Light distribution control device and vehicle lamp system

Abstract

A light distribution control device (20) that is used for a vehicle headlight and capable of changing a light distribution pattern projected to the area in front of a vehicle (1), the light distribution control device comprising: a position information acquisition unit (23) that acquires current position information of the vehicle (1); an advancing direction information acquisition unit (24) that acquires current advancing direction information of the vehicle (1); an image acquisition unit (25) that acquires a current captured image of the surroundings of the vehicle (1); a lamp control unit (22) that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit (26) that transmits, to an external server (34), light spot information (34A) including position information acquired during travel, advancing direction information acquired during travel, and identification information of a target which is a light spot in the captured image captured during travel. The lamp control unit (22) controls the light distribution pattern on the basis of the current captured image, the current position information, and the light spot information (34A) acquired from the external server (34) and including past position information and advancing direction information that match the current position and advancing direction of the vehicle (1).

Description

Light distribution control device and vehicle lighting system

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a light distribution control device and a vehicle lighting system.

[0002] Light distribution control devices are known that detect preceding and oncoming vehicles using sensors such as cameras mounted on a vehicle and control the light distribution of headlights to prevent dazzling moving objects such as preceding and oncoming vehicles (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-037240 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-094127

[0004] However, the light distribution control devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the problem that they may mistakenly detect objects to be illuminated, such as signs and streetlights, as moving objects, and fail to illuminate the objects that should be illuminated.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a light distribution control device and a vehicle lighting system that can more reliably illuminate an object to be illuminated.

[0006] A light distribution control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a light distribution control device used in a vehicle headlamp that is capable of changing the light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle, and includes: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires current captured images of the area around the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while driving, the traveling direction information acquired while driving, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured images captured while driving, and the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and the traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, the current position information, and the current captured image.

[0007] a control unit for controlling the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit for transmitting to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while traveling, the traveling direction information acquired while traveling, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured image captured while traveling, the position information acquired from the external server, the traveling direction information being identical to the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, the current position information, and the current captured image, the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information including the past position information and the traveling direction information that match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, respectively, acquired from the external server, and the current captured image, and During the first driving when the light spot information has not been created, the light distribution pattern is controlled so that the periphery of at least some of the light spots is not illuminated or the amount of illuminated light is reduced for all the light spots, and during normal driving when the light spot information has been created, the light distribution pattern is controlled so that the periphery of at least some of the light spots from targets that are not moving objects is illuminated without reducing the amount of illuminated light.

[0008] A vehicle lighting system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle lighting system including: a vehicle headlamp capable of changing a light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle; and a light distribution control device, wherein the light distribution control device includes: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires current captured images of the area around the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while traveling, the traveling direction information acquired while traveling, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured images captured while traveling, and the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and the traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a light distribution control device and a vehicle lighting system that can more reliably illuminate an object to be illuminated.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle lighting system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a problem with a light distribution control device according to a comparative example. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the overall flow of a process for creating light spot information by a creation unit. FIG. 4 is a table showing an example of feature quantities used to determine the type of light spot. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of light spot information created by the creation unit. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating in detail the flow of operations performed by the creation unit when performing light spot detection processing in step S12 of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating in detail the flow of operations performed by the creation unit when performing light spot tracking processing in step S14 of FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating in detail the process for saving light spot information created by the creation unit. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the overall flow of light distribution control performed by a light distribution control unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating integration processing performed by the light distribution control unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a light distribution pattern controlled by the light distribution control unit.

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0012] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the "left-right direction" and "front-rear direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1. Here, the "left-right direction" includes the "left direction" and the "right direction." The "front-rear direction" includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction."

[0013] <Configuration of Vehicle Lighting System> [Overall Configuration] A vehicle lighting system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle lighting system 100.

[0014] 1 , the vehicle lighting system 100 includes a vehicle control device 10, a light distribution control device 20, and a vehicle lamp (vehicle headlamp) 21 that can change the light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle 1, all of which are mounted on the vehicle 1, and an external server 34. The vehicle 1 is also equipped with a position sensor 31, a camera 32, and a radar 33.

[0015] The position sensor 31 is, for example, a Global Positioning System (GPS) or a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and acquires position information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1 .

[0016] The camera 32 is a camera including an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 32 acquires captured images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, including the area ahead of the vehicle 1, and transmits the captured images to the vehicle control device 10 in accordance with a communication standard such as in-vehicle Ethernet ("Ethernet" is a registered trademark) or MIPIA-PHY. The camera 32 may be configured as a monocular camera or a stereo camera. The camera 32 may also be provided in the light distribution control device 20.

[0017] The radar 33 includes at least one of a millimeter wave radar, a microwave radar, and a laser radar (e.g., a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) unit). For example, the LiDAR unit is configured to detect an object ahead of the vehicle 1.

[0018] 1 , the light distribution control device 20 is connected to the radar 33 via the vehicle control device 10. In the light distribution control process described below, the light distribution control device 20 may use detection results from the radar 33 in addition to position information from the position sensor 31 and images captured by the camera 32. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the light distribution control device 20 may be configured not to use detection results from the radar 33 in the light distribution control process.

[0019] The vehicle lamp 21 includes a light source unit (not shown). The light source unit may include, for example, a plurality of LED elements arranged in a matrix. In this case, the light distribution control device 20 can control the on / off of each LED element to switch between illuminating and non-illuminating any area within the irradiatable area, or can control the current value supplied to each LED element to change the illuminance of any area within the irradiatable area.

[0020] The external server 34 may not be included in the vehicle lighting system 100 .

[0021] [Vehicle Control Device] The vehicle control device 10 controls the driving of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control device 10 is configured, for example, by at least one electronic control unit (ECU). The electronic control unit includes a computer system (for example, a SoC (System on a Chip) or the like) including one or more processors and one or more memories, and an electronic circuit configured by active elements such as transistors and passive elements.

[0022] The processor includes, for example, at least one of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a TPU (Tensor Processing Unit).

[0023] The memory includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The ROM stores, for example, a vehicle control program. The RAM temporarily stores, for example, vehicle control data, current position information, and current traveling direction information.

[0024] The vehicle control device 10 includes a sensor control unit 11 and an imaging control unit 12. The sensor control unit 11 controls a position sensor 31. The imaging control unit 12 controls a camera 32 and a radar 33.

[0025] [Light Distribution Control Device] The light distribution control device 20 includes a lamp control unit (control unit) 22 , an image acquisition unit 25 , a position information acquisition unit 23 , a traveling direction information acquisition unit 24 , a communication unit 26 , and a storage unit 27 .

[0026] The position information acquisition unit 23 acquires the position information acquired by the position sensor 31 via the sensor control unit 11 .

[0027] The travel direction information acquisition unit 24 acquires the current travel direction information of the vehicle 1 by calculating the amount of change between the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 23 and the position information acquired immediately before that position information.

[0028] The image acquisition unit 25 acquires the current captured image acquired by the camera 32 and the radar 33 via the imaging control unit 12 .

[0029] The communication unit 26 is connected to an external server 34 so as to be able to communicate with it via wireless communication such as 5G or Wi-Fi. The communication unit 26 may also communicate with the external server 34 via the vehicle control device 10, in which case wireless communication is performed using a device on the vehicle side.

[0030] The external server 34 is configured to store programs and various data. The external server 34 may be configured with multiple servers. The external server 34 may be constructed on-premise or may be a cloud server.

[0031] The storage unit 27 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory.

[0032] The luminaire control unit 22 includes a creation unit 22 A and a light distribution control unit 22 B. The luminaire control unit 22 acquires position information from a position information acquisition unit 23, traveling direction information from a traveling direction information acquisition unit 24, and a captured image from an image acquisition unit 25.

[0033] The creation unit 22A in the lamp control unit 22 creates light spot information 34A regarding light spots present around the vehicle 1 based on position information, traveling direction information, and captured images acquired during past travel of the vehicle 1. The light spot information 34A includes the position of the vehicle 1 at a past time, the traveling direction at that time, and the positions of light spots in the captured images captured at that time. The creation unit 22A then outputs the created light spot information 34A to the communication unit 26, and the communication unit 26 transmits the light spot information 34A created by the creation unit 22A to the external server 34. Upon receiving the light spot information 34A transmitted from the vehicle 1, the external server 34 stores the light spot information 34A.

[0034] The light distribution control unit 22B in the lamp control unit 22 acquires light spot information 34A stored in the external server 34 via the communication unit 26. Then, the light distribution control unit 22B controls the light distribution pattern of the vehicular lamp 21 based on the acquired light spot information 34A, current position information, current traveling direction information, and current captured image. For example, the light distribution control unit 22B can switch between illumination and non-illumination and change the illuminance of any region within the illumination-capable region.

[0035] <Explanation of the Problem> Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the problem with the light distribution control device according to the comparative example. As shown on the left side of Fig. 2, it is assumed that the current captured image contains light points from street lights, light points from signs, and light points from other vehicles that are moving bodies.

[0036] In such a case, the light distribution control device according to the comparative example may erroneously detect all light points from streetlights, signs, and other vehicles as being from other vehicles. If such erroneous detection occurs, the light distribution pattern of the vehicle lamp may be controlled so as not to illuminate or to reduce the amount of illumination not only for light points from other vehicles but also for light points such as signs and streetlights that should be illuminated, as shown on the right side of Fig. 2. Note that in Fig. 2, the area illuminated by light from the vehicle lamp is hatched.

[0037] In contrast, in the light distribution control device 20 according to the present disclosure, as described above, the light distribution control unit 22B uses the light spot information 34A created by the creation unit 22A to more appropriately control the light distribution pattern of the vehicle lamp. Details of the creation and storage of the light spot information 34A by the creation unit 22A and the light distribution control by the light distribution control unit 22B will be described below.

[0038] 3 is a flowchart for explaining the overall flow of the process of creating light spot information by the creating unit 22A. First, when the creating unit 22A acquires a captured image from the image acquisition unit 25 (step S11), the creating unit 22A performs a detection process of detecting one or more light spots included in the captured image (step S12).

[0039] Next, the creating unit 22A creates provisional light spot information 34A for each detected light spot, which associates the position of the vehicle 1 at the time of capturing the captured image, the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 at the time of capturing the image, and the position of the light spot in the captured image (step S13). Note that the light spot information 34A at this point does not include tracking tags or type information, which will be described later.

[0040] Next, the creation unit 22A identifies the same light spot that appears in multiple consecutive captured images, and performs tracking processing of the light spot from the time the light spot appears in the captured images to the time the light spot disappears from the captured images. Then, the creation unit 22A adds the same tracking tag to multiple pieces of light spot information 34A related to the same light spot (step S14).

[0041] Next, the creation unit 22A acquires the feature amount of the light spot based on the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A to which the same tracking tag is attached (step S15).

[0042] 4 is a table showing an example of feature quantities used to determine the type of light spot. As shown in FIG. 4, the feature quantities of the target object include, for example, the X and Y coordinates in the captured image when it appears, the X and Y coordinates in the captured image when it disappears, and the average, maximum, and minimum values ​​of the number of pixels in the captured image. The X and Y coordinates in the captured image are, for example, with the center position of the captured image as the origin, and the horizontal position of the area containing the light spot (hereinafter referred to as the "light spot area") is the X coordinate, and the vertical position of the light spot is the Y coordinate.

[0043] The feature amount of the target object includes, for example, the number of frames of the captured image that have been tracked, the direction of movement from the time of appearance to the time of disappearance in the captured image, the total amount of movement, and the amount of movement per frame.

[0044] The feature quantities of the target include, for example, the difference in X coordinate, the difference in Y coordinate, the sum of the X coordinate, and the sum of the Y coordinate between when the target appears and when it disappears in the captured image. The feature quantities of the target also include, for example, the average values ​​of the R (Red) value, G (Green) value, B (Blue) value, H (Hue) value, S (Saturation) value, and V (Value) values ​​in the captured image, as well as the difference between when the target appears and when it disappears. The feature quantities of the target also include, for example, the average value of circularity, the circularity at when the target appears, the circularity at when it disappears, and the difference in circularity between when the target appears and when it disappears.

[0045] 3, the creation unit 22A performs a type determination process to determine the type of the target object, which is the light spot, by using the acquired feature amounts, for example, in a type determination program stored in advance (step S16). The type of target object is a street light, a sign, etc.

[0046] The type determination program is, for example, a program constructed by supervised learning using a multi-layer neural network. For example, the type determination program may be an analysis algorithm using supervised learning, such as LightGBM.

[0047] Next, the creation unit 22A adds type information indicating the determined type to each piece of light spot information 34A used to acquire the feature amount (step S17), and then the creation unit 22A stores the light spot information 34A created by this process in the external server 34 via the communication unit 26 (step S18).

[0048] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a database of light spot information 34A created by the creation unit 22A. Each piece of light spot information 34A shown in FIG. 5 includes latitude and longitude indicating the position of the vehicle 1, an angle indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 with north being 0 degrees, target type information, XY coordinates of the light spot area in the captured image, and a tracking tag. The target type information is information indicating what type of target the light spot is. For example, the target type information is information indicating whether the light spot is another vehicle, a street light, a sign, etc.

[0049] 5 indicates that the type information of the light spot included in a captured image captured when the latitude of vehicle 1 is 35.10839 degrees, the longitude of vehicle 1 is 138.362 degrees, and the traveling direction of vehicle 1 is -40.8264 degrees is 3. For example, when the type information is 3, the light spot indicates a street light. Furthermore, the light spot information 34A further indicates that the X coordinate of the light spot area including the light spot is in the range of 3.4375 to 3.6666667, the Y coordinate of the light spot area is 4.5037037 to 4.68148148, and the tracking tag is 328.

[0050] [Light Spot Detection Processing] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining in detail the flow of operations when the creation unit 22A performs light spot detection processing in step S12 of FIG.

[0051] 6, the creation unit 22A performs grayscale conversion processing on the captured image (step S21). Next, the creation unit 22A performs blurring processing on the captured image using a Gaussian filter or the like to remove noise (step S22). Next, the creation unit 22A performs binarization processing on the captured image (step S23) and labels each group of pixels converted to white (step S24).

[0052] Next, the creation unit 22A acquires information such as coordinates, area, and shape for each labeled pixel group (step S25). Then, based on the acquired information, the creation unit 22A excludes pixel groups that satisfy predetermined conditions, such as pixel groups with elongated shapes or pixel groups whose area is equal to or less than a predetermined value, from the plurality of labeled pixel groups (step S26). This makes it possible to exclude light reflected from white lines and the like from targets for determining the type of target.

[0053] [Light Spot Tracking Process] FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining in detail the flow of operations when the creation unit 22A performs light spot tracking process in step S14 of FIG.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 7, the creation unit 22A acquires a captured image of the Nth frame and a captured image of the N+1th frame (step S31).

[0055] Next, the creation unit 22A checks whether the change in coordinates of the light spot area in the captured image of the Nth frame and the N+1th frame is within a predetermined range (step S32). If the change is within the predetermined range ("YES" in step S32), the creation unit 22A determines that the light points in these light spot areas are the same target (step S33).

[0056] The creating unit 22A then associates the light spot information corresponding to these light spot areas with each other. That is, as described above, the creating unit 22A attaches the same tracking tag to these corresponding light spot information (step S14 shown in FIG. 3). By repeating this process, the creating unit 22A can track light spots that are the same target.

[0057] On the other hand, if the change is not within the predetermined range ("NO" in step S32), the creation unit 22A determines that the light points reflected in each of these light point areas are different targets (step S34), and ends the tracking process.

[0058] The method for associating light spot areas that represent the same target with each other is not limited to the above method. For example, the creation unit 22A may be configured to perform light spot tracking processing using an extended Kalman filter or the like.

[0059] [Storage of Light Spot Information] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining details of the storage process of light spot information created by the creation unit 22A. As shown in Fig. 8, the creation unit 22A divides the area indicated by the map information into a plurality of areas and stores light spot information 34A for each area in the external server 34. Specifically, the creation unit 22A performs primary mesh processing to divide the area indicated by the map information into a plurality of areas, for example, by dividing the area in the east-west direction by 2 / 3 degrees of latitude and by dividing the area in the north-south direction by 1 degree of longitude.

[0060] The creating unit 22A also performs secondary mesh processing to divide each area that has undergone primary mesh processing into smaller areas, for example, by dividing the area into eight equal parts in each of the east-west and north-south directions.

[0061] Furthermore, the creation unit 22A performs a third-order mesh process to divide each area that has undergone the second-order mesh process into smaller areas, for example, by dividing it into ten equal parts in each of the east-west and north-south directions.The creation unit 22A then stores, in the external server 34, light spot information 34A created from the captured image of each area that has undergone the third-order mesh process.

[0062] Specifically, a folder for storing light spot information 34A is created for each area for which tertiary mesh processing has been performed in the external server 34. Then, every time the creation unit 22A creates light spot information 34A, it identifies the area and stores the light spot information 34A in the folder for the identified area from among the multiple folders saved in the external server 34.

[0063] When the creating unit 22A acquires the position information, the progress report information, and the captured image, it repeatedly creates and saves the light spot information 34A. As a result, a plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A are accumulated in the external server 34.

[0064] 9 is a flowchart for explaining the overall flow of light distribution control performed by the light distribution control unit 22B. First, the light distribution control unit 22B identifies an area that includes the current position of the vehicle 1 from among the multiple areas for which tertiary mesh processing has been performed, based on current position information (step S51).

[0065] Next, the light distribution control unit 22B identifies a folder corresponding to the identified area from among the multiple folders stored in the external server 34. Then, the light distribution control unit 22B identifies one or more pieces of light spot information 34A from the light spot information 34A stored in the identified folder, including past position information and traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle 1, and acquires this information from the external server 34. For example, the light distribution control unit 22B identifies and acquires light spot information 34A that includes a past position of the vehicle 1 within a range of a predetermined radius R from the current position of the vehicle 1 and includes a past traveling direction of the vehicle 1 within a range of a predetermined angle S from the traveling direction of the current vehicle 1 (step S52).

[0066] Next, the light distribution control unit 22B detects light spot areas included in the current captured image (step S53). Next, the light distribution control unit 22B identifies light spot areas included in the current captured image that include light spots other than those of the moving object, based on the plurality of light spot information 34A acquired in step S52 (step S54).

[0067] The plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A extracted by the light distribution control unit 22B often include a plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A for the same target, i.e., a plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A including the same tracking tag. For this reason, the light distribution control unit 22B performs an integration process to collectively handle the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A for the same target (step S55).

[0068] 10 is a diagram for explaining the integration process performed by the light distribution control unit 22B. More specifically, first, the light distribution control unit 22B integrates a plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A having the same tracking tag for each travel of the vehicle 1.

[0069] Specifically, the light distribution control unit 22B acquires a first representative value of the XY coordinates of the light spot area indicated by each of the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A having the same tracking tag from among the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A acquired during the first travel of the vehicle 1. The first representative value is, for example, an average value or a median value of the XY coordinates indicated by each of the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A.

[0070] Furthermore, the light distribution control unit 22B acquires first representative values ​​of the XY coordinates of the light spot areas indicated by each of the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A with the same tracking tag, among the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A acquired when the vehicle 1 travels through the same area for the second time. In this way, the light distribution control unit 22B integrates the plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A to acquire the first representative value each time the vehicle 1 travels.

[0071] Furthermore, the light distribution control unit 22B extracts, from the first representative values ​​for each run of the vehicle 1, multiple first representative values ​​whose X and Y coordinates of the light spot area indicated by each first representative value fall within a predetermined range, i.e., multiple first representative values ​​whose X and Y coordinate differences are small. The light distribution control unit 22B then obtains a second representative value that is a representative value of the multiple extracted first representative values. The second representative value is, for example, the average or median of the multiple first representative values. This allows the light distribution control unit 22B to combine multiple X and Y coordinates corresponding to the same target into a single X and Y coordinate.

[0072] The light distribution control unit 22B is not limited to a configuration that performs the integration process described above, and may perform the integration process by using a clustering process such as the X-means method, for example.

[0073] Returning to the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, the light distribution control unit 22B compares the XY coordinates in the captured image with the XY coordinates of the second representative values ​​for each light spot area included in the current captured image.

[0074] Here, it is assumed that the difference between the light spot area included in the current captured image and the XY coordinates of the second representative value is equal to or less than a predetermined value. In this case, the light distribution control unit 22B determines that the light spot included in the light spot area is the same as the target object common to the plurality of light spot information 34A used to obtain the second representative value. In this way, the light distribution control unit 22B determines the target object for each light spot area included in the current captured image (step S56).

[0075] Then, when the type of the light spot included in the current captured image is a moving object, the light distribution control unit 22B controls the light distribution pattern so that the periphery of the light spot is not illuminated or the amount of light illuminated around the periphery of the light spot is reduced.On the other hand, when the type of the light spot included in the current captured image is other than a moving object, the light distribution control unit 22B controls the light distribution pattern so that the periphery of the light spot is illuminated without reducing the amount of light illuminated around the light spot (step S57).

[0076] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a light distribution pattern controlled by light distribution control unit 22B. Here, similar to the captured image shown in Fig. 2, the current captured image includes light spot area 40A where light spots from street lamp 40 are captured, light spot area 41A where light spots from sign 41 are captured, and light spot area 42A where light spots from another vehicle 42, which is a moving body (left side of Fig. 11).

[0077] In such a case, the light distribution control unit 22B can identify that the light spot areas 40A and 41A are light spots of a target other than a moving object, and that the light spot area 42A is a light spot of a target that is a moving object. Therefore, the light distribution control unit 22B can appropriately control the light distribution pattern so that the light spot areas 40A and 41A are irradiated with the same amount of light, and the light spot area 42A is irradiated with a smaller amount of light.

[0078] It should be noted that while vehicle 1 is traveling in an area where it is traveling for the first time, there is no light spot information 34A including past position information and traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of vehicle 1. For this reason, light distribution control unit 22B may be configured not to control the light distribution pattern as described above, for example, when the number of light spot information 34A including past position information and traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of vehicle 1 is less than a predetermined value.

[0079] That is, in such a case, the light distribution control unit 22B, like the light distribution control device of the comparative example described above, controls the light distribution pattern so that light from the vehicle lamp 21 is not irradiated onto all of the light spot areas 40A, 41A, and 42A included in the captured image shown in Figure 11, or the amount of light irradiated is reduced.

[0080] As described above, in the light distribution control device 20 according to the present disclosure, the lamp control unit 22 controls the light distribution pattern based on light spot information including past position information and past traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle 1, acquired from the external server 34, the current position information, and the current captured image.

[0081] With this configuration, it is possible to estimate the target of the light spot in the current captured image and determine whether or not the light distribution of the vehicle lamp should be irradiated to the light spot, or whether or not the amount of light irradiation should be reduced, so that the light distribution pattern of the vehicle headlamp can be more appropriately controlled and the target object can be more reliably irradiated. Furthermore, by using the external server 34, the vehicle 1 can use light spot information created by other vehicles, and other vehicles can use light spot information created by the vehicle 1.

[0082] Furthermore, in the light distribution control device 20, when the type of a target that is a light point included in the current captured image is a moving object, the lamp control unit 22 controls the light distribution pattern so that the periphery of the light point is not illuminated or the amount of light illuminated around the periphery of the light point is reduced. On the other hand, when the type of a target that is a light point included in the current captured image is other than a moving object, the lamp control unit 22 controls the light distribution pattern so that the periphery of the light point is illuminated without reducing the amount of light illuminated around the light point.

[0083] In this way, visibility can be ensured by illuminating objects that need to be illuminated, such as signs and streetlights, and by reducing illumination for moving objects, dazzling of the moving objects can be prevented, thereby improving safety.

[0084] Furthermore, in the light distribution control device 20, the creation unit 22A identifies a plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A of the same target from a plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A based on a plurality of consecutively acquired captured images. Furthermore, the creation unit 22A acquires feature amounts of the target based on the identified plurality of pieces of light spot information 34A, and determines the type of the target based on the acquired feature amounts.

[0085] In this way, by using a plurality of pieces of light spot information for the same target, the type of the target can be determined more accurately.

[0086] In addition, in the light distribution control device 20, the creation unit 22A identifies multiple light spot information 34A of the target based on multiple captured images acquired during the period from the appearance to the disappearance of the same target, out of multiple captured images acquired consecutively.

[0087] In this way, by using captured images from the appearance to disappearance of a target to determine the type of the target, the accuracy of type determination can be further improved.

[0088] Furthermore, in the light distribution control device 20, the light spot information 34A created by the creation unit 22A further indicates the position of the light spot in the captured image. Furthermore, when the position of the light spot in the captured image indicated by each piece of light spot information 34A among the multiple pieces of light spot information 34A for the same target falls within a predetermined range, the lamp control unit 22 obtains a representative value of the position indicated by each piece of light spot information 34A, and controls the light distribution pattern using the representative value.

[0089] With this configuration, the amount of data used to control the light distribution pattern can be reduced.

[0090] Furthermore, in the light distribution control device 20, the creation unit 22A creates new light spot information 34A based on the newly acquired captured image, and stores the newly created light spot information 34A in the external server 34.

[0091] With this configuration, it is possible to add or update the light spot information, and it is possible to more appropriately control the light distribution pattern of the vehicle headlamp.

[0092] In the light distribution control device 20, the light spot information created by the creation unit 22A is stored in one of a plurality of groups according to the image capturing position of the captured image used for creation. The lamp control unit 22 identifies one of the plurality of groups based on newly acquired position information, and controls the light distribution pattern based on one or more pieces of light spot information 34A included in the identified group.

[0093] With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of data of the light spot information that is read when controlling the light distribution pattern.

[0094] Furthermore, in the light distribution control device 20, the lamp control unit 22 controls the light distribution pattern so that the periphery of the light spot in the current captured image is not illuminated or the amount of light illuminated around the light spot is reduced if the number of light spot information 34A including past position information and traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle 1 is less than a predetermined value. On the other hand, if the number is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the lamp control unit 22 determines the type of target that is the light spot in the current captured image based on the light spot information, current position information, and current captured image, and if it determines that the target is other than a moving object, controls the light distribution pattern so that the periphery of the target is illuminated without reducing the amount of light illuminated around the target.

[0095] Furthermore, in the light distribution control device 20, when traveling at the same location, the lamp control unit 22 controls the light distribution pattern so that, for light spots that appear in the acquired captured image, the periphery of at least some of the light spots is not illuminated or the amount of illumination light is reduced for all light spots during the first traveling when light spot information 34A is not stored in the external server 34. On the other hand, during normal traveling when light spot information 34A is stored in the external server 34, the lamp control unit 22 controls the light distribution pattern so that the periphery of at least some of the light spots from targets that are not moving objects is illuminated without reducing the amount of illumination light.

[0096] <Modification> In the above-described embodiment, the configuration has been described in which the creation unit 22A in the light distribution control device 20 creates the light spot information 34A, but a configuration may also be adopted in which the external server 34 creates the light spot information 34A instead of the creation unit 22A.

[0097] For example, the creation unit 22A associates the captured image with the position information of the vehicle 1 at the time the captured image was captured and the direction of travel of the vehicle 1 at the time the image was captured, and transmits the associated image to the external server 34 via the communication unit 26.

[0098] When the external server 34 receives the set of the captured image, the position information, and the traveling direction information transmitted from the vehicle 1, it can create the light spot information 34A based on this information in the same way as when the creation unit 22A creates the light spot information 34A, and can store the created light spot information 34A. In this way, when the external server 34 is configured to create the light spot information 34A, the processing load of the lamp control unit 22 in the vehicle 1 can be reduced.

[0099] As described above, the present specification discloses the following:

[0100] (1) A light distribution control device used in a vehicle headlamp that can change a light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle, comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires a current captured image of the area around the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while traveling, the traveling direction information acquired while traveling, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured image captured while traveling, wherein the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and the traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0101] (2) The light distribution control device described in item (1) is configured such that, when the type of target that is a light point included in the current captured image is a moving body, the control unit controls the light distribution pattern so as not to illuminate the periphery of the light point or to reduce the amount of light illuminated around the periphery of the light point, and when the type of target that is a light point included in the current captured image is other than a moving body, the control unit controls the light distribution pattern so as to illuminate the periphery of the light point without reducing the amount of light illuminated around the periphery of the light point.

[0102] (3) The light distribution control device according to item (1) or (2), further comprising a creation unit that creates the light spot information, wherein the creation unit identifies a plurality of pieces of light spot information of the same target from among the plurality of pieces of light spot information based on a plurality of captured images continuously acquired by the image acquisition unit, acquires feature amounts of the target based on the identified plurality of pieces of light spot information, and determines the type of the target based on the feature amounts.

[0103] (4) The light distribution control device described in item (3), wherein the creation unit identifies the plurality of light spot information of the target based on a plurality of captured images acquired during a period from the appearance to the disappearance of the same target, among the plurality of captured images acquired consecutively.

[0104] (5) The light distribution control device according to item (3) or (4), wherein the light spot information further indicates a position of the light spot in the captured image, and when the position of the light spot in the captured image indicated by each of the light spot information among the plurality of pieces of light spot information for the same target falls within a predetermined range, the control unit acquires a representative value of the position indicated by each of the light spot information and controls the light distribution pattern using the representative value.

[0105] (6) The light distribution control device according to any one of items (1) to (5), further comprising a creation unit that creates the light spot information, wherein the creation unit creates new light spot information based on the captured image newly acquired by the image acquisition unit, and stores the newly created light spot information in the external server.

[0106] (7) The light distribution control device according to any one of items (1) to (6), wherein the light spot information is divided into one of a plurality of sets according to the imaging position of the captured image used for creation and stored in the external server, and the control unit identifies one of the plurality of sets based on the newly acquired position information, and controls the light distribution pattern based on one or more pieces of light spot information included in the identified set.

[0107] (8) A light distribution control device used for a vehicle headlamp capable of changing a light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle, comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires current captured images of the periphery of the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while traveling, the traveling direction information acquired while traveling, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured images captured while traveling, wherein the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and the traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, the current position information, and the current captured image, and A light distribution control device that controls the light distribution pattern so that, during initial driving when the light spot information has not been created, the periphery of at least some of the light spots is not illuminated or the amount of illuminated light is reduced for all of the light spots, and controls the light distribution pattern so that, during normal driving when the light spot information has been created, the periphery of at least some of the light spots from targets that are not moving bodies is illuminated without reducing the amount of illuminated light.

[0108] (9) A vehicle lighting system comprising: a vehicle headlamp capable of changing a light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle; and a light distribution control device, wherein the light distribution control device comprises: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires a current captured image of the periphery of the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while traveling, the traveling direction information acquired while traveling, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured image captured while traveling, and the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and the traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle.

[0109] 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.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the light distribution control device 20 acquires the light spot information 34A and controls the light distribution of the vehicle lamp 21 based on the acquired light spot information 34A, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle 1 may be provided with a device that acquires the light spot information 34A and a device that controls the light distribution based on the light spot information 34A, separately.

[0111] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-051258, filed on March 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A light distribution control device used in a vehicle headlamp that can change the light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle, comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires current captured images of the area around the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while driving, the traveling direction information acquired while driving, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured images captured while driving, wherein the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, the current position information, and the current captured image.

2. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the light distribution pattern so that, when the type of target that is a light point included in the current captured image is a moving object, the area around the light point is not illuminated or the amount of light illuminated around the light point is reduced, and when the type of target that is a light point included in the current captured image is other than a moving object, the control unit controls the light distribution pattern so that the area around the light point is illuminated without reducing the amount of light illuminated around the light point.

3. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, further comprising a creation unit that creates the light spot information, wherein the creation unit identifies a plurality of pieces of light spot information for the same target from among the plurality of pieces of light spot information based on a plurality of captured images successively acquired by the image acquisition unit, acquires characteristic amounts of the target based on the identified plurality of pieces of light spot information, and determines the type of the target based on the characteristic amounts.

4. The light distribution control device described in claim 3, wherein the creation unit identifies the plurality of light spot information of the target based on the plurality of captured images acquired during the period from the appearance to the disappearance of the same target, out of the plurality of captured images acquired consecutively.

5. The light distribution control device according to claim 3, wherein the light spot information further indicates the position of the light spot in the captured image, and when the position of the light spot in the captured image indicated by each of the plurality of light spot information of the same target falls within a predetermined range, the control unit acquires a representative value of the position indicated by each of the light spot information, and controls the light distribution pattern using the representative value.

6. The light distribution control device according to claim 1, further comprising a creation unit that creates the light spot information, the creation unit creating new light spot information based on the captured image newly acquired by the image acquisition unit, and storing the newly created light spot information in the external server.

7. A light distribution control device as described in claim 1, wherein the light spot information is divided into one of a plurality of groups according to the imaging position of the captured image used to create the information and stored in the external server, and the control unit identifies one of the plurality of groups based on the newly acquired position information, and controls the light distribution pattern based on one or more of the light spot information included in the identified group.

8. A light distribution control device used in a vehicle headlamp capable of changing a light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle, comprising: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires current captured images of the area around the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while driving, the traveling direction information acquired while driving, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured images captured while driving, wherein the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and the traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle, the current position information, and the current captured image, and A light distribution control device that controls the light distribution pattern so that, during initial driving when the light spot information has not been created, the periphery of at least some of the light spots is not illuminated or the amount of illuminated light is reduced for all of the light spots, and controls the light distribution pattern so that, during normal driving when the light spot information has been created, the periphery of at least some of the light spots from targets that are not moving bodies is illuminated without reducing the amount of illuminated light.

9. A vehicle lighting system comprising: a vehicle headlamp capable of changing a light distribution pattern projected in front of the vehicle; and a light distribution control device, wherein the light distribution control device comprises: a position information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle; a traveling direction information acquisition unit that acquires current traveling direction information of the vehicle; an image acquisition unit that acquires current captured images of the periphery of the vehicle; a control unit that controls the light distribution pattern; and a communication unit that transmits to an external server light spot information including the position information acquired while traveling, the traveling direction information acquired while traveling, and identification information of targets that are light spots in the captured images captured while traveling, and the control unit controls the light distribution pattern based on the light spot information acquired from the external server, including the past position information and the traveling direction information that respectively match the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle.

Images