Control device for vehicle headlights, method for controlling vehicle headlights, vehicle headlight system

Abstract

To improve the illumination effect of a low beam while suppressing dazzling during ADB control.SOLUTION: A control device for controlling operation of a vehicle headlight has a variable light distribution-ON mode that, when there is an object in front of a vehicle, sets a dimming range NB corresponding to a position of the object within an illumination range of a high beam HB. When the variable light distribution-on mode is set, the control device sets luminosity of a partial range SG to first luminosity, wherein the partial range SG is within an irradiation range of a low beam LB that is a portion of the low beam LB in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle from a first virtual reference line parallel to the vehicle width direction to a prescribed position below the first virtual reference line. When the variable light distribution-on mode is not set, the control device sets the luminosity of the partial range SG to second luminosity, which is higher than the first luminosity. Then, the control device generates a control signal for operating the vehicle headlight on the basis of setting results for the dimming range NB and setting result for the luminosity of the specific range, and outputs the control signal to the vehicle headlight.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device for a vehicle headlamp, a control method for a vehicle headlamp, and a vehicle headlamp system.

Background Art

[0002] As a control technology for vehicle headlamps, variable light distribution control is known in which high beams are selectively dimmed (or turned off) in the range where these objects exist in order to prevent glare to the preceding vehicle, oncoming vehicle, or pedestrian. Such variable light distribution control is also referred to as ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) control. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-70295 (Patent Document 1) discloses a headlamp including a lamp unit capable of changing the light distribution pattern of the irradiated light and its irradiation optical axis, and control means for controlling the lamp unit based on the position information of an object detected by a camera. The control means includes an object detection unit that detects a dark zone generated when the lamp unit irradiates light on the object, and a lamp control unit that selectively or integrally controls the light distribution pattern and irradiation optical axis of the lamp unit based on the detected dark zone. A control device for a vehicle lamp is described.

[0003] By the way, the above prior art aims to prevent the occurrence of a dark zone in the area immediately behind the preceding vehicle when the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes long and the preceding vehicle is located above the cut-off line of the low beam. However, generally, the brightness of the low beam does not immediately become zero above the cut-off line. Therefore, for example, if an attempt is made to enhance the illumination effect of the low beam, the luminous intensity increases not only below the cut-off line but also in a certain range above the cut-off line, which may rather cause glare during ADB control for the preceding vehicle. On the other hand, it is also not preferable to reduce the luminous intensity of the entire low beam in order to avoid such a possibility of glare.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-70295 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] One of the specific aspects of this disclosure aims to improve the lighting effect of the low beam while suppressing glare during ADB control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] [1] A control device for a vehicle headlight according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for controlling the operation of a vehicle headlight mounted on a vehicle and capable of emitting a low beam and a high beam with a variable light distribution pattern, (b) a variable light distribution ON mode that, based on the detection result of an object in front of the vehicle, sets a dimming range within the illumination range of the high beam according to the position of the object if the object is present, and (c) a portion of the illumination range of the low beam, which is a portion from a first virtual reference line parallel to the vehicle width direction to a predetermined position below it and a portion of the low beam in the vehicle width direction A specific range set as The luminous intensity of the said partial range is set to a first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is set, and to a second luminous intensity higher than the first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is not set, (d) the setting result of the dimming range and the part Based on the setting result of the luminous intensity within the range, the vehicle Headlights A control signal is generated to operate the vehicle's headlight and output to it. (e) The first luminous intensity is achieved by reducing the amount of light irradiated to a portion of the light from the low beam, This is a control device for vehicle headlights. [2] A control method for a vehicle headlight according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for controlling the operation of a vehicle headlight mounted on a vehicle and capable of emitting a low beam and a high beam with a variable light distribution pattern, (b) a controller having a variable light distribution ON mode which, based on the detection result of an object, sets a dimming range within the illumination range of the high beam according to the position of the object if the object is present, and (c) a portion of the illumination range of the low beam, which is a portion from a first virtual reference line parallel to the vehicle width direction to a predetermined position below it and a portion of the low beam in the vehicle width direction A specific range set as (d) The luminous intensity of the said partial range is set to a first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is set, and to a second luminous intensity which is higher than the first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is not set, (d) the controller sets the setting result of the dimming range and the part Based on the setting result of the luminous intensity within the range, the vehicle Headlights This includes generating a control signal to operate the vehicle's headlights and outputting it to the vehicle's headlights. (e) The first luminous intensity is achieved by reducing the amount of light irradiated to a portion of the low beam. This is a method for controlling vehicle headlights. [3] One embodiment of a vehicle headlight system is a vehicle headlight system that includes the control device described in [1], a headlight controlled by the control device, and a sensor for detecting the object.

[0007] The above configuration makes it possible to improve the lighting effect of the low beam while suppressing the possibility of glare during ADB control. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1(A) is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle headlight system according to one embodiment. Figure 1(B) is a schematic front view of the headlight. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a computer system configuration. [Figure 3]Figure 3(A) is a diagram illustrating low beam, high beam, and a portion of the low beam. Figure 3(B) is a diagram showing the low beam and a portion of the low beam extracted from Figure 3(A), and Figure 3(C) is a diagram showing the high beam extracted from Figure 3(A). [Figure 4] Figure 4(A) is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling light irradiation to a portion of the low beam. Figure 4(B) is a diagram illustrating a modified embodiment of a method for controlling light irradiation to a portion of the low beam. [Figure 5] Figure 5(A) shows the cross-sectional luminous intensity distribution of the irradiated light in the direction of line aa shown in Figure 3(B). Figure 5(B) is an enlarged view of the area around the vertical angle of 0° shown in Figure 5(A) (indicated by the dotted line frame in the figure). [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the cross-sectional luminous intensity distribution of the irradiated light in the comparative example. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows the cross-sectional luminous intensity distribution of the irradiated light in the comparative example. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of a controller in a vehicle headlight system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figure 1(A) is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle headlight system according to one embodiment. The vehicle headlight system of this embodiment consists of a controller 1, an object detection sensor 2, and a pair of headlights 3L and 3R. In this embodiment, the controller 1 corresponds to the "control device," and the method of controlling each of the headlights 3L and 3R by this controller 1 corresponds to the "control method."

[0010] Controller 1 is connected to the object detection sensor 2 and each headlight 3L and 3R, and controls the light illumination by each headlight 3L and 3R according to the object detection result by the vehicle detection sensor 2. This controller 1 can be configured using a computer system (see Figure 2 described later) that includes, for example, a processor (CPU: Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and flash memory, as well as an input / output interface. In this embodiment, Controller 1 becomes capable of performing predetermined functions when a program previously stored in the storage device (or ROM) is read and executed by the processor.

[0011] The object detection sensor 2 detects objects such as preceding or oncoming vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, and supplies information such as their position, size, and type to the controller 1. As the object detection sensor 2, for example, a sensor that detects objects by taking pictures of the area in front of the vehicle with a camera and performing image analysis on the image data can be used. Alternatively, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) which detects objects by irradiating them with light such as near-infrared light and detecting the reflected light with a light sensor may be used, or millimeter-wave radar which detects objects by irradiating them with radio waves with frequencies of tens to hundreds of GHz and detecting the reflected waves may be used.

[0012] The headlights 3L and 3R are installed at predetermined positions on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle and operate based on control signals provided by the controller 1 to illuminate the area in front of the vehicle. Each headlight 3L and 3R comprises a first unit 31 and a second unit 32, respectively. As illustrated in the schematic front view of headlight 3L in Figure 1(B), the first unit 31 and the second unit 32 are provided separately and installed within a housing. Headlight 3R is symmetrical to headlight 3L and is therefore not shown. Note that the first unit 31 and the second unit 32 may be configured as a single unit.

[0013] The first unit 31 forms a low beam which is light mainly irradiated from the vehicle to a relatively close front area, and a high beam which is light mainly irradiated from the vehicle to a relatively distant front area. In this embodiment, the above variable light distribution control (ADB control) is performed for the irradiation of the high beam. Specifically, for example, within the entire irradiation range of the high beam, the range where a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle exists is set as a range where the light is dimmed, and the irradiation of the high beam is executed with the other ranges being the ranges where the light is irradiated. Note that the concept of "dimming" in this embodiment includes not only the case where the light intensity is set relatively lower than that of the normal high beam, but also the case where the light intensity is set to 0. This ADB control can be switched on or off, etc., and it is possible to select a variable light distribution on mode in which the ADB control is performed and a variable light distribution off mode in which the ADB control is not performed.

[0014] As the first unit 31 capable of irradiating a high beam with the above variable light distribution pattern, for example, a unit having a plurality of light emitting diodes (Light Emitting Diode) arranged in two directions and capable of individually controlling the lighting and extinguishing of each light emitting diode can be used. Further, as the first unit 31, a unit having a configuration in which a light source bulb is combined with a reflector or a shielding plate may be used, or a unit having a configuration in which a liquid crystal element capable of individually controlling the light transmission state of each pixel is combined with a light source may be used, or a unit capable of controlling the lighting and extinguishing timing of a semiconductor laser such as a laser diode and the scanning timing by a scanning element may be used. Furthermore, a unit having a configuration in which a plurality of lamps capable of irradiating different fixed light distributions are combined may be used.

[0015] The second unit 32 emits light for irradiating a partial range set within the irradiation range of the low beam irradiated by the first unit 31. The specific position of the partial range will be described later. As the second unit 32, for example, a unit having several light emitting diodes capable of individually controlling the lighting and extinguishing can be used.

[0016] The functions realized by the above-described controller 1 when executing a program will be described by functional blocks. The controller 1 includes a light distribution pattern setting unit 11, a dimming setting unit 12, and a control signal generation unit 13.

[0017] The light distribution pattern setting unit 11 variably sets the light distribution pattern within the full irradiation range of the high beam based on the detection result of the object by the object detection sensor 2, and outputs the setting content to the control signal generation unit 13. The light distribution pattern includes a light irradiation range and a dimming range. As described above, for example, a predetermined range including the position of a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle is set as the dimming range, and the other range is set as the light irradiation range.

[0018] The dimming setting unit 12 sets the necessity and range of dimming for a partial range (the area irradiated with light by the second unit 32) within the irradiation range of the low beam according to the dimming range included in the light distribution pattern set by the light distribution pattern setting unit 11. Specifically, when the dimming range in the light distribution pattern and a partial range of the above-described low beam partially coincide in the width direction, the dimming setting unit 12 sets that dimming is to be performed for the partial range, and sets the range substantially coinciding with the dimming range in the width direction as the range to be dimmed. The reason for using "substantially coincide" is that it is difficult to achieve a perfect match. For example, when they coincide within an error range of ±10% with respect to the dimming range, it can be regarded as "substantially coincide".

[0019] The control signal generation unit 13 generates a control signal for realizing the irradiation pattern set by the light distribution pattern setting unit 11, and outputs the control signal to the first unit 31. Further, the control signal generation unit 13 generates a control signal according to the necessity and range of dimming set by the dimming setting unit 12, and outputs the control signal to the second unit 32.

[0020] Figure 2 shows an example of a computer system configuration. The controller 10 described above can be configured using a computer system like the one shown. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201 performs information processing by reading and executing the program 207 stored in the memory device 204. The ROM (Read-Only Memory) 202 stores basic control programs and other information necessary for the operation of the CPU 201. The RAM (Temporary Memory) 203 temporarily stores data necessary for information processing by the CPU 201. The memory device 204 is a large-capacity storage device for storing data and is composed of a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive. The communication device 205 performs processing related to data communication with other external devices. The input / output unit 206 is an interface for connecting with external devices. The CPU 201 and other components are connected to each other via a bus so that they can communicate with each other.

[0021] Figure 3(A) is a diagram illustrating the low beam, high beam, and a portion of the low beam's illumination range. Figure 3(B) is a diagram showing the low beam and a portion of the low beam's illumination range extracted from Figure 3(A), and Figure 3(C) is a diagram showing the high beam extracted from Figure 3(A). Each figure shows the main illumination range of the low beam, etc., on a virtual screen assumed to be vertically positioned at a predetermined location in front of the vehicle (for example, at 25m). In the figures, the H line, which is a straight line extending horizontally, indicates the horizontal reference line (i.e., the first virtual reference line in the vehicle width direction), and the V line, which is a straight line extending vertically, indicates the vertical reference line (i.e., the second virtual reference line in the vehicle height direction). In this embodiment, the illumination range of the low beam, etc., is assumed when traffic regulations stipulate so-called "right-hand traffic," but if traffic regulations stipulate so-called "left-hand traffic," the illumination range will be reversed horizontally.

[0022] The low beam LB has a portion of its upper end to the right of the V line in the diagram that is almost touching the H line, and its upper end to the left of the V line is located almost in a straight line below the H line. The area between the upper right and upper left ends intersects the V line diagonally, and the beam as a whole is wider below the H line. The range of the low beam LB shown in the diagram is the main illumination range of the low beam. In reality, the low beam LB is illuminated with a gradual decrease in luminous intensity towards the outside of the shown range.

[0023] A portion of the low beam LB, called SG, is provided as a predetermined width within at least the right-hand region of the diagram, extending from a position close to the V-line to a position far from it. Furthermore, this portion of SG is provided as a predetermined height d below the H-line. The height d is preferably within a range of 3° below the H-line, and more preferably within a range of 1° to 2°, based on an angle relative to the vehicle. A similar portion of SG may also be provided in the left-hand region of the V-line.

[0024] The high beam HB is generally formed to be wide, extending above the H line and across the left and right sides of the V line. More specifically, the lower end of the high beam HB is formed to extend slightly below the H line, and this lower end is formed to partially overlap with the upper end of the low beam LB. Furthermore, the high beam HB can have its dimming range variably set, at least in the width direction (parallel to the H line) within the full illumination range shown by the dotted line in the figure. In addition to the width direction, it may also be configured to have a variable dimming range in the vertical direction (parallel to the V line).

[0025] Figure 4(A) is a diagram illustrating a method for controlling light irradiation to a portion of the low beam. In this embodiment, the high beam HB is irradiated by a light distribution pattern in which the dimming range is set by the light distribution pattern setting unit 11 according to the position of a preceding vehicle or the like. As a result, a dimming range NB is provided within the irradiable range of the high beam HB as shown in the figure. As described above, this dimming range NB is a range that is dimmed compared to the other irradiation range of the high beam HB. At this time, the dimming setting unit 12 is set to dim the light irradiated to the portion of the SG by the second unit 32 if the portion of the SG overlaps with the dimming range HB in at least a portion of its width.

[0026] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 4(B), it is also preferable to set the width of a portion of the range SG to be variable according to the width of the dimming range NB. On the other hand, the width and position of a portion of the range SG may be fixed, and if a portion of the range SG overlaps with the dimming range NB in ​​its width direction, the entire fixed portion of the range SG may be dimmed.

[0027] In this embodiment, the luminous intensity of the low beam LB is set as a whole, combining the light emitted by the first unit 31 and the light emitted by the second unit 32 to a specific area SG. Therefore, if the light emitted to a specific area SG is reduced, the luminous intensity in that area decreases. In other words, the luminous intensity due to the light generated by the low beam LB at position P slightly above the H line within the reduced light area NB will increase or decrease in accordance with the luminous intensity of the light emitted to the specific area SG. In this embodiment, position P is assumed to be within 0.5° above the H line in terms of angle relative to the vehicle (for example, 0.15°), and is located on one side of the V line (the right side in this example).

[0028] By reducing the illumination of a portion of the SG area according to the dimming range NB, the luminous intensity of the low beam LB at position P is reduced, thereby reducing the possibility of glare in the dimming range NB. On the other hand, if the dimming range NB does not overlap with the portion of the SG area, illumination of the portion of the SG area is performed, providing sufficient illumination for the low beam, thus preventing a decrease in forward visibility.

[0029] Figure 5(A) shows the cross-sectional luminous intensity distribution of the irradiated light in the direction of line aa shown in Figure 3(B). Figure 5(B) is an enlarged view of the area near vertical angle 0° (indicated by the dotted line frame in Figure 5(A)). Line aa passes through position P shown in Figure 4(A).

[0030] The luminous intensity distribution curve b1 shown in each figure represents the luminous intensity distribution due to the low beam LB when light is irradiated to a portion of the SG area. As shown in the figure, the maximum luminous intensity is approximately 45,000 [cd] at a vertical angle of around 0.7°. Furthermore, as shown in the enlarged view, relatively high luminous intensity is obtained even at positions slightly greater than a vertical angle of 0°. In other words, when the portion of the SG area and the dimming area NB do not overlap in the vertical direction, the amount of light necessary to ensure forward visibility is obtained.

[0031] The luminous intensity distribution curve b2 shows the luminous intensity distribution due to the low beam LB when light is not irradiated to a portion of the SG range. As shown in the figure, the maximum luminous intensity at a vertical angle of around 0.7° is approximately 27500 [cd], but as shown in the enlarged view, the luminous intensity at positions slightly greater than a vertical angle of 0° can be significantly reduced. In other words, when a portion of the SG range and the dimming range NB overlap vertically, glare can be prevented by reducing the luminous intensity in the range greater than a vertical angle of 0°, i.e., above the H line. In this case, if the dimming range NB is set, it is possible to reduce the brightness to the level required for dimming control by ADB control.

[0032] As shown in the enlarged view of Figure 5(B), for example, when position P is located 0.15° above the H line, it is preferable to set the luminous intensity distribution of the light irradiated to the partial range SG and the low beam LB such that the luminous intensity at position P when no light is irradiated to the partial range SG is 1000 [cd] or less, and the luminous intensity at position P when light is irradiated to the partial range SG is greater than 1000 [cd]. This makes it possible to better balance the prevention of glare when a dimming range NB overlapping with the partial range SG is set, and the forward visibility when no dimming range NB is set.

[0033] In contrast, if the luminous intensity distribution in the conventional low beam is designed to prioritize forward visibility, as shown in the comparative example in Figure 6, the luminous intensity distribution is fixed, which may cause glare when the dimming range NB is set. On the other hand, if the luminous intensity distribution in the conventional low beam is designed to prioritize glare suppression, as shown in the comparative example in Figure 7, the luminous intensity distribution is fixed, which may lead to a decrease in forward visibility when using only the low beam for light distribution.

[0034] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation procedure of a controller in a vehicle headlight system. It should be noted that, as long as it does not result in inconsistencies or contradictions in the information processing results, it is possible to change the processing order or add other processes, and such configurations are not excluded.

[0035] The light distribution pattern setting unit 11 of the controller 1 sets a light distribution pattern according to the position of the vehicle ahead (preceding vehicle, oncoming vehicle) detected by the object detection sensor 2 when the lamp switch (not shown) on the vehicle is operated to instruct the headlights to turn on (step S11; YES), and when the ADB control mode is turned on to enable variable light distribution mode (step S12; YES).

[0036] Furthermore, if the dimming range NB included in the light distribution pattern set by the light distribution pattern setting unit 11 overlaps with a portion of the range SG (step S14; YES), the dimming setting unit 12 sets the portion of the range SG to the first luminous intensity (luminous intensity corresponding to dimming) (step S15).

[0037] On the other hand, if the dimming range NB does not overlap with a portion of the range SG (step S14; NO), the dimming setting unit sets the portion of the range SG to the second luminous intensity (normal luminous intensity without dimming) (step S16).

[0038] The control signal generation unit 13 generates control signals according to the setting results of the light distribution pattern setting unit 11 and the dimming setting unit 12, and outputs them to each headlight 3L and 3R (step S17). The headlights 3L and 3R, which have been activated by the control signals, form the low beam LB and high beam HB and illuminate the area in front of the vehicle. In addition, the brightness of a certain range SG increases or decreases. The process then returns to step S11.

[0039] If the lamp switch is not operated and the headlights are not instructed to be turned on (step S11; NO), the judgment in step S11 is repeated. The same applies if the lamp switch is operated and the headlights are instructed to be turned on, and then instructed to be turned off. Also, if the mode in which ADB control is performed is set to off (variable light distribution off mode) (step S12; NO), ADB control is not performed and the system returns to step S11. In this case, the high beam and low beam are simply formed by the respective headlights 3L and 3R and illuminate the area in front of the vehicle.

[0040] According to the embodiments described above, it is possible to improve the lighting effect of the low beam while suppressing the possibility of glare during ADB control.

[0041] It should be noted that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various modified forms within the scope of the gist of this disclosure. For example, in the above embodiment, the dimming setting unit 12 sets the partial range SG to the first luminous intensity when the dimming range NB overlaps with at least a portion of the partial range SG. However, instead, when the ADB control is turned on or off and the variable light distribution ON mode is activated, the dimming setting unit 12 can set the partial range SG to the first luminous intensity (dimming) regardless of the positional relationship between the dimming range NB and the partial range SG, and when the variable light distribution ON mode is not activated, the dimming setting unit 12 can control the partial range SG to the second luminous intensity. According to such an embodiment, the same effects as described above can be achieved without control relating the dimming range NB and the partial range SG.

[0042] This disclosure has the following features: (Note 1) A control device for controlling the operation of a vehicle headlight mounted on a vehicle that is capable of emitting low beams and high beams with a variable light distribution pattern, Based on the detection result of an object in front of the vehicle, the system has a variable light distribution ON mode that sets a dimming range within the high beam illumination range according to the position of the object if the object is present. The luminous intensity of a portion of the illumination range of the low beam, which is a portion of the range from a first virtual reference line parallel to the vehicle width direction to a predetermined position below it, and which is a portion of the low beam in the vehicle width direction, is set to a first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is set, and to a second luminous intensity which is higher than the first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is not set. Based on the setting result of the dimming range and the setting result of the luminous intensity within the specific range, a control signal for operating the vehicle lighting device is generated and output to the vehicle headlight. A control device for vehicle headlights. (Note 2) The aforementioned partial range is set in one of two adjacent regions that are parallel to the vehicle height direction and are assumed to be in front of the vehicle, straddling a second virtual reference line. Control device for vehicle headlights as described in Appendix 1 (Note 3) The aforementioned partial range is set within 3° below the first virtual reference line, based on the position of the vehicle. A control device for vehicle headlights as described in Appendix 1 or 2. (Note 4) The aforementioned partial range is set within 2° below the first virtual reference line, based on the position of the vehicle. A control device for vehicle headlights as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3. (Note 5) When the dimming range is set, the luminous intensity of the light caused by the low beam at a predetermined position above the partial range and within 0.5° above the first virtual reference line in an angle relative to the position of the vehicle is 1000 candelas or less. A control device for vehicle headlights as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 6) If the aforementioned dimming range is not set, the luminous intensity of the light caused by the low beam at a predetermined position above the aforementioned partial range and within 0.5° above the first virtual reference line in an angle relative to the position of the vehicle is greater than 1000 candelas. A control device for vehicle headlights as described in Appendix 5. (Note 7) The position of the aforementioned range is fixed, The luminous intensity of the aforementioned partial range is set to the first luminous intensity when the dimming range is set and the positions of the dimming range and the respective partial ranges along the first virtual reference line overlap. A control device for vehicle headlights as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6. (Note 8) A control method for controlling the operation of a vehicle headlight mounted on a vehicle and capable of emitting low beams and high beams with a variable light distribution pattern, The controller has a variable light distribution ON mode that, based on the detection result of an object, sets a dimming range within the irradiation range of the high beam according to the position of the object if the object is present. The controller sets the luminous intensity of a portion of the low beam's illumination range, specifically a portion from a first virtual reference line parallel to the vehicle's width direction to a predetermined position below it, and a portion of the low beam's width direction, to a first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is set, and to a second luminous intensity higher than the first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is not set. The controller generates a control signal to operate the vehicle lighting device based on the setting result of the dimming range and the setting result of the luminous intensity within the specific range, and outputs it to the vehicle headlight. A method for controlling vehicle headlights, including [specific details omitted]. (Note 9) A control device as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 7, The headlights controlled by the control device, A sensor that detects the aforementioned object, A vehicle headlight system, including a headlight system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1: Controller, 2: Object detection sensor, 3L, 3R: Headlights, 11: Light distribution pattern setting unit, 12: Dimming setting unit, 13: Control signal generation unit, 31: First unit, 32: Second unit

Claims

1. A control device for controlling the operation of a vehicle headlight mounted on a vehicle that is capable of emitting low beams and high beams with a variable light distribution pattern, Based on the detection result of an object in front of the vehicle, the system has a variable light distribution ON mode that sets a dimming range within the high beam illumination range according to the position of the object if the object is present. The luminous intensity of a specific range, which is a portion of the illumination range of the low beam and extends from a first virtual reference line parallel to the vehicle width direction to a predetermined position below it, and is set as a portion of the low beam in the vehicle width direction, is set to a first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is set, and to a second luminous intensity higher than the first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is not set. Based on the setting result of the dimming range and the setting result of the luminous intensity in a certain range, a control signal for operating the vehicle headlight is generated and output to the vehicle headlight. The first luminous intensity is achieved by reducing the amount of light irradiated to a portion of the low beam. A control device for vehicle headlights.

2. The aforementioned partial range is set in one of two adjacent regions that are parallel to the vehicle height direction and are assumed to be in front of the vehicle, straddling a second virtual reference line. Control device for vehicle headlights according to claim 1

3. The aforementioned partial range is set within 3° below the first virtual reference line, based on the position of the vehicle. A control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned partial range is set within 2° below the first virtual reference line, based on the position of the vehicle. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 3.

5. When the dimming range is set, the luminous intensity of the light caused by the low beam at a predetermined position above the partial range and within 0.5° above the first virtual reference line in an angle relative to the position of the vehicle is 1000 candelas or less. A control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1.

6. If the aforementioned dimming range is not set, the luminous intensity of the light caused by the low beam at a predetermined position above the aforementioned partial range and within 0.5° above the first virtual reference line in an angle relative to the position of the vehicle is greater than 1000 candelas. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 5.

7. A control method for controlling the operation of a vehicle headlight mounted on a vehicle and capable of emitting low beams and high beams with a variable light distribution pattern, The controller has a variable light distribution ON mode that, based on the detection result of an object, sets a dimming range within the high beam irradiation range according to the position of the object if the object is present. The controller sets the luminous intensity of a specific range, which is a portion of the low beam's illumination range and extends from a first virtual reference line parallel to the vehicle's width direction to a predetermined position below it, and is set as a portion of the low beam in the vehicle's width direction, to a first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is set, and to a second luminous intensity higher than the first luminous intensity when the variable light distribution ON mode is not set. The controller generates a control signal to operate the vehicle headlight based on the setting result of the dimming range and the setting result of the luminous intensity in a certain range, and outputs it to the vehicle headlight. Includes, The first luminous intensity is achieved by reducing the amount of light irradiated to a portion of the low beam. A method for controlling vehicle headlights.

8. The control device according to claim 1, The headlights controlled by the control device, A sensor that detects the aforementioned object, A vehicle headlight system, including a headlight system.

Images