Pixel Headlamp Shading Using Horizontal ROI Stabilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

ADB control systems face challenges in maintaining stable vertical vehicle ROI information due to vehicle vibration, leading to inconsistent shading that causes bother for drivers and other road users.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle lamp apparatus with individually luminance-controllable pixels and a controller that adjusts pixel illumination based on stable horizontal ROI information, using a horizontal reference line to stabilize the shade area, regardless of vertical ROI fluctuations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If ADB control uses vehicle ROI information for shading, then high beam illumination can be provided with reduced glare to preceding vehicles, but vehicle vibration causes vertical ROI information to become unstable, creating bother for drivers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglare to preceding vehicleVSAvoidvertical ROI information stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the horizontal component of ROI information (left end and right end positions) while discarding the vertical component. This selective extraction eliminates the instability caused by vertical vibrations while retaining the useful shading function for preceding vehicles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using the conventional approach of using full vertical ROI information to define the bottom of the shading area, the patent inverts the approach by using a fixed horizontal reference line (cutoff line) as the boundary, regardless of vertical ROI fluctuations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If ADB control creates shading area based on vehicle ROI information, then glare reduction is achieved, but inconsistent vertical positioning causes bother for drivers and other road users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveglare to oncoming vehicle or pedestrianVSAvoidshading consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional shading approach by making the horizontal reference line (cutoff line) the fixed boundary instead of using the variable bottom end of vehicle ROI. This ensures consistent shading positioning that does not fluctuate with vehicle vibrations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a standardized horizontal reference line (cutoff line) as a template that remains constant, replacing the variable vertical boundaries from ROI information. This copying of a stable reference ensures consistent shading behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Illumination intensity

If high beam illumination is used to illuminate wide and far front area, then driver visibility is improved, but glare is caused to other road users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility for driverVSAvoidglare to other road users
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a shading area with specific horizontal boundaries (left end and right end positions) that selectively blocks light in the direction of preceding vehicles while maintaining high beam illumination in other directions. This localized shading reduces glare to specific road users without compromising overall visibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4644182A1Vehicle lamp fitting, controller for variable light distribution lamp and method for controlling same, and software program
Publication Date: 2025.11.05 KOITO MFG CO LTD
  • EP4644182A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4644182A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4644182A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A variable light distribution lamp 110 has a plurality of independently luminance-controllable pixels 112. The variable light distribution lamp 110 is structured to illuminate an area 10 for high beam light distribution, with a first beam BM1 ascribed to luminance distribution of the plurality of pixels 112. A controller 130 is structured to receive, from a vehicle in a high beam mode, shade information that represents a left end position and a right end position in a horizontal direction of an area to be shaded, and to turn off at least one pixel, among the plurality of pixels, which is above a reference line and between the left end and the right end.