Control device for vehicle headlamps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077787-B2
Application number	US-201816643762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2018
Priority date	Sep 8, 2017
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A control device for vehicle headlamps configured to control illumination with light using headlamps of a vehicle, the control device for vehicle headlamps includes a determination part configured to determine whether the vehicle will collide with an object detected by an object detection part configured to detect an object, and an illumination controller configured to illuminate a region corresponding to the object that has been determined to collide with the vehicle by the determination part with a marking light and configured to illuminate a region around the region corresponding to the object with a background light in which a light intensity level thereof is decreased when a light intensity level of the marking light is increased, by using the headlamps.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device for vehicle headlamps configured to control illumination with light using headlamps of a vehicle, the control device for vehicle headlamps comprising:
a determination part configured to determine whether the vehicle will collide with an object detected by an object detection part configured to detect an object; and
an illumination controller that is configured to illuminate a region corresponding to the object that has been determined to collide with the vehicle by the determination part with a marking light and that is configured to illuminate a region around the region corresponding to the object with a background light in which a light intensity level thereof is decreased when a light intensity level of the marking light is increased, by using the headlamps,
wherein, in a case where the determination part determines that the object is a person and determines that a face of the person is oriented towards a direction of the vehicle, the illumination controller is set to a first control mode in which the marking light, which has a size larger than the background light and which has a light intensity that does not exceed a glare level, is emitted to the region corresponding to the object, and
wherein, in a case where the determination part determines that the object is a person and determines that a face of the person is not oriented towards the direction of the vehicle the illumination controller is set to a second control mode in which the marking light, which has a light intensity that exceeds the glare level, is emitted to the region corresponding to the object.

2. The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination controller emits blinking light as the marking light.

3. The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1 , wherein the determination part is configured to determine that the face of the person is oriented towards the direction of the vehicle when a pupil of the person is detected.

4. The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the determination part determines that the object is not a person, the illumination controller is set to the second control mode in which the marking light, which has the light intensity that exceeds the glare level, is emitted to the region corresponding to the object.

5. The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 4 , wherein the illumination controller emits blinking light as the marking light.

6. The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1 , wherein a light intensity of the glare level is a brightness of one lux.

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B60Q1/525

  automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data · CPC title

• B60Q1/247

  for illuminating the close surroundings of the vehicle, e.g. to facilitate entry or exit (for reverse drive B60Q1/22; by opening a side door B60Q1/323) · CPC title

• H05B47/115 Primary

  by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

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

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title