Vehicle lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11066006-B2
Application number	US-201916531541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2019
Priority date	Aug 6, 2018
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle lamp includes: a variable light distribution lamp capable of generating a beam having a variable intensity distribution; an infrared illumination device configured to irradiate a front; an infrared camera configured to image the front; and a light distribution controller configured to detect a snow particle based on an output of the infrared camera, generate a light distribution pattern in which a portion corresponding to the snow particle is shaded, and control the variable light distribution lamp.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lamp, comprising:
a variable light distribution lamp capable of generating a beam having a variable intensity distribution;
an infrared illumination device configured to irradiate a front;
an infrared camera configured to output an image of the front; and
a light distribution controller configured to detect a snow particle on the image, generate a light distribution pattern in which a portion corresponding to the snow particle is shaded, and control the variable light distribution lamp,
wherein the light distribution controller updates the light distribution pattern in which the shaded portion corresponding to the snow particle follows a movement of the snow particle.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein, in an ineffective region, the light distribution controller disables shading control based on the snow particle, or weakens a degree of shading.

3. A vehicle lamp, comprising:
a camera that captures an image of a front;
a light distribution controller configured to generate a light distribution pattern in which a portion corresponding to a snow particle is shaded, wherein the snow particle is detected on the image; and
a variable light distribution lamp capable of generating a beam having an intensity distribution corresponding to the light distribution pattern,
wherein, in an ineffective region, the light distribution controller disables shading control based on the snow particle, or weakens a degree of shading, and
wherein the light distribution controller updates the light distribution pattern in which the shaded portion corresponding to the snow particle follows a movement of the snow particle.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the ineffective region includes a road surface and/or a wall surface.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3 , wherein the ineffective region includes a road surface and/or a wall surface.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the ineffective region is dynamically set corresponding to a situation in front of a vehicle.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3 , wherein the ineffective region is dynamically set corresponding to a situation in front of a vehicle.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4 , wherein the ineffective region is dynamically set corresponding to a situation in front of a vehicle.

9. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5 , wherein the ineffective region is dynamically set corresponding to a situation in front of a vehicle.

10. The vehicle lamp according to claim 6 , wherein the ineffective region is a low contrast region in an image captured by a camera.

11. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 , wherein the ineffective region is a low contrast region in an image captured by a camera.

12. The vehicle lamp according to claim 8 , wherein the ineffective region is a low contrast region in an image captured by a camera.

13. The vehicle lamp according to claim 9 , wherein the ineffective region is a low contrast region in an image captured by a camera.

14. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2 , wherein when a delineator is detected in the ineffective region, the light distribution controller enables the shading control based on the snow particle in a range corresponding to the delineator.

15. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2 , wherein when an object to be noticed by a driver is detected in the ineffective region, the light distribution controller enables the shading control based on the snow particle in a local range including the object.

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kitazawa Tatsuma

Classifications

• F21W2102/00

  Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes · CPC title

• F21W2107/10

  for land vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q2300/056

  Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind · CPC title

• B60Q2300/312

  Adverse weather · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

  Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers · CPC title