Vehicular headlight and vehicle system
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure JP2026003320_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Vehicle Headlamp and Vehicle System
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle headlamp and a vehicle system.
[0002] Vehicle headlamps that form a low beam light distribution pattern with a cut-off line are known. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle headlamp that forms an easy-to-see low beam light distribution pattern while moderately blurring the bright-dark boundary of the cut-off line and preventing the G value from exceeding the regulatory standard value.
[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-262755
[0004] From the viewpoint of not dazzling the occupants of oncoming vehicles or preceding vehicles, etc., it is preferable that the bright-dark contrast of the cut-off line of the low beam light distribution pattern is clear. On the other hand, when the driver wants to see a dark area in the distance, if the contrast ratio between light and dark is too large, the dark area becomes difficult to see, so a cut-off line with a gentle bright-dark gradient is preferable.
[0005] In order to form such a cut-off line with a large bright-dark contrast ratio and a cut-off line with a small bright-dark contrast ratio, in addition to an optical unit that irradiates light on the area including the cut-off line, it is conceivable to provide an additional optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a part of the cut-off line. When there is an oncoming vehicle or the like, the glare to the oncoming vehicle or the like can be suppressed by turning off the additional optical unit. However, when the additional optical unit is turned off, it becomes difficult to irradiate light far away, and the long-distance visibility deteriorates.
[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle headlamp that forms a light distribution pattern capable of maintaining long-distance visibility while suppressing glare to the occupants of other vehicles such as oncoming vehicles, and a vehicle system including the vehicle headlamp.
[0007] A vehicle headlight according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle headlight installed on a vehicle, comprising: a cutoff line; a first optical unit that irradiates light into a first illumination area including at least a region below the cutoff line; a second optical unit that can irradiate light into a second illumination area including at least a region above the cutoff line and can dim any region within the second illumination area; and a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a portion of the cutoff line, wherein when the low beam is on, the first optical unit and the third optical unit are turned on; when the high beam is on and there is another vehicle in front of the vehicle, the first optical unit and the second optical unit are turned on, while the third optical unit is turned off or dimmed and turned on, and the first illumination area of the first optical unit is moved higher than when the low beam is on.
[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a vehicle system comprising a vehicle headlight provided on a vehicle, a detection unit capable of detecting other vehicles in front of the vehicle, and a control unit capable of controlling the vehicle headlight and the detection unit, wherein the vehicle headlight includes a cutoff line, a first optical unit that irradiates light into a first illumination area including at least a region below the cutoff line, a second optical unit capable of irradiating light into a second illumination area including at least a region above the cutoff line and capable of dimming any region within the second illumination area, and a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a portion of the cutoff line, and when the low beam is on, the control unit turns on the first optical unit and the third optical unit. When the high beams are on and the detection unit detects the other vehicle, the control unit illuminates the first optical unit and the second optical unit, while turning off or dimming the third optical unit and illuminating it, and moves the first illumination area of the first optical unit higher than when the low beams are on.
[0009] In the vehicle headlights and vehicle systems disclosed herein, when the high beams are on and there is another vehicle, such as an oncoming vehicle, in front of the vehicle, the third optical unit is turned off to prevent dazzling the occupants of the other vehicle, while the first illumination area, which is illuminated by the first optical unit, is moved upward to a degree that is less likely to cause dazzling to the other vehicle. As a result, while suppressing dazzling to the occupants of the oncoming vehicle, it is possible to illuminate a greater distance with light compared to simply turning off the third optical unit, thereby maintaining long-distance visibility.
[0010] According to this disclosure, a vehicle headlight and a vehicle system equipped with said vehicle headlight are provided, which form a light distribution pattern that can maintain long-distance visibility while suppressing glare to occupants of other vehicles such as oncoming vehicles.
[0011] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the vehicle system configuration, including the vehicle headlights. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle headlights. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the various light distribution patterns emitted by the vehicle headlights. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the low beam light distribution pattern when the low beams are on. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the high beam light distribution pattern when the high beams are on. Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the vehicle headlights according to the first embodiment when the high beams are on. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the high beam light distribution pattern when the high beams are on in the first embodiment and another vehicle is detected. Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the vehicle headlights 10 according to the second embodiment when the high beams are on. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the high beam light distribution pattern when the high beams are on in the second embodiment and another vehicle is detected.
[0012] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of clarity, the description of components having the same reference numeral as those already described in the description of the embodiments will be omitted. Furthermore, the dimensions of the components shown in these drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of the components for the sake of clarity.
[0013] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, for the sake of clarity, the terms "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-back direction" may be mentioned as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle headlight 10 illustrated in Figure 2. Here, the "left-right direction" includes the "left direction" and the "right direction," as well as the vehicle width direction of the vehicle on which the vehicle headlight 10 is mounted. The "up-down direction" includes the "up direction" and the "down direction." The "front-back direction" is the front-back direction of the vehicle, and includes the "forward direction" and the "rear direction." The front-back direction is perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction. In each figure, the symbol U indicates the upward direction. The symbol D indicates the downward direction. The symbol F indicates the forward direction. The symbol B indicates the rear direction. The symbol L indicates the left direction. The symbol R indicates the right direction. The left-right direction is an example of the horizontal direction.
[0014] (First Embodiment) A vehicle headlight 10 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The vehicle headlight 10 is mounted on the front right and front left sides of the vehicle 1, respectively. The vehicle headlight 10 is configured to form a high beam light distribution pattern PH and a low beam light distribution pattern PL.
[0015] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the system configuration of vehicle 1, including the vehicle headlight 10. As illustrated in Figure 1, vehicle 1 comprises the vehicle headlight 10, a camera 30, a light switch 40, and a vehicle control unit 50.
[0016] The vehicle headlight 10 comprises a lamp control unit 60, a first optical unit 70, a leveling actuator 75, a second optical unit 80, and a third optical unit 90. Details of the vehicle headlight 10 will be described later.
[0017] Camera 30 is positioned near the windshield of vehicle 1. Camera 30 is a camera that includes an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary MOS). Camera 30 acquires image data by imaging the area around vehicle 1 (for example, in front of vehicle 1). Camera 30 outputs the image data to vehicle control unit 50. Camera 30 is an example of a detection unit.
[0018] The light switch 40 is located near the steering device 21 of the vehicle 1. The light switch 40 is configured to switch the vehicle headlights 10 ON / OFF or to switch the light distribution pattern in response to an operation by the driver of the vehicle 1. When the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the light switch 40, the light switch 40 generates a control signal to illuminate with a light distribution pattern corresponding to the operation and transmits the signal to the vehicle control unit 50.
[0019] The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to control the driving of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to determine the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 based on surrounding environment information and to transmit the determination result to the lamp control unit 60 of the vehicle headlight 10. The vehicle control unit 50 is composed of, for example, at least one electronic control unit (ECU). The electronic control unit includes, for example, a computer system including one or more processors and one or more memories, and an electronic circuit composed of active elements such as transistors and passive elements.
[0020] The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to perform image analysis on the image data output from the camera 30. The vehicle control unit 50 detects ambient environment information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 from the image data and transmits this ambient environment information to the lamp control unit 60 of the vehicle headlight 10. The ambient environment information includes, for example, position information of objects located in front of the vehicle 1 (oncoming vehicles, preceding vehicles, signs, etc.). The ambient environment information may also include, for example, distance information between the objects and the vehicle 1.
[0021] Based on the control signal from the light switch 40, the vehicle control unit 50 transmits a signal to control the vehicle headlight 10 to the lamp control unit 60 of the vehicle headlight 10.
[0022] The lamp control unit 60 of the vehicle headlight 10 may have the same hardware configuration as the vehicle control unit 50. The lamp control unit 60 is configured to control the first optical unit 70, the leveling actuator 75, the second optical unit 80, and the third optical unit 90 based on surrounding environment information received from the vehicle control unit 50.
[0023] Next, the details of the vehicle headlight 10 will be described. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle headlight 10. As illustrated in Figure 2, the vehicle headlight 10 comprises a lamp body 11 having an opening in front of the vehicle headlight 10, and a translucent outer cover 12 that covers the opening of the lamp body 11. A lamp control unit 60, a first optical unit 70, a leveling actuator 75, a second optical unit 80, and a third optical unit 90 are housed in the lamp chamber 13 formed by the lamp body 11 and the outer cover 12.
[0024] The first optical unit 70 is configured to illuminate a region including the cutoff line and at least the region below the cutoff line. Furthermore, the first optical unit 70 illuminates a portion of the illumination region below the cutoff line such that the illumination region illuminated by light reflected from the road surface in front of the vehicle is darker than other portions of the illumination region. Details of the light distribution pattern illuminated by the first optical unit 70 will be described later.
[0025] The first optical unit 70 includes, for example, a plurality of light sources 71, a reflector 72, and a projection lens 73. The light sources 71 may be composed of, for example, LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements or LD (Laser Diode) elements. The light sources 71 are configured to emit light toward the reflector 72. The reflector 72 is configured to reflect the light emitted from the light sources 71 toward the projection lens 73. The projection lens 73 is, for example, an aspherical lens whose front surface is convex and its rear surface is flat. The projection lens 73 is configured to project the light reflected by the reflector 72 into the front area of the vehicle 1.
[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the leveling actuator 75 is configured as a drive unit for leveling the first optical unit 70 disposed within the lamp chamber 13. In this example, a bracket 76 extending in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions is positioned between the first optical unit 70 and the lamp body 11. The leveling actuator 75 is mounted on the front of the bracket 76. The first optical unit 70 is mounted on the front of a leveling frame 77, one end of which is movable in the front-rear direction. The leveling frame 77 is supported by the bracket 76 by a pivot point 78 provided at its upper part, and is connected to the leveling actuator 75 at its lower part. The leveling actuator 75 includes a drive screw 79 that is driven axially by, for example, a motor, and this drive screw 79 is screwed into the leveling frame 77.
[0027] When the leveling actuator 75 is driven based on a signal from the lamp control unit 60, the drive screw 79 is rotated. As a result, the lower part of the leveling frame 77, which is screwed onto the drive screw 79, moves back and forth, and the leveling frame 77 tilts around the pivot point 78. Since the first optical unit 70 is mounted on the leveling frame 77, the first optical unit 70 tilts together with the leveling frame 77, and the optical axis Lx of the first optical unit 70 is controlled to change in the vertical direction. In this way, leveling control of the first optical unit 70 is performed.
[0028] The second optical unit 80 is configured to irradiate light to a region that includes at least the region above the cutoff line. Furthermore, the second optical unit 80 can dim any region within the region above the cutoff line. In this specification, the term "dimming" includes blocking at least a portion of the light emitted from the second optical unit 80 and weakening the intensity of the light emitted from the second optical unit 80. The second optical unit 80 can irradiate, for example, an ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) light distribution pattern. The ADB light distribution pattern is a high beam light distribution pattern PH that does not irradiate light to the region where objects such as oncoming vehicles or preceding vehicles are present, and is a light distribution pattern that changes the un-irradiated region depending on the presence and location of such objects.
[0029] The second optical unit 80 includes a light source 81 and a projection lens 82. The light source 81 may be composed of, for example, a plurality of LED light-emitting elements. The lighting state of the plurality of LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 81 can be changed independently of each other. In other words, in the vehicle headlight 10, the lamp control unit 60 can perform ON / OFF control and brightness adjustment for each of the LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 81. The projection lens 82 may have a configuration similar to that of the projection lens 73, for example.
[0030] The third optical unit 90 is configured to emit light so as to overlap with at least a portion of the cutoff line. The third optical unit 90 includes, for example, a light source composed of an LED array. An LED array is, for example, a light source in which multiple LED light-emitting elements are arranged in an array. The lighting state of the multiple LED light-emitting elements included in the third optical unit 90 can be changed independently of each other. In this case, the vehicle headlight 10 can perform ON / OFF control and brightness adjustment for each of the LED light-emitting elements included in the third optical unit 90 using the lamp control unit 60. The size of the light-emitting surface of the LED light-emitting elements in the second optical unit 80 and the third optical unit 90 is not particularly limited, and one side may be about 1 mm or about 10 to 500 μm.
[0031] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the first light distribution pattern P11 (an example of the first illumination area) emitted from the first optical unit 70, the second light distribution pattern P12 (an example of the second illumination area) emitted from the second optical unit 80, and the third light distribution pattern P13 emitted from the third optical unit 90 will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating each light distribution pattern emitted by the vehicle headlight 10. In this embodiment, the case where the vehicle 1 is traveling in the right lane will be described. The first light distribution pattern P11, the second light distribution pattern P12, and the third light distribution pattern P13 illustrated in Figure 3 are shown projected onto a virtual vertical screen at a predetermined position in front of the vehicle 1 (for example, 25 m in front of the vehicle 1). The light distribution patterns illustrated in the following figures are also shown projected onto a virtual vertical screen at a predetermined position in front of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, Figure 3 shows a V-V line indicating the vertical direction (up and down direction in Figure 3) at the center of the illumination range of the vehicle headlight 10, and an H-H line perpendicular to the V-V line and extending horizontally (left and right direction in Figure 3). Similarly, subsequent diagrams illustrating light distribution patterns also show a V-V line indicating the vertical direction at the center of the illumination range of the vehicle headlight 10, and an H-H line perpendicular to the V-V line and extending horizontally.
[0032] As illustrated in Figure 3, the first light distribution pattern P11 has a cutoff line CL. The first light distribution pattern P11 is irradiated by the first optical unit 70 onto the area including the cutoff line CL and the area below the cutoff line CL (the area with downward sloping hatching in Figure 3).
[0033] The second light distribution pattern P12, together with the first light distribution pattern P11, forms a so-called high-beam light distribution pattern PH. The second light distribution pattern P12 is irradiated by the second optical unit 80 to a region that includes at least the area above the cutoff line CL (the area with upward-sloping diagonal hatching in Figure 3). In this embodiment, the second optical unit 80 irradiates the ADB light distribution pattern. Therefore, any region in the second light distribution pattern P12 may be attenuated.
[0034] The third light distribution pattern P13 is irradiated by the third optical unit 90 so as to overlap with at least a portion of the cutoff line CL of the first light distribution pattern P11 (the portion with vertical hatching in Figure 3). In this embodiment, the third light distribution pattern P13 together with the first light distribution pattern P11 forms the low beam light distribution pattern PL.
[0035] Next, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the low-beam light distribution pattern PL emitted from the vehicle headlight 10 when the low beam is on, and the high-beam light distribution pattern PH emitted from the vehicle headlight 10 when the high beam is on will be explained. When the low beam is on, it refers to the time when the driver of vehicle 1 performs an operation on the light switch 40 to emit the low-beam light distribution pattern PL. When the high beam is on, it refers to the time when the driver of vehicle 1 performs an operation on the light switch 40 to emit the high-beam light distribution pattern PH. Figure 4 is an example of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL when the low beam is on. Figure 5 is an example of the high-beam light distribution pattern PH when the high beam is on. In this embodiment, the high-beam light distribution pattern PH emitted is an ADB light distribution pattern.
[0036] As illustrated in Figure 4, when the low beam is on, the vehicle headlight 10 illuminates a low beam light distribution pattern PL consisting of a first light distribution pattern P11 and a third light distribution pattern P13 by illuminating the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90. That is, in this embodiment, the low beam light distribution pattern PL includes the third light distribution pattern P13, and the third light distribution pattern P13 is illuminated so as to overlap with the cutoff line CL. Therefore, the area illuminated by the overlapping first light distribution pattern P11 and the third light distribution pattern P13 is brighter than the area illuminated only by the first light distribution pattern P11 and not by the third light distribution pattern P13. In this way, the cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern PL changes in brightness in two stages. If we count from the area where no light is illuminated, it can also be said that the cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern PL changes in brightness in three stages.
[0037] In the example shown in Figure 5, since there is an oncoming vehicle 1B in front of vehicle 1, camera 30 outputs imaging data related to the oncoming vehicle 1B to vehicle control unit 50. Vehicle control unit 50 detects surrounding environment information, including the position information of the oncoming vehicle 1B, from the imaging data output from camera 30 and transmits this surrounding environment information to lamp control unit 60. Based on the surrounding environment information received from vehicle control unit 50, lamp control unit 60 controls the second optical unit 80 so that light is not emitted toward the oncoming vehicle 1B. For this reason, in the example shown in Figure 5, the area around the oncoming vehicle 1B is shielded from light. Consequently, when the high beams are on, the area around the oncoming vehicle 1B is shielded from light, and the third light distribution pattern P13 is not illuminating it, so the portion C11 of the cutoff line CL located below the oncoming vehicle 1B has a clear difference in brightness. In other words, the cutoff line CL is formed by an area illuminated by the first light distribution pattern P11 and an area not illuminated by the first light distribution pattern P11, and the brightness does not change in two stages near the cutoff line CL. If counting from the area not illuminated by light, the cutoff line of the high-beam light distribution pattern PH only changes in brightness by two steps. Therefore, the cutoff run CL formed when the low-beam light distribution pattern PL is illuminated appears blurred compared to at least a portion (in this embodiment, portion C11) of the cutoff line CL formed when the high-beam light distribution pattern PH (ADB light distribution pattern) is illuminated. Note that a typical low-beam light distribution pattern is formed by blocking some of the light, so the difference in brightness of the cutoff line is usually clear. The cutoff line of a typical low-beam light distribution pattern does not change in brightness by two steps. Therefore, the cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL in this embodiment is blurred compared to the cutoff line of a typical low-beam light distribution pattern.
[0038] In this way, by switching the third optical unit 90 on and off, it is possible to switch between a cutoff line with a high contrast ratio and a cutoff line with a low contrast ratio. However, when the high beam is on, if the third optical unit 90 is turned off, it becomes more difficult to illuminate far distances, and long-distance visibility decreases. Therefore, the vehicle headlight 10 according to this embodiment performs the following processing.
[0039] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing of the vehicle headlight 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the high beam light distribution pattern PHA when the high beam is on and another vehicle is detected. At the start of the processing according to the first embodiment, the vehicle headlight 10 is on low beam.
[0040] As illustrated in Figure 6, at the start, the low beams are on, so the vehicle headlights 10 illuminate the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90 (step S11). At this time, the second optical unit 80 is off.
[0041] Next, the vehicle control unit 50 determines whether the vehicle headlights 10 have switched from low beam to high beam (step S12). The vehicle control unit 50 may, for example, determine the switch from low beam to high beam by receiving a signal from the light switch 40 indicating that a switch operation from low beam to high beam has been performed. The vehicle control unit 50 may, for example, analyze the image data captured by the camera 30 and determine the switch from low beam to high beam according to the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. Thus, the switch between low beam and high beam may be performed manually or automatically.
[0042] If the low beams have not switched to high beams (NO in step S12), the vehicle control unit 50 repeats the process in step S12. On the other hand, if the low beams have switched to high beams (YES in step S12), the vehicle control unit 50 sends a signal to the lamp control unit 60 indicating this. Based on the signal received from the vehicle control unit 50, the lamp control unit 60 turns on the second optical unit 80, which is currently off (step S13).
[0043] The vehicle control unit 50 analyzes the image data captured by the camera 30 to determine whether or not there is an oncoming vehicle 1B (an example of another vehicle) (step S14). If it is determined that there is no oncoming vehicle 1B (NO in step S14), the vehicle control unit 50 returns to step S14. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an oncoming vehicle 1B (YES in step S14), the vehicle control unit 50 transmits a signal to the lamp control unit 60 indicating this. Based on the signal received from the vehicle control unit 50, the lamp control unit 60 controls the second optical unit 80 to dim or turn off the light in the area where the oncoming vehicle 1B is located (step S15). In this way, the light from the second optical unit 80 and the third optical unit 90 is less likely to cause glare to the oncoming vehicle 1B.
[0044] Further, the lamp control unit 60 drives the leveling actuator 75 to tilt the leveling frame 77 on which the first optical unit 70 is mounted. Specifically, the lamp control unit 60 drives the leveling actuator 75 to rotate the drive screw 79, thereby moving the lower end of the leveling frame 77 forward. As a result, leveling control is performed so that the optical axis Lx of the first optical unit 70 moves upward, and the first light distribution pattern P11 irradiated from the first optical unit 70 moves upward as in the high beam light distribution pattern PHA shown in FIG. 7 (step S16). For example, the lamp control unit 60 changes the irradiation position of the first light distribution pattern P11 so that the upper end of the first light distribution pattern P11 is slightly above the H-H line on the virtual screen. The first light distribution pattern P11 is preferably moved upward to a region that does not overlap with the glare region of the oncoming vehicle 1B. The glare region of the oncoming vehicle 1B is above the upper end of the third light distribution pattern P13, which is the upper end of the low beam light distribution pattern PL shown in FIG. 4, and is a region including the vehicle body of the oncoming vehicle 1B recognized by image analysis. Therefore, the lamp control unit 60 drives the leveling actuator 75 so that the upper end (for example, the upper end of the right side portion) of the first light distribution pattern P11 in the upward-leveled state is below the upper end of the third light distribution pattern P13, which is the irradiation region of the third optical unit 90 lit during low beam lighting. In FIG. 7, the upper end of the right side portion of the third light distribution pattern P13 is indicated by an imaginary line P13A. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which the glare region of the oncoming vehicle 1B is assumed to be a region including the front glass portion of the oncoming vehicle 1B and the portion where the face of the occupant (especially the driver) of the oncoming vehicle 1B is located, and the first light distribution pattern P11 is moved upward to a region that does not overlap with the glare region.
[0045] Next, the vehicle control unit 50 analyzes the image data captured by the camera 30 again to determine whether or not there is an oncoming vehicle 1B (an example of another vehicle) (step S17). If it is determined that the oncoming vehicle 1B is still present (YES in step S17), the vehicle control unit 50 returns to step S17 and continues the image analysis. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no oncoming vehicle 1B (NO in step S17), the vehicle control unit 50 transmits a signal to the lamp control unit 60 indicating this. Based on the signal received from the vehicle control unit 50, the lamp control unit 60 controls the second optical unit 80 to increase the brightness or turn on the light in the area that was dimmed or turned off, that is, the area where it was determined in step S13 that the oncoming vehicle 1B is present, and also turns on the third optical unit 90 (step S18).
[0046] Furthermore, the lamp control unit 60 drives the leveling actuator 75 to tilt the leveling frame 77 on which the first optical unit 70 is mounted. Specifically, the lamp control unit 60 drives the leveling actuator 75 to rotate the drive screw 79 in the opposite direction to step S14, thereby moving the lower end of the leveling frame 77 backward. As a result, the optical axis Lx of the first optical unit 70 is controlled to change downward, and the first light distribution pattern P11 irradiated from the first optical unit 70 moves downward (step S19). In this way, the first light distribution pattern P11 is changed from the state shown in Figure 7 to the state shown in Figure 5. That is, the irradiation position of the first light distribution pattern P11 is changed so that the upper end of the first light distribution pattern P11 is below the H-H line on the virtual screen.
[0047] As described above, in the vehicle headlamp 10 or the vehicle system 2 of the present disclosure, when there are other vehicles such as an oncoming vehicle 1B during high beam illumination, while the first optical unit 70 and the second optical unit 80 are illuminated, the third optical unit 90 is turned off. Further, the first light distribution pattern P11 (an example of the first irradiation region) irradiated from the first optical unit 70 is moved upward compared to when low beam is illuminated. Also, the light to the glare region of the oncoming vehicle 1B (an example of other vehicles) in the second light distribution pattern P12 (an example of the second irradiation region) irradiated by the second optical unit 80 is dimmed or turned off. That is, when there are other vehicles such as the oncoming vehicle 1B in front of the vehicle during high beam illumination, at least a part of the second optical unit 80 is dimmed or turned off so as not to dazzle the occupants of the other vehicle while the third optical unit 90 is turned off, and the first light distribution pattern P11 irradiated with light by the first optical unit 70 is moved upward to such an extent that it is difficult to dazzle the oncoming vehicle 1B. Thereby, while suppressing the glare to the occupants of other vehicles such as the oncoming vehicle 1B, it becomes easier to irradiate light far away compared to the case where the third optical unit 90 is simply turned off, and the long-distance visibility can be maintained.
[0048] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the upper end of the first light distribution pattern P11 moved upward when the high beam is illuminated and there is an oncoming vehicle 1B may be below the upper end (the virtual line P13A in FIG. 7) of the third light distribution pattern P13 which is the irradiation region of the third optical unit 90 illuminated when the low beam is illuminated. Even if the first light distribution pattern P11 is moved upward when the high beam is illuminated, since the first light distribution pattern P11 is not irradiated above the third light distribution pattern P13 irradiated so as to overlap with the cut-off line CL when the low beam is illuminated, it is possible to increase the long-distance visibility while making it difficult to dazzle the occupants of the oncoming vehicle 1B.
[0049] (Second Embodiment) Next, the configuration of the vehicle headlight 10 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing when the high beam of the vehicle headlight 10 according to the second embodiment is illuminated. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the high beam light distribution pattern PHB when the high beam is illuminated in the second embodiment and another vehicle is detected. In the configuration shown in Figure 8, the same reference numerals are used for the same processing as shown in Figure 6, and their explanations are omitted.
[0050] In the second embodiment, the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 when the high beams are on is changed according to the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B. The vehicle control unit 50 may calculate the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B based on the image captured by the camera 30, or it may calculate the distance based on distance information acquired by a distance measuring sensor provided on vehicle 1 separately from the camera 30. The distance measuring sensor can be configured as, for example, a millimeter-wave radar or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging).
[0051] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the vehicle headlights 10 are illuminated in low beam at the start of the process. Steps S11 to S15 and S17 to S19 in Figure 8 are the same as steps S11 to S15 and S17 to S19 in Figure 6, so their explanation is omitted.
[0052] In the second embodiment, after step S15, the vehicle control unit 50 determines whether the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B is below a predetermined threshold (step S21). The predetermined threshold is, for example, 50 m. The vehicle control unit 50 calculates the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B based on, for example, the image of oncoming vehicle 1B captured by camera 30. In addition to, or instead of, the vehicle control unit 50 may calculate the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B based on a distance image acquired by a distance measuring sensor. If it is determined that the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B is below a threshold (YES in step S21), the vehicle control unit 50 transmits a signal to the lamp control unit 60 indicating this. Based on the signal received from the vehicle control unit 50, the lamp control unit 60 performs leveling control to move the first optical unit 70 upward by a first angle (step S22). Specifically, the lamp control unit 60 controls the leveling actuator 75 so that the optical axis Lx of the first optical unit 70 moves upward by a first angle relative to its initial position (the position shown in Figure 2). The first angle is, for example, 2 degrees.
[0053] On the other hand, if the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B is greater than a threshold (NO in step S21), the vehicle control unit 50 transmits a signal to the lamp control unit 60 indicating this. Based on the signal received from the vehicle control unit 50, the lamp control unit 60 performs leveling control so that the first optical unit 70 moves upward by a second angle (step S23). Specifically, the lamp control unit 60 controls the leveling actuator 75 so that the optical axis Lx of the first optical unit 70 moves upward by a second angle relative to its initial position. The second angle is a larger angle than the first angle, for example, 4 degrees. In this way, when the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B is greater than a threshold, the lamp control unit 60 increases the amount of upward movement of the first optical unit 70 compared to when the distance is less than or equal to the threshold. As a result, the first light distribution pattern P11 is moved upward to, for example, the position shown in Figure 9.
[0054] As illustrated in the high beam light distribution pattern PHB in Figure 9, the first light distribution pattern P11 may be moved upward so that its upper end is located above the imaginary line P13A indicating the upper end of the third light distribution pattern P13. When the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B is large, the light emitted from the vehicle headlight 10 is often unlikely to cause glare to the occupants of oncoming vehicle 1B. Therefore, when the distance between vehicles is longer than a predetermined value, it is possible to further improve long-distance visibility by illuminating the first light distribution pattern P11 above the illumination area of the third light distribution pattern P13 when the high beam is on. After that, the lamp control unit 60 executes the processes from step S17 to step S19.
[0055] As described above, in the vehicle headlight 10 according to the second embodiment, when the high beam is on and there is an oncoming vehicle 1B, if the distance between vehicle 1 and the oncoming vehicle 1B is far (for example, if the distance is the first distance), the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 is increased compared to when the distance is short (for example, if the distance is the second distance, which is shorter than the first distance). When the distance between vehicle 1 and the oncoming vehicle 1B is far, the light from vehicle 1 is less likely to cause glare to the occupants of the oncoming vehicle 1B. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the distance between vehicle 1 and the oncoming vehicle 1B is far, the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 is increased compared to when the distance is short, thereby achieving both the maintenance of long-distance visibility and the suppression of glare.
[0056] In the second embodiment, a predetermined threshold is set for the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B, and the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 is changed before and after this predetermined threshold. However, the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 may be gradually increased as the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B increases. In other words, the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 may be varied according to the distance between one's own vehicle and the other vehicle.
[0057] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of this disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the disclosure described in the claims. The technical scope of this disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the disclosure described in the claims and its equivalents.
[0058] In the first embodiment described above, when the high beams are on and there is another vehicle present, the first optical unit 70 is moved upward to an extent that does not exceed the upper end of the third light distribution pattern P13. However, the illumination area of the first light distribution pattern P11 only needs to be an area that does not overlap with the glare area of the oncoming vehicle 1B. For example, the vehicle control unit 50 may acquire information regarding the position of the headlamp of the oncoming vehicle 1B from the image captured by the camera 30, and based on this headlamp position information, determine the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11, with the headlamp position of the oncoming vehicle 1B as the upper limit. In other words, the first light distribution pattern P11 can be moved upward to an extent that it does not illuminate above the headlamp position of the oncoming vehicle 1B. This makes it possible to maintain long-distance visibility while reliably suppressing glare to the occupants of other vehicles such as the oncoming vehicle 1B.
[0059] In the second embodiment described above, the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 is changed according to the distance between vehicle 1 and oncoming vehicle 1B. However, the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 may also be changed according to the attributes of other vehicles detected in front of vehicle 1. For example, if the other vehicle in front of vehicle 1 is an oncoming vehicle, the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 may be reduced compared to when the other vehicle in front of vehicle 1 is a preceding vehicle. Occupants of the oncoming vehicle directly see the light emitted from vehicle 1, but occupants of the preceding vehicle often see the light emitted from vehicle 1 indirectly through reflections from the mirrors of the preceding vehicle. Therefore, occupants of the oncoming vehicle are more likely to feel glare from the light emitted from vehicle 1 than occupants of the preceding vehicle. Also, in the case of a preceding vehicle, the change in the distance between vehicle 1 and vehicle 1 is relatively gradual, but in the case of an oncoming vehicle, the change in the distance between vehicle 1 and vehicle 1 is rapid, so the oncoming vehicle is more likely to enter the illumination area of vehicle 1. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 when the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle compared to the amount of upward movement of the first light distribution pattern P11 when the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle.
[0060] In the first and second embodiments described above, the third optical unit 90 is turned off when another vehicle, such as oncoming vehicle 1B, is detected in front of vehicle 1 while the high beams are on. However, the third optical unit 90 may be turned off at the timing when the switch from low beam to high beam is made (step S13 in Figures 6 and 8), regardless of whether another vehicle is detected. Alternatively, when another vehicle, such as oncoming vehicle 1B, is detected in front of vehicle 1 while the high beams are on, the third optical unit 90 may be dimmed to a degree that does not cause glare to the occupants of the other vehicle, rather than being turned off.
[0061] This disclosure includes the following embodiments: (1) A vehicle headlight provided on a vehicle, comprising: a cutoff line; a first optical unit that irradiates light into a first illumination area including at least a region below the cutoff line; a second optical unit that can irradiate light into a second illumination area including at least a region above the cutoff line and can dim any region within the second illumination area; and a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a portion of the cutoff line, wherein when the low beam is on, the first optical unit and the third optical unit are lit; when the high beam is on and there is another vehicle in front of the vehicle, the first optical unit and the second optical unit are lit, while the third optical unit is turned off or dimmed and lit, and the first illumination area of the first optical unit is moved higher than when the low beam is on. (2) When the high beams are on and the other vehicle is present, the light from the second illumination area irradiated by the second optical unit to the glare area of the other vehicle is dimmed or turned off, as described in (1). (3) When the high beams are on and the other vehicle is present, the first illumination area is moved upward to an area that does not overlap with the glare area of the other vehicle, as described in (1) or (2). (4) When the high beams are on and the other vehicle is present, the upper end of the first illumination area moved upward is below the upper end of the illumination area of the third optical unit that is lit when the low beams are on, as described in any of (1) to (3). (5) When the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle is a first distance, the amount of upward movement of the first illumination area is increased compared to when the distance between vehicles is a second distance which is shorter than the first distance, as described in any of (1) to (4). (6) A vehicle headlight according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein, when the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle, the amount of upward movement of the first illumination area is reduced compared to when the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle.(7) A vehicle system comprising a vehicle headlight provided on the vehicle, a detection unit capable of detecting other vehicles in front of the vehicle, and a control unit capable of controlling the vehicle headlight and the detection unit, wherein the vehicle headlight has a cutoff line, a first optical unit that irradiates light into a first illumination area including at least a region below the cutoff line, a second optical unit capable of irradiating light into a second illumination area including at least a region above the cutoff line and capable of dimming any region within the second illumination area, and a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a portion of the cutoff line, wherein when the low beam is on, the control unit lights up the first optical unit and the third optical unit, and when the high beam is on and the detection unit detects the other vehicle, the control unit lights up the first optical unit and the second optical unit while turning off or dimming the third optical unit and turning it on, and moves the first illumination area of the first optical unit higher than when the low beam is on.
[0062] This application claims priority under Japanese application No. 2025-019294, filed on 7 February 2025, and incorporates all the provisions of the said Japanese application.
Claims
1. A vehicle headlight provided on a vehicle, comprising: a cutoff line; a first optical unit that irradiates light into a first illumination area including at least a region below the cutoff line; a second optical unit capable of irradiating light into a second illumination area including at least a region above the cutoff line, and capable of dimming any region within the second illumination area; and a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a portion of the cutoff line, wherein when the low beam is on, the first optical unit and the third optical unit are lit; when the high beam is on and there is another vehicle in front of the vehicle, the first optical unit and the second optical unit are lit, while the third optical unit is turned off or dimmed and lit, and the first illumination area of the first optical unit is moved higher than when the low beam is on.
2. When the high beams are on and there is another vehicle present, the vehicle headlight according to claim 1, wherein the light from the second illumination area irradiated by the second optical unit to the glare area of the other vehicle is dimmed or turned off.
3. When the high beams are on and there is another vehicle present, the first illumination area is moved upward to an area that does not overlap with the glare area of the other vehicle, as described in claim 1 or 2.
4. The vehicle headlight according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the high beam is on and there is another vehicle present, the upper end of the first illumination area that has been moved upward is below the upper end of the illumination area of the third optical unit that is illuminated when the low beam is on.
5. The vehicle headlight according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle is a first distance, the amount of upward movement of the first illumination area is increased compared to when the distance between vehicles is a second distance which is shorter than the first distance.
6. The vehicle headlight according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle, the amount of upward movement of the first illumination area is reduced compared to when the other vehicle is a preceding vehicle.
7. A vehicle system comprising a vehicle headlight provided on a vehicle, a detection unit capable of detecting other vehicles in front of the vehicle, and a control unit capable of controlling the vehicle headlight and the detection unit, wherein the vehicle headlight has a cutoff line, a first optical unit that irradiates light into a first illumination area including at least a region below the cutoff line, a second optical unit capable of irradiating light into a second illumination area including at least a region above the cutoff line and capable of dimming any region within the second illumination area, and a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a portion of the cutoff line, wherein when the low beam is on, the control unit lights up the first optical unit and the third optical unit, and when the high beam is on and the other vehicle is detected by the detection unit, the control unit lights up the first optical unit and the second optical unit while turning off or dimming the third optical unit and turning it on, and moving the first illumination area of the first optical unit higher than when the low beam is on.