Control device for vehicle headlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604063-B2
Application number	US-201816121180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2018
Priority date	Sep 8, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A control device for a vehicle headlight includes a motion information acquisition part that acquires information of a motion of at least a part of a driver in the vehicle, an attribute decision part that determines attribute of the driver based on the information acquired by the motion information acquisition part, and a light distribution controller that controls a light distribution of the vehicle headlight based on the attribute determined by the attribute decision part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for a vehicle headlight, the control device comprising:
a motion information acquisition part that acquires information of a motion of at least a part of a driver in the vehicle;
a vehicle outside information acquisition part that acquires information regarding an outside of the vehicle;
a vehicle information detector that detects information regarding the vehicle based on one or more of a sensor configured to detect information related to an operation amount of an accelerator of the vehicle, a sensor configured to detect information related to an operation amount of a brake of the vehicle, a sensor configured to detect information related to an operation amount of a steering wheel of the vehicle, a sensor configured to detect information related to a speed of the vehicle, a sensor configured to detect information related to an acceleration of the vehicle, and a sensor configured to detect information related to a steering torque of the vehicle,
an attribute decision part that determines attribute of the driver based on at least the information acquired by the motion information acquisition part, the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part and the vehicle information detector; and
a light distribution controller that controls a light distribution of the vehicle headlight based on the attribute determined by the attribute decision part.

2. A vehicle headlight, comprising:
a headlight that is capable of variably changing a light distribution, and
the control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1 that controls the headlight.

3. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1 , further comprising: a driver identification part that identifies the driver,
wherein, when determining the attribute, the attribute decision part determines the attribute of the driver also based on past information regarding the driver identified by the driver identification part.

4. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1 ,
wherein the vehicle outside information acquisition part includes at least one of a photographing information acquisition part that acquires information of a captured image and an object information acquisition part that acquires information related to an object present outside of the vehicle.

5. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1 ,
wherein the motion information acquisition part includes at least one of a sight line information acquisition part that acquires information related to a sight line of the driver, a driver action information acquisition part that acquires information related to an action of the driver, and a face direction angular speed information acquisition part that acquires information related to a direction of the driver's face.

6. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 4 ,
wherein the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part includes information of a distance between the vehicle operated by the driver and another vehicle.

7. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 3 ,
wherein the motion information acquisition part includes at least one of a sight line information acquisition part that acquires information related to a sight line of the driver, a driver action information acquisition part that acquires information related to an action of the driver, and a face direction angular speed information acquisition part that acquires information related to a direction of the driver's face.

8. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 4 ,
wherein the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part includes information regarding which lane the vehicle operated by the driver is traveling on a road.

9. A control device for a vehicle headlight, the control device comprising:
a vehicle outside information acquisition part that acquires information regarding an outside of the vehicle;
a driver identification part that identifies the driver;
an attribute decision part that determines attribute of the driver based on the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part; and
a light distribution controller that controls a light distribution of the vehicle headlight based on the attribute determined by the attribute decision part,
wherein, when determining the attribute, the attribute decision part determines the attribute of the driver based on at least the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part and past information regarding the driver identified by the driver identification part.

10. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 9 , further comprising: a motion information acquisition part that acquires information of a motion of at least a part of a driver in the vehicle,
wherein, when determining the attribute, the attribute decision part determines the attribute of the driver based on at least the information acquired by the motion information acquisition part and the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part.

11. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 10 , further comprising: a driver identification part that identifies the driver,
wherein, when determining the attribute, the attribute decision part determines the attribute of the driver based on at least the information acquired by the motion information acquisition part, the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part and past information regarding the driver identified by the driver identification part.

12. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 10 ,
wherein the motion information acquisition part includes at least one of a sight line information acquisition part that acquires information related to a sight line of the driver, a driver action information acquisition part that acquires information related to an action of the driver, and a face direction angular speed information acquisition part that acquires information related to a direction of the driver's face.

13. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 9 ,
wherein the vehicle outside information acquisition part includes at least one of a photographing information acquisition part that acquires information of a captured image and an object information acquisition part that acquires information related to an object present outside of the vehicle.

14. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 13 ,
wherein the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part includes information of a distance between the vehicle operated by the driver and another vehicle.

15. The control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 13 ,
wherein the information acquired by the vehicle outside information acquisition part includes information regarding which lane the vehicle operated by the driver is traveling on a road.

16. A vehicle headlight, comprising:
a headlight that is capable of variably changing a light distribution, and
the control device for a vehicle headlight according to claim 9 that controls the headlight.

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kita Yasushi
• Kimura Takako
• Uchida Mitsuhiro
• Waragaya Takeshi
• Nakashima Wataru

Classifications

• A61B5/1128

  using image analysis (A61B5/1127 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W2040/0809

  Driver authorisation; Driver identity check · CPC title

• A61B5/0077

  Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens · CPC title

• A61B5/163

  by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change · CPC title

• B60W2540/22

  Psychological state; Stress level or workload · CPC title