Low-Beam Light Distribution Control for Forward Vehicle Glare
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle light fixtures struggle to further reduce glare experienced by the driver of a vehicle in front, despite advancements in adaptive driving beam (ADB) control.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle light fixture system with a low-beam unit that forms a low-beam light distribution pattern with a cutoff line and independently adjusts illuminance in subareas below and along the cutoff line. A light distribution control device controls the low-beam unit to create a first reduced illuminance portion in subareas overlapping the position of a vehicle in front, reducing glare.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If illuminance is increased in the low-beam light distribution pattern to improve viewability for the driver, then the driver's visibility is improved, but glare experienced by the driver of a vehicle in front increases
Solution Approach 1:
The low-beam light distribution pattern is divided into multiple independently controllable subareas. The control device identifies subareas that overlap with the vehicle in front in the vehicle width direction and reduces illuminance specifically in those subareas, while maintaining normal illuminance in other subareas. This segmentation allows selective glare reduction without compromising overall viewability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different illuminance levels are applied to different subareas of the low-beam light distribution pattern. Subareas overlapping with the vehicle in front are assigned reduced illuminance to minimize glare, while other subareas maintain standard illuminance to ensure adequate viewability. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by making the light distribution non-uniform based on spatial requirements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If adaptive driving beam control is implemented to reduce glare by dimming light in areas corresponding to vehicles in front, then glare is reduced, but viewability for the driver's vehicle may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination area is segmented into multiple subareas with independent illuminance control. By identifying which subareas overlap with the vehicle in front and selectively reducing illuminance only in those specific subareas, the system maintains viewability in non-overlapping subareas while reducing glare in overlapping subareas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of reducing illuminance across the entire low-beam pattern, the system applies partial action by reducing illuminance only in the specific subareas that cause glare. This partial reduction is sufficient to eliminate glare while preserving adequate illumination in other areas for driver viewability.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle light fixture system includes: a low-beam unit adapted to form a low-beam light distribution pattern having a cutoff line and to independently adjust illuminance in a plurality of subareas in the low-beam light distribution pattern arranged below and along the cutoff line; and a light distribution control device that controls the low-beam unit to form a first reduced illuminance portion in, of the plurality of subareas, the subarea having a position in a vehicle width direction overlapping a position of a vehicle in front in the vehicle width direction.