Vehicle Headlight Swivel Angle Control for Crosswalk Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional front lighting systems for vehicles have difficulty providing sufficient illumination of crosswalks in intersections, especially at low speeds, due to a swivel angle that is too small, resulting in reduced visibility for drivers at night.
Innovation Solution
A front lighting system with a speed detection unit, steering angle detection unit, and actuator that determines a swivel angle based on the steering angle alone at low speeds and on both steering angle and speed at higher speeds, ensuring that both the target position ahead and crosswalks are clearly illuminated.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the swivel angle is calculated based on speed and steering angle using conventional data maps, then the target position ahead is illuminated at high speeds, but crosswalks in intersections are insufficiently illuminated at low speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the swivel angle calculation method adaptive to different speed conditions. At low speeds (below threshold), the system uses steering angle only for maximum crosswalk illumination. At high speeds (above threshold), it uses both speed and steering angle to illuminate the target position ahead. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction between illuminating crosswalks at low speeds and illuminating ahead at high speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter set used for swivel angle calculation based on vehicle speed. When speed is below a predetermined threshold, only steering angle is used. When speed exceeds the threshold, both speed and steering angle are used. This parameter change strategy allows the system to optimize illumination for different driving scenarios, resolving the contradiction between crosswalk illumination and ahead illumination.
2Illumination intensity
If the swivel angle is increased to illuminate crosswalks at low speeds, then crosswalk visibility improves, but the illumination accuracy for target position ahead deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the swivel angle calculation methodology based on speed conditions. At low speeds, it prioritizes crosswalk illumination by using steering angle only, achieving larger swivel angles. At high speeds, it prioritizes accurate target position illumination by using both speed and steering angle. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction between visibility and accuracy.
3Illumination intensity
If the swivel angle is determined solely by steering angle at all speeds, then crosswalk illumination is improved, but illumination of the target position ahead becomes inaccurate at high speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the input parameters for swivel angle calculation based on speed threshold. Below the threshold, only steering angle is used as input, enabling maximum crosswalk illumination. Above the threshold, both speed and steering angle are used as inputs, ensuring accurate target position illumination. This parameter change strategy resolves the contradiction between crosswalk illumination and target position illumination accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A front lighting device for a vehicle includes a speed detection unit for detecting a vehicle speed, a steering angle detection unit for detecting a steering angle, and a swivel angle determination unit. The swivel angle determination unit determines a swivel angle based only on the detected steering angle when the detected speed is within a first speed range, and based on both the detected steering angle and the detected speed when the detected speed is within a second speed range which is higher than the first speed range. An actuator controls a direction of light from a head light of the vehicle, so that the direction of the light changes in accordance with the determined swivel angle.