JP2011063187A - Vehicle lamp control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle lamp control device which issues warning to the inside and outside of a vehicle while suppressing a cost increase by warning using existing vehicle lamps provided to the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle lamp control device 1 detects the distance up to an obstacle around the vehicle with the use of an obstacle sensor 23, and increases the illuminance of the lamps 2 of the vehicle including head lamps, tail lamps, a reversing lamp, direction indicator lamps, and an interior lamp to a higher level when the distance to the obstacle is shorter, and decreases the illuminance of the lamps 2 to a lower level when the distance is longer. The vehicle lamp control device 1 acquires the travelling speed of the vehicle detected by a speed sensor 21, and enhances the illuminance of the lamps 2 as the travelling speed increases, even when the distance to the obstacle is long. If the lamps 2 are off when the obstacle around the vehicle is detected, the vehicle light control device 1 adjusts the illuminance of the lamps 2 after lighting the lamps 2. In addition, the vehicle light control device 1 PWM-controls the power supply from the power source to the lamps 2, and adjusts the illuminance of the lamps 2 by adjusting the duty ratio. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle light control device that performs lighting control of vehicle lights such as a headlight, a taillight, a backward light, a direction indicator light, and an interior light provided inside and outside the vehicle.

  The vehicle is provided with a large number of lamps (lights) on the inside and outside of the vehicle, and the lighting / extinguishing control of the lamps is performed according to the switch operation by the vehicle occupant. For example, a headlamp such as a head lamp or a fog lamp is provided at the front of the vehicle, a tail lamp such as a tail lamp or a brake lamp, and a reverse lamp such as a back lamp are provided at the rear of the vehicle. Turn signal direction indicators are provided on the left and right, respectively, and interior lights such as room lamps or map lamps are provided in the vehicle.

  Further, in recent vehicles, an obstacle detection device that detects an object (obstacle) such as another vehicle, a pedestrian, or an installation on a road existing around the vehicle may be mounted. Some obstacle detection devices are configured to detect obstacles by, for example, emitting ultrasonic waves and detecting the reflected waves, and for example, image processing from an image around a vehicle captured by an in-vehicle camera. There is a configuration in which an obstacle is detected by the above. When an obstacle is detected around the vehicle by the obstacle detection device, a warning is given to the driver of the vehicle by outputting a warning sound by a buzzer or displaying a warning message on the display inside the vehicle. Can do.

  In Patent Document 1, at least one passenger of the own vehicle or another vehicle can instantly and reliably recognize a warning of vehicle collision prediction, and can quickly and reliably recognize the collision direction of the vehicle. A vehicle collision warning device has been proposed. This vehicle collision warning device is provided with a light emitting device in each of the vehicle window, the rearview mirror, and the side mirror, and when a vehicle collision is predicted, the light emitting device in the collision direction emits light so that the inside and outside of the vehicle are emitted. Notification can be performed.

JP 2007-314016 A

  However, in the configuration in which a warning sound is output by a buzzer or the like when an obstacle around the vehicle is detected, for example, when a music is played back by the vehicle audio device, the driver misses the warning sound. There is a fear. In addition, in the configuration in which a warning message is displayed on a display or the like when an obstacle around the vehicle is detected, the driver does not always look at the display, so there is a possibility that the warning message displayed on the display may be missed. . Further, the warning target is only the driver in the vehicle, and a warning outside the vehicle cannot be given.

  The vehicle collision alarm device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to issue a warning by using light emitting devices provided on a vehicle window, a rearview mirror, and a side mirror. These light emitting devices are mounted on a conventional vehicle. It is not what has been done. For this reason, it is necessary to newly provide a large number of light emitting devices in the vehicle, and there is a problem that the cost increases. In addition, since the installation space of the equipment and the cable laying space in the vehicle are limited, a large number of light-emitting devices are mounted on the vehicle, and a large number of power cables and lighting control signal cables are connected to each light-emitting device. It is not easy to lay the cable.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the purpose of the present invention is to suppress an increase in cost by giving a warning using an existing vehicle light provided in the vehicle, An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle light control device capable of giving a warning to the inside and outside of a vehicle.

  The vehicle light control device according to the present invention includes a detection means for detecting a distance to an object existing around the vehicle, and a vehicle light provided in the vehicle according to the distance to the object detected by the detection means. Adjusting means for adjusting illuminance.

  In the vehicle light control device according to the present invention, the adjustment means increases the illuminance of the vehicle light as the distance to the object is shorter, and decreases the illuminance of the vehicle light as the distance to the object is longer. It is characterized by the above.

  The vehicle light control device according to the present invention further includes speed acquisition means for acquiring a traveling speed of the vehicle, and the adjusting means is an illuminance of the vehicle light according to the traveling speed acquired by the speed acquisition means. It is characterized by adjusting the above.

  The vehicle light control device according to the present invention further includes a brake operation amount acquisition means for acquiring an operation amount for the brake of the vehicle, and the adjustment means corresponds to the operation amount acquired by the brake operation amount acquisition means. The illuminance of the vehicle light is adjusted.

  In the vehicle light control device according to the present invention, when the adjustment means detects that an object is present around the vehicle, the vehicle light is turned on when the vehicle light is turned off. Thus, the illuminance is adjusted.

  In the vehicle light control device according to the present invention, the vehicle light includes a headlight, a taillight, a backward light, a direction indicator light, and an interior light, and the adjusting means includes the headlight, the taillight, and the backward light. All of the direction indicator lamp and the interior lamp are turned on.

  In the vehicle light control device according to the present invention, the adjusting means intermittently supplies power from a power source to turn on the vehicle light, and adjusts a power supply / non-supply ratio. Thus, the illuminance of the vehicle light is adjusted.

  The vehicle lamp control device according to the present invention further includes voltage detection means for detecting an output voltage value of the power supply, and the adjustment means is configured to change the vehicle lamp according to the output voltage value detected by the voltage detection means. It is characterized by adjusting the illuminance.

  In the vehicle light control device according to the present invention, the control means adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle light by adjusting a voltage value of power supplied from a power source to the vehicle light. And

In the present invention, it is possible to detect whether an object such as another vehicle, a pedestrian, or an installation on the road exists in the vicinity of the vehicle and can detect a distance to the object existing in the vicinity of the vehicle. The means is mounted on the vehicle. A vehicle light control device that controls lighting of vehicle lights such as a vehicle headlight, taillight, backward light, direction indicator light, and / or interior light is used for the vehicle light according to the distance to the object detected by the detection means. Adjust the illuminance (brightness).
As a result, for example, the driver of the following vehicle can surely recognize the lighting of the vehicle light, and the possibility that the vehicle having the vehicle light control device of the present invention suddenly stops can be detected in advance. That is, a warning can be given to other vehicles or pedestrians in the vicinity.
Further, for example, in the case where the vehicle light control device is configured to control the lighting of the interior light, a warning can be given to the driver of the vehicle by changing the illuminance of the interior light.
In addition, since the vehicle light control apparatus of this invention is a structure which alerts using the existing vehicle light, it can suppress the increase in cost.

  In the present invention, the illuminance of the vehicle lamp is increased as the distance from the vehicle to the object is shorter, and the illuminance of the vehicle lamp is decreased as the distance is longer. Thereby, when the distance to the object is short and there is a high possibility of a collision between the vehicle and the object, the illuminance of the vehicle light can be increased. Therefore, the warning to the inside and outside of the vehicle by the vehicle light can be effectively performed.

  In the present invention, the vehicle light control device acquires information on the traveling speed detected by a vehicle speed sensor or the like mounted on the vehicle, and adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle lamp according to the acquired traveling speed. When the vehicle is traveling at a high speed, the risk of collision with objects existing around the vehicle increases. For example, the higher the traveling speed, the higher the illuminance of the vehicle light. By adjusting the illuminance such as increasing the illuminance of the vehicle light even if the distance of the vehicle is long, a warning to the inside and outside of the vehicle by the vehicle light can be effectively performed, and an accident can be prevented in advance.

  In the present invention, when a sensor for detecting the amount of operation of the driver with respect to the brake is mounted on the vehicle, the vehicle light control device acquires the amount of operation of the brake detected by the sensor, and the acquired operation of the brake Adjust the illuminance of the vehicle lights according to the amount. When the driver of the vehicle strongly presses the brake (when the operation amount is large), there is a possibility that the vehicle may collide with an object existing in the vicinity. For example, the illuminance of the vehicle light increases as the brake operation amount increases. By adjusting the illuminance such as increasing the illuminance, it is possible to reliably warn the outside of the vehicle by the vehicle light.

  Further, in the present invention, when the vehicle light is turned off when it is detected that an object is present around the vehicle, the vehicle light control device first turns on the vehicle light that is turned off, and then Adjust the light intensity. Thus, even when the driver is not performing an operation of turning on the vehicle light, it is possible to reliably warn the inside and outside of the vehicle using the vehicle light.

  In the present invention, the vehicle lights controlled by the vehicle light control device include a headlight, a taillight, a reverse light, a direction indicator light, and an interior light, and the vehicle light control device controls all of these vehicle lights. Turn on to adjust the illuminance. By giving a warning by turning on a large number of vehicle lights, a warning using the vehicle lights can be performed more effectively.

  In the present invention, power from a power source such as a battery or an alternator is intermittently supplied to the vehicle light. For example, power supply to the vehicle light is performed by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. At this time, the vehicle lamp control device controls the illuminance of the vehicle lamp by adjusting the ratio of supply / non-supply of power from the power source to the vehicle lamp (so-called duty ratio). As a result, the illuminance of the vehicle lamp can be easily and reliably increased and decreased, and the power consumption by the vehicle lamp can be reduced.

  In the present invention, the output voltage value of the power source is detected, and the vehicle light control device adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle light according to this voltage value. For example, when the output voltage value of the power source decreases due to a decrease in battery voltage or the like, the illuminance of the vehicle lamp may decrease. That is, the illuminance of the vehicle lamp may vary depending on the output voltage value of the power source. Therefore, the vehicle light control device adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle light according to the output voltage value of the power supply, so that the illuminance can be kept constant with respect to the fluctuation of the output voltage value of the power supply, When the illuminance of the vehicle light is adjusted according to the distance of the vehicle, a warning by the vehicle light can be more reliably performed.

  In the present invention, the illuminance control of the vehicle lamp is performed by adjusting the voltage value of the electric power supplied from the power source to the vehicle lamp. This makes it possible to easily and reliably increase or decrease the illuminance of the vehicle lamp. Further, by using a circuit for boosting the power supply voltage, the illuminance of the vehicle lamp can be further increased.

  In the case of the present invention, when the illuminance of the vehicle light is adjusted in accordance with the distance to the object existing around the vehicle, there is a possibility that an accident or the like may occur due to the distance between the vehicle and the object getting closer. By increasing the illuminance of the vehicle light, it is possible to reliably warn the driver of the following vehicle by the vehicle light, and to alert the driver by changing the illuminance of the interior light. In addition, an increase in cost can be suppressed by adopting a configuration in which warning is performed using an existing vehicle light. Therefore, the vehicle light control device of the present invention can reliably prevent a vehicle accident by generating a warning to the inside and outside of the vehicle while suppressing an increase in cost.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle light control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for illuminance adjustment of the lamp performed by the vehicle light control device according to the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the illumination intensity adjustment process of the lamp which the vehicle lamp control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention performs. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle light control apparatus which concerns on the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vehicle light control apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle light control apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle light control device that controls lighting / extinguishing of a lamp (vehicle light) 2 mounted on a vehicle (not shown) and illuminance at the time of lighting. The lamp 2 is a vehicle such as a headlamp such as a headlamp or a fog lamp, a tail lamp such as a tail lamp or a brake lamp, a reverse lamp such as a back lamp, a direction indicator lamp such as a blinker, or an interior lamp such as a room lamp or a map lamp. Are various vehicle lights.

  The vehicle light control device 1 is arranged in a power supply path from a power source such as an alternator 5 and a battery 6 mounted on the vehicle to the lamp 2, and switches between supply / non-supply of power from the power source to the lamp 2, And the lighting control of the lamp 2 is performed by controlling the supply amount of electric power. The alternator 5 is a power generator that generates power in accordance with the operation of a vehicle engine (not shown). The battery 6 stores the power generated by the alternator 5 and supplies the stored power to the lamp 2 and other in-vehicle devices when the engine of the vehicle is stopped.

  The vehicle light control device 1 performs lighting control of the lamp 2 in accordance with information given from the speed sensor 21, the lighting switch 22, and the obstacle sensor 23. The speed sensor 21 is a sensor that detects a traveling speed mounted at an appropriate position of the vehicle, and notifies the vehicle lighting control device 1 of the detected traveling speed. The lighting switch 22 is mounted in the vicinity of the driver's seat of the vehicle, and is a switch for accepting the lighting / extinguishing operation of the lamp 2 by the driver of the vehicle, and the operation state (that is, the on / off state of the switch) by the driver. The vehicle light control device 1 is notified. The obstacle sensors 23 are mounted at the four corners of the vehicle, for example, front, rear, left and right, and detect the reflected waves by emitting ultrasonic waves and the like, so that obstacles such as other vehicles, pedestrians, or installations on the road around the vehicle. Whether or not an object is present and if there is an obstacle, the distance to the obstacle is detected, and the detection result is notified to the vehicle light control device 1.

  The vehicle light control device 1 includes a control unit 11, a power supply switching unit 12, a voltmeter 13, and the like. The control unit 11 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory element such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. And the control process of the operation of the power supply switching unit 12 are performed.

  The power supply switching unit 12 switches supply / non-supply of power from the power supply of the alternator 5 and the battery 6 to the lamp 2 in accordance with a control signal given from the control unit 11. The power supply switching unit 12 is realized by, for example, a switching element arranged in a power supply path between the power source and the lamp 2, and supplies power by switching on / off of the switching element according to a control signal from the control unit 11. Supply / non-supply of power can be switched by connecting / disconnecting the path. The voltmeter 13 measures the output voltage of the power source of the alternator 5 and the battery 6 and notifies the control unit 11 of the voltage value of the measurement result.

  The controller 11 of the vehicle light control device 1 includes an output voltage value of the power source measured by the voltmeter 13, a vehicle traveling speed detected by the speed sensor 21, an on / off state of the lighting switch 22, and an obstacle sensor. 23, the presence / absence of an obstacle and the detection result of the distance to the obstacle are input, and the lighting control of the lamp 2 is performed based on these information. Hereinafter, the control of the lamp 2 performed by the vehicle light control device 1 will be described in detail.

  The control unit 11 acquires the on / off state of the lighting switch 22 and performs control to turn on the lamp 2 if the lighting switch 22 is on, and turn off the lamp 2 if the lighting switch 22 is off. At this time, the control unit 11 outputs a pulse signal having a duty ratio corresponding to the output voltage value of the power source measured by the voltmeter 13 to the power supply switching unit 12 as a control signal. The power supply switching unit 12 connects / cuts off the power supply path from the power source to the lamp 2 in accordance with the control signal given from the control unit 11 (on / off of the switching element), and thereby according to the duty ratio. The lamp 2 is turned on with the power supply amount, that is, with the illuminance corresponding to the duty ratio.

The lighting control of the lamp 2 according to the duty ratio of the control signal performed by the vehicle lamp control device 1 is a so-called PWM control method. At this time, the duty ratio of the control signal output by the control unit 11 can be calculated by the following (Equation 1). In (Expression 1), the variable V is the output voltage value of the power source measured by the voltmeter 13, and Va is a constant.
Duty ratio = (Va / V) ² (Formula 1)

  Even when the output voltage value of the power supply fluctuates by outputting the control signal of the duty ratio calculated by (Equation 1) by the control unit 11, the direct current voltage Va [V] is applied to the lamp 2. Is stably supplied. That is, when the output voltage value V detected by the voltmeter 13 decreases, the duty ratio of the control signal output by the control unit 11 increases, and when the output voltage value V increases, the control signal Since the duty ratio decreases, the amount of power supplied to the lamp 2 is kept substantially constant. For example, when Va = 12 is set, the lamp 2 is lit with an illuminance equivalent to that when a DC voltage of 12 V is applied without being affected by fluctuations in the output voltage value of the power supply.

  Further, the vehicle light control device 1 performs a process of adjusting the illuminance of the lamp 2 when an obstacle is detected around the vehicle by the obstacle sensor 23. When an obstacle is detected by the obstacle sensor 23, the vehicle control device 1 lights the lamp 2 and adjusts the illuminance even if the lighting switch 22 is in the off state.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the illuminance adjustment of the lamp 2 performed by the vehicle light control device 1 according to the present invention. The horizontal axis indicates the distance from the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 23, and A graph with the illuminance on the vertical axis is shown. Further, the vehicle light control device 1 changes the illuminance adjustment pattern of the lamp 2 in accordance with the traveling speed of the vehicle detected by the speed sensor 21, and the traveling speed is 60 km / h in FIG. 2 (b) shows a case where the traveling speed is 60 km / h or more.

  When the traveling speed of the vehicle detected by the speed sensor 21 is less than 60 km / h, the vehicle light control device 1 determines whether the distance from the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 23 is 2.5 m or less, or even 1 m or less. And the illuminance of the lamp 2 is adjusted according to the determination result. For example, when the distance from the obstacle is longer than 2.5 m, the vehicle light control device 1 sets Va = 12 in (Equation 1) above to turn on the lamp 2 with an illuminance equivalent to 12 V DC voltage application. A control signal of the set duty ratio is output from the control unit 11 to the power supply switching unit 12. Further, for example, when the distance to the obstacle is 2.5 m or less and further than 1 m, the vehicle lamp control device 1 is configured to turn on the lamp 2 with an illuminance equivalent to a DC voltage application of 13 V (Equation 1 ), The control signal having the duty ratio set to Va = 13 is output from the control unit 11 to the power supply switching unit 12. For example, when the distance from the obstacle is 1 m or less, the vehicle light control device 1 outputs a control signal with a duty ratio = 1 (100%) from the control unit 11 to the power supply switching unit 12.

  Further, when the traveling speed of the vehicle detected by the speed sensor 21 is 60 km / h or more, the vehicle light control device 1 determines whether the distance from the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 23 is 4.5 m or less, or It is determined whether it is 2 m or less, and the illuminance of the lamp 2 is adjusted according to the determination result. For example, when the distance to the obstacle is longer than 4.5 m, the vehicle light control device 1 sets Va = 12 in the above (Equation 1) in order to turn on the lamp 2 with an illuminance equivalent to 12 V DC voltage application. A control signal of the set duty ratio is output from the control unit 11 to the power supply switching unit 12. Further, for example, when the distance to the obstacle is 4.5 m or less and farther than 2 m, the vehicle light control device 1 is configured so as to turn on the lamp 2 with an illuminance equivalent to a DC voltage application of 13 V (Equation 1 ), The control signal having the duty ratio set to Va = 13 is output from the control unit 11 to the power supply switching unit 12. Further, for example, when the distance from the obstacle is 2 m or less, the vehicle light control device 1 outputs a control signal with a duty ratio = 1 (100%) from the control unit 11 to the power supply switching unit 12.

  Thus, the vehicle light control device 1 increases the duty ratio of the control signal stepwise so as to increase the illuminance of the lamp 2 as the distance from the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 23 becomes shorter. Thus, if the lamp 2 is an interior light, the vehicle driver can be warned of an approaching obstacle by turning on the interior light and changing the illuminance of the interior light. Also, whether the lamp 2 is inside or outside the vehicle, warn other vehicles such as following vehicles that this vehicle is approaching an obstacle and may stop suddenly. Can do.

  The vehicle light control device 1 adjusts the illuminance of the lamp 2 at different timings when the vehicle is traveling at a high speed and when traveling at a low speed. That is, the vehicle light control device 1 increases the illuminance of the lamp 2 at a stage where the distance from the obstacle is farther at high speeds than at low speeds. As a result, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the driver can be quickly warned of the presence of an obstacle, and the surrounding other vehicles can be quickly warned.

  More specifically, the vehicle light control device 1 determines the constant of the above (Equation 1) based on the traveling speed of the vehicle detected by the speed sensor 21 and the distance to the obstacle detected by the obstacle sensor 23. By setting Va, the illuminance adjustment of the lamp 2 shown in FIG. 2 is performed. For this purpose, the control unit 11 of the vehicle light control device 1 stores table information in which the traveling speed and the distance to the obstacle are associated with the value of the constant Va in a ROM or the like in advance.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the illuminance adjustment processing of the lamp 2 performed by the vehicle lamp control device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and is the processing performed by the control unit 11 of the vehicle lamp control device 1. The control unit 11 of the vehicle light control device 1 first acquires the vehicle traveling speed detected by the speed sensor 21 (step S1), acquires the voltage value of the power source measured by the voltmeter 13 (step S2), and lights up. The switch state of the switch 22 is acquired (step S3), and the presence / absence of the obstacle and the detection result of the distance to the obstacle by the obstacle sensor 23 are acquired (step S4).

  Next, the control unit 11 determines whether there is an obstacle around the vehicle from the detection result of the obstacle sensor 23 acquired in step S4 (step S5). When there is no obstacle (S5: NO), the control unit 11 controls the lighting of the lamp 2 according to the switch state of the lighting switch 22 acquired in step S3 (when the lighting switch 22 is on, the control unit 11 turns on the lamp 2). The control is performed so that the lamp 2 is turned off and the lamp 2 is turned off in the off state (step S6), the process returns to step S1, and the above-described process is repeated.

  When there is an obstacle (S5: YES), the control unit 11 further determines whether or not the lamp 2 is already lit (step S7). When the lamp 2 is not in the lighting state (S7: NO), that is, when the lamp 2 is in the off state, the control unit 11 turns on the lamp 2 (step S8) and advances the process to step S9. When the lamp 2 is in the lighting state (S7: YES), the control unit 11 advances the process to step S9.

  Next, the control unit 11 calculates the duty ratio based on the above (Equation 1) (step S9). At this time, the control unit 11 uses the vehicle speed acquired in step S1 and the distance to the obstacle acquired in step S4, based on the correspondence shown in FIG. The value of Va is set, and the duty ratio is calculated by substituting the voltage value of the power source acquired in step S2 for the variable V in (Equation 1).

  The controller 11 adjusts the illuminance of the lamp 2 by outputting a control signal of the calculated duty ratio to the power supply switching unit 13 (step S10). Thereafter, the control unit 11 determines whether or not an operation for terminating the illuminance adjustment processing of the lamp 2 has been performed, for example, when an ignition switch of the vehicle is turned off (step S11), and when the termination operation is not performed (step S11). (S11: NO), the process is returned to step S1, the above process is repeated, and if the end operation is performed (S11: YES), the illuminance adjustment process of the lamp 2 is ended.

  In the vehicle light control device 1 configured as described above, the distance to the obstacle around the vehicle is detected by the obstacle sensor 23, and the illuminance of the lamp 2 is increased as the distance to the obstacle is closer. By configuring the lamp 2 to reduce the illuminance of the lamp 2, the driver of the succeeding vehicle can reliably recognize the lighting of the lamp 2 and the vehicle having the vehicle light control device 1 may stop in advance. In addition, when the vehicle light control device 1 is configured to control the lighting of the interior light, the illuminance of the lamp 2 changes to warn the vehicle driver of the presence of an obstacle. it can. In addition, the lamp 2 includes a headlight such as a head lamp or a fog lamp of a vehicle, a tail lamp such as a tail lamp or a brake lamp, a reverse lamp such as a back lamp, a direction indicator lamp such as a blinker, or a room lamp or a map lamp. An increase in cost can be suppressed by adopting a configuration in which warning is performed using an existing vehicle light such as a light.

  Further, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the risk of collision with obstacles around the vehicle increases, so the vehicle light control device 1 acquires the traveling speed of the vehicle detected by the speed sensor 21 and travels. By adjusting the illuminance, such as increasing the illuminance of the lamp 2 as the speed increases, or increasing the illuminance of the lamp 2 even if the distance to the obstacle is increased as the traveling speed increases, a warning is given to the inside and outside of the vehicle by the lamp 2 Can be carried out effectively and accidents can be prevented.

  When the obstacle sensor 23 detects an obstacle around the vehicle and the lamp 2 is turned off, the vehicle light control device 1 first turns on the lamp 2 that is turned off, By adopting a configuration for adjusting the illuminance, even when the driver is not performing an operation of turning on the lamp 2, a warning to the inside and outside of the vehicle using the lamp 2 can be reliably performed.

  The lamps 2 controlled by the vehicle light control device 1 include vehicle headlights, taillights, reverse lights, direction indication lights, and interior lights. The vehicle light control device 1 lights all these lamps 2. Adjust the illuminance. The warning using the lamps 2 can be performed more effectively by lighting a number of lamps 2 to give a warning.

  In addition, the vehicle light control device 1 performs PWM control of power supply from the alternator 5 and the battery 6 to the lamp 2 and adjusts the illuminance of the lamp 2 by adjusting the duty ratio, whereby the illuminance of the lamp 2 Can be easily and reliably increased and decreased, and power consumption by the lamp 2 can be reduced. Further, the vehicle light control device 1 is configured to measure the voltage value of the power source of the alternator 5 and the battery 6 with the voltmeter 13 and calculate the duty ratio based on (Equation 1) according to the voltage value. For example, the illuminance of the lamp 2 may decrease when the voltage value of the power supply decreases due to a voltage drop of the battery 6 or the like. However, the duty ratio can be increased according to the decrease of the voltage value, and the voltage value of the power supply The illuminance of the lamp 2 can be kept constant with respect to the fluctuation, and the warning by the lamp 2 can be more reliably performed.

  In the present embodiment, the obstacle sensor 23 detects the obstacle by detecting the emission of ultrasonic waves and the reflected wave. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a camera is used to image the periphery of the vehicle. However, it may be configured to detect an obstacle by performing image processing on an image obtained by imaging, or may have other configurations. Moreover, although the vehicle light control device 1 is configured to include the voltmeter 13 inside, the present invention is not limited to this, and as with the speed sensor 21, the lighting switch 22, and the obstacle sensor 23, the exterior of the vehicle light control device 1 is provided. It is good also as a structure which acquires a measurement result from the voltmeter mounted in. In addition, the speed sensor 21, the lighting switch 22, and the obstacle sensor 23 may be provided inside the vehicle light control device 1. In addition, the information from the speed sensor 21, the lighting switch 22, and the obstacle sensor 23 is directly input to the vehicle light control device 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the CAN (Controller Area Network) or The speed sensor 21, the lighting switch 22, the obstacle sensor 23, and the vehicle light control device 1 may transmit and receive information via a network such as a LIN (Local Interconnect Network).

  In FIG. 1, only one lamp 2 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and there may be a plurality of lamps 2 controlled by the vehicle light control device 1. In this case, the vehicle light control device 1 May be configured to include a plurality of power supply switching units 12 corresponding to the plurality of lamps 2 and the control unit 11 provides a control signal to each power supply switching unit 12. The correspondence relationship between the traveling speed and the distance to the obstacle and the illuminance of the lamp 2 shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

(Modification)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle light control device 1a according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle light control device 1a according to the modification is provided with a detection result from a brake sensor 24 that detects a driver's operation amount with respect to a vehicle brake, and adjusts the illuminance of the lamp 2 in accordance with the brake operation amount. Can do. For example, when calculating the duty ratio based on (Equation 1) described above, the vehicle light control device 1a determines whether or not the brake operation amount exceeds a threshold value. The duty ratio is calculated by increasing the value of constant Va in equation 1) by 10%.

  Accordingly, the vehicle light control device 1a can increase the illuminance of the lamp 2 when the amount of brake operation is large. For this reason, when the driver of the vehicle strongly presses the brake (when the amount of brake operation exceeds a threshold value), there is a possibility that the vehicle may collide with an obstacle existing around the vehicle. By increasing the illuminance of the lamp 2 as the operation amount of the brake is larger, the control device 1a can reliably warn the vehicle outside by the vehicle light.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle light control device 201 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The vehicle light control device 201 according to the second embodiment includes a DC / DC converter 212 instead of the power supply switching unit 12 provided in the vehicle light control device 1 according to the first embodiment. The DC / DC converter 212 converts DC power input from the power supply of the alternator 5 and the battery 6 into DC power having a voltage value according to the control of the control unit 211 and supplies the DC power to the lamp 2.

  The control unit 211 is a DC / DC converter according to the voltage value of the power source measured by the voltmeter 13, the traveling speed of the vehicle detected by the speed sensor 21, the operating state of the lighting switch 22, and the detection result of the obstacle sensor 23. The output voltage value 212 is determined. At this time, the control unit 211 can determine the output voltage value from the traveling speed and the distance to the obstacle based on the correspondence shown in FIG. The controller 211 gives a control signal to the DC / DC converter 212 to control its operation so as to output DC power of the determined output voltage value.

  The control unit 211 controls the DC / DC converter 212 according to the voltage value measured by the voltmeter 13 (corresponding to the input voltage value to the DC / DC converter 212). That is, the control unit 211 controls the DC / DC converter 212 so that the output voltage value of the DC / DC converter 212 does not fluctuate even when the voltage value of the power supply fluctuates.

  The vehicle lamp control device 201 according to the second embodiment having the above-described configuration may be configured to perform lighting control and illuminance adjustment of the lamp 2 using the DC / DC converter 212. The same lighting control and illuminance adjustment can be performed, and the same effect can be obtained.

  In addition, since the other structure of the vehicle light control apparatus 201 which concerns on Embodiment 2 is the same as that of the structure of the vehicle light control apparatus 1 which concerns on Embodiment 1, it attaches | subjects the same code | symbol to the same location, and details The detailed explanation is omitted.

1, 1a Vehicle light control device 2 Lamp (vehicle light)
5 Alternator 6 Battery 11 Controller (Adjustment means, speed acquisition means, brake operation amount acquisition means)
12 Electric power supply switching part 13 Voltmeter (voltage detection means)
21 Speed sensor 22 Lighting switch 23 Obstacle sensor (detection means)
24 Brake sensor 201 Vehicle light control device 211 Control unit 212 DC / DC converter

Claims (9)

Detecting means for detecting a distance to an object existing around the vehicle;
A vehicle light control device comprising: an adjusting unit that adjusts an illuminance of a vehicle lamp provided in the vehicle according to a distance to an object detected by the detecting unit. The adjusting means includes
Increasing the illuminance of the vehicle light as the distance to the object is closer,
The vehicle light control device according to claim 1, wherein the illuminance of the vehicle light is reduced as the distance to the object increases. Further comprising speed acquisition means for acquiring the traveling speed of the vehicle;
3. The vehicle light control device according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle light according to the traveling speed acquired by the speed acquisition unit. A brake operation amount acquisition means for acquiring an operation amount for the brake of the vehicle;
The adjustment means adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle light according to the operation amount acquired by the brake operation amount acquisition means. The vehicle light control device described. The adjustment means adjusts the illuminance by turning on the vehicle light when the detection means detects that an object is present around the vehicle and the vehicle light is turned off. The vehicle light control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The vehicle lamp includes a headlamp, a tail lamp, a reverse lamp, a direction indicator lamp, and an interior lamp,
The vehicle light control device according to claim 5, wherein the adjusting means is configured to light all of the headlight, taillight, reverse light, direction indicator light, and interior light. The adjusting means intermittently supplies power from a power source to turn on the vehicle lamp, and adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle lamp by adjusting a power supply / non-supply ratio. The vehicle light control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle light control device is configured as described above. Voltage detecting means for detecting an output voltage value of the power source,
The vehicle light control device according to claim 7, wherein the adjusting means adjusts the illuminance of the vehicle light according to the output voltage value detected by the voltage detecting means. The said control means adjusts the illumination value of the said vehicle lamp by adjusting the voltage value of the electric power supplied to the said vehicle lamp from a power supply, The any one of the Claims 1 thru | or 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The vehicle light control device according to one.

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