Vehicle lighting device

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting device which controls a plurality of light emission parts (light source unit) that are mounted on the front part of a vehicle and form a proper irradiation region on the front side of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting device executes: the first control of controlling an irradiation region according to the travel direction of a vehicle in order to control the light emission intensity cd of each of a plurality of light emission parts; the second control of controlling the irradiation region so as to reduce the irradiation degree of the light to a position of an object; and the third control of controlling the irradiation region so as to reduce the irradiation degree of the light to a position of a reflection object. The lighting device selects the minimum value of a target value tcd1-m (m=1 to 6) of the light emission intensity for the first control, a target value tcd2-m of the light emission intensity for the second control and a target value tcd3-m of the light emission intensity for the third control as a final target value tcdf-m.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an illumination device that controls a plurality of light-emitting elements mounted at the front of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a lighting device that controls a plurality of light-emitting parts (light source units) mounted on the front of a vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1). The lighting device performs light distribution control that changes the illumination area of ​​light irradiated from the plurality of light-emitting parts.

[0003] Examples of the above light distribution control include a first control that controls the light irradiation area depending on the vehicle's traveling direction, a second control that controls the light irradiation area so as not to irradiate light onto the positions of preceding vehicles and oncoming vehicles, etc., and a third control that controls the light irradiation area depending on the position of an object that reflects light (hereinafter referred to as a "reflective object"). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6744424 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, the inventor of the present application is considering the development of a vehicle capable of executing all of the first control, the second control, and the third control as light distribution control. However, in such a vehicle, these three controls may interfere with each other, and as a result, it may not be possible to form an appropriate illumination area in front of the vehicle. For example, assume that a preceding vehicle and a reflective object are present in front of the vehicle, and that the reflective object is present in the same direction as the preceding vehicle. In this situation, if the third control is prioritized over the second control, the illumination area of ​​light is formed to include the preceding vehicle. This may cause glare (dazzle) to the driver of the preceding vehicle.

[0006] Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lighting device capable of forming an appropriate illumination area in front of the vehicle in a vehicle capable of executing first control, second control, and third control.

[0007] In one or more embodiments, a vehicle lighting device includes: A plurality of light emitting units (23L-1 to 23L-n and 23R-1 to 23R-n) mounted on the front of the vehicle and arranged in a predetermined direction; a first sensor (11, 12) for acquiring driving state information which is information relating to the driving state of the vehicle; a second sensor (13) for acquiring vehicle surroundings information including information regarding objects present in a surrounding area of ​​the vehicle; A control device (10) that controls the light emission intensity (cd) of each of the plurality of light-emitting units to perform light distribution control that changes an illumination area (Ara) formed by the light from the plurality of light-emitting units; Equipped with. The light distribution control is A first control that controls the illumination area according to a traveling direction (dr) of the vehicle determined based on the driving state information; a second control for controlling the illumination area so as to reduce an illumination degree of the light to a position of an object (OV) detected based on the vehicle surroundings information; a third control for controlling the illumination area so as to reduce an illumination degree of the light to a position of a reflecting object (RO) detected based on the vehicle surroundings information; Includes. The control device includes: selecting a final target value (tcdf) which is a final target value of the emission intensity from among a first target value (tcd1) which is a target value of the emission intensity for performing the first control, a second target value (tcd2) which is a target value of the emission intensity for performing the second control, and a third target value (tcd3) which is a target value of the emission intensity for performing the third control; Controlling the light-emitting unit based on the final target value It is structured as follows. The control device includes: When the current situation is a first situation in which all of the first control, the second control, and the third control are executed, A minimum value among the first target value, the second target value, and the third target value is selected as the final target value. It is structured as follows.

[0008] An illumination device having the above configuration, in a vehicle capable of executing the first control, the second control, and the third control, can emit light at an appropriate emission intensity from each of a plurality of light-emitting elements, thereby forming an appropriate illumination area in front of the vehicle SV.

[0009] For example, assume that a preceding vehicle and a reflective object are present in front of the vehicle, and that the reflective object is present in the same direction as the preceding vehicle. In this situation, the lighting device selects the minimum value among the first target value, the second target value, and the third target value as the final target value. This reduces the amount of light irradiated toward the preceding vehicle. Therefore, the possibility that the driver of the preceding vehicle receives glare can be reduced.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the controller comprises: When the current situation is a second situation in which only the first control and the third control are executed, Selecting the smaller of the first target value and the third target value as the final target value. It is structured as follows.

[0011] For example, assume that a reflective object exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle. In this situation, the lighting device selects the smaller value of the first target value and the third target value as the final target value. This reduces the amount of light irradiated toward the reflective object. Since the amount of light reflected by the reflective object is reduced (or no light is reflected by the reflective object), the possibility that the driver of the vehicle will feel glare can be reduced.

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the vehicle surroundings information includes image data of the surrounding area. In the third control, the control device When the brightness value of a pixel on the image data is equal to or greater than a predetermined brightness threshold (bth), it is determined that the reflective object is present at a position corresponding to the pixel. It is structured as follows.

[0013] In one or more embodiments, the control device may be implemented by a microprocessor programmed to perform one or more functions described herein. In one or more embodiments, the control device may be implemented in whole or in part by hardware, such as one or more application specific integrated circuits, i.e., ASICs. In the above description, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the names and / or symbols used in the embodiments described below are added in parentheses to the configurations of the invention corresponding to those embodiments. However, each component of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments defined by the names and / or symbols. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a vehicle showing the arrangement of the left and right headlights. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a left high beam light and a right high beam light. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram showing the illumination areas of a plurality of light-emitting elements of a left high beam light. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a situation in which a vehicle is traveling around a right curve. [Figure 6] 11 is a table showing first target values ​​for each of a plurality of light-emitting elements of a left high beam light. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a situation where a preceding vehicle is present ahead of the vehicle; [Figure 8] 11 is a table showing second target values ​​for each of a plurality of light-emitting elements of a left high beam light. [Figure 9]FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a situation where a reflective object is present in front of a vehicle. [Figure 10] This is image data acquired in the situation shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a table showing third target values ​​for each of a plurality of light-emitting elements of a left high beam light. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the lighting ECU. [Figure 13] 11 is a table illustrating a method for determining a final target value in each of first to fourth situations. [Figure 14] This is an example of the first situation. [Figure 15] This is an example of the second situation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] <Configuration> The lighting device according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle SV, as shown in FIG. 1. The lighting device includes a lighting ECU 10. The ECU is an electric control unit having a microcomputer as a main part. The microcomputer includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an interface I / F. For example, the lighting ECU 10 includes a microcomputer including a CPU 10a, a ROM 10b, a RAM 10c, and an interface (I / F) 10d. The CPU 10a executes instructions (programs, routines) stored in the ROM 10b to realize various functions described later.

[0016] The vehicle SV is equipped with various ECUs (e.g., an engine ECU and a brake ECU) that perform vehicle control, but as they are not directly related to the lighting device according to this embodiment, description thereof will be omitted.

[0017] The lighting ECU 10 is connected to the left headlight 20L and the right headlight 20R. The lighting ECU 10 can control each of the left headlight 20L and the right headlight 20R.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the left headlight 20L is provided on the left side (left front corner 201L) of the front part of the vehicle body 200, and the right headlight 20R is provided on the right side (right front corner 201R) of the front part of the vehicle body 200. The left headlight 20L and the right headlight 20R have the same basic configuration. The left headlight 20L includes a left high beam light 21L and a left low beam light 22L. The right headlight 20R includes a right high beam light 21R and a right low beam light 22R.

[0019] Referring again to FIG. 1, the lighting ECU 10 is connected to the sensors listed below and receives detection signals or output signals thereof.

[0020] The vehicle speed sensor 11 detects the speed (traveling speed) of the vehicle SV and outputs a signal representing the speed Vs. The steering angle sensor 12 detects the steering angle of the vehicle SV and outputs a signal representing the steering angle θ [deg]. The steering angle θ is zero when the vehicle SV is traveling straight ahead. The steering angle θ is a positive value when the vehicle SV turns left and a negative value when the vehicle SV turns right.

[0021] Hereinafter, the “information related to the running state of the vehicle SV” output from the sensors 11 and 12 may be referred to as “running state information.” The vehicle SV may further include sensors that acquire other running state information (e.g., yaw rate, acceleration, etc.).

[0022] The surrounding sensor 13 is configured to obtain information about objects present in the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle SV. The surrounding area of ​​the vehicle SV includes at least the area in front of the vehicle SV. The objects include, for example, moving objects such as four-wheeled vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, and pedestrians, as well as fixed objects such as utility poles, trees, and guardrails. The surrounding sensor 13 includes a radar sensor 14 and a camera sensor 15.

[0023] The radar sensor 14 emits, for example, millimeter wave band radio waves (hereinafter referred to as "millimeter waves") to the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle SV, and receives millimeter waves reflected by objects present within the emission range (i.e., reflected waves). The radar sensor 14 detects objects based on reflected wave information. The reflected wave information includes the phase difference between the transmitted millimeter wave and the received reflected wave, the attenuation level of the reflected wave, and the time from transmitting the millimeter wave to receiving the reflected wave. Furthermore, the radar sensor 14 calculates parameters indicating the relative relationship between the vehicle and the object based on the reflected wave information. The parameters indicating the relative relationship between the vehicle SV and the object include the orientation (or position) of the object with respect to the vehicle SV, the distance between the vehicle SV and the object, and the relative speed between the vehicle SV and the object.

[0024] The camera sensor 15 captures an image of the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle SV to obtain image data. The camera sensor 15 may determine the presence or absence of an object based on the image data, and may calculate a parameter indicating the relative relationship between the vehicle and the object.

[0025] The information about the object acquired by the surrounding sensor 13 (including parameters indicating the relative relationship between the vehicle and the object) is referred to as "object information." The lighting ECU 10 acquires information about the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle, including the object information and image data, as "vehicle surrounding information."

[0026] <High beam light configuration> The left high beam light 21L and the right high beam light 21R each emit light (high beam) forward of the vehicle SV. As shown in Fig. 3, the left high beam light 21L includes a plurality of (n) light emitting units (23L-1, 23L-2, 23L-3, ..., 23L-n) arranged in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction of the vehicle SV). The right high beam light 21R includes a plurality of (n) light emitting units (23R-1, 23R-2, 23R-3, ..., 23R-n) arranged in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] The number n of light-emitting units is, for example, 12. In the following, for ease of illustration and explanation, an example in which "n=6" will be described.

[0028] Since the left high beam light 21L and the right high beam light 21R have the same configuration, the configuration of the left high beam light 21L will be described below. Note that the multiple light-emitting units in the left high beam light 21L are collectively referred to as "multiple light-emitting units 23L."

[0029] Each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L includes a white LED (light-emitting diode). FIG. 4 shows the illumination area of ​​each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L. The illumination areas of the multiple light-emitting units 23L-1 to 23L-6 are Ar1 to Ar6, respectively. The illumination areas of the multiple light-emitting units 23L overlap with each other between adjacent areas in the vehicle width direction. The entire illumination area formed by the illumination areas Ar1 to Ar6 is hereinafter indicated by the symbol "Ara."

[0030] The lighting ECU 10 can independently control the lighting state of each of the plurality of light-emitting units 23L. That is, the lighting ECU 10 can selectively light up one or more of the plurality of light-emitting units 23L. Furthermore, the lighting ECU 10 can control the light emission intensity of each of the plurality of light-emitting units 23L by adjusting the amount of current supplied to each of the plurality of light-emitting units 23L.

[0031] Here, the luminous intensity is the degree of brightness of light emitted in a certain direction. The luminous intensity is, for example, luminous intensity (cd) which is the amount of luminous flux per unit solid angle (hereinafter, referred to as "luminous intensity cd").

[0032] As a technique for independently controlling the lighting state of each of a plurality of light-emitting units (LEDs), the techniques described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2009-123566, 2008-37240, and 2008-114800 may be adopted.

[0033] <Light distribution control> The lighting ECU 10 is configured to execute light distribution control for changing an illumination area formed by light from the multiple light-emitting elements 23L.

[0034] The light distribution control includes a first control that controls the light irradiation area according to the traveling direction of the vehicle SV determined based on the driving state information, a second control that controls the light irradiation area so as to reduce the degree of light irradiation on the positions of objects (preceding vehicles, oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, etc.) detected based on the vehicle surroundings information, and a third control that controls the light irradiation area so as to reduce the degree of light irradiation on the positions of reflective objects detected based on the vehicle surroundings information. Each of the first control, second control, and third control will be described below.

[0035] First control For example, when the vehicle SV is traveling around a curve at night, the driver has difficulty seeing the situation ahead of the vehicle SV. Therefore, the lighting ECU 10 executes the first control. Note that the first control is sometimes called "swivel control" because it is a control that swivels the light irradiation area. The swivel control itself is well known (see, for example, JP 2013-77451 A). Therefore, it will be briefly described below.

[0036] The lighting ECU10 determines the turning direction and turning degree of the vehicle SV based on the driving state information (steering angle θ and speed Vs). The lighting ECU10 calculates the traveling direction dr of the vehicle SV based on the turning direction and turning degree of the vehicle SV. The traveling direction dr is the direction in which the vehicle SV is predicted to move. Therefore, when the vehicle SV is traveling on a right curve, the traveling direction dr is the right front direction of the vehicle SV. When the vehicle SV is traveling on a left curve, the traveling direction dr is the left front direction of the vehicle SV. The lighting ECU10 calculates a first target value tcd1 for each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L based on the traveling direction dr of the vehicle SV. The first target value tcd1 is a target value of the light emission intensity cd for executing the first control.

[0037] In the example of Fig. 5, the vehicle SV travels around a right curve. In this case, the lighting ECU 10 calculates a first target value tcd1 for each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 23L based on the traveling direction dr, as shown in Fig. 6. In the table of Fig. 6, the maximum value of the light emission intensity cd is set to "100", and the first target value tcd1 for each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 23L is normalized.

[0038] When the vehicle SV is traveling around a right curve, the first target value tcd1 of the light-emitting element 23L-6 on the turning direction side (right side) of the vehicle SV is the largest. Meanwhile, the first target value tcd1 of the light-emitting element 23L-1 on the opposite side (left side) of the turning direction of the vehicle SV is the smallest. The first target value tcd1 gradually decreases from the rightmost light-emitting element 23L-6 among the multiple light-emitting elements 23L toward the left. Therefore, the degree of light irradiation to the right front area (area on the turning direction side) of the vehicle SV increases, and the degree of light irradiation to the left front area (area on the opposite side of the turning direction) of the vehicle SV decreases.

[0039] The lighting ECU 10 controls the light emission intensity cd of each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 23L according to the table of Fig. 6. As a result, as shown in Fig. 5, the illumination area Ara of the light from the plurality of light-emitting elements 23L is formed so that the light illuminates the right front area of ​​the vehicle SV more than the left front area. In this way, the lighting ECU 10 can change (swivel) the illumination area Ara according to the traveling direction dr of the vehicle SV. This can improve the visibility of right curves.

[0040] Second control For example, assume that there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the vehicle SV at night. In this situation, if the vehicle SV irradiates its high beams ahead, there is a risk of causing glare to the driver of the preceding vehicle. Therefore, the lighting ECU 10 executes the second control. Note that the second control is sometimes called "shading control" because it is a control for forming an area (shading area) where no light is irradiated in a portion of the area ahead of the vehicle. The shading control itself is known (for example, JP 2009-123566 A). Therefore, it will be briefly described below.

[0041] The lighting ECU 10 judges whether or not a predetermined moving object condition is satisfied based on the vehicle surroundings information (specifically, object information and / or image data). The moving object condition is satisfied when a moving object (e.g., a preceding vehicle, an oncoming vehicle, a pedestrian, etc.) is present within a predetermined distance range ahead of the vehicle SV. If the moving object condition is satisfied, the lighting ECU 10 identifies the position of the moving object. The lighting ECU 10 calculates a second target value tcd2 for each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L based on the position of the moving object. The second target value tcd2 is a target value of the light emission intensity cd for executing the second control.

[0042] 7, a preceding vehicle OV is present ahead of the vehicle SV. In this case, the lighting ECU 10 calculates the second target value tcd2 for each of the plurality of light-emitting elements 23L, as shown in FIG.

[0043] For example, the light-emitting unit 23L-6 is the light-emitting unit that illuminates the position of the preceding vehicle OV. Therefore, the second target value tcd2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-6 is "0". As described in FIG. 4, a part of the illumination area Ar5 of the light-emitting unit 23L-5 adjacent to the light-emitting unit 23L-6 overlaps with the illumination area Ar6 of the light-emitting unit 23L-6. Therefore, the second target value tcd2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-5 is a relatively small value. This reduces the degree of illumination of light to the position of the preceding vehicle OV. On the other hand, the second target value tcd2 of the light-emitting units (23L-1 to 23L-4) other than the light-emitting units 23L-5 and 23L-6 is relatively large. Therefore, the degree of illumination of light to areas other than the position of the preceding vehicle OV increases.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 7, the illumination area Ara of the light from the multiple light emitting units 23L is formed so as not to illuminate the position of the preceding vehicle OV. In this way, the lighting ECU 10 can reduce the illumination intensity of the light to the position of the moving object (the preceding vehicle OV) in front of the vehicle SV. This can reduce the possibility of giving glare to the driver of the preceding vehicle OV.

[0045] Third control For example, assume that a reflective object (e.g., a road sign) is present in front of the vehicle SV at night. In this situation, if the vehicle SV shines its high beam forward, the driver of the vehicle SV may feel glare due to the light reflected by the reflective object. Therefore, the lighting ECU 10 executes the third control. The third control is sometimes called "dimming control" because it is a control that reduces the degree of light irradiation at the position of the reflective object.

[0046] The lighting ECU 10 judges whether a predetermined reflective object condition is satisfied based on the vehicle surroundings information (specifically, image data). The reflective object condition is satisfied when a reflective object is present in front of the vehicle SV. Since a reflective object reflects light, the brightness of an area on the image data corresponding to the reflective object tends to be high. Taking this into consideration, the lighting ECU 10 judges whether the reflective object condition is satisfied as follows.

[0047] The lighting ECU 10 scans the image data and selects (extracts) pixels having a predetermined luminance value ba or more. The lighting ECU 10 sets an area including the selected pixel and a plurality of pixels existing around the selected pixel as a "pixel area of ​​interest."

[0048] In another example, the lighting ECU 10 may group a plurality of pixels that have a luminance value equal to or greater than a predetermined luminance value ba and are adjacent to each other, and set the grouped pixels as a "pixel region of interest."

[0049] The lighting ECU 10 acquires the maximum luminance bmax in the pixel region of interest. If the maximum luminance bmax is equal to or greater than a predetermined luminance threshold bth, the lighting ECU 10 determines that a reflective object exists in the pixel region of interest that includes the pixel having the maximum luminance bmax. In other words, the lighting ECU 10 determines that the reflective object condition is met.

[0050] In the example of FIG. 9, the vehicle SV travels near a reflective object (road sign) RO. In this situation, the lighting ECU 10 acquires image data 1000 shown in FIG. 10 from the surrounding sensor 13 (specifically, the camera sensor 15). The lighting ECU 10 scans the image data 1000 to determine a pixel region of interest 1001. The pixel region of interest 1001 is an area on the image data that corresponds to a part of the reflective object RO. Here, it is assumed that the maximum luminance bmax in the pixel region of interest 1001 is equal to or greater than the luminance threshold bth. The lighting ECU 10 determines that a reflective object is present in the pixel region of interest 1001. Therefore, the lighting ECU 10 determines that a reflective object condition is established.

[0051] When the reflective object condition is satisfied, the lighting ECU 10 calculates a third target value tcd3 for each of the light-emitting units 23L as shown in Fig. 11. The third target value tcd3 is a target value of the light emission intensity cd for executing the third control.

[0052] The light-emitting unit 23L-1 is a light-emitting unit that irradiates the pixel region 1001 of interest (i.e., the position of the reflective object RO). The third target value tcd3 of the light-emitting unit 23L-1 is a small value. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the irradiation region Ar2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-2 adjacent to the light-emitting unit 23L-1 overlaps with the irradiation region Ar1 of the light-emitting unit 23L-1. Therefore, the third target value tcd3 of the light-emitting unit 23L-2 is also a relatively small value. This reduces the degree of irradiation of light to the position of the reflective object RO. On the other hand, the third target values ​​tcd3 of the light-emitting units (23L-3 to 23L-6) other than the light-emitting units 23L-1 and 23L-2 are relatively large. Therefore, the degree of irradiation of light to the region other than the position of the reflective object RO increases.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 9, the illumination area Ara of the light from the multiple light emitting units 23L is formed so as not to illuminate the position of the reflective object RO. In this way, the lighting ECU 10 can reduce the degree of illumination of the light to the reflective object RO in front of the vehicle SV. This can reduce the possibility that the driver of the vehicle SV feels glare.

[0054] <Lighting ECU Configuration> In order to realize the above-mentioned first to third controls, the lighting ECU 10 includes functional components shown in Fig. 12. Specifically, the lighting ECU 10 includes a lighting control unit 1200, a first control unit 1201, a second control unit 1202, and a third control unit 1203. These components are realized by a combination of hardware (CPU 10a, RAM 10c, etc.) and software.

[0055] The first control unit 1201 executes processing related to the first control. The first control unit 1201 calculates the traveling direction dr of the vehicle SV every time a predetermined time dT elapses, and calculates a first target value tcd1 for each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L. The first control unit 1201 outputs the first target value tcd1 to the lighting control unit 1200.

[0056] The second control unit 1202 executes processing related to the second control. The second control unit 1202 determines whether or not the moving object condition is satisfied every time a predetermined time dT elapses. If the moving object condition is satisfied, the second control unit 1202 calculates a second target value tcd2 for each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L. Then, the second control unit 1202 outputs the second target value tcd2 to the illumination control unit 1200.

[0057] The third control unit 1203 executes processing related to the third control. The third control unit 1203 determines whether or not the reflective object condition is satisfied every time a predetermined time dT elapses. If the reflective object condition is satisfied, the third control unit 1203 calculates a third target value tcd3 for each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L. Then, the third control unit 1203 outputs the third target value tcd3 to the illumination control unit 1200.

[0058] If the lighting ECU 10 is capable of executing all of the first control, the second control, and the third control, the following problem occurs. (a) For example, assume that a reflective object exists in the same direction as another vehicle (a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle) as seen from the vehicle SV. In this situation, if the third control takes precedence over the second control, the light irradiation area is formed to include the other vehicle. This may cause glare to the driver of the other vehicle. (b) Assume that a reflective object is present in the traveling direction of the vehicle SV. In this situation, if the first control takes precedence over the third control, light is irradiated with a relatively high emission intensity toward the position of the reflective object. There is a risk that the light will be reflected by the reflective object and the driver of the vehicle SV will feel glare.

[0059] Therefore, the lighting control unit 1200 executes arbitration processing of the first control, the second control, and the third control so that these controls do not adversely affect each other.

[0060] Specifically, the lighting control unit 1200 receives a first target value tcd1 from the first control unit 1201 every time a predetermined time dT elapses. In a situation where the moving object condition is satisfied (i.e., a situation where a moving object is present in front of the vehicle SV), the lighting control unit 1200 receives a second target value tcd2 from the second control unit 1202 every time a predetermined time dT elapses. In a situation where the reflective object condition is satisfied (i.e., a situation where a reflective object is present in front of the vehicle SV), the lighting control unit 1200 receives a third target value tcd3 from the third control unit 1203 every time a predetermined time dT elapses.

[0061] The illumination control unit 1200 determines a final target value tcdf for each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L. The final target value tcdf is a final target value of the light-emitting intensity cd. The illumination control unit 1200 selects the final target value tcdf from among the first target value tcd1, the second target value tcd2, and the third target value tcd3. Then, the illumination control unit 1200 controls the light-emitting intensity cd of each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L based on the final target value tcdf.

[0062] Hereinafter, any one of the multiple light-emitting units 23L will be expressed as "light-emitting unit 23L-m" (m = 1, ..., 6). Furthermore, the first target value tcd1 of the light-emitting unit 23L-m will be expressed as "tcd1-m", the second target value tcd2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-m will be expressed as "tcd2-m", the third target value tcd3 of the light-emitting unit 23L-m will be expressed as "tcd3-m", and the final target value tcdf of the light-emitting unit 23L-m will be expressed as "tcdf-m".

[0063] The lighting control unit 1200 judges whether the current situation is one of the first situation to the fourth situation shown in FIG. 13 every time a predetermined time dT elapses. As shown in FIG. 13, the "first situation" is a situation in which the first control, the second control, and the third control are all executed. The "second situation" is a situation in which only the first control and the third control are executed. The "third situation" is a situation in which only the first control and the second control are executed. The "fourth situation" is a situation in which only the first control is executed. Next, the operation of the lighting control unit 1200 in each of the first situation to the fourth situation will be described.

[0064] First situation At a certain time t1, the lighting control unit 1200 receives a first target value tcd1-m from the first control unit 1201, receives a second target value tcd2-m from the second control unit 1202, and receives a third target value tcd3-m from the third control unit 1203. In this case, the lighting control unit 1200 determines that the current situation is the first situation. As shown in FIG. 13, the lighting control unit 1200 selects the minimum value of the first target value tcd1-m, the second target value tcd2-m, and the third target value tcd3-m as the final target value tcdf-m. The Min function in FIG. 13 is a function that selects the minimum value of the numerical values ​​in parentheses. The lighting control unit 1200 controls the light-emitting unit 23L-m so that the light-emitting intensity cd of the light-emitting unit 23L-m coincides with the final target value tcdf-m.

[0065] Second situation The lighting control unit 1200 receives the first target value tcd1-m from the first control unit 1201 and receives the third target value tcd3-m from the third control unit 1203 at a certain time t2. The lighting control unit 1200 does not receive the second target value tcd2-m from the second control unit 1202 at this time t2. In this case, the lighting control unit 1200 determines that the current situation is the second situation. As shown in FIG. 13, the lighting control unit 1200 selects the smaller one of the first target value tcd1-m and the third target value tcd3-m as the final target value tcdf-m. The lighting control unit 1200 controls the light-emitting unit 23L-m so that the light-emitting intensity cd of the light-emitting unit 23L-m coincides with the final target value tcdf-m.

[0066] Third Situation At a certain time t3, the lighting control unit 1200 receives the first target value tcd1-m from the first control unit 1201 and receives the second target value tcd2-m from the second control unit 1202. At this time t3, the lighting control unit 1200 does not receive the third target value tcd3-m from the third control unit 1203. In this case, the lighting control unit 1200 determines that the current situation is the third situation. As shown in FIG. 13, the lighting control unit 1200 selects the second target value tcd2-m as the final target value tcdf-m. In this way, in the third situation, the lighting control unit 1200 prioritizes the second control over the first control. The lighting control unit 1200 controls the light-emitting unit 23L-m so that the light-emitting intensity cd of the light-emitting unit 23L-m coincides with the final target value tcdf-m.

[0067] 4th situation The lighting control unit 1200 receives the first target value tcd1-m from the first control unit 1201 at a certain time t4. The lighting control unit 1200 does not receive the second target value tcd2-m from the second control unit 1202 and does not receive the third target value tcd3-m from the third control unit 1203 at this time t4. In this case, the lighting control unit 1200 determines that the current situation is the fourth situation. As shown in FIG. 13, the lighting control unit 1200 selects the first target value tcd1-m as the final target value tcdf-m. The lighting control unit 1200 controls the light-emitting unit 23L-m so that the light-emitting intensity cd of the light-emitting unit 23L-m coincides with the final target value tcdf-m.

[0068] An illumination device having the above configuration has the following effects. In the example of Fig. 14, the first reflecting object RO1, the second reflecting object RO2, and the first preceding vehicle OV1 are present in front of the vehicle SV. The first preceding vehicle OV1 and the first reflecting object RO1 overlap with the illumination area Ar4 of the light-emitting unit 23L-4. The second reflecting object RO2 overlaps with the illumination area Ar2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-2. Note that in Fig. 14, the illumination area Ar4 represents the illumination area when the light-emitting intensity cd of the light-emitting unit 23L-4 is set to the maximum value, and the illumination area Ar2 represents the illumination area when the light-emitting intensity cd of the light-emitting unit 23L-2 is set to the maximum value.

[0069] The lighting device determines that the current situation is the first situation. Then, the lighting device selects the minimum value of the first target value tcd1-4, the second target value tcd2-4, and the third target value tcd3-4 as the final target value tcdf-4 of the light-emitting unit 23L-4. In this manner, the lighting device prioritizes the target value of the light distribution control corresponding to the minimum value of the three target values ​​(tcd1-4, tcd2-4, tcd3-4). In this example, the first target value tcd1-4 is a relatively large value (for example, "80"). Since the first preceding vehicle OV1 is present in the irradiation area Ar4 of the light-emitting unit 23L-4, the second target value tcd2-4 is "0". Since the first reflecting object RO1 is present in the irradiation area Ar4 of the light-emitting unit 23L-4, the third target value tcd3-4 is a relatively small value (for example, "40"). Therefore, the second target value tcd2-4 is the smallest of the three target values ​​(tcd1-4, tcd2-4, tcd3-4). The lighting device selects the second target value tcd2-4 as the final target value tcdf-4. In this case, the light-emitting unit 23L-4 does not substantially irradiate light, so the driver of the first preceding vehicle OV1 does not receive glare.

[0070] Similarly, the lighting device selects the minimum value of the first target value tcd1-2, the second target value tcd2-2, and the third target value tcd3-2 as the final target value tcdf-2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-2. In this example, the first target value tcd1-2 is a relatively large value (for example, "80"). Since the first preceding vehicle OV1 does not exist in the irradiation area Ar2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-2, the second target value tcd2-2 is also a relatively large value (for example, "80"). On the other hand, since the second reflecting object RO2 exists in the irradiation area Ar2 of the light-emitting unit 23L-2, the third target value tcd3-2 is a relatively small value (for example, "40"). Therefore, the third target value tcd3-2 is the smallest of the three target values ​​(tcd1-2, tcd2-2, tcd3-2). The lighting device selects the third target value tcd3-2 as the final target value tcdf-2. In this case, the light-emitting unit 23L-2 irradiates light with a relatively small light-emitting intensity cd, so that the light from the light-emitting unit 23L-2 does not reach the second reflecting object RO2. Since the light from the light-emitting unit 23L-2 is not reflected by the second reflecting object RO2, the driver of the vehicle SV does not feel glare. In this way, the lighting device causes each of the multiple light-emitting units 23L to irradiate light with an appropriate light-emitting intensity cd, thereby forming an appropriate illumination area in front of the vehicle SV.

[0071] In the example of Fig. 15, the third reflecting object RO3 is located in front of the vehicle SV and on an extension of the traveling direction dr of the vehicle SV. Furthermore, the third reflecting object RO3 overlaps with the irradiation area Ar4 of the light emitting unit 23L-4. Note that in Fig. 15, the irradiation area Ar4 represents the irradiation area when the light emission intensity cd of the light emitting unit 23L-4 is set to the maximum value.

[0072] The lighting device determines that the current situation is the second situation. Then, the lighting device selects the smaller of the first target value tcd1-4 and the third target value tcd3-4 as the final target value tcdf-4 of the light-emitting unit 23L-4. In this example, the first target value tcd1-4 is a relatively large value (for example, "100"). Since the third reflecting object RO3 exists in the irradiation area Ar4 of the light-emitting unit 23L-4, the third target value tcd3-4 is a relatively small value (for example, "40"). Therefore, the lighting device selects the third target value tcd3-4 as the final target value tcdf-4. In this case, since the light-emitting unit 23L-4 irradiates light with a relatively small light emission intensity cd, the light from the light-emitting unit 23L-4 does not reach the third reflecting object RO3. Since the light from the light-emitting unit 23L-4 is not reflected by the third reflecting object RO3, the driver of the vehicle SV does not feel glare.

[0073] Furthermore, in the third situation, the lighting device selects the second target value tcd2-m as the final target value tcdf-m of the light-emitting unit 23L-m. The second control has priority over the first control. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the driver of the preceding vehicle OV is subjected to glare.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0075] (Variation 1) When the current situation is the first situation, the lighting ECU 10 may determine the final target value tcdf-m as follows: The lighting control unit 1200 first selects the smaller target value of the first target value tcd1-m and the second target value tcd2-m (i.e., the second target value tcd2-m). Next, the lighting control unit 1200 determines the smaller of the selected target value and the third target value tcd3-m as the final target value tcdf-m.

[0076] (Variation 2) Regarding the third control, the lighting ECU 10 may calculate the average luminance of pixels in the pixel region of interest, similarly to Patent Document 1. If the average luminance is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the lighting ECU 10 may determine that a reflective object is present in the pixel region of interest.

[0077] (Variation 3) In the above example, the left high beam light 21L and the right high beam light 21R each include light emitting units arranged in a row in the vehicle width direction, but are not limited to this. The left high beam light 21L and the right high beam light 21R each may include light emitting units arranged in multiple rows in the vehicle width direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10...Lighting ECU, 20L, 20R...headlight, 21L, 21R...high beam light, 22L, 22R...low beam light, 23L, 23R...light-emitting part.

Claims

1. A plurality of light emitting units are mounted on the front of the vehicle and arranged in a predetermined direction; A first sensor that acquires driving state information that is information regarding a driving state of the vehicle; a second sensor configured to acquire vehicle surroundings information including information regarding objects present in a surrounding area of ​​the vehicle; a control device that controls the light emission intensity of each of the plurality of light-emitting units to perform light distribution control that changes an illumination area formed by the light from the plurality of light-emitting units; Equipped with The light distribution control is a first control for controlling the illumination area in accordance with a traveling direction of the vehicle determined based on the traveling state information; a second control for controlling the illumination area so as to reduce an illumination degree of the light to a position of an object detected based on the vehicle surroundings information; a third control for controlling the illumination area so as to reduce an illumination degree of the light to a position of a reflective object detected based on the vehicle surroundings information; Including, The control device includes: selecting a final target value that is a final target value of the light emission intensity from among a first target value that is a target value of the light emission intensity for performing the first control, a second target value that is a target value of the light emission intensity for performing the second control, and a third target value that is a target value of the light emission intensity for performing the third control; Controlling the light-emitting unit based on the final target value It is configured as follows: The control device includes: When the current situation is a first situation in which all of the first control, the second control, and the third control are executed, A minimum value among the first target value, the second target value, and the third target value is selected as the final target value. It was configured as follows: Vehicle lighting device.

2. 2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, The control device includes: When the current situation is a second situation in which only the first control and the third control are executed, Selecting the smaller of the first target value and the third target value as the final target value. It was configured as follows: Vehicle lighting device.

3. 2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, The vehicle surroundings information includes image data of the surrounding area, In the third control, the control device When the luminance value of a pixel on the image data is equal to or greater than a predetermined luminance threshold, it is determined that the reflective object is present at a position corresponding to the pixel. It was configured as follows: Vehicle lighting device.

Images