Adaptive Low-Beam Headlight Control for Rainy Road Glare
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle headlight systems face challenges in ensuring brightness on the near side of the vehicle during rainy conditions while preventing glare to other vehicles due to mirror-reflected light from water films on the road surface.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle headlight system with a pair of headlights, a sensor to detect rainfall or wet road conditions, and a controller that adjusts the illuminance of a partial range within the low beam irradiation to prevent glare by increasing illuminance only where necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the low beam irradiation range is increased to ensure brightness on the near side during rainy conditions, then the brightness on the near side is improved, but glare to other vehicles increases due to mirror-reflected light from water films
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the illuminance control across different regions within the irradiation range. Specifically, the controller increases illuminance in the first range (near side, 0-15m) where brightness is needed during rainy conditions, while maintaining or reducing illuminance in the second range (far side, beyond 15m) where mirror-reflected light would cause glare to other vehicles. This spatial differentiation of light intensity resolves the contradiction between improving near-side brightness and preventing glare to other vehicles.
2Illumination intensity
If the illuminance of the entire irradiation range is increased to ensure brightness on the near side, then the brightness on the near side is improved, but the glare to other vehicles and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by applying different illuminance levels to different spatial zones within the irradiation range. The controller selectively increases illuminance only in the first range (0-15m from the vehicle) during rainy conditions, while keeping illuminance in the second range (beyond 15m) at normal levels. This localized approach ensures near-side brightness improvement while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption that would result from increasing illuminance across the entire irradiation range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by increasing illuminance only in the specific partial range (first range: 0-15m) where brightness is needed during rainy conditions, rather than increasing illuminance across the entire irradiation range. This partial illumination strategy achieves the goal of improving near-side visibility while minimizing energy consumption and avoiding glare to other vehicles in the far range.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Simultaneously ensures brightness on the near side of the vehicle and prevents glare to other vehicles during rainy conditions by optimizing the irradiation range of the headlights.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor configured to detect at least rainfall or wet road condition around the own vehicle
Implementation Method 2
the low beam irradiated to the road surface is mirror-reflected and its component which travels to the far side increases
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle headlight system including: a pair of headlights arranged in front of an own vehicle; a sensor configured to detect at least rainfall or wet road condition around the own vehicle; and a controller connected to the pair of headlights and the sensor and configured to control the operation of the pair of headlights, where the pair of headlights are configured to be able to irradiate low beam at least in front of the own vehicle and to change the illuminance of a partial range within an irradiation range of the low beam, and where, when formation of a water film is estimated, the controller controls the irradiation state of the pair of headlights so as to relatively increase the illuminance of the partial range.