Control device, vehicular lighting system, and aiming unit control program

Abstract

A control device (50) for an aiming unit (A) mounted in a vehicular lighting equipment (1), the control device (50) being configured to: perform aiming adjustment in response to receiving aiming adjustment information from outside; and write to a memory (51) an aiming initial value indicating an irradiation direction of light after aiming adjustment, as determined at the time of the aiming adjustment, and vehicle identification information acquired from a vehicle (100) at the time of the aiming adjustment. The control device (50) outputs a signal indicating a write state of the memory (51) before and / or after executing the write to the memory (51).

Description

Control device, vehicle lighting system, and control program for aiming unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a vehicle lighting system, and a control program for an aiming unit.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an aiming device that changes the direction of light emitted from a light source unit of a vehicle lamp.

[0003] International Publication No. 2009 / 147799

[0004] Conventionally, aiming devices have been known that use an adjuster screw to adjust the position of the light source unit and change the direction of light irradiation. In aiming devices with this configuration, aiming adjustment has traditionally been performed manually by an operator. However, in recent years, there has been a desire to develop an aiming device that automatically controls the position of the light source unit using an electric actuator.

[0005] However, while a vehicle lamp is installed in a vehicle, the aiming of the vehicle lamp is adjusted to suit the vehicle on which it is installed. In other words, even if a vehicle lamp is installed in a vehicle with the aiming adjusted, the aiming adjustment must be performed again when the vehicle lamp is installed in another vehicle. Therefore, it is convenient if the status of the aiming adjustment of the vehicle lamp can be easily grasped. Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a control device, a vehicle lamp system, and a control program for an aiming unit that can easily grasp the status of the aiming adjustment of the vehicle lamp.

[0006] A control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for an aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation mounted in a vehicle lamp, and is configured to perform aiming adjustment by receiving aiming adjustment information from an external device, and is configured to write to a memory an aiming initial value that indicates the direction of light irradiation after aiming adjustment determined during the aiming adjustment and vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment, and outputs a signal indicating the write status of the memory either before or after writing to the memory, or both.

[0007] Furthermore, a vehicle lighting system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a light source unit mounted in a vehicle lighting fixture; an aiming unit that adjusts the aiming of the light source unit by receiving aiming adjustment information from the outside; a memory; and a control device that controls the aiming unit, wherein the control device is configured to write into the memory an aiming initial value that indicates the irradiation direction of the light after aiming adjustment, which is determined during the aiming adjustment, and vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment, and the control device outputs a signal indicating the write status of the memory either before or after writing into the memory, or both.

[0008] Furthermore, a control program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control program used in a control device of an aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation mounted in a vehicle lamp, and includes: a waiting step for waiting to receive aiming adjustment information; an aiming step for performing aiming adjustment by receiving the aiming adjustment information from outside; a writing step for writing into a memory an aiming initial value that indicates the direction of light irradiation after aiming adjustment determined during the aiming adjustment and vehicle identification information acquired from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment; and a signal output step for outputting a signal that indicates the write status of the memory either before or after performing the writing into the memory, or both.

[0009] A control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control device for an aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light emitted by a light source unit mounted in a vehicle lamp, wherein the aiming unit is operable by receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester, and the control device causes the aiming unit to start aiming adjustment after receiving a start command signal that is output when a first manual operation is performed on an input section.

[0010] Furthermore, a vehicle lighting system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a light source unit; an aiming unit that operates by receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester and adjusts the direction of light emitted from the light source unit; an input unit that outputs a start command signal when a first manual operation is performed; and a control device that controls the aiming unit, wherein the control device causes the aiming unit to start aiming adjustment after receiving the start command signal transmitted from the input unit.

[0011] Furthermore, a control program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control program for an aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation mounted on a vehicle lamp and operates by receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester, and includes: a waiting step that waits for reception of a start command signal that is output when a first manual operation is performed on an input section; an aiming step that adjusts the aiming by the aiming unit after receiving the start command signal; and an end step that ends the aiming step when an end command signal that is output when a second manual operation is performed on the input section is received during the aiming step.

[0012] According to the control device for a vehicle lamp, the control program for a vehicle lamp system, and the control program for an aiming unit of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a control device, a vehicle lamp system, and a control program that can easily grasp the status of the aiming adjustment of a vehicle lamp.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle headlamp (vehicle lamp) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state during aiming adjustment of the vehicle headlamp according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an aiming inspection system. FIG. 4 is an image diagram illustrating a light irradiation position of the vehicle headlamp according to the embodiment, displayed on a screen. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a write state of a memory according to the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a state after information has been written to the memory shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating another write state of a memory according to the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating another example of a memory according to the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a control program used in a control device according to the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state during aiming adjustment of the vehicle headlamp according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an aiming inspection system. FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an aiming inspection system for a vehicle headlamp according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display unit during aiming adjustment. FIG. 14 is an image diagram illustrating a light irradiation position of the vehicle headlamp according to the embodiment, displayed on a screen.

[0014] [Configuration of Vehicle Lamp] Specific examples of vehicle lamps according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. In the following description, when referring to the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction, these directions are defined as directions seen from the perspective of an occupant of a vehicle in which the vehicle lamp is installed.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle headlamp (vehicle lamp) 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle headlamp 1 includes a housing 2 that opens forward, and an outer lens 3 made of a translucent material that forms a lamp chamber together with the housing 2. The vehicle headlamp 1 includes a light source unit 10, a swivel unit 20, a leveling unit 30, and an extension Sa within the lamp chamber.

[0016] The light source unit 10 emits a high beam light distribution pattern and a low beam light distribution pattern. The light source unit 10 includes a light source 17 such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), optical components such as a reflector 15 and a lens 16 that project the light emitted from the light source 17 forward, a heat sink (not shown), and a lamp bracket (not shown) to which these components are attached.

[0017] Although the illustrated example shows a single lens, multiple lenses or multiple reflectors may be installed. Also, a single light source 17 or multiple light sources 17 may be provided.

[0018] The extension Sa is provided between the outer lens 3 and the light source unit 10. The extension Sa is a member that prevents components inside the lamp chamber and the inner surface of the housing 2 from being visible from the outside through the outer lens 3, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle headlamp 1.

[0019] In the vehicle headlamp 1 according to this embodiment, a single light source unit 10 is attached to the housing 2 via a swivel unit 20 and a leveling unit 30 so as to be displaceable relative to the housing 2 .

[0020] The swivel unit 20 rotates the light source unit 10 and the leveling unit 30 relative to the housing 2 about a swivel axis L1. The swivel axis L1 extends in the vertical direction. The swivel unit 20 includes a swivel shaft member 21 extending along the swivel axis L1, and a swivel motor 22 that applies a rotational force to the swivel shaft member 21. When the swivel motor 22 operates, the swivel motor 22 applies a rotational force about the swivel axis L1 to the swivel shaft member 21. Because the swivel shaft member 21 is fixed to the underside of the housing 2, when the swivel motor 22 applies a rotational force to the swivel shaft member 21, the swivel motor 22 rotates together with the light source unit 10 and the leveling unit 30 about the swivel axis L1 relative to the housing 2.

[0021] The swivel unit 20 maintains an arbitrary predetermined orientation when energized. That is, when a command value instructing a rotation angle of +4.2 degrees is input to the swivel unit 20, the swivel unit 20 maintains an orientation with a rotation angle of +4.2 degrees when energized unless another command value is input. Also, when a command value instructing a rotation angle of -1.2 degrees is input to the swivel unit 20, the swivel unit 20 maintains an orientation with a rotation angle of -1.2 degrees when energized unless another command value is input. The swivel unit 20 may be configured so that it can no longer maintain the orientation it was maintaining when power is stopped.

[0022] The leveling unit 30 supports the light source unit 10 rotatably about a leveling axis L2 relative to the swivel unit 20. The leveling axis L2 extends in the left-right direction. The leveling unit 30 includes a leveling shaft member 31 extending along the leveling axis L2, and a leveling motor 32 that applies a rotational force to the leveling shaft member 31. The leveling shaft member 31 is fixed to the swivel motor 22 via a bracket or the like. Because the leveling shaft member 31 is fixed to the swivel motor 22, when the leveling motor 32 applies a rotational force to the leveling shaft member 31, the leveling motor 32 rotates together with the light source unit 10 about the leveling axis L2 relative to the housing 2.

[0023] The leveling unit 30 maintains an arbitrary predetermined posture when energized. That is, when a command value specifying a rotation angle of +3.8 degrees is input to the leveling unit 30, the leveling unit 30 maintains a posture with a rotation angle of +3.8 degrees when energized unless another command value is input. Also, when a command value specifying a rotation angle of -0.3 degrees is input to the leveling unit 30, the leveling unit 30 maintains a posture with a rotation angle of -0.3 degrees when energized unless another command value is input. The leveling unit 30 may be configured so that it can no longer maintain the posture it was maintaining when power is stopped.

[0024] Both the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30 described above can be driven by electric control, and their rotation states are controlled by a control device 50 (described later). The swivel unit 20 is used to shift the direction of light emitted by the light source unit 10 in the left-right direction depending on the driving conditions while the vehicle is running, such as in an adaptive front lighting system (AFS). The leveling unit 30 is used to shift the direction of light emitted by the light source unit 10 in the up-down direction depending on the fore-and-aft tilt of the vehicle and the inclination of the road surface, such as in an auto-leveling function. In addition to realizing these functions, the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30 of this embodiment are also used as components for performing aiming adjustment. However, the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30 may be configured so as not to perform the AFS or auto-leveling functions.

[0025] Incidentally, swivel and leveling operations are performed by displacing the optical axis by a desired angle in a desired direction from a reference state in which the optical axis extends in a predetermined direction. Aiming adjustment may also refer to adjusting the direction in which the optical axis extends in this reference state. Aiming adjustment is performed at a different timing from the swivel and leveling operations described above. Aiming adjustment is primarily performed at times other than when the vehicle 100 is running, such as when the vehicle is shipped or during vehicle inspection. In contrast, swivel and leveling operations change the light irradiation direction in accordance with the running state of the vehicle 100 and the external conditions of the vehicle 100 while the vehicle 100 is running, and are performed while the vehicle 100 is running.

[0026] In the vehicle headlamp 1 according to this embodiment, the adjustment of the irradiation direction of light emitted by the light source unit 10 (aiming adjustment) is performed by the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30. That is, in this embodiment, the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30, which are originally operated when the vehicle is traveling, are used for aiming adjustment. In the following description, the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30 will be collectively referred to as aiming unit A. In addition, in the following description, the irradiation direction of light emitted by the light source unit 10 will sometimes be referred to as the "optical axis."

[0027] [Aiming inspection system] Next, aiming adjustment by the aiming inspection system S of the vehicle headlamp 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail using Figures 2, 3, and 4. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the state during aiming adjustment of the vehicle headlamp 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the aiming inspection system S. Figure 4 is an image diagram showing the irradiation position of light of the vehicle headlamp according to this embodiment, displayed on a screen.

[0028] 2 and 3, the aiming inspection system S according to this embodiment is composed of a vehicle 100 equipped with a vehicle headlamp 1, and a tester 200. The tester 200 determines whether the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 is within a specified range. The vehicle headlamp 1 performs aiming adjustment in accordance with the determination result received from the tester 200, as will be described later. Aiming adjustment may be performed, for example, during the inspection process of vehicle production, during inspection under the automobile inspection and registration system (so-called vehicle inspection), or when the vehicle headlamp 1 is replaced.

[0029] 2 and 3 , the vehicle 100 includes a vehicle ECU 101 and a vehicle headlamp 1. The vehicle ECU 101 controls various operations of the vehicle 100, such as driving. The vehicle ECU 101 includes a processor such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit). Although not shown, the vehicle 100 also includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various vehicle control programs are stored and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which various vehicle control data is temporarily stored. The processor of the vehicle ECU 101 loads data designated by various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM onto the RAM and controls various operations of the vehicle 100 in cooperation with the RAM. The vehicle ECU 101 is configured to be able to communicate with the tester 200 and a control device 50, which will be described later.

[0030] The vehicle headlamp 1 includes a control device 50 in addition to the light source unit 10 and the aiming unit A shown in Fig. 1. The control device 50 includes a processor such as an ASIC, an FPGA, or a general-purpose CPU. The control device 50 can control the rotation state of the aiming unit A and has a memory 51 that can record drive information for the aiming unit A. The vehicle ECU 101 and the vehicle headlamp 1 are compliant with protocols such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and are capable of communicating with each other.

[0031] The control device 50 controls the aiming unit A based on signals acquired from the vehicle ECU 101. The control device 50 may also control the on / off and brightness of the light source unit 10 based on signals acquired from the vehicle ECU 101.

[0032] The tester 200 has a screen 201 and an optical axis determination unit 202. The screen 201 is disposed in front of the vehicle 100, and light from the vehicle headlamp 1 is irradiated onto the screen 201. During aiming adjustment, the vehicle 100 is positioned at a predetermined position and in a predetermined posture relative to the screen 201. As shown in Fig. 4, a low-beam light distribution pattern irradiated by the vehicle headlamp 1 during aiming adjustment is projected onto the screen 201.

[0033] The optical axis determination unit 202 is composed of a camera that captures the light distribution pattern projected on the screen 201 and an information processing device that processes the image output from the camera. This information processing device also includes a processor, such as an ASIC, FPGA, or general-purpose CPU, and a memory. The optical axis determination unit 202 determines the direction of the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 based on the image acquired from the camera. As shown in FIG. 4 , the image captured of the screen 201 includes a low-beam light distribution pattern having a cutoff line CL. The optical axis determination unit 202 determines the direction of the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 based on the elbow point EL of the cutoff line CL. In this embodiment, the elbow point EL is the point on the extension of the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 where the extension intersects with the screen 201. The optical axis determination unit 202 determines whether the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 is located within a specified range CA defined by law. In FIG. 4 , the specified range defined by law is indicated by the symbol CA. The optical axis determination unit 202 determines whether the actual elbow point EL, which indicates the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 mounted on the vehicle 100 under inspection, is located within this specified range CL. The optical axis determination unit 202 also outputs deviation amount information that indicates the amount of deviation of the actual elbow point EL from the ideal elbow point ELi, which is the center point of the specified range CL.

[0034] In this embodiment, aiming adjustment is initiated by the vehicle headlamp 1 irradiating light onto the screen 201 of the tester 200. As shown in Fig. 4, the vehicle headlamp 1 projects a low-beam light distribution pattern including a cutoff line CL onto the screen 201. The optical axis determination unit 202 compares the elbow point EL of the cutoff line CL formed on the screen 201 with a specified range CA defined by regulations. In the example shown in Fig. 4, it is determined that the elbow point EL is not within the specified range CA, and the optical axis determination unit 202 transmits failure information and deviation amount information to the vehicle ECU 101 of the vehicle 100 to prompt aiming adjustment.

[0035] Upon receiving the rejection information and the deviation amount information, the vehicle ECU 101 transmits the deviation amount information to the control device 50. The deviation amount information is information indicating a deviation amount ΔL, which includes a horizontal deviation amount ΔX (deviation in the X-axis direction) and a vertical deviation amount ΔY (deviation in the Y-axis direction) between the actual position of the elbow point EL and the ideal position of the elbow point ELi, as shown in FIG. 4, for example. Based on the deviation amount information acquired from the vehicle ECU 101, the control device 50 drives the aiming unit A so that the position of the actual elbow point EL coincides with the position of the ideal elbow point ELi. Specifically, the control device 50 outputs a command to the swivel unit 20 to displace the optical axis by ΔX and to the leveling unit 30 to displace the optical axis by ΔY.

[0036] Aiming unit A is driven in this manner, and tester 200 again compares the position of the actual elbow point EL with the position of the ideal elbow point ELi. This determination and driving of aiming unit A is repeated, and when the actual elbow point EL is positioned within specified range CA, optical axis determination unit 202 determines that the aiming adjustment is complete and transmits pass information to vehicle ECU 101. Vehicle ECU 101 transmits the pass information to control device 50. Upon receiving the pass information, control device 50 ends the aiming adjustment.

[0037] The control device 50 according to this embodiment records in the memory 51 an initial aiming value indicating the orientation of the light source unit 10 upon completion of the aiming adjustment. In this example, the initial aiming value is the amount of drive from one end of the maximum movable range of the aiming unit A during the aiming adjustment. For example, if the maximum movable range of the swivel unit 20 is from -20 degrees to +20 degrees and the swivel unit 20 is driven from -20 degrees to +19.58 degrees during the aiming adjustment, +19.58 degrees is recorded in the memory 51 as the initial aiming value in the left-right direction. Furthermore, if the maximum movable range of the leveling unit 30 is from -5 degrees to +5 degrees and the leveling unit 30 is driven from -5 degrees to +4.97 degrees during the aiming adjustment, +4.97 degrees is recorded in the memory 51 as the initial aiming value in the up-down direction. In this way, the initial aiming value may be, for example, angle information from at least one of the upper and lower movable ends and the left and right movable ends of the light source unit 10. Note that the numbers listed here are merely examples.

[0038] In this embodiment, immediately after the vehicle headlamp 1 is turned on (immediately after power is applied), the swivel unit 20 is turned on at -20 degrees, one end of its maximum movable range, and the leveling unit 30 is turned on at -5 degrees, one end of its maximum movable range. Therefore, after the vehicle headlamp 1 is turned on, the control device 50 reads the aiming initial value from the memory 51 and drives the swivel unit 20 to change the optical axis by +19.58 degrees left and right, and the leveling unit 30 to change the optical axis by +4.97 degrees up and down. This determines the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 in the reference state in the direction set during the aiming adjustment. In this way, after the vehicle headlamp 1 is turned on, the optical axis of the light source unit 10 is set to the optical axis after the aiming adjustment. Note that the swivel operation and leveling operation performed while the vehicle 100 is traveling in response to the traveling conditions of the vehicle 100 and conditions outside the vehicle 100 are performed based on this aiming-adjusted optical axis.

[0039] The initial position of the swivel unit 20 and the initial position of the leveling unit 30 immediately after the start of the vehicle headlamp 1 are not limited to one end of the maximum movable range, but may be the center point of the maximum movable range, etc. The aiming initial value may be the amount of deviation between the actual elbow point EL and the ideal elbow point ELi at the initial positions of the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30 immediately after the start of the vehicle headlamp 1.

[0040] Alternatively, the initial aiming position of the optical axis set by the initial aiming value may be set separately from the reference position of the optical axis for leveling and swivel operations. The control device 50 may be configured to move the light source unit 10 to an initial aiming position set during aiming adjustment, which is different from the origin position used for leveling adjustment, when the vehicle headlamp 1 is started. The origin position used for leveling adjustment is a reference position used for leveling adjustment. For example, the origin position of leveling when the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 is located at the front of the vehicle 100 is displaced upward from the origin position of leveling when the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 is located at the center of the vehicle 100.

[0041] [Memory Writing Manner] In this embodiment, after the aiming adjustment is completed, the control device 50 records the vehicle identification information acquired from the vehicle 100 together with the aiming initial value in the memory 51. The control device 50 transmits a signal indicating the write status of the memory 51 to the vehicle ECU 101 either before or after recording the aiming initial value and the vehicle identification information in the memory 51, or both. The vehicle identification information is, for example, a vehicle identification number (VID) assigned to each vehicle, equipment information for the vehicle 100, date and time information when the aiming adjustment was performed, etc. In this embodiment, the control device 50 records the vehicle identification number and the date and time when the aiming adjustment was performed in the memory 51 as vehicle identification information.

[0042] The manner in which information is written to the memory 51 of the control device 50 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figure 5 shows the state of the memory 51 when a brand new vehicle headlamp 1 is attached to the vehicle 100 at the time of shipment. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the state in which various information has been written to the memory 51 after the aiming adjustment is completed. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the state of the memory 51 when a vehicle headlamp 1 that was attached to another vehicle is attached to the vehicle 100.

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a state in which a brand new vehicle headlamp 1 equipped with a memory 51 is installed in a vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the memory 51 has a first area 51a in which an aiming initial value can be recorded, a second area 51b in which vehicle identification information can be recorded, and a third area 51c in which date and time information on when aiming adjustment was performed is recorded. Because the brand new vehicle headlamp 1 has never been installed in a vehicle, the first area 51a, the second area 51b, and the third area 51c are blank, as shown in FIG. 5. It is also assumed in FIGS. 5 to 7 that the vehicle 100 has been assigned a vehicle-specific number AAA123 as vehicle identification information. The vehicle identification information is transmitted from the vehicle ECU 101 to the control device 50.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows the state of the memory 51 when the vehicle headlamp 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100 from the state shown in FIG. 5 and aiming adjustment is completed. In the illustrated example, after the vehicle headlamp 1 is adjusted for aiming, the first area 51a of the memory 51 stores the horizontal deviation ΔX (deviation along the X-axis) and vertical deviation ΔY (deviation along the Y-axis) between the actual position of the elbow point EL and the ideal position of the elbow point ELi as aiming initial values. In the example shown in FIG. 6, 19.58 degrees as ΔX and 4.97 degrees as ΔY are stored in the first area 51a. The vehicle identification number AAA123 of the vehicle 100 is stored in the second area 51b. The date and time of the aiming adjustment (February 28, 2024 in the example shown in FIG. 6) is stored in the third area 51c.

[0045] 6, when the control device 50 has written information to all of the first area 51a, the second area 51b, and the third area 51c, it transmits a completion signal indicating that writing has been completed to the vehicle ECU 101. Upon receiving the completion signal, the vehicle ECU 101 notifies the user that writing to the memory 51 has been completed. The notification that writing to the memory 51 has been completed is made by, for example, displaying the information on the screen of the car navigation system installed in the vehicle 100, turning off the vehicle headlight 1, etc.

[0046] When a new vehicle headlamp 1 is installed in the vehicle 100, the first area 51a, the second area 51b, and the third area 51c of the memory 51 are in an unwritten state. Therefore, the control device 50 transmits an incomplete signal to the vehicle ECU 101, indicating that the writing state of the memory 51 is incomplete. When the vehicle ECU 101 receives the incomplete signal, it notifies the aiming operator or user that the writing state of at least one area of ​​the memory 51 is incomplete. The notification that the writing state of the memory 51 is incomplete is made, for example, by displaying the information on the screen of a car navigation system installed in the vehicle 100 or by turning on the vehicle headlamp 1. The output of the signal indicating the writing state of the memory 51 may be performed either before or after writing the aiming initial value and / or vehicle identification information to the memory 51. The control device 50 may also be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing state of the memory 51 is abnormal if at least one of the aiming initial value and the vehicle identification information has not been written to the memory 51.

[0047] A brand new vehicle headlamp 1 has never been installed in a vehicle, so it has not undergone any aiming adjustment and is not suitable for use as is. For this reason, the control device 50 outputs an abnormal state indicating that no data has been written to the memory 51. This prevents situations in which a general user other than the vehicle manufacturer obtains a brand new vehicle headlamp 1, installs the vehicle headlamp 1 in the vehicle 100 without performing any aiming adjustment, and drives the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the aiming operator can confirm that various information is written to the memory 51 for the brand new vehicle headlamp 1.

[0048] Furthermore, when the control device 50 has written information to all of the first area 51 a, second area 51 b, and third area 51 c, it transmits a completion signal indicating that writing to the memory 51 has been completed to the vehicle ECU 101. Upon receiving the completion signal, the vehicle ECU 101 notifies the aiming worker that writing to the memory 51 has been completed. This allows the worker to know that the aiming work has been completed.

[0049] Next, a situation will be described with reference to Fig. 7 where a vehicle headlamp 1 that has been previously installed on another vehicle is to be installed on the vehicle 100. Because the vehicle headlamp 1 has a history of aiming adjustments when it was installed on another vehicle, information has already been written to the first area 51a, the second area 51b, and the third area 51c of the memory 51 shown in Fig. 7. In particular, the second area 51b stores a vehicle-specific number BBB456 that is different from that of the vehicle 100 on which the vehicle headlamp 1 is to be installed.

[0050] 7 , before the vehicle headlamp 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100, information is written to all of the first area 51 a, second area 51 b, and third area 51 c of the memory 51. The control device 50 may be configured to determine whether the information written in the memory 51 matches information to be written to the memory 51 as a result of performing aiming adjustment of the vehicle headlamp 1 mounted on the vehicle 100.

[0051] Specifically, the control device 50 obtains the vehicle unique number BBB456 from the vehicle ECU 101 and compares it with the vehicle unique number AAA123 recorded in the second area 51b. Because the vehicle unique number BBB456 written in the second area 51b differs from the vehicle unique number AAA123 to be written to the memory 51, the control device 50 transmits an abnormality signal to the vehicle ECU 101 indicating that the writing status of the memory 51 is abnormal. For example, even if aiming adjustment has been completed on another vehicle and an aiming initial value has been recorded, this aiming initial value does not necessarily match the aiming initial value of the vehicle currently being worked on. Therefore, in this case, the aiming initial value needs to be rewritten. If the vehicle unique numbers differ and an abnormality signal is output from the control device 50, the aiming adjustment worker can easily understand the situation in which the aiming initial value needs to be rewritten. Alternatively, the aiming adjustment worker can quickly notice a situation in which the vehicle headlamp 1 is removed from the vehicle 100 for repair and then mistakenly installed on another vehicle.

[0052] Conversely, if the vehicle unique number acquired from the vehicle ECU 101 matches the vehicle unique number recorded in the second area 51b of the memory 51, the control device 50 outputs a normal signal indicating that the writing status of the memory 51 is normal to the vehicle ECU 101. With this configuration, the signal indicating the writing status of the memory 51 allows the vehicle headlamp 1 to easily grasp the status of the aiming adjustment in the vehicle 100 in which the vehicle headlamp 1 is mounted.

[0053] In this way, the control device 50 of the present disclosure outputs a signal indicating the write status of the memory 51 either before or after writing the aiming initial value and vehicle identification information to the memory 51. Therefore, the status of the aiming adjustment of the vehicle headlamp 1 can be easily grasped from the signal indicating the write status to the memory.

[0054] Furthermore, the control device 50 according to the present disclosure may be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing state of the memory 51 is abnormal when at least one of the aiming initial value and the vehicle identification information has not been written to the memory 51. With the above configuration, the worker performing the aiming adjustment can easily know that the aiming adjustment of the vehicle lamp 1 mounted on the vehicle 100 has not been completed.

[0055] Furthermore, according to the control device 50 of the present disclosure, if the vehicle identification information written in the memory 51 differs from the vehicle identification information to be written in the memory 51, the control device 50 may be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory 51 is in an abnormal state.

[0056] Alternatively, the control device 50 according to the present disclosure may be configured to output normal information indicating that the writing status of the memory 51 is normal when the vehicle identification information recorded in the memory 51 matches the vehicle identification information to be written to the memory 51.

[0057] Furthermore, the control device 50 according to the present disclosure may be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory 51 is normal when an initial aiming value has been written to the memory 51. As long as an initial aiming value has been written, it can be said to be normal even if it differs from the initial aiming value to be newly written, and therefore appropriate information can be notified to the aiming operator. For example, when readjusting the aiming during vehicle inspection, if the vehicle headlamp 1 has been properly adjusted in the past, it can be determined that the vehicle headlamp 1 was in a normal state even if the initial aiming value to be written differs from the written initial aiming value. In this way, during vehicle inspection, the initial aiming value and aiming date information are updated and recorded in the memory 51.

[0058] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle lighting system 300 according to the present disclosure includes a light source unit 10 mounted on the vehicle lighting device 1, an aiming unit A that adjusts the aiming of the light source unit 10 by receiving aiming adjustment information from the outside, a memory 51, and a control device 50 that controls the aiming unit A, and the control device 50 is configured to write into the memory 51 an aiming initial value that indicates the aiming-adjusted light irradiation direction determined during the aiming adjustment, and vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle 100 during the aiming adjustment, and the control device 50 may be configured to output a signal indicating the writing status of the memory 51 either before or after writing into the memory 51, or both before and after writing into the memory 51.

[0059] Furthermore, as described above, in the vehicle lighting system 300 according to the present disclosure, the control device 50 may be configured to output a signal indicating the writing state of the memory 51 and to control the display device mounted on the vehicle lighting device 1 or the vehicle 100 to an illumination state corresponding to the signal. With the above configuration, the person performing the aiming adjustment can visually know whether the aiming adjustment of the vehicle lighting device 1 mounted on the vehicle 100 has been completed or not.

[0060] While the manner of writing to the memory 51 of the control device 50 according to the present disclosure has been described above, the control device 50 according to the present disclosure is not limited to this. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the memory 151 according to the present disclosure. In Fig. 8, a vehicle 1000 has a right vehicle headlamp 1a, a left vehicle headlamp 1b, and a vehicle ECU 1001. The right vehicle headlamp 1a has a right control device 150a, a right memory 151a, and a right aiming unit RA, and the left vehicle headlamp 1b has a left control device 150b, a left memory 151b, and a left aiming unit LA.

[0061] The example shown in FIG. 8 illustrates a situation in which a left vehicle headlamp 1b that was previously installed in another vehicle is installed in the vehicle 1000, and the left vehicle headlamp 1b has not yet been adjusted for aiming in the vehicle 1000. The right vehicle headlamp 1a has already completed aiming adjustment in the vehicle 1000. In this case, different vehicle-specific numbers are stored in the right memory 151a and the left memory 151b. Therefore, the right control device 150a is configured to refer to the information written in the left memory 151b by the left control device 150b, and output a signal to the vehicle ECU 1001 in accordance with the difference between the information recorded in the right memory 151a and the information recorded in the left memory 151b. The same applies to the left control device 150b. If the information recorded in the right memory 151a and the information recorded in the left memory 151b do not match, the right control device 150a or the left control device 150b outputs a signal to the vehicle ECU 1001 indicating an abnormal memory write status.

[0062] The vehicle headlamp 1 is originally intended to be used as a set of left and right vehicles. It is an abnormal state when the aiming adjustments of one vehicle headlamp and the other vehicle headlamp are different. The configuration shown in Figure 8 makes it easy to grasp such an abnormal state.

[0063] As described above, the control device 50 of the present disclosure may be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing status of memory 151 is in an abnormal state when the vehicle identification information of the left-side lamp and the vehicle identification information of the right-side lamp written in memory 151 do not match.

[0064] Alternatively, the vehicle lighting system 300a according to the present disclosure may be a vehicle lighting system 300a comprising a right vehicle lamp 1a equipped with a right aiming unit RA that adjusts the direction of light irradiation, a left vehicle lamp 1b equipped with a left aiming unit LA that adjusts the direction of light irradiation, and a control device 150 that controls the right vehicle lamp 1a and the left vehicle lamp 1b, wherein the right vehicle lamp 1a and the left vehicle lamp 1b are configured to perform aiming adjustment by receiving aiming adjustment information from the outside, and the control device 150 is configured to be able to read from a memory 151 the right vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle 1000 when adjusting the aiming of the right vehicle lamp 1a, and the left vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle 1000 when adjusting the aiming of the left vehicle lamp 1b, and if the right vehicle identification information and the left vehicle identification information differ, outputs a signal indicating abnormal information as the writing status of the memory 151.

[0065] In the vehicle lighting system according to the present disclosure, the vehicle identification information may include at least one of a vehicle specific number, equipment information of the vehicle, and a date and time when the aiming adjustment was performed.

[0066] In addition, the vehicle lighting system 300, 300a according to the present disclosure may be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory 51, 151 is in an abnormal state when at least one of the aiming initial value and the vehicle identification information is not written to the memory 51, 151.

[0067] In addition, the vehicle lighting system 300, 300a according to the present disclosure may be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory 51, 151 is abnormal when the vehicle identification information written in the memory 51, 151 differs from the vehicle identification information to be written in the memory 51, 151.

[0068] In addition, the vehicle lighting system 300, 300a according to the present disclosure may be configured to output a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory 51, 151 is normal when the vehicle identification information written in the memory 51, 151 matches the vehicle identification information to be written in the memory 51, 151.

[0069] Furthermore, in the vehicle lighting system 300, 300a according to the present disclosure, the vehicle lighting fixtures 1 may be a pair of left and right lighting fixtures 1 each equipped with an aiming unit A, and may be configured to output a signal indicating abnormality information when the vehicle identification information of the left lighting fixture and the vehicle identification information of the right lighting fixture written in the memories 51, 151 do not match, and output a signal indicating normality information when they match.

[0070] 9 is a flowchart of a control program used in the control device 50 according to the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9 , the control program for the control device 50 according to the present disclosure may be a control program used in the control device 50 of the aiming unit A that adjusts the irradiation direction of light mounted in the vehicle lamp 1, and may include a waiting step (STEP 1) of waiting for reception of aiming adjustment information, an aiming step (STEP 2) of executing aiming adjustment by receiving aiming adjustment information from an external device, a writing step (STEP 3) of writing into the memories 51, 151 an aiming initial value indicating the irradiation direction of light after the aiming adjustment determined during the aiming adjustment and vehicle identification information acquired from the vehicle 100 during the aiming adjustment, and a signal output step (STEP 4) of outputting a signal indicating the write status of the memories 51, 151 either before or after writing into the memories 51, 151, or both. The program is executed by the memory and processor included in the control device 50.

[0071] Second Embodiment Incidentally, aiming devices that adjust the attitude of a light source unit using an adjuster screw to change the direction of light irradiation have been known for some time. In recent years, there has been a demand for the development of aiming devices that control the attitude of a light source unit using an electric actuator.

[0072] Aiming adjustments are performed at specific times, such as when the vehicle is shipped by the manufacturer or during vehicle inspection, and are not something that is performed by the average vehicle owner.

[0073] The second embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a vehicle lighting control device and a vehicle lighting system that prevent an average vehicle owner from performing an aiming operation carelessly.

[0074] Aiming inspection system Next, aiming adjustment by the aiming inspection system SA of the vehicle headlamp 1A according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 10 and 11. The aiming inspection system SA of this embodiment is also used for aiming adjustment of the vehicle headlamp 1A.

[0075] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state during aiming adjustment of the vehicle headlamp 1A according to this embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the aiming inspection system SA. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the aiming inspection system SA according to this embodiment is composed of a vehicle 100A equipped with the vehicle headlamp 1A and a tester 200A. The tester 200A determines whether the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1A is within a specified range. The vehicle headlamp 1A performs aiming adjustment in accordance with the determination result received from the tester 200A. Aiming adjustment may be performed, for example, during the inspection process of vehicle production, during inspection under the automobile inspection and registration system (so-called vehicle inspection), or when replacing the vehicle headlamp 1A.

[0076] 10 and 11 , a vehicle 100A includes a vehicle ECU 101A, a vehicle headlamp 1A, an input unit 102A, and a display unit 103A. The vehicle ECU 101A controls various operations of the vehicle 100A, such as driving. The vehicle ECU 101A includes a processor such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit). Although not shown, the vehicle 100A also includes, for example, a read-only memory (ROM) in which various vehicle control programs are stored and a random access memory (RAM) in which various vehicle control data are temporarily stored. A processor of the vehicle ECU 101A loads data designated by the various vehicle control programs stored in the ROM onto the RAM and controls various operations of the vehicle 100A in cooperation with the RAM. The vehicle ECU 101A is configured to be able to communicate with the tester 200A and a control device 50A (described later).

[0077] The vehicle headlamp 1A includes a light source unit 10A and an aiming unit AA similar to those shown in Fig. 1 , as well as a control device 50A. The control device 50A includes a processor such as an ASIC, FPGA, or general-purpose CPU. The control device 50A can control the rotation state of the aiming unit AA and has a memory 51A that can record drive information for the aiming unit AA. The vehicle ECU 101A and the vehicle headlamp 1A are compliant with protocols such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and are capable of communication.

[0078] The control device 50A controls the aiming unit AA based on signals acquired from the vehicle ECU 101A, etc. The control device 50A may also control the on / off and brightness of the light source unit 10A based on signals acquired from the vehicle ECU 101A, etc.

[0079] The input unit 102A can be manually operated and can output a start signal to the control device 50A instructing the control device 50A to perform aiming adjustment. The input unit 102A according to this embodiment is a steering switch provided on the steering wheel of the vehicle 100A, a touch panel of a car navigation system provided in the vehicle 100A and capable of communicating with the vehicle ECU 101A, or the like. The input unit 102A outputs a start signal instructing the control device 50A to start aiming adjustment, for example, by pressing a specific button provided on the steering switch or operating the touch panel. Note that the input unit 102A may be a switch provided in a location that is out of sight, or may be configured to output a start signal by moving a switch / touch panel provided in a location that is easily visible in a specific manner, so that the general owner cannot or find it difficult to directly operate the aiming adjustment.

[0080] The display unit 103A can communicate with the input unit 102A and the vehicle ECU 101A and can display the results of manual operations on the input unit 102A and the aiming adjustment status that can be obtained from the tester 200A via the vehicle ECU 101A. In this embodiment, the display unit 103A is configured to also serve as a user interface for the input unit 102A, and operations on the input unit 102A are completed by touching and selecting an icon displayed on the display unit 103A. Note that the configuration of the display unit 103A is not limited to this. For example, the display unit 103A may be a screen of a car navigation system, a HUD (Head Up Display), an instrument panel, or the like.

[0081] The tester 200A has a screen 201A and an optical axis determination unit 202A. During aiming adjustment, the vehicle 100A is positioned at a predetermined position and in a predetermined posture relative to the screen 201A. A low-beam light distribution pattern emitted by the vehicle headlamp 1A is projected onto the screen 201A.

[0082] The optical axis determination unit 202A is composed of a camera that captures the light distribution pattern projected on the screen 201A and an information processing device that processes the image output from the camera. This information processing device can also be composed of a processor such as an ASIC, FPGA, or general-purpose CPU, and a memory.

[0083] The optical axis determination unit 202A determines the direction of the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1A based on an image acquired from the camera. FIG. 14 is an image diagram showing the light irradiation position of the vehicle headlamp 1A according to this embodiment, which is displayed on the screen 201A. As shown in FIG. 14, the image captured of the screen 201A includes a low beam light distribution pattern having a cutoff line CL. The optical axis determination unit 202A determines the direction of the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1A based on the elbow point EL of the cutoff line CL. In this embodiment, the elbow point EL is the point on the extension of the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1A where the extension intersects with the screen 201A.

[0084] The optical axis determination unit 202A determines whether the optical axis of this vehicle headlamp 1A is located within a specified range CA defined by regulations. In Fig. 14, the specified range defined by regulations is indicated by the symbol CA. The optical axis determination unit 202 determines whether the actual elbow point EL, which indicates the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1A mounted on the vehicle 100A being inspected, is located within this specified range CA. The optical axis determination unit 202 also outputs deviation amount information that indicates the amount of deviation of the actual elbow point EL from the ideal elbow point ELi, which is the center point of the specified range CA.

[0085] [Processing Flow of Aiming Test System] The processing flow of the aiming test system SA in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. Figure 12 is a flowchart of the aiming test system SA of the vehicle headlamp 1A according to this embodiment. Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the display unit during aiming adjustment.

[0086] The aiming inspection system SA according to this embodiment is started when a person performing the inspection performs a manual operation (first manual operation) on an input unit 102A provided in a vehicle 100A, and the input unit 102A transmits a start signal to a control device 50A. When the control device 50A receives the start signal (STEP 11: YES), the control device 50A starts aiming adjustment.

[0087] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , during aiming adjustment, a display indicating that the vehicle headlamp 1A is undergoing aiming adjustment is displayed on the display unit 103A. In this embodiment, during aiming adjustment, a cancel icon 103Aa and a complete icon 103Ab are displayed on the display unit 103A. The complete icon 103Ab is selected when completion of aiming adjustment is confirmed. In this embodiment, selecting the cancel icon 103Aa during aiming adjustment allows the aiming adjustment to be immediately canceled. Furthermore, if the cancel icon 103Aa is selected during aiming adjustment, a notice indicating that the aiming adjustment will not be completed is displayed on the display unit 103A.

[0088] When aiming adjustment is started, the control device 50A first turns on the vehicle headlamp 1A (STEP 12), permits writing of the aiming adjustment value to the memory 51A (STEP 13), and permits driving of the aiming unit AA (STEP 14). The aiming adjustment value in the memory 51A is normally set to a write-disabled state. If the control device 50A does not receive a start signal (STEP 11: NO), the control device 50A waits for reception of the start signal.

[0089] 14, the vehicle headlamp 1A projects a low-beam light distribution pattern including a cutoff line CL onto a screen 201A. The optical axis determination unit 202A compares the elbow point EL of the cutoff line CL formed on the screen 201A with a specified range CA defined by regulations (STEP 15). If the optical axis determination unit 202A determines that the elbow point EL is not within the specified range CA (STEP 15: NO), it transmits to the vehicle ECU 101A of the vehicle 100A failure information prompting the user to perform aiming adjustment, and deviation amount information indicating the deviation amount between the actual position of the elbow point EL and the ideal position of the elbow point ELi (STEP 16).

[0090] When the vehicle ECU 101A receives the rejection information and the deviation amount information, it transmits the deviation amount information to the control device 50A. The deviation amount information is information indicating the deviation amount ΔL, which includes ΔX (deviation in the X-axis direction), which is the horizontal deviation amount between the actual position of the elbow point EL and the ideal position of the elbow point ELi, and ΔY (deviation in the Y-axis direction), which is the vertical deviation amount, as shown in Fig. 14. Based on the deviation amount information acquired from the vehicle ECU 101A, the control device 50A drives the aiming unit AA so that the position of the actual elbow point EL coincides with the position of the ideal elbow point ELi.

[0091] The aiming unit AA is driven in this manner, and the tester 200A again compares the position of the actual elbow point EL with the position of the ideal elbow point ELi. This determination and driving of the aiming unit AA (STEP 15 and STEP 16) are repeated. When the actual elbow point EL is positioned within the specified range CA (STEP 15: YES), the optical axis determination unit 202A determines that the aiming adjustment is complete and transmits pass information to the vehicle ECU 101A (STEP 17). The vehicle ECU 101A transmits the pass information to the control device 50A and the input unit 102A. Upon receiving the pass information, the input unit 102A displays the completion of the aiming adjustment on the navigation system's operation screen, etc. After confirming that the aiming adjustment is complete, the operator can transmit a completion signal to the control device 50A by selecting the completion icon 103Ab displayed on the display unit 103A.

[0092] When the control device 50A receives the pass information and the end signal (STEP 18: YES), it records the aiming initial value indicating the attitude of the light source unit 10A when the aiming adjustment was performed in the memory 51A (STEP 19), prohibits writing to the memory 51A (STEP 110), and prohibits driving of the aiming unit AA (STEP 111). Thereafter, the control device 50A turns off the vehicle headlamp 1A (STEP 112), and ends the aiming adjustment. Note that when the control device 50A does not receive the end signal (STEP 18: NO), it waits for the end signal to be received.

[0093] In this example, the aiming initial value is the amount of drive from one end of the maximum movable range of the aiming unit AA during aiming adjustment. For example, if the maximum movable range of the swivel unit 20 is -20 degrees to +20 degrees and the swivel unit 20 is driven from -20 degrees to +19.58 degrees during aiming adjustment, +19.58 degrees is recorded in the memory 51A as the initial aiming value in the left-right direction. Furthermore, if the maximum movable range of the leveling unit 30 is -5 degrees to +5 degrees and the leveling unit 30 is driven from -5 degrees to +4.97 degrees during aiming adjustment, +4.97 degrees is recorded in the memory 51A as the initial aiming value in the up-down direction. In this way, the aiming initial value may be, for example, angle information from at least one of the upper and lower movable ends and the left and right movable ends of the light source unit 10A. Note that the numbers listed here are merely examples.

[0094] In conventional aiming units that use an adjuster screw, the operator performing the aiming adjustment manually rotates the adjuster screw to adjust the position of the light source unit. In recent years, there has been a demand for the development of aiming devices that adjust the position of the light source unit using an electric actuator.

[0095] On the other hand, aiming adjustment is an important adjustment for vehicle headlights to perform their intended functions. Therefore, in the past, the adjuster screw was installed in a location that was difficult for the general vehicle owner to access, so that the general vehicle owner could not inadvertently adjust the aiming. Therefore, even in aiming units that are adjusted by an electric actuator, there is a need for a device that prevents the general vehicle owner from inadvertently adjusting the aiming.

[0096] According to the control device 50A of the present disclosure, the aiming unit AA can operate by receiving an aiming correction signal output from the tester 200A, and the control device 50A causes the aiming unit AA to start aiming adjustment after receiving a start command signal output when a first manual operation is performed on the input section. As a result, the control device 50A can control the aiming unit AA only after receiving the start command signal based on the manual operation. Therefore, even if a general owner who does not own the tester 200A performs a manual operation, the aiming unit AA will not operate without the tester 200A, thereby preventing the general owner from making an aiming adjustment.

[0097] The control device 50A according to the present disclosure can communicate with the tester 200A after receiving the start command signal, thereby quickly receiving the aiming correction signal from the tester 200A and operating the aiming unit AA.

[0098] Furthermore, the control device 50A according to the present disclosure may have a memory 51A that records an initial aiming value that indicates the irradiation direction of light after aiming adjustment, and the control device 50A may be configured to rewrite the initial aiming value written in the memory 51A after receiving a start signal. In a normal state where aiming is not adjusted, the initial aiming value is made unrewritable, preventing rewriting by general owners, but the initial aiming value can be rewritten only when necessary.

[0099] Furthermore, the control device 50A according to the present disclosure may further be capable of controlling the turning on and off of the light of the light source unit 10A, and may be configured to turn on the light source unit 10A when a start command signal is received, thereby enabling the operator to visually know the timing when the aiming adjustment has started.

[0100] Furthermore, the control device 50A according to the present disclosure may be configured to overwrite the aiming initial value recorded in the memory 51A and make it unupdatable upon receiving an end command signal output when a second manual operation is performed on the input unit 102A. This makes it possible to make the aiming initial value unrewritable in the normal state in which aiming is not adjusted.

[0101] Furthermore, the control device 50A according to the present disclosure may be configured to control the turning on and off of the light from the light source unit 10A, and to turn off the light source unit 10A when an end command signal is received, thereby enabling the operator to visually know when the aiming adjustment has ended.

[0102] 11 , a system including a light source unit 10A, an aiming unit AA, an input unit 102A, and a control device 50A may be provided as a vehicle lighting system 400A. In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the vehicle lighting system 400A further includes a display unit 103A. The vehicle lighting system 400A according to the present disclosure includes a light source unit 10A, an aiming unit AA that operates in response to an aiming correction signal output from a tester 200A and adjusts the direction of light emitted from the light source unit 10A, an input unit 102A that outputs a start command signal when a first manual operation is performed, and a control device 50A that controls the aiming unit AA. The control device 50A may be configured to cause the aiming unit AA to start aiming adjustment after receiving the start command signal transmitted from the input unit 102A.

[0103] Furthermore, the control program used in the control device 50A according to the present disclosure may be a control program for an aiming unit AA that adjusts the irradiation direction of light mounted on the vehicle lamp 1 and operates upon receiving an aiming correction signal output from the tester 200A, and may have the following configuration: a waiting step that waits for reception of a start command signal that is output when a first manual operation is performed on the input unit 102A, an aiming step that adjusts the aiming by the aiming unit AA after receiving the start command signal, and an end step that ends the aiming step when an end command signal that is output when a second manual operation is performed on the input unit 102A is received in the aiming step. The program is executed by a memory and a processor included in the control device 50A.

[0104] The vehicle headlamp 1A and aiming unit AA to which the present disclosure is applied are not limited to the configurations described above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the aiming unit AA during aiming adjustment is automatically driven by the control device 50A based on a signal output from the tester 200A. However, the aiming unit AA may also be driven by a manual operation of the input unit 102A. For example, the aiming unit AA may be driven by displaying deviation amount information on the display unit 103A based on a signal output from the tester 200A, and the operator may visually recognize the displayed deviation amount information and operate the input unit 102A to drive the aiming unit AA.

[0105] In the first and second embodiments described above, the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30 are used for aiming adjustment, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The present invention may also be applied to a configuration in which a vehicle lamp has the swivel unit 20, the leveling unit 30, and an aiming device used only for aiming adjustment.

[0106] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. The present embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0107] According to the control device for a vehicle lamp, the control program for a vehicle lamp system, and the control program for an aiming unit of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a control device, a vehicle lamp system, and a control program that can easily grasp the status of the aiming adjustment of a vehicle lamp.

[0108] The following configurations also constitute part of the present disclosure. Item 1: A control device for an aiming unit that adjusts the irradiation direction of light mounted in a vehicle lamp, the control device being configured to perform aiming adjustment by receiving aiming adjustment information from an external device, and to write to a memory an aiming initial value that indicates the irradiation direction of the light after aiming adjustment determined during the aiming adjustment and vehicle identification information acquired from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment, and the control device outputting a signal indicating a write status of the memory either before or after writing to the memory, or both. Item 2: The control device according to item 1, wherein the vehicle identification information includes at least one of a vehicle unique number, equipment information of the vehicle, and a date and time when the aiming adjustment was performed. Item 3: The control device according to item 1 or 2, which outputs a signal indicating an abnormal write status of the memory when at least one of the aiming initial value and the vehicle identification information has not been written to the memory. Item 4: The control device according to item 1 or 2, which outputs a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory is in an abnormal state when the vehicle identification information written in the memory differs from the vehicle identification information to be written in the memory. Item 5: The control device according to item 1 or 2, which outputs a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory is in a normal state when the vehicle identification information written in the memory matches the vehicle identification information to be written in the memory. Item 6: The control device according to item 1 or 2, which outputs a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory is in a normal state when the aiming initial value has been written in the memory. Item 7: The control device according to item 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle lamps are a pair of left and right lamps each equipped with the aiming unit, and which outputs a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory is in an abnormal state when the vehicle identification information of the left lamp and the vehicle identification information of the right lamp written in the memory do not match.Item 8: A vehicle lighting system comprising: a light source unit mounted in a vehicle lamp; an aiming unit that adjusts the aiming of the light source unit by receiving aiming adjustment information from the outside; a memory; and a control device that controls the aiming unit, wherein the control device is configured to write into the memory an aiming initial value that indicates the irradiation direction of the light after aiming adjustment, which is determined during the aiming adjustment, and vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment, and the control device outputs a signal that indicates the write status of the memory either before or after writing into the memory, or both. Item 9: A vehicle lighting system comprising: a right vehicle lamp having a right aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation; a left vehicle lamp having a left aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation; and a control device that controls the right vehicle lamp and the left vehicle lamp, wherein the right vehicle lamp and the left vehicle lamp are configured to perform aiming adjustment by receiving aiming adjustment information from an external device, the control device is configured to be able to read from a memory right vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle when adjusting the aiming of the right vehicle lamp and left vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle when adjusting the aiming of the left vehicle lamp, and the control device outputs a signal indicating abnormality information as a memory write status when the right vehicle identification information and the left vehicle identification information differ. Item 10: The vehicle lighting system according to Item 8, wherein the control device outputs a signal indicating the memory write status and controls the vehicle lamp or a display device mounted on the vehicle to a lighting state according to the signal.Item 11: A control program used in a control device of an aiming unit that adjusts the irradiation direction of light mounted in a vehicle lamp, comprising: a waiting step of waiting for reception of aiming adjustment information, an aiming step of executing aiming adjustment by receiving the aiming adjustment information from an external device, a writing step of writing into a memory an aiming initial value that indicates the irradiation direction of the light after aiming adjustment determined during the aiming adjustment and vehicle identification information acquired from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment, and a signal output step of outputting a signal that indicates a write state of the memory either before or after writing into the memory, or both. Item 12: A control device of an aiming unit that adjusts the irradiation direction of light emitted by a light source unit mounted in a vehicle lamp, wherein the aiming unit is operable by receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester, and the control device causes the aiming unit to start aiming adjustment after receiving a start command signal that is output when a first manual operation is performed on an input section. Item 13: The control device according to item 12, wherein the control device is capable of communicating with the tester after receiving the start command signal. Item 14: The control device according to item 12, wherein the control device has a memory that records an aiming initial value that indicates an irradiation direction of light after aiming adjustment, and wherein the control device makes the aiming initial value written to the memory rewritable after receiving the start command signal. Item 15: The control device according to item 12, wherein the control device is further capable of controlling the turning on and off of the light of the light source unit, and wherein the control device turns on the light source unit when the start command signal is received. Item 16: The control device according to item 14, wherein the control device overwrites the aiming initial value recorded in the memory and makes it unupdatable when it receives an end command signal that is output when a second manual operation is performed on the input unit. Item 17: The control device according to item 16, wherein the control device is further capable of controlling the turning on and off of the light of the light source unit, and wherein the control device turns off the light source unit when the end command signal is received.Item 18: A vehicle lighting system comprising: a light source unit; an aiming unit operable in response to receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester, and adjusting the direction of irradiation of light from the light source unit; an input unit that outputs a start command signal when a first manual operation is performed; and a control device that controls the aiming unit, wherein the control device causes the aiming unit to start aiming adjustment after receiving the start command signal transmitted from the input unit. Item 19: A control program for an aiming unit operable in response to receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester, and adjusting the direction of irradiation of light mounted in a vehicle lamp, comprising: a waiting step that waits for reception of a start command signal that is output when a first manual operation is performed on the input unit; an aiming step that causes the aiming unit to adjust the aiming after receiving the start command signal; and an ending step that ends the aiming step when an end command signal that is output when a second manual operation is performed on the input unit is received in the aiming step.

[0109] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-42580 filed on March 18, 2024, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-42584 filed on March 18, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A control device for an aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation mounted on a vehicle lamp, configured to perform aiming adjustment by receiving aiming adjustment information from an external device, configured to write into a memory an aiming initial value that indicates the direction of light irradiation after aiming adjustment determined during the aiming adjustment, and vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment, and the control device outputs a signal that indicates the write status of the memory either before or after writing into the memory, or both.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle identification information includes at least one of a vehicle specific number, equipment information of the vehicle, and a date and time when aiming adjustment was performed.

3. A control device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, which outputs a signal indicating that the writing status of the memory is abnormal when at least one of the aiming initial value and the vehicle identification information has not been written to the memory.

4. A control device as described in claim 1 or 2, which outputs a signal indicating that the write status of the memory is abnormal when the vehicle identification information written in the memory differs from the vehicle identification information to be written in the memory.

5. A control device as described in claim 1 or 2, which outputs a signal indicating that the write status of the memory is normal when the vehicle identification information written in the memory matches the vehicle identification information to be written in the memory.

6. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the aiming initial value has been written to the memory, a signal indicating that the write state of the memory is normal is output.

7. A control device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle lamps are a pair of left and right lamps each equipped with the aiming unit, and when the vehicle identification information of the left lamp and the vehicle identification information of the right lamp written in the memory do not match, a signal is output indicating that the writing status of the memory is in an abnormal state.

8. A vehicle lighting system comprising: a light source unit mounted in a vehicle lamp; an aiming unit that adjusts the aiming of the light source unit by receiving aiming adjustment information from the outside; a memory; and a control device that controls the aiming unit, wherein the control device is configured to write into the memory an aiming initial value that indicates the aiming-adjusted irradiation direction of the light determined during the aiming adjustment, and vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment, and the control device outputs a signal that indicates the write status of the memory either before or after writing into the memory, or both.

9. A vehicle lighting system comprising: a right vehicle lamp having a right aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation; a left vehicle lamp having a left aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation; and a control device that controls the right vehicle lamp and the left vehicle lamp, wherein the right vehicle lamp and the left vehicle lamp are configured to perform aiming adjustment by receiving aiming adjustment information from an external device; the control device is configured to be able to read from a memory right vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle when adjusting the aiming of the right vehicle lamp, and left vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle when adjusting the aiming of the left vehicle lamp; and the control device outputs a signal indicating abnormal information as the write status of the memory when the right vehicle identification information and the left vehicle identification information differ.

10. A vehicle lighting system as described in claim 8, wherein the control device outputs a signal indicating the write status of the memory and controls the vehicle lighting device or a display device mounted on the vehicle to an illumination state corresponding to the signal.

11. A control program used in a control device of an aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light irradiation mounted in a vehicle lamp, comprising: a waiting step for waiting to receive aiming adjustment information; an aiming step for executing aiming adjustment by receiving the aiming adjustment information from an external device; a writing step for writing into a memory an aiming initial value that indicates the direction of light irradiation after aiming adjustment determined during the aiming adjustment and vehicle identification information obtained from the vehicle during the aiming adjustment; and a signal output step for outputting a signal indicating the write status of the memory either before or after executing the writing into the memory, or both.

12. A control device for an aiming unit that adjusts the direction of light emitted by a light source unit mounted in a vehicle lamp, wherein the aiming unit is operable by receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester, and the control device causes the aiming unit to start aiming adjustment after receiving a start command signal that is output when a first manual operation is performed on the input section.

13. The control device of claim 12, wherein the control device is capable of communicating with the tester after receiving the start command signal.

14. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the control device has a memory for recording an aiming initial value indicating the irradiation direction of the light after aiming adjustment, and the control device makes the aiming initial value written in the memory rewritable after receiving the start command signal.

15. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the control device is further capable of controlling the turning on and off of the light of the light source unit, and the control device turns on the light source unit when the start command signal is received.

16. The control device according to claim 14, wherein the control device overwrites the aiming initial value recorded in the memory and makes it unupdatable upon receiving an end command signal output when a second manual operation is performed on the input section.

17. The control device according to claim 16, wherein the control device is further capable of controlling the turning on and off of the light of the light source unit, and the control device turns off the light source unit when the end command signal is received.

18. A vehicle lighting system comprising: a light source unit; an aiming unit operable by receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester and adjusting the direction of light emitted from the light source unit; an input unit that outputs a start command signal when a first manual operation is performed; and a control device that controls the aiming unit, wherein the control device causes the aiming unit to start aiming adjustment after receiving the start command signal transmitted from the input unit.

19. A control program for an aiming unit that is operable by receiving an aiming correction signal output from a tester and adjusts the direction of irradiation of light mounted in a vehicle lamp, the control program for the aiming unit comprising: a waiting step for waiting for reception of a start command signal that is output when a first manual operation is performed on an input section; an aiming step for adjusting the aiming by the aiming unit after receiving the start command signal; and an end step for terminating the aiming step when an end command signal that is output when a second manual operation is performed on the input section is received during the aiming step.

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