Adaptive Headlight Beam Shaping for Glare and Visibility Balance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle headlights struggle to effectively adjust light distribution patterns to prevent glare and maintain visibility without causing discomfort, especially when encountering objects such as other vehicles or retroreflective signs, leading to potential visibility and discomfort issues.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle headlight system that adjusts light distribution patterns by reducing light intensity in regions overlapping detected objects while increasing intensity in surrounding areas, using a control unit to manage light emission based on input from detection devices, ensuring a balanced and controlled light distribution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If light distribution pattern is adjusted to reduce light amount to detected objects, then glare to other vehicles and retroreflective objects is reduced, but visibility in front of the vehicle may decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglare to other vehiclesVSAvoidvisibility in front of vehicle
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating light distribution across different spatial regions. The control unit identifies a first region overlapping the detected object and a second region adjacent to it, then applies different light control strategies: reducing light in the first region to prevent glare while maintaining or increasing light in the second region to preserve visibility. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction between glare reduction and visibility maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If light amount is reduced in region overlapping detected object, then glare to driver of host vehicle from retroreflective objects is suppressed, but overall illumination coverage may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereflected light to host vehicleVSAvoidillumination coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by selectively controlling light distribution in different regions. When a retroreflective object is detected, the control unit reduces light in the first region (overlapping the object) to minimize reflected glare to the host vehicle, while simultaneously increasing light in the second region (adjacent area) to compensate for illumination coverage. This ensures both glare suppression and adequate illumination coverage are achieved.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If light distribution is dynamically adjusted based on detected objects, then driving safety and comfort are enhanced, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving safetyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the light distribution control into distinct functional components: object detection by the detection device, region identification (first region overlapping the object, second region adjacent to it), and differential light control by the control unit. This segmented approach enhances driving safety through dynamic adaptation while managing system complexity by organizing functions into modular, manageable segments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback through the detection device that continuously monitors the environment and provides information to the control unit. Based on this feedback about detected objects, the control unit dynamically adjusts the light distribution pattern by the lamp unit, creating a closed-loop system that enhances driving safety while maintaining manageable complexity through purposeful feedback integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4470836B1Vehicle headlight
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 KOITO MFG CO LTD
  • EP4470836B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4470836B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4470836B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A vehicle headlight (1) includes a lamp unit (10) capable of changing a light distribution pattern of emitted light, and a control unit (CO) that controls the lamp unit (10) based on information input from a detection device (120) that detects a predetermined object located in front of a vehicle (100). The control unit (CO) controls the lamp unit (10) to emit light having a light distribution pattern (PH) of a high beam including an additional light distribution pattern (PAH) in a case where the predetermined object is not detected, and in a case where the predetermined object is detected, controls the lamp unit (10) so that a light amount of a first region (91a, 91b, 91c) overlapping at least a part of the predetermined object in the additional light distribution pattern (PAH) decreases and a light amount of a second region (92) different from the first region (91a, 91b, 91c) increases at a predetermined magnification or by a predetermined amount, as compared with the case where the predetermined object is not detected.