Matrix Headlamp Boundary Control for Smooth Glare Shielding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle headlamps experience discomfort due to abrupt changes in light distribution patterns when adjusting light shielding regions, leading to discomfort for drivers.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle headlamp with a lamp unit and control unit that adjusts light distribution by controlling the boundary between bright and dark regions, ensuring illuminance equality across adjacent spots and reducing total light emission based on the proportion of dark regions, allowing smooth transitions in light patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the light shielding region is adjusted by setting illuminance to zero for irradiation spots crossing the boundary, then glare to other vehicles is reduced, but the light distribution pattern changes abruptly causing driver discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of illuminance from a binary state (zero or full) to a continuous gradient state. Irradiation spots crossing the boundary are assigned illuminance values that gradually decrease from the bright region side to the dark region side, creating a smooth transition zone that eliminates abrupt changes in light distribution while maintaining glare reduction effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different illuminance control strategies to different parts of the irradiation spot row. Spots entirely in the bright region maintain full illuminance, spots entirely in the dark region have zero illuminance, and spots crossing the boundary have intermediate illuminance values proportional to their overlap with the dark region. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by maintaining sharp boundaries where needed while creating smooth transitions at boundaries.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the light shielding region moves or changes size, then the light distribution pattern adapts to vehicle position, but the instantaneous change by irradiation spot width causes non-smooth transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic gradient illuminance control mechanism that continuously adapts to boundary position changes. As the boundary moves, the gradient zone dynamically adjusts its position and shape, maintaining smooth transitions throughout the light distribution pattern. This dynamic approach ensures that adaptability to vehicle position changes is maintained while eliminating non-smooth transitions.
3Device complexity
If all irradiation spots in a row are uniformly controlled based on boundary crossing, then control simplicity is maintained, but the inability to differentiate between spots causes abrupt light distribution changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the irradiation spot row into three categories: spots entirely in the bright region, spots entirely in the dark region, and spots crossing the boundary. This segmentation allows for differentiated control of each category, enabling smooth light distribution transitions while maintaining relatively simple control logic based on geometric overlap calculations.
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
The solution reduces discomfort by smoothing changes in light distribution patterns, minimizing glare to other vehicles, and maintaining consistent light distribution based on vehicle position and state.
Implementation Method 1
a light source unit having a plurality of light emitting units capable of individually changing the amount of light emitted
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle headlamp (1) includes: a lamp unit (10); a boundary determination unit (50); and a control unit (CO), in which the control unit (CO) controls the lamp unit (10) such that an illuminance of light irradiating respective irradiation spots (20) in an irradiation spot row (21) formed of irradiation spots (20) irradiated with light from the light emitting elements (13) overlapping the boundary (51) is equal to or lower than the illuminance of light irradiating adjacent irradiation spots (20) in the bright region side of the irradiation spots (20), and is equal to or higher than the illuminance of light irradiating adjacent irradiation spots (20) in the dark region side of the irradiation spots (20), and so that the total amount of light irradiating the irradiation spot row (21) decreases depending on the proportion of a portion of the irradiation spot row (21) that overlaps the dark region.