Optical axis control device for vehicle headlights, optical axis control method for vehicle headlights, and vehicle headlight system

Abstract

To reduce labor of initialization processing of a vehicle angle after conveyance.SOLUTION: An optical axis control device of a vehicular headlamp is a device for controlling an optical axis of a vehicular headlamp, wherein when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, a controller 10 writes data such as a vehicle angle in a non-volatile memory 13 and sets a state in which a voltage can be supplied directly from a battery 16, the controller is intermittently started during turning off of the ignition switch, specifies whether the vehicle is traveling or stops, and writes the data in the non-volatile memory 13, when the ignition switch is turned on, in a case in which data indicating it is specified that the vehicle is traveling is stored in the non-volatile memory 13, and optical axis control of a headlight is performed using a vehicle angle specified on the basis of the data stored in the non-volatile memory 13 or a predetermined value as a current vehicle angle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle headlamp optical axis control device, a vehicle headlamp optical axis control method, and a vehicle headlamp system. [Background technology]

[0002] Auto-leveling technology is known, which adjusts the optical axis of a vehicle's headlights in response to changes in the vehicle's posture. When a vehicle incorporating this auto-leveling technology is completed at a production factory and then delivered to a dealership or other location, the vehicle is transported using a dedicated vehicle transport vehicle or ship with the power supply to the controller that executes the auto-leveling stopped. Therefore, the inclination of the road surface on which the vehicle is placed, i.e., the road surface angle, differs between when the vehicle is shipped from the production factory and when it arrives at the dealership or other location. However, the controller erroneously recognizes this change in road surface angle as a change in the vehicle angle, which indicates a change in the vehicle's posture. For this reason, dealerships and other locations perform a vehicle angle initialization process (see, for example, JP 2019-116232 A). However, the need for such an initialization process increases the amount of work required for the dealership or other location. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-116232 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One of the objectives of a specific aspect of the present disclosure is to reduce the effort required for initialization processing after transportation of a vehicle that employs auto-leveling technology. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] [1] A vehicle headlamp beam axis control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a device for controlling the beam axis of a vehicle headlamp, and includes: (a) an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle; (b) a controller connected to the acceleration sensor; (c) a non-volatile memory connected to the controller; and (d) a switch connected between a battery of the vehicle and the controller, the switch being openable and closable by the controller. (e) The controller (e1) writes, to the non-volatile memory, data on an acceleration obtained based on an output of the acceleration sensor or a vehicle angle indicating a tilt of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction obtained using the acceleration when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, and closes the switch to enable direct voltage supply from the battery. (e2) While the ignition switch is turned off, and (e) determining whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on the acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor; (e3) if it determines that the vehicle is moving, writing data indicating that fact into the non-volatile memory; and (e4) when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on, if data indicating that the vehicle is determined to be moving is stored in the non-volatile memory, controlling the beam axis of the headlights using the vehicle angle determined based on the data stored in the non-volatile memory or a predetermined value as the current vehicle angle; and if data indicating that the vehicle is determined to be moving is not stored in the non-volatile memory, controlling the beam axis of the headlights using the vehicle angle determined using the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor. [2] A vehicle headlamp system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle headlamp system including the above-described optical axis control device and a headlamp connected thereto.

[0006] According to the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the effort required for initialization processing after transportation of a vehicle that employs auto-leveling technology. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle headlamp system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a lamp unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer that realizes the controller of the vehicle headlamp system. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the contents of angles that can be detected based on acceleration. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a state transition diagram of a controller in the vehicle headlamp system. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the sleep start process in the sleep state (S100). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of timer interrupt processing during sleep in the sleep state (S100). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the process of determining whether the vehicle is moving or stopped (step S160) shown in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing at the start of startup in the startup state (S300). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle headlamp system according to one embodiment. This vehicle headlamp system variably sets the optical axis in accordance with the attitude of the vehicle to emit light, and includes a controller 10, a gyro sensor 11, an acceleration sensor 12, a non-volatile memory 13, a power supply circuit 14, a switch 15, and a pair of lamp units 30L and 30R. In this embodiment, the controller 10, gyro sensor 11, acceleration sensor 12, non-volatile memory 13, power supply circuit 14, and switch 15 form an optical axis control device.

[0009] The controller 10 controls the operation of the vehicle headlamp system, and is configured using, for example, a computer system capable of executing a predetermined operation program. Here, the functions realized by the controller 10 will be explained using functional blocks to make it easier to understand. The controller 10 has a state management unit 21, a moving / stopped vehicle identification unit 22, a vehicle angle setting unit 23, and a light axis control unit 24.

[0010] The state management unit 21 performs a process of managing the operating state of the controller 10. As shown in Fig. 5, which will be described later, the operating state of the controller 10 includes a sleep state, a power-off state, a boot state, and an operating state.

[0011] The moving / stopped vehicle identifying unit 22 performs processing to identify whether the vehicle has moved due to transportation or the like, or is currently stopped.

[0012] The vehicle angle setting unit 23 performs processing to set the vehicle angle according to the determination result of the moving / stopping determination unit 22 .

[0013] The optical axis control unit 24 generates a control signal for controlling the optical axis of the light emitted by each lamp unit 30L, 30R in accordance with the vehicle angle set by the vehicle angle setting unit 23, and supplies (outputs) the control signal to each lamp unit 30L, 30R. A known method can be used to calculate the vehicle angle.

[0014] The gyro sensor 11 is a sensor (angular velocity sensor) that detects angular velocity and outputs data or a signal corresponding to the magnitude of the detected angular velocity. The gyro sensor 11 of this embodiment is only required to be able to detect angular velocity corresponding to at least either the roll angle or the pitch angle of the vehicle. For example, the gyro sensor 11 of this embodiment is capable of detecting angular velocities corresponding to at least the roll direction and the pitch direction. The gyro sensor 11 is installed at a predetermined position on the vehicle (for example, behind the glove box). The roll direction is the direction of rotation around the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the pitch direction is the direction of rotation around the lateral axis of the vehicle.

[0015] The acceleration sensor 12 is a sensor that detects acceleration and outputs data or signals corresponding to the magnitude of the acceleration. The acceleration sensor 12 of this embodiment is capable of detecting acceleration corresponding to at least the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle. Note that the axes of the acceleration sensor 12 do not necessarily have to completely coincide with the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle, respectively. In this case, the detected values ​​may be corrected appropriately.

[0016] The nonvolatile memory 13 is connected to the controller 10 and stores data necessary for arithmetic processing by the controller 10 in a nonvolatile manner. As the nonvolatile memory 13, for example, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), etc. can be used.

[0017] The power supply circuit 14 is connected between the controller 10 and a battery 16 mounted on the vehicle, and supplies a drive voltage to the controller 10 using the voltage obtained from the battery 16. The power supply circuit 14 operates based on a signal IG that indicates the operating status of the vehicle's ignition switch. That is, when the ignition switch is turned on, the power supply circuit 14 supplies a drive voltage to the controller 10, and when the ignition switch is turned off, the power supply circuit 14 stops supplying the drive voltage.

[0018] In this specification, the term "ignition switch" refers to a switch that starts a vehicle and initiates the supply of power to electronic control devices and the like installed in the vehicle. The ignition switch may be of the type that requires a key to be inserted and turned, or may be of the type that requires a push button. The type of vehicle is not limited to an engine vehicle, and may be a so-called hybrid vehicle or a so-called electric vehicle.

[0019] The switch 15 is connected between the controller 10 and the battery 16, and switches between conduction and non-conduction between the battery 16 and the controller 10. The opening and closing operation of the switch 15 can be controlled by the controller 10. When the switch 15 is closed (conduction), the voltage (+B) of the battery 16 is directly supplied to the controller 10. The existence of such a direct voltage supply path allows the controller 10 to continue operating even when the ignition switch is turned off and the voltage supply from the power supply circuit 14 is stopped. Furthermore, by having the controller 10 open (non-conduction) the switch 15, the voltage supply to the controller 10 can be stopped when it is not needed. Therefore, waste of the battery 16 can be reduced.

[0020] Each of the lamp units 30L and 30R is provided on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle to project light ahead of the vehicle. Various known lamp units can be used for each of the lamp units 30L and 30R. For example, a lamp unit can be used that includes a light source unit including a light source, a reflector, and the like, and an actuator that adjusts the orientation of the light source unit up and down to adjust the optical axis (main traveling direction) of the light emitted from the light source unit up and down in the pitch direction of the vehicle, thereby mechanically controlling the light projection range (see FIG. 2, described later). Note that each of the lamp units 30L and 30R can also be used with electronically controllable light projection ranges, such as a lamp unit that combines a light source and a liquid crystal element to control the light projection range, a lamp unit that can control the light projection range by selectively turning on and off multiple LEDs, or a lamp unit that can control the light projection range by scanning light from a laser element with a movable reflector and rapidly turning on and off the laser element.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of a lamp unit. Each of headlamp units 30L and 30R of this embodiment, as an example, includes a light source 31, a housing 33 that houses the light source 31, and a lens 34 that is disposed in front of the light source 31 (in the direction in which light is emitted) and fixed to the housing 33. The inner surface of the housing 33 is provided with a reflective surface that reflects light from the light source 31 forward. An actuator 32 is connected to the housing 33 that houses the light source 31 and changes the attitude of the housing 33. This allows the optical axis a of the light from the light source 31 to be variably set. For example, when the rear of the vehicle is relatively lowered, the optical axis a is controlled to point downward, and when the front of the vehicle is relatively lowered, the optical axis a is controlled to point upward. The degree to which the optical axis a is directed downward or upward is determined according to the vehicle angle.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a computer that realizes a controller for a vehicle headlamp system. The illustrated computer includes a central processing unit (CPU) 201, a read-only memory (ROM) 202, a random access memory (RAM) 203, a storage device 204, and an external interface (I / F) 205, all of which are interconnected to enable communication. The CPU 201 operates based on a basic control program read from the ROM 202 and realizes the functions of the controller 10 by reading and executing a program (application program) 206 stored in the storage device 204. The RAM 203 temporarily stores data used during operation of the CPU 201. The storage device 204 is a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk or solid-state drive, and stores various data such as the program 206. The external interface 205 is an interface that connects the CPU 201 to an external device, and is used to connect the CPU 201 to, for example, the non-volatile memory 13.

[0023] 4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams for explaining the contents of angles that can be detected based on acceleration. As shown in FIG. 4(B), the detected angle α based on acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor 12 at the time of shipping the vehicle from a production factory or the like includes a road surface angle θ, which is an angle indicating the inclination of the road surface at the production factory. r and an initial position angle θ, which is an angle (an angle indicating the initial position) according to the installation state of the acceleration sensor 12 itself on the vehicle. int and a vehicle angle θ, which is an angle corresponding to the inclination of the vehicle itself in the longitudinal direction. v That is, α=θ r +θ int +θ v And the road surface angle θ r and the initial position angle θ int is known, the vehicle angle θ is calculated based on the detected angle α. v is obtained.

[0024] On the other hand, when a vehicle is moved from a production factory or the like using a dedicated vehicle transport vehicle or ship and placed at another location (e.g., a dealership), the change due to the difference in road surface angle before and after the move is included in the detected angle α. Specifically, the road surface angle at the production factory is θ r1 The change in road surface angle at other locations is θ r2 Then, as shown in Figure 4(B), the detected angle α is r1 and the change in road surface angle θ r2 and the initial position angle θ int and vehicle angle θ v That is, α=θ r1 +θ r2 +θ int +θ v This can be expressed as:

[0025] Here, after the vehicle is transported from the production factory or the like to another location using a dedicated vehicle transport vehicle or a ship, the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on, and when the detection angle α is detected based on the acceleration obtained by the acceleration sensor 12, the change in road surface angle θ r2 is the vehicle angle θ v If this misrecognition occurs, the vehicle angle θ vThis results in an error in the control of the optical axes a of the lamp units 30L, 30R based on the above. In the past, in such cases, if the vehicle was transported to a dealership, a staff member at the dealership would perform a predetermined procedure to reset the vehicle angle error, thereby initializing the vehicle angle, but this was a cumbersome process. Therefore, in this embodiment, by performing the control described below, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the optical axis control that reflects the change in road surface angle while eliminating the need for the vehicle angle reset procedure.

[0026] 5 is a state transition diagram of the controller in the vehicle headlamp system. In the diagram, S100 indicates a sleep state, S200 indicates a power-off state, S300 indicates a wake-up state, and S400 indicates an operating state. The controller 10 transitions from the sleep state (S100) to the wake-up state (S300) when the ignition switch is turned on. Furthermore, in the sleep state (S100), if the voltage supply from the battery 16 is stopped or if it is detected that the vehicle is moving, the controller 10 transitions to the power-off state (S200). In the power-off state (S200), if the ignition switch is turned on, the controller 10 transitions to the wake-up state (S300). After the initial setting and initialization (described in detail later) are completed in the wake-up state (S300), the controller 10 transitions to the operating state (S400). When the ignition switch is turned off in the operating state (S400), the controller 10 transitions to the sleep state (S100).

[0027] The "sleep state" is a mode in which the controller 10 maintains its function and state with low power consumption. In addition, in the sleep state of this embodiment, the controller 10 is woken up at regular intervals (for example, every 10 seconds) to detect whether the vehicle is moving or stopped, and if it is detected that the vehicle is moving, it performs a predetermined process (described in detail later).

[0028] The "power-off state" is a mode that is entered from the sleep state when the direct voltage supply from the battery 16 is stopped or when it is detected that the vehicle is moving, and the operation of the controller 10 is stopped.

[0029] The "startup state" is a mode in which the controller 10 starts up when the ignition switch is turned on from either the sleep state or the power-off state, and performs predetermined initial settings and initialization for program operation.

[0030] The "operating state" is a mode in which, after the controller 10 is started, normal optical axis control is performed based on the acceleration obtained from the acceleration sensor 12 and the like.

[0031] 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the sleep start process in the sleep state (S100). This process starts immediately after the ignition switch is turned off. In this case, the controller 10 operates using a voltage obtained directly from the battery 16 via the switch 15.

[0032] Specifically, when the ignition switch is turned off, the state management unit 21 of the controller 10 writes the immediately preceding information to the non-volatile memory 13 (step S110). The immediately preceding information here includes, for example, data on angular velocity obtained based on the output of the gyro sensor 11 and acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor 12, data on angle obtained based on acceleration, data indicating the state of the controller 10 itself (sleep state), data indicating the event mode (stopped), etc.

[0033] Next, the state management unit 21 of the controller 10 starts timer processing for intermittent activation after entering the sleep state (step S120). Here, the timer processing is set to activate every 10 seconds, for example. Thereafter, the controller 10 transitions to the sleep state (step S130). The sleep state is one of the low power consumption functions, and refers to a state in which internal information is maintained while all functions except for specific functions are stopped and the processing speed (clock frequency) is also reduced.

[0034] 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of timer interrupt processing during sleep in the sleep state (S100). This timer interrupt processing is executed every time a predetermined time has elapsed in the timer start processing (S120) described above.

[0035] Specifically, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 drives the gyro sensor 11 and the acceleration sensor 12 (step S140), and reads out angular velocity and acceleration data from the gyro sensor 11 and the acceleration sensor 12 (step S150).

[0036] Next, the moving / stopping determination unit 22 of the controller 10 performs a predetermined moving / stopping determination process using the read data such as acceleration (step S160). The detailed process of step S160 will be described later.

[0037] If the result of the determination process in step S160 is that the vehicle is not moving and the number of times the moving / stopped determination process has been executed has not reached the predetermined number, the process returns to step S160, and the moving / stopped determination process is executed. If the number of times the moving / stopped determination process has been executed has reached the predetermined number, the process transitions to a sleep state (step S170). Thereafter, the sleep state continues.

[0038] If the result of the determination process in step S160 is that the vehicle is moving, the state management unit 21 of the controller 10 writes data indicating that the sleep state has been completed in a power-off state to the non-volatile memory 13 (step S180).

[0039] Next, the state management unit 21 of the controller 10 controls the switch 15 to the open state (non-conducting) (step S190). This stops the voltage supply from the battery 16 to the controller 10. This causes the controller 10 to stop operating and transition to a power-off state (step S200; see FIG. 5). This is because if it is determined that movement determination is in progress (described later) in the sleep state, the calculation of the vehicle angle is unreliable even if the vehicle angle changes while the ignition switch is off.

[0040] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the moving / stopping determination process (step S160) shown in Fig. 7. The result of the determination process here is reflected in the process shown in Fig. 7 described above.

[0041] If the amount of change from the acceleration immediately after the ignition switch is turned off to the current acceleration is less than a predetermined first threshold, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 integrates the amount of change in acceleration and the amount of change in angular velocity (step S161). Here, it is desirable to integrate the amount of change using a ring buffer for a certain period of time (for example, for a maximum of 2 seconds).

[0042] The first threshold in step S161 can be set appropriately based on simulations or experiments, and is preferably set according to the maximum angle to which the vehicle can change, for example. Except for special circumstances, a vehicle rarely experiences a large change in attitude of more than ±3 degrees. Therefore, if the acceleration in the front-to-rear direction (travel direction) of the vehicle exceeds ±50 mG, it can be determined that the vehicle is moving (or traveling). In other words, as an example, the first threshold can be set to an absolute value of 50 mG for the amount of change in acceleration. In this case, the road surface is changing or the vehicle is moving in the sleep state, and a changing road surface is synonymous with being moving.

[0043] Next, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 stores the integrated values ​​of the angular velocity and acceleration in a memory (step S162). The memory here is a memory capable of temporary storage, such as the RAM 203 described above.

[0044] Next, if the integrated value of the change in angular velocity or the integrated value of the change in acceleration is less than a predetermined second threshold, and furthermore, the integrated value of angular velocity or the integrated value of acceleration is less than a predetermined third threshold, the moving / stopped vehicle identifying unit 22 of the controller 10 identifies the vehicle state as "stopped in sleep state" (step S163). At this time, the vehicle is not shaking and can be said to be stopped and in a stable state.

[0045] On the other hand, if the integrated value of the angular velocity or the integrated value of the acceleration is equal to or greater than the predetermined third threshold, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 identifies the vehicle state as "determining sleep state" (step S164). This indicates a state in which a temporary change in acceleration or angular velocity is detected, such as the moment when luggage is loaded or when transportation of the vehicle begins.

[0046] The third threshold value can be set to 10 mG for the acceleration in the longitudinal direction (travel direction) of the vehicle when the output of the acceleration sensor 12 or the like is read every 100 milliseconds, for example. Furthermore, when angular velocity is used, the third threshold value can be set to 0.1 dps, for example. It is desirable to set the third threshold value based on the most frequent value of the vehicle shaking.

[0047] If the integrated value of the change in angular velocity or the integrated value of the change in acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 identifies the vehicle state as "moving in a sleep state" (step S165). Also, if the change in acceleration from immediately after the ignition switch is turned off to the current acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 identifies the vehicle state as "moving in a sleep state" (step S165).

[0048] For example, if the output of the acceleration sensor 12 or the like is read every 100 ms, the second threshold value can be set to 50 mG in absolute value for the integrated value of the change in acceleration in the forward / backward direction (travel direction) of the vehicle, as with the first threshold value. This is because the acceleration increases gradually while the vehicle is moving, so the integrated value of the change exceeds 50 mG in absolute value. Also, if angular velocity is used, the second threshold value can be set to 2.5 dps, for example. Angular velocity can be used in combination when it is difficult to distinguish between moving and stopped vehicle using acceleration alone.

[0049] Next, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 counts the number of times the moving / stopping determination process has been performed (step S166). As an example, if the determination process is performed every 0.1 seconds for 4 seconds, the upper limit is 40 times.

[0050] If the counted number is less than 40, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 writes the status indicating its own operating state as "continue processing" to the non-volatile memory 13 (step S167), and completes the moving / stopping determination process. In this case, the moving / stopping identification unit 22 of the controller 10 executes the timer interrupt process shown in Fig. 7 again after the next 0.1 seconds based on the status of "continue processing".

[0051] If the counted number is 40 or more, the state management unit 21 of the controller 10 writes the status indicating its own operating state as "processing completed" to the non-volatile memory 13 (step S168), and completes the moving / stopping determination process. In this case, the controller 10 transitions to the "sleep state" based on the status, and after the next 10 seconds, executes the timer interrupt process shown in Fig. 7 again.

[0052] 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing at the start of startup in the startup state (S300). If it is reset-on startup, the state management unit 21 of the controller 10 initializes each software function (step S301). Note that reset-on startup refers to startup in which the state of the microcomputer, etc. is initialized and built-in programs are run from the beginning when the power is turned on from off.

[0053] Next, the state management unit 21 of the controller 10 performs initial settings for various functions (step S302). When the ignition switch is turned on again during recovery from a sleep state or during startup, the gyro sensor 11 and acceleration sensor 12 are already started.

[0054] Next, if the controller 10 is started by resetting, the state management unit 21 reads data from the nonvolatile memory 13 (step S303). Specifically, the vehicle angle θ immediately after the ignition switch is turned off v (or detected angle α), acceleration, etc. When the ignition switch is turned on again during startup or when the system is returning from sleep mode, the vehicle angle, acceleration, and other data temporarily stored in memory are read out.

[0055] If the vehicle is not started by reset on, or if the vehicle state is other than "moving in sleep state," the vehicle angle setting unit 23 of the controller 10 calculates the vehicle angle using acceleration data obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor 12 (step S304). Here, since movement / stopping in sleep state is properly managed, a new vehicle angle is calculated. Based on the calculated vehicle angle, a light axis control signal is generated and given to each lamp unit 30L, 30R, and light axis control is performed.

[0056] On the other hand, if the vehicle is started by reset on or the vehicle state is "moving in sleep state," the vehicle angle setting unit 23 of the controller 10 sets the vehicle angle read from the nonvolatile memory 13 (the vehicle angle when the ignition switch is off) as the vehicle angle immediately after the ignition switch is turned on (step S305). In this case, the vehicle started moving in sleep state, or the voltage supply from the battery 16 was interrupted due to the power cable or fuse of the battery 16 being removed, so the vehicle may have been transported in a dedicated vehicle transport vehicle, etc., and an appropriate vehicle angle cannot be calculated. Note that in step S305, the vehicle angle may be reset to a predetermined value (e.g., 0 degrees) rather than using the vehicle angle when the ignition switch was off as is. Based on the set vehicle angle, a light axis control signal is generated and provided to each lamp unit 30L, 30R, and light axis control is performed.

[0057] According to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to reduce the effort required for initialization processing after transportation of a vehicle employing auto-leveling technology. In particular, in the vehicle headlamp system of this embodiment, if the vehicle moves due to transportation or the like after the ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, this is detected and the vehicle state is retained. Therefore, when the ignition switch is turned on at a dealer or the like after transportation, the vehicle angle before transportation can be used or the vehicle angle can be independently reset to a predetermined value. Therefore, it is possible to prevent misalignment of the optical axis due to changes in the vehicle angle without requiring the dealer or the like to perform the work.

[0058] In this embodiment, the vehicle state detection process is performed intermittently, and the detection process is not performed after the vehicle movement is detected, thereby preventing battery consumption. However, the detection process may be continued if there is sufficient battery capacity.

[0059] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified and implemented in various ways within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. For example, the time setting value for the timer interrupt process and the setting values ​​of the thresholds in the moving / stopped determination process are merely examples and are not limited to the above-described contents. Furthermore, while the above-described embodiments have been described using a four-wheeled vehicle as an example, the technical concept of the present disclosure can be similarly applied to the headlights of various vehicles other than four-wheeled vehicles. Furthermore, although the present disclosure describes a battery as the power supply source, if the vehicle has an auxiliary power supply that receives power from a battery or an alternator, the auxiliary power supply can be considered a battery.

[0060] The present disclosure has the following additional features.

[0061] (Appendix 1) A device for controlling the optical axis of a vehicle headlight, an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle; a controller connected to the acceleration sensor; a non-volatile memory connected to the controller; a switch connected between the vehicle battery and the controller, the switch being openable and closable by the controller; Including, The controller When an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor or the vehicle angle indicating the inclination of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction obtained using the acceleration is written to the nonvolatile memory, and the switch is closed to make the vehicle capable of receiving voltage directly from the battery; The system is intermittently activated while the ignition switch is off, and determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on the acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor; If it is determined that the vehicle is moving, data indicating this is written to the nonvolatile memory; When an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on, if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is stored in the non-volatile memory, the vehicle angle stored in the non-volatile memory or a predetermined initial value is set as the current vehicle angle to control the beam axis of the headlights, and if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is not stored in the non-volatile memory, the vehicle angle obtained based on the acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor is used to control the beam axis of the headlights. A headlamp beam axis control device for a vehicle.

[0062] (Appendix 2) the controller determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on a change in the acceleration stored in the nonvolatile memory and the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor during the intermittent activation. 10. The optical axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1.

[0063] (Appendix 3) the controller determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on the integrated value of the amount of change. 3. A light axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 2.

[0064] (Appendix 4) When it is determined that the vehicle is moving during the intermittent activation, the controller opens the switch to cut off the supply of voltage directly from the battery. 4. A vehicle headlamp optical axis control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3.

[0065] (Appendix 5) The movement of the vehicle is caused by the movement of a vehicle carrying the vehicle. 5. A vehicle headlamp optical axis control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 4.

[0066] (Appendix 6) The transportation means includes a vehicle transport vehicle or a ship. 6. A light axis control device for a vehicle headlamp as set forth in appendix 5.

[0067] (Appendix 7) 1. A method executed by a controller for controlling a beam axis of a headlamp of a vehicle, comprising: the controller is connected to an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle, connected to a nonvolatile memory, and connected to a battery of the vehicle via a switch whose opening and closing can be controlled by the controller; The method comprises: when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, the controller writes the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor or the vehicle angle indicating the inclination of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction obtained using the acceleration into the non-volatile memory, and closes the switch to enable the vehicle to receive voltage directly from the battery; the controller is intermittently activated while the ignition switch is off, and determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor; when the controller determines that the vehicle is moving, it writes data indicating that the vehicle is moving into the non-volatile memory; When an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on, if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is stored in the non-volatile memory, the controller sets the vehicle angle stored in the non-volatile memory or a predetermined initial value as the current vehicle angle and controls the beam axis of the headlights, and if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is not stored in the non-volatile memory, the controller controls the beam axis of the headlights using the vehicle angle obtained based on the acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor. A method for controlling the optical axis of a vehicle headlamp, comprising:

[0068] (Appendix 8) A vehicle headlamp system including the vehicle headlamp optical axis control device according to any one of Supplementary notes 1 to 6, and a headlamp connected to the control device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10: Controller, 11: Gyro sensor, 12: Acceleration sensor, 13: Non-volatile memory, 14: Power supply circuit, 15: Switch, 16: Battery, 21: Status management unit, 22: Moving / stopping identification unit, 23: Vehicle angle setting unit, 24: Optical axis control unit, 30L, 30R: Lamp unit

Claims

1. A device for controlling the optical axis of a vehicle headlight, an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle; a controller connected to the acceleration sensor; a non-volatile memory connected to the controller; a switch connected between the vehicle battery and the controller, the switch being openable and closable by the controller; Including, The controller When an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, data on the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor or the vehicle angle obtained using the acceleration, which indicates the inclination of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, is written to the nonvolatile memory, and the switch is closed to make the vehicle capable of receiving voltage directly from the battery; The system is intermittently activated while the ignition switch is off, and determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on the acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor; If it is determined that the vehicle is moving, data indicating this is written to the nonvolatile memory; When an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on, if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is stored in the non-volatile memory, the vehicle angle identified based on the data stored in the non-volatile memory or a predetermined value is used as the current vehicle angle to control the beam axis of the headlights, and if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is not stored in the non-volatile memory, the headlight beam axis is controlled using the vehicle angle obtained by using the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor. A headlamp beam axis control device for a vehicle.

2. the controller determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on a change in the acceleration stored in the nonvolatile memory and the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor during the intermittent activation. The optical axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1.

3. the controller determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on the integrated value of the amount of change. The optical axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 2.

4. When it is determined that the vehicle is moving during the intermittent activation, the controller opens the switch to cut off the supply of voltage from the battery. The optical axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1.

5. The movement of the vehicle is caused by the movement of a vehicle carrying the vehicle. The optical axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1.

6. The transportation means includes a vehicle transport vehicle or a ship. The optical axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 5.

7. 1. A method executed by a controller for controlling a beam axis of a headlamp of a vehicle, comprising: the controller is connected to an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle, connected to a nonvolatile memory, and connected to a battery of the vehicle via a switch whose opening and closing can be controlled by the controller; The method comprises: when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off, the controller writes data on the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor or data on the vehicle angle indicating the tilt of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction obtained using the acceleration into the non-volatile memory, and closes the switch to enable the vehicle to receive voltage directly from the battery; the controller is intermittently activated while the ignition switch is off, and determines whether the vehicle is moving or stopped based on acceleration obtained using the acceleration sensor; when the controller determines that the vehicle is moving, it writes data indicating that the vehicle is moving into the non-volatile memory; When an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned on, if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is stored in the non-volatile memory, the controller controls the beam axis of the headlights by using the vehicle angle identified based on the data stored in the non-volatile memory or a predetermined value as the current vehicle angle, and if data indicating that the vehicle is identified as being in motion is not stored in the non-volatile memory, the controller controls the beam axis of the headlights by using the vehicle angle obtained by using the acceleration obtained based on the output of the acceleration sensor. A method for controlling the optical axis of a vehicle headlamp, comprising:

8. A vehicle headlamp system comprising: the optical axis control device for a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1; and a headlamp connected to the control device.

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