Light control device and light control method

Abstract

This lighting control device (10) comprises an obstacle detection unit (11) that detects obstacles around a host vehicle, a driver recognition state assessment unit (12) that assesses whether a driver of a host vehicle has recognized an obstacle, and a lighting control unit (13) that controls the irradiation direction and irradiation mode of light emitted by a lighting device of the host vehicle. The lighting control unit (13) irradiates an obstacle with light when the obstacle is detected, and, in accordance with the result of assessing whether the driver has recognized the obstacle, controls the irradiation mode of the light with which the obstacle is irradiated.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a light control device that controls lighting devices of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A lighting control device has been proposed that assists driving by notifying the driver of the presence of an obstacle by illuminating the obstacle in a flashy (conspicuous) manner that emphasizes its presence when the obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle (for example, Patent Document 1 listed below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

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

[0004] The lighting control device of Patent Document 1 continues to illuminate the obstacle with light in a flashy illumination mode even after the driver recognizes the obstacle. However, illumination of the obstacle with light in a flashy illumination mode is bothersome to the driver who has already recognized the obstacle.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a lighting control device capable of illuminating an obstacle in an illumination manner appropriate to the driver's state of perception of the obstacle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The lighting control device according to the present disclosure includes an obstacle detection unit that detects obstacles around the vehicle, a driver recognition state judgment unit that judges whether the driver of the vehicle has recognized an obstacle, and a lighting control unit that controls the illumination direction and illumination mode of light emitted by the lighting device of the vehicle, and when an obstacle is detected, the lighting control unit illuminates the obstacle with light and controls the illumination mode of the light illuminated onto the obstacle depending on the result of the judgment of whether the driver has recognized the obstacle. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, light can be irradiated onto an obstacle in an illumination manner that corresponds to the driver's state of awareness of the obstacle.

[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 control system according to first to third embodiments. [Diagram 2] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an example of a state in which light is irradiated by the lighting device before an obstacle is detected. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first irradiation mode of the assist irradiation light. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a second irradiation mode of the assist irradiation light. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the first irradiation mode of the assist irradiation light. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the second irradiation mode of the assist irradiation light. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a third irradiation mode of the assist irradiation light. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the third irradiation mode of the assist irradiation light. [Figure 10] 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light control device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light control device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a light control device. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a light control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a light control system according to a first embodiment. The light control system assists a driver in driving by illuminating an obstacle detected ahead of the vehicle. Hereinafter, illumination of an obstacle with light for driving assistance will be referred to as "assistance illumination." It is assumed that the light control system is mounted on a vehicle, and hereinafter, the vehicle equipped with the light control system will be referred to as the "host vehicle."

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the light control system according to the first embodiment includes a light control device 10, a light device 20, a surroundings detection device 31, and a driver state detection device 32.

[0012] The periphery detection device 31 is a sensor that detects the situation around the vehicle, and provides surrounding information, which is information on the detection result of the situation around the vehicle, to the light control device 10. The periphery detection device 31 is composed of, for example, a TOF sensor (time of flight) represented by a radar or an ultrasonic sensor, or a camera. The detection range of the periphery detection device 31 includes at least the area ahead of the vehicle.

[0013] The driver state detection device 32 is a sensor that detects the state of the driver of the vehicle, and provides driver information, which is information on the detection result of the driver state, to the light control device 10. The driver state detection device 32 is composed of, for example, a camera that captures an image of the driver. The driver state detection device 32 detects one or more of the driver's line of sight, facial direction, facial expression, and behavior.

[0014] The light control device 10 has a function of controlling the operation of the light device 20 , and includes an obstacle detection unit 11 , a driver recognition state determination unit 12 , and a light control unit 13 .

[0015] The obstacle detection unit 11 detects obstacles around the host vehicle based on the surrounding information of the host vehicle acquired from the surrounding detection device 31. More specifically, the obstacle detection unit 11 detects the position of an obstacle present around the host vehicle (a relative position with respect to the host vehicle) and identifies, for example, the coordinates of the obstacle position in an XY coordinate system in which the front-rear direction of the host vehicle is the X axis and the vehicle width direction is the Y axis.

[0016] The driver recognition state determination unit 12 determines whether or not the driver has recognized an obstacle based on the driver information acquired from the driver state detection device 32, specifically, information that can determine where the driver has looked, such as the driver's line of sight and face direction, and the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 11. Whether or not the driver has recognized an obstacle can be determined, for example, by whether or not the driver has looked toward the obstacle.

[0017] The light control unit 13 controls the direction and manner of illumination of the light emitted by the lighting device 20. In particular, when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit 11, the light control unit 13 controls the direction of illumination of the light emitted by the lighting device 20 to illuminate the obstacle with support illumination. At this time, the light control unit 13 controls the illumination manner of the light illuminated to the obstacle according to the result of the determination by the driver recognition state determination unit 12 as to whether the driver has recognized the obstacle. The illumination manner of the light illuminated to the obstacle is controlled by the light control unit 13 by controlling at least one of the color tone, illuminance, and light distribution of the light emitted by the lighting device 20, the degree of dynamic change of the light, and the illuminated object to be projected. The illuminated object is a figure, a character, or the like. The figure may be a planar figure or a three-dimensional figure, but a three-dimensional figure is more effective at attracting the driver's attention than a planar figure.

[0018] A dynamic illumination mode refers to an illumination mode that changes with the passage of time or the change in the distance to an obstacle. An example of a dynamic illumination mode is an illumination mode in which the color tone gradually changes with the passage of time. On the other hand, a static illumination mode refers to an illumination mode that does not change even if there is a change in the passage of time or the distance to an obstacle.

[0019] In the first embodiment, when an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit 11, the light control unit 13 sets the illumination mode of the light that the lighting device 20 irradiates to the obstacle to a first illumination mode, and starts support illumination to the obstacle. Also, when the driver perception state determination unit 12 determines that the driver has recognized an obstacle, the light control unit 13 changes the illumination mode of the light that the lighting device 20 irradiates to the obstacle in the support illumination (hereinafter referred to as "support illumination light") to a second illumination mode. Here, the second illumination mode is closer to the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device 20 before the obstacle is detected than the first illumination mode.

[0020] The lighting device 20 includes a headlamp 21 and a support illumination light 22 consisting of an auxiliary light or the like, and can realize various illumination modes according to instructions from the lighting control device 10. In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, it is assumed that the headlamp 21 performs general forward illumination that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle in response to the driver's operation of a light switch (not shown) regardless of the result of obstacle detection, and that support illumination for obstacles is performed by the support illumination light 22. Therefore, the illumination mode of the support illumination light is determined by the light emitted by the support illumination light 22.

[0021] However, if the headlight 21 is capable of controlling at least one of the color tone, illuminance and light distribution of the light, the degree of dynamic change of the light, and the projected illumination object, some or all of the functions of the support illumination may be performed by the headlight 21. For example, when increasing the illuminance of the support illumination light, instead of increasing the illuminance of the light that the support illumination light 22 irradiates on the obstacle, the headlight 21 may increase the illuminance of the light emitted in the direction of the obstacle. If all of the functions of the support illumination can be performed by the headlight 21, the support illumination light 22 may be omitted.

[0022] A specific example of the operation of the light control device 10 will be described. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, it is assumed that in a state where there is no obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100, the light device 20 performs only forward illumination using the forward illumination light 101 emitted by the headlamp 21 under the control of the light control device 10, and the support illumination light 22 is turned off.

[0023] After that, as shown in FIG. 3, it is assumed that an obstacle 200 appears in front of the vehicle 100. Also, it is assumed that the driver does not recognize the obstacle 200 at the time of FIG. 3. In this case, when the obstacle detection unit 11 detects the obstacle 200, the light control unit 13 drives the support illumination light 22 to start support illumination in which the support illumination light 102 emitted by the support illumination light 22 is illuminated toward the obstacle 200. At this time, the driver recognition state determination unit 12 determines that the driver does not recognize the obstacle, so the light control unit 13 sets the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 to the first illumination mode. As a result, support illumination in which light is illuminated toward the obstacle 200 is performed in the first illumination mode. The first illumination mode may be a flashy (noticeable) illumination mode, which can increase the degree of attention of the driver to the obstacle.

[0024] Thereafter, when the driver recognizes the obstacle 200, the driver recognition state determination unit 12 determines that the driver recognizes the obstacle 200, and the light control unit 13 changes the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 from the first illumination mode to the second illumination mode as shown in Fig. 4. The second illumination mode is closer to the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device 20 before the obstacle 200 is detected, i.e., at the time of Fig. 2, than the first illumination mode. Since the support illumination light 22 is turned off at the time of Fig. 2, for example, by making the illuminance of the support illumination light 102 in the second illumination mode lower than the illuminance of the support illumination light 102 in the first illumination mode, the second illumination mode can be closer to the illumination mode before the obstacle 200 is detected than the first illumination mode.

[0025] The illumination mode of the support illumination light after the driver recognizes an obstacle (second illumination mode) is closer to the illumination mode of the lighting device 20 before the obstacle is detected than the illumination mode of the support illumination light before the driver recognizes the obstacle (first illumination mode), thereby preventing the driver from feeling annoyed by the support illumination light after recognizing the obstacle.

[0026] In this way, the light control system according to the first embodiment can irradiate light onto an obstacle in an illumination mode suited to the driver's state of perception of the obstacle.

[0027] In addition, if it is determined that the driver has recognized the obstacle before starting to illuminate the obstacle with light, the light control unit 13 may omit implementing support illumination in the first illumination mode, set the illumination mode of the support illumination light to the second illumination mode from the beginning, and start support illumination.

[0028] The illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 may be changed by changing at least one of the color tone, illuminance, and light distribution of the support illumination light 102, the degree of dynamic change of light, and the illuminated object to be projected. For example, when changing the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 by color tone, if the color of the forward illumination light 101 emitted from the headlamp 21 is white, the color of the support illumination light 102 in the first illumination mode may be red, and the color of the support illumination light 102 in the second illumination mode may be yellow, etc.

[0029] In addition, when the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 is changed according to the degree of dynamic change of the light, since the forward illumination light 101 is static in that the illumination mode does not change, for example, the first illumination mode may be dynamic in that the illumination range of the support illumination light 102 oscillates as shown in Fig. 5, and the second illumination mode may be static in that the illumination range of the support illumination light 102 is fixed as shown in Fig. 6. When both the first illumination mode and the second illumination mode are dynamic, the degree of dynamic change of the second illumination mode may be smaller than the degree of dynamic change of the first illumination mode. The mode of dynamic change of the light may be any mode, such as vibration, blinking, or color change.

[0030] Furthermore, when changing the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 by changing the light distribution of light, the illumination range of the luminous flux of the support illumination light 102 may be narrowed in the first illumination mode and illuminated to the obstacle, and the illumination range may be widened in the second illumination mode. Alternatively, the outline of the support illumination light 102 may be made clear in the first illumination mode and the outline of the support illumination light 102 may be blurred in the second illumination mode. If the illumination range of the support illumination light 102 is widened or the outline is blurred, the support illumination light 102 becomes less noticeable (less prominent), so even in these cases, it can be said that the second illumination mode is closer to the illumination mode before the obstacle was detected than the first illumination mode.

[0031] In addition, when the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 is changed depending on the illumination object, a prominent illumination object (e.g., a three-dimensional figure or character) may be projected with the support illumination light 102 in a first illumination mode, and a less prominent illumination object (e.g., a two-dimensional figure or character) may be projected with the support illumination light 102 in a second illumination mode.

[0032] In this way, various methods are conceivable for changing the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102, and the methods are not limited to the above examples. For example, a combination of multiple methods may be used, such as changing both the color tone and the light distribution of the support illumination light 102.

[0033] The second illumination mode may be the same as the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device before the obstacle is detected. In this case, it is substantially the same as ending the support illumination when the driver recognizes the obstacle, and it is possible to prevent the driver who recognizes the obstacle from feeling bothered by the support illumination.

[0034] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the headlights 21 of the lighting device 20 are turned on before an obstacle is detected (FIG. 2), but the headlights 21 may be turned off. In other words, the "light irradiation mode of the lighting device 20 before an obstacle is detected" also includes a state in which the lighting device 20 is turned off.

[0035] 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light control device 10 according to embodiment 1. Hereinafter, the operation of the light control device 10 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

[0036] When the vehicle starts traveling and the light control device 10 starts operating, the obstacle detection unit 11 acquires surrounding information of the vehicle from the surroundings detection device 31 (step S101). In addition, the driver perception state determination unit 12 acquires driver information from the driver state detection device 32 (step S102).

[0037] The obstacle detection unit 11 judges whether or not an obstacle is detected around the host vehicle based on the surrounding information of the host vehicle (step S103). If no obstacle is detected (NO in step S103), the light control unit 13 checks whether or not support illumination is being performed (step S104). If support illumination is being performed (YES in step S104), the light control unit 13 ends support illumination (step S105), and then checks whether or not the host vehicle has ended its travel (step S106). If the host vehicle continues to travel (NO in step S106), the process returns to step S101, but if the host vehicle has ended its travel (YES in step S106), the light control unit 10 ends its operation.

[0038] On the other hand, if an obstacle is detected by the obstacle detection unit 11 around the vehicle in step S103 (YES in step S103), the light control unit 13 checks whether or not a predetermined support illumination execution condition is satisfied (step S107). The support illumination execution condition is a criterion for determining whether or not support illumination should be executed. In this embodiment, the support illumination execution condition is that an obstacle is within the illumination range of the headlights 21. Therefore, in step S107, it is determined whether or not the position of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detection unit 11 is within the illumination range of the headlights 21. However, the support illumination execution condition is not limited to this example and may be any condition.

[0039] If the position of the obstacle is within the illumination range of the headlight 21, it is determined that the support illumination implementation condition is satisfied (YES in step S107), and the driver recognition state determination unit 12 determines whether the driver recognizes the obstacle based on the driver information (step S108). If the driver does not recognize the obstacle (NO in step S108), the light control unit 13 sets the illumination mode of the support illumination light emitted by the support illumination light 22 to the first illumination mode and performs support illumination (step S109). On the other hand, if the driver recognizes the obstacle (YES in step S108), the light control unit 13 sets the illumination mode of the support illumination light emitted by the support illumination light 22 to the second illumination mode and performs support illumination (step S110). Then, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0040] In step S107, if the position of the obstacle is not within the illumination range of the headlight 21, it is determined that the support illumination implementation condition is not satisfied (NO in step S107), and the process proceeds to step S104. At this time, if support illumination is being performed (YES in step S104), the light control unit 13 ends the support illumination (step S105). Therefore, even if an obstacle is detected within the illumination range of the headlight 21 and support illumination is started, if the obstacle subsequently moves out of the illumination range of the headlight 21, the support illumination ends. In other words, the condition for ending the support illumination is when the obstacle moves out of the illumination range of the headlight 21 and the support illumination implementation condition is no longer satisfied.

[0041] <Embodiment 2> The light control device 10 according to the first embodiment starts support illumination in a first illumination mode, and when the driver recognizes an obstacle, changes the illumination mode of the support illumination to a second illumination mode that is less noticeable than the first illumination mode, thereby preventing the driver from feeling annoyed.

[0042] In the second embodiment, a third illumination mode, which is a more noticeable illumination mode than the first illumination mode, is further introduced, and when the driver does not recognize an obstacle for a certain period of time even if the support illumination is started in the first illumination mode, the illumination mode of the support illumination is changed to the third illumination mode, thereby directing the driver's attention to the obstacle. In addition, the light control device 10 of the second embodiment changes the illumination mode of the support illumination to the second illumination mode, as in the first embodiment, when the driver recognizes an obstacle after starting the support illumination in the first or third illumination mode. The configuration of the light control system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1).

[0043] For example, as shown in Fig. 3, it is assumed that the light control device 10 sets the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 to a first illumination mode and starts support illumination to illuminate the support illumination light 102 to an obstacle 200. After that, if the driver recognition state determination unit 12 determines that the driver does not recognize an obstacle even after a certain period of time has elapsed, the light control unit 13 changes the illumination mode of the support illumination light 102 illuminated to the obstacle 200 to a third illumination mode as shown in Fig. 8.

[0044] The third illumination mode is more different from the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device 20 before an obstacle is detected, i.e., at the time of Fig. 2 than the first illumination mode. Since the support illumination light 22 is turned off at the time of Fig. 2, for example, if the illuminance of the support illumination light 102 in the third illumination mode is made higher than the illuminance of the support illumination light 102 in the first illumination mode, the third illumination mode can be made to deviate more from the illumination mode before an obstacle is detected than the first illumination mode.

[0045] When the driver does not recognize an obstacle, the illumination mode of the support illumination light is changed to a third illumination mode that is significantly different from the illumination mode of the lighting device 20 before an obstacle is detected, rather than the illumination mode (first illumination mode) of the support illumination light before the driver recognizes the obstacle, thereby directing the driver's attention toward the obstacle and encouraging the driver to recognize the obstacle.

[0046] In this way, according to the light control system of the second embodiment, when the driver is late in noticing an obstacle, the obstacle can be illuminated with light in an illumination mode suited to the driver's state of perception of the obstacle.

[0047] Furthermore, if the driver recognizes an obstacle after starting support illumination, as in embodiment 1, the illumination mode of the support illumination light changes to a second illumination mode that is closer to the illumination mode of the lighting device 20 before the obstacle was detected than the illumination mode (first illumination mode) of the support illumination light before the driver recognized the obstacle, thereby achieving the same effect as in embodiment 1.

[0048] In the second embodiment as well, the illumination mode of the assisting illumination light 102 may be changed by changing at least one of the color tone, illuminance and light distribution of the assisting illumination light 102, the degree of dynamic change of the light, and the projected illuminated object.

[0049] For example, when the irradiation mode of the assisting irradiation light 102 is changed depending on the degree of dynamic change of the light, a first irradiation mode may be one in which the irradiation range of the assisting irradiation light 102 oscillates as shown in FIG. 5, and a third irradiation mode may be one in which the irradiation range of the assisting irradiation light 102 oscillates with a larger amplitude than the first irradiation mode as shown in FIG. 9.

[0050] Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light control device 10 according to embodiment 2. The flowchart in Fig. 10 is obtained by adding steps S111 and S112 to the flowchart in Fig. 7. Steps S101 to S110 are the same as those in Fig. 7, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0051] Step S111 is executed when it is determined that the driver does not recognize the detected obstacle (when it is determined as NO in step S108). In this step S111, it is determined whether or not a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the assist irradiation.

[0052] Step S112 is executed when the driver does not recognize an obstacle and a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of support illumination (when the determination is YES in step S111). In step S112, the light control unit 13 sets the illumination mode of the support illumination light emitted by the support illumination lamp 22 to the third illumination mode and performs support illumination.

[0053] In step S111, if a certain period of time has not elapsed since the start of support illumination (NO in step S111), the process proceeds to step S109, and the light control unit 13 sets the illumination mode of the support illumination light emitted by the support illumination lamp 22 to the first illumination mode and performs support illumination.

[0054] <Embodiment 3> In the second embodiment, when the driver recognizes an obstacle after starting the assist illumination, the same operation as in the first embodiment, that is, the illumination mode of the assist illumination is changed to the second illumination mode that is less noticeable, is performed. However, the same operation as in the first embodiment does not necessarily have to be performed. In other words, the technique of the second embodiment can be implemented without combining it with the technique of the first embodiment.

[0055] In the third embodiment, an example will be shown in which the technique of the second embodiment is implemented alone. The configuration of the light control system according to the third embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment (FIG. 1).

[0056] Here, in the third embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the “third illumination mode” in the second embodiment, i.e., an illumination mode which is significantly different from the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device 20 before an obstacle is detected than the first illumination mode, is referred to as the “second illumination mode.”

[0057] Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light control device 10 according to embodiment 3. The flowchart in Fig. 10 is obtained by replacing steps S108 to S110 with steps S201 to S204 in the flowchart in Fig. 7. Steps S101 to S107 are the same as those in Fig. 7, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0058] In the third embodiment, when an obstacle is detected and it is determined that the support illumination implementation condition is satisfied (YES in step S107), the driver recognition state determination unit 12 determines whether the driver recognizes the obstacle based on the driver information (step S201). If the driver recognizes the obstacle (YES in step S201), the light control unit 13 sets the illumination mode of the support illumination light emitted by the support illumination light 22 to the first illumination mode and performs support illumination (step S202). Even if the driver does not recognize the obstacle (NO in step S201) or if a certain time has not elapsed since the start of support illumination (NO in step S203), the process proceeds to step S202, and the light control unit 13 performs support illumination in the first illumination mode.

[0059] However, if the state in which the driver is not aware of the obstacle (the state judged as NO in step S201) continues even after a certain time has elapsed since the start of the support illumination, the result is judged as YES in step S203, and the light control unit 13 performs support illumination in a second illumination mode (i.e., an illumination mode that is significantly different from the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device 20 before the obstacle is detected than the first illumination mode) (step S204).

[0060] When the driver does not recognize an obstacle, the illumination mode of the support illumination light is changed to a second illumination mode that is significantly different from the illumination mode of the lighting device 20 before an obstacle is detected, rather than the illumination mode (first illumination mode) of the support illumination light before the driver recognizes the obstacle, thereby directing the driver's attention toward the obstacle and encouraging the driver to recognize the obstacle.

[0061] According to the light control system of the third embodiment, when the driver is late in recognizing an obstacle, it is possible to irradiate the obstacle with light in an illumination mode suited to the driver's state of perception of the obstacle.

[0062] <Hardware configuration example> 12 and 13 are diagrams showing examples of the hardware configuration of the light control device 10. The functions of the components of the light control device 10 shown in FIG. 1 are realized by, for example, a processing circuit 50 shown in FIG. 12. That is, the light control device 10 includes a processing circuit 50 for detecting an obstacle around the vehicle, determining whether the driver of the vehicle has recognized the obstacle, and controlling the direction and manner of illumination of light emitted by the lighting device of the vehicle. When an obstacle is detected, the processing circuit 50 illuminates the obstacle with light, and controls the illumination manner of the light illuminated on the obstacle according to the determination result of whether the driver has recognized the obstacle. The processing circuit 50 may be a dedicated hardware, or may be configured using a processor (also called a central processing unit (CPU), processing device, arithmetic device, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor)) that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0063] When the processing circuit 50 is a dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 50 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 components of the light control device 10 may be realized by an individual processing circuit, or these functions may be collectively realized by a single processing circuit.

[0064] FIG. 13 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the light control device 10 in the case where the processing circuit 50 is configured using a processor 51 that executes a program. In this case, the functions of the components of the light control device 10 are realized by software, etc. (software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware). The software, etc. is written as a program and stored in the memory 52. ​​The processor 51 realizes the functions of each part by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 52. ​​That is, the light control device 10 includes a memory 52 for storing a program that, when executed by the processor 51, results in the execution of a process of detecting an obstacle around the host vehicle, a process of determining whether the driver of the host vehicle has recognized the obstacle, and a process of controlling the direction and manner of irradiation of light emitted by the lighting device of the host vehicle, and the processor 51 that executes the program irradiates light on the obstacle when an obstacle is detected, and controls the manner of irradiation of the light irradiated on the obstacle depending on the result of the determination of whether the driver has recognized the obstacle. In other words, the program can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedure and method of operation of the components of the light control device 10.

[0065] Here, memory 52 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) and a drive device thereof, or any other storage medium that will be used in the future.

[0066] The above describes a configuration in which the functions of the components of the light control device 10 are realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the light control device 10 may be configured such that some of the components are realized by dedicated hardware and other components are realized by software, etc. For example, it is possible for some of the components to have their functions realized by the processing circuit 50 as dedicated hardware, and for other components to have their functions realized by the processing circuit 50 as the processor 51 reading and executing a program stored in the memory 52.

[0067] As described above, the light control device 10 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0068] It should be noted that the embodiments can be freely combined, and each embodiment can be modified or omitted as appropriate.

[0069] The above description is illustrative in all respects, and it is understood that numerous variations not illustrated can be envisioned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10 lighting control device, 11 obstacle detection unit, 12 driver recognition state determination unit, 13 lighting control unit, 20 lighting device, 21 headlight, 22 support illumination light, 31 surrounding detection device, 32 driver state detection device, 50 processing circuit, 51 processor, 52 memory, 100 host vehicle, 101 forward illumination light, 102 support illumination light, 200 obstacle.

Claims

1. an obstacle detection unit that detects obstacles around the host vehicle; a driver recognition state determination unit that determines whether or not a driver of the host vehicle has recognized the obstacle; a lighting control unit that controls a direction and a state of illumination of light emitted by a lighting device of the vehicle; Equipped with The light control unit irradiates light onto the obstacle when the obstacle is detected, and controls an irradiation mode of the light irradiated onto the obstacle depending on a determination result of whether the driver has recognized the obstacle. Light control device.

2. When the obstacle is detected, the light control unit sets an illumination mode of the light to be irradiated onto the obstacle to a first illumination mode and starts irradiating the obstacle with light, and when it is determined that the driver has recognized the obstacle, the illumination mode of the light to be irradiated onto the obstacle is changed to a second illumination mode. The second illumination mode is closer to the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device before the obstacle is detected than the first illumination mode. The light control device according to claim 1 .

3. When it is determined that the driver recognizes the obstacle before starting to irradiate the obstacle with light, the light control unit sets the illumination mode of the light to be irradiated to the obstacle to the second illumination mode and starts irradiating the obstacle with light. The light control device according to claim 2.

4. The light control unit changes the illumination mode of the light to be irradiated onto the obstacle to a third illumination mode when it is determined that the driver has not recognized the obstacle even after a certain time has elapsed since the light control unit irradiated the obstacle with light in the first illumination mode, The third illumination mode is more different from the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device before the obstacle is detected than the first illumination mode. The light control device according to claim 2.

5. When the obstacle is detected, the light control unit sets an illumination mode of the light to be irradiated onto the obstacle to a first illumination mode and starts irradiating the obstacle with light. When it is determined that the driver has not recognized the obstacle even after a certain time has elapsed since the light was irradiated onto the obstacle in the first illumination mode, the light control unit changes the illumination mode of the light to be irradiated onto the obstacle to a second illumination mode. The second illumination mode is more different from the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device before the obstacle is detected than the first illumination mode. The light control device according to claim 1 .

6. The light control unit ends the illumination of the light to the obstacle when the obstacle is out of the illumination range of the headlights of the host vehicle. The light control device according to claim 1 .

7. The light control unit controls at least one of the color tone, illuminance, and light distribution of the light, the degree of dynamic change of the light, and the projected illumination object, thereby controlling the illumination mode of the light irradiated to the obstacle. The light control device according to claim 1 .

8. The illumination object is a graphic or a character. The light control device according to claim 7.

9. The first illumination mode is a dynamically changing illumination mode, and the second illumination mode is a static illumination mode. The light control device according to claim 2.

10. The second illumination mode is the same as the illumination mode of the light of the lighting device before the obstacle is detected. The light control device according to claim 2.

11. An obstacle detection unit of the light control device detects an obstacle around the vehicle, a driver recognition state determination unit of the light control device determines whether or not a driver of the host vehicle has recognized the obstacle; A light control unit of the light control device controls an irradiation direction and an irradiation mode of light emitted by a lighting device of the host vehicle, The light control unit irradiates light onto the obstacle when the obstacle is detected, and controls an irradiation mode of the light irradiated onto the obstacle depending on a determination result of whether the driver has recognized the obstacle. Light control method.

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