illuminated based on the line of sight direction may be kept the same circular shape as in Fig. 5. However, since the line of sight direction during driving frequently changes, if the line of sight illumination area 37 of a fixed shape is moved based on the line of sight direction, the line of sight illumination area 37 seen by the driver flickers, which is a problem in that it is difficult for the driver to see the line of sight illumination area 37.

[0045] Therefore, in the present embodiment 1, the light distribution control unit 12b performs a light distribution control in which the part of the line-of-sight illumination area 37 that has been once illuminated is gradually dimmed instead of immediately turning off the light as the line-of-sight illumination mode B of the line-of-sight illumination priority mode Cba. Specifically, the light distribution control unit 12b performs a light distribution control in which the illumination end portion on the line-of-sight illumination area 37 on the line-of-sight movement direction side is moved following the line-of-sight movement direction, and the illumination end portion on the opposite side of the line-of-sight illumination area 37 to the line-of-sight movement direction is moved at a moving speed slower than the movement of the illumination end portion in the line-of-sight movement direction. As a result, when the line of sight moves to the left, the line-of-sight illumination area 37 becomes an elliptical area with a dark right side, and when the line of sight moves to the right, the line-of-sight illumination area 37 becomes an elliptical area with a dark left side. In the following description, for convenience, the above-mentioned illumination, that is, illumination of an elliptical area as shown in FIG. 6, is referred to as a trailing illumination.

[0046] If a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in step S20, in step S21 of FIG. 2, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute normal irradiation mode O as a different irradiation mode. In step S22, the light distribution control unit 12b stops attention area irradiation mode A. In step S23, the light distribution control unit 12b stops gaze-linked irradiation mode B. This returns the irradiation situation to that shown in FIG. 3. In this case, since there are no multiple emphasis irradiation modes, coordinated irradiation is not executed. After step S23 of FIG. 2, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0047] <Summary of the first embodiment> If the emphasis illumination of a plurality of emphasis illumination modes is performed with the same saliency, it becomes difficult for the driver to know which emphasis illumination to pay attention to. In contrast, according to the light distribution control device 1 of the present embodiment 1, the control unit 12 executes coordinated illumination to make the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes. According to such a configuration, the driver can easily know which emphasis illumination to pay attention to. In addition, in the present embodiment 1, when there are a plurality of emphasis illumination modes, coordinated illumination is executed based on the illumination mode being executed and the transition condition, so that the driver can easily know which emphasis illumination to pay attention to.

[0048] According to the first embodiment, the attention area illumination mode A is being executed, and when the driver's line of sight is directed toward the attention area 36, ​​the control unit 12 executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba. With this configuration, the driver can easily check the periphery of the attention area 36 by the gaze illumination area 37 after visually recognizing the attention object, so that light distribution control can be performed according to the driver's general tendency to check attention.

[0049] According to the first embodiment, the control unit 12 controls the sub-light 23b to perform tailing illumination based on the driver's line of sight as the line of sight-linked illumination mode B in the line of sight-linked illumination priority mode Cba. With this configuration, flickering of the line of sight illumination area 37 as seen by the driver can be suppressed, so that the line of sight illumination area 37 can be easily seen by the driver.

[0050] <Variation 1> In embodiment 1, in step S20 of FIG. 2, the salience of attention area illumination mode A and gaze-linked illumination mode B that realize gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is maintained until it is determined that the time that has elapsed since gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds the first threshold value, but this is not limited to this.

[0051] For example, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may lower the prominence of the attention-required area illumination mode A over time while maintaining the prominence of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Then, when the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds a second threshold value (e.g., 5 seconds), the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the attention-required area illumination mode A and execute the gaze-linked illumination mode B alone, as shown in Fig. 7. This allows a smooth transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the gaze-linked illumination mode B alone.

[0052] Thereafter, when the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds a first threshold value (for example, 10 seconds), the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the gaze-linked illumination mode B alone and execute the normal illumination mode O. According to such a configuration, the illumination of the sub-light 23b is gradually dimmed, so that a smooth transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the normal illumination mode O can be performed.

[0053] <Variation 2> In the first modification, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b lowers the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A over time while maintaining the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. However, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may not only lower the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A over time, but also lower the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. However, the condition that the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is maintained. Then, when the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds the second threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the attention-required area illumination mode A and execute the gaze-linked illumination mode B alone.

[0054] Thereafter, when the conspicuousness of the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B continues to decrease and the time that has elapsed since the execution of the gaze-linked irradiation priority mode Cba exceeds the first threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B and execute the normal irradiation mode O. According to such a configuration, the illumination of the sub-light 23b is gradually dimmed, so that a smooth transition can be made from the gaze-linked irradiation priority mode Cba to the normal irradiation mode O via the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B.

[0055] <Modification 3> In the above description, the condition for stopping the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is that the time elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds the first threshold value or the second threshold value, but the condition is not limited to this. For example, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed and the driver performs a predetermined operation, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the gaze-linked illumination mode B and execute the attention-required area illumination mode A alone.

[0056] The predetermined operation may be, for example, the driver's line of sight toward the illumination area 32 of the headlight 23a. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the driver's line of sight is toward the illumination area 32 of the headlight 23a, the light distribution control unit 12b may transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the caution area illumination mode A alone. This is a situation in which the driver has finished checking the surroundings of the pedestrian 35 and has looked straight ahead again. In this case, the significance of the emphasized illumination of the gaze-linked illumination mode B has been achieved, so there is little need to continue the emphasized illumination of the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0057] <Modification 4> In the description of Fig. 2, it has been described that a target requiring attention once detected continues to be detected, but if the target requiring attention is no longer detected in the middle of the process, the illumination mode may be changed as appropriate. For example, when the independent attention-required area illumination mode A is being executed and the illuminated target requiring attention is no longer detected, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the independent attention-required area illumination mode A and execute the normal illumination mode O. Also, for example, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed and the illuminated target requiring attention is no longer detected, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the caution-required area illumination mode A and execute the independent gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0058] <Other> Fig. 9 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transitions of illumination modes in the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications. In Fig. 9, circles (nodes) represent illumination modes, arrows (edges) represent transitions, letters attached to the arrows represent the transition conditions in the first embodiment and the numbers of the modifications, and S1 and the like represent S1 and the like in Fig. 2. Solid lines represent illumination modes and transitions described in the first embodiment, and dashed lines represent illumination modes and transitions described in the modifications.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the light distribution control unit 12b has been described as performing the operation of Fig. 2 when the illumination of the headlight 23a is on, for example, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the light distribution control unit 12b may perform the operation of Fig. 2 when the illuminance around the vehicle is equal to or lower than a threshold value, regardless of whether the illumination of the headlight 23a is on or off. Note that a light meter or a sensor related to the brightness of the imaging device may be used to detect the illuminance around the vehicle.

[0060] <Embodiment 2> A block diagram showing the configuration of a light distribution control device 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of Fig. 1. Hereinafter, among the components according to the second embodiment, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are given the same or similar reference symbols, and different components will be mainly described.

[0061] In the second embodiment, the coordinated illumination includes not only the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba but also the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab in which the salience of the caution-required area illumination mode A is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. When the illumination mode being executed is the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba, if a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in which the degree of caution of the caution-required target has increased, the light distribution control unit 12b transitions to the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab as a different illumination mode.

[0062] <Operation> Figures 10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the operation of the light distribution control device 1 according to the embodiment 2. The operation in Figures 10 and 11 is similar to the operation in Figure 2 except that steps S24, S30 to S32 are added and steps S4, S5 are changed to steps S4a, S5a. Hereinafter, steps S4a, S5a, S24, and S30 to S32 will be mainly described with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

[0063] In step S4a, the light distribution control unit 12b determines which irradiation mode is currently being executed. If it is determined that the normal irradiation mode O is being executed, the process proceeds to step S5a. If it is determined that the independent attention-required area irradiation mode A is being executed, the process proceeds to step S10. If it is determined that the gaze-linked irradiation priority mode Cba is being executed, the process proceeds to step S24. If it is determined that the attention-required area irradiation priority mode Cab is being executed, the process proceeds to step S30.

[0064] In the first embodiment, in step S5, the attention-required region identifying unit 12a determines the type of object around the vehicle based on the peripheral information, and determines whether or not there is an object requiring attention based on the type to identify the attention-required region. In the second embodiment, in step S5a, the attention-required region identifying unit 12a calculates the degree of attention of the object around the vehicle based on the peripheral information, and if the degree of attention is equal to or greater than a threshold, determines that there is an object requiring attention and identifies the attention-required region. That is, the degree of attention calculated in step S5a is CAUTION(t0), the threshold in step S5a is CAUTION_TH1, and if CAUTION(t0)≧CAUTION_TH1 is satisfied, the attention-required region identifying unit 12a identifies the attention-required region.

[0065] In the second embodiment, the attention required area identifying unit 12a calculates a higher level of caution as the probability of contact between the vehicle and an object around the vehicle increases. For example, the attention required area identifying unit 12a may calculate a higher level of caution as the object is closer to the road in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the attention required area identifying unit 12a may calculate a higher level of caution as the time it takes for the object to reach the road of the vehicle is shorter based on the speed and direction of the object, or may calculate a higher level of caution as the time it takes for the object to contact the vehicle is shorter. Since the contact time is related to the speed of the vehicle, when calculating the contact time, the attention required area identifying unit 12a may obtain the vehicle speed as an example of vehicle information from an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) (not shown) provided in the vehicle.

[0066] After step S5a, the operations of steps S6 to S8 are performed in the same manner as in embodiment 1. When the independent caution-required area irradiation mode A is executed by the processing of steps S6→S7 and the processing of S8→S2→S3 is performed, it is determined in step S4a that the independent caution-required area irradiation mode A is executed, and the processing proceeds to step S10.

[0067] In step S10, the light distribution control unit 12b judges whether the driver has visually recognized the attention area based on the line of sight direction obtained from the line of sight information and the direction of the attention object. Then, similarly to the first embodiment, if it is judged that the driver has visually recognized the attention area, the process proceeds to step S11, and if it is judged that the driver has not visually recognized the attention area, the process proceeds to step S6. When the line of sight-linked irradiation priority mode Cba is executed by the process of steps S11→S12→S13, and the process of S8→S2→S3 is executed, it is judged that the line of sight-linked irradiation priority mode Cba is executed in step S4a, so the process proceeds to step S24. At this time, the line of sight-linked irradiation priority mode Cba corresponds to the irradiation mode being executed.

[0068] In step S24, the attention-required area specifying unit 12a calculates the attention level in the same manner as in step S5a, and the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether the attention level of the attention-required object has increased as a determination of a predetermined transition condition. Note that an increase in the attention level means an increase in the risk of collision.

[0069] For example, in step S24, when the caution target itself is equal to or greater than a threshold value that is greater than the threshold value in step S5a, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the caution level of the caution target has increased. In other words, when the caution level calculated in step S24 is CAUTION(t1), the threshold value in step S5a is CAUTION_TH1, and the threshold value in step S24 is CAUTION_TH2, and CAUTION(t1)≧CAUTION_TH2>CAUTION_TH1 is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the caution level of the caution target has increased.

[0070] For example, in step S24, when the change in the caution target is equal to or greater than a threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the caution level of the caution target has increased. That is, when the caution level calculated in step S5a is CAUTION(t0), the caution level calculated in step S24 is CAUTION(t1), and the threshold in step S24 is CAUTION_TH3, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the caution level of the caution target has increased when CAUTION(t1)-CAUTION(t0)≧CAUTION_TH3 holds.

[0071] If it is determined in step S24 that the level of attention of the suspicious object has increased, the predetermined transition condition is deemed to be satisfied and the process proceeds to step S31 in FIG. 11; if it is not determined that the level of attention of the suspicious object has increased, the predetermined transition condition is deemed not to be satisfied and the process proceeds to step S20.

[0072] In step S31 in FIG. 11, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute the caution-required-area illumination priority mode Cab as a different illumination mode.

[0073] In step S32, the light distribution control unit 12b executes coordinated illumination in the caution area illumination priority mode Cab by increasing the illumination brightness of the caution area illumination mode A and / or decreasing the illumination brightness of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. For example, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the caution area illumination priority mode Cab by increasing the illumination brightness of the caution area illumination mode A to return it to the original brightness and decreasing the illumination brightness of the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0074] Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 are diagrams showing an example of a transition state from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the caution area illumination priority mode Cab. In Fig. 12, the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed. In Fig. 13, in the state of Fig. 12, it is determined that the pedestrian 35, who is a caution target, approaches the road 34 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 31 and the caution level has increased, so that the transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the caution area illumination priority mode Cab is being performed.

[0075] After step S32 in Fig. 11, the process proceeds to step S8 in Fig. 10. When the caution-required-area irradiation priority mode Cab is executed by the process of steps S31 → S32 and the process of S8 → S2 → S3 is performed, it is determined in step S4a that the caution-required-area irradiation priority mode Cab is executed, and the process proceeds to step S30 in Fig. 11.

[0076] The illumination mode being executed in step S30 is the attention area illumination priority mode Cab. In step S30, the light distribution control unit 12b judges whether the driver has visually recognized the attention area as a judgment of a predetermined transition condition based on the gaze direction obtained from the gaze information and the direction of the attention object. If it is judged that the driver has visually recognized the attention area, the predetermined transition condition is satisfied and the process proceeds to steps S11 to S13 in FIG. 10, and transitions to the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba as a different illumination mode. Since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba has a plurality of emphasis illuminations consisting of emphasis illumination of the attention area illumination mode A and emphasis illumination of the gaze-linked illumination mode B, coordinated illumination with the saliency of these illuminations adjusted is executed. If it is not judged that the driver has visually recognized the attention area, the predetermined transition condition is not satisfied and the process proceeds to step S31. When the series of processes of steps S31->S32->S8->S2->S3->S4->S30->S31 is repeated, the execution of the caution area illumination priority mode Cab is continued.

[0077] Fig. 14 is a transition diagram summarizing transitions of illumination modes in Modifications 1 to 4 of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2. In the illumination mode transition diagram in Fig. 14, nodes and edges related to the caution area illumination priority mode Cab are added to the illumination mode transition diagram in Fig. 9.

[0078] <Summary of the second embodiment> According to the light distribution control device 1 of the second embodiment as described above, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed and the degree of caution of the attention-requiring target increases, the control unit 12 executes the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cab. According to such a configuration, even if the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, when the degree of caution increases, the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cab is executed, so that the driver can be alerted to the attention-requiring target.

[0079] <Variation 1> In steps S10 and S30 in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 of the second embodiment, the light distribution control unit 12b may have hysteresis in the transition of the illumination mode instead of immediately transitioning the illumination mode. For example, assume that it is determined that the driver has visually recognized the attention area within a certain time (e.g., 2 seconds) from the time Tw when the attention area illumination priority mode Cab is executed. In such a case, the light distribution control unit 12b may transition from the attention area illumination mode A alone or the attention area illumination priority mode Cab to the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba after a certain time has elapsed from the time Tw instead of immediately transitioning.

[0080] <Variation 2> When the caution area illumination priority mode Cab is being executed and the target of the caution area is a person, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to illuminate a blocking display object 41 as shown in Fig. 15. The blocking display object 41 is a display object that is illuminated between a person, such as a pedestrian 35, and the road surface of the road 34 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 31, to block the person from entering the road surface.

[0081] The obstruction display object 41 may be a display object showing a figure, a character, or any other arbitrary symbol, and animation such as blinking may be used for illuminating the obstruction display object 41. The obstruction display object 41 in the example of FIG. 15 is a display object showing a figure that creates an optical illusion as if a three-dimensional object is present when viewed by a person such as a pedestrian 35. The obstruction display object 41 as shown in FIG. 15 can create an optical illusion for the pedestrian 35 that an obstacle is present, and therefore can inhibit the pedestrian 35 from entering the road 34.

[0082] When the pedestrian 35 approaches the road 34 from the state of Fig. 15 and the degree of caution of the pedestrian 35 increases, the light distribution control unit 12b may increase the conspicuousness of the hindrance display object 41 by enlarging the hindrance display object 41 or shortening the blinking interval as shown in Fig. 16. When the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab of Fig. 15 or Fig. 16 is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the gaze-linked illumination mode B and execute the attention-required area illumination mode A while illuminating the hindrance display object 41. When the pedestrian 35 stops or changes direction thereafter, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the degree of caution has decreased, stop illuminating the hindrance display object 41, and execute the attention-required area illumination mode A alone.

[0083] In addition, in the modified example 2, the illumination mode being executed is the attention area illumination priority mode Cab, the predetermined transition condition is that the object of the attention area is a person, and when the transition condition is satisfied, it can be considered that the illumination mode is transitioned to the obstruction display object illumination as a different illumination mode. In this case, it is possible to perform coordinated illumination with the saliency adjusted among the attention area illumination mode A, the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and the obstruction display object illumination as the emphasis illumination.

[0084] <Modification 3> In the first and second embodiments, the case where there is one target requiring attention has been described. When there are multiple targets requiring attention, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the attention area illumination mode A for each of the multiple targets requiring attention. In this case, there are multiple emphasized illuminations in the attention area illumination mode A. Therefore, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute coordinated illumination that provides different conspicuity of illumination patterns for the multiple targets requiring attention based on the attention levels of the multiple targets requiring attention, or may execute coordinated illumination that illuminates only the target requiring attention with the highest level in the attention area illumination mode A. In addition, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the attention area illumination mode A for the target requiring attention with the highest level in the right half of the vehicle and the target requiring attention with the highest level in the left half of the vehicle based on the attention levels of the multiple targets requiring attention.

[0085] In addition, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed as the illumination mode being executed as shown in FIG. 17, and a new attention-required area is specified as a case where a predetermined transition condition is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab as a different illumination mode as shown in FIG. 18. In the example of FIG. 17, the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed, and the attention-required area 36 of the pedestrian 35 is illuminated with low salience on the left side of the vehicle 31. In the example of FIG. 18, in the state of FIG. 17, a new attention-required area 36 of the pedestrian 35 is specified on the right side of the vehicle 31. In this case, the light distribution control unit 12b executes cooperative illumination in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A for the attention-required area 36 on the left side is left as it is, the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is lowered, and the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A for the attention-required area 36 on the right side is made higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0086] This causes a transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab. With this configuration, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed and a new attention-required area is identified, the driver can easily pay attention to the new attention-required area.

[0087] In addition, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the attention-required area illumination mode A for the attention-required area 36 on the left side to reduce the prominence in the illumination state of the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab in Fig. 18. Alternatively, the light distribution control unit 12b may reduce the prominence of the attention-required area illumination mode A for the attention-required area 36 on the left side over time, and may stop the attention-required area illumination mode A when the time that has elapsed since the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab was executed exceeds a threshold value.

[0088] In addition, in the illumination state of the caution area illumination priority mode Cab as the illumination mode being executed in FIG. 18, when the degree of caution of the pedestrian 35 on the left side increases as a case where a predetermined transition condition is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may transition to the caution area illumination priority mode Cab as a different illumination mode. Then, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute coordinated illumination in which the saliency of the caution area illumination mode A for the caution area 36 on the left side is higher than the saliency of the caution area illumination mode A for the caution area 36 on the right side and the saliency of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. That is, the different illumination modes do not necessarily refer only to those of different types such as the caution area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba, but also include those between the caution area illumination priority modes Cab with different saliency. In addition, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may lower the saliency of the gaze-linked illumination mode B over time and perform a transition from the caution area illumination priority mode Cab to the caution area illumination mode A alone.

[0089] <Modification 4> When it is determined that the predetermined activation condition for the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B. The predetermined activation condition may include, for example, at least one of the following: the driver performs a predetermined activation operation; the driver performs a predetermined activation gesture; and the driver gazes at a specific point near the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Note that the driver gazes at a specific point near the road on which the vehicle is traveling means that the driver wants to check what is at the specific point, and the condition that satisfies such a case becomes a preferable activation condition for automatically activating the gaze-linked irradiation mode B.

[0090] Furthermore, when it is determined that a predetermined end condition for the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B and execute the normal irradiation mode O. The predetermined end condition may include, for example, at least one of the following: the driver has performed a predetermined end operation; the driver has performed a predetermined end gesture; the driver has gazed at an area other than a predetermined point (for example, the irradiation area of ​​the headlights 23a and the road 34); and a certain time has elapsed since the single gaze-linked irradiation mode B was executed.

[0091] When the single gaze-linked illumination mode B is being executed and a new attention-requiring area is identified, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute steps S31 to S32 in Fig. 11 to execute the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cab. According to such a configuration, when the single gaze-linked illumination mode B is being executed and a new attention-requiring area is identified, the driver can easily pay attention to the new attention-requiring area.

[0092] Fig. 19 is an irradiation mode transition diagram in which the transition of Modified Example 4 described here is added to the irradiation mode transition diagram of Fig. 14. In the irradiation mode transition diagram of Fig. 19, the transition of Modified Example 4 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0093] <Variation 5> When transitioning from the single gaze-linked illumination mode B as the active illumination mode to the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab as a different illumination mode as shown in FIG. 20, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine whether or not the distance between the gaze illumination area and the new attention-required area is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold as a determination of a predetermined transition condition. When it is determined that the distance is equal to or greater than the threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to illuminate a guidance display object 42, which is a display object for guiding the driver's gaze from the gaze illumination area 37 to the new attention-required area 36, ​​as shown in FIG. 21.

[0094] 21 shows a guidance display object 42 that moves (sweeps) from the line-of-sight illumination area 37 to the new attention-required area 36 with the passage of time. However, the guidance display object 42 is not limited to this as long as it is a display object for guiding the driver's line of sight from the line-of-sight illumination area 37 to the new attention-required area 36, ​​and may be, for example, a display object of an arrow indicating the new attention-required area 36. According to the above configuration, when the distance between the line-of-sight illumination area 37 and the new attention-required area 36 is equal to or greater than a threshold, the driver can easily know the new attention-required area.

[0095] <Variation 6> In the second embodiment, the difference in the saliency of the illumination mode between the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B in the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab in steps S31 and S32 in Fig. 11 is the difference in the saliency of the brightness illuminated from the sub-light 23b. However, the saliency is not limited to this.

[0096] In the attention area illumination priority mode Cab in steps S31 and S32, the difference in the saliency of the illumination mode between the attention area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B may be the difference in the saliency of the color illuminated from the sub-light 23b. In other words, the saliency of the attention area illumination mode A being higher than the saliency of the gaze-linked illumination mode B may correspond to the saliency of the color illuminated in the attention area illumination mode A being higher than the saliency of the color illuminated in the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0097] For example, the high saliency of the color of the irradiation in the attention area irradiation mode A and the high saliency of the color of the irradiation in the gaze-linked irradiation mode B may mean that the color of the irradiation in the attention area irradiation mode A is a plurality of colors, and the color of the irradiation in the gaze-linked irradiation mode B is a single color. Alternatively, for example, the high saliency of the color of the irradiation in the attention area irradiation mode A and the high saliency of the color of the irradiation in the gaze-linked irradiation mode B may mean that the color tone of the irradiation in the attention area irradiation mode A is a warm color, and the color tone of the irradiation in the gaze-linked irradiation mode B is a cool color. Also, for example, the high saliency of the color of the irradiation in the attention area irradiation mode A and the high saliency of the color of the irradiation in the gaze-linked irradiation mode B may mean that the color of the irradiation in the attention area irradiation mode A represents a pattern and a figure, and the color of the irradiation in the gaze-linked irradiation mode B does not represent a pattern and a figure.

[0098] In addition, the difference in the salience of the illumination modes of attention area illumination mode A and gaze-linked illumination mode B in gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba in steps S11 to S13 of Figures 2 and 10 may also be a difference in the salience of the color illuminated from sub-light 23b.

[0099] <Variation 7> The difference in the salience of the illumination mode between the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B in the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab in steps S31 and S32 in Fig. 11 may be the difference in the salience of the animation illuminated from the sub-light 23b. In other words, the higher salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A than that of the gaze-linked illumination mode B may correspond to the higher salience of the illumination animation in the attention-required area illumination mode A than that in the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0100] For example, the high saliency of the color of the illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A may be that the blinking interval of the illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A is shorter than the blinking interval of the illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Also, for example, the high saliency of the color of the illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A may be that the change in at least one of the color tone, size, and shape of the illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A is larger than the change in the illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0101] In addition, the difference in the salience of the illumination modes of attention area illumination mode A and gaze-linked illumination mode B in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba of steps S11 to S13 in Figures 2 and 10 may also be a difference in the salience of the animation illuminated from the sub-light 23b.

[0102] <Variation 8> The light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to perform tailing irradiation based on the driver's line of sight as the gaze-linked irradiation mode B of the gaze-linked irradiation priority mode Cba. On the other hand, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to perform tailing irradiation as the gaze-linked irradiation mode B of the attention-required area irradiation priority mode Cab, and may cause the sub-light 23b to perform a fixed-shape gaze irradiation area 37. In the attention-required area irradiation priority mode Cab, the conspicuousness of the gaze-linked irradiation mode B is low, so that flickering of the gaze irradiation area 37 as seen by the driver can be suppressed without performing tailing irradiation, which has a high processing load.

[0103] <Other> At least one of the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications of the first embodiment and at least one of the second embodiment and the first to eighth modifications of the second embodiment may be combined in any manner.

[0104] <Embodiment 3> Fig. 22 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a light distribution control device 1 according to the third embodiment. Hereinafter, among the components according to the third embodiment, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are given the same or similar reference symbols, and different components will be mainly described. The configuration of Fig. 22 is the same as the configuration of Fig. 1 with a navigation device 25 and a vehicle information acquisition unit 11c added. Note that the vehicle information acquisition unit 11c is included in the concept of the information acquisition unit 11.

[0105] The navigation device 25 has a locator that acquires vehicle position information and a normal-accuracy map database that has road shape data for each road. The navigation device 25 also has a function of performing a route search that searches for a route that the vehicle should travel based on the vehicle position information and the normal-accuracy map database, and a function of providing route guidance at travel change points such as intersections and junctions based on the route search results.

[0106] The vehicle information acquisition unit 11c acquires vehicle information. The vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle position information and route search results acquired by the navigation device 25. Note that the vehicle information is not limited to this, and may include, for example, the vehicle's traveling direction, the vehicle's speed, and the like. The vehicle information may also be acquired from an in-vehicle network called a Controller Area Network (CAN), not shown. In the present embodiment 3, the vehicle information acquisition unit 11c includes, for example, an interface of the navigation device 25, but may also include the navigation device 25 itself.

[0107] <Lighting mode> The control unit 12 according to the third embodiment has a plurality of emphasis illumination modes for causing the sub-light 23b to perform emphasis illumination based on at least any of the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11, similarly to the control unit 12 according to the first embodiment. However, while the emphasis illumination modes according to the first embodiment include the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B, the emphasis illumination modes according to the third embodiment include the gaze-linked illumination mode B and the route guidance illumination mode D. The route guidance illumination mode D is an emphasis illumination mode for causing the sub-light 23b to illuminate a guidance display object, which is a display object that guides the vehicle along the route to be traveled, based on the vehicle's position information and the route search result.

[0108] 23 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination state in the single route guidance illumination mode D. When the single route guidance illumination mode D is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b of the control unit 12 determines whether or not the vehicle 31 is located in a range in which the guidance display object 46 should be illuminated, based on the position information of the vehicle 31 and the route search result acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. The range in which the guidance display object 46 should be illuminated is, for example, a range a certain distance away from a course change point 38 such as a branch point where the vehicle should change course, or a range in which the vehicle can reach the course change point 38 after a certain time (for example, 5 seconds).

[0109] When it is determined that the vehicle 31 is located at a point where the guidance display object 46 should be illuminated, the light distribution control unit 12b causes the sub-light 23b to illuminate the guidance display object 46 in the vicinity of the progress change point 38. The guidance display object 46 in Fig. 23 is an arrow indicating the route 39 along which the vehicle 31 should proceed from the progress change point 38. Note that the guidance display object 46 is not limited to an arrow as long as it is a display object that provides guidance along the route along which the vehicle should proceed.

[0110] <Coordinated irradiation> The control unit 12 according to the third embodiment, like the control unit 12 according to the first embodiment, executes coordinated illumination to make the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes based on the illumination mode being executed and the transition condition. However, while the coordinated illumination according to the first embodiment includes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba, the coordinated illumination according to the third embodiment includes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd in which the saliency of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the saliency of the route guidance illumination mode D. That is, the control unit 12 according to the third embodiment executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd in which the saliency of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is relatively higher among the gaze-linked illumination mode B and the route guidance illumination mode D.

[0111] 24 is a diagram showing an example of the illumination state of the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd. When the route guidance illumination mode D is being executed as the illumination mode being executed, and the driver's line of sight is directed to the guidance display object 46 as a case where a predetermined transition condition is satisfied, or when the driver's line of sight is directed from the course change point 38 to the direction of the road to be traveled, the light distribution control unit 12b of the control unit 12 executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd as a different illumination mode.

[0112] <Summary of the Third Embodiment> According to the light distribution control device 1 of the third embodiment as described above, similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 12 executes coordinated illumination in which the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the multiple emphasis illumination modes is made higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes, based on the illumination mode being executed and the transition condition. With such a configuration, the driver can easily know which illumination to pay attention to.

[0113] According to the third embodiment, when the route guidance illumination mode D is being executed and the driver's line of sight is directed toward the guidance display object 46, or when the driver's line of sight is directed toward the road to be traveled from the progress change point 38, the control unit 12 executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd. According to this configuration, after the driver visually confirms the route to be traveled, the driver can easily confirm the route to be traveled by the gaze illumination area 37, so that light distribution control can be performed according to the driver's general tendency to check attention.

[0114] <Variation 1> In the third embodiment, the coordinated illumination includes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd, but may include the route guidance illumination priority mode Cdb in which the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D is higher than that of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. For example, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd is being executed as the illumination mode being executed, and the driver does not visually recognize the guidance display object 46 again even when the vehicle 31 reaches a point even closer to the progress change point 38 as a case where the predetermined transition condition is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may transition to the route guidance illumination priority mode Cdb as a different illumination mode and execute coordinated illumination. The point even closer to the progress change point 38 may be a point at which the progress change point 38 can be reached after, for example, two seconds. In addition, when the route guidance illumination mode D is being executed as the illumination mode being executed, and the vehicle 31 reaches a point even closer to the progress change point 38 as a case where the predetermined transition condition is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may transition to the route guidance illumination priority mode Cdb as a different illumination mode and execute coordinated illumination, regardless of the driver's line of sight.

[0115] Moreover, the emphasis illumination mode includes the gaze-linked illumination mode B and the route guidance illumination mode D, but may include the attention-required area illumination mode A, the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and the route guidance illumination mode D. The coordinated illumination may include the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cabd in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than that of the route guidance illumination mode D, and the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than that of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. The coordinated illumination may include the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cad in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than that of the route guidance illumination mode D.

[0116] When the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd is being executed as the illumination mode being executed, and a new attention-required area is specified as a case where a predetermined transition condition is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cabd as a different illumination mode as shown in Fig. 25, or may transition to the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cad and execute cooperative illumination as shown in Fig. 26. In addition, the cooperative illumination may include the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cadb in which the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D is higher than that of the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than that of the route guidance illumination mode D.

[0117] In the above description, the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A, the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and the route guidance illumination mode D is all different in the coordinated illumination, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the coordinated illumination may include a multi-priority illumination mode Cm in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B are the same and are higher than the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D. Then, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd is being executed and a new attention-required area is identified, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the multi-priority illumination mode Cm as shown in FIG.

[0118] <Variation 2> In the third embodiment, the navigation device 25 has a locator that acquires vehicle position information and a normal-precision map database that has road shape data for each road, but is not limited to this. For example, the navigation device 25 may have a high-precision locator (HDL) that acquires vehicle position information with sub-meter-level accuracy, and a high-precision map database (HD map database) that has road shape data for each lane.

[0119] The navigation device 25 performs route search and route guidance based on the position information with sub-meter accuracy and the HD map database, so that the vehicle information may include the position information with sub-meter accuracy and the route search result. According to such a configuration, for example, when the route is a road heading left from a branch point and the vehicle is not traveling in a lane that allows entry onto the road, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to irradiate the guidance display object 46 indicating a lane change.

[0120] <Modification 3> The illumination mode may further include a traveling road illumination mode E that causes the sub-light 23b to illuminate an area along a branch road when the route along which the vehicle should travel is a branch road connected to the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling at a branch point. The coordinated illumination may include a gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbe in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than that of the traveling road illumination mode E. Then, as shown in FIG. 28, when the traveling road illumination mode E that illuminates the branch road that is the route 39 along which the vehicle should travel is being executed and the driver's gaze is directed toward the branch road, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbe as shown in FIG. 29.

[0121] <Modification 4> The emphasis illumination mode may further include a guide sign illumination mode F in which the guide sign is illuminated by the sub-light 23b when the guide sign indicates guidance related to a lane change of the vehicle. The coordinated illumination may include, for example, a gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbf in which the conspicuousness of the illumination mode of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the conspicuousness of the guide sign illumination mode F.

[0122] <Other> At least one of embodiment 1, variants 1 to 4 of embodiment 1, embodiment 2, and variants 1 to 8 of embodiment 2 may be combined in any manner with embodiment 3 and at least one of variants 1 to 4 of embodiment 3.

[0123] <Other Modifications> The information acquisition unit 11 and the control unit 12 in FIG. 1 described above will be hereinafter referred to as "information acquisition unit 11, etc." The information acquisition unit 11, etc. are realized by a processing circuit 81 shown in FIG. 30. That is, the processing circuit 81 includes an information acquisition unit 11 that acquires at least any one of information among vehicle surrounding information, vehicle information, and line-of-sight information related to the line-of-sight direction of the driver of the vehicle, and a control unit 12 that has a plurality of emphasis illumination modes that cause the lighting device to perform emphasis illumination based on at least any one of the information, and that transitions from the active illumination mode to a different illumination mode when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in the active illumination mode, and that performs coordinated illumination that makes the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more and less than all of the multiple emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes based on the active illumination mode and the transition condition when there are multiple emphasis illumination modes in the different illumination modes. The processing circuit 81 may be applied with dedicated hardware, or a processor that executes a program stored in a memory. The processor may be, for example, a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

[0124] When the processing circuit 81 is a dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 81 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. Each function of the information acquisition unit 11 and the like may be realized by a circuit in which the processing circuits are distributed, or the functions of each unit may be realized by a single processing circuit.

[0125] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, the functions of the information acquisition unit 11 and the like are realized by a combination with software and the like. The software and the like includes, for example, software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software and the like are written as a program and stored in a memory. As shown in FIG. 31, a processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83. That is, the light distribution control device 1 includes a memory 83 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 81, results in the execution of the following steps: acquiring at least one of information on the surroundings of the vehicle, information on the vehicle, and line-of-sight information on the line-of-sight direction of the driver of the vehicle; preparing a plurality of emphasis illumination modes for the lighting device to perform emphasis illumination based on at least one of the information; and, when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in the active illumination mode, transitioning from the active illumination mode to a different illumination mode, and, when there are a plurality of emphasis illumination modes in the different illumination mode, executing coordinated illumination that makes the saliency of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of emphasis illumination modes higher than the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes based on the active illumination mode and the transition condition. In other words, this program can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedures and methods of the information acquisition unit 11, etc. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), a flash memory, an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a drive device for any of these, or any storage medium to be used in the future.

[0126] The above describes a configuration in which each function of the information acquisition unit 11, etc. is realized by either hardware or software, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a part of the information acquisition unit 11, etc. is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software, etc. For example, the information acquisition unit 11 can be realized by a processing circuit 81 as dedicated hardware, and the other functions can be realized by the processing circuit 81 as a processor 82 reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83.

[0127] As described above, the processing circuitry 81 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0128] The light distribution control device described above can also be applied to a light distribution control system constructed as a system by appropriately combining a vehicle device, a communication terminal, the functions of an application installed in at least one of the vehicle device and the communication terminal, and a server. The communication terminal includes, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, and a tablet. The functions or components of the light distribution control device described above may be distributed and arranged in each device that constructs the system, or may be concentrated in one of the devices.

[0129] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications may be freely combined, and the embodiments and modifications may be modified or omitted as appropriate.

[0130] The above description is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1 light distribution control device, 11 information acquisition unit, 11a peripheral information acquisition unit, 11b line of sight information acquisition unit, 12 control unit, 12a attention area identification unit, 12b light distribution control unit, 23b sub-light, 36 attention area, 37 line of sight irradiation area, 41 blocking display object, 42 guidance display object, 46 guidance display object.

Claims

1. A light distribution control device that controls the light distribution of a vehicle lighting device, an information acquisition unit that acquires at least one of information regarding the surroundings of the vehicle, information regarding the vehicle, and line-of-sight information regarding a line-of-sight direction of a driver of the vehicle; a control unit having a plurality of emphasis illumination modes in which the types of objects to be highlighted by the lighting device are different based on at least any of the information; Equipped with The control unit is A light distribution control device that transitions from an active illumination mode to a different illumination mode when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in the active illumination mode, and when a plurality of emphasis illumination modes having different types of targets to be emphasized illuminated exist simultaneously in the different illumination mode, executes coordinated illumination based on the active illumination mode and the transition condition, making the prominence of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of emphasis illumination modes having different types of targets to be emphasized illuminated higher than the prominence of the illumination mode of the remaining emphasis illumination modes.

2. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, The information acquisition unit A surrounding information acquisition unit that acquires the surrounding information; a line-of-sight information acquisition unit for acquiring the line-of-sight information; Including, The control unit is an attention-required area identifying unit that identifies an attention-required area around the vehicle based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information acquiring unit; a light distribution control unit having a plurality of emphasis illumination modes having different types of targets to be emphasized illuminated, the emphasis illumination mode being an attention-required area illumination mode in which the lighting device is caused to emphasize illuminate the attention-required area as a type of target to be emphasized illuminated, and a gaze-linked illumination mode in which the lighting device is caused to emphasize illuminate the gaze direction of the driver as a type of target to be emphasized illuminated; A light distribution control device comprising:

3. The light distribution control device according to claim 2, The coordinated irradiation is The conspicuousness of the gaze-linked illumination mode includes a gaze-linked illumination priority mode in which the conspicuousness is higher than that of the attention-required area illumination mode, The light distribution control unit is A light distribution control device that executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode when the attention-required area illumination mode is being executed and the driver's gaze direction is directed toward the attention-required area.

4. The light distribution control device according to claim 3, The coordinated irradiation is The attention-required area illumination mode further includes an attention-required area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, The light distribution control unit is A light distribution control device that executes the attention-required area illumination priority mode when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode is being executed and a degree of attention to the target in the attention-required area increases.

5. The light distribution control device according to claim 4, The light distribution control unit is When the caution area illumination priority mode is being executed and the object of the caution area is a person, the light distribution control device causes the lighting device to illuminate a display object between the person and the road surface in the direction of travel of the vehicle to prevent the person from entering the road surface.

6. The light distribution control device according to claim 3, The coordinated irradiation is The attention-required area illumination mode further includes an attention-required area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, The light distribution control unit is The light distribution control device executes the attention-required area illumination priority mode when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode is being executed and a new attention-required area is identified.

7. The light distribution control device according to claim 2, The coordinated irradiation is The attention-required area illumination mode includes an attention-required area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, The light distribution control unit is The light distribution control device executes the attention-required area illumination priority mode when the gaze-linked illumination mode is being executed and a new attention-required area is identified.

8. The light distribution control device according to claim 7, The light distribution control unit is When transitioning from the gaze-linked illumination mode to the attention-required area illumination priority mode, if a distance between the illumination area in the gaze direction and the new attention-required area is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, a light distribution control device causes the lighting device to illuminate a display object for guiding the driver's gaze from the illumination area to the new attention-required area.

9. The light distribution control device according to claim 2, The coordinated irradiation is a gaze-linked illumination priority mode in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode is higher than the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode, and a caution-required area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, The light distribution control unit is A light distribution control device that lowers the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode over time while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode is being executed, and that lowers the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode over time while the attention-required area illumination priority mode is being executed.

10. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, A light distribution control device, wherein the difference in the salience of the illumination pattern includes a difference in the salience of a color illuminated from the lighting device.

11. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, A light distribution control device, wherein the difference in the salience of the illumination mode includes a difference in the salience of an animation illuminated from the lighting device.

12. The light distribution control device according to claim 2, The coordinated irradiation is The conspicuousness of the gaze-linked illumination mode includes a gaze-linked illumination priority mode in which the conspicuousness is higher than that of the attention-required area illumination mode, The light distribution control unit is A light distribution control device that causes the lighting device to emit tailing light based on the line of sight of the driver as the line of sight-linked illumination mode in the line of sight-linked illumination priority mode.

13. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, The control unit is a light distribution control unit having at least two of the following emphasis illumination modes, which are different in type of the target to be emphasized and illuminated: a caution area illumination mode in which the lighting device emphasizes and illuminates a caution area as a type of target to be emphasized and illuminated; a gaze-linked illumination mode in which the lighting device emphasizes and illuminates the gaze direction of the driver as a type of target to be emphasized and illuminated; a route guidance illumination mode in which the lighting device emphasizes and illuminates a route guidance as a type of target to be emphasized and illuminated; a travel road illumination mode in which the lighting device emphasizes and illuminates a travel road as a type of target to be emphasized and illuminated; and a guide sign illumination mode in which the lighting device emphasizes and illuminates a guide sign as a type of target to be emphasized and illuminated. A light distribution control device comprising:

14. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, A light distribution control device including a type of target to be highlighted, the type of target to which the driver should pay attention, and a type of target that the driver wants to see.

15. A light distribution control method for controlling light distribution of a vehicle lighting device, comprising: Acquire at least one of surrounding information of the vehicle, information of the vehicle, and line-of-sight information relating to a line-of-sight direction of a driver of the vehicle; preparing a plurality of emphasis illumination modes in which the types of objects to be emphasized and illuminated by the lighting device are different based on at least any of the information; A light distribution control method, comprising: a light distribution control section for controlling a transition from an active illumination mode to a different illumination mode when a predetermined transition condition is satisfied in the active illumination mode; and, when a plurality of emphasis illumination modes having different types of targets to be emphasized illuminated exist simultaneously in the different illumination mode, a light distribution control section for controlling a transition from an active illumination mode to a different illumination mode when a transition condition is satisfied in the active illumination mode, and, based on the active illumination mode and the transition condition, a light distribution control section for controlling a transition from an active illumination mode to a different illumination mode when ...

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