Vehicle for controlling lamp for improving object recognition

Abstract

This lamp control unit comprises: an interface operably coupled with an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle; and a processor configured to receive control information of a headlamp from the ECU via the interface. The processor may instruct an ADAS determination unit to determine, on the basis of an image of an object acquired from a front camera, the object in the image, receive control information of a headlamp for steering the object from the ECU, and, on the basis of the control information, turn off the headlamp or reduce the brightness of the headlamp so as to correspond to a frame in which an image of the object is acquired by means of the front camera.

Description

A vehicle that performs lamp control to improve object recognition

[0001] The present specification relates to a vehicle that performs lamp control. More specifically, it relates to a vehicle that performs lamp control for improving object recognition.

[0002] A vehicle is a device that moves its user in the desired direction. Meanwhile, various sensors and electronic devices are being installed to enhance the user's convenience. In particular, research is actively being conducted on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to enhance user convenience. Furthermore, development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is also actively underway.

[0003] Meanwhile, a vehicle can detect an object in front of the vehicle through a camera. In this regard, the vehicle's headlamps can emit light toward the object in front of the vehicle. In this regard, U.S. Patent No. 10086832B2 proposes a method for illuminating a lamp toward an object in front of the vehicle when the time to collision (TTC) with the object is below a threshold value to effectively recognize the object. Furthermore, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2013-0063566 provides an in-vehicle system having a camera device and a switchable headlamp. In this regard, if an object in front of the vehicle is recognized by radar but not by the camera device, the headlamps switch their direction of illumination to provide sufficient brightness to the area where the object is located.

[0004] In this regard, when recognizing objects using a vehicle's front camera, shining headlights on the object can facilitate recognition, as the object receives light. However, in special circumstances, headlights can interfere with object recognition. In such cases, it is necessary to adjust the headlight brightness appropriately according to the situation and capture images through the camera shutter based on the adjusted headlight brightness.

[0005] This specification is for adjusting the brightness of a headlamp appropriately according to the situation when the headlamp interferes with object recognition, and for acquiring an image through a camera shutter by the adjusted brightness of the headlamp.

[0006] This specification is intended to improve the performance of object recognition of a camera by adjusting a specific frame of a head lamp.

[0007] Additionally, the present specification aims to optimally improve object recognition performance while maintaining the existing headlamp function.

[0008] Additionally, the present specification is intended to improve object recognition performance by the front camera of a vehicle by turning off the headlamp at an appropriate time when the streetlight is on.

[0009] Additionally, the present specification is intended to improve object recognition performance both on the vehicle ahead and on the pedestrian road by selectively adjusting the brightness of the headlamp according to the brightness conditions of the vehicle road and the pedestrian road.

[0010] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, a lamp control unit according to the present specification includes an interface operably coupled with an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle; and a processor configured to receive control information of a headlamp from the ECU through the interface. The processor controls the ADAS determination unit to determine an object in an image of the object acquired from a front camera based on the image of the object, receives control information of a headlamp for steering the object from the ECU, and, based on the control information, turns off or reduces the brightness of the headlamp so as to correspond to a frame in which an image of the object is acquired by the front camera.

[0012] According to an embodiment, ADAS judgment information for the object judged by the ADAS judgment unit may be transmitted to the ECU of the vehicle. Control information for the headlamp generated by the ECU based on the ADAS judgment information may be transmitted to the lamp control unit. The processor may control the headlamp so that the headlamp is turned off or the brightness is reduced during the frame based on the control information.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the processor may set a brightness control section of the headlamp so that the brightness of the headlamp is reduced during the frame section. The start point of the brightness control section may be set earlier than the start point of the frame section. The end point of the brightness control section may be set later than the end point of the frame section.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the processor may control a first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a first section that is a previous section of the frame section, control a second frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section, and control a third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a second section that is a subsequent section of the frame section.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the processor can form consecutive frames of the brightness control section such that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off in a plurality of sections including the frame section.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the processor may control a first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a first section that is a previous section of the frame section, control a second frame of the brightness control section so that neighboring light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section, and control a third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a second section that is a subsequent section of the frame section.

[0017] According to an embodiment, the processor may control a first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a first section that is a previous section of the frame section, control a second frame of the brightness control section so that non-adjacent light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section, and control a third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a second section that is a subsequent section of the frame section.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the processor may control a first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a first section, which is a previous section of the frame section, control a second frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section, and control a third frame of the brightness control section so that the brightness of the plurality of light-emitting elements is reduced from the on state in a second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section. The processor may control a fourth frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a third section following the second section.

[0019] According to an embodiment, the processor may control a first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a first section, which is a previous section of the frame section, control a second frame of the brightness control section so that one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is turned off during the frame section, and control a third frame of the brightness control section so that the brightness of one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is reduced from an on state in a second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section. The processor may control a fourth frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a third section following the second section. One of the plurality of light-emitting elements may be configured to steer a specific sub-object of a vehicle ahead of the vehicle.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the processor may control a first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a first section, which is a previous section of the frame section, control a second frame of the brightness control section so that some of the plurality of light-emitting elements are in a first brightness state and the rest are in a second brightness state during the frame section, and control a third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are in a second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section. Some of the plurality of light-emitting elements may be arranged at a center of the head lamp, and the rest of the plurality of light-emitting elements may be arranged at a periphery of the head lamp.

[0021] According to an embodiment, if the processor determines that there is external lighting, it can control the head lamp to be turned off during the frame period, and if it determines that there is no external lighting, it can control the head lamp to be turned on or to have its brightness reduced from the on state during the frame period.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the processor may control the head lamp to be in an on-state during the frame period when the brightness of the external lighting is less than a threshold brightness, and may control the head lamp to be in an off-state during the frame period when the brightness of the external lighting is greater than or equal to the threshold brightness.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the processor may control some areas of a plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to a first area having a pedestrian road during the frame period to be turned on, and control the remaining areas of a plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to a second area having a vehicle road during the frame period to be turned off.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the processor may control a center portion of the headlamp corresponding to a second area of ​​the vehicle road to be turned on so as to detect another vehicle in front of the vehicle in a first section prior to the frame section, control a peripheral portion of the headlamp corresponding to a first area corresponding to the pedestrian road to be turned on so as to detect a pedestrian during the frame section in which the other vehicle is photographed, and control a center portion of the headlamp corresponding to the second area of ​​the vehicle road to be turned off during the frame section.

[0025] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0026] The technical features of a vehicle performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to this specification can be summarized as follows.

[0027] According to this specification, the performance of object recognition of a camera can be improved by controlling the timing of a specific frame of a camera shutter and a specific frame of a head lamp.

[0028] According to this specification, object recognition performance can be optimally improved by maintaining the existing headlamp function while matching the timing of a camera shutter and a specific frame of a headlamp or advancing the timing of a specific frame by a predetermined amount of time.

[0029] According to this specification, when streetlights are on, the object recognition performance by the front camera of the vehicle can be improved by turning off the headlamp at an appropriate time before the shutter-on operation of the front camera is performed.

[0030] According to this specification, the brightness of multiple light-emitting elements of a headlamp can be selectively controlled by region according to the brightness conditions of the vehicle road and the pedestrian road, thereby improving object recognition performance both on the vehicle ahead and on the pedestrian road.

[0031] According to this specification, only the specific frame related to the brightness control of the headlamp can be changed, so that the object recognition capability of the camera can be improved without affecting the automotive regulations of the headlamp and the existing headlamp system that the user is familiar with.

[0032] The effects of this specification are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the exterior of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0034] FIG. 2 is a drawing of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification viewed from various external angles.

[0035] FIGS. 3 and 4 are drawings illustrating various objects related to driving of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a block diagram for reference in explaining a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0037] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a vehicle performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification.

[0038] Fig. 7 shows the timing diagram of the light emission pattern of the lamp control unit according to the present specification and the shutter opening of the front camera, as well as the lamp pattern and object pattern at each point in time.

[0039] Fig. 8 shows a flowchart of a lamp control method for improving object recognition of a vehicle according to the present specification.

[0040] FIG. 9 illustrates a lamp control method configured to drive a lamp control unit after image acquisition by a front camera according to the present specification.

[0041] Figure 10 illustrates patterns associated with brightness control and pattern control according to embodiments.

[0042] Figure 11 compares images captured according to the presence or absence of streetlights and changes in headlamp brightness according to embodiments.

[0043] Figures 12a and 12b illustrate examples of setting an object recognition area in an image with a vehicle road and background.

[0044] Figure 13 shows a timing diagram related to the lamp control unit of Figure 6 and the on / off of the front camera.

[0045] Figure 14a is a timing diagram showing the brightness control section of the lamp implemented in a discontinuous frame control manner and the light emission patterns of the light emitting elements.

[0046] Figure 14b shows a timing diagram in which the brightness control section of the lamp is implemented in a discontinuous frame control manner and the light emission patterns of the light emitting elements.

[0047] Figure 15a shows a timing diagram in which only some adjacent light-emitting elements are turned off and the light-emitting pattern of the light-emitting elements.

[0048] Figure 15b shows a timing diagram in which only some of the spaced light-emitting elements are turned off and the light-emitting pattern of the light-emitting elements.

[0049] Figure 16a shows a timing diagram in which dimming control is performed to reduce the brightness of light-emitting elements and the light-emitting pattern of the light-emitting elements.

[0050] Figure 16b shows a timing diagram in which dimming control is performed so that only some light-emitting elements have their brightness reduced, and the light-emitting patterns of the light-emitting elements.

[0051] Figure 17 shows a timing diagram for performing gradient control by differentiating the brightness of the center and periphery of the headlamp and the light-emitting pattern of the light-emitting elements.

[0052] Figure 18 is a conceptual diagram of performing different lighting control according to a vehicle road and a pedestrian road through a vehicle's headlamp.

[0053] Figure 19 shows the images taken for each scenario and the beam patterns of the head lamp.

[0054] FIG. 20 illustrates a block diagram of a vehicle capable of detecting a distance to a front object according to the present specification.

[0055] Fig. 21 illustrates a lamp control method configured to drive a lamp control unit after image acquisition by a front camera, an IR camera, and a TOF camera.

[0056] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numbers and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are assigned or used interchangeably only for the convenience of writing the specification, and do not in themselves have distinct meanings or roles. In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a specific description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0057] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0058] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0059] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0060] In this application, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0061] The vehicle described in this specification may include a concept that includes automobiles and motorcycles. In the following, the vehicle will be described primarily with automobiles.

[0062] The vehicle described in this specification may be a concept that includes all types of vehicles, such as internal combustion engine vehicles equipped with an engine as a power source, hybrid vehicles equipped with an engine and an electric motor as a power source, and electric vehicles equipped with an electric motor as a power source.

[0063] In the following description, the left side of the vehicle means the left side of the vehicle's driving direction, and the right side of the vehicle means the right side of the vehicle's driving direction.

[0064] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the exterior of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0065] FIG. 2 is a drawing of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification viewed from various external angles.

[0066] FIGS. 3 and 4 are drawings illustrating various objects related to driving of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a block diagram for reference in explaining a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present specification.

[0068] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the vehicle (100) may include wheels that rotate by a power source and a steering input device (510) for controlling the direction of travel of the vehicle (100).

[0069] The vehicle (100) may be an autonomous vehicle.

[0070] The vehicle (100) can be switched to autonomous driving mode or manual mode based on user input.

[0071] For example, the vehicle (100) can be switched from manual mode to autonomous driving mode or from autonomous driving mode to manual mode based on user input received through the user interface device (200).

[0072] The vehicle (100) can be switched to autonomous driving mode or manual mode based on driving situation information. The driving situation information can be generated based on object information provided by the object detection device (300).

[0073] For example, the vehicle (100) can be switched from manual mode to autonomous driving mode or from autonomous driving mode to manual mode based on driving situation information generated by the object detection device (300).

[0074] For example, the vehicle (100) can be switched from manual mode to autonomous driving mode or from autonomous driving mode to manual mode based on driving situation information received through the communication device (400).

[0075] The vehicle (100) can be switched from manual mode to autonomous driving mode or from autonomous driving mode to manual mode based on information, data, and signals provided from an external device.

[0076] When the vehicle (100) is operated in autonomous driving mode, the autonomous vehicle (100) can be operated based on the driving system (700).

[0077] For example, an autonomous vehicle (100) may be driven based on information, data, or signals generated from a driving system (710), an exit system (740), or a parking system (750).

[0078] When the vehicle (100) is driven in manual mode, the autonomous vehicle (100) can receive user input for driving through the driving control device (500). Based on the user input received through the driving control device (500), the vehicle (100) can be driven.

[0079] The overall length refers to the length from the front to the rear of the vehicle (100), the overall width refers to the width of the vehicle (100), and the overall height refers to the length from the bottom of the wheel to the roof. In the following description, the overall length direction (L) may refer to the direction that serves as a reference for measuring the overall length of the vehicle (100), the overall width direction (W) may refer to the direction that serves as a reference for measuring the overall width of the vehicle (100), and the overall height direction (H) may refer to the direction that serves as a reference for measuring the overall height of the vehicle (100).

[0080] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the vehicle (100) may include a user interface device (200), an object detection device (300), a communication device (400), a driving operation device (500), a vehicle driving device (600), a driving system (700), a navigation system (770), a sensing unit (120), an interface unit (130), a memory (140), a control unit (170), and a power supply unit (190).

[0081] Depending on the embodiment, the vehicle (100) may include other components in addition to the components described herein, or may not include some of the components described herein.

[0082] The user interface device (200) is a device for communication between a vehicle (100) and a user. The user interface device (200) can receive user input and provide information generated in the vehicle (100) to the user. The vehicle (100) can implement a UI (User Interface) or UX (User Experience) through the user interface device (200).

[0083] The user interface device (200) may include an input unit (210), an internal camera (220), a biometric detection unit (230), an output unit (250), and a processor (270).

[0084] Depending on the embodiment, the user interface device (200) may include additional components other than the described components, or may not include some of the described components.

[0085] The input unit (200) is for receiving information from a user, and data collected from the input unit (120) can be analyzed by a processor (270) and processed into a user's control command.

[0086] The input unit (200) may be placed inside the vehicle. For example, the input unit (200) may be placed in an area of ​​a steering wheel, an area of ​​an instrument panel, an area of ​​a seat, an area of ​​each pillar, an area of ​​a door, an area of ​​a center console, an area of ​​a head lining, an area of ​​a sun visor, an area of ​​a windshield, or an area of ​​a window.

[0087] The input unit (200) may include a voice input unit (211), a gesture input unit (212), a touch input unit (213), and a mechanical input unit (214).

[0088] The voice input unit (211) can convert a user's voice input into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal can be provided to the processor (270) or the control unit (170). The control unit (170) can control the overall operation of each unit within the vehicle (1). The control unit (170) can be referred to as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The processor (270) can detect an object within an image and determine the object. The processor (270) can be referred to as an ADAS determination unit.

[0089] The voice input unit (211) may include one or more microphones.

[0090] The gesture input unit (212) can convert a user's gesture input into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal can be provided to a processor (270) or a control unit (170).

[0091] The gesture input unit (212) may include at least one of an infrared sensor and an image sensor for detecting a user's gesture input.

[0092] According to an embodiment, the gesture input unit (212) may detect a user's three-dimensional gesture input. To this end, the gesture input unit (212) may include a light output unit that outputs a plurality of infrared lights or a plurality of image sensors.

[0093] The gesture input unit (212) can detect a user's 3D gesture input through a TOF (Time of Flight) method, a structured light method, or a disparity method.

[0094] The touch input unit (213) can convert a user's touch input into an electrical signal. The converted electrical signal can be provided to a processor (270) or a control unit (170).

[0095] The touch input unit (213) may include a touch sensor for detecting a user's touch input.

[0096] According to an embodiment, the touch input unit (213) may be formed integrally with the display unit (251), thereby implementing a touch screen. Such a touch screen may provide both an input interface and an output interface between the vehicle (100) and the user.

[0097] The mechanical input unit (214) may include at least one of a button, a dome switch, a jog wheel, and a jog switch. An electrical signal generated by the mechanical input unit (214) may be provided to a processor (270) or a control unit (170).

[0098] The mechanical input unit (214) can be placed on a steering wheel, center fascia, center console, cockpit module, door, etc.

[0099] The internal camera (220) can capture images of the vehicle interior. The processor (270) can detect the user's status based on the images of the vehicle interior. The processor (270) can obtain information about the user's gaze from the images of the vehicle interior. The processor (270) can detect the user's gestures from the images of the vehicle interior.

[0100] The biometric detection unit (230) can obtain the user's biometric information. The biometric detection unit (230) includes a sensor capable of obtaining the user's biometric information, and can use the sensor to obtain the user's fingerprint information, heartbeat information, etc. The biometric information can be used for user authentication.

[0101] The output unit (250) is for generating output related to vision, hearing, or touch.

[0102] The output unit (250) may include at least one of a display unit (251), an audio output unit (252), and a haptic output unit (253).

[0103] The display unit (251) can display graphic objects corresponding to various information.

[0104] The display unit (251) may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display, a 3D display, and an e-ink display.

[0105] The display unit (251) can implement a touch screen by forming a mutual layer structure with the touch input unit (213) or forming it as an integral part.

[0106] The display unit (251) may be implemented as a HUD (Head Up Display), a CID (Center Information Display), a cluster, and / or an RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment). When the display unit (251) is implemented as a HUD, the display unit (251) may be equipped with a projection module to output information through an image projected onto a windshield or window.

[0107] The display unit (251) may include a transparent display. The transparent display may be attached to a windshield or window.

[0108] A transparent display can display a predetermined screen while having a predetermined transparency. To have transparency, the transparent display may include at least one of a transparent TFEL (Thin Film Electroluminescent), a transparent OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode), a transparent LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a transmissive transparent display, and a transparent LED (Light Emitting Diode) display. The transparency of the transparent display can be adjusted.

[0109] The audio output unit (252) converts an electric signal provided from the processor (270) or the control unit (170) into an audio signal and outputs the converted signal. To this end, the audio output unit (252) may include one or more speakers.

[0110] The haptic output unit (253) generates a tactile output. For example, the haptic output unit (253) can operate by vibrating a steering wheel, a seat belt, or a seat (110FL, 110FR, 110RL, 110RR) so that the user can perceive the output.

[0111] The processor (270) can control the overall operation of each unit of the user interface device (200).

[0112] Depending on the embodiment, the user interface device (200) may include a plurality of processors (270) or may not include a processor (270).

[0113] If the user interface device (200) does not include a processor (270), the user interface device (200) may be operated under the control of a processor or control unit (170) of another device in the vehicle (100).

[0114] Meanwhile, the user interface device (200) may be referred to as a vehicle display device.

[0115] The user interface device (200) can be operated under the control of the control unit (170).

[0116] The object detection device (300) is a device for detecting an object located outside a vehicle (100). The object may be various objects related to the operation of the vehicle (100). Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the object (O) may include a lane (OB10), another vehicle (OB11), a pedestrian (OB12), a two-wheeled vehicle (OB13), a traffic signal (OB14, OB15), a light, a road, a structure, a speed bump, a terrain, an animal, etc.

[0117] A lane (OB10) may be a driving lane, a lane adjacent to a driving lane, or a lane in which opposing vehicles drive. A lane (OB10) may be a concept that includes lines on the left and right sides that form a lane.

[0118] Another vehicle (OB11) may be a vehicle driving around the vehicle (100). The other vehicle may be a vehicle located within a predetermined distance from the vehicle (100). For example, the other vehicle (OB11) may be a vehicle preceding or following the vehicle (100).

[0119] A pedestrian (OB12) may be a person located around a vehicle (100). A pedestrian (OB12) may be a person located within a predetermined distance from a vehicle (100). For example, a pedestrian (OB12) may be a person located on a sidewalk or roadway.

[0120] A two-wheeled vehicle (OB12) may refer to a vehicle that is positioned around a vehicle (100) and moves using two wheels. The two-wheeled vehicle (OB12) may be a vehicle with two wheels that is positioned within a predetermined distance from the vehicle (100). For example, the two-wheeled vehicle (OB13) may be a motorcycle or bicycle positioned on a sidewalk or roadway.

[0121] Traffic signals may include traffic lights (OB15), traffic signs (OB14), and patterns or text painted on the road surface.

[0122] The light may be generated from a lamp installed in another vehicle. The light may be generated from a streetlight. The light may be sunlight.

[0123] A road may include slopes such as road surfaces, curves, uphill and downhill slopes, etc.

[0124] Structures may be objects located along roads and fixed to the ground. For example, structures may include streetlights, street trees, buildings, utility poles, traffic lights, and bridges.

[0125] Landforms may include mountains, hills, etc.

[0126] Meanwhile, objects can be classified into moving objects and fixed objects. For example, moving objects may include concepts such as other vehicles and pedestrians. For example, fixed objects may include concepts such as traffic signals, roads, and structures.

[0127] The object detection device (300) may include a camera (310), a radar (320), a lidar (330), an ultrasonic sensor (340), an infrared sensor (350), and a processor (370).

[0128] Depending on the embodiment, the object detection device (300) may include other components in addition to the described components, or may not include some of the described components.

[0129] The camera (310) may be positioned at an appropriate location outside the vehicle to capture images of the vehicle's exterior. The camera (310) may be a mono camera, a stereo camera (310a), an AVM (Around View Monitoring) camera (310b), or a 360-degree camera.

[0130] For example, the camera (310) may be positioned inside the vehicle, close to the front windshield, to capture an image of the front of the vehicle. Alternatively, the camera (310) may be positioned around the front bumper or radiator grill.

[0131] For example, the camera (310) may be positioned inside the vehicle, close to the rear glass, to capture images of the rear of the vehicle. Alternatively, the camera (310) may be positioned around the rear bumper, trunk, or tailgate.

[0132] For example, the camera (310) may be positioned close to at least one of the side windows inside the vehicle to capture images of the vehicle's sides. Alternatively, the camera (310) may be positioned around a side mirror, fender, or door. The camera (310) may provide the captured images to the processor (370).

[0133] The communication device (400) is a device for communicating with an external device. Here, the external device may be another vehicle, a mobile terminal, or a server.

[0134] The optical communication unit (440) is a unit for communicating with an external device via light. The optical communication unit (440) may include a light transmitter that converts an electrical signal into an optical signal and transmits it to the outside, and a light receiver that converts a received optical signal into an electrical signal. According to an embodiment, the light transmitter may be formed to be integrated with a lamp included in the vehicle (100).

[0135] The vehicle drive unit (600) is a device that electrically controls the operation of various devices within a vehicle (100). The vehicle drive unit (600) may include a power train drive unit (610), a chassis drive unit (620), a door / window drive unit (630), a safety device drive unit (640), a head lamp (650), and a lamp control unit (660). The lamp control unit (660) may perform electronic control of various lamp devices within the vehicle (100). Depending on the embodiment, the vehicle drive unit (600) may include additional components other than the described components, or may not include some of the described components. Meanwhile, the vehicle drive unit (600) may include a processor. Each unit of the vehicle drive unit (600) may individually include a processor.

[0136] Hereinafter, a vehicle performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification will be described. In this regard, Fig. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a vehicle performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification. Referring to Fig. 6, a vehicle (1) photographs an object in front through a front camera (311) to obtain an object image including an object pattern (OP). The vehicle (1) controls a headlamp (650) through a lamp control unit (660) to form a lamp pattern (LP).

[0137] Fig. 7 shows a timing diagram of the light emission pattern of the lamp control unit according to the present specification and the shutter opening of the front camera, as well as the lamp pattern and object pattern at each point in time. Referring to Figs. 6 and 7(a), the light emission pattern of the head lamp (650) by the lamp control unit (660) can be implemented using a pulse width modulation (PWM) method. When the pulse width modulation value is a HIGH value, the head lamp (650) is turned off, and when the pulse width modulation value is a LOW value, the head lamp (650) is turned on.

[0138] With respect to the contrast of an object according to the light emission pattern of a head lamp (650), the luminance difference can be defined as in mathematical expression 1.

[0139]

[0140] ΔL in Equation 1 th ΔL defines the contrast of an object to recognize the object with the eye. th The larger the absolute value of ΔL, the better the object recognition can be considered. th If ΔL is less than 0, it is negative contrast. th If ΔL is greater than 0, it can be said to be positive contrast. actual / ΔL th The ratio is defined as the visibility level (VL). Meanwhile, ΔL actual Silver L t - L b is defined as L t is the target luminance, and L b is the background luminance.

[0141] In mathematical expression 1, k represents the detection probability factor, α represents the target size, t represents the observation time, FCP represents the contrast polarity factor, and AF represents the age factor. Meanwhile, represents the luminous flux function and luminance function, and a(α,Lu) represents the Blondel-Rey constant.

[0142] Theoretically, a VL of 1 allows obstacle detection on night roads. However, drivers driving on actual night roads face multiple driving tasks, which means the threshold VL for obstacle detection is always higher than the values ​​derived from laboratory experiments. The field factor, expressed as the ratio of the VL required under laboratory conditions to the VL required under actual night road conditions, typically ranges from 1 to 20.

[0143] Meanwhile, the brightness of the headlamp (650) can be controlled between multiple frames to form an optimal luminance difference for background recognition and object recognition, including vehicles and pedestrians ahead. The optimal luminance difference can be determined through experimental measurements as well as data on the road environment.

[0144] The light emission pattern of the head lamp (650) by the lamp control unit (660) can be implemented by repeating on and off periods. The waveform of the head lamp (650) can repeat on and off periods at a frequency of 120 Hz. A brightness control period (CI) can be formed so that the head lamp (650) is turned off or the brightness is reduced.

[0145] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7(b), the open and closed sections of the shutter of the front camera (311) can be repeatedly implemented. A frame section (FI) in which the shutter of the front camera (311) is opened to acquire an image of an object can be formed. The frame section (FI) in which the shutter of the front camera (311) is opened can be set to 30 fps. Since the waveform of the head lamp (650) is repeated at a frequency of 120 Hz, the first cycle of the frame section (FI) is formed to be four times longer than the second cycle of the brightness control section (CI) of the head lamp (650). Therefore, the brightness control section (CI) of the head lamp (650) can be repeated three more times even in the section in which the shutter of the front camera (311) is turned off.

[0146] A point in time of a brightness control section (CI) may be formed so that the headlamp (650) is turned off or the brightness is reduced before recognizing an object such as a front vehicle in the frame section (FI) of the front camera (311). An end point of the brightness control section (CI) may be formed so that object recognition is performed until the end point of the frame section (FI) of the front camera (311). In this regard, the present specification may be implemented so that the shutter of a camera such as the front camera (311) and a specific frame of the headlamp (650) are matched or the timing of a specific frame is advanced by a predetermined amount of time.

[0147] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7(c), the head lamp (650) may be implemented as an LED lamp. Accordingly, the lamp pattern by the head lamp (650) may be referred to as an LED lamp pattern. The first and fifth lamp patterns (LP1, LP5) in the section where the shutter of the front camera (311) is opened are formed brighter than the second, third, and fourth lamp patterns (LP2, LP3, LP4) in the section where the shutter is closed. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7(d), the change in the contrast of an object according to the change in the brightness of the head lamp (650) is shown.

[0148] Meanwhile, a lamp control method for improving object recognition of a vehicle according to the present specification is described. In this regard, Fig. 8 illustrates a flowchart of a lamp control method for improving object recognition of a vehicle according to the present specification.

[0149] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the lamp control method may include a first driving process (S110) for driving a lamp control unit, an output / pattern control process (S140) for controlling the output and pattern of a head lamp, and a second driving process (S210) for driving a front camera. In the output / pattern control process (S140), the output and pattern of the head lamp (650) may be controlled so that only the frame for acquiring a camera image is controlled while maintaining the existing pattern according to conditions such as the surrounding situation and the position of the object.

[0150] The lamp control method may further include an output process (S120) for outputting light through a head lamp, and a projection process (S130) for projecting the output light onto an object. In the projection process (S130), the brightness control and pattern of the head lamp may be formed according to the following FIGS. 13 to 17 depending on the application. The lamp control method may further include an image acquisition process (S220) for acquiring an image through a front camera. In the image acquisition process (S220), an image for object recognition may be acquired through a specific light emission pattern of the head lamp.

[0151] Meanwhile, in the second driving process (S210) for driving the front camera, the shutter is opened and the output / pattern control process (S140) can be repeatedly performed before the image acquisition process (S220) is performed.

[0152] Through the output / pattern control process (S140), the on / off, brightness control, and light emission pattern control of the head lamp (650) are possible. With regard to light emission pattern control, gradient pattern control, checkered pattern control, and / or diagonal pattern control are possible.

[0153] The lamp control method may further include an object recognition process (S230) for recognizing an object in an image and a recognition information utilization process (S240) for utilizing object recognition information. In the object recognition process (S230), the object recognition algorithm may use YOLO (You Only Look Once) v8, but is not limited thereto and may be changed depending on the application. The YOLO model is a deep learning-based object recognition algorithm that uses a 1-stage detector method that only looks at the image once and estimates the type and location of the object based on the detector method. Therefore, the object recognition method of the present specification may utilize AI learning for object recognition of acquired images to find the optimal value for object recognition.

[0154] Meanwhile, the small target visibility model can be used to determine the brightness of vehicle and pedestrian roads, allowing for quantifying the accuracy of object recognition based on brightness. Furthermore, the accuracy of recognizing vehicles and pedestrians ahead can be improved based on the brightness of the vehicle and pedestrian roads, enabling the vehicle's driving control and performance evaluation.

[0155] The YOLO model is simple to configure because it uses a single neural network structure.

[0156] It is fast. In addition, since the YOLO model learns surrounding information, it processes the entire image, so the background error is low. When the YOLO model receives an input file, a single convolutional network simultaneously calculates the class probability of the bounding box through changes in x, y, w, and h, which are the location information of the bounding box of the object to be found in the image. In the recognition information utilization process (S240), information through object recognition can be used for controlling the vehicle information display window or various machines and electronic devices of the vehicle that utilize the information.

[0157] Meanwhile, the lamp control method according to the present specification may be configured to drive the lamp control unit (660) after image acquisition by the front camera (311). In this regard, FIG. 9 illustrates a lamp control method configured to drive the lamp control unit after image acquisition by the front camera according to the present specification.

[0158] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9, the lamp control method may include a driving process (S10) for driving a front camera, a brightness measurement process (S30) for measuring the brightness of the entire background, and an output / pattern control process (S140) for controlling the output and pattern of the head lamp.

[0159] In the driving process (S10) for driving the front camera, the shutter may be opened to perform an image acquisition process (S20), and a brightness measurement process (S30) for measuring the brightness of the entire background from the acquired image may be performed. In this regard, FIG. 10 illustrates patterns associated with brightness control and pattern control according to embodiments.

[0160] Figures 10(a) to 10(c) illustrate the results of brightness control performed by controlling the output of a headlamp. Referring to Figures 10(a) to 10(c), brightness control can be performed to increase the brightness of a specific area. In this regard, the brightness of a specific area can be controlled through a simple brightness control pattern. Additionally, the brightness of a specific area can be controlled by forming a brightness control pattern based on the amount of light in the surrounding background, and brightness control can be performed accordingly.

[0161] Figure 10(d) shows the acquired image, with the brightness levels of the vehicle road and pedestrian road areas being different. In this regard, the vehicle road area is heavily illuminated by streetlights and vehicle headlights, allowing for a dark, luminous pattern without the need for headlights. Conversely, the pedestrian road area can be illuminated to provide protection against unexpected situations involving pedestrians and animals.

[0162] Fig. 10(e) illustrates a gradient pattern for recognizing objects in the central area of ​​a vehicle road section. The diagonal pattern and checkered pattern of Figs. 10(f) and 10(g) can be used as template data for object recognition. The diagonal pattern of Fig. 10(f) is a template pattern for recognizing vehicles moving in a specific direction, such as a diagonal direction. For example, it can recognize vehicles moving on a vehicle road formed in a specific direction. In this regard, it can be formed to recognize vehicles turning left on a left-turn road formed in a specific direction or turning right at an intersection. The checkered pattern of Fig. 10(g) is a template pattern for recognizing objects of a certain size or less in a specific area. For example, to recognize a black license plate on a white background license plate of a vehicle ahead, a checkered pattern having a size corresponding to the license plate size can be used to recognize the license plate of the vehicle ahead. In addition, a checkered pattern having a size corresponding to the size of a specific part of a person or an object of a certain size or less on a pedestrian road in front of the vehicle can be used to recognize a specific part of a person or an object.

[0163] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 10, the lamp control method may further include an image acquisition process (S20) for acquiring an image through a front camera and a first driving process (S110) for driving a lamp control unit. The lamp control method may further include a beam pattern output process (S150) for outputting a beam pattern of a head lamp and an output process (S120) for outputting light through the head lamp.

[0164] The lamp control method may include a first driving process (S110) for driving a lamp control unit, an output / pattern control process (S140) for controlling the output and pattern of the head lamp, and a second driving process (S210) for driving a front camera. In the output / pattern control process (S140), the output and pattern of the head lamp (650) may be controlled so that only the frame for acquiring a camera image is controlled while maintaining the existing pattern according to conditions such as the surrounding situation and the position of the object.

[0165] In the output / pattern control process (S140), output control may be performed to differently control the brightness of the vehicle road portion and the pedestrian road portion of FIG. 10(d). In the output / pattern control process (S140), the gradient pattern of FIG. 10(e) may be used to recognize an object in the center area of ​​the vehicle road portion. In the output / pattern control process (S140), the diagonal pattern of FIG. 10(f) may be used to recognize vehicles moving on a vehicle road formed in a specific direction or to recognize vehicles turning left on a left-turn road formed in a specific direction or turning right at an intersection. In the output / pattern control process (S140), a checkered pattern having a size corresponding to the size of the vehicle number may be used to recognize a black vehicle number on a white background license plate of a vehicle in front. In the output / pattern control process (S140), a checkered pattern having a size corresponding to the size of the vehicle number may be used to recognize a specific part of a person or an object less than a certain size on the pedestrian road in front of the vehicle.

[0166] Figure 11 compares images captured according to the presence or absence of streetlights and changes in headlamp brightness according to embodiments. Figure 11(a) shows a first image with the headlamps off when there is no streetlight. Figure 11(b) shows a second image with the headlamps on when there is streetlight. Figure 11(c) shows a first image with the headlamps off when there is streetlight. Figure 11(d) shows a second image with the headlamps on when there is streetlight.

[0167] Referring to Figures 11(a) and 11(b), the contrast of the image is improved when the streetlight is off and the headlamp is off. Referring to Figures 11(c) and 11(d), the contrast of the image is improved when the streetlight is on and the headlamp is on.

[0168] Figures 12a and 12b illustrate embodiments of setting an object recognition area in an image having a vehicle road and a background. Referring to Figures 11(d) and 12a(a), a background image is acquired with the headlamps turned on when there is streetlight light. Referring to Figure 12a(b), a headlamp beam pattern is formed so that only the vehicle road portion has the headlamps turned off. Referring to Figures 12a(a) to 12a(c), a final image acquired by the final lamp pattern is shown by synthesizing a beam pattern in which only the vehicle road portion has the headlamps turned off with the background image while the headlamps are turned on. Therefore, object recognition performance, such as a front vehicle, can be improved in the vehicle road portion but not in the pedestrian road portion.

[0169] Referring to FIGS. 11(b), 11(c), and 12b(a), an object and background image, such as a front vehicle, are acquired in a vehicle road portion. Referring to FIG. 12b(b), a beam pattern of a headlamp is formed so that a gradient is formed only in a front vehicle portion. Referring to FIGS. 12b(a) to 12b(c), a final image acquired by a final lamp pattern is shown by synthesizing an object and background image, such as a front vehicle, in a vehicle road portion with a beam pattern of a headlamp in which a gradient is formed only in a front vehicle portion. Therefore, object recognition performance in an area where a front vehicle is present among vehicle road portions can be further improved.

[0170] Meanwhile, Fig. 13 shows a timing diagram related to the on / off of the lamp control unit and the front camera of Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 13, the head lamp (650) can be controlled to have a light emission pattern of the first frame (F1) to the fourth frame (F4). An image can be acquired for object detection and recognition only in the second frame (F2) among the first frame (F1) to the fourth frame (F4). In this regard, the brightness of the head lamp (650) can be controlled by light emission between multiple frames so that an optimal luminance difference for object recognition is formed. The optimal luminance difference can be determined not only through experimental measurements but also through data on the road environment.

[0171] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 13, a plurality of light-emitting elements of a head lamp (650) may be turned off during a frame section (FI) in which an image of an object is acquired by a front camera (311). The plurality of light-emitting elements of the head lamp (650) may be controlled to be turned off in a second frame (F2) associated with the timing at which the shutter of the front camera (311) is opened. The head lamp (650) may be equipped with a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged adjacently in the horizontal axis direction and the vertical axis direction. The plurality of light-emitting elements of the head lamp (650) are indicated as 6X6 LEDs, but are not limited thereto and may be changed according to the application.

[0172] Meanwhile, a first frame (F1) of a brightness control section (CI) may be formed so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a first section, which is a section before a frame section (FI). A second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) may be formed so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section (FI). A third frame (F3) of the brightness control section (CI) may be formed so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a second section, which is a section after the frame section (FI). A fourth frame (F4) of the brightness control section (CI) may be formed so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in a third section following the second section. Therefore, in a frame section (FI) in which a shutter of a front camera (311) is opened, the plurality of light-emitting elements of the headlamp (650) may be turned off to recognize an object such as a front vehicle on a road portion of the vehicle.

[0173] Meanwhile, in relation to brightness control of multiple light-emitting elements of a headlamp (650) for recognizing an object such as a front vehicle, it is not limited to the shutter cycle or shutter operation timing of the front camera (311). In this regard, in addition to the shutter of a camera such as the front camera (311), a depth sensor and / or optical sensing equipment may be used. Accordingly, object recognition can be achieved through brightness control of multiple light-emitting elements of a headlamp (650) linked to the operation cycle and timing of the depth sensor and / or optical sensing equipment.

[0174] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 13, a lamp control unit (660) for performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification and a vehicle (1) including the same will be described. In this regard, the vehicle (1) may be configured to include a front camera (311), a head lamp (650), and a lamp control unit (660). The front camera (110) may be configured to acquire an image of an object in front of the vehicle. The head lamp (650) may be arranged adjacent to the front camera (110). The head lamp (650) may be equipped with a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged adjacently in the horizontal axis direction and the vertical axis direction.

[0175] The lamp control unit (660) may be configured to control the head lamp (650). The lamp control unit (660) may be operably coupled with an electronic control unit (ECU) (170) and an ADAS determination unit (270). The lamp control unit (660) may be configured to include an interface (661) and a processor (662). The interface (661) may be operably coupled with the electronic control unit (ECU) (170) of the vehicle (1). The processor (662) may be configured to receive control information of the head lamp (650) from the ECU (170) via the interface (661).

[0176] The processor (662) can control the ADAS judgment unit (270) to judge an object in an image based on an image of the object acquired from the front camera (311). The processor (662) can receive control information of the head lamp (650) for steering the object from the ECU (170). Based on the control information of the head lamp (650), the processor (662) can turn off or reduce the brightness of the head lamp (650) to correspond to a frame in which an image of the object is acquired by the front camera (311).

[0177] ADAS judgment information on an object judged by the ADAS judgment unit (270) may be transmitted to the vehicle's ECU (170). Control information for the head lamp (650) generated by the ECU (170) according to the ADAS judgment information may be transmitted to the head lamp control unit (660). The processor (662) may control the head lamp (650) to be turned off or have its brightness reduced during a frame based on the control information for the head lamp (650).

[0178] The processor (662) may set a brightness control section (CI) of the head lamp (650) so that the head lamp (650) is turned off during a frame section (FI) in which an image of an object is acquired by the front camera (311). Alternatively, the processor (662) may set a brightness control section (CI) of the head lamp (650) so that the brightness of the head lamp (650) is reduced during a frame section (FI) in which an image of an object is acquired by the front camera (311).

[0179] The start point of the brightness control section (CI) may be set earlier than the start point of the frame section (FI). The end point of the brightness control section (CI) may be set later than the end point of the frame section (FI). Accordingly, the frame section (FI) in which an image of an object is acquired by the front camera (311) may be included within the brightness control section (CI) of the head lamp (650).

[0180] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) that performs lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification, the brightness control section of the lamp can be dynamically controlled by considering the shutter cycle. The brightness control section of the lamp in the vehicle (1) can be performed using a discontinuous frame control method. In this regard, Fig. 14a is a timing diagram illustrating a lamp brightness control section implemented using a discontinuous frame control method and a light emission pattern of light-emitting elements.

[0181] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12B and 14A, the processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control the first frame (F1) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is a section prior to the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the third frame (F3) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is a section subsequent to the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the fourth frame (F4) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off in the third section following the second section. Accordingly, the plurality of light-emitting elements are repeatedly turned on and off for each section, so that an object such as a front vehicle can be detected in a shorter cycle.

[0182] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) that performs lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification, the lamp control method may be performed as a continuous frame control method. In this regard, FIG. 14b is a timing diagram in which a brightness control section of a lamp is implemented as a continuous frame control method and illustrates a light-emitting pattern of light-emitting elements. Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12b and FIG. 14b, a processor (662) of a lamp control unit (660) may form continuous frames of a brightness control section (CI) such that a plurality of light-emitting elements are all turned off in a plurality of sections including a frame section (FI).

[0183] Specifically, the processor (662) can control the first frame (F1) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is a previous section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the third frame (F3) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements remain in the off state in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the fourth frame (F4) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the third section following the second section. The plurality of light-emitting elements can continue to remain in the off state in consecutive frames of the second frame (F2) and the third frame (F3). Therefore, the detection period of an object such as a front vehicle increases, but the sensitivity to timing errors due to image acquisition time delays can be reduced.

[0184] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification, only some adjacent light-emitting elements can be controlled to be turned off. In this regard, Fig. 15a illustrates a timing diagram in which only some adjacent light-emitting elements are turned off and the light-emitting patterns of the light-emitting elements.

[0185] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12B and 15A, the processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control the first frame (F1) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is a previous section of the frame section (FI). Thereafter, the processor (662) can control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that neighboring light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the third frame (F3) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI).

[0186] Accordingly, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, only neighboring light-emitting elements can be turned off or have their brightness reduced, so that the brightness of only the area where a specific sub-object of an object, such as a front vehicle, is placed can be selectively adjusted. Accordingly, the vehicle (1) can more efficiently recognize only a specific sub-object at a specific location of an object, such as a front vehicle, thereby improving the recognition rate of the specific sub-object.

[0187] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) performing lamp control for object recognition enhancement according to the present specification, non-adjacent and spaced-apart light-emitting elements can be controlled to turn off. In this regard, Fig. 15b illustrates a timing diagram in which only some spaced-apart light-emitting elements are turned off and the light-emitting patterns of the light-emitting elements.

[0188] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12B and 15B, the processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) may control the first frame (F1) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is a previous section of the frame section (FI). Thereafter, the processor (662) may control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that non-adjacent light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section (FI). In this regard, the second frame (F2) may be controlled so that light-emitting elements that are regularly spaced apart from each other by a certain interval among the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off. Meanwhile, the second frame (F2) may be controlled so that light-emitting elements that are irregularly spaced apart from each other are turned off. The processor (662) may control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI).

[0189] Accordingly, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, only those light-emitting elements spaced apart by a certain distance or more can be turned off or have their brightness reduced, so that the brightness of only the areas where multiple specific sub-objects of an object, such as a front vehicle, are arranged can be selectively adjusted. Accordingly, the vehicle (1) can more efficiently recognize only specific sub-objects at specific locations of an object, such as a front vehicle, thereby improving the recognition rate of specific sub-objects.

[0190] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification, dimming control may be performed to reduce the brightness of light-emitting elements. In this regard, Fig. 16a illustrates a timing diagram for performing dimming control to reduce the brightness of light-emitting elements and a light-emitting pattern of the light-emitting elements.

[0191] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12B and FIG. 16A, the processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control the first frame (F1) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is a previous section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off. The processor (662) can control the third frame (F3) of the brightness control section (CI) so that the brightness of the plurality of light-emitting elements is reduced from the on state in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the fourth frame (F4) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI).

[0192] Accordingly, even after detecting an object such as a front vehicle, the headlamps can be dimmed to reduce timing errors due to image acquisition time delays, while preventing safety degradation due to the headlamps being turned off. Meanwhile, the dimming control can be performed to selectively adjust the brightness only for an area where a specific sub-object of an object such as a front vehicle is placed. In this regard, Fig. 16b illustrates a timing diagram in which dimming control is performed so that the brightness of only some light-emitting elements is reduced, and the light-emitting patterns of the light-emitting elements.

[0193] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12B and 16B, the processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) may control the first frame (F1) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is a previous section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) may control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is turned off. The processor (662) may control the third frame (F3) of the brightness control section (CI) so that the brightness of one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is reduced from the on state in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) may control the fourth frame (F4) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI). One of the plurality of light-emitting elements may be configured to steer a specific sub-object of a vehicle ahead of the vehicle.

[0194] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) performing lamp control for object recognition enhancement according to the present specification, gradient control is possible by making the brightness of the center and periphery of the headlamp (650) different. In this regard, Fig. 17 illustrates a timing diagram for performing gradient control by making the brightness of the center and periphery of the headlamp different, and the light emission pattern of the light emitting elements.

[0195] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12b and 17, the processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control the first frame (F1) of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is a previous section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the second frame (F2) of the brightness control section (CI) so that some of the plurality of light-emitting elements are in the first brightness state and the rest are in the second brightness state during the frame section (FI). Some of the plurality of light-emitting elements may be arranged in the center (CP) of the head lamp (650), and the rest of the plurality of light-emitting elements may be arranged in the periphery (PP) of the head lamp (650). The processor (662) can control the third frame (F3) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are in the second section, which is a subsequent section of the frame section (FI). The processor (662) can control the fourth frame (F4) of the brightness control section (CI) so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements remain on in the third section following the second section.

[0196] Accordingly, some of the light emitting elements arranged in the center (CP) of the headlamp (650) can be turned off or controlled to emit light at a low brightness in response to a vehicle road including a front vehicle arranged in the center of the image. Meanwhile, some of the light emitting elements arranged in the periphery (PP) of the headlamp (650) in response to a pedestrian road can be controlled to emit light at a higher brightness than the rest.

[0197] Among the plurality of light-emitting elements, only those light-emitting elements spaced apart from each other by a certain distance are turned off or have their brightness reduced, so that the brightness of only the areas where multiple specific sub-objects of an object, such as a front vehicle, are arranged can be selectively adjusted. Accordingly, the vehicle (1) can more efficiently recognize only specific sub-objects at specific locations of an object, such as a front vehicle, thereby improving the recognition rate of specific sub-objects.

[0198] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) that performs lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification, control may be performed depending on the presence of external lighting such as streetlights. Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12B, if the processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) determines that there is external lighting, it may control the headlamp to be turned off during the frame section (FI). If the processor (662) determines that there is no external lighting, it may control the headlamp to be turned on or to have its brightness reduced from the on state during the frame section (FI).

[0199] Meanwhile, if the brightness of the external light is lower than the threshold brightness, the processor (662) can control the head lamp to be turned off during the frame period (FI). If the brightness of the external light is higher than the threshold brightness, the processor (662) can control the head lamp to be turned on during the frame period (FI). If it is determined that there is no external light, the lamp control unit (660) can control the head lamp to be turned on during the frame period (FI).

[0200] Meanwhile, in a vehicle (1) that performs lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification, light emission control can be performed according to a vehicle road and a pedestrian road. In this regard, Fig. 18 is a conceptual diagram for performing different light emission controls according to a vehicle road and a pedestrian road through a headlamp of the vehicle. Referring to Fig. 18, another vehicle (OB11), such as a vehicle ahead on a vehicle road, can be detected. The vehicle (1) can detect a vehicle (OB2) in the opposite direction of the vehicle road. The vehicle (1) can detect pedestrians (OB12, OB12´) on a pedestrian road.

[0201] Fig. 19 shows images captured by scenario and beam patterns of headlamps. Referring to Figs. 18 and 19(a), the vehicle (1) can detect another vehicle (OB11) such as a front vehicle. Referring to Figs. 6, 7, 17, 18, 19(a), and 19(b), the center (CP) of the headlamp (650) corresponding to the second region (R2) of the vehicle road can be turned on to detect another vehicle (OB11).

[0202] Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19(c), the vehicle (1) can detect a pedestrian (OB12) on a pedestrian road. Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 17, 18, 19(c), and 19(d), the peripheral portion (PP) of the headlamp (650) corresponding to the first region (R1a, R1b) corresponding to the pedestrian road can be turned on to detect the pedestrian (OB12). The central portion (CP) of the headlamp (650) can be turned off during the frame section (FI) in which another vehicle (OB11) is photographed.

[0203] Referring to FIGS. 18 and 19(e), the vehicle (1) can detect a vehicle (OB2) in the opposite direction of the vehicle road. Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 17, 18, 19(e), and 19(f), when a vehicle (OB2) in the opposite direction approaches, light emission control can be performed accordingly. Some of the light emitting elements of the headlamp (650) corresponding to the third region (R3) where the vehicle (OB2) in the opposite direction is located can be controlled to be turned off.

[0204] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12b and FIGS. 17 to 19, light emission control according to a vehicle road and a pedestrian road will be described. The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control some areas among the plurality of light emitting elements corresponding to the first area (R1a, R1b) where the pedestrian road is located during the frame section (FI) to be turned on. The processor (662) can control the remaining areas among the plurality of light emitting elements corresponding to the second area (R2) where the vehicle road is located during the frame section (FI) to be turned off.

[0205] Among the plurality of light-emitting elements, first light-emitting elements in some areas may be arranged on a curved surface having a predetermined angle so as to face a first direction where a pedestrian road is located. Accordingly, the first light-emitting elements can detect pedestrians on the pedestrian road in a bright state. Among the plurality of light-emitting elements, second light-emitting elements in other areas may be arranged on a curved surface having a predetermined angle so as to face a second direction where a vehicle road is located or on a flat surface so as to face the front. Accordingly, the second light-emitting elements can detect other vehicles on the vehicle road by the front camera (110) in a dark state.

[0206] The lamp control unit (660) can perform light emission control for each of the first to third regions (R1a, R1b, R2, R3) of FIGS. 18 and 19. Referring to FIGS. 6 to 12b and FIGS. 17 to 19, the light emission control for each region of the lamp control unit (660) will be described. The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control the center (CP) of the head lamp (650) corresponding to the second region of the vehicle road to be turned on so as to detect another vehicle (OB11) in front of the vehicle (1) in the first region of the frame section (FI).

[0207] The processor (662) can control the peripheral portion (PP) of the head lamp (650) corresponding to the first region (R1a, R1b) corresponding to the pedestrian road to be turned on so as to detect a pedestrian (OB12, OB12´) during the frame section (FI) for photographing another vehicle (OB11). The processor (662) can control the central portion (CP) of the head lamp (650) corresponding to the second region (R2) of the vehicle road to be turned off during the frame section (FI) for photographing another vehicle (OB11).

[0208] When a vehicle (OB2) in the opposite direction of the road approaches, the processor (662) may control some of the light-emitting elements of the head lamp (650) corresponding to the third region (R3) where the vehicle (OB2) in the opposite direction is present during the frame section (FI) to be turned off. Alternatively, the processor (662) may control some of the light-emitting elements of the head lamp (650) corresponding to the third region (R3) where the vehicle (OB2) in the opposite direction is present during the frame section (FI) to be reduced in brightness from the on state.

[0209] Accordingly, when a vehicle in the opposite direction of the road approaches, the movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction (OB2) can be detected to perform safety control. In addition, when a vehicle in the opposite direction of the road approaches, the movement of the vehicle in the opposite direction (OB2) can be detected, and the corresponding part of the headlamp (650) can be turned off or the brightness reduced so as not to interfere with the driving of the vehicle in the opposite direction (OB2).

[0210] Meanwhile, the lamp control unit (660) that performs lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification can improve object recognition accuracy by forming various patterns according to the situation as described above. Referring to FIGS. 6 to 19, the lamp control unit (660) that performs lamp control for improving object recognition accuracy by forming various patterns according to the situation will be described.

[0211] The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can output light through the head lamp (650), and when the shutter of the front camera (311) is opened and driven, perform on or off control, brightness control, and light emission pattern control of the head lamp (650). The processor (662) can form a gradient pattern in which brightness gradually increases in the horizontal axis direction from the center point of the center area to recognize an object in the center area of ​​the vehicle road. The gradient pattern can be formed only in the second area (R2) of the vehicle road. The brightness of the second area (R2) of the pedestrian road can be formed to be brighter than the first areas (R1a, R1b) of the vehicle road.

[0212] The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control the headlamp (650) to form a diagonal pattern in which dark patterns and bright patterns are formed in a diagonal direction. The processor (662) can form diagonal patterns having a third region of a first brightness in a specific direction and a fourth region formed with a second brightness darker than the first brightness on both sides of the third region. The processor (662) can recognize vehicles turning left on a left-turn road formed in a specific direction or turning right at an intersection through the fourth region of the diagonal pattern.

[0213] The processor (662) can control the headlamp (650) to form a checkered pattern in which dark and bright patterns alternate in the horizontal and vertical axes. The checkered pattern can be formed in a structure in which bright and dark areas alternate in the horizontal and vertical directions in a two-dimensional area. The checkered pattern can be used to determine whether a certain area of ​​a front object protrudes from another area on a plane. In this regard, an area indicating the vehicle number or status information of the front vehicle can be formed to protrude from other areas.

[0214] The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can form a checkered pattern to recognize whether a certain area of ​​a front object protrudes from a plane relative to another area. The processor (662) can form a checkered pattern in which bright patterns and dark patterns alternately repeat in the horizontal and vertical directions to recognize the vehicle number or status information of the front vehicle. The processor (662) can recognize the vehicle number or status information of the front vehicle through the dark patterns of the checkered pattern. The vehicle number or status information of the front vehicle can be displayed to protrude from a background area (e.g., a license plate, a rear window on which status information is displayed) within a specific area of ​​the front vehicle. For example, a first plane on which an indicator indicating the status information of the front vehicle is displayed can be formed to protrude more than a second plane on which the rear window of the vehicle is formed.

[0215] The status information of the preceding vehicle may be information related to the braking status or abnormal condition of the preceding vehicle. The braking status of the preceding vehicle may be detected based on the distance from the preceding vehicle or the on / off status of the braking system. The abnormal condition of the preceding vehicle may be information displayed on the image detected by the front camera (311) or on the rear window of the preceding vehicle or on the instrument panel inside or outside the vehicle.

[0216] The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can control the headlamp (650) to detect objects with different dark and bright patterns. The processor (662) can recognize the license plate number or status information of the preceding vehicle through the dark patterns, while simultaneously recognizing specific parts or objects of pedestrians on the pedestrian road through the bright patterns. Accordingly, the vehicle can monitor the status of the preceding vehicle while simultaneously monitoring the status of pedestrians on the pedestrian road attempting to cross the crosswalk.

[0217] The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can perform on or off control, brightness control, and light pattern control of the head lamp (650) after measuring the brightness of the entire background including the vehicle road and the pedestrian road. In this regard, the processor (662) can measure the brightness of the entire background including the vehicle road and the pedestrian road through an image acquired through the front camera (311). The processor (662) can perform on or off control, brightness control, and light pattern control of the head lamp (650) based on the first brightness of the vehicle road and the second brightness of the pedestrian road. In a nighttime situation where streetlights are on, the first brightness of the vehicle road can be set to be brighter than the second brightness of the pedestrian road by a threshold or more.

[0218] The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can synthesize a beam pattern in which a specific area of ​​the headlamp (650) corresponding to a portion of a vehicle road is off and the remaining area is on. The processor (662) can detect a vehicle ahead on the vehicle road and a pedestrian on the pedestrian road according to the beam pattern. When the vehicle ahead transmits status information related to a braking state or an abnormal state, the processor (662) can form a light-emitting pattern in a checkered pattern. The light-emitting pattern in the checkered pattern can be formed by alternately repeating bright patterns and dark patterns in the horizontal and vertical directions to recognize the vehicle number or status information of the vehicle ahead.

[0219] The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can recognize the license plate number or status information of the vehicle ahead through dark patterns in the checkered pattern, and can recognize specific parts or objects of pedestrians on the pedestrian road through light patterns. In addition, the processor (662) can also detect vehicles turning left on a left-turn road or right at an intersection through diagonal patterns according to a specific direction. In this regard, whether the vehicle road is a left-turn road formed in a specific direction or an intersection can be detected first.

[0220] Meanwhile, a vehicle (1) that performs lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification can detect a distance to an object in front of the vehicle using a plurality of cameras. In this regard, FIG. 20 shows a block diagram of a vehicle that can detect a distance to an object in front of the vehicle according to the present specification. Referring to FIG. 20, the vehicle (1) may further include an infrared (IR) camera (312), a TOF camera (313), and a sensor fusion control unit (370). Accordingly, the vehicle (1) may include a camera (310), a sensor fusion control unit (370), a headlamp (650), and a lamp control unit (660). The camera (310) may be configured to include a front camera (311), an IR camera (312), and a TOF camera (313).

[0221] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 20, a lamp control unit (660) for performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to the present specification and a vehicle (1) equipped with the same are described. An IR camera (312) may be configured to acquire a second image through an infrared signal and detect a distance to an object in front of the vehicle. A TOF camera (313) may be configured to acquire a third image through a pulse-modulated infrared beam and detect a distance to an object in front of the vehicle.

[0222] The sensor fusion control unit (370) can use an image detected through the front camera (110), a second image detected through the IR camera (312), and a third image detected through the TOF camera (313). The sensor fusion control unit (370) can detect another vehicle (OB11) in front of the vehicle on the vehicle road and pedestrians (OB12, OB12´) on the pedestrian road through the multiple images.

[0223] The lamp control unit (660) may be configured to include an interface (661) and a processor (662). The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) may control the sensor fusion control unit (370) to detect other vehicles in front of the vehicle on the road and pedestrians on the pedestrian road through the image of the front camera (110), the second image of the IR camera (312), and the third image of the TOF camera (313). The processor (662) may control the start and end points of the brightness control section (CI) of the head lamp (650) based on the first distance to the second vehicle through the IR camera (312) and the TOF camera (313). The processor (662) may control the start and end points of the brightness control section (CI) so that the frame section (FI) is included in the brightness control section (CI) based on the first distance to the second vehicle through the IR camera (312) and the TOF camera (313). The IR camera (312) may be configured to acquire a second image via an infrared signal and detect the distance to an object in front of the vehicle. The TOF camera (313) may be configured to acquire a third image via a pulse-modulated infrared beam and detect the distance to an object in front of the vehicle.

[0224] Meanwhile, the lamp control unit (660) can control the headlamp (650) to simultaneously detect a pedestrian on a pedestrian road and a vehicle on a vehicle road. The processor (662) of the lamp control unit (660) can detect the second distance and position to the pedestrian through the front camera (311), the IR camera (312), and the TOF camera (313). Based on the position of the pedestrian detected through the sensor fusion control unit (370), the processor (662) can control some areas among the plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to the first area where the pedestrian road is located during the frame section (FI) to be in an on state. The processor (662) can control the remaining areas among the plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to the second area where the vehicle road is located during the frame section (FI) to be in an off state.

[0225] Among the plurality of light-emitting elements, first light-emitting elements in some areas may be arranged on a curved surface having a predetermined angle to face a first direction in which a pedestrian is present on a pedestrian road. Accordingly, the first light-emitting elements can detect pedestrians on the pedestrian road in a bright state. Among the plurality of light-emitting elements, second light-emitting elements in the remaining areas may be arranged on a curved surface having a predetermined angle to face a second direction in which a second vehicle is present on the vehicle road or on a flat surface to face the front. Accordingly, the second light-emitting elements can detect other vehicles on the vehicle road by the front camera (110) in a dark state. In addition, the distance and direction to other vehicles can be detected by the IR camera (312) and the TOF camera (313).

[0226] Meanwhile, the lamp control method according to the present specification can be performed based on images acquired by multiple cameras. In this regard, FIG. 21 illustrates a lamp control method configured to drive a lamp control unit after images are acquired by a front camera, an IR camera, and a TOF camera.

[0227] Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21, the lamp control method may include a driving process (S10, S10b, S10c) for driving a plurality of cameras, a sensor fusion control process (S15) for driving a sensor fusion control unit, a brightness measurement process (S30) for measuring the brightness of the entire background, and an output / pattern control process (S140) for controlling the output and pattern of the head lamp.

[0228] In the driving process (S10) for driving the front camera (311), the shutter may be opened to perform an image acquisition process (S20). In the driving process (S10b) for driving the IR camera (312), an infrared signal may be transmitted to an object to perform an image acquisition process (S20). In the driving process (S10c) for driving the TOF camera (313), a pulse-modulated infrared beam may be transmitted to an object to perform an image acquisition process (S20).

[0229] In the sensor fusion control process (S15), the signal and beam transmission sections of each camera can be controlled so that images by the front camera (311), IR camera (312), and TOF camera (313) are detected. In the image acquisition process (S20), an image according to the shutter opening of the front camera (311), a second image by the infrared signal of the IR camera (312), and a third image by the pulse-modulated infrared beam of the TOF camera (313) can be acquired.

[0230] A second image can be acquired through an infrared signal, and the distance to an object in front of the vehicle can be detected. In the driving process (S10c) of driving the TOF camera (313), a third image can be acquired through a pulse-modulated infrared beam, and the distance to an object in front of the vehicle can be detected.

[0231] Referring to FIGS. 18 to 21, the processes following the brightness measurement process (S30) will be described. Through the brightness measurement process (S30), brightness measurement can be performed on the entire background image including the vehicle road portion and the pedestrian road portion. Thereafter, the lamp control method may further include a first driving process (S110) for driving the lamp control unit (660). The lamp control method may further include a beam pattern output process (S150) for outputting a beam pattern of a head lamp and an output process (S120) for outputting light through the head lamp.

[0232] In the output / pattern control process (S140), the output and pattern of the head lamp (650) can be controlled so that only the frame for acquiring the camera image is controlled while maintaining the existing pattern according to conditions such as the surrounding situation and the position of the object. In the beam pattern output process (S150), the beam pattern of the head lamp (650) can be formed to have different brightness or different patterns for the vehicle road portion and the pedestrian road portion. In the output process (S120), an optical signal in which a beam pattern having different brightness or pattern is formed can be output through the head lamp (650).

[0233] Referring to FIGS. 8, 18 to 21, images detected through a front camera (110), an IR camera (312), and a TOF camera (313) can be formed in an image acquisition process (S220). Through an object recognition process (S230) of recognizing an object in an image, another vehicle (OB11) in front of the vehicle on the road and pedestrians (OB12, OB12´) on the pedestrian road can be detected. Thereafter, in a recognition information utilization process (S240), information obtained through object recognition can be used for controlling a vehicle information display window or various machines and electronic devices of the vehicle that utilize the information.

[0234] The above describes a vehicle that performs lamp control to enhance object recognition according to this specification. The technical effects of the vehicle that performs lamp control to enhance object recognition according to this specification can be summarized as follows, but are not limited thereto.

[0235] The technical features of a vehicle performing lamp control for improving object recognition according to this specification can be summarized as follows.

[0236] According to this specification, the performance of object recognition of a camera can be improved by controlling the timing of a specific frame of a camera shutter and a specific frame of a head lamp.

[0237] According to this specification, object recognition performance can be optimally improved by maintaining the existing headlamp function while matching the timing of a camera shutter and a specific frame of a headlamp or advancing the timing of a specific frame by a predetermined amount of time.

[0238] According to this specification, when streetlights are on, the object recognition performance by the front camera of the vehicle can be improved by turning off the headlamp at an appropriate time before the shutter-on operation of the front camera is performed.

[0239] According to this specification, the brightness of multiple light-emitting elements of a headlamp can be selectively controlled by region according to the brightness conditions of the vehicle road and the pedestrian road, thereby improving object recognition performance both on the vehicle ahead and on the pedestrian road.

[0240] According to this specification, only the specific frame related to the brightness control of the headlamp can be changed, so that the object recognition capability of the camera can be improved without affecting the automotive regulations of the headlamp and the existing headlamp system that the user is familiar with.

[0241] The effects of this specification are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0242] The present invention described above can be implemented as computer-readable code on a medium having a program recorded thereon. Computer-readable media include all types of recording devices that store data that can be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state disks (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), ROMs, RAMs, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices. Furthermore, the computer may include a processor or a control unit. Therefore, the above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect, but rather as illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. In the lamp control unit, An interface operable to be coupled with the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU); and A processor configured to receive control information of a head lamp from the ECU through the interface, The above processor, Control the ADAS judgment unit so that the ADAS judgment unit judges an object in the image based on the image of the object acquired from the front camera, Receive control information of the head lamp for steering the above object from the ECU, A lamp control unit that turns off or reduces the brightness of the head lamp to correspond to a frame in which an image of the object is acquired by the front camera based on the above control information.

2. In paragraph 1, The ADAS judgment information for the object judged by the ADAS judgment unit is transmitted to the ECU of the vehicle, The control information of the head lamp generated by the ECU according to the ADAS judgment information is transmitted to the lamp control unit, A lamp control unit, wherein the processor controls the head lamp to be turned off or have its brightness reduced during the frame based on the control information.

3. In paragraph 1, The above processor, Based on the above control information, a brightness control section of the head lamp is set so that the head lamp is turned off or the brightness of the head lamp is reduced during a frame section in which an image of the object is acquired by the camera, The point in time of the brightness control section is set earlier than the point in time of the frame section, A lamp control unit in which the end point of the brightness control section is set later than the end point of the frame section.

4. In paragraph 3, The above processor, Controlling the first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is the previous section of the above frame section, Controlling the second frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section; A lamp control unit that controls the third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is the section after the frame section.

5. In paragraph 3, The above processor, A lamp control unit that forms consecutive frames of the brightness control section so that a plurality of light-emitting elements are all turned off in a plurality of sections including the above frame section.

6. In paragraph 3, The above processor, Controlling the first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is the previous section of the above frame section, Controlling the second frame of the brightness control section so that neighboring light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section; A lamp control unit that controls the third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is the section after the frame section.

7. In paragraph 3, The above processor, Controlling the first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is the previous section of the above frame section, Controlling the second frame of the brightness control section so that non-adjacent light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section; A lamp control unit that controls the third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is the section after the frame section.

8. In paragraph 3, The above processor, Controlling the first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is the previous section of the above frame section, Controlling the second frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned off during the frame section; In the second section, which is a subsequent section of the above frame section, the third frame of the brightness control section is controlled so that the brightness of the plurality of light-emitting elements is reduced compared to the on state, A lamp control unit that controls the fourth frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the third section following the second section.

9. In paragraph 3, The above processor, Controlling the first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is the previous section of the above frame section, Controlling the second frame of the brightness control section so that one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is turned off during the frame section; In the second section, which is a subsequent section of the above frame section, the third frame of the brightness control section is controlled so that the brightness of one of the plurality of light-emitting elements is reduced from the on state, In the third section following the second section, the fourth frame of the brightness control section is controlled so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on, A lamp control unit, wherein one of the plurality of light emitting elements is configured to steer a specific sub-object of a front vehicle of the vehicle.

10. In paragraph 3, The above processor, Controlling the first frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the first section, which is the previous section of the above frame section, Controlling the second frame of the brightness control section so that some of the plurality of light-emitting elements are in the first brightness state and the rest are in the second brightness state during the frame section; Controlling the third frame of the brightness control section so that all of the plurality of light-emitting elements are turned on in the second section, which is the section after the frame section, A lamp control unit, wherein some of the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged at the center of the head lamp, and the rest of the plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged at the periphery of the head lamp.

11. In paragraph 3, The above processor, If it is determined that there is external light, the head lamp is controlled to be off during the frame period, A lamp control unit that controls the head lamp to be on or to have its brightness reduced from the on state during the frame period when it is determined that there is no external light.

12. In paragraph 11, The above processor, If the brightness of the external light is lower than the threshold brightness, the head lamp is controlled to have a brightness lower than that of the on state during the frame period, A lamp control unit that controls the head lamp to be turned off during the frame period when the brightness of the external light is higher than the threshold brightness.

13. In paragraph 3, The above processor, During the above frame section, some areas of the plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to the first area where the pedestrian road is located are controlled to be in an on state, A lamp control unit that controls the remaining areas of the plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to the second area where the vehicle road is located during the above frame section to be in an off state.

14. In paragraph 3, The above processor, Controlling the center of the headlamp corresponding to the second area of ​​the vehicle road to be turned on so as to detect another vehicle in front of the vehicle in the previous first section of the frame section, Controlling the peripheral portion of the headlamp corresponding to the first area corresponding to the pedestrian road to be turned on so as to detect a pedestrian during the frame section in which the above-described vehicle is photographed, Controlling the center of the headlamp corresponding to the second area of ​​the vehicle road during the frame section to be in an off state, A lamp control unit that controls some of the light-emitting elements of the headlamp corresponding to a third area where the vehicle in the opposite direction is located during the frame section to be turned off or have their brightness reduced from the on state when a vehicle in the opposite direction of the vehicle road approaches.

15. In paragraph 14, The above processor, Control the sensor fusion control unit to detect other vehicles in front of the vehicle on the road and pedestrians on the pedestrian road through the image of the front camera, the second image of the IR camera, and the third image of the TOF camera. Control the start and end points of the brightness control section so that the frame section is included in the brightness control section based on the first distance to the other vehicle through the IR camera and the TOF camera, The above IR camera is configured to obtain the second image through an infrared signal and detect the distance to an object in front of the vehicle, The lamp control unit is configured to acquire the third image through a pulse-modulated infrared beam and detect the distance to an object in front of the vehicle.

16. In paragraph 15, The above processor, The sensor fusion control unit controls the sensor fusion control unit to detect the second distance and position to the pedestrian through the front camera, the IR camera, and the TOF camera, Based on the position of the pedestrian, some areas of a plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to a first area where a pedestrian road is present during the frame section are controlled to be turned on, A lamp control unit that controls the remaining areas of the plurality of light-emitting elements corresponding to the second area where the vehicle road is located during the above frame section to be in an off state.

17. In paragraph 13, The above processor, Light is output through the head lamp, and when the shutter of the front camera is opened and driven, on or off control, brightness control, and light emission pattern control of the head lamp are performed. To recognize an object in the central area of ​​the vehicle road, a gradient pattern is formed in which the brightness gradually increases in the horizontal axis direction from the central point of the central area, A lamp control unit in which the gradient pattern is formed only in the first area of ​​the vehicle road and the brightness of the second area of ​​the pedestrian road is brighter than the first area.

18. In paragraph 13, The above processor, Forming diagonal patterns having a third region of first brightness in a specific direction and a fourth region formed with a second brightness darker than the first brightness on both sides of the third region, A lamp control unit that recognizes vehicles turning left on a left-turn road formed in the specific direction through the fourth area of ​​the diagonal pattern.

19. In paragraph 13, The above processor, A checkered pattern is formed by alternating bright and dark patterns in the horizontal and vertical directions to recognize the vehicle number or status information of the vehicle in front, Recognize the vehicle number or status information of the preceding vehicle displayed protruding from the background area within a specific area of ​​the preceding vehicle through the above dark patterns, A lamp control unit that recognizes the status of pedestrians on the pedestrian road through the above bright patterns.

20. In paragraph 13, The above processor, Measure the brightness of the entire background including the vehicle road and the pedestrian road through the image acquired through the front camera, On or off control, brightness control and light emission pattern control of the headlamp are performed based on the first brightness of the vehicle road and the second brightness of the pedestrian road, Synthesize a beam pattern in which a specific area of ​​the headlamp corresponding to the vehicle road portion is off and the remaining area is on, Detecting a vehicle ahead of the vehicle road and a pedestrian on the pedestrian road according to the beam pattern, When the preceding vehicle transmits status information related to a braking state or an abnormal state, a checkered pattern is formed in which light and dark patterns alternately repeat in the horizontal and vertical directions to recognize the vehicle number or status information of the preceding vehicle. Recognize the vehicle number or status information of the preceding vehicle through the above dark patterns, A lamp control unit that detects vehicles turning left on the left turn road through a diagonal pattern according to the specific direction, if the above vehicle road is a left turn road formed in a specific direction.

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