Apparatus and method for controlling light distribution using steering information
Provided is an apparatus for controlling light distribution using steering information, the apparatus including a steering information detector configured to detect an amount of change of steering information sensed through a steering sensor that senses the steering information, a determiner configured to determine whether the amount of change of the steering information detected through the steering information detector is greater than or equal to a predetermined critical value and determine a direction in which the steering information is changed, and a controller configured to increase or decrease a margin of a shadow zone of a headlamp according to the amount of change of the steering information when the amount of change of the steering information is determined by the determiner to be greater than or equal to the predetermined critical value.
1. A system for controlling light distribution using steering information of a vehicle to form a glare free area for avoiding glare to a driver of a preceding vehicle while the headlamp is illuminating a road ahead of the vehicle, the system comprising:
a headlamp configured to emit a light beam for illuminating a road ahead of the vehicle;
a steering sensor configured to sense a rotation speed of a steering device of the vehicle;
a steering information detector configured to detect an amount of change to a steering value representing the rotation speed of the steering device;
a processor; and
a computer-readable medium in communication with the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to control the system to perform:
comparing a first amount of change to the steering value detected at a first time to a predetermined steering reference value;
determining, based on the comparison between the detected first amount of change and the predetermined steering reference value, that the first amount of change is not greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value;
in response to determining that the detected first amount of change is not greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value, controlling the headlamp to maintain the glare free area without expanding or reducing the glare free area;
comparing a second amount of change to the steering value detected at a second time subsequent to the first time to the predetermined steering reference value;
determining, based on the comparison between the second amount of change and the predetermined steering reference value, that the detected second amount of change is greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value; and
in response to determining that the detected second amount of change is greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value, controlling the headlamp to expand or reduce the glare free area between a basic margin and a maximum margin based on the second amount of change,
wherein, for controlling the headlamp to expand or reduce the glare free area, the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the system to perform at least one of:
controlling the headlamp to expand the glare free area toward the maximum margin at a first rotation speed of the steering device; and
controlling the headlamp to reduce the glare free area toward the basic margin at a second rotation speed of the steering device that is lower than the first rotation speed.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the system to perform controlling the headlamp to adjust the glare free area in a direction opposite to a direction in which the steering value is changed.
3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera configured to acquire position information of the preceding vehicle and calculate an amount of change to a position of the preceding vehicle from the position information of the preceding vehicle,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the system to perform:
determining that the calculated amount of change to the position of the preceding vehicle exceeds a predetermined position change reference value; and
controlling the headlamp to adjust the glare free area further based on the amount of change to the position of the preceding vehicle exceeding the predetermined position change reference value.
4. A method of controlling light distribution of a headlamp using steering information of a vehicle, the method comprising:
controlling the headlamp to emit a light beam to form a glare free area for avoiding glare to a driver of a preceding vehicle while the headlamp is illuminating a road ahead of a vehicle;
detecting a first amount of change to a steering value representing a rotation speed of the steering device sensed at a first time;
comparing the detected first amount of change to a predetermined steering reference value;
determining, based on the comparison between the detected first amount of change and the predetermined steering reference value, that the first amount of change is not greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value;
in response to determining that the detected first amount of change is not greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value, controlling the headlamp to maintain the glare free area without expanding or reducing the glare free area;
detecting a second amount of change to the steering value sensed at a second time subsequent to the first time;
comparing the second amount of change to the predetermined steering reference value;
determining, based on the comparison between the second amount of change and the predetermined steering reference value, that the second amount of change is greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value; and
in response to determining that the detected second amount of change is greater than or equal to the predetermined steering reference value, controlling the headlamp to expand or reduce the glare free area between a basic margin and a maximum margin based on the second amount of change,
wherein controlling the headlamp to expand or reduce the glare free area comprises at least one of:
controlling the headlamp to expand the glare free area toward the maximum margin at a first rotation speed of the steering device; and
controlling the headlamp to reduce the glare free area toward the basic margin at a second rotation speed of the steering device that is lower than the first rotation speed.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising controlling the headlamp to adjust the glare free area in a direction opposite to a direction in which the steering value is changed.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
acquiring position information of the preceding vehicle and calculating an amount of change to a position of the preceding vehicle from the position information of the preceding vehicle;
determining that the amount of change to the position of the preceding vehicle exceeds a predetermined position change reference value; and
controlling the headlamp to adjust the glare free area further based on the amount of change to the position of the preceding vehicle exceeding the predetermined position change reference value.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to control the system to perform:
controlling the headlamp to form a glare free area for avoiding glare to a driver of an opposing vehicle while the headlamp is illuminating the road ahead of the vehicle; and
controlling the headlamp to adjust the glare free area for avoiding glare to the driver of the opposing vehicle based on the detected second amount of change to the steering value.
8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
controlling the headlamp to form a glare free area for avoiding glare to a driver of an opposing vehicle while the headlamp is illuminating the road ahead of the vehicle; and
controlling the headlamp to adjust the glare free area for avoiding glare to the driver of the opposing vehicle based on the detected second amount of change to the steering value.