Headlight controller
A headlight controller controls a headlight unit that illuminates a predetermined range in front of a vehicle. The headlight controller includes an inter-vehicle distance obtainer, an illumination controller, and a light distribution controller. The inter-vehicle distance obtainer acquires an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle on which the headlight unit is mounted to a vehicle in front traveling in front of the vehicle. The light distribution controller partially dims or shades a range corresponding to a position of the vehicle in front, within an illumination range of a high beam. When the inter-vehicle distance is less than a first distance, the illumination controller displaces downward by a predetermined amount at least an illumination range of a low beam out of the illumination range of the low beam and the illumination range of the high beam by the headlight unit, regardless of operation of the light distribution controller.
1 . A headlight controller configured to control a headlight unit of a vehicle, the headlight unit including a low beam unit configured to emit a low beam and a high beam unit configured to emit a high beam and being configured to illuminate a predetermined range in front of the vehicle, the headlight controller comprising:
an inter-vehicle distance obtainer configured to acquire an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a vehicle in front of the vehicle;
a light distribution controller configured to set, by an adaptive driving beam (ADB) control, a light distribution pattern that partially dims or shades, within an illumination range of the high beam unit, a range corresponding to a position of the front vehicle;
an optical axis adjuster configured to adjust optical axes of the low beam unit and the high beam unit; and
an illumination controller configured to, when the inter-vehicle distance is less than a first distance, control the optical axis adjuster to adjust downward by a predetermined amount at least the optical axis of the low beam unit so as to displace downward by the predetermined amount at least an illumination range of the low beam unit, independently of whether the light distribution controller is carrying out the ADB control.
2 . The headlight controller according to claim 1 , wherein the headlight unit comprises a light source in which light emitting elements are arranged in a matrix.
3 . The headlight controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination controller is configured to, when the vehicle in front is a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a same direction of advance as the vehicle, restore, to a pre-displacement position, whichever illumination range has been displaced downward from among the illumination range of the low beam unit and the illumination range of the high beam unit, when the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is larger than a second distance.
4 . The headlight controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination controller is configured to, when the vehicle in front is an oncoming vehicle with respect to the vehicle, restore, to a pre-displacement position, whichever illumination range has been displaced downward from among the illumination range of the low beam unit and the illumination range of the high beam unit, after the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle pass each other.
5 . The headlight controller according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined amount is determined in advance based on a ground level of the headlight unit in the vehicle and is stored in a storage of the headlight controller.
6 . The headlight controller according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination controller is configured to determine an amount of adjustment for each of the optical axis of the low beam unit and the optical axis of the high beam unit in accordance with an amount of displacement of each illumination range.
7 . The headlight controller according to claim 6 , wherein the illumination controller is configured to output, to the optical axis adjuster, a driving signal indicating the amount of adjustment for each of the optical axis of the low beam unit and the optical axis of the high beam unit.
8 . A headlight controller configured to control a headlight unit of a vehicle, the headlight unit including a low beam unit configured to emit a low beam and a high beam unit configured to emit a high beam and being configured to illuminate a predetermined range in front of the vehicle, the headlight controller comprising circuitry configured to:
acquire an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a vehicle in front of the vehicle;
set, by an adaptive driving beam (ADB) control, a light distribution pattern that partially dims or shades, within an illumination range of the high beam unit, a range corresponding to a position of the front vehicle;
adjust optical axes of the low beam unit and the high beam unit; and
when the inter-vehicle distance is less than a first distance, control the optical axis adjuster to adjust downward by a predetermined amount at least the optical axis of the low beam unit so as to displace downward by the predetermined amount at least an illumination range of the low beam unit, independently of whether the ADB control is carried out.