Adjustment device, adjustment system, control method, computer program, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Abstract

An adjustment device (10) for adjusting an output direction (OA) of output light (L) of a lamp comprises: actuators (30A, 30B) that displace the output direction (OA) toward a designated position; a detection unit (60) that can detect displacement amounts (βX, βY) of the output direction (OA) with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is a stop position accuracy of the actuators (30A, 30B); and a control unit (80) that controls the actuators (30A, 30B). The control unit (80) performs the control by performing a first drive (86) that displaces the output direction (OA) toward the designated position with the first accuracy or higher and less than the second accuracy, and then performing a second drive (88) that displaces the output direction (OA) toward the designated position with the second accuracy or higher.

Description

Adjustment device, adjustment system, control method, computer program, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an adjustment device that adjusts the emission direction of a lamp.

[0002] When installing a vehicle headlamp on a vehicle, it is necessary to adjust the direction of light emitted from the headlamp (so-called "aiming"). Patent Document 1 discloses a headlamp aiming system that adjusts the light emission direction by displacing the light emission direction of a light source unit using an actuator.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 5331803

[0004] However, while high precision is generally required for adjusting the direction of headlight emission, there is a certain amount of error in the stopping position when the emission direction is displaced due to actuator installation errors, etc., so it is necessary to improve the accuracy of adjusting the emission direction.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an adjustment device that can improve the adjustment accuracy of the emission direction of a lighting fixture.

[0006] The adjustment device disclosed herein is an adjustment device for adjusting the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture, and includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction toward a specified position, a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator, and a control unit that controls the actuator, wherein the control unit performs control by a first drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy but less than the second accuracy, and then a second drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0007] According to the adjustment device of the present disclosure, the adjustment accuracy of the emission direction of the lamp is improved.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an aiming system in an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a headlamp seen from the left and right. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the headlamp. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an actuator. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the aiming system. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the aiming system. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern at an initial position. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern after a first drive. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern at an initial position. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing fluctuations in the output voltage of a battery power source. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the output voltage of a constant voltage circuit. FIG. 11 is a graph showing time versus target position and time versus average applied voltage to a DC motor during a first drive and a second drive. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which a detection unit is mounted in a housing of an actuator in another embodiment.

[0009] (Outline of the embodiment according to the present disclosure) First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] (1) The adjustment device of the present disclosure is an adjustment device for adjusting the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture, and includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction toward a specified position, a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator, and a control unit that controls the actuator, wherein the control unit performs control by a first drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy but less than the second accuracy, and then a second drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0011] When the first drive displaces the lighting fixture's emission direction toward the specified position, due to an installation error of the actuator or the like, a certain error occurs in the actual stop position of the emission direction. Therefore, the actual stop position of the emission direction may deviate from the specified position within a range of ±first accuracy, and may be greater than the first accuracy but less than the second accuracy. However, because the detection unit can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy, the second drive can bring the stop position of the emission direction within the range of the second accuracy from the specified position. This improves the adjustment accuracy of the emission direction.

[0012] (2) In (1) above, the detection unit may include a ring-shaped magnet and a Hall IC that detects the rotation angle of the magnet, and the actuator may change the emission direction of the lamp by rotating the lamp holder around a rotation axis, and the magnet may be positioned around the rotation axis and rotate along with the rotation of the lamp.

[0013] Generally, when controlling the stop of an actuator, a potentiometer is used to detect the amount of displacement in the emission direction, but a Hall IC can perform detection with higher accuracy (i.e., second accuracy) than a potentiometer, so a Hall IC can be used as the detection unit.

[0014] (3) In the above (1) or (2), the displacement amount of the actuator may be corrected based on the ratio between a target displacement amount when displacing the emission direction toward a specified position during the first drive and the displacement amount of the detection unit after the first drive.

[0015] By correcting the movement amount of the actuator using the displacement amount detected with the second accuracy, which is the accuracy of the detection unit 60, it is possible to displace the emission direction to a specified position with the second accuracy during the second drive.

[0016] (4) In the above (2), the actuator may include a housing portion that houses a drive portion that rotates the emission direction, and the magnet and the Hall IC may be separate from the actuator and provided outside the housing portion.

[0017] The magnet and Hall IC that make up the detection unit are provided outside the housing of the actuator and are separate from the actuator, so that the detection unit or the actuator can be easily replaced.

[0018] (5) In the above (2), the actuator may include a housing that houses a drive unit that rotates the emission direction, the magnet is provided around a rotation axis within the housing, and the Hall IC is provided within the housing.

[0019] Since the magnet and Hall IC that constitute the detection unit are housed within the housing of the actuator, the detection unit can be configured as an integral part of the actuator.

[0020] (6) In any of (1) to (5) above, a tester capable of acquiring a target displacement amount when displacing the emission direction from the emitted light to a specified position may be provided, and the control unit may be configured to correct the displacement amount of the detection unit during the second drive based on the ratio between the displacement amount of the emission direction acquired from the detection unit and the target displacement amount acquired from the tester after the first drive and before the second drive.

[0021] The accuracy of the detection unit can be further improved by correcting the amount of displacement detected by the detection unit using a tester that can obtain the amount of displacement in the emission direction from the emitted light.

[0022] (7) In any of (1) to (6) above, the actuator may include a DC motor that displaces the emission direction, and the control unit may be configured to perform control such that the voltage applied to the DC motor is reduced as the emission direction approaches the designated position.

[0023] By controlling the voltage applied to the DC motor so that it decreases as the actuator approaches the designated position, the actuator can be stopped with a soft landing near the actuator's stop position, thereby improving the accuracy of the actuator's stop position.

[0024] (8) In the above (7), the control unit may generate a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal, and the DC motor may be driven based on the PWM signal.

[0025] By changing the duty ratio of the PWM signal, the average voltage applied to the DC motor can be changed, and therefore the rotation speed of the DC motor can be controlled.

[0026] (9) In the above (7) or (8), the lamp may be mounted on a vehicle, the DC motor may be powered by the vehicle's battery power supply, and a constant voltage circuit may be provided between the DC motor and the battery power supply to supply a constant DC voltage to the DC motor.

[0027] Since the voltage of a vehicle battery power supply is prone to instability, providing a constant voltage circuit between the DC motor and the battery power supply allows a stable DC voltage to be supplied to the DC motor, thereby improving the accuracy of the actuator's stopping position.

[0028] (10) An adjustment system for adjusting the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture, comprising: an actuator that displaces the emission direction toward a specified position; a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator; and a control unit that controls the actuator, wherein the control unit is also configured as an adjustment system that performs control by a first drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy but less than the second accuracy, and then a second drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0029] (11) A control method for an adjustment device that includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture toward a specified position, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator, and that is also configured as a control method for an adjustment device that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0030] (12) A computer program executable by a control unit of an adjustment device that includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture toward a specified position, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy, which is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator. When the computer program is executed, the adjustment device displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0031] (13) A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program executable by a control unit of an adjustment device that includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture toward a specified position, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy, which is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator. The computer-readable medium is also configured so that, when the computer program is executed, the adjustment device displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0032] (Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure) The present disclosure will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments are examples and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0033] (Embodiment) One embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Here, the X axis represents the right in the left-right direction, the Y axis represents the up-down direction, and the Z axis represents the front in the front-rear direction.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the adjustment device 10 in this embodiment is a device that constitutes an aiming system (adjustment system) 1 that automatically adjusts the emission direction OA of light L emitted from a headlamp 20 (lamp fixture) mounted on a vehicle CR in a vehicle production line.

[0035] (Headlamp 20 and Light Source Unit 22) As shown in Fig. 2, the headlamp 20 includes a light source unit 22. As shown in Fig. 3, the light source unit 22 is a unit that can irradiate light emitted from an LED light source 28 forward, and can be switched to either a low beam mode or a high beam mode.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, in the low beam mode, a low beam light distribution pattern 100 having a cutoff line CL is emitted. The light distribution pattern 100 is that of the left headlight 20 as seen from the driver's seat, and although not shown, the light distribution pattern of the right headlight is symmetrical in the left-right direction. The cutoff line CL is the boundary between light and dark, with the upper side of the paper being a dark area and the lower side being a light area. The starting point of the line rising toward the upper left on the cutoff line CL is called the elbow point EP.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 1, aiming to adjust the emission direction OA is performed by projecting low beam emission light L onto a tester 70 located a certain distance ahead of the vehicle CR. In aiming, as shown in Figs. 7 to 9, adjustment is made so that the elbow point EP on the projected light distribution pattern 100 falls within the target range TR. This adjusts the emission direction OA.

[0038] 3, the light source unit 22 of the headlamp 20 can rotate both vertically and horizontally. By rotating the light source unit 22 vertically about the rotation axis HA, the emission direction OA of the headlamp 20 can be displaced vertically. Furthermore, by rotating the light source unit 22 horizontally about the rotation axis VA, the emission direction OA of the headlamp 20 can be displaced horizontally.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, the adjustment device 10 is configured to include actuators 30A and 30B, a detection unit 60, a tester 70, and a control unit 80.

[0040] (Actuators 30A, 30B) As shown in FIG. 3, the actuator 30A is a device for driving the light source unit 22 to rotate in the left-right direction, and the actuator 30B is a device for driving the light source unit 22 to rotate in the up-down direction.

[0041] 4, the actuator 30B includes a drive unit 40 and a housing unit 50. The drive unit 40 includes a DC (Direct Current) motor 42 and a plurality of gears 44, and is housed in the housing unit 50.

[0042] Of the multiple gears 44, the final gear 44F is integral with a cylindrical tube portion 46, which is connected to the light source unit 22. When the DC motor 42 rotates, the tube portion 46 rotates about the rotation axis HA via the multiple gears 44, and the light source unit 22 rotates simultaneously with the tube portion 46. This allows the light source unit 22 to rotate in the vertical direction about the rotation axis HA, and accordingly, the emission direction OA can be displaced in the vertical direction.

[0043] 3, the actuator 30A can rotate the light source unit 22 in the left-right direction about a rotation axis VA, and can displace the emission direction OA in the left-right direction accordingly. The other configurations are the same as those of the actuator 30B, although not shown.

[0044] (Battery power supply BATT and constant voltage circuit 43) As shown in Fig. 5, power for the DC motor 42 is supplied from the battery power supply BATT of the vehicle CR. Generally, the voltage supplied from the battery power supply BATT is unstable, as shown in Fig. 10A. Therefore, by providing a constant voltage circuit 43 between the battery power supply BATT and the DC motor 42, fluctuations in the voltage of the battery power supply BATT can be suppressed, as shown in Fig. 10B. This allows a stable voltage to be supplied to the DC motor 42.

[0045] 2 and 3, the detection unit 60 is separate from the actuator 30B and is attached to the outside of the housing portion 50 of the actuator 30B. As shown in Fig. 2, the detection unit 60 is configured to include a Hall IC 62 and a ring-shaped magnet 64.

[0046] 2, the center of the ring of the magnet 64 is located on the rotation axis HA. The magnet 64 is attached, for example, to the end of the cylindrical portion 46, and is designed to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the light source unit 22. The Hall IC 62 is fixed near the magnet 64, and can detect the rotation angle of the magnet 64 as the magnet 64 rotates.

[0047] The rotation angle detected by the Hall IC 62 is the rotation angle of the light source unit 22 when the light source unit 22 rotates in the up-down direction, and is the vertical displacement βY [°] of the emission direction OA, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Here, the detection accuracy of the Hall IC 62 is ±0.05 [°] (second accuracy).

[0048] Although not shown, a detection unit 60 including a Hall IC and a ring-shaped magnet is also attached to the outside of the housing of the actuator 30A. The center of the magnet ring is located on the rotation axis VA (FIG. 3) and rotates in accordance with the rotation of the light source unit 22. The Hall IC is fixed near the magnet and can detect the rotation angle of the magnet as the magnet rotates. The rotation angle detected by the Hall IC is the rotation angle of the light source unit 22 when the light source unit 22 rotates left or right, and is the amount of displacement βX [°] in the left or right direction of the emission direction OA, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] (Tester 70) Tester 70 is a device that reads light distribution pattern 100 projected toward tester 70 and measures the deviations GX and GY from elbow point EP to center point TP of target range TR. As shown in Fig. 7 , the horizontal angular range TW and the vertical angular range TH based on center point TP of target range TR are as follows: Horizontal angular range TW of target range TR = center point TP ± 0.10° (Equation (1)) Vertical angular range TH of target range TR = center point TP ± 0.05° (Equation (2))

[0050] (Controller 80) The controller 80 is an in-vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the actuators 30A and 30B. As shown in Fig. 5, signals from the potentiometer 45, the Hall IC 62, and the tester 70 are input to the controller 80, and the controller 80 outputs control signals for the actuators 30A and 30B based on the acquired information.

[0051] (Potentiometer 45) Although not shown, the potentiometer 45 outputs an electrical signal based on information about the number of rotations of the gear 44 by displacing the volume of a variable resistor in accordance with the rotation of the gear 44 in the actuators 30A and 30B. The control unit 80 calculates the amount of rotation of the light source unit 22 from the information about the number of rotations of the gear 44 acquired from the potentiometer 45.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 80 includes a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) output unit 82 and a PID (Proportional Integral Differential) control unit 84 .

[0053] (PWM Output Unit 82) The PWM output unit 82 outputs a PWM signal PS to be applied to the DC motor 42. The maximum voltage of the pulse of the signal PS is equal to the output voltage of the constant voltage circuit 43. Changing the duty ratio, which is the ratio between ON and OFF of the pulse of the signal PS, changes the average voltage applied to the DC motor 42, and changes the rotation speed of the DC motor 42. This makes it possible to change the rotation speed of the light source unit 22.

[0054] (PID Control Unit 84) The PID control unit 84 receives signals related to the deviations GX and GY from the tester 70 and performs feedback control to change the duty ratio of the signal PS so that the deviations GX and GY become zero. The PID control unit 84's parameters (P value, I value, D value) are adjusted so that the average applied voltage VOL of the signal PS decreases as the received deviations GX and GY become smaller, preventing overshoot. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11B, the average applied voltage VOL applied to the DC motor 42 decreases near the target value. As shown in FIG. 11A, the rotation speed of the light source unit 22 decreases, extending the time required to reach the target value. This suppresses overshoot and achieves a soft landing.

[0055] (Operation of Aiming System 1) Here, the operation of aiming the headlights 20 of the vehicle CR by the aiming system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 9. When the low beam is emitted from the headlights 20 toward the tester 70, the tester 70 acquires the deviation amounts GX and GY of the elbow point EP from the center point TP (designated position) as shown in Figure 7 (S100). Deviation amount GX on the X axis = -0.45 [°] ...Equation (3) Deviation amount GY on the Y axis = -0.40 [°] ...Equation (4)

[0056] Next, when the deviation amounts GX and GY of the emission direction OA acquired by the tester 70 are input to the control unit 80, the control unit 80 controls the actuators 30A and 30B so that the deviation amounts GX and GY of the emission direction OA become zero. Specifically, the emission direction OA is displaced by the following angles (S101): X-axis target value TX (target amount) = -GX = +0.45° (Equation (5)) Y-axis target value TY (target amount) = -GY = +0.40° (Equation (6))

[0057] At this time, on the Y-axis side, the control unit 80 reads the displacement amounts αX and αY in the vertical emission direction OA output from the potentiometer 45 (S102), and operates the actuators 30A and 30B until the displacement amounts αX and αY reach the target values ​​TX and TY (+0.45° on the X-axis and +0.40° on the Y-axis) (S103). As shown in Fig. 8, the drive of the actuators 30A and 30B at this stage is set to "first drive 86."

[0058] When the control unit 80 determines that the displacement amounts αX and αY output from the potentiometer 45 have reached the target values ​​TX and TY, it stops the actuators 30A and 30B (S104). However, as shown in FIG. 8, the position of the elbow point EP of the light distribution pattern 100 is within the actuator error range AR (first accuracy), which is a range outside the target range TR. The actuator error range AR represents the range of maximum error caused by assembly errors of the actuators 30A and 30B, and as shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal angle range AW and the vertical angle range AH ​​based on the center point TP of the error range AR are as follows: Horizontal angle range AW = center point TP ± 0.20° ... Equation (7) Vertical angle range AH ​​= center point TP ± 0.20° ... Equation (8)

[0059] 11(a) and 11(b), during first drive 86, as actuator 30B approaches the stopping point, the average applied voltage VOL of PWM signal PS applied to DC motor 42 decreases, thereby achieving a soft landing near the stopping point. Although not shown, similar control is also performed for actuator 30A.

[0060] Next, the control unit 80 calculates the displacement amounts βX and βY in the emission direction OA from the rotation angle information of the magnet 64 acquired from the Hall IC 62 (S105). The displacement amount βX in the X axis acquired from the Hall IC 62 = +0.60° (Equation (9)) The displacement amount βY in the Y axis acquired from the Hall IC 62 = +0.50° (Equation (10))

[0061] From this, actuator 30A has moved by +0.60° relative to the target value TX = +0.45°, which is outside TX ±0.1° (S106). Also, actuator 30B has moved by +0.50° relative to the target value TY = +0.40°, which is outside TY ±0.05° (S106). Therefore, the correction values ​​of actuators 30A and 30B are calculated as follows (S107). Correction value CA of actuator 30A = TX / βX (Equation (11)) Correction value CB of actuator 30B = TY / βY (Equation (12))

[0062] 9, the deviation amounts GX' and GY' of the elbow point EP of the low beam from the center point TP after the first drive 86 are calculated as follows: Deviation amount on the X axis GX' = βX - TX = +0.15° (Equation (13)), Deviation amount on the Y axis GY' = βY - TY = +0.10° (Equation (14)).

[0063] Therefore, taking into consideration the correction values ​​CA and CB, the emission direction OA is displaced by the following angles: X-axis target value TX' (specified position on the X-axis) = -GX' = -0.15 [°] (Equation (15)) Y-axis target value TY' (specified position on the Y-axis) = -GY' = -0.10 [°] (Equation (16))

[0064] Specifically, the control unit 80 operates the actuators 30A and 30B until it determines that the values ​​αX' and αY', obtained by multiplying the displacement amounts αX and αY in the emission direction OA output from the potentiometer 45 by the correction values ​​CA and CB, have reached the target values ​​(−0.15° on the X axis and −0.10° on the Y axis) (S108, S109, S110). As shown in FIG. 9, the drive of the actuators 30A and 30B at this stage is set to "second drive 88."

[0065] Since the correction values ​​CA and CB are calculated based on the displacement amounts βX and βY in the emission direction OA obtained from the Hall IC 62, the positional accuracy of the elbow point EP after the second drive is equivalent to ±0.05°, which is the accuracy of the Hall IC 62. Therefore, the position of the elbow point EP can be kept within the target range TR.

[0066] 11(a) and 11(b), during second drive 88, as actuator 30B approaches the stopping point, the average applied voltage VOL applied to DC motor 42 decreases, thereby achieving a soft landing near the stopping point. Although not shown, similar control is also performed for actuator 30A.

[0067] 9, correction values ​​CT and CU of the detection unit 60 are calculated as follows from the target values ​​TX', TY' during the second drive 88 and the displacement amounts βX', βY' detected by the detection unit 60 after the second drive 88. Correction value CT of the detection unit 60 for actuator 30A=TX' / βX'...Equation (17) Correction value CU of the detection unit 60 for actuator 30B=TY' / βY'...Equation (18) Using these correction values ​​CT and CU, the accuracy of the detection unit 60 can be further improved by multiplying the displacement amount obtained from the detection unit 60 by the correction values ​​CT and CU at the time of the next aiming.

[0068] (Operational and Advantageous Effects of the Present Embodiment) Next, operational and advantageous effects of the present embodiment will be described. The adjustment device 10 of the present embodiment is an adjustment device 10 for adjusting the emission direction OA of the emitted light L of the headlamp 20, and includes actuators 30A and 30B that displace the emission direction OA toward a specified position (i.e., displace the elbow point EP toward the center point TP), a detection unit 60 that can detect displacement amounts βX and βY of the emission direction OA with a second accuracy (±0.05°) that is higher than the first accuracy (±0.2°) that is the stop position accuracy of the actuators 30A and 30B, and a detection unit 60 that can detect displacement amounts βX and βY of the emission direction OA with a second accuracy (±0.05°) that is higher than the first accuracy (±0.2°) that is the stop position accuracy of the actuators 30A and 30B. and a control unit 80 that controls the output direction OA to a specified position with a first precision or greater and less than a second precision (i.e., displacing the elbow point EP from its position before the first drive 86 to a position moved by TX, TY), and then a second drive 88 that displaces the elbow point EP to a specified position with a second precision or greater (i.e., displacing the elbow point EP from its position after the first drive 86 to a position moved by TX', TY').

[0069] When the emission direction OA of the headlamp 20 is displaced toward the specified position by the first drive 86 (i.e., the elbow point EP is displaced toward the center point TP), a certain error occurs in the actual stop position of the emission direction OA due to an installation error of the actuators 30A, 30B, etc. For this reason, the actual stop position of the emission direction OA may deviate from the specified position within a range of ±the first accuracy (i.e., the elbow point EP is within a range of ±0.2° from the center point TP), and may be at a position equal to or greater than the first accuracy (±0.2°) and less than the second accuracy (±0.05°). However, since the detection unit 60 can detect the displacement amounts βX and βY of the emission direction OA with a second accuracy (±0.05°) that is higher than the first accuracy (±0.2°), the stop position of the emission direction OA can be moved from the specified position to within the range of the second accuracy (i.e., the position of the elbow point EP can be moved within a range of ±0.05° from the center point TP) by the second drive 88. This improves the adjustment accuracy of the emission direction OA.

[0070] According to this embodiment, the detection unit 60 includes a ring-shaped magnet 64 and a Hall IC 62 that detects the rotation angle of the magnet 64, and the actuators 30A and 30B change the emission direction OA of the light source unit 22 by rotating the light source unit 22 of the headlamp 20 around the rotation axes VA and HA, and the magnet 64 is positioned around the rotation axes VA and HA and rotates together with the rotation of the light source unit 22.

[0071] Generally, when controlling the stop of the actuators 30A and 30B, the potentiometer 45 detects the displacement amounts αX and αY in the emission direction OA, but the Hall IC 62 can detect the displacement amounts βX and βY in the emission direction OA with higher accuracy (i.e., second accuracy) than the potentiometer 45. For this reason, the Hall IC 62 can be used as the detection unit 60.

[0072] According to this embodiment, the control unit 80 corrects the displacement amounts of the actuators 30A and 30B based on the ratio between the target values ​​TX and TY when displacing the emission direction OA to a specified position during the first drive and the displacement amounts βX and βY of the emission direction OA detected by the detection unit 60 during the first drive.

[0073] By correcting the movement amounts of the actuators 30A and 30B using the displacement amounts βX and βY detected with the second accuracy (±0.05°), which is the accuracy of the detection unit 60, the emission direction OA can be displaced to a specified position with the second accuracy during the second drive 88 (i.e., the elbow point EP can be displaced to within ±0.05° of the center point TP during the second drive 88).

[0074] According to this embodiment, the actuators 30A and 30B are provided with a housing portion 50 that houses a drive portion 40 that rotates in the emission direction OA, and the magnet 64 and the Hall IC 62 are separate from the actuators 30A and 30B and are provided outside the housing portion 50.

[0075] The magnet 64 and Hall IC 62 that constitute the detection unit 60 are provided outside the housing portion 50 for the actuators 30A and 30B and are separate from the actuators 30A and 30B, so that the detection unit 60 or the actuators 30A and 30B can be easily replaced.

[0076] According to this embodiment, a tester 70 is provided that can acquire target values ​​TX', TY' when displacing the emission direction OA to a specified position, and the control unit 80 corrects the displacement amount detected by the detection unit 60 based on the ratio between the displacement amounts βX', βY' when the emission direction OA is displaced toward the specified position during the second drive 88 and the target values ​​TX', TY' acquired from the tester 70 after the first drive 86 and before the second drive 88.

[0077] By correcting the amount of displacement detected by the detection unit 60 using a tester capable of obtaining the amount of displacement in the emission direction OA from the emitted light L, the accuracy of the detection unit 60 can be further improved.

[0078] According to this embodiment, the actuators 30A and 30B are equipped with a DC motor 42 that displaces the emission direction OA, and the control unit 80 performs control to reduce the voltage VOL applied to the DC motor 42 as the emission direction OA approaches the designated position.

[0079] By controlling the voltage VOL applied to the DC motor 42 to decrease as the motor approaches the designated position, the actuators 30A and 30B can be stopped with a soft landing near the stop positions of the actuators 30A and 30B, thereby improving the accuracy of the stop positions of the actuators 30A and 30B.

[0080] According to this embodiment, the control unit 80 generates a PWM signal PS, and the DC motor 42 is driven based on the PWM signal PS.

[0081] By changing the duty ratio of the PWM signal PS, the average applied voltage VOL applied to the DC motor 42 can be changed, and therefore the rotation speed of the DC motor 42 can be controlled.

[0082] According to this embodiment, the headlamp 20 is mounted on the vehicle CR, the DC motor 42 is powered by the battery power supply BATT of the vehicle CR, and a constant voltage circuit 43 is provided between the DC motor 42 and the battery power supply BATT to supply a constant DC voltage to the DC motor 42.

[0083] Since the voltage of the battery power supply BATT for the vehicle CR is prone to instability, providing a constant voltage circuit 43 between the DC motor 42 and the battery power supply BATT makes it possible to supply a stable DC voltage to the DC motor 42. This improves the stopping position accuracy of the actuators 30A and 30B.

[0084] The aiming system 1 of this embodiment is an aiming system 1 for adjusting the emission direction OA of the emitted light L of the headlamp 20, and includes actuators 30A, 30B that displace the emission direction OA toward a designated position, a detection unit 60 that can detect the displacement amounts βX, βY of the emission direction OA with a second accuracy that is higher than the first accuracy, which is the stop position accuracy of the actuators 30A, 30B, and a control unit 80 that controls the actuators 30A, 30B, and the control unit 80 performs control by a first drive that displaces the emission direction OA toward the designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then a second drive that displaces the emission direction OA toward the designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0085] Furthermore, the control method for the adjustment device 10 may be configured as a method for controlling the adjustment device 10, which includes actuators 30A, 30B that displace the emission direction OA of the emitted light L of the headlight 20 toward a designated position, and a detection unit 60 that can detect the displacement amounts βX, βY of the emission direction OA with a second accuracy that is higher than a first accuracy that is the stop position accuracy of the actuators 30A, 30B, and which displaces the emission direction OA toward the designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displaces the emission direction OA toward the designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0086] Furthermore, the computer program may be configured as a computer program executable by a control unit 80 of an adjustment device 10 that includes actuators 30A, 30B that displace the emission direction OA of the light L emitted from the headlight 20 toward a designated position, and a detection unit 60 that can detect the displacement amounts βX, βY of the emission direction OA with a second accuracy that is higher than a first accuracy, which is the stop position accuracy of the actuators 30A, 30B, and that, when executed, causes the adjustment device 10 to displace the emission direction OA toward a designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displace the emission direction OA toward the designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

[0087] The present invention may also be configured as a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a control unit 80 of an adjustment device 10 including actuators 30A, 30B that displace the emission direction OA of the light L emitted from the headlamp 20 toward a designated position and a detection unit 60 that can detect the displacement amounts βX, βY of the emission direction OA with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stop position accuracy of the actuators 30A, 30B, in which execution of the computer program causes the adjustment device 10 to displace the emission direction OA toward the designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then to displace the emission direction OA toward the designated position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy. (Other Embodiments)

[0088] (1) In the above embodiment, the detection unit 60 is configured to be attached to the outside of the housing portion 50 of the actuator 30B, but this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the detection unit 60A may be configured to be provided inside the housing portion 50A of the actuator 30BA. In this way, the magnet and Hall IC that make up the detection unit 60A are housed inside the housing portion 50A of the actuator 30BA, so the detection unit 60A can be configured as an integral part of the actuator 30BA. The other configurations are the same as those in the above embodiment.

[0089] (2) In the above embodiment, the correction values ​​CT and CU of the detection unit 60 are calculated using equations (17) and (18) from the target values ​​TX′ and TY′ during the second drive 88 and the displacement amounts βX′ and βY′ detected by the detection unit 60 after the second drive 88. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the correction values ​​CT and CU may be calculated in the same manner from the target values ​​TX and TY during the first drive 86 and the displacement amounts βX and βY detected by the detection unit 60 after the first drive 86 and before the second drive 88.

[0090] The processor of the control unit 80 of the adjustment device 10, which has the various functions described above, may be realized by at least one general-purpose microprocessor operating in cooperation with at least one general-purpose memory. Examples of general-purpose microprocessors include a CPU, an MPU, and a GPU. Examples of general-purpose memory include a ROM and a RAM. In this case, a computer program for implementing the function may be stored in the ROM. The ROM is an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program. The general-purpose microprocessor specifies at least a portion of the computer program stored in the ROM, expands it on the RAM, and executes the above-described processing in cooperation with the RAM. The computer program may be pre-installed in the general-purpose memory or may be downloaded from an external server via a communication network and installed in the general-purpose memory. In this case, the external server is an example of a computer-readable medium storing a computer program.

[0091] The processor of the control unit 80 may be implemented by at least one dedicated integrated circuit capable of executing the computer program, such as a microcontroller, an ASIC, or an FPGA. In this case, the computer program is pre-installed in at least one memory element included in the dedicated integrated circuit. The memory element is an example of a computer-readable medium storing a computer program. The processor of the control unit 80 may also be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a dedicated integrated circuit.

[0092] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-044747 filed on March 21, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-044468 filed on March 21, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-044461 filed on March 21, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-044445 filed on March 21, 2024, Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-044415 filed on March 21, 2024, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-146025 filed on August 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An adjustment device for adjusting the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture, comprising: an actuator that displaces the emission direction toward a specified position; a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator; and a control unit that controls the actuator, wherein the control unit performs control by a first drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy but less than the second accuracy, and then a second drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

2. The adjustment device described in claim 1, wherein the detection unit comprises a ring-shaped magnet and a Hall IC that detects the rotation angle of the magnet, the actuator changes the emission direction of the lamp by rotating the lamp around a rotation axis, and the magnet is located around the rotation axis and rotates together with the rotation of the lamp.

3. The adjustment device described in claim 1, wherein the control unit corrects the displacement amount of the actuator based on the ratio between the target displacement amount when displacing the emission direction toward a specified position during the first drive and the displacement amount of the emission direction detected by the detection unit after the first drive.

4. The adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein the actuator comprises a drive unit that rotates the emission direction and a housing unit that houses the drive unit, and the magnet and Hall IC are separate from the actuator and are provided outside the housing unit.

5. The adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein the actuator comprises a drive unit that rotates the emission direction and a housing that houses the drive unit, the magnet is provided around a rotation axis within the housing, and the Hall IC is provided within the housing.

6. An adjustment device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a tester capable of obtaining a target displacement amount when displacing the emission direction from the emitted light to a specified position, wherein the control unit corrects the displacement amount of the emission direction detected by the detection unit during the second drive based on the ratio between the displacement amount of the emission direction obtained from the detection unit and the target displacement amount obtained from the tester after the first drive and before the second drive.

7. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a DC motor that displaces the emission direction, and the control unit controls the voltage applied to the DC motor to decrease as the emission direction approaches the designated position.

8. The adjusting device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit generates a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal, and the DC motor is driven based on the PWM signal.

9. The adjusting device according to claim 7, wherein the lamp is mounted on a vehicle, the DC motor is supplied with power from the vehicle's battery power supply, and a constant voltage circuit is provided between the DC motor and the battery power supply to supply a constant DC voltage to the DC motor.

10. An adjustment system for adjusting the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture, comprising: an actuator that displaces the emission direction toward a specified position; a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator; and a control unit that controls the actuator, wherein the control unit performs control by a first drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy but less than the second accuracy, and then a second drive that displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

11. A control method for an adjustment device that includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture toward a specified position, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than a first accuracy that is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator, wherein the emission direction is displaced toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displaced toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

12. A computer program executable by a control unit of an adjustment device that includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture toward a specified position, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy, which is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator, wherein, when the computer program is executed, the adjustment device displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displaces the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a control unit of an adjustment device that includes an actuator that displaces the emission direction of light emitted from a lighting fixture toward a specified position, and a detection unit that can detect the amount of displacement of the emission direction with a second accuracy higher than the first accuracy, which is the stopping position accuracy of the actuator, wherein execution of the computer program causes the adjustment device to displace the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the first accuracy and less than the second accuracy, and then displace the emission direction toward the specified position with an accuracy equal to or greater than the second accuracy.

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