Light distribution control device and light distribution control method

Abstract

Provided is a technique enabling lighting appropriate for a driver. This light distribution control device is provided with a control unit having a plurality of lighting modes for causing a lighting device to perform intensive lighting on the basis of at least one piece of information acquired by an information acquisition unit. The control unit executes, on the basis of a transition history regarding the execution of the plurality of lighting modes, a coordinated lighting mode in which the saliency of the lighting state of one or more and less than all of the plurality of lighting modes is set to be higher than the saliency of the lighting state of the remaining lighting modes.

Description

Light distribution control device and light distribution control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a light distribution control device and a light distribution control method.

[0002] In recent years, various technologies have been proposed for light distribution control devices that cause vehicle lighting devices to emit enhanced light when the area around the vehicle is dark. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that causes lighting devices to emit light in the direction of the driver's line of sight.

[0003] JP 2007-38878 A JP 2020-111328 A

[0004] However, if different emphasis illuminations are simultaneously performed with the same saliency, it is difficult for the driver to know which illumination to pay attention to, and there is a problem that illumination appropriate for the driver cannot be performed.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a technology that can provide appropriate illumination for the driver.

[0006] The light distribution control device according to the present disclosure is a light distribution control device that controls the light distribution of a vehicle lighting device, and includes an information acquisition unit that acquires at least any one of information regarding the surroundings of the vehicle, information regarding the vehicle, and line-of-sight information regarding the line-of-sight direction of the vehicle driver, and a control unit having a plurality of illumination modes that cause the lighting device to provide accentuated illumination based on at least any one of the information, and the control unit executes a coordinated illumination mode that makes the conspicuousness of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes higher than the conspicuousness of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes, based on a transition history of the execution of the plurality of illumination modes.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a coordinated illumination mode is executed based on a transition history of the execution of the plurality of illumination modes, in which the conspicuousness of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes is made higher than the conspicuousness of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes. With this configuration, it is possible to perform illumination appropriate for the driver.

[0008] The objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

[0009] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transition of illumination modes. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 12 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 13 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transition of illumination modes. FIG. 14 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 15 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 16 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 3. FIG. 17 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transition of illumination modes. FIG. 18 is a diagram explaining the operation of the light distribution control device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a fifth modification of embodiment 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a light distribution control device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a first modification of embodiment 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a first modification of embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a first modification of embodiment 3. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a third modification of embodiment 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a light distribution control device according to a third modification of embodiment 3. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a light distribution control device according to another modification. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a light distribution control device according to another modification.

[0010] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a light distribution control device 1 according to the present embodiment 1. The light distribution control device 1 is provided in a vehicle system, which in addition to the light distribution control device 1 also includes a periphery detection device 21, a line of sight detection device 22, and lighting devices 23. First, before describing the light distribution control device 1, the periphery detection device 21, the line of sight detection device 22, and the lighting devices 23 will be described.

[0011] The periphery detection device 21 detects information about the vehicle's surroundings. The periphery information includes, for example, information about the position, type, and movement direction of objects around the vehicle. The objects include, for example, obstacles, features such as roads and road signs, pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles (e.g., bicycles, motorcycles, etc.), and four-wheeled vehicles. The periphery detection device 21 includes, for example, at least one of millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), an ultrasonic sensor, and an image recognition device. Note that in this specification, for example, "at least one of A, B, C, ..., and Z" means any one of all combinations of one or more elements selected from the group A, B, C, ..., and Z.

[0012] The gaze detection device 22 captures a facial image of the vehicle driver, detects the gaze direction of the driver from the facial image, and generates gaze information indicating the gaze direction. Note that the gaze detection device 22 may also detect the direction of the driver's face from the facial image as the gaze direction. The gaze detection device 22 includes, for example, an image recognition device.

[0013] The lighting device 23 includes a headlight 23a and a sublight 23b provided on the vehicle. The headlight 23a is the main lighting device that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle and is configured to be switchable between a high beam and a low beam for passing. The sublight 23b is configured to provide spot illumination, i.e., illumination that can support the driver's driving by providing emphasized illumination in various illumination area shapes in any direction.

[0014] In the following description, the light distribution of the sublight 23b is described as being controlled by the light distribution control device 1, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the headlight 23a has a spot illumination function, the light distribution of this function may be controlled by the light distribution control device 1. Furthermore, as long as spot illumination is possible, the configuration of the lighting device 23 is not limited to the above.

[0015] Next, we will explain the light distribution control device 1. The light distribution control device 1 controls the light distribution of the sublight 23b of the lighting device 23. In the first embodiment, this light distribution control device 1 includes a surrounding information acquisition unit 11a, a line-of-sight information acquisition unit 11b, an attention-requiring area identification unit 12a, and a light distribution control unit 12b.

[0016] The periphery information acquisition unit 11a acquires periphery information from the periphery detection device 21. In the first embodiment, the periphery information acquisition unit 11a includes, for example, an interface of the periphery detection device 21, but may also include the periphery detection device 21 itself.

[0017] The gaze information acquisition unit 11b acquires gaze information from the gaze detection device 22. In the first embodiment, the gaze information acquisition unit 11b includes, for example, an interface of the gaze detection device 22, but may also include the gaze detection device 22 itself.

[0018] The peripheral information acquisition unit 11a and the line-of-sight information acquisition unit 11b described above are included in the concept of the information acquisition unit 11. In the first embodiment, the information acquisition unit 11 acquires peripheral information and line-of-sight information. However, the information acquisition unit 11 is not limited to this, and may be configured to acquire at least any one of peripheral information, vehicle information, and line-of-sight information, as described in the third embodiment.

[0019] The attention-required area identifying unit 12a determines whether there is a caution-required object around the vehicle that the driver should pay attention to while the vehicle is traveling, based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information acquiring unit 11a. The caution-required object includes, for example, an obstacle and a moving object such as a pedestrian or a motorcycle. When the attention-required area identifying unit 12a determines that there is a caution-required object around the vehicle, it identifies the area including the caution-required object as the attention-required area.

[0020] The light distribution control unit 12b has, as illumination modes, an attention-required area illumination mode A in which the sub-light 23b is caused to illuminate the attention-required area identified by the attention-required area identification unit 12a, and a gaze-linked illumination mode B in which the sub-light 23b is caused to illuminate in the driver's gaze direction indicated by the gaze information. When the light distribution control unit 12b executes the attention-required area illumination mode A, the driver's visibility of the attention-required area can be improved. On the other hand, when the light distribution control unit 12b executes the gaze-linked illumination mode B, the driver's visibility in the direction the driver wants to look can be improved.

[0021] Furthermore, the light distribution control unit 12b executes a coordinated illumination mode in which one of the salience of the illumination mode of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the salience of the illumination mode of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the other, based on the transition history of the execution of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B. In the present embodiment 1, the coordinated illumination mode includes a gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A.

[0022] That is, in the present embodiment 1, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba in which the conspicuousness of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is relatively high, based on the transition history of the execution of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B. As an example, a configuration will be described below in which the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed when the most recent transition history indicates a transition to the attention-required area illumination mode A (in other words, the attention-required area illumination mode A is being executed) and the driver's gaze direction is directed toward the attention-required area. Also, a configuration will be described below in which the difference in the conspicuousness of the illumination mode is the difference in the conspicuousness of brightness such as the luminous intensity and illuminance of the illumination, and the level of conspicuousness of the illumination mode corresponds to the level of brightness of the illumination.

[0023] The attention-required area specifying unit 12a and light distribution control unit 12b described above are included in the concept of the control unit 12. In the present embodiment 1, the control unit 12 has an attention-required area illumination mode A and a gaze-linked illumination mode B, and executes a gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba based on a transition history of the execution of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0024] However, as described in the third embodiment, the plurality of illumination modes that the sub-light 23b illuminates in an emphasized manner based on at least one of the pieces of information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11 are not limited to the attention area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B. In this case, the control unit 12 may execute a coordinated illumination mode that increases the saliency of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes based on the transition history of the execution of the plurality of illumination modes, compared to the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes. Furthermore, although the coordinated illumination mode is a combination of two or more illumination modes, the coordinated illumination mode may be treated similarly to an illumination mode.

[0025] <Operation> Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the light distribution control device 1 according to the embodiment 1. The operation in Fig. 2 is performed when the illumination of the headlight 23a is on. For the sake of convenience, the following description will be given assuming that a cautionary object that has been detected once continues to be detected.

[0026] When the headlight 23a is turned on, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the normal illumination mode O in step S1. In the normal illumination mode O, illumination by the headlight 23a is executed, but auxiliary illumination by the sublight 23b is not executed. In the normal illumination mode O according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , the illumination area 32 of the headlight 23a is a low beam illumination area, and the illumination reach distance on the right side of the illumination area 32 is shorter than the illumination reach distance on the left side. This illumination can reduce dazzle for the driver of an oncoming vehicle traveling in the right lane. Note that FIG. 3 also illustrates the driver's line of sight 33 and a road 34 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 31.

[0027] In step S2 of FIG. 2, the surrounding information acquisition unit 11a acquires surrounding information from the surrounding detection device 21.

[0028] In step S3, the gaze information acquisition unit 11b acquires gaze information from the gaze detection device 22 and determines the current gaze direction of the driver based on the gaze information. The gaze information acquisition unit 11b may determine the gaze distribution of the driver based on the time series of the gaze directions indicated by the gaze information and determine the gaze direction of the driver from the gaze distribution, or may determine the gaze direction indicated by the gaze information as the gaze direction of the driver. When the gaze information indicates the gaze distribution of the driver, the gaze information acquisition unit 11b may determine the gaze direction of the driver from the gaze distribution of the driver indicated by the gaze information.

[0029] In step S4, the light distribution control unit 12b determines which illumination mode is currently being executed. If it is determined that the normal illumination mode O is being executed, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is determined that the independent attention-requiring-area illumination mode A is being executed, the process proceeds to step S10. If it is determined that the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0030] In step S5, the attention-required area identification unit 12a determines the type of object around the vehicle based on the surrounding information, and determines that there is an object requiring attention if the type of object is a predetermined type. The attention-required object is, for example, a pedestrian or a motorcycle.

[0031] The attention-required area identifying unit 12a may determine whether or not there is an object requiring attention based on the positional relationship between the vehicle or the road in the vehicle's traveling direction and the pedestrian or motorcycle. As an example, the attention-required area identifying unit 12a may determine that there is an object requiring attention when a pedestrian is present within 2 meters of the road in the vehicle's traveling direction. The attention-required area identifying unit 12a may also determine whether or not there is an object requiring attention by taking into account the direction of movement of the pedestrian or motorcycle. As an example, the attention-required area identifying unit 12a may determine that there is an object requiring attention when a pedestrian is approaching the road in the vehicle's traveling direction.

[0032] The caution-required area identification unit 12a may also determine, as caution-required objects, bicycles traveling on bicycle-only roads, bicycles, light vehicles, and motorcycles traveling on the edge of the road, and unlit moving objects coming out of side streets. The caution-required area identification unit 12a may also determine whether or not there is a caution-required object by taking into account the traveling speed of the vehicle.

[0033] In step S5 described above, the attention-requiring area identifying unit 12a identifies an attention-requiring area when it determines that there is an attention-requiring object. Furthermore, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether or not the attention-requiring area identifying unit 12a has identified an attention-requiring area (i.e., whether or not it has determined that there is an attention-requiring object). If it is determined that an attention-requiring area has been identified, the process proceeds to step S6, and if it is not determined that an attention-requiring area has been identified, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0034] In step S6, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute the caution-required area illumination mode A alone.

[0035] In step S7, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the independent caution area illumination mode A and causes the sub-light 23b to illuminate the caution area identified by the caution area identification unit 12a. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the illumination situation in the independent caution area illumination mode A. In the example of Fig. 4, a pedestrian 35 on the left side in front of the vehicle 31 is determined to be a caution object, and a certain area including the pedestrian 35 and its surroundings is illuminated as a caution area 36.

[0036] In step S8 of Fig. 2, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether a termination condition is satisfied. Examples of the termination condition include turning off the headlights 23a or stopping the vehicle's driving. If it is determined that the termination condition is satisfied, the operation of Fig. 2 ends. If it is determined that the termination condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S2. If the series of processes of steps S2 → S3 → S4 → S5 → S8 → S2 is repeated, the normal illumination mode O continues to be executed. On the other hand, if the caution-required area illumination mode A alone is executed in steps S6 → S7 → S8, and the processes of S8 → S2 → S3 are performed, it is determined in step S4 that the caution-required area illumination mode A alone is being executed, and the process proceeds to step S10.

[0037] In step S10, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether the driver has viewed the attention area based on the gaze direction obtained from the gaze information and the direction of the attention area. For example, the light distribution control unit 12b determines that the driver has viewed the attention area when the angle between the gaze direction and the direction of the attention area is within 2 degrees. If it is determined that the driver has viewed the attention area, the process proceeds to step S11, and if it is not determined that the driver has viewed the attention area, the process proceeds to step S6. If the series of processes of steps S10 → S6 → S7 → S8 → S2 → S3 → S4 → S10 is repeated, the execution of the individual attention area illumination mode A continues.

[0038] In step S11, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba.

[0039] In step S12, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the gaze-linked illumination mode B while executing the attention-required area illumination mode A, and causes the sub-light 23b to illuminate in the gaze direction.

[0040] In step S13, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba by performing at least one of lowering the illumination brightness of the attention area illumination mode A and increasing the illumination brightness of the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0041] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination situation in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba. Note that in Fig. 5 and subsequent figures, dot hatching indicates relatively low conspicuity. In the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba, control is performed so that the gaze illumination area 37 illuminated based on the gaze direction is brighter than the attention area 36. As shown in the example of Fig. 5, the overlapping portion of the attention area 36 and the gaze illumination area 37 is brighter than the single gaze illumination area 37. Note that the shape of the attention area 36 and the shape of the gaze illumination area 37 at this time may be the same or different.

[0042] 2, the process proceeds to step S8. When the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed in steps S11, S12, and S13, and the process of S8, S2, and S3 is performed, it is determined in step S4 that the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, and the process proceeds to step S20.

[0043] In step S20, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether the time that has elapsed since the execution of the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba exceeds a first threshold value (e.g., 10 seconds). If it is determined that the elapsed time exceeds the first threshold value, the process proceeds to step S21. If it is determined that the elapsed time does not exceed the first threshold value, the process proceeds to step S11. If the series of processes of steps S20 → S11 → S12 → S13 → S8 → S2 → S3 → S4 → S20 is repeated, the execution of the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba continues.

[0044] 6 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination state when the driver moves his / her gaze from the attention area 36 while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed. The shape of the gaze illumination area 37 illuminated based on the gaze direction may be maintained as a circle as in FIG. 5. However, because the gaze direction changes frequently while driving, if the gaze illumination area 37 of a fixed shape is moved based on the gaze direction, the gaze illumination area 37 as seen by the driver flickers, which causes a problem that the gaze illumination area 37 is difficult for the driver to see.

[0045] Therefore, in the first embodiment, the light distribution control unit 12b performs a light distribution control in which, as the gaze-linked illumination mode B in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba, the light of a portion of the gaze illumination area 37 that has been illuminated is gradually dimmed rather than immediately turned off. Specifically, the light distribution control unit 12b performs a light distribution control in which the illumination end portion of the gaze illumination area 37 on the gaze movement direction side moves to follow the gaze movement direction, and the illumination end portion of the gaze illumination area 37 on the opposite side to the gaze movement direction moves at a slower moving speed than the illumination end portion in the gaze movement direction. As a result, when the gaze moves to the left, the gaze illumination area 37 becomes an elliptical area with a darker right side, and when the gaze moves to the right, the gaze illumination area 37 becomes an elliptical area with a darker left side. For convenience in the following description, the illumination described above, i.e., illumination of an elliptical area as shown in FIG. 6, is referred to as a trailing illumination.

[0046] In step S21 of Fig. 2, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute normal irradiation mode O. In step S22, the light distribution control unit 12b stops attention area irradiation mode A. In step S23, the light distribution control unit 12b stops gaze-linked irradiation mode B. This returns the irradiation situation to the irradiation situation shown in Fig. 3. After step S23 of Fig. 2, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0047] Summary of First Embodiment If multiple illumination modes are used for enhanced illumination with the same saliency, it becomes difficult for the driver to know which illumination to focus on. In contrast, according to the light distribution control device 1 of the first embodiment, the control unit 12 executes a coordinated illumination mode in which the saliency of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the multiple illumination modes is increased compared to the saliency of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes. This configuration allows the driver to easily know which illumination to focus on. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the coordinated illumination mode is executed based on a transition history of the execution of the multiple illumination modes, allowing for a smooth transition from one illumination mode to the coordinated illumination mode. As a result, the driver can easily know which illumination to focus on.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when the attention-required area illumination mode A is being executed and the driver's line of sight is directed toward the attention-required area 36, ​​the control unit 12 executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba. With this configuration, the driver can easily check the periphery of the attention-required area 36 using the gaze illumination area 37 after visually recognizing the attention-required object, and therefore light distribution control can be performed in accordance with the driver's general tendency to check attention.

[0049] According to the first embodiment, the control unit 12 controls the sub-light 23b to emit tailing light based on the direction of the driver's gaze as the gaze-linked illumination mode B in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba. This configuration can suppress flickering of the gaze illumination area 37 as seen by the driver, making it easier for the driver to see the gaze illumination area 37.

[0050] <Variation 1> In the first embodiment, in step S20 of FIG. 2, the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B that realize the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is maintained until it is determined that the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds the first threshold value, but this is not limited to this.

[0051] For example, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may decrease the conspicuousness of the attention-required area illumination mode A over time while maintaining the conspicuousness of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Then, when the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds a second threshold value (for example, 5 seconds), the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the attention-required area illumination mode A and execute the gaze-linked illumination mode B alone, as shown in FIG.

[0052] Then, when the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds a first threshold value (e.g., 10 seconds), the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the independent gaze-linked illumination mode B and execute the normal illumination mode O. With this configuration, the illumination of the sub-light 23b is gradually dimmed, so that a smooth transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the independent gaze-linked illumination mode B can be achieved.

[0053] <Modification 2> In Modification 1, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b reduces the prominence of the attention-required area illumination mode A over time while maintaining the prominence of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. However, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may not only reduce the prominence of the attention-required area illumination mode A over time, but also reduce the prominence of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Then, when the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds a second threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the attention-required area illumination mode A and execute the gaze-linked illumination mode B alone.

[0054] Then, when the conspicuousness of the individual gaze-linked illumination mode B continues to decrease and the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds the first threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the individual gaze-linked illumination mode B and execute the normal illumination mode O. With this configuration, the illumination of the sub-light 23b is gradually dimmed, so that a smooth transition can be made from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the normal illumination mode O via the individual gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0055] <Modification 3> In the above description, the condition for stopping the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is that the time that has elapsed since the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba was executed exceeds the first threshold value or the second threshold value, but this is not limited to this. For example, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed and the driver performs a predetermined operation, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the gaze-linked illumination mode B and execute the cautionary area illumination mode A alone.

[0056] The predetermined operation may be, for example, directing the driver's line of sight toward the illumination area 32 of the headlight 23 a. That is, as shown in Fig. 8 , when the driver's line of sight is directed toward the illumination area 32 of the headlight 23 a, the light distribution control unit 12 b may transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the independent cautionary area illumination mode A.

[0057] 2, it has been described that a cautionary object that has been detected once continues to be detected. However, if the cautionary object is no longer detected midway, the illumination mode may be changed as appropriate. For example, if the individual cautionary area illumination mode A is being executed and the illuminated cautionary object is no longer detected, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the individual cautionary area illumination mode A and execute the normal illumination mode O. Furthermore, for example, if the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed and the illuminated cautionary object is no longer detected, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the cautionary area illumination mode A and execute the individual gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0058] <Others> Fig. 9 is an illumination mode transition diagram summarizing the transitions of illumination modes in the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications. In Fig. 9, circles (nodes) represent illumination modes, arrows (edges) represent transitions, letters attached to the arrows represent the transition conditions in the first embodiment and the numbers of the modifications, and S1 and the like represent S1 and the like in Fig. 2. Solid lines represent the illumination modes and transitions described in the first embodiment, and dashed lines represent the illumination modes and transitions described in the modifications.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the light distribution control unit 12b is described as performing the operation shown in Fig. 2 when the illumination of the headlights 23a is on, but this is not limited to this. For example, the light distribution control unit 12b may perform the operation shown in Fig. 2 when the illuminance around the vehicle is equal to or lower than a threshold value, regardless of whether the illumination of the headlights 23a is on or off. Note that an illuminance meter or a sensor related to the brightness of the imaging device may be used to detect the illuminance around the vehicle.

[0060] In the above description, the transition history for the execution of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B has been described as a transition destination in the most recent transition history. In other words, the light distribution control unit 12b is configured to execute the coordinated illumination mode based on the currently used illumination mode, which is the transition destination, rather than based on the previous illumination mode, which is the transition source, in the most recent transition history.

[0061] However, the light distribution control unit 12b may be configured to execute the cooperative illumination mode by taking into consideration both the source illumination mode and the destination illumination mode in the most recent transition history. For example, the light distribution control unit 12b may be configured to execute the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba when a transition is made from the normal illumination mode O to the attention-required area illumination mode A alone, but not to execute the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba when a transition is made from the attention-required area illumination mode B alone to the attention-required area illumination mode A alone. Furthermore, the light distribution control unit 12b may be configured to execute the cooperative illumination mode based on a combination of the most recent transition history and the transition history earlier than that.

[0062] <Embodiment 2> A block diagram showing the configuration of a light distribution control device 1 according to Embodiment 2 is the same as that shown in Fig. 1. Hereinafter, among the components according to Embodiment 2, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above will be assigned the same or similar reference numerals, and different components will be mainly described.

[0063] In the second embodiment, the cooperative illumination mode includes not only the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba but also the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab in which the salience of the caution-required area illumination mode A is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Then, when the most recent transition history indicates a transition to the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba (in other words, the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed) and the level of caution of the caution-required target increases, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab.

[0064] <Operation> Figures 10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the operation of the light distribution control device 1 according to embodiment 2. The operation in Figures 10 and 11 is the same as the operation in Figure 2, except that steps S24 and S30 to S32 are added and steps S4 and S5 are changed to steps S4a and S5a. Hereinafter, steps S4a, S5a, S24, and S30 to S32 will be mainly described with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

[0065] In step S4a, the light distribution control unit 12b determines which illumination mode is currently being executed. If it is determined that the normal illumination mode O is being executed, the process proceeds to step S5a. If it is determined that the independent attention-required-area illumination mode A is being executed, the process proceeds to step S10. If it is determined that the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the process proceeds to step S24. If it is determined that the attention-required-area illumination priority mode Cab is being executed, the process proceeds to step S30.

[0066] In the first embodiment, in step S5, the attention-requiring area identifying unit 12a determines the type of object around the vehicle based on the peripheral information, and determines whether or not there is an object requiring attention based on the type, thereby identifying the attention-requiring area. In the second embodiment, in step S5a, the attention-requiring area identifying unit 12a calculates the attention level of the object around the vehicle based on the peripheral information, and determines that there is an object requiring attention if the attention level is equal to or greater than a threshold, thereby identifying the attention-requiring area. That is, the attention level calculated in step S5a is CAUTION(t0), the threshold value in step S5a is CAUTION_TH1, and if CAUTION(t0)≧CAUTION_TH1 is satisfied, the attention-requiring area identifying unit 12a identifies the attention-requiring area.

[0067] In the second embodiment, the attention required area identifying unit 12a calculates a higher level of attention as the possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object around the vehicle increases. For example, the attention required area identifying unit 12a may calculate a higher level of attention as the object is closer to the road in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the attention required area identifying unit 12a may calculate a higher level of attention as the time it takes for the object to reach the road of the vehicle based on the speed and direction of the object is shorter, or may calculate a higher level of attention as the time it takes for the object to come into contact with the vehicle is shorter. Since the contact time is related to the speed of the vehicle, when calculating the contact time, the attention required area identifying unit 12a may obtain the vehicle speed from an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) (not shown) provided in the vehicle.

[0068] After step S5a, the operations of steps S6 to S8 are performed in the same manner as in embodiment 1. When the independent caution-required area irradiation mode A is executed by the processing of steps S6 → S7 and the processing of S8 → S2 → S3 is performed, it is determined in step S4a that the independent caution-required area irradiation mode A is being executed, and the processing proceeds to step S10.

[0069] In step S10, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether the driver has visually recognized the attention-requiring area based on the gaze direction obtained from the gaze information and the direction of the attention-requiring object. Similarly to the first embodiment, if it is determined that the driver has visually recognized the attention-requiring area, the process proceeds to step S11, and if it is not determined that the driver has visually recognized the attention-requiring area, the process proceeds to step S6. The gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed by the process of steps S11, S12, and S13. When the process of S8, S2, and S3 is performed, it is determined in step S4a that the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, and the process proceeds to step S24.

[0070] In step S24, the attention-required area specifying unit 12a calculates the attention level in the same manner as in step S5a, and the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether the attention level of the attention-required object has increased. Note that an increase in the attention level means an increase in the risk of collision.

[0071] For example, in step S24, if the level of the caution target itself is equal to or greater than a threshold that is greater than the threshold of step S5a, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the level of caution of the caution target has increased. That is, if the level of caution calculated in step S24 is CAUTION(t1), the threshold of step S5a is CAUTION_TH1, and the threshold of step S24 is CAUTION_TH2, and CAUTION(t1)≧CAUTION_TH2>CAUTION_TH1 is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the level of caution of the caution target has increased.

[0072] For example, in step S24, if the change in the caution target is equal to or greater than a threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the caution level of the caution target has increased. That is, if the caution level calculated in step S5a is CAUTION(t0), the caution level calculated in step S24 is CAUTION(t1), and the threshold in step S24 is CAUTION_TH3, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the caution level of the caution target has increased if CAUTION(t1)-CAUTION(t0)≧CAUTION_TH3 holds.

[0073] If it is determined in step S24 that the level of caution for the suspicious object has increased, processing proceeds to step S31 in FIG. 11; if it is not determined that the level of caution for the suspicious object has increased, processing proceeds to step S20.

[0074] In step S31 of FIG. 11, the light distribution control unit 12b determines to execute the caution-required-area illumination priority mode Cab.

[0075] In step S32, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab by increasing the illumination brightness in the attention-required area illumination mode A and / or decreasing the illumination brightness in the gaze-linked illumination mode B. For example, the light distribution control unit 12b executes the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab by increasing the illumination brightness in the attention-required area illumination mode A to its original value and decreasing the illumination brightness in the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0076] 12 and 13 are diagrams showing an example of a transition state from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab. In Fig. 12, the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed. In Fig. 13, in the state shown in Fig. 12, it has been determined that a pedestrian 35, who is an object requiring caution, has approached the road 34 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 31 and the level of caution has increased, so a transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab is being executed.

[0077] After step S32 in Fig. 11, the process proceeds to step S8 in Fig. 10. When the attention-required-area irradiation priority mode Cab is executed by the processes of steps S31 → S32 and the processes of S8 → S2 → S3 are performed, it is determined in step S4a that the attention-required-area irradiation priority mode Cab is being executed, and the process proceeds to step S30 in Fig. 11.

[0078] In step S30, the light distribution control unit 12b determines whether the driver has visually recognized the attention-requiring area based on the gaze direction obtained from the gaze information and the direction of the attention-requiring object. If it is determined that the driver has visually recognized the attention-requiring area, the process proceeds to steps S11 to S13 in Fig. 10, and the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed. If it is not determined that the driver has visually recognized the attention-requiring area, the process proceeds to step S31. If the series of processes of steps S31 → S32 → S8 → S2 → S3 → S4 → S30 → S31 is repeated, the execution of the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cab continues.

[0079] Fig. 14 is a transition diagram summarizing transitions of illumination modes in Modifications 1 to 4 of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2. In the illumination mode transition diagram of Fig. 14, nodes and edges related to the caution area illumination priority mode Cab are added to the illumination mode transition diagram of Fig. 9.

[0080] Summary of Second Embodiment According to the light distribution control device 1 of the second embodiment described above, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed and the level of caution for the caution target increases, the control unit 12 executes the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab. With this configuration, even if the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, when the level of caution for the caution target increases, the caution-required area illumination priority mode Cab is executed, so that the driver can be alerted to the caution target.

[0081] 10 and 11 of the second embodiment, the light distribution control unit 12b may transition the illumination mode with hysteresis rather than immediately. For example, assume that it is determined that the driver has visually recognized the attention-required area within a certain time (e.g., 2 seconds) from time Tw when the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab is executed. In such a case, the light distribution control unit 12b may transition from the individual attention-required area illumination mode A or the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab to the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba after a certain time has elapsed from time Tw, rather than immediately.

[0082] <Modification 2> When the caution area illumination priority mode Cab is being executed and the target of the caution area is a person, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to illuminate a blocking display object 41 as shown in Fig. 15. The blocking display object 41 is a display object that is illuminated between a person, such as a pedestrian 35, and the surface of the road 34 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 31, and is intended to prevent the person from entering the road surface.

[0083] The obstruction display object 41 may be a display object showing a figure, a character, or any other arbitrary symbol, and animation such as blinking may be used to illuminate the obstruction display object 41. The obstruction display object 41 in the example of Fig. 15 is a display object showing a figure that creates an optical illusion as if a three-dimensional object is present when viewed by a person such as a pedestrian 35. The obstruction display object 41 as shown in Fig. 15 can create an optical illusion for the pedestrian 35 that an obstacle is present, thereby preventing the pedestrian 35 from entering the road 34.

[0084] 15 , if the pedestrian 35 approaches the road 34 further and the level of attention required by the pedestrian 35 further increases, the light distribution control unit 12b may increase the conspicuousness of the hindrance display object 41 by enlarging the hindrance display object 41 or shortening the blinking interval, as shown in FIG. 16 . Furthermore, when the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab of FIG. 15 or 16 is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the gaze-linked illumination mode B and execute the attention-required area illumination mode A while illuminating the hindrance display object 41. Furthermore, if the pedestrian 35 subsequently stops or changes direction, the light distribution control unit 12b may determine that the level of attention required has decreased, stop illuminating the hindrance display object 41, and execute the attention-required area illumination mode A alone.

[0085] <Modification 3> In the first and second embodiments, the case where there is one caution target has been described. When there are multiple caution targets, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute caution area illumination mode A for each of the multiple caution targets. Furthermore, the light distribution control unit 12b may differentiate the conspicuity of the illumination mode for the multiple caution targets based on the caution levels of the multiple caution targets, or may execute caution area illumination mode A only for the caution target with the highest caution level. Furthermore, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute caution area illumination mode A for the caution target with the highest caution level in the right half of the vehicle and the caution target with the highest caution level in the left half of the vehicle based on the caution levels of the multiple caution targets.

[0086] Furthermore, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed as shown in Fig. 17 and a new attention-requiring region is identified, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the attention-requiring region illumination priority mode Cab as shown in Fig. 18. In the example of Fig. 17, the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is executed, and the attention-requiring region 36 of the pedestrian 35 is illuminated with low salience on the left side of the vehicle 31. In the example of Fig. 18, in the state of Fig. 17, a new attention-requiring region 36 of the pedestrian 35 is identified on the right side of the vehicle 31. In this case, the light distribution control unit 12b leaves the salience of the attention-requiring region illumination mode A for the left-side attention-requiring region 36 unchanged, lowers the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and increases the salience of the attention-requiring region illumination mode A for the right-side attention-requiring region 36 more than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0087] This causes a transition from the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba to the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cab. With this configuration, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed and a new attention-requiring area is identified, the driver can easily focus on the new attention-requiring area.

[0088] 18, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the attention-required area illumination mode A for the left attention-required area 36. Alternatively, the light distribution control unit 12b may decrease the conspicuousness of the attention-required area illumination mode A for the left attention-required area 36 over time, and stop the attention-required area illumination mode A when the time that has elapsed since the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab was executed exceeds a threshold.

[0089] 18 , when the level of caution required for the pedestrian 35 on the left side increases, the light distribution control unit 12b may increase the salience of the caution required area illumination mode A for the caution required area 36 on the left side more than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Furthermore, while the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b may decrease the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B over time, and transition from the caution required area illumination priority mode Cab to the caution required area illumination mode A alone.

[0090] <Modification 4> When it is determined that a predetermined activation condition for the single-gaze-linked illumination mode B is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the single-gaze-linked illumination mode B. The predetermined activation condition may include, for example, at least one of the following: the driver performing a predetermined activation operation; the driver performing a predetermined activation gesture; and the driver gazing at a specific point near the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Note that when the driver gazes at a specific point near the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the driver wants to check what is at that specific point, and the condition that is satisfied in such a case becomes a preferable activation condition for automatically activating the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0091] Furthermore, when it is determined that a predetermined termination condition for the single gaze-linked illumination mode B is satisfied, the light distribution control unit 12b may stop the single gaze-linked illumination mode B and execute the normal illumination mode O. The predetermined termination condition may include, for example, at least one of the following: the driver has performed a predetermined termination operation; the driver has performed a predetermined termination gesture; the driver has gazed at an area other than the predetermined point (for example, the illumination area of ​​the headlights 23a and the road 34); and a certain time has elapsed since the single gaze-linked illumination mode B was executed.

[0092] When the single-gaze-linked illumination mode B is being executed and a new attention-requiring area is identified, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute steps S31 to S32 in Fig. 11 to execute the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cab. With this configuration, when the single-gaze-linked illumination mode B is being executed and a new attention-requiring area is identified, the driver can easily focus their attention on the new attention-requiring area.

[0093] Fig. 19 is an illumination mode transition diagram in which the transition of Modified Example 4 described here is added to the illumination mode transition diagram of Fig. 14. In the illumination mode transition diagram of Fig. 19, the transition of Modified Example 4 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0094] <Modification 5> When transitioning from the single-gaze-linked illumination mode B to the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab as shown in Fig. 20 , the light distribution control unit 12b may determine whether the distance between the gaze illumination area and the new attention-required area is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If it is determined that the distance is equal to or greater than the threshold, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to illuminate a guidance display object 42, which is a display object for guiding the driver's gaze from the gaze illumination area 37 to the new attention-required area 36, ​​as shown in Fig. 21 .

[0095] 21 shows a guidance display object 42 that moves (sweeps) over time from the gaze illumination area 37 to the new attention required area 36. However, the guidance display object 42 is not limited to this, as long as it is a display object for guiding the driver's gaze from the gaze illumination area 37 to the new attention required area 36, ​​and may be, for example, a display object in the form of an arrow indicating the new attention required area 36. With the above configuration, when the distance between the gaze illumination area 37 and the new attention required area 36 is equal to or greater than a threshold, the driver can easily know the new attention required area.

[0096] <Modification 6> In the second embodiment, the difference in the salience of the illumination manner between the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B in the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab in steps S31 and S32 of Fig. 11 is the difference in the salience of the brightness illuminated from the sub-light 23b. However, the salience is not limited to this.

[0097] In the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab in steps S31 and S32, the difference in the salience of the illumination manner between the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B may be the difference in the salience of the color illuminated from the sub-light 23 b. In other words, the fact that the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B may correspond to the fact that the salience of the color illuminated in the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than the salience of the color illuminated in the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0098] For example, the fact that the color salience of illumination in the attention area illumination mode A is higher than the color salience of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B may mean that the color of illumination in the attention area illumination mode A is a plurality of colors and the color of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B is a single color. Alternatively, the fact that the color salience of illumination in the attention area illumination mode A is higher than the color salience of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B may mean that the color tone of illumination in the attention area illumination mode A is a warm color and the color tone of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B is a cool color. Furthermore, the fact that the color salience of illumination in the attention area illumination mode A is higher than the color salience of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B may mean that the color of illumination in the attention area illumination mode A represents a pattern and a figure and the color of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B does not represent a pattern and a figure.

[0099] In addition, the difference in the salience of the illumination modes of attention area illumination mode A and gaze-linked illumination mode B in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba in steps S11 to S13 of Figures 2 and 10 may also be a difference in the salience of the color illuminated from the sub-light 23b.

[0100] <Modification 7> The difference in the salience of the illumination manner between the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B in the attention-required area illumination priority mode Cab in steps S31 and S32 of Fig. 11 may be the difference in the salience of the animation illuminated from the sub-light 23b. In other words, the fact that the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B may correspond to the fact that the salience of the animation illuminated in the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than the salience of the animation illuminated in the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0101] For example, the fact that the conspicuousness of the color of illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than the conspicuousness of the color of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B may mean that the blinking interval of the illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A is shorter than the blinking interval of the illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Furthermore, for example, the fact that the conspicuousness of the color of illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than the conspicuousness of the color of illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B may mean that a change in at least one of the color tone, size, and shape of the illumination in the attention-required area illumination mode A is larger than a change in the illumination in the gaze-linked illumination mode B.

[0102] In addition, the difference in the salience of the illumination modes of attention area illumination mode A and gaze-linked illumination mode B in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba in steps S11 to S13 of Figures 2 and 10 may also be the difference in the salience of the animation illuminated from the sub-light 23b.

[0103] <Variation 8> The light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to emit trailing light based on the driver's gaze direction as gaze-linked illumination mode B in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba. On the other hand, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to emit a gaze illumination area 37 of a fixed shape without causing the sub-light 23b to emit trailing light as gaze-linked illumination mode B in the attention-required-area illumination priority mode Cab. In the attention-required-area illumination priority mode Cab, the conspicuousness of gaze-linked illumination mode B is low, so flickering of the gaze illumination area 37 as seen by the driver can be suppressed without using trailing light, which places a high processing load on the driver.

[0104] <Others> At least one of the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications of the first embodiment and at least one of the second embodiment and the first to eighth modifications of the second embodiment may be combined in any manner.

[0105] <Embodiment 3> Fig. 22 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a light distribution control device 1 according to Embodiment 3. Hereinafter, among the components according to Embodiment 3, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above will be assigned the same or similar reference numerals, and different components will be mainly described. The configuration of Fig. 22 is the same as the configuration of Fig. 1 with the addition of a navigation device 25 and a vehicle information acquisition unit 11c. Note that the vehicle information acquisition unit 11c is included in the concept of the information acquisition unit 11.

[0106] The navigation device 25 has a locator that acquires vehicle position information and a normal-accuracy map database that contains road shape data for each road. The navigation device 25 also has a route search function that searches for a route that the vehicle should travel based on the vehicle position information and the normal-accuracy map database, and a function that provides route guidance at travel change points such as intersections and junctions based on the route search results.

[0107] The vehicle information acquisition unit 11c acquires vehicle information. The vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle position information and route search results acquired by the navigation device 25. Note that the vehicle information is not limited to this, and may include, for example, the vehicle's traveling direction, vehicle speed, etc. In the third embodiment, the vehicle information acquisition unit 11c includes, for example, an interface of the navigation device 25, but may also include the navigation device 25 itself.

[0108] <Illumination Modes> Similar to the control unit 12 according to the first embodiment, the control unit 12 according to the third embodiment has a plurality of illumination modes for causing the sub-light 23b to emit emphasized illumination based on at least any of the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. However, while the illumination modes according to the first embodiment include the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B, the illumination modes according to the third embodiment include the gaze-linked illumination mode B and the route guidance illumination mode D. The route guidance illumination mode D is an illumination mode for causing the sub-light 23b to emit a guidance display object, which is a display object that provides guidance on the route that the vehicle should travel, based on the vehicle position information and the route search result.

[0109] 23 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination state in the single route guidance illumination mode D. When the single route guidance illumination mode D is being executed, the light distribution control unit 12b of the control unit 12 determines whether the vehicle 31 is located in a range where the guidance display object 46 should be illuminated, based on the position information of the vehicle 31 and the route search result acquired by the information acquisition unit 11. The range where the guidance display object 46 should be illuminated is, for example, a range a certain distance away from a course change point 38 such as a branch point where the vehicle must change course, or a range where the vehicle can reach the course change point 38 after a certain time period (e.g., 5 seconds).

[0110] When it is determined that the vehicle 31 is located at a point where the guidance display object 46 should be illuminated, the light distribution control unit 12b causes the sub-light 23b to illuminate the guidance display object 46 near the progress change point 38. The guidance display object 46 in Fig. 23 is an arrow indicating a route 39 along which the vehicle 31 should proceed from the progress change point 38. Note that the guidance display object 46 is not limited to an arrow, as long as it is a display object that provides guidance along the route along which the vehicle should proceed.

[0111] <Cooperative Illumination Mode> Similar to the control unit 12 according to the first embodiment, the control unit 12 according to the third embodiment executes a cooperative illumination mode in which the salience of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes is made higher than the salience of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes, based on the transition history of the execution of the plurality of illumination modes. However, while the cooperative illumination mode according to the first embodiment includes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cba, the cooperative illumination mode according to the third embodiment includes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D. That is, the control unit 12 according to the third embodiment executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is relatively high, based on the transition history of the execution of the gaze-linked illumination mode B and the route guidance illumination mode D.

[0112] 24 is a diagram showing an example of an illumination state in the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd. When the route guidance illumination mode D is being executed and the driver's line of sight is directed toward the guidance display object 46 or when the driver's line of sight is directed toward the road to be traveled from the course change point 38, the light distribution control unit 12b of the control unit 12 executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd.

[0113] Summary of Embodiment 3 According to the light distribution control device 1 of Embodiment 3 described above, similarly to Embodiment 1, the control unit 12 executes a cooperative illumination mode in which the conspicuity of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes is made higher than the conspicuity of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes, based on the transition history of the execution of the plurality of illumination modes. With this configuration, the driver can easily know which illumination to pay attention to.

[0114] According to the third embodiment, when the route guidance illumination mode D is being executed and the driver's line of sight is directed toward the guidance display object 46, or when the driver is directed toward the road to be traveled from the course change point 38, the control unit 12 executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd. With this configuration, after the driver visually confirms the route to be traveled, the route to be traveled can be easily confirmed by the gaze illumination area 37, and light distribution control can be performed in accordance with the driver's general tendency to pay attention to confirmation.

[0115] <Modification 1> In the third embodiment, the cooperative illumination mode includes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd. However, the cooperative illumination mode may include a route guidance illumination priority mode Cdb in which the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. For example, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd is being executed and the vehicle 31 reaches a point even closer to the progress change point 38, but the driver does not visually recognize the guidance display object 46 again, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the route guidance illumination priority mode Cdb. The point even closer to the progress change point 38 may be a point that can reach the progress change point 38 in, for example, two seconds. Furthermore, when the route guidance illumination mode D is being executed and the vehicle 31 reaches a point even closer to the progress change point 38, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the route guidance illumination priority mode Cdb regardless of the driver's line of sight.

[0116] Furthermore, the illumination modes include the gaze-linked illumination mode B and the route guidance illumination mode D, but may also include the attention-required area illumination mode A, the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and the route guidance illumination mode D. The cooperative illumination mode may also include an attention-required area illumination priority mode Cabd in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than that of the route guidance illumination mode D and the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than that of the gaze-linked illumination mode B. Furthermore, the cooperative illumination mode may also include an attention-required area illumination priority mode Cad in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode A is higher than that of the route guidance illumination mode D.

[0117] Then, when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd is being executed and a new attention-requiring area is identified, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cabd as shown in Fig. 25 or may execute the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cad as shown in Fig. 26. Furthermore, the cooperative illumination mode may include the attention-requiring area illumination priority mode Cadb in which the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B and the salience of the attention-requiring area illumination mode A is higher than the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D.

[0118] In the above description, the cooperative illumination modes include the attention-required area illumination mode A, the gaze-linked illumination mode B, and the route guidance illumination mode D, all of which have different saliences. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cooperative illumination modes may include a multi-priority illumination mode Cm in which the saliences of the attention-required area illumination mode A and the gaze-linked illumination mode B are the same and are higher than the salience of the route guidance illumination mode D. When the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbd is being executed and a new attention-required area is identified, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the multi-priority illumination mode Cm as shown in FIG. 27 .

[0119] <Modification 2> In the third embodiment, the navigation device 25 includes a locator that acquires vehicle position information and a normal-precision map database that has road shape data for each road. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the navigation device 25 may include a high-precision locator (HDL) that acquires vehicle position information with sub-meter-level accuracy and a high-precision map database (HD map database) that has road shape data for each lane.

[0120] The navigation device 25 performs route search and route guidance based on the position information with sub-meter accuracy and the HD map database, so that the vehicle information may include the position information with sub-meter accuracy and the route search result. With this configuration, for example, when the route is a road heading left from a branch point and the vehicle is not traveling in a lane that allows entry onto the road, the light distribution control unit 12b may cause the sub-light 23b to emit a guidance display object 46 indicating a lane change.

[0121] <Modification 3> The illumination modes may further include a road ahead illumination mode E in which, when the route along which the vehicle should travel is a branch road connected to the road on which the vehicle is currently traveling at a branch point, the sub-lights 23b illuminate an area along the branch road. The cooperative illumination modes may include a gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbe in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the salience of the road ahead illumination mode E. As shown in Fig. 28 , when the road ahead illumination mode E in which the branch road, which is the route 39 along which the vehicle should travel, is illuminated, and the driver's gaze is directed toward the branch road, the light distribution control unit 12b may execute the gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbe as shown in Fig. 29 .

[0122] <Modification 4> The illumination modes may further include a guide sign illumination mode F in which, when the guide sign provides guidance related to a lane change for the vehicle, the guide sign is illuminated by the sub-light 23 b. The cooperative illumination modes may include, for example, a gaze-linked illumination priority mode Cbf in which the conspicuousness of the illumination mode of the gaze-linked illumination mode B is higher than the conspicuousness of the illumination mode of the guide sign illumination mode F.

[0123] <Others> At least one of embodiment 1, variations 1 to 4 of embodiment 1, embodiment 2, and variations 1 to 8 of embodiment 2 may be combined in any manner with embodiment 3 and at least one of variations 1 to 4 of embodiment 3.

[0124] <Other Modifications> The information acquisition unit 11 and the control unit 12 in FIG. 1 described above will be referred to as the "information acquisition unit 11, etc." The information acquisition unit 11, etc., is realized by a processing circuit 81 shown in FIG. 30 . That is, the processing circuit 81 includes: the information acquisition unit 11 that acquires at least any one of information about the surroundings of the vehicle, information about the vehicle, and line-of-sight information related to the line-of-sight direction of the driver of the vehicle; and the control unit 12 that has a plurality of illumination modes for causing the lighting device to perform accentuated illumination based on at least any one of the information, and that executes a coordinated illumination mode that increases the conspicuity of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes based on a transition history of the execution of the plurality of illumination modes, compared to the conspicuity of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes. The processing circuit 81 may be implemented by dedicated hardware, or may be implemented by a processor that executes a program stored in a memory. Examples of the processor include a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, and a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).

[0125] When the processing circuitry 81 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuitry 81 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The functions of each unit such as the information acquisition unit 11 may be realized by a circuit in which processing circuits are distributed, or the functions of each unit may be realized together by a single processing circuit.

[0126] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, the functions of the information acquisition unit 11 and the like are realized in combination with software and the like. The software and the like may include, for example, software, firmware, or both software and firmware. The software and the like is written as a program and stored in a memory. As shown in FIG. 31 , the processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83. That is, the light distribution control device 1 includes a memory 83 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 81, results in the following steps: acquiring at least one of information about the vehicle's surroundings, information about the vehicle, and line-of-sight information related to the driver's line-of-sight direction; preparing multiple illumination modes for the lighting device to illuminate with emphasis based on at least one of the information; and executing a coordinated illumination mode that increases the conspicuity of the illumination mode of at least one but less than all of the multiple illumination modes based on a transition history of the execution of the multiple illumination modes. In other words, this program can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedures and methods of the information acquisition unit 11 and the like. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a drive device for any of these, or any storage medium to be used in the future.

[0127] The above describes a configuration in which each function of the information acquisition unit 11 and the like is realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, this is not limited to this, and a configuration in which part of the information acquisition unit 11 and the like is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software, etc. For example, the function of the information acquisition unit 11 can be realized by a processing circuit 81 as dedicated hardware, and the other functions can be realized by the processing circuit 81 as a processor 82 reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83.

[0128] As described above, the processing circuitry 81 can realize the above-described functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0129] The light distribution control device described above can also be applied to a light distribution control system constructed as a system by appropriately combining a vehicle device, a communication terminal, the functions of an application installed on at least one of the vehicle device and the communication terminal, and a server. Communication terminals include, for example, mobile phones, smartphones, and tablets. The functions or components of the light distribution control device described above may be distributed among the devices that construct the system, or may be concentrated in one of the devices.

[0130] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications may be freely combined, and the embodiments and modifications may be modified or omitted as appropriate.

[0131] The above description is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned.

[0132] 1 Light distribution control device, 11 Information acquisition unit, 11a Peripheral information acquisition unit, 11b Line-of-sight information acquisition unit, 12 Control unit, 12a Attention-requiring area identification unit, 12b Light distribution control unit, 23b Sublight, 36 Attention-requiring area, 37 Line-of-sight irradiation area, 41 Blocking display object, 42 Guidance display object, 46 Guidance display object.

Claims

1. A light distribution control device that controls the light distribution of a lighting device of a vehicle, comprising: an information acquisition unit that acquires at least any one of information regarding the surroundings of the vehicle, information regarding the vehicle, and line-of-sight information regarding the line-of-sight direction of a driver of the vehicle; and a control unit having a plurality of illumination modes that cause the lighting device to provide accentuated illumination based on at least any one of the information, wherein the control unit executes a coordinated illumination mode that increases the prominence of the illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes, based on a transition history of the execution of the plurality of illumination modes, more than the prominence of the illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes.

2. A light distribution control device as described in claim 1, wherein the information acquisition unit includes a peripheral information acquisition unit that acquires the peripheral information, and a gaze information acquisition unit that acquires the gaze information, and the control unit includes a caution area identification unit that identifies a caution area around the vehicle based on the peripheral information acquired by the peripheral information acquisition unit, and a light distribution control unit having, as the multiple illumination modes, an attention area illumination mode that causes the lighting device to illuminate the caution area, and a gaze linked illumination mode that causes the lighting device to illuminate in the gaze direction of the driver, and the light distribution control unit executes the coordinated illumination mode in which one of the conspicuity of the attention area illumination mode and the conspicuity of the gaze linked illumination mode is higher than the other, based on the transition history of the attention area illumination mode and the gaze linked illumination mode.

3. A light distribution control device as described in claim 2, wherein the coordinated illumination mode includes a gaze-linked illumination priority mode in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode is higher than the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode, and the light distribution control unit executes the gaze-linked illumination priority mode when the attention-required area illumination mode is being executed and the driver's gaze direction is directed toward the attention-required area.

4. A light distribution control device as described in claim 3, wherein the coordinated illumination mode further includes an attention area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, and the light distribution control unit executes the attention area illumination priority mode when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode is being executed and the level of attention of the target in the attention area has increased.

5. A light distribution control device as described in claim 4, wherein the light distribution control unit, when the attention area illumination priority mode is being executed and the object of the attention area is a person, causes the lighting device to illuminate a display object between the person and the road surface in the direction of travel of the vehicle, for preventing the person from entering the road surface.

6. A light distribution control device as described in claim 3, wherein the coordinated illumination mode further includes an attention-required area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, and the light distribution control unit executes the attention-required area illumination priority mode when the gaze-linked illumination priority mode is being executed and a new attention-required area is identified.

7. A light distribution control device as described in claim 2, wherein the coordinated illumination mode includes an attention-required area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, and the light distribution control unit executes the attention-required area illumination priority mode when the gaze-linked illumination mode is being executed and a new attention-required area is identified.

8. A light distribution control device as described in claim 7, wherein the light distribution control unit, when transitioning from the gaze-linked illumination mode to the attention-required area illumination priority mode, causes the lighting device to illuminate a display object for guiding the driver's gaze from the illumination area to the new attention-required area if the distance between the illumination area in the gaze direction and the new attention-required area is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

9. A light distribution control device as described in claim 2, wherein the coordinated illumination modes include a gaze-linked illumination priority mode in which the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode is higher than the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode, and an attention-required area illumination priority mode in which the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode is higher than the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode, and the light distribution control unit lowers the salience of the attention-required area illumination mode over time while executing the gaze-linked illumination priority mode, and lowers the salience of the gaze-linked illumination mode over time while executing the attention-required area illumination priority mode.

10. A light distribution control device according to claim 1, wherein the difference in the salience of the illumination mode includes a difference in the salience of a color illuminated from the lighting device.

11. A light distribution control device according to claim 1, wherein the difference in the salience of the illumination mode includes a difference in the salience of an animation illuminated from the lighting device.

12. A light distribution control device as described in claim 2, wherein the coordinated illumination mode includes a gaze-linked illumination priority mode in which the conspicuity of the gaze-linked illumination mode is higher than the conspicuity of the attention area illumination mode, and the light distribution control unit causes the lighting device to perform tailing illumination based on the gaze direction of the driver as the gaze-linked illumination mode of the gaze-linked illumination priority mode.

13. A light distribution control method for controlling light distribution of a lighting device of a vehicle, comprising: acquiring at least any one of information regarding the surroundings of the vehicle, information regarding the vehicle, and line-of-sight information regarding the line-of-sight direction of a driver of the vehicle; preparing a plurality of illumination modes for causing the lighting device to provide accentuated illumination based on at least any one of the information; and executing a coordinated illumination mode for making the conspicuousness of an illumination mode of one or more but less than all of the plurality of illumination modes higher than the conspicuousness of an illumination mode of the remaining illumination modes based on a transition history regarding the execution of the plurality of illumination modes.

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