Vehicle headlights

Abstract

To provide a vehicular headlamp capable of suppressing the deterioration of visibility of an area ahead of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicular headlamp 1 is equipped with a lighting unit 10, and a control portion CO to which a signal is inputted from a detection device 120 detecting an object located ahead of a vehicle 100. The control portion CO, when the object is not positioned ahead of the vehicle 100, controls the lighting unit 10 so as to emit light with a light distribution pattern PH of high beam, and when the object is positioned ahead of the vehicle 100, as compared with the case in which the object is not positioned ahead of the vehicle 100, controls the lighting unit 10 so as to decrease the light volume of the first areas 91a, 91b, and 91c overlapped with at least a part of the object, to increase the light volume of the second areas 92a, 92b, and 92c along at least a part of outer edges of the first areas 91a, 91b, and 91c, and to increase the light increasing volume of the second areas 92a, 92b, and 92c in proportion to the light decreasing volume of the first areas 91a, 91b, and 91c.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp.

Background Art

[0002] As a vehicle headlamp typified by an automobile headlight, there is known one that changes the light distribution pattern of emitted light, and the following Patent Document 1 discloses such a vehicle headlamp.

[0003] The vehicle headlamp described in the following Patent Document 1 includes a lamp unit capable of changing the light distribution pattern of emitted light and a control unit. The control unit controls the lamp unit based on information from a detection device that detects other vehicles located in front of the vehicle, so that while suppressing the irradiation of light to the other vehicle, light is irradiated around the other vehicle. For this reason, in the following Patent Document 1, it is said that the vehicle headlamp can suppress giving glare to the driver of another vehicle located in front of the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When a region where the light quantity is reduced is formed as in the vehicle headlamp of the above Patent Document 1, the driver of the own vehicle tends to see the periphery of the region as dark together with this region, and the visibility in front of the vehicle may decrease. For this reason, there is a demand to suppress such a decrease in visibility in front of the vehicle.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle headlamp capable of suppressing a decrease in visibility in front of the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle headlight of the present invention comprises a lamp unit capable of changing the light distribution pattern of emitted light, and a control unit that receives a signal from a detection device that detects a predetermined object located in front of the vehicle and controls the lamp unit, wherein the control unit controls the lamp unit to emit light having a light distribution pattern including a predetermined light distribution pattern when the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle, and when the predetermined object is located in front of the vehicle, the control unit controls the lamp unit to decrease the amount of light in a first region of the predetermined light distribution pattern that overlaps with at least a part of the predetermined object, increase the amount of light in a second region along at least a part of the outer edge of the first region, and increase the amount of light in the second region as the amount of light in the first region decreases, compared to when the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle.

[0008] In this vehicle headlight, the light distribution pattern of the emitted light changes according to the situation in front of the vehicle, and the amount of light illuminating a predetermined object is reduced. For example, if the object located in front of the vehicle is another vehicle, the amount of light illuminating that other vehicle is reduced. Therefore, this vehicle headlight can suppress glare to the driver of the other vehicle. Also, if the object located in front of the vehicle is a retroreflective object such as a sign, the amount of light illuminating the retroreflective object is reduced. Therefore, with this vehicle headlight, the amount of reflected light reflected by the retroreflective object and directed towards the vehicle is reduced, and glare to the driver of the vehicle caused by that reflected light can be suppressed. Furthermore, with this vehicle headlight, the area around the first region where the light intensity is reduced appears darker compared to when there is no second region, and the decrease in visibility in front of the vehicle can be suppressed. Also, the area around the first region tends to appear darker the greater the reduction in light intensity of the first region. In this vehicle headlight, as described above, the amount of light increase in the second region is greater the greater the reduction in light intensity of the first region. Therefore, with this vehicle headlight, the appearance of darkness around the first region can be more effectively suppressed compared to the case where the amount of light increase in the second region is constant regardless of the amount of light decrease in the first region.

[0009] The control unit may control the luminaire unit such that the amount of light reduction per unit area in the second region increases as the amount of light reduction in the first region increases.

[0010] This configuration helps to prevent the second area from becoming too large, thus reducing the likelihood of the vehicle's driver feeling uncomfortable.

[0011] The control unit may control the luminaire unit such that the greater the amount of light reduction in the first region, the wider the second region becomes in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the outer edge of the first region.

[0012] This configuration can prevent the second area from becoming too bright, thus reducing the likelihood of the vehicle's driver feeling uncomfortable.

[0013] The control unit may control the luminaire unit so that the amount of light reduction in the first region and the amount of light increase in the second region are the same.

[0014] This configuration allows for suppressing the increase in energy consumption compared to the case where the amount of light increase in the second region is greater than the amount of light decrease in the first region.

[0015] The control unit may control the luminaire unit such that the amount of light increase per unit area of ​​the second region increases as the area of ​​the first region increases.

[0016] The area surrounding the first region tends to appear darker as its area increases. Therefore, the above configuration can more effectively suppress the appearance of darkness around the first region.

[0017] The control unit may control the lighting unit such that the larger the area of ​​the first region, the wider the second region becomes in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the outer edge of the first region.

[0018] The area that appears to be darker around the first area tends to become wider as the area of the first area is larger. Therefore, by adopting the above-described configuration, it is possible to more appropriately suppress the appearance that the periphery of the first area appears darker.

[0019] When there are a plurality of the predetermined objects located in front of the vehicle, the control unit reduces the light quantity of the plurality of the first areas corresponding to the respective predetermined objects, increases the light quantity of the plurality of the second areas respectively along at least a part of the outer edges of the respective first areas, and controls the lamp unit such that the increased light quantity of each of the second areas becomes larger as the decreased light quantity of the first area along which the second area extends is larger.

[0020] By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to more appropriately suppress the appearance that the periphery of each of the first areas appears darker as compared with the case where the increased light quantity of each of the second areas is the same regardless of the decreased light quantity of the first area along which the second area extends.

[0021] In this case, the control unit may control the lamp unit such that the width of each of the second areas in a direction perpendicular to the direction along the outer edge of the first area becomes narrower as the number of the first areas is larger.

[0022] When adjacent second areas overlap, the area where the second areas overlap may become too bright, and the driver of the host vehicle may feel discomfort. However, by adopting the above-described configuration, it is possible to suppress the overlapping of adjacent second areas and suppress the driver of the host vehicle from feeling discomfort.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle headlamp that can suppress a decrease in visibility in front of the vehicle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1]It is a plan view conceptually showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle headlamp according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a lamp unit of one of the vehicle headlamps shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a front view schematically showing a light source unit shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a control flowchart of a control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a light distribution pattern of high beam in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of an ADB light distribution pattern in the first embodiment in the same manner as FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of an ADB light distribution pattern in the second embodiment in the same manner as FIG. 6.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, a mode for implementing a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention will be illustrated together with the accompanying drawings. The embodiments illustrated below are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and are not for limiting the interpretation of the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from its gist. Also, the components in each of the embodiments illustrated below may be appropriately combined. In the drawings referred to below, the dimensions of each member may be changed for easy understanding.

[0026] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a plan view conceptually showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle headlamp according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment is an automobile, and includes a pair of left and right vehicle headlamps 1, a light switch 110, and a detection device 120 that detects a predetermined object located in front of the vehicle 100.

[0027] In this embodiment, each vehicle headlight 1 mainly comprises a lamp unit 5, a control unit CO, a memory ME, and a power supply circuit 50. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, "right" means the right side from the driver's perspective of the vehicle 100, and "left" means the left side from the driver's perspective of the vehicle 100.

[0028] In this embodiment, the configuration of one vehicle headlight 1 is the same as that of the other vehicle headlight 1, except that the shape of the lamp unit 5 is generally symmetrical. Therefore, the following description will focus on one vehicle headlight 1, and the description of the other vehicle headlight 1 will be omitted.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the lamp unit 5 of one of the vehicle headlights 1 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the lamp unit 5 mainly consists of a lamp unit 10 and a housing 16.

[0030] The housing 16 mainly comprises a housing 17 and a front cover 18. The front cover 18 transmits light emitted from the luminaire unit 10. The housing 17 is constructed in a box shape with an opening at the front, and the front cover 18 is fixed to the housing 17 so as to close the opening. In this way, a housing space is formed in the housing 16, enclosed by the housing 17 and the front cover 18, and the luminaire unit 10 is placed in this housing space. The luminaire unit 10 is capable of changing the light distribution pattern of the emitted light and mainly comprises a light source unit 12 and a projection lens 15.

[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic front view showing the light source unit 12 shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the light source unit 12 of this embodiment has a plurality of light-emitting elements 13 as light-emitting elements 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. The amount of light emitted by each of these light-emitting elements 13 can be individually changed. In this embodiment, these light-emitting elements 13 are micro-LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), and the light source unit 12 is a so-called micro-LED array. The number of light-emitting elements 13 arranged in the horizontal direction and the number of light-emitting elements 13 arranged in the vertical direction are not particularly limited.

[0032] In this embodiment, each light-emitting element 13 corresponds to a pixel in an image generated by the image generation unit of the control unit CO, which will be described later. The light source unit 12 emits light based on this image by adjusting the amount of light emitted from each light-emitting element 13 according to the data of the pixel corresponding to that light-emitting element 13, and uses this light to form a light distribution pattern based on the image. In this embodiment, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the light-emitting elements 13 and the pixels, but this is not particularly limited.

[0033] The projection lens 15 is positioned in front of the light source unit 12, and light emitted from the light source unit 12 is incident on it, with the divergence angle of this light being adjusted by the projection lens 15. As a result, the light whose divergence angle has been adjusted by the projection lens 15 is emitted from the lamp unit 10, and this light is projected from the lamp unit 5 to the front of the vehicle 100 via the front cover 18. The projection lens 15 in this embodiment is a lens in which the light incident surface and the light emission surface are formed in a convex shape, and the rear focal point of the projection lens 15 is located on or near the light emission surface of one of the light-emitting elements 13 in the light source unit 12. As a result, the light distribution pattern of the light projected to the front of the vehicle 100 is a light distribution pattern which is the same as the light distribution pattern of the light emitted from the light source unit 12 but inverted vertically and horizontally, and the image representing this light distribution pattern is the same as the image which is the same as the image representing the light distribution pattern of the light emitted from the light source unit 12 but inverted vertically and horizontally.

[0034] Next, the control unit CO shown in Figure 1 consists of, for example, integrated circuits such as a microcontroller, IC (Integrated Circuit), LSI (Large-scale Integrated Circuit), and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), as well as an NC (Numerical Control) device. Furthermore, when an NC device is used, the control unit CO may or may not use a machine learning machine.

[0035] The memory ME is configured to store information and to be readable. The memory ME is, for example, a non-transitory recording medium, and semiconductor recording media such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory) are preferred, but it can include any type of recording medium such as optical recording media or magnetic recording media. Note that a "non-transitory" recording medium includes all computer-readable recording media except transient propagation signals, and does not exclude volatile recording media. Various programs for controlling the lighting unit 10 and information necessary for such control are stored in this memory ME, and the control unit CO reads the programs and information stored in the memory ME.

[0036] The control unit CO of this embodiment includes an image generation unit 20 and a light distribution control unit 40, and receives signals from a detection device 120, which will be described later, when various programs have been read from memory ME. The image generation unit 20 generates an image based on the image stored in memory ME. In this embodiment, this image is a grayscale image in which the data of each pixel is a grayscale value, and pixels with larger grayscale values ​​are brighter. However, the data of each pixel is not particularly limited. Also, the image information may be read from memory outside the vehicle via wireless communication equipment installed in the vehicle 100.

[0037] In this embodiment, the image stored in memory ME is a high-beam image. The high-beam image is an image in which the light emitted from the light source unit 12 forms the high-beam light distribution pattern. Based on the information indicated by the signal input from the detection device 120, the image generation unit 20 of this embodiment processes the high-beam image to generate an image representing an ADB light distribution pattern in which the light intensity in some areas of the high-beam light distribution pattern is reduced and the light intensity in other areas is increased.

[0038] In this embodiment, the light distribution control unit 40 controls the luminaire unit 10 by controlling the power supply circuit 50 based on the high beam image information stored in the memory ME or the image information generated by the image generation unit 20. As described above, the image generation unit 20 generates an image based on the information indicated by the signal input from the detection device 120. Therefore, it can be understood that the control unit CO receives a signal from the detection device 120 and controls the luminaire unit 10 by the image generation unit 20 and the light distribution control unit 40.

[0039] The power supply circuit 50 includes a driver, and when a control signal is input from the light distribution control unit 40, this driver adjusts the power supplied from a power supply (not shown) to each light-emitting element 13 of the light source unit 12. In this way, the amount of light emitted from each light-emitting element 13 is adjusted, and the light source unit 12 emits light based on the high-beam image or the image generated by the image generation unit 20. Then, light having the ADB light distribution pattern represented by the high-beam or the image generated by the image generation unit 20 is emitted from the luminaire unit 10. Note that the light-emitting element 13 corresponding to a pixel with a large grayscale value is supplied with more power, and in this embodiment, if the grayscale value exceeds a threshold, power corresponding to that threshold is supplied to the light-emitting element 13. In addition, in this embodiment, the amount of light emitted from each light-emitting element 13 is adjusted by the driver of the power supply circuit 50 adjusting the power supplied to each light-emitting element 13 by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. However, the method of adjusting the amount of light emitted from each light-emitting element 13 is not particularly limited.

[0040] The light switch 110 in this embodiment is a switch that selects whether to emit light or not. When the light switch 110 is ON, it outputs a signal indicating the emission of light to the control unit CO via the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 101 of the vehicle 100, and when it is OFF, it does not output a signal.

[0041] The detection device 120 of this embodiment detects a predetermined object located in front of the vehicle 100. Examples of predetermined objects include other vehicles such as preceding vehicles and oncoming vehicles, retroreflective objects, people such as pedestrians, and obstacles. A retroreflective object in this embodiment is an object that does not emit light itself but retroreflects the light it is irradiated on at a predetermined spread angle. Examples of such retroreflective objects include road signs and traffic guidance markers. The detection device 120 of this embodiment comprises an image acquisition unit 121 and a detection unit 122.

[0042] The image acquisition unit 121 acquires an image of the area in front of the vehicle 100, and the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 121 includes at least a portion of the area that can be illuminated by light emitted from a pair of vehicle headlights 1. Examples of the image acquisition unit 121 include a CCD (Charged coupled device) camera, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), millimeter-wave radar, etc.

[0043] The detection unit 122 has a configuration similar to that of the control unit CO, for example. The detection unit 122 performs predetermined image processing on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 121 and detects the presence of a predetermined object, the location of the predetermined object in the image, the type of predetermined object, etc., from the image after the image processing has been performed. When the detection device 120 detects a predetermined object located in front of the vehicle 100, it outputs a signal indicating the presence of the predetermined object, the location of the predetermined object in the image, and the type of predetermined object to the control unit CO via the vehicle 100's ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 101. In addition, if the detection device 120 does not detect a predetermined object located in front of the vehicle 100, it outputs a signal to the control unit CO via the ECU 101 indicating that the predetermined object does not exist, but it is not necessary to output this signal.

[0044] The predetermined objects to be detected by the detection device 120, the number of types of predetermined objects, and the configuration of the detection device 120 are not particularly limited. For example, the image acquisition unit 121 may be a CCD camera and a LiDAR, in which case the detection unit 122 detects the predetermined objects based on the images acquired by the CCD camera and the LiDAR.

[0045] Next, the operation of the vehicle headlight 1 in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the operation of the pair of vehicle headlights 1 is the same and synchronized. For this reason, the operation of one vehicle headlight 1 will be described below, and the description of the operation of the other vehicle headlight 1 will be omitted.

[0046] Figure 4 is a control flowchart of the control unit CO in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the control flow includes steps SP11 to SP15.

[0047] (Step SP11) This step is one in which the control unit CO changes the next step depending on whether or not a signal is input from the light switch 110. In this step, if a signal is input from the light switch 110, the control unit CO proceeds to step SP12, and if no such signal is input, it proceeds to step SP15.

[0048] (Step SP12) This step is one in which the control unit CO changes the next step depending on the signal input from the detection device 120. In this step, if the control unit CO receives a signal from the detection device 120 indicating that the predetermined object does not exist, it proceeds to step SP13 of the control flow, and if the detection device 120 receives a signal indicating information about the predetermined object, it proceeds to step SP14.

[0049] (Step SP13) This step involves the control unit CO controlling the lighting unit 10 so that a high beam is emitted from the vehicle headlight 1. In this embodiment, the image generation unit 20 reads the high beam image stored in the memory ME, and the light distribution control unit 40 controls the power supply circuit 50 based on the information in this high beam image to supply power to each light-emitting element 13 of the light source unit 12. With this power supply, the light source unit 12 emits light based on the high beam image, and light having a high beam light distribution pattern is emitted from the vehicle headlight 1. In this way, a high beam is emitted from the vehicle headlight 1 when no predetermined object is located in front of the vehicle 100. Then, the control unit CO proceeds the control flow to step SP11.

[0050] Figure 5 shows an example of a high beam light distribution pattern in this embodiment. In Figure 5, S represents a horizontal line, V represents a vertical line passing through the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction, and the high beam light distribution pattern PH formed on a virtual vertical screen positioned 25 m in front of the vehicle 100 is shown by a thick line. In this embodiment, when the high beam is emitted, light is emitted from all light-emitting elements 13, and the outline of the high beam light distribution pattern is generally a horizontally elongated rectangle. The hot zone, which is the region with the highest light intensity in the high beam light distribution pattern PH, 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 you move away from this hot zone.

[0051] (Step SP14) This step involves the control unit CO controlling the lamp unit 10 so that the light distribution pattern of the light emitted from the vehicle headlight 1 becomes an ADB light distribution pattern corresponding to a predetermined object located in front of the vehicle 100, as detected by the detection device 120. In this embodiment, the ADB light distribution pattern is a light distribution pattern in which the light intensity is changed in a first region that overlaps with at least a part of the predetermined object, and in a second region that follows at least a part of the outer edge of the first region, from the high beam light distribution pattern PH. The change in light intensity in the first region is a decrease compared to when the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle 100. The change in light intensity in the second region is an increase compared to when the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the amount of increased light intensity in the second region is greater the greater the amount of decreased light intensity in the first region. In other words, the control unit CO controls the luminaire unit 10 such that, compared to the case where a predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle 100, the light intensity in the first region of the high beam light distribution pattern PH decreases, the light intensity in the second region increases, and the amount of light increase in the second region increases as the amount of light decrease in the first region increases.

[0052] Furthermore, if there are multiple predetermined objects located in front of the vehicle 100, a first region is provided for each predetermined object, and a second region is provided for each first region. In addition, the amount of light increase in each second region increases as the amount of light reduction in the first region along which the second region is located increases. In other words, in such a case, the control unit CO controls the lighting unit 10 such that the amount of light in the first region overlapping with at least a part of each predetermined object decreases, the amount of light in the multiple second regions along at least a part of the outer edge of each first region increases, and the amount of light increase in each second region increases as the amount of light reduction in the first region along which the second region is located increases.

[0053] In this control system, the image generation unit 20 first reads the high-beam image stored in memory and processes the high-beam image based on information about a predetermined object input from the detection device 120 to generate an ADB light distribution image representing the ADB light distribution pattern. Specifically, the image generation unit 20 processes the high-beam image so that the pixels in the region corresponding to the first region become darker and the pixels in the region corresponding to the second region become brighter, based on the information from the detection device 120. In this case, the amount of increase in brightness of the pixels in the region corresponding to the second region is greater the greater the decrease in brightness of the pixels in the region corresponding to the first region. The image generation unit 20 processes the high-beam image in this way to generate an ADB light distribution image in which the brightness of a part of the high-beam image has been changed.

[0054] Next, the light distribution control unit 40 controls the power supply circuit 50 based on the information of the generated ADB light distribution image to emit light from the light source unit 12 based on the ADB light distribution image. As a result, light having an ADB light distribution pattern corresponding to a predetermined object is emitted from the vehicle headlight 1. Then, the control unit CO proceeds the control flow to step SP11.

[0055] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the ADB light distribution pattern in this embodiment, similar to Figure 5, and illustrates the ADB light distribution pattern when a retroreflective object 81, a person 82, and another vehicle 83, which are predetermined objects detected by the detection device 120, are located in front of the vehicle 100. In Figure 6, the retroreflective object 81 is a road sign, the person 82 is a pedestrian, and the other vehicle 83 is a preceding vehicle. In the ADB light distribution pattern PADB, the amount of light in the first region 91a that overlaps with the retroreflective object 81 is less than the amount of light in the same first region 91a in the high beam light distribution pattern PH. Therefore, with the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the amount of reflected light reflected by the retroreflective object 81 and directed toward the vehicle 100 can be reduced, and glare to the driver due to the reflected light can be suppressed. In the example shown in Figure 6, the first region 91a is rectangular in shape and overlaps the entire retroreflective object 81. However, from the standpoint of suppressing glare to the driver, the first region 91a only needs to overlap with at least a part of the retroreflective object 81, and the shape and size of the first region 91a are not restricted.

[0056] Furthermore, in the ADB light distribution pattern PADB, the light intensity of the first region 91b that overlaps with the person 82 is less than the light intensity of the same first region 91b in the high beam light distribution pattern PH. Therefore, according to the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the amount of light irradiated onto the person 82 can be reduced, thereby suppressing glare on the person. In the example shown in Figure 6, the first region 91b is rectangular in shape and overlaps with the head of the person 82, and the first region 91b does not overlap with most of the torso of the person 82. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing glare on the person 82, it is sufficient for the first region 91b to overlap with at least a part of the head of the person 82, and it is also acceptable for the first region 91b to overlap with the entire person 82, and the shape and size of the first region 91b are not limited.

[0057] Furthermore, in the ADB light distribution pattern PADB, the light intensity of the first region 91c that overlaps with the other vehicle 83 is less than the light intensity of the same first region 91c in the high beam light distribution pattern PH. Therefore, according to the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the amount of light irradiated onto the other vehicle 83 can be reduced, thereby suppressing glare to the driver of the other vehicle 83. In the example shown in Figure 6, the first region 91c is rectangular in shape and overlaps the area above the license plate of the other vehicle 83. However, from the viewpoint of suppressing glare to the driver of the other vehicle 83, it is sufficient that the first region 91c overlaps at least a part of the visibility area used by the driver of the other vehicle 83 to see outside. For example, the first region 91c may overlap the entire other vehicle 83, and the shape and size of the first region 91c are not limited. The viewing area refers to, for example, the front windshield when the other vehicle 83 is an oncoming vehicle, and to, for example, the side mirrors, rear window, or an imaging device that captures images of the area behind the vehicle when the other vehicle 83 is a preceding vehicle. These are generally positioned above the license plate.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the brightness of each of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c is the same, and the amount of light per unit area of ​​the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c is the same. In the example shown in Figure 6, the area of ​​the first region 91a is larger than the area of ​​the first region 91b, and the area of ​​the first region 91c is larger than the area of ​​the first region 91a. The amount of light reduction in the first region 91a is greater than the amount of light reduction in the first region 91b, and the amount of light reduction in the first region 91c is greater than the amount of light reduction in the first region 91a.

[0059] Furthermore, the second region 92a is a region that follows at least a portion of the outer edge of the first region 91a. Similarly, the second region 92b is a region that follows at least a portion of the outer edge of the first region 91b, and the second region 92c is a region that follows at least a portion of the outer edge of the first region 91c. In the example shown in Figure 6, these second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c follow the entire outer edge of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c, surrounding them. The light intensity of each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is greater than the light intensity of the corresponding second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c in the high beam light distribution pattern PH.

[0060] Furthermore, the amount of increased light in each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is greater the greater the amount of light reduction in the first region along which the second region is located. In the example shown in Figure 6, as described above, the amount of light reduction increases in the order of first region 91b, first region 91a, and first region 91c. Therefore, the amount of increased light increases in the order of second region 92b, second region 92a, and second region 92c. In this embodiment, the greater the amount of light reduction in the first region along which the second region is located, the greater the amount of increased light per unit area of ​​the second region. Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 6, the amount of increased light per unit area increases in the order of second region 92b, second region 92a, and second region 92c. Also, in this embodiment, the amount of increased light in each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is the same as the amount of light reduction in the first region along which the second region is located. Furthermore, the widths of each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the outer edge of the first region 91a, 91b, and 91c are approximately constant in that direction, and the above-mentioned widths of these second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c are the same as those of each other. In the following, the width of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c refers to the above-mentioned width.

[0061] Although not shown in the diagrams, if there is one predetermined object detected by the detection device 120, the number of first regions will be one, and the second region will be one region along at least a part of the outer edge of the first region.

[0062] Thus, in this embodiment, when light emission is selected by the light switch 110, the vehicle headlight 1 controls the light distribution of the emitted light according to the conditions in front of the vehicle 100.

[0063] (Step SP15) This step involves the control unit CO controlling the lighting unit 10 so that no light is emitted from the vehicle headlight 1. The light distribution control unit 40 in the control unit CO controls the power supply circuit 50 to prevent light from being emitted from the lighting unit 10. As a result, no light is emitted from the vehicle headlight 1. Then, the control unit CO proceeds to step SP11 of the control flow.

[0064] As described above, in this embodiment, when the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle 100, the control unit CO controls the luminaire unit 10 so that light having the high beam light distribution pattern PH is emitted as a light distribution pattern including a predetermined light distribution pattern. Furthermore, when the predetermined object is located in front of the vehicle 100, the control unit CO controls the luminaire unit 10 so that, compared to when the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle 100, the light intensity of the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c that overlap with at least a part of the predetermined object in the high beam light distribution pattern PH decreases, and the light intensity of the multiple second regions 92a, 92b, 92c that are along at least a part of the outer edge of each of the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c increases.

[0065] Therefore, as described above, in the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, when another vehicle 83 or a person 82 is located in front of the vehicle 100, the amount of light irradiated onto the other vehicle 83 or person 82 is reduced. Therefore, the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment can suppress glare to the driver of the other vehicle 83 or the person 82. Also, when a retroreflective object 81 such as a sign is located in front of the vehicle 100, the amount of light irradiated onto the retroreflective object 81 is reduced. Therefore, the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment can reduce the amount of reflected light reflected by the retroreflective object 81 and directed towards the vehicle, thereby suppressing glare to the driver of the vehicle 100 due to this reflected light. Furthermore, the vehicle headlight of this embodiment can suppress the appearance of darkness around the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c where the amount of light is reduced compared to when the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c are absent, thereby suppressing a decrease in the visibility in front of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the area around the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c tends to appear darker the greater the dimming of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c. In the vehicle headlight of this embodiment, the amount of light increase in each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c increases the greater the dimming of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c that the second region follows, and the control unit CO controls the lamp unit 10 to achieve this. Therefore, the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment can more effectively suppress the appearance of the area around the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c appearing darker compared to the case where the amount of light increase in the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is constant regardless of the dimming of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c that the second region follows.

[0066] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing the appearance of darkness around the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c, it is preferable that the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c extend along more than half of the outer edge of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c, and more preferably along the entire outer edge of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c. Also, if a part of the outer edge of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c also serves as a part of the outer edge of the high beam light distribution pattern PH, it is preferable that the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c extend along more than half of the outer edge of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c other than the part that serves as the outer edge of the high beam light distribution pattern PH, and more preferably along the entire part.

[0067] Furthermore, in the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the control unit CO controls the luminaire unit 10 such that the greater the dimming in the first region 91a, 91b, 91c, the greater the dimming per unit area of ​​the second region 92a, 92b, 92c adjacent to the first region. Therefore, the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment can prevent the second region 92a, 92b, 92c from becoming too large, and can prevent the driver of the vehicle 100 from feeling uncomfortable.

[0068] Furthermore, in the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the control unit CO controls the lamp unit 10 so that the amount of dimming in each of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c is the same as the amount of brightening in the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c that are aligned with the first regions. Therefore, with the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the increase in energy consumption can be suppressed compared to the case where the amount of brightening in the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is greater than the amount of dimming in the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c. In addition, in the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the widths of each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c are the same. Therefore, with the vehicle headlight 1, the amount of light increase per unit area of ​​each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c can be determined based on the amount of light reduction in the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c, and the load on the control unit CO can be reduced compared to the case where the widths of each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c are different. Note that the amount of light reduction in each of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c and the amount of light increase in the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c along the first region may be different, and the widths of each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c may be different.

[0069] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Note that components identical or equivalent to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals unless otherwise specified, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In this embodiment, the ADB light distribution pattern corresponding to a predetermined object detected by the detection device 120 differs from the ADB light distribution pattern PADB in the first embodiment. Figure 7 shows an example of the ADB light distribution pattern in this embodiment, similar to Figure 6.

[0070] The second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c in this embodiment differ from those in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the amount of light increase in the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is greater the greater the light reduction in the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c that the second regions are aligned with. However, as shown in Figure 7, the width of each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is wider the greater the light reduction in the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c that the second regions are aligned with. Also, in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the brightness of each of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c is the same, and in the example shown in Figure 7, the amount of light reduction increases in the order of first region 91b, first region 91a, and first region 91c. Therefore, the width Wa of the second region 92a is wider than the width Wb of the second region 92b, and the width Wc of the second region 92c is wider than the width Wa of the second region 92a. In other words, the control unit CO controls the lighting unit 10 so that this occurs. Therefore, according to the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c from becoming too bright, and to suppress the driver of the vehicle 100 from feeling uncomfortable.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the amount of light increase in each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is the same as the amount of light decrease in the first region along which the second region is located. Therefore, according to the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the increase in energy consumption can be suppressed compared to the case where the amount of light increase in the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is greater than the amount of light decrease in the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c. Also, the amount of light increase per unit area of ​​each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is the same. Therefore, according to the vehicle headlight 1 of this embodiment, the widths Wa, Wb, and Wc of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c can be determined based on the amount of light decrease in the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c, and the load on the control unit CO can be reduced compared to the case where the amount of light increase per unit area of ​​each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c is different. Furthermore, the amount of light reduction in each of the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c may differ from the amount of light increase in the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c that are aligned with the first region, and the amount of light increase per unit area of ​​each of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c may also differ.

[0072] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0073] For example, in the above embodiment, a control unit CO was described as controlling the lamp unit 10 to emit light having a high beam light distribution pattern PH when no predetermined object is located in front of the vehicle 100. However, when no predetermined object is located in front of the vehicle 100, the control unit CO only needs to emit light having a light distribution pattern including the predetermined light distribution pattern from the lamp unit 10, and the predetermined light distribution pattern is not limited. For example, the predetermined light distribution pattern may be an additional light distribution pattern that is added to the low beam light distribution pattern to form the high beam light distribution pattern. In this case, for example, the lamp unit 5 is configured to include the lamp unit 10 and another lamp unit, and the control unit CO emits a low beam from the other lamp unit. In this case, a part of the additional light distribution pattern and a part of the low beam light distribution pattern may overlap. Also, the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c and the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c in the above embodiment may include regions that overlap with the low beam light distribution pattern in the additional light distribution pattern.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a plurality of first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c having the same brightness were described as an example. However, the brightness of the first regions is not limited; for example, the light intensity of the first region may be zero. Also, the brightness of at least two of the plurality of first regions may be different from each other; for example, the brightness of the first regions may differ depending on the predetermined object they overlap. For example, the first region 91c overlapping with another vehicle 83 may be darker than the first region 91a overlapping with the retroreflective object 81. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress glare to the driver of the other vehicle 83 while suppressing a decrease in the visibility of the retroreflective object 81. Also, the first region 91a may be brighter than the first region 91b overlapping with a person 82. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress glare to the person 82 while suppressing a decrease in the visibility of the retroreflective object 81.

[0075] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the control unit CO that controls the luminaire unit 10 was described as controlling the luminaire unit 10 so that the greater the amount of light reduction in the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c, the greater the amount of light increase per unit area in the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c along the first regions. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the control unit CO that controls the luminaire unit 10 was described as controlling the luminaire unit 10 so that the greater the amount of light reduction in the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c, the wider the width of the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c along the first regions. However, the control unit CO only needs to control the luminaire unit 10 so that the amount of light increase in each of the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c increases as the amount of light reduction in the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c along the second regions increases, and the amount of light increase per unit area and width of the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c are not limited.

[0076] For example, the width of the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c does not have to be constant in the direction along which the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c are aligned with the outer edge of the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c. The control unit CO may also control the luminaire unit 10 such that the greater the light reduction in the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c, the greater the light increase per unit area of ​​the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c aligned with the first region, and the wider the width of the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c. Alternatively, the control unit CO may also control the luminaire unit 10 such that the larger the area of ​​the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c, the greater the light increase per unit area of ​​the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c aligned with the first region. The area around the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c tends to appear darker as the area of ​​the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c increases. Therefore, this configuration can more effectively suppress the appearance of darkness around the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c. Alternatively, the control unit CO may control the lighting unit 10 such that the width of the second regions 92a, 92b, and 92c along the first regions increases as the area of ​​the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c increases. The area around the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c tends to be wider as the area of ​​the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c increases. Therefore, this configuration can more effectively suppress the appearance of darkness around the first regions 91a, 91b, and 91c. Furthermore, the control unit CO may control the lighting unit 10 such that the larger the area of ​​the first regions 91a, 91b, 91c, the greater the amount of increased light per unit area of ​​the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c along the first regions, and the wider the width of the second regions 92a, 92b, 92c. Although not illustrated in the diagram, the control unit CO may also control the lighting unit 10 such that the greater the number of first regions, the narrower the width of each second region. When adjacent second regions overlap, the overlapping area may become too bright, causing discomfort to the driver of the vehicle 100. However, this configuration can suppress the overlapping of adjacent second regions and prevent the driver of the vehicle 100 from feeling uncomfortable.

[0077] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an image generation unit 20 that processes a high-beam image read from memory ME to generate an ADB light distribution image was described as an example. However, the method of generating the ADB light distribution image by the image generation unit 20 is not limited. For example, the image generation unit 20 may generate an image of a region corresponding to a first region and an image of a region corresponding to a second region in the high-beam image based on information from the detection device 120, and then synthesize these generated images with the high-beam image to generate an ADB light distribution image. Alternatively, multiple images that correspond to the first region in the high-beam image, or these images and multiple images that correspond to the second region, may be stored in memory ME in advance. In this case, the image generation unit 20 may select a specific image from these images based on information from the detection device 120, and then synthesize the high-beam image with the selected image to generate an ADB light distribution image. Moreover, the method of synthesizing such images is not limited, and for example, image synthesis using a layer function may be used.

[0078] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a control unit CO having an image generation unit 20 and controlling the lighting unit 10 based on the ADB image generated by the image generation unit 20 was described as an example. However, the control unit CO does not have to have an image generation unit 20. In this case, for example, information relating to the ADB light distribution pattern corresponding to a predetermined object is stored in memory ME in advance. This information includes information on the amount of light emitted from each light-emitting element 13 such that the light emitted from the light source unit 12 has an ADB light distribution pattern corresponding to the predetermined object. The control unit CO then refers to the information stored in memory ME based on the information of the predetermined object input from the detection device 120 and controls the lighting unit 10 based on that information.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a light source unit 12 having a plurality of light-emitting elements 13 whose emitted light intensity can be individually changed was described as an example. However, the light source unit 12 is not limited. For example, the light source unit 12 may have a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) including a plurality of reflective elements arranged in a matrix, and a light-emitting unit that irradiates the DMD with light. The DMD can adjust the amount of light emitted from the reflective surface of each reflective element in a predetermined direction, and the light emitted from each reflective element in a predetermined direction can be made into light based on an image generated by the image generation unit 20. In this case, the reflective surface of each reflective element can be understood as corresponding to a light-emitting unit whose emitted light intensity can be individually changed.

[0080] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a vehicle 100 including a pair of vehicle headlights 1 equipped with a control unit CO and a memory ME was described as an example. However, at least one of the control unit CO and the memory ME may be shared by the pair of vehicle headlights 1. Also, the signal output from the detection device 120 may be input to the control unit CO without going through the ECU 101 of the vehicle 100. In addition, there are no particular limitations on the vehicle equipped with the vehicle headlights 1, the number of vehicle headlights 1 equipped in the vehicle, etc. [Industrial applicability]

[0081] According to the present invention, a vehicle headlight is provided that can suppress the reduction in visibility in front of the vehicle, and can be used in fields such as vehicle headlights for automobiles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1. Vehicle headlights 10...Lighting Unit 81, 82, 83... Designated objects 91a,91b,91c...1st area 92a,92b,92c...Second area 100...vehicles 120...Detection device CO... Command PH... High beam light distribution pattern Wa, Wb, Wc...Width of the second region

Claims

1. A lighting unit capable of changing the light distribution pattern of emitted light, A control unit receives a signal from a detection device that detects a predetermined object located in front of the vehicle and controls the lighting unit, Equipped with, The control unit, If the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle, the lighting unit is controlled to emit light having a light distribution pattern including a predetermined light distribution pattern. When the predetermined object is located in front of the vehicle, the luminaire unit is controlled such that, compared to when the predetermined object is not located in front of the vehicle, the light intensity of the first region overlapping with at least a part of the predetermined object decreases, the light intensity of the second region along at least a part of the outer edge of the first region increases, and the amount of light increase in the second region increases as the amount of light decrease in the first region increases. A vehicle headlight characterized by the following features.

2. The control unit controls the luminaire unit such that the amount of light reduction per unit area in the second region increases as the amount of light reduction in the first region increases. The vehicle headlight according to feature 1.

3. The control unit controls the luminaire unit such that the greater the amount of light reduction in the first region, the wider the second region becomes in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the outer edge of the first region. The vehicle headlight according to feature 1.

4. The control unit controls the luminaire unit so that the amount of light reduction in the first region and the amount of light increase in the second region are the same. The vehicle headlight according to feature 1.

5. The control unit controls the luminaire unit such that the amount of light increase per unit area of ​​the second region increases as the area of ​​the first region increases. The vehicle headlight according to feature 1.

6. The control unit controls the lighting unit such that the larger the area of ​​the first region, the wider the second region becomes in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the outer edge of the first region. The vehicle headlight according to feature 1.

7. The control unit controls the lighting unit such that, when there are multiple predetermined objects located in front of the vehicle, the light intensity of multiple first regions corresponding to each predetermined object decreases, the light intensity of multiple second regions along at least a portion of the outer edge of each first region increases, and the amount of light increase in each second region increases as the amount of light reduction in the first region along which the second region is located increases. A vehicle headlight according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The control unit controls the lighting unit such that the greater the number of first regions, the narrower the width of each second region in the direction perpendicular to the direction along the outer edge of the first region becomes. The vehicle headlight according to feature 7.

Images