Vehicle lamp control device and vehicle lamp system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10434929-B2
Application number	US-201816163802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	Oct 24, 2017
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle lamp control device includes an information acquisition unit that acquires snowfall information, and a controller that controls a vehicle lamp capable of changing a formation position of a light distribution pattern. The controller controls the vehicle lamp so as to lower the formation position from a predetermined reference position when snowfall is perceived, and when the snowfall amount is larger than a predetermined value, the controller substantially lowers the formation position as compared with the formation position when the snowfall amount is smaller than the predetermined value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller for a vehicle lamp comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
receive snowfall information from a snowfall detector, the snowfall information indicating a presence of snowfall and an amount of snowfall; and
change a formation position of a light distribution pattern of the vehicle lamp so as to downwardly lower the formation position from a predetermined reference position when snowfall is perceived, and when the snowfall amount is larger than a predetermined value, the controller further lowers the formation position downwardly as compared with the formation position when the snowfall amount is smaller than the predetermined value, and
wherein the snowfall detector is one of a camera or a vehicle navigation system.

2. The vehicle lamp control device of claim 1 , wherein, when a vehicle speed of an own vehicle is faster than a predetermined value, the controller substantially lowers the formation position as compared with the formation position when the vehicle speed of the own vehicle is slower than the predetermined value, without turning off the vehicle lamp.

3. A vehicle lamp system comprising:
a vehicle lamp capable of changing a formation position of a light distribution pattern;
a snowfall detector; and
the controller according to claim 2 .

4. A vehicle lamp system comprising:
a vehicle lamp capable of changing a formation position of a light distribution pattern;
a snowfall detector; and
the controller according to claim 1 .

5. A controller for a vehicle lamp comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
receive snowfall information indicating a presence of snowfall and an amount of snowfall; and
change a formation position of a light distribution pattern,
wherein the processor is further configured to control the vehicle lamp so as to downwardly lower the formation position from a predetermined reference position when snowfall is perceived, and when a vehicle speed of an own vehicle is faster than a predetermined value, the controller further lowers the formation position downwardly as compared with the formation position when the vehicle speed of the own vehicle is slower than the predetermined value, without turning off the vehicle lamp.

6. A vehicle lamp system comprising:
a vehicle lamp capable of changing a formation position of a light distribution pattern;
a snowfall detector; and
the controller according to claim 5 .

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shibata Yoshinori

Classifications

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• F21S41/698

  Shaft-shaped screens rotating along its longitudinal axis · CPC title

• B60Q2300/312

  Adverse weather · CPC title

• B60Q1/115

  by electric means {(details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076)} · CPC title

• B60Q1/085

  due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers (B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence) · CPC title