Vehicle Headlamp Beam Control With Dynamic Interruption Timing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing headlamp control systems for vehicles face dissatisfaction from drivers due to inappropriate setting of interruption time when switching from high beam to low beam mode, potentially illuminating pedestrians too long or too short, leading to suboptimal driving experience.
Innovation Solution
A headlamp control device that automatically adjusts the interruption time based on the distance to a detected pedestrian, setting a longer time when the pedestrian is farther away and a shorter time when closer, using a target information obtaining unit to determine the appropriate interruption time during automatic illumination control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the interruption time is set to a longer value, then the illumination mode remains in low beam mode for a longer period after driver operation, but the high beam mode may be maintained too long after passing a pedestrian ahead
Solution Approach 1:
The interruption time is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control unit adjusts the interruption time based on the detected distance to the pedestrian - setting a longer interruption time when the pedestrian is far ahead and a shorter interruption time when the pedestrian is closer. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the low beam duration to the specific spatial context, ensuring safety when needed while minimizing unnecessary low beam usage when the pedestrian has already passed.
2Loss of time
If the interruption time is set to a shorter value, then the illumination mode returns to high beam mode quickly after driver operation, but the low beam mode may be maintained too short a time when a pedestrian is still present
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the interruption time based on real-time distance detection. When a pedestrian is detected at a short distance, the control unit sets a longer interruption time to ensure the low beam mode is maintained until the pedestrian has safely passed. When the pedestrian is far ahead, a shorter interruption time is set, allowing quicker return to high beam mode. This dynamic adaptation resolves the safety concern while avoiding excessive low beam duration.
3Device complexity
If a fixed interruption time is used, then the control system is simple, but the driver may feel dissatisfied when the interruption time is not appropriate for the actual distance to the pedestrian
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-adjustment by automatically detecting the distance to the pedestrian and autonomously determining the appropriate interruption time. The control unit uses the distance information from the target information obtaining unit to self-regulate the low beam duration without requiring driver input or complex manual configuration. This self-service approach maintains relative system simplicity while significantly improving driver satisfaction through context-appropriate illumination control.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control unit (20) of a headlamp control device for a vehicle (10) is configured so that, when an occupant of the vehicle (10) performs a predetermined interruption operation while the illumination mode of a headlamp (30) is a high beam mode during automatic illumination control, the control unit (20) sets the illumination mode to a low beam mode until an interruption time passes. The interruption time is set to a smaller value as a vehicle speed correlation value is larger. The vehicle speed correlation value is a value that increases as a speed at which the vehicle (10) has been traveling since the start of the interruption operation is higher.