Vehicle headlamp and vehicle headlamp system

Abstract

A vehicle headlight (1) comprises a light emission unit (10), a determination unit (25), and a control unit (CO). In a case where a signal indicating another vehicle (80, 90) is inputted, the control unit (CO) controls the light emission unit (10) such that a region including a first region (211, 311) from among a light distribution pattern (200, 300) is a dimmed region (210, 310) in which the total luminous flux of the light from the light emission unit (10) is reduced compared to the state before the signal indicating the other vehicle (80, 90) is inputted. In a case where a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle (80, 90) is inputted, the control unit (CO) controls the light emission unit (10) such that at least the first region (211, 311) of the dimmed region (210, 310) is widened toward the turning direction indicated by the turn notice compared to the state before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle (80, 90) is inputted.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp and a vehicle headlamp system including the vehicle headlamp. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle headlamp that changes the light distribution pattern of emitted light based on information from a detection device that detects other vehicles located in front of the vehicle is known. The following Patent Document 1 describes such a vehicle headlamp, which includes a light-emitting unit that can change the light distribution pattern of emitted light, a detection device that detects other vehicles located in front of the vehicle, and a control unit that controls the illumination range of the vehicle headlamp so that light is illuminated around the other vehicles while suppressing illumination of the other vehicles. The control unit controls the lamp so that the width in the lateral direction of the area where illumination of light is suppressed changes according to the lateral position of the other vehicles. With this configuration, it is possible to ensure an appropriate gap between the other vehicles and the illumination range according to the position of the other vehicles relative to the vehicle, and it is said that it is possible to suppress dazzling of the drivers of the other vehicles.

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-31807 A Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, no consideration is given to the dazzle of the driver of the other vehicle when the other vehicle is turning.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle headlamp that can reduce dazzle for a driver of another vehicle when the other vehicle is turning, and a vehicle headlamp system that includes the vehicle headlamp.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle headlamp mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a light-emitting unit that emits light in a changeable light distribution pattern toward another vehicle located in front of the vehicle; a determination unit that determines information from a detection device that detects the other vehicle and generates a signal indicating a turn warning of the other vehicle; and a control unit to which the signal indicating the other vehicle detected by the detection device and the signal indicating the turn warning of the other vehicle are input, wherein when the signal indicating the other vehicle is input, the control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that an area of ​​the light distribution pattern including at least a first area that overlaps all of the visual recognition areas through which the driver of the other vehicle can see outside the vehicle becomes a dimmed area in which the total luminous flux of light from the light-emitting unit is reduced compared to before the signal indicating the other vehicle is input; and when a signal indicating a turn warning of the other vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that at least the first area of ​​the dimmed area is wider toward the turning direction indicated by the turn warning after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input compared to before the signal indicating the turn warning of the other vehicle is input.

[0007] Here, the turn notice may be, for example, a state in which the turn lamp of the other vehicle is flashing. The turning direction side indicated by the turn notice means the side on which the other vehicle is turning as seen from the vehicle. For example, when the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle, if the right turn lamp of the other vehicle is flashing, the side on which the other vehicle is turning is the right side. On the other hand, when the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle, if the left turn lamp of the other vehicle is flashing, the side on which the other vehicle is turning is the right side as seen from the vehicle. In addition, as a visual confirmation part for the driver of the other vehicle to visually confirm the outside of the vehicle, for example, a front windshield can be mentioned when the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle, and for example, a side mirror, a rear windshield, an imaging device that images the rear of the vehicle can be mentioned when the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle.

[0008] In this vehicle headlamp, as described above, when a signal indicating a turn notice of another vehicle is input to the control unit, at least the first region of the dimming region is expanded toward the turning direction after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input compared to before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle is input. Therefore, the region of the light distribution pattern where the line of sight of the driver of the other vehicle moves may be darker than other regions of the light distribution pattern. Therefore, this vehicle headlamp can suppress dazzling of the driver of the other vehicle when the other vehicle turns.

[0009] It is also preferable that the dimming region includes a second region connected to a lower edge of the first region, the left edge of the second region being located to the right of the left edge of the first region, and the right edge of the second region being located to the left of the right edge of the first region.

[0010] According to this configuration, the width of the dimming region in the left-right direction is narrowed below the viewing area of ​​the other vehicle, so the ratio of the bright region to the light distribution pattern can be increased. Therefore, the forward visibility of the vehicle can be improved. In addition, the region below the viewing area of ​​the other vehicle tends not to be in the line of sight of the driver of the other vehicle. Therefore, even if the second region is formed in this way, dazzling of the driver of the other vehicle can be suppressed.

[0011] In addition, the dimming area may include a third area connected to an upper edge of the first area, and when a signal indicating a turn warning of the other vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit may control the light-emitting unit so that the edge of the third area on the turning direction side is positioned closer to the other vehicle than the edge of the first area on the turning direction side.

[0012] In this case, when the other vehicle issues a turn notice, the spread of the third region located above the first region toward the turning direction is suppressed. As a result, the proportion of the bright region in the light distribution pattern becomes larger than when the spread of the third region toward the turning direction is equal to the spread of the first region toward the turning direction. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in forward visibility of the vehicle.

[0013] When the dimming area includes the third area, it is preferable that, when a signal indicating a turn warning of the other vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that the edge of the third area on the turning direction side does not move from the position it had before the signal indicating the turn warning of the other vehicle was input.

[0014] In this case, when the other vehicle issues a turn notice, the spread of the third region located above the first region toward the turning direction is further suppressed, so that the proportion of the bright region in the light distribution pattern becomes larger. Therefore, the decrease in forward visibility of the vehicle can be further suppressed.

[0015] Furthermore, when the dimming region includes the third region, it is preferable that the vertical position of the upper edge of the first region is above the roof panel of the other vehicle and below the center between the upper edge of the light distribution pattern and the roof panel.

[0016] The visibility portion of the other vehicle is generally located below the roof panel of the other vehicle. Therefore, if the upper edge of the first region is located above the roof panel, the entire visibility portion can be more reliably overlapped with the first region. Also, if the upper edge of the first region is located below the center between the upper edge of the light distribution pattern and the roof panel, the area of ​​the third region can be prevented from becoming too small. Therefore, when the other vehicle issues a turn notice, unnecessary expansion of the dimming region can be more effectively prevented, and the deterioration of the forward visibility of the vehicle can be more effectively prevented.

[0017] In addition, when a signal indicating a turning warning of the other vehicle is further input in addition to a signal indicating the other vehicle in front, the control unit may control the light-emitting unit so that the edge of the dimming area on the turning direction side moves away from a vertical line passing through the end of the other vehicle on the turning direction side as it moves upward.

[0018] With this configuration, when the other vehicle issues a turn notice, the first region of the dimming region spreads to the side where the other vehicle is turning. This can reduce dazzle for the driver of the other vehicle when the other vehicle is turning. Also, the control load of the control unit can be reduced.

[0019] The determination unit may determine a distance to the other vehicle based on information from the detection device, and output a signal indicating the other vehicle to the control unit when the distance is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance.

[0020] In general, the closer the distance to the other vehicle, the more likely it is that dazzling to the other vehicle will occur. Therefore, by inputting a signal indicating the other vehicle to the control unit CO when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, dazzling to the other vehicle can be effectively suppressed. In addition, when the distance to the other vehicle is greater than the predetermined distance, the dimming region 210, 310 does not expand, so that the visibility of the vehicle can be improved while suppressing dazzling to the other vehicle.

[0021] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle headlamp system of the present invention is characterized by including any one of the vehicle headlamp described above and a detection device that detects the other vehicle.

[0022] The vehicle headlamp system includes any one of the vehicle headlamps described above, and therefore the vehicle headlamp can reduce dazzle for a driver of another vehicle when the other vehicle is turning.

[0023] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle headlamp that can reduce dazzle for a driver of another vehicle when the other vehicle is turning, and a vehicle headlamp system that includes the vehicle headlamp. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view conceptually showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle headlamp and a vehicle headlamp system in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a side view illustrating one of the light-emitting units illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a front view illustrating the light distribution pattern forming section illustrated in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control flowchart of a control unit in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern of a high beam. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an example of a light distribution pattern of light emitted when a preceding vehicle is detected by a detection device. [Figure 7] 7 is an enlarged view of the light-attenuating region and its vicinity in the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a light distribution pattern of light emitted when an oncoming vehicle is detected by a detection device; [Figure 9] 9 is an enlarged view of the light-attenuating region and its vicinity in the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 8 is a view showing a state in which the turn lamps of a preceding vehicle are flashing, taken from the same perspective as FIG. 7. [Figure 11] 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 7 has been changed, viewed from the same perspective as FIG. 7. [Figure 12] 10 is a view showing a state in which the turn signals of an oncoming vehicle are flashing, taken from the same perspective as FIG. 9. [Figure 13] 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 9 has been changed, viewed from the same perspective as FIG. [Figure 14] 11 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern in a second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the same perspective as in FIG. 10. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state in which the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 14 has been changed. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern in a third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the same perspective as in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a state in which the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 16 has been changed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the vehicle headlamp according to the present invention will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments illustrated below are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified or improved from the following embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, in the above-mentioned attached drawings, the dimensions of each component may be exaggerated in some cases to facilitate understanding.

[0026] (First embodiment) Fig. 1 is a plan view conceptually showing a vehicle 100 equipped with a vehicle headlamp and a vehicle headlamp system in a first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 100 is equipped with a vehicle headlamp system 2, which includes a vehicle headlamp 1 and a detection device 20 that detects another vehicle located in front of the vehicle 100.

[0027] The vehicle headlamp 1 of this embodiment is a headlamp that can be mounted on an automobile as a vehicle. This vehicle headlamp 1 mainly comprises a pair of left and right light emitting units 10, a control unit CO, a determination unit 25, a pair of power supply circuits 30, and a memory ME. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "right" means the right side from the viewpoint of the driver of the vehicle 100, which is the vehicle itself, and "left" means the left side from the viewpoint of the driver of the vehicle 100, which is the vehicle itself.

[0028] In this embodiment, the pair of light-emitting units 10 are shaped to be generally symmetrical to each other in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100, and emit light in a changeable light distribution pattern toward another vehicle located in front of the vehicle 100. Moreover, the configuration of one light-emitting unit 10 is the same as the configuration of the other light-emitting unit 10, except that the shapes are generally symmetrical. For this reason, hereinafter, one light-emitting unit 10 will be described, and a description of the other light-emitting unit 10 will be omitted.

[0029] Fig. 2 is a side view that shows a schematic view of one of the light-emitting units 10 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the light-emitting unit 10 mainly comprises a light distribution pattern forming section 12, a projection lens 15, and a housing 16. In Fig. 2, the housing 16 is shown in vertical cross section.

[0030] The housing 16 mainly comprises a lamp housing 17, a front cover 18, and a back cover 19. The front of the lamp housing 17 is open, and the front cover 18 is fixed to the lamp housing 17 so as to close the opening. In addition, an opening smaller than the front is formed in the rear of the lamp housing 17, and the back cover 19 is fixed to the lamp housing 17 so as to close the opening.

[0031] The space formed by the lamp housing 17, the front cover 18 that closes the front opening of the lamp housing 17, and the back cover 19 that closes the rear opening of the lamp housing 17 is a lamp chamber 10R, and the light distribution pattern forming unit 12 and the projection lens 15 are housed in this lamp chamber 10R.

[0032] 3 is a front view showing the light distribution pattern forming unit 12 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the light distribution pattern forming unit 12 of this embodiment has a plurality of light-emitting elements 13 that emit light, and a circuit board 14 on which the plurality of light-emitting elements 13 are mounted. The plurality of light-emitting elements 13 are arranged in a matrix to form rows in the vertical and horizontal directions, and emit light forward. In this embodiment, these light-emitting elements 13 are LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), and the light distribution pattern forming unit 12 is a so-called LED array. Note that the number of light-emitting elements 13, the number of rows of light-emitting elements 13, the number of light-emitting elements 13 in each row of light-emitting elements 13, the direction in which the light-emitting elements 13 are arranged, and the type of light-emitting elements 13 are not particularly limited.

[0033] Such a light distribution pattern forming unit 12 can form a predetermined light distribution pattern by selecting the light emitting element 13 that emits light. Also, the light distribution pattern forming unit 12 can adjust the intensity of light emitted from each light emitting element 13 to adjust the light intensity distribution in the predetermined light distribution pattern.

[0034] The projection lens 15 is a lens that adjusts the divergence angle of the incident light. The projection lens 15 is disposed in front of the light distribution pattern forming unit 12, and the light emitted from the light distribution pattern forming unit 12 is incident on the projection lens 15, and the divergence angle of the light is adjusted by the projection lens 15. In this embodiment, the projection lens 15 is a lens whose entrance surface and exit surface are formed in a convex shape, and the rear focal point of the projection lens 15 is located on or near the light exit surface of any of the light-emitting elements 13 in the light distribution pattern forming unit 12. The divergence angle of the light emitted from the light distribution pattern forming unit 12 is adjusted by this projection lens 15, and the light of a predetermined light distribution pattern is emitted from the light-emitting unit 10 toward the front of the vehicle 100 through the front cover 18.

[0035] The control unit CO may be, for example, an integrated circuit such as a microcontroller, an integrated circuit (IC), a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or an NC (Numerical Control) device. When an NC device is used, the control unit CO may or may not use a machine learning device. As described below, the control unit CO controls the pair of light-emitting units 10.

[0036] The control unit CO is connected to a light switch 35 provided in the vehicle 100. The light switch 35 in this embodiment is a switch that selects whether to emit light or not. For example, when the light switch 35 is on, the light switch 35 outputs a signal indicating the emission of light to the control unit CO, and when the light switch 35 is off, the light switch 35 does not output a signal to the control unit CO.

[0037] The determination unit 25 determines whether or not the other vehicle detected by the detection device 20 satisfies a predetermined requirement based on information from the detection device 20. For example, the predetermined requirement may be that the distance between the other vehicle and the vehicle 100 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. In this embodiment, the predetermined distance is 100 m. However, the predetermined distance may be greater than 100 m. When the predetermined requirement is satisfied, the determination unit 25 generates a signal indicating the other vehicle and outputs the signal to the control unit CO. In addition, when the other vehicle satisfies the predetermined requirement and a signal indicating that the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle is input from the detection device 20, the determination unit 25 of this embodiment outputs to the control unit CO a signal indicating the preceding vehicle as a signal indicating the other vehicle, a signal regarding the distance from the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle, a signal indicating the position of a pair of red light points in the captured image as information on the position of the preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle 100, and a signal indicating that the right or left turn lamp of the preceding vehicle is turned on. In addition, when the other vehicle satisfies the predetermined requirements and a signal indicating that the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle is input from the detection device 20, the determination unit 25 of this embodiment outputs to the control unit CO a signal indicating an oncoming vehicle as a signal indicating the other vehicle, a signal indicating the distance from the vehicle 100 to the oncoming vehicle, a signal indicating the position of a pair of white light points in the captured image as information on the position of the oncoming vehicle relative to the vehicle 100, and a signal indicating that the right or left turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle is flashing. On the other hand, when the other vehicle does not satisfy the predetermined requirements and when no signal is input from the detection device 20 to the determination unit 25, the determination unit 25 does not output a signal to the control unit CO. For this reason, the determination by the determination unit 25 can be understood as changing the signal to be output by distinguishing between cases according to the signal input from the detection device 20 in this way.

[0038] One power supply circuit 30 corresponds to one light-emitting unit 10, and the other power supply circuit 30 corresponds to the other light-emitting unit 10. Each power supply circuit 30 includes a driver, and when a signal is input from the control unit CO, the driver adjusts the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 of the light distribution pattern forming unit 12. In this way, the intensity of light emitted from each light-emitting element 13 is adjusted. The driver of the power supply circuit 30 may adjust the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. In this case, the intensity of light emitted from each light-emitting element 13 is adjusted by adjusting the duty cycle.

[0039] The memory ME is configured to store information and to be able to read the stored information. The memory ME is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium, and is preferably a semiconductor recording medium such as a random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM), but may include any type of recording medium such as an optical recording medium or a magnetic recording medium. Note that a "non-transitory" recording medium includes all computer-readable recording media except for a transient, propagating signal, and does not exclude a volatile recording medium.

[0040] The memory ME stores a table in which information on the light distribution pattern formed by the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 10 and information on other vehicles detected by the detection device 20 are associated with each other. Examples of the information on the light distribution pattern formed by the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 10 include information on the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 of the light distribution pattern forming unit 12. Examples of the information on the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 include information on the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 when forming a high beam light distribution pattern and when forming a light distribution pattern according to a turn notice, which will be described later. Examples of the information on other vehicles detected by the detection device 20 include information on whether the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, information on the distance from the vehicle 100 to the other vehicle, information on the position of the other vehicle relative to the vehicle 100, and information on whether the turn lamp of the other vehicle is blinking. Examples of the information on the position of the other vehicle relative to the vehicle 100 include information on the positions of a pair of light points in a captured image, and examples of the information on whether the turn lamp of the other vehicle is blinking include information on at least one orange light point in a captured image.

[0041] As described above, the detection device 20 constitutes the vehicle headlamp system 2 together with the vehicle headlamp 1. In this embodiment, the detection device 20 can identify whether the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle based on the colors of a pair of detected light points, for example, as described later. The detection device 20 can also detect whether the other vehicle is planning to turn to the right or left as viewed from the vehicle 100. The detection device 20 may include, for example, a camera and a detection unit (not shown). The camera is attached to the front of the vehicle 100 and captures an image of the front of the vehicle 100 at a predetermined time interval, for example, at 1 / 30 second intervals. This camera may be, for example, a CCD (Charged Coupled Device). The captured image captured by the camera includes at least a part of the area irradiated with the light emitted from the pair of light emitting units 10. The detection unit can detect the presence of the other vehicle and the position of the other vehicle relative to the vehicle 100 based on the captured image captured by the camera, and can identify whether the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle. The detection unit can also detect whether the other vehicle is planning to turn to the right or left as viewed from the vehicle 100.

[0042] For example, the detection unit detects the presence of an oncoming vehicle and the position of the oncoming vehicle relative to the vehicle 100 based on the light emitted from the headlight of the oncoming vehicle. Specifically, when a pair of white light points having a luminance higher than a predetermined luminance and located at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction are present in the captured image, the detection unit outputs a signal indicating the presence of an oncoming vehicle to the determination unit 25. In this case, the detection unit calculates, for example, the distance from the vehicle 100 to the oncoming vehicle based on the positions of the pair of white light points in the captured image, the distance between the pair of white light points, and the like. Then, the detection unit outputs to the determination unit 25 a signal indicating the positions of the pair of white light points in the captured image as information on the position of the oncoming vehicle relative to the vehicle 100, and a signal indicating the calculated distance from the vehicle 100 to the oncoming vehicle. In addition, when at least one orange light point having a luminance higher than a predetermined luminance is present to the right of the center between the pair of light points in the captured image, the detection unit outputs a signal indicating that the right turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle is flashing to the determination unit 25. The signal indicating that the right turn lamp is flashing is a signal indicating that the other vehicle is planning to turn left as viewed from vehicle 100, and is a signal indicating that the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the other vehicle is to the left. In addition, when the detection unit determines that at least one orange light spot with a luminance higher than a predetermined luminance flashes at a predetermined time interval to the left of the center between the pair of light spots in the captured image, the detection unit outputs a signal indicating that the left turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle is flashing to the determination unit 25. The signal indicating that the left turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle is flashing is a signal indicating that the other vehicle is planning to turn right as viewed from vehicle 100, and is a signal indicating that the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the other vehicle is to the right.

[0043] The detection unit detects the presence of a preceding vehicle and the position of the preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle 100 based on the light emitted from the taillight of the preceding vehicle. Specifically, when the captured image contains a pair of red light points with a luminance higher than a predetermined luminance that are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction, the detection unit outputs a signal indicating the presence of a preceding vehicle to the determination unit 25. In this case, the detection unit calculates, for example, the distance from the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle based on the positions of the pair of red light points, the distance between the pair of red light points, and the like. The detection unit then outputs to the determination unit 25 a signal indicating the positions of the pair of red light points in the captured image as information on the position of the preceding vehicle relative to the vehicle 100, and a signal indicating the calculated distance from the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle. When the detection unit determines that at least one orange light point with a luminance higher than a predetermined luminance is flashing at a predetermined time interval to the right of the center between the pair of light points in the captured image, the detection unit outputs a signal indicating that the right turn lamp of the preceding vehicle is flashing to the determination unit 25. This signal indicating that the right turn lamp of the preceding vehicle is flashing is a signal indicating that the other vehicle is planning to turn to the right as viewed from vehicle 100, and is a signal indicating that the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the other vehicle is to the right. In addition, when the detection unit determines that at least one orange light spot with a luminance higher than a predetermined luminance flashes at a predetermined time interval to the left of the center between the pair of light spots, the detection unit outputs a signal indicating that the left turn lamp of the preceding vehicle is flashing to the determination unit 25. This signal indicating that the left turn lamp of the preceding vehicle is flashing is a signal indicating that the other vehicle is planning to turn to the left as viewed from vehicle 100, and is a signal indicating that the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the other vehicle is to the left.

[0044] The predetermined time interval of the turn signal is a time interval stipulated by regulations and is set to be about 0.5 seconds to about 1.0 seconds. For example, this time interval may be 0.67 seconds.

[0045] On the other hand, if there is not a pair of light points located a predetermined distance apart in the left-right direction in the captured image and having a luminance higher than the predetermined luminance, the detection section does not output a signal.

[0046] The configuration of the detection unit may be, for example, the same as that of the control unit CO.

[0047] The configuration of the detection device 20, the method of detecting another vehicle by the detection device 20, the method of calculating the distance from the vehicle 100 to the other vehicle, the method of identifying an oncoming vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and the method of identifying whether the turn lamp is blinking or not are not particularly limited. For example, the detection device 20 may perform image processing on an image captured by a camera, and determine whether the image captured by the camera has the above-mentioned pair of light spots or the light spot of the turn lamp based on information obtained by this image processing. The detection device 20 may further include a millimeter wave radar, a lidar, or the like capable of detecting an object located in front of the vehicle 100, and may detect the presence of another vehicle located in front of the vehicle 100, the position of the other vehicle relative to the vehicle 100, and identify whether the detected other vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle based on the image captured by the camera and a signal input from the millimeter wave radar, the lidar, or the like.

[0048] Next, the operation of the vehicle headlamp 1 and the vehicle headlamp system 2 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a control flowchart of the control unit CO in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the control flow of this embodiment includes steps SP11 to SP17.

[0049] (Step SP11) First, the control unit CO judges whether or not a signal indicating the emission of light is input from the light switch 35. If this signal is input to the control unit CO, the control unit CO advances the control flow to step SP12. On the other hand, if this signal is not input to the control unit CO, the control unit CO advances the control flow to step SP17. Therefore, the judgment of the control unit CO can be understood as changing the next step by distinguishing between cases depending on the input signal in this way.

[0050] (Step SP12) In this step, the control unit CO judges whether or not the other vehicle detected by the detection device 20 satisfies a predetermined requirement based on a signal input from the judgment unit 25. As described above, when the other vehicle detected by the detection device 20 satisfies a predetermined requirement and a signal indicating that the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle is input from the detection device 20, the judgment unit 25 generates a signal indicating a preceding vehicle as a signal indicating the other vehicle, and outputs the signal to the control unit CO. Also, when the other vehicle satisfies a predetermined requirement and a signal indicating that the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle is input from the detection device 20, the judgment unit 25 generates a signal indicating an oncoming vehicle as a signal indicating the other vehicle, and outputs the signal to the control unit CO. When a signal indicating the other vehicle is input, the control unit CO advances the control flow to step SP14. In this step, the control unit CO also receives a signal indicating the distance from the vehicle 100 to the other vehicle and the position of a pair of light points in the captured image as information on the position of the other vehicle relative to the vehicle 100.

[0051] On the other hand, if a signal indicating another vehicle is not input, the control unit CO advances the control flow to step SP13. If another vehicle is not detected by the detection device 20, no signal is input from the detection device 20 to the determination unit 25, and the determination unit 25 does not output a signal to the control unit CO. Therefore, even in such a case, the control flow advances to step SP13.

[0052] (Step SP13) In this step, the control unit CO controls the light-emitting unit 10 so as to emit a high beam from the vehicle headlamp 1. Specifically, the control unit CO refers to the information stored in the memory ME, and outputs to the power supply circuit 30 a signal based on the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 in the high beam light distribution pattern. As a result, the driver of the power supply circuit 30 adjusts the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 so as to generate light that forms the high beam light distribution pattern, and the vehicle headlamp 1 emits light that forms the high beam light distribution pattern. Then, the control unit CO returns the control flow to step SP11.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a high beam light distribution pattern. In FIG. 5, S indicates a horizontal line, V indicates a vertical line passing through the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction, and a high beam light distribution pattern PH formed on a virtual vertical screen arranged 25 m ahead of the vehicle 100 is shown by a thick line. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an oncoming lane OL or an overtaking lane OL is located to the right of the driving lane DL of the vehicle 100, and the vehicle 100 drives on the left side. A hot zone, which is an area where the light intensity in the high beam light distribution pattern PH is the highest, is located on or near the intersection of the horizontal line S and the vertical line V. The light intensity in the high beam light distribution pattern PH decreases as it moves away from the hot zone toward the outside. In FIG. 5, dimming areas 210 and 310, which will be described later, are shown by dotted lines.

[0054] (Step SP14) In this step, the control unit CO controls the light emitting unit 10 so that the light distribution pattern of the light emitted from the vehicle headlamp 1 becomes a light distribution pattern corresponding to the other vehicle detected by the detection device 20. Specifically, the control unit CO refers to a table stored in the memory ME based on a signal indicating the other vehicle, the distance from the vehicle 100 to the other vehicle, and a signal indicating the position of a pair of light points in the captured image. Then, the control unit CO outputs a signal based on the power supplied to each light emitting element 13 in the light distribution pattern corresponding to the information on the other vehicle to the power supply circuit 30. As a result, the power supplied to each light emitting element 13 is adjusted by the driver of the power supply circuit 30 so that light of the light distribution pattern corresponding to the information on the other vehicle is generated, and the light of the light distribution pattern is emitted from the vehicle headlamp 1. Then, the control unit CO advances the control flow to step SP15.

[0055] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a light distribution pattern of light emitted when a preceding vehicle is detected by the detection device 20. In Fig. 6, S indicates a horizontal line, V indicates a vertical line passing through the center of the vehicle 100 in the lateral direction, and a light distribution pattern 200 formed on a virtual vertical screen placed 25 m ahead of the vehicle 100 is shown by a thick line. Lane DL shown in Fig. 6 is a driving lane, and lane OL is an overtaking lane.

[0056] In this embodiment, the shape of the light distribution pattern 200 is the same as the shape of the high beam light distribution pattern PH shown in FIG. 5, but a dimming region 210 is formed in a part of the light distribution pattern. The total luminous flux of the light from the light-emitting unit 10 irradiated to this dimming region 210 is less than the total luminous flux of the light from the light-emitting unit 10 irradiated to the region corresponding to the dimming region 210 in the high beam light distribution pattern PH. In addition, the intensity of the light in the dimming region 210 is lower than a predetermined reference intensity. In this embodiment, the intensity of the light in the dimming region 210 is approximately constant. Note that the dimming region 210 may be an area where light is not irradiated. Therefore, the dimming region 210 is an area where the total luminous flux of the light from the light-emitting unit 10 is reduced compared to before the signal indicating another vehicle is input. On the other hand, the light intensity distribution in the light distribution pattern 200 in the region other than the dimming region 210 is approximately the same as the light intensity distribution in the light distribution pattern PH in the region other than the region corresponding to the dimming region 210. Therefore, the areas of the light distribution pattern 200 other than the dimming area 210 are areas where the total luminous flux of the light from the light emitting unit 10 is not reduced, and are brighter than the dimming area 210.

[0057] Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the dimming region 210 and its vicinity in the light distribution pattern 200. As shown in Fig. 7, the dimming region 210 crosses a part of the preceding vehicle 80 in the left-right direction and overlaps with a part of the preceding vehicle 80 above the taillights 81. The dimming region 210 in this embodiment has a first region 211 and a second region 212. In Fig. 7, the boundary between the first region 211 and the second region 212 is indicated by a dotted line, and a pair of reddish light spots reflected in the captured image by the light from the taillights 81 are indicated by black paint.

[0058] The first area 211 is an area that crosses the preceding vehicle 80 above the second area 212, and overlaps entirely with each of the side mirror 82 and the rear window 83 of the preceding vehicle 80. The side mirror 82 and the rear window 83 are viewing areas through which the driver of the preceding vehicle 80 can view the area behind the vehicle. A lower edge 211U of the first area 211 extends generally linearly in the left-right direction.

[0059] The second region 212 is a region that crosses the preceding vehicle 80 below the first region 211, and is connected to a lower edge 211U of the first region 211. The second region 212 extends in a strip shape in the left-right direction, and is located at the lowermost position of the dimming region 210. The lower edge 212U of the second region 212 extends in a straight line in the left-right direction. The left edge 212L of the second region 212 is located to the right of the left edge 211L of the first region 211, and is located between the left edge 211L of the first region and the preceding vehicle 80. The right edge 212R of the second region 212 is located to the left of the right edge 211R of the first region 211, and is located between the right edge 211R of the first region 211 and the preceding vehicle 80. Therefore, the width of the second region 212 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the first region 211 in the left-right direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width in the left-right direction from the left edge 211L of the first area 211 to the preceding vehicle 80 is smaller than the width in the left-right direction from the right edge 211R of the first area 211 to the preceding vehicle 80. Note that the width in the left-right direction from the left edge 211L of the first area 211 to the preceding vehicle 80 may be the same as the width in the left-right direction from the right edge 211R of the first area 211 to the preceding vehicle 80, or may be larger.

[0060] In this embodiment, the width of the first region 211 and the width of the second region 212 change depending on the distance from the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle 80, and these widths become smaller as the distance from the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle 80 increases. Also, the positions of the first region 211 and the second region 212 change integrally depending on the position of the preceding vehicle 80 relative to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, a table stored in the memory ME is configured so that such a light distribution pattern 200 is formed.

[0061] The positions of the side mirror 82 and rear window 83 through which the driver views the rear differ depending on the type of vehicle. However, in general, the side mirror 82 and rear window 83, which are the viewing parts, are located in an area above the tail light 81 of the preceding vehicle 80, and a gap is formed in the vertical direction between the tail light 81 and the viewing part. As described above, the detection device 20 can detect the position of the tail light 81 of the preceding vehicle 80. Therefore, even if the viewing part is not detected, the above-mentioned light distribution pattern 200 can be formed by storing information on the power supplied to the light-emitting element 13 for forming the light distribution pattern 200 having the dimming region 210 in advance in the memory ME according to the position of the tail light 81 of the preceding vehicle 80.

[0062] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a light distribution pattern of light emitted when an oncoming vehicle is detected by the detection device 20. In FIG. 8, S indicates a horizontal line, V indicates a vertical line passing through the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction, and a light distribution pattern 300 formed on a virtual vertical screen arranged 25 m ahead of the vehicle 100 is shown by a thick line. A lane OL shown in FIG. 8 is an oncoming lane, and another road AL extending approximately perpendicular to the oncoming lane OL is connected to the oncoming lane OL. Therefore, an oncoming vehicle 90 traveling on the oncoming lane OL can turn left and travel on the road AL. When the oncoming vehicle 90 turns left, it is recognized that the oncoming vehicle 90 is turning to the right when viewed from the vehicle 100.

[0063] In this embodiment, the shape of the light distribution pattern 300 is the same as the shape of the high beam light distribution pattern PH shown in FIG. 5, but a dimming region 310 is formed in a part of the light distribution pattern. The total luminous flux of the light from the light-emitting unit 10 irradiated to this dimming region 310 is less than the total luminous flux of the light from the light-emitting unit 10 irradiated to the region corresponding to the dimming region 310 in the high beam light distribution pattern PH. Also, the intensity of the light in the dimming region 310 is lower than a predetermined reference intensity. In this embodiment, the intensity of the light in the dimming region is approximately constant. Note that the dimming region 310 may be an area that is not irradiated with light. Therefore, the dimming region 310 is an area where the total luminous flux of the light from the light-emitting unit 10 is reduced compared to before the signal indicating another vehicle is input. On the other hand, the light intensity distribution in the light distribution pattern 300 in the region other than the dimming region 310 is approximately the same as the light intensity distribution in the light distribution pattern PH in the region other than the region corresponding to the dimming region 310. Therefore, the areas of the light distribution pattern 300 other than the dimming area 310 are areas where the total luminous flux of the light from the light emitting unit 10 is not reduced, and are brighter than the dimming area 210.

[0064] Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the dimming region 310 and its vicinity in the light distribution pattern 300. As shown in Fig. 9, the dimming region 310 crosses a part of the oncoming vehicle 90 in the left-right direction and overlaps with a part of the oncoming vehicle 90 that is above the headlight 91. The dimming region 310 of this embodiment has a first region 311 and a second region 312. In Fig. 9, the boundary between the first region 311 and the second region 312 is indicated by a dotted line, and a pair of whitish light points that are projected in the captured image by the light from the headlight 91 are indicated by hatching.

[0065] The first region 311 is a region that crosses the oncoming vehicle 90 above the second region 312, and overlaps with the entire windshield 93 of the oncoming vehicle 90. The windshield 93 is a viewing area through which the driver of the oncoming vehicle 90 can view the area ahead outside the vehicle. A lower edge 311U of the first region 311 extends linearly in the left-right direction.

[0066] The second region 312 is a region that crosses the oncoming vehicle 90 below the first region 311, and is connected to the lower side of the first region 311. The second region 312 extends in a strip shape in the left-right direction and is located at the lowermost position of the dimming region 310. The lower edge 312U of the second region 312 extends in a straight line in the left-right direction. The left edge 312L of the second region 312 is located closer to the oncoming vehicle 90 than the left edge 311L of the first region 311, and the right edge 312R of the second region 312 is located closer to the oncoming vehicle 90 than the right edge 311R of the first region 311. Therefore, the width of the second region 312 in the left-right direction is smaller than the width of the first region 311 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the width in the left-right direction from the right edge 311R of the first area 311 to the oncoming vehicle 90 is greater than the width from the left edge 311L of the first area 311 to the oncoming vehicle 90. Note that the width in the left-right direction from the right edge 311R of the first area 311 to the oncoming vehicle 90 may be the same as the width from the left edge 311L of the first area 311 to the oncoming vehicle 90, or may be smaller.

[0067] In this embodiment, the width of the first region 311 and the width of the second region 312 change according to the distance from the vehicle 100 to the oncoming vehicle 90 detected by the detection device 20, and the greater the distance from the vehicle 100 to the oncoming vehicle 90, the smaller these widths become. Also, according to the direction of the oncoming vehicle 90 relative to the vehicle 100, the positions of the first region 211 and the second region 212 change integrally, and the widths change. In this embodiment, a table stored in the memory ME is configured so that such a light distribution pattern 300 is formed. Note that the shorter the distance from the vehicle 100 to the oncoming vehicle 90, the greater the width from the right edge 311R of the first region 311 to the oncoming vehicle 90 may be.

[0068] The position of the windshield 93 where the driver sees ahead varies depending on the type of vehicle. However, in general, the windshield 93, which is the viewing part, is located in an area above the headlights 91 of the oncoming vehicle 90, and a gap is formed in the vertical direction between the headlights 91 and the viewing part. As described above, the detection device 20 can detect the position of the headlights 91 of the oncoming vehicle 90. Therefore, even if the viewing part for viewing the front of the oncoming vehicle 90 is not detected, the above-mentioned light distribution pattern 300 can be formed by storing information on the power supplied to the light-emitting element 13 to form the light distribution pattern 200 having the dimming region 310 in advance in the memory ME according to the position of the headlights 91 of the oncoming vehicle 90.

[0069] Thus, in this step, the control unit CO controls the light-emitting unit 10 so that the area of ​​the light distribution pattern including the first area 211, 311 that overlaps all of the visible areas of other vehicles becomes the dimmed area 210, 310 in which the total luminous flux of light from the light-emitting unit 10 is reduced compared to before the signal indicating the other vehicle was input.

[0070] Next, steps SP15 and SP16 for changing the light distribution pattern in response to a notice of a turn by another vehicle will be described.

[0071] First, steps SP15 and SP16 will be described taking as an example a case where the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle.

[0072] (Step SP15) This step is a step for determining whether or not another vehicle has issued a turn notice. Fig. 10 is a view showing a state in which the right turn lamp of a preceding vehicle 80 is flashing, taken from the same perspective as Fig. 7.

[0073] For example, assume that the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle 80 are traveling in the driving lane DL, and the preceding vehicle 80 blinks the right turn lamp 84R to move to the overtaking lane OL. As shown in FIG. 10, the driver of the preceding vehicle 80 blinks the right turn lamp 84R to give a notice to the driver of the vehicle 100 that the preceding vehicle 80 will turn right. In this case, in the image captured by the camera of the detection device 20 of the vehicle 100, in addition to a pair of red light spots due to light emitted from the taillight 81 of the preceding vehicle 80, one orange light spot due to light emitted from the right turn lamp 84R is displayed at a predetermined time interval. In FIG. 10, the red light spots are indicated by black paint, and the orange light spots are indicated by hatching. This orange light spot is located to the right of the center between the pair of red light spots. Therefore, as described above, the detection unit of the detection device 20 outputs a signal indicating the blinking of the right turn lamp 84R of the preceding vehicle 80 to the determination unit 25. As described above, this signal is a signal indicating that the preceding vehicle 80 is planning to turn to the right as seen from the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, as described above, a signal indicating the preceding vehicle is input to the determination unit 25. Therefore, the determination unit 25 determines that the right turn lamp of the preceding vehicle 80 is blinking, generates a signal indicating the blinking of the right turn lamp of the preceding vehicle 80 as a signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle, and outputs the signal to the control unit CO. This signal is a signal indicating that the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the preceding vehicle 80 is to the right as seen from the vehicle 100. When the control unit CO further inputs a signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, it advances the control flow to step SP16.

[0074] On the other hand, if the control unit CO does not receive a signal indicating that the turn lamps of the preceding vehicle 80 are flashing, the control unit CO returns the control flow to step SP11.

[0075] (Step SP16) This step is a step of emitting light that forms a light distribution pattern according to a turn notice. FIG. 11 is a view showing a state in which the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 7 has changed, from the same viewpoint as FIG. 7. The light distribution pattern 200A shown in FIG. 11 is a light distribution pattern stored in the memory ME as one of the light distribution patterns according to the turn notice, and the first region 211 of the dimming region 210 shown in FIG. 7 includes a first region 211A that is expanded to the right compared to before the determination unit 25 makes the determination in step SP15. The second region 212 of the light distribution pattern 200A shown in FIG. 11 is the same as the second region 212 of the light distribution pattern 200 shown in FIG. 7, and has not changed from the state in step SP14.

[0076] When a signal indicating the blinking of the right turn lamp of the preceding vehicle 80 is input, the control unit CO refers to the table stored in the memory ME and outputs a control signal for forming the light distribution pattern 200A to the power supply circuit 30. Then, a predetermined power is supplied to each light-emitting element 13 by the operation of the driver based on the control signal. As a result, light forming the light distribution pattern 200A is generated in the light-emitting unit 10, and the light that becomes the light distribution pattern 200A is emitted from the vehicle headlamp 1. Thus, the first region 211 in the dimming region 210 spreads toward the right side of the visual recognition part of the preceding vehicle 80 as seen from the vehicle 100 after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input to the control unit CO and before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle is input to the control unit CO. Note that in this case, the right side of the visual recognition part of the preceding vehicle 80 as seen from the vehicle 100 corresponds to the turning direction indicated by the turn notice. Then, the control unit CO returns the control flow to step SP11.

[0077] In the above example of steps SP15 and SP16, an example was described in which the preceding vehicle 80 is planning to turn right, but if the preceding vehicle 80 is planning to turn left, the light distribution pattern is changed so that the first area 211 expands toward the left side of the visible area of ​​the preceding vehicle 80 as seen from vehicle 100.

[0078] Next, steps SP15 and SP16 will be described using an example in which the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle.

[0079] (Step SP15) FIG. 12 is a view showing the flashing of the right turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle 90 from the same perspective as FIG. 9. For example, assume that the oncoming vehicle 90, which is another vehicle, flashes the left turn lamps 94L, 95L to turn left onto the road AL. As shown in FIG. 12, the left turn lamp 94L is provided on a part of the left headlight 91 of the oncoming vehicle 90, and the left turn lamp 95L is provided on the cover of the left side mirror of the oncoming vehicle 90. The left turn lamps 94L, 95L flash in synchronization. The driver of the oncoming vehicle 90 flashes the left turn lamps 94L, 95L to notify the driver of the vehicle 100 or the like that the oncoming vehicle 90 will turn left. When viewed from the vehicle 100, it is recognized that the oncoming vehicle 90 is planning to turn right. In this case, in the captured image captured by the camera of the detection device 20 of the vehicle 100, in addition to a pair of white light spots due to the light emitted from the headlight 91 of the oncoming vehicle 90, two orange light spots due to the light emitted from the left turn lamps 94L and 95L are projected at a predetermined time interval. In FIG. 12, the white light spots are shown by hatching, and the orange light spots are shown by blackening. This orange light spot is located to the right of the center between the pair of white light spots. Therefore, as described above, the detection unit of the detection device 20 outputs a signal indicating the blinking of the left turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle 90 to the determination unit 25. As described above, this signal is a signal indicating that the oncoming vehicle 90 is planning to turn right as seen from the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, as described above, a signal indicating an oncoming vehicle is input to the determination unit 25. Therefore, the determination unit 25 determines that the left turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle 90 is flashing, and outputs a signal indicating that the left turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle 90 is on as a signal indicating a turn notice of another vehicle to the control unit CO. This signal is a signal indicating that the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the oncoming vehicle 90 is to the right as viewed from the vehicle 100. When this signal is input to the control unit CO, the control unit CO advances the step to step SP16.

[0080] On the other hand, if the control unit CO does not receive a signal indicating that the turn lamps of the oncoming vehicle 90 are flashing, the control unit CO returns the control flow to step SP11.

[0081] (Step SP16) Fig. 13 is a view showing a state in which the light distribution pattern shown in Fig. 9 has changed, from the same viewpoint as Fig. 9. The light distribution pattern 300A shown in Fig. 13 is a light distribution pattern stored in the memory ME as one of the light distribution patterns corresponding to a turn notice, and includes a first region 311A ​​in which the first region 311 of the dimming region 310 shown in Fig. 9 spreads to the right. The second region 312 of the light distribution pattern 300 shown in Fig. 13 is the same as the second region 312 of the light distribution pattern 300 shown in Fig. 9.

[0082] When a signal indicating the blinking of the left turn lamp of the oncoming vehicle 90 is input, the control unit CO refers to the table stored in the memory ME and outputs a control signal for forming the light distribution pattern 300A to the power supply circuit 30. A predetermined power is supplied to each light-emitting element 13 by the operation of the driver based on the control signal. As a result, light forming the light distribution pattern 300A is generated in the light-emitting unit 10, and the light that becomes the light distribution pattern 300A is emitted from the vehicle headlamp 1. In this way, the first area 311 in the dimming area 310 spreads toward the right side of the visual recognition part of the oncoming vehicle 90 as seen from the vehicle 100 after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input to the control unit CO and before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle is input to the control unit CO. Note that the right side of the visual recognition part of the oncoming vehicle 90 as seen from the vehicle 100 in this case corresponds to the turning direction indicated by the turn notice. Then, the control unit CO returns the control flow to step SP11.

[0083] In the above example of steps SP15 and SP16, an example was described in which the oncoming vehicle 90 is scheduled to turn right as seen from the vehicle 100. However, if the oncoming vehicle 90 is scheduled to turn left as seen from the vehicle 100, the light distribution pattern is changed so that the first area 311 expands toward the left side of the viewing area of ​​the oncoming vehicle 90 as seen from the vehicle 100.

[0084] In this way, in steps SP15 and SP16, the control unit CO controls the light-emitting unit 10 so that the first area 211, 311 of the dimming area 210, 310 is expanded toward the turning direction indicated by the turning warning after the signal indicating another vehicle is input compared to before the signal indicating the turning warning of the other vehicle is input.

[0085] (Step SP17) In this step, no signal is input from the light switch 35 to the control unit CO. Therefore, the light switch 35 is in an off state. The control unit CO outputs a predetermined signal to the power supply circuit 30 to cause the power supply circuit 30 to stop supplying power to each light-emitting element 13, to stop the emission of light from the vehicle headlamp 1, and returns the control flow to step SP11.

[0086] In this way, the light distribution pattern of the light emitted from the vehicle headlamp 1 is changed when the preceding vehicle 80 or the oncoming vehicle 90 flashes its turn lamp to give a notice of the turn. Note that the control flow of the control unit CO is not limited to the control flow shown in FIG.

[0087] As described above, the vehicle headlamp system 2 of this embodiment includes the detection device 20 that detects other vehicles 80, 90, and the vehicle headlamp 1. The vehicle headlamp 1 also includes a light emitting unit 10 that emits light in a changeable light distribution pattern toward other vehicles 80, 90 located in front of the vehicle 100, a determination unit 25 that determines information from the detection device 20 and generates a signal indicating the other vehicles 80, 90 and a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicles 80, 90, and a control unit CO to which the signal indicating the other vehicles 80, 90 and the signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicles 80, 90 are input. When a signal indicating other vehicles 80, 90 is input, the control unit CO controls the light-emitting unit 10 so that the area of ​​the light distribution pattern including the first area 211, 311 that overlaps all of the visible areas of the other vehicles 80, 90 becomes a dimming area 210, 310 in which the total luminous flux of light from the light-emitting unit 10 is reduced compared to before the signal indicating the other vehicles 80, 90 is input, and when a signal indicating a turning warning of the other vehicles 80, 90 is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicles 80, 90, the control unit CO controls the light-emitting unit 10 so that the first area 211, 311 of the dimming area 210, 310 spreads toward the turning direction indicated by the turning warning after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input compared to before the signal indicating the turning warning of the other vehicle is input.

[0088] According to such a vehicle headlamp 1 and vehicle headlamp system 2, when a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle 80, 90 is input to the control unit CO, the first region 211, 311 of the dimming region 210, 310 overlapping with the visual recognition portion spreads toward the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the other vehicle 80, 90 after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input, compared to before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle is input. Therefore, the region of the light distribution pattern where the line of sight of the driver of the other vehicle 80, 90 moves may become darker than other regions of the light distribution pattern. Therefore, according to this vehicle headlamp 1, it is possible to suppress dazzling of the driver of the other vehicle 80, 90 when the other vehicle 80, 90 turns.

[0089] In addition, the dimming region 210, 310 formed by the vehicle headlamp 1 of this embodiment has a second region 212, 312 located below the first region 211, 311. Therefore, the width of the dimming region in the left-right direction is narrower below the visual recognition portion of the other vehicle 80, 90, and the proportion of the bright region in the light distribution pattern is increased. Therefore, the forward visibility of the vehicle 100, which is the host vehicle, can be improved. In addition, the region below the visual recognition portion of the other vehicle 80, 90 tends not to be in the line of sight of the driver of the other vehicle. Therefore, even if the second region 212, 312 is formed in this manner, dazzling of the driver of the other vehicle 80, 90 can be suppressed.

[0090] In addition, since a certain degree of light is irradiated onto the dimming regions 210, 310 of the present embodiment, the dimming regions 210, 310 have a certain degree of brightness. Therefore, compared to a case where light is not irradiated onto the dimming regions 210, 310, it is possible to improve the forward visibility of the driver of the vehicle 100, which is the vehicle itself, while suppressing dazzle of the drivers of the other vehicles 80, 90. On the other hand, when light is not irradiated onto the dimming regions 210, 310, it is possible to further suppress dazzle of the drivers of the other vehicles 80, 90.

[0091] In addition, the determination unit 25 of this embodiment determines the distance to the other vehicles 80, 90 based on information from the detection device 20, and outputs a signal indicating the other vehicle to the control unit CO when the distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance. In general, the closer the distance to the other vehicle, the more likely it is that dazzling to the other vehicle will occur. For this reason, by inputting a signal indicating the other vehicle to the control unit CO when the distance is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, dazzling to the other vehicle can be effectively suppressed. In addition, when the distance to the other vehicle is greater than the predetermined distance, the dimming region 210, 310 does not expand, and therefore the visibility of the vehicle can be improved while suppressing dazzling to the other vehicle.

[0092] In the above example, the first region 211, 311 of the dimming region 210, 310 extends to the side where the other vehicle 80, 90 is turning when the other vehicle 80, 90 issues a turn notice. However, the entire dimming region 210, 310 may extend to the side where the other vehicle 80, 90 is turning. In short, it is sufficient that at least the first region extends to the side where the other vehicle 80, 90 is turning.

[0093] Furthermore, it is not essential to form the second regions 212, 312. However, as described above, by forming the second regions 212, 312, the forward visibility of the host vehicle can be improved.

[0094] Second embodiment Next, the second embodiment will be described taking as an example a case where the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle 80. This embodiment can also be applied to a case where the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle 90. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern in the second embodiment from the same viewpoint as FIG. 10. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state where the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 14 has been changed. Note that components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference symbols and will not be described again unless otherwise specified.

[0095] The shape and light intensity distribution of the light distribution pattern 200 in this embodiment, and the shape and light intensity distribution of the light attenuation region 210 in this embodiment are similar to the light distribution pattern 200 and the light attenuation region 210 in the first embodiment. However, as shown in Fig. 14, the region other than the second region 212 in the light distribution pattern 200 of this embodiment is divided into a first region 211 and a third region 213. In this respect, the light distribution pattern 200 of this embodiment differs from the light distribution pattern 200 of the first embodiment.

[0096] The first area 211 and the third area 213 in this embodiment are separated by a line extending in the left-right direction slightly above the roof panel 87 of the preceding vehicle 80. This line is shown by a dashed line in Fig. 14, and this dashed line corresponds to the upper edge 211J of the first area 211. The first area 211, like the first area 211 in the first embodiment, is an area that overlaps with the entire side mirror 82 and the rear window 83, which are the visual recognition parts of the preceding vehicle 80. The third area 213 is connected to the upper edge 211J of the first area 211, and is located at the top of the dimming area 210.

[0097] 15, when it is determined that the preceding vehicle 80 is issuing a notice to turn right, for example, the control unit CO of this embodiment controls the light-emitting unit 10 so that the first region 211 spreads to the right side, which is the turning direction side of the preceding vehicle 80, after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input, compared to before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle is input, and so that the right edge of the third region 213, which is the turning direction side, does not move from the position before the second determination is made. By such control, the light distribution pattern 200A after the change in this embodiment becomes a light distribution pattern having a first region 211A in which the first region 211 spreads to the right.

[0098] In this embodiment, when the other vehicle issues a turn notice, the third region located above the first region does not expand in the turning direction, so the proportion of the bright region in the light distribution pattern is larger than when the third region expands together with the first region. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in forward visibility of the vehicle. In addition, as described above, the first region expands to the side where the other vehicle issues the turn notice, so it is possible to suppress dazzling of the driver of the other vehicle.

[0099] In addition, when a signal indicating a turn notice of another vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit CO may control the light emitting unit 10 so that the edge of the third region 213 on the turning direction side is located closer to the other vehicle side than the edge of the first region on the turning direction side. Even in this case, the spread of the third region 213 on the turning direction side is suppressed. As a result, the proportion of the bright region in the light distribution pattern becomes larger compared to the case where the spread of the third region 213 on the turning direction side is equal to the spread of the first region 211 on the turning direction side. Therefore, the decrease in forward visibility of the host vehicle can be suppressed.

[0100] In addition, the position of the upper edge of the first region in the vertical direction is not particularly limited as long as it does not prevent the first region from overlapping the entire visual recognition portion of the other vehicle. However, it is preferable that the position is above the roof panel of the other vehicle and below the approximate center between the upper edge of the light distribution pattern and the roof panel. The visual recognition portion of the other vehicle is generally located below the roof panel of the other vehicle. Therefore, if the upper edge of the first region is located above the roof panel, the entire visual recognition portion can be more reliably overlapped with the first region. Furthermore, if the upper edge of the first region is located below the center between the upper edge of the light distribution pattern and the roof panel, the area of ​​the third region can be prevented from becoming too small. Therefore, when the other vehicle issues a turn notice, the dimming region is more prevented from unnecessarily expanding, and the deterioration of the forward visibility of the vehicle can be more suppressed.

[0101] Third embodiment Next, the third embodiment will be described taking as an example a case where the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle 80. This embodiment can also be applied to a case where the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle 90. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern in the third embodiment from the same viewpoint as FIG. 10. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a state where the light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 16 has been changed. Note that components that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference symbols and will not be described again unless otherwise specified.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 16, the left edge 210L and the right edge 210R of the light distribution pattern 200 of this embodiment extend substantially vertically. In this respect, the light distribution pattern 200 of this embodiment is similar to the light distribution pattern 200 of the first and second embodiments in which both edges in the left-right direction of the light distribution pattern 200 extend vertically. However, the light distribution pattern 200 of this embodiment is mainly different from the light distribution pattern 200 of the first and second embodiments in that it is formed as a single region without distinction between the first region and the second region. Therefore, the light distribution pattern 200 of this embodiment can also be interpreted as being formed only from the first region.

[0103] Here, for example, a case is considered in which the preceding vehicle 80 issues a notice to turn to the right and a signal indicating the turn notice of the preceding vehicle 80 is input to the control unit CO. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17, the turning direction indicated by the turn notice of the preceding vehicle 80 is the right side as seen from the vehicle itself, and the control unit CO controls the light emitting unit 10 so that the right edge 210R of the dimming region 210 moves upward and away from the vertical line Va passing through the right end of the preceding vehicle 80. As a result, the region of the dimming region 210 that overlaps with the visual recognition portion spreads to the side where the preceding vehicle 80 is turning. Therefore, dazzling of the driver of the preceding vehicle 80 when the preceding vehicle 80 turns can be suppressed. In addition, in this case, since control can be performed without distinction between the first region, the second region, and the third region, the control load of the control unit CO can be reduced.

[0104] Thus, in this embodiment, when a signal indicating a turn warning of another vehicle 80, 90 is input, the control unit CO controls the light-emitting unit 10 so that the edge of the dimming area 210, 310 on the turning direction side moves upward and away from the vertical line passing through the end of the other vehicle 80, 90 on the turning direction side.

[0105] In addition, Figure 17 shows an example in which the right edge 210R of the dimming area 210 slopes away from the vertical line Va as it moves upward, but as long as the edge of the dimming area 210, 310 on the turning direction side moves away from the vertical line passing through the end of the other vehicle 80, 90 on the turning direction side as it moves upward, the edge does not necessarily have to be sloped and may, for example, be stepped.

[0106] Although the present invention has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiments as examples, the present invention is not limited to these.

[0107] For example, in the above embodiment, a vehicle headlamp that changes the light distribution pattern of high beams in response to other vehicles detected by the detection device 20 has been described as an example. However, the vehicle headlamp may change the light distribution pattern of emitted light in response to other vehicles detected by the detection device 20. For example, the vehicle headlamp may change the light distribution pattern of low beams in response to other vehicles detected by the detection device 20.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the light-emitting unit 10 having the light distribution pattern forming section 12, which is a so-called LED array, has been described as an example. However, the light-emitting unit 10 is not particularly limited as long as it can change the light distribution pattern of the emitted light. For example, the light-emitting unit 10 may be configured to form a predetermined light distribution pattern by scanning the light emitted from the light source using a reflector such as a rotating reflector, MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), or a galvanometer mirror. In this case, the light distribution pattern of the emitted light can be changed by adjusting the inclination of the reflector or adjusting the light emitted from the light source. In addition, the light-emitting unit 10 may be configured to form a predetermined light distribution pattern by diffracting the light emitted from the light source using LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon). In this case, the light distribution pattern of the emitted light can be changed by adjusting the orientation of the liquid crystal in the LCOS.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the light intensity distribution in the light distribution pattern 200, 300 in the region other than the dimming region 210, 310 is approximately the same as the light intensity distribution in the light distribution pattern PH in the region other than the region corresponding to the dimming region 210, 310. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing discomfort felt by the driver of the vehicle 100, it is preferable that the light intensity distribution in the region other than the dimming region 210, 310 does not change.

[0110] Furthermore, the light intensity in the dimming regions 210, 310 may vary depending on, for example, the distance from the vehicle 100 to other vehicles.

[0111] In addition, the shapes of the light distribution patterns described in the above embodiments are merely illustrative and may be modified as appropriate. For example, the widths of the first, second, and third regions in the left-right direction may not be constant along the up-down direction.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the detection device 20 detects the preceding vehicle 80 based on the light from the taillights 81 of the preceding vehicle 80, and detects the oncoming vehicle 90 based on the light from the headlights 91 of the oncoming vehicle 90. However, the configuration of the detection device 20 is not limited to this. For example, the detection device 20 may detect the side mirrors 82 and the rear window 83, which are visual recognition parts of the preceding vehicle 80, or may detect the front window 93, which is visual recognition part of the oncoming vehicle 90. In this case, the control unit CO may control the pair of light-emitting units 10 based on information of these visual recognition parts detected by the detection device 20.

[0113] In the above embodiment, the turn warning is issued by the turn lamp, but the turn warning is not limited to this. For example, other turn warnings may include communication information between vehicles in an automatic driving mode, road information obtained from a navigation system, road surface drawings drawn by other vehicles, etc.

[0114] Also, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a signal indicating another vehicle is input from the determination unit 25 to the control unit CO. However, a signal indicating another vehicle may be input from the detection device 20 to the control unit CO. In this case, the signal indicating another vehicle is input to the control unit CO without going through a determination by the determination unit 25, and therefore, by inputting a signal indicating a turn notice of another vehicle to the control unit CO, the first region can be expanded toward the turning direction indicated by the turn notice, regardless of the distance to the other vehicle.

[0115] According to the present invention, a vehicle headlamp that can reduce dazzle for a driver of another vehicle when the other vehicle is turning and a vehicle headlamp system equipped with the vehicle headlamp are provided, and can be used in fields such as vehicle headlights for automobiles, etc.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp mounted on a vehicle, A light emitting unit that emits light with a changeable light distribution pattern toward another vehicle located in front of the vehicle; a determination unit that determines information from a detection device that detects the other vehicle and generates a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle; a control unit to which a signal indicating the other vehicle detected by the detection device and a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle are input; Equipped with the control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that, when a signal indicating the other vehicle is input, an area of ​​the light distribution pattern including at least a first area overlapping all of the visual recognition areas through which the driver of the other vehicle visually recognizes the outside of the vehicle becomes a dimmed area in which the total luminous flux of light from the light-emitting unit is reduced compared to before the signal indicating the other vehicle is input; and when a signal indicating a turn warning of the other vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that at least the first area of ​​the dimmed area is wider toward the turning direction indicated by the turn warning after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input compared to before the signal indicating the turn warning of the other vehicle is input; The attenuation region includes a second region connected to a lower edge of the first region, The left edge of the second region is located to the right of the left edge of the first region, and the right edge of the second region is located to the left of the right edge of the first region. A vehicle headlamp characterized by:

2. A vehicle headlamp mounted on a vehicle, A light emitting unit that emits light with a changeable light distribution pattern toward another vehicle located in front of the vehicle; a determination unit that determines information from a detection device that detects the other vehicle and generates a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle; a control unit to which a signal indicating the other vehicle detected by the detection device and a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle are input; Equipped with The control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that, when a signal indicating the other vehicle is input, a region of the light distribution pattern including at least a first region overlapping all of the visual recognition portions for the driver of the other vehicle to visually recognize the outside of the vehicle and a third region connected to an upper edge of the first region becomes a dimming region in which a total luminous flux amount of light from the light-emitting unit is reduced compared to before the signal indicating the other vehicle is input, and when a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that at least the first region of the dimming region spreads toward the turning direction indicated by the turn notice after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input compared to before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle is input, and the edge of the third region on the turning direction side is located closer to the other vehicle than the edge of the first region on the turning direction side. A vehicle headlamp characterized by:

3. When a signal indicating a turn warning of the other vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit controls the light emitting unit so that an edge of the third region on the turning direction side does not move from a position before the signal indicating the turn warning of the other vehicle is input.

3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 2.

4. The position of the upper edge of the first region in the vertical direction is a position above a roof panel of the other vehicle and below a center between the upper edge of the light distribution pattern and the roof panel.

4. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 2 or 3.

5. A vehicle headlamp mounted on a vehicle, A light emitting unit that emits light with a changeable light distribution pattern toward another vehicle located in front of the vehicle; a determination unit that determines information from a detection device that detects the other vehicle and generates a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle; a control unit to which a signal indicating the other vehicle detected by the detection device and a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle are input; Equipped with The control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that, when a signal indicating the other vehicle is input, an area of ​​the light distribution pattern including at least a first area overlapping all of the visual recognition areas for the driver of the other vehicle to visually recognize the outside of the vehicle becomes a dimming area in which a total luminous flux of light from the light-emitting unit is reduced compared to before the signal indicating the other vehicle is input, and when a signal indicating a turn notice of the other vehicle is further input in addition to the signal indicating the other vehicle, the control unit controls the light-emitting unit so that at least the first area of ​​the dimming area spreads toward the turning direction indicated by the turn notice after the signal indicating the other vehicle is input compared to before the signal indicating the turn notice of the other vehicle is input, and the edge of the dimming area on the turning direction side moves away from a vertical line passing through the end of the other vehicle on the turning direction side as it moves upward. A vehicle headlamp characterized by:

6. The determination unit determines a distance to the other vehicle based on information from the detection device, and outputs a signal indicating the other vehicle to the control unit when the distance is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance.

6. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1,

7. A vehicle headlamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A detection device for detecting the other vehicle; A vehicle headlamp system comprising:

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