IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,944,220
Granted Patent B2
US 9,944,220 · App. 15/053,327 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Vehicle headlight control device

Inventors: Tatsuya Takagaki (Nisshin, JP); Ryu Mizuno (Kariya, JP); Kiyotaka Mochizuki (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA; DENSO CORPORATION; KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
B60Q1/08B60Q1/143B60Q2300/056B60Q2300/41B60Q2300/42
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,944,220
App. No.
15/053,327
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle headlight control device that controls a light distribution of headlight, includes: an obtaining section that obtains a distance from a driver's vehicle to a forward vehicle and the position of a forward vehicle; and a light distribution control section that changes the light distribution of the headlight based on the position of the forward vehicle, and set an illumination region, and a non-illumination region provided in a vicinity of the forward vehicle so as to include the forward vehicle and a margin distance from an end of a body of the forward vehicle. The light distribution control section determines a distance, in a vehicle width direction, between: a boundary between the illumination region and the non-illumination region; and each of left and right lateral ends of the forward vehicle, such that the greater the distance is, the less the distance in the vehicle width direction is.

Claims (19)

1. A vehicle headlight control device that controls a light distribution of headlight, the vehicle headlight control device comprising:

an obtaining section configured to obtain a position of a forward vehicle in front of a driver's vehicle, and a distance from the driver's vehicle to the forward vehicle; and

a light distribution control section configured to change the light distribution of the headlight based on the position of the forward vehicle, and set an illumination region and a non-illumination region, the non-illumination region being provided in a vicinity of the forward vehicle so as to include the forward vehicle, the non-illumination region including a predetermined distance set from an end of a body of the forward vehicle, wherein

the light distribution control section determines a ratio of a distance, in a vehicle width direction, between: a boundary between the illumination region and the non-illumination region; and each of left and right lateral ends of the forward vehicle, relative to a vehicle width of the forward vehicle, such that the greater the distance from the driver's vehicle to the forward vehicle is, the less the distance in the vehicle width direction is.

2. The vehicle headlight control device according to claim 1 , wherein the light distribution control section determines the distance in the vehicle width direction such that an amount of light estimated to be received by the forward vehicle becomes less than or equal to an amount of light in which an amount of glare is allowable for the forward vehicle which is distant from the driver's vehicle.

3. The vehicle headlight control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the obtaining section further obtains vehicle information indicating whether the forward vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, and

the light distribution control section determines the distance in the vehicle width direction based further on the vehicle information.

4. The vehicle headlight control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the obtaining section further obtains a relative positional deviation in the vehicle width direction between an axis of the driver's vehicle in a traveling direction and an axis of the forward vehicle in a traveling direction, and

the light distribution control section determines the distance in the vehicle width direction based further on the relative positional deviation therebetween.

5. The vehicle headlight control device according to claim 1 , wherein the light distribution control section further determines a distance, in a vehicle height direction, between: a boundary between the illumination region and the non-illumination region; and each of upper and lower ends of the forward vehicle, such that the greater the distance from the driver's vehicle to the forward vehicle is, the less the distance in the vehicle height direction is.

6. The vehicle headlight control device according to claim 2 , wherein

the obtaining section further obtains vehicle information indicating whether the forward vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, and

the light distribution control section determines the distance in the vehicle width direction based further on the vehicle information.

7. The vehicle headlight control device according to claim 2 , wherein

the obtaining section further obtains a relative positional deviation in the vehicle width direction between an axis of the driver's vehicle in a traveling direction and an axis of the forward vehicle in a traveling direction, and

the light distribution control section determines the distance in the vehicle width direction based further on the relative positional deviation therebetween.

8. The vehicle headlight control device according to claim 2 , wherein the light distribution control section further determines a distance, in a vehicle height direction, between: a boundary between the illumination region and the non-illumination region; and each of upper and lower ends of the forward vehicle, such that the greater the distance from the driver's vehicle to the forward vehicle is, the less the distance in the vehicle height direction is.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2016
From: TAKAGAKI, TATSUYA; MIZUNO, RYU; MOCHIZUKI, KIYOTAKA
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA; DENSO CORPORATION; KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 037829/0176 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-038613 · Feb 27, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160250964A1 · Sep 1, 2016