JP5392226B2 - Headlight control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a headlamp control apparatus that controls a headlamp provided in a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to improve visibility during night driving, a headlamp control device that includes various mechanisms in a vehicle headlamp and controls the headlamp according to a traveling environment is known. Specifically, in the headlight control device, regarding the operation of the irradiation mechanism that irradiates the headlight, the headlamp is automatically switched to a high beam or a low beam according to the behavior of the vehicle, or the headlamp is moved to the vehicle. With respect to the operation of the rotation mechanism that rotates (swivels) in the vehicle width direction, swivel control for switching the direction of the headlight in a direction corresponding to the behavior of the own vehicle is performed. In the following description, control combining such beam switching control and swivel control is referred to as normal switching swivel control.

  In addition, the headlamp has a shielding mechanism that shields a part of the light source in order to form a light shielding part in the irradiation area of the headlight by the high beam, and when the headlamp control device detects the preceding vehicle by the laser radar, the shielding is performed. With respect to the operation of the mechanism, orientation pattern control for generating a partial high beam having a light-shielding portion corresponding to the direction of the preceding vehicle is performed (for example, see Patent Document 1). Thereby, it is considered to further improve the visibility from the own vehicle while reducing glare (glare) to the preceding vehicle.

  Furthermore, in this headlight control device, follow-up swivel control is proposed that combines the light distribution pattern control described above and control that causes the partial high beam to follow the preceding vehicle so that the preceding vehicle is included in the light-shielding portion. . By performing such control, it is not necessary to enlarge the light-shielding portion, and the irradiation range can be further secured, so that the driver's visibility can be further improved.

JP 2000-233684 A

  However, when implementing the normal switching swivel control and follow-up swivel control, if the conventional headlight control device is configured by simply combining these two controls, the situation where the headlight irradiation direction frequently touches left and right It may occur and give the driver a sense of discomfort.

  For example, when normal swivel control is activated during cornering of the host vehicle, the preceding swivel control is activated when the preceding vehicle is detected. The headlamp swivels in the direction. Subsequently, for example, if the preceding vehicle is not detected and the follow swivel control is canceled, the headlamp will swivel in the steering direction. It is done.

Such a situation is considered to occur frequently even when only the follow-up swivel control is performed without performing the normal switching swivel control.
The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a headlamp control device capable of improving visibility while reducing a driver's uncomfortable feeling.

  The headlamp control device according to claim 1, which is a first invention made to achieve the above object, rotates a headlamp provided in a vehicle, and the headlamp in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle. It is an apparatus for controlling a headlamp including a rotation mechanism. However, the headlamp shields a part of the light source in order to form a light-shielding portion in the irradiation region of the headlight by the high beam and the irradiation mechanism that irradiates the headlight with the high beam or the low beam using the light source provided in the vehicle. And a shielding mechanism.

  Further, in this headlamp control device, the forward detection means detects the forward vehicle existing ahead of the vehicle and the direction of the forward vehicle. Then, when a forward vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as a target forward vehicle) existing within a preset tracking swivel range is detected via the forward detection means, the target calculation means blocks light according to the direction of the forward vehicle. When a partial high beam, which is a high beam having a portion, is caused to follow the preceding vehicle, at least the amount of rotation of the headlamp required to include the preceding vehicle in the light shielding portion is calculated as a target swivel. The follow swivel range corresponds to a range in which the turning mechanism can turn in the vehicle width direction, for example, and is a range set in advance so that the partial high beam follows the front vehicle.

  Subsequently, the tracking swivel control means controls the operation of the irradiation mechanism and the shielding mechanism so that the partial high beam is irradiated by the headlamp, and the rotation mechanism operates so that the headlamp rotates by the target swivel. Control.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle ahead is not detected in the following swivel range, the normal switch swivel control means switches the headlight to high beam or low beam according to the behavior of the vehicle and irradiates the headlamp. While controlling the operation of the mechanism, the operation of the rotating mechanism is controlled so that the headlamp rotates in the direction corresponding to the behavior of the vehicle.

  According to the present invention, in this configuration, when the target swivel calculated by the target calculation unit exceeds a preset threshold amount, the execution of the follow swivel control unit is exceptionally prohibited and the normal switching swivel is performed. The control means is configured to be executed.

  In the headlight control device configured in this way, in principle, the headlamp irradiates with switching to high beam, low beam, and partial high beam according to the behavior of the own vehicle and the presence or absence of the target front vehicle, The irradiated partial high beam is made to follow the target front vehicle, and it is not necessary to enlarge the light shielding portion, so that it is possible to further secure the irradiation range.

  Further, the tracking swivel control is executed only when it is not necessary to change the irradiation angle so much in order to perform the tracking swivel control (when the target swivel is equal to or less than the threshold amount). Therefore, when it is necessary to change the irradiation angle greatly, switching from the normal switching swivel control to the tracking swivel control is canceled, so that swivels (continuous swivels) that occur during such switching can be reduced. .

  Therefore, according to the headlamp control device of the present invention, by reconciling the normal switching swivel control and the tracking swivel control, visibility can be improved while reducing the driver's uncomfortable feeling.

  Further, in the headlamp control device of the present invention, with particular emphasis on further reducing continuous swivel, as described in claim 2, the control determining means is only provided when the target swivel is zero. Execution of the tracking swivel control means may be permitted.

  In the headlight control device configured as described above, the tracking swivel control is started only when the target front vehicle is included in the light shielding portion by irradiating the partial high beam without rotating the headlamp. It is not necessary to change the headlight irradiation direction against the normal switching swivel control at least before the start. For this reason, a continuous swivel and by extension, a driver's uncomfortable feeling can be further reduced.

  The target swivel is calculated based on the current position of the headlamp, not only when the headlamp is stationary, but also when the headlamp is rotated by the normal switching swivel control. For example, the tracking swivel control may be started when the target swivel becomes zero when the normal switching swivel control is executed. Even in this case, the driver's uncomfortable feeling can be reduced for the same reason as described above.

  Further, in the headlight control device of the present invention, in addition to reducing the driver's uncomfortable feeling, in addition, considering the effect of glare on the preceding vehicle, the following configuration is preferable. That is, as described in claim 3, when the control determining means executes the normal switching swivel control means, the headlight by the low beam is irradiated regardless of the behavior of the vehicle.

  According to the headlight control device configured as described above, when the headlight irradiation by the partial high beam is prohibited even though the target forward vehicle exists, the headlight by the low beam is always irradiated, The effect of glare on the vehicle ahead can be reliably suppressed.

  In the headlamp control device of the present invention, the tracking swivel control means provides a light shielding portion corresponding to the direction of the target front vehicle from among a plurality of partial high beams prepared in advance. It is also possible to select a partial high beam to be included and control the headlight to irradiate the partial high beam.

  According to the headlight control device configured in this way, it is only necessary to select a partial high beam from a predetermined pattern, so that it is possible to determine in advance the portion of the light source that is shielded by the shielding mechanism. Therefore, the structure of the shielding mechanism does not have to be complicated, and the configuration of the headlamp can be simplified.

  Further, in the headlight control device of the present invention, the normal switching swivel control means, as described in claim 5, when the vehicle speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a preset permission speed, the high beam and the vehicle speed are less than the permission speed. Then, the low beam may be controlled so as to be irradiated by the headlamp.

  According to the headlight control device configured as described above, since it is not necessary to illuminate far away during low-speed driving, avoiding high-beam headlight irradiation within a range that does not interfere with driving, There is no need to inconvenience surroundings such as glare, and power consumption can be reduced efficiently.

  By the way, in the headlamp control device of the present invention, a radar device, an infrared sensor, or the like may be used to detect a forward vehicle. However, as described in claim 6, the forward detection means is provided for the vehicle. You may have an image sensor which picturizes a front scenery, and may detect a front vehicle based on a headlamp or a tail lamp picturized by the image sensor.

  According to the headlight control device configured as described above, it is possible to detect the forward vehicle and the direction of the forward vehicle during night driving by a simple method, and thus suppress the cost required for detection of the forward vehicle. be able to. It should be noted that the headlamp and the taillamp can be easily identified based on the color, shape, brightness, etc. of the lamp imaged by the image sensor. Further, based on the identification result, it is also possible to determine whether the target forward vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle with respect to the vehicle. Furthermore, the structure which controls so that the ratio for which the light-shielding part accounts in a partial high beam according to the determination result may be considered. According to this configuration, for example, when the target forward vehicle is an oncoming vehicle, the glare to the oncoming vehicle is further suppressed by lowering the lower end portion (cut line) of the irradiation region in the partial high beam than that of the preceding vehicle. You can also

  Further, in the headlamp control device of the present invention, as described in claim 7, when the range setting means controls the operation of the rotating mechanism by the follow swivel control means, the normal switching swivel control means. The following swivel range may be set by limiting to a range centering on the determined headlamp position.

  According to the headlight control device configured in this way, the headlamp rotates during tracking swivel control within a limited range from the direction of the headlight irradiated by the normal switching swivel control. The headlight irradiation direction does not need to be greatly changed from side to side from the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and the driver can be prevented from feeling uncomfortable.

  As described above, the invention for achieving the object by harmonizing the normal switching swivel control and the follow swivel control has been described. However, the headlamp control device of the present invention may be limited to the follow swivel control.

  That is, the headlamp control device according to claim 8, which is a second invention made to achieve the above object, is a device for controlling a headlamp configured in the same way as the first invention, and is a front device. Control prohibiting means for exceptionally prohibiting the execution of the tracking swivel control means when the detection means, the target calculation means, the tracking swivel control means, and the target swivel calculated by the target calculation means exceed a preset threshold amount It is characterized by providing.

  Even with the headlight control device configured in this way, in principle, the headlamp irradiates with switching to a high beam, a low beam, and a partial high beam according to the behavior of the host vehicle and the presence or absence of the target front vehicle. The irradiated partial high beam can be made to follow the target front vehicle, and the light-shielding portion does not have to be enlarged, so that the irradiation range can be further ensured.

  In addition, if it is not necessary to change the irradiation angle so much to perform the tracking swivel control, the continuation of the tracking swivel control is canceled if the irradiation angle needs to be largely changed by performing the tracking swivel control. Therefore, the swivel (continuous swivel) that occurs during the continuation can be reduced.

  Therefore, it is possible to realize a headlamp control device that can improve visibility while reducing the driver's uncomfortable feeling even with a configuration in which the normal switching swivel control is omitted.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the headlamp control apparatus with which this invention was applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example in the light distribution pattern of a partial high beam. It is a functional block diagram showing the various processes which ECU10 performs. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of control processing (normal switching swivel control processing) executed by a normal switching swivel control unit 20 of the ECU 10. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the control process (following swivel control process) which the followable swivel control part 30 of ECU10 performs. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process (target calculation process) which the target calculation part 40 of ECU10 performs. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of control processing (control setting processing) executed by a control setting unit 50 of the ECU 10.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[overall structure]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a headlamp control apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the headlamp control device 1 is provided in the vehicle 5 in order to control a pair of left and right headlamps 2 attached to both sides in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the vehicle 5. A behavior sensor unit 3 for detecting the behavior of the vehicle 5, an image sensor unit 4 for detecting a forward vehicle that is another vehicle ahead of the vehicle 5, and the behavior sensor unit 3 and the image The ECU 10 includes an ECU 10 that performs various processes for controlling the headlamp 2 according to the detection result of the sensor unit 4 and the like.

  The behavior sensor unit 3 detects the steering angle sensor 6 that detects the steering angle with respect to the straight traveling direction of the vehicle 5 based on the operation amount of the steering wheel, and the vehicle 5 based on the rotational speed on the output side (gear, shaft, etc.) of the transmission. It has at least a vehicle speed sensor 7 that detects a traveling speed (that is, a vehicle speed), and is configured to output behavior information representing the detection results of these sensors 6 and 7 to the ECU 10.

  The image sensor unit 4 has an image sensor 8 that captures a landscape (front landscape) in a predetermined range (predetermined angle) in the traveling direction (front) of the vehicle 5 with a stereo camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or MOS, And an image processing device 9 that detects the vehicle ahead by performing signal processing on the image captured by the image sensor 8.

  The image processing device 9 extracts information (hereinafter referred to as target information) such as the color, shape, and brightness of the lamp of the preceding vehicle displayed in the image captured by the image sensor 8, and based on at least one of the target information. For example, if the color is white or yellow, the head lamp is identified, and if the color is red, the tail lamp is identified, it is identified whether the lamp is a head lamp or a tail lamp. In addition, the front vehicle is detected based on the identified lamp, and the position, direction, distance, and the like of the front vehicle with respect to the vehicle 5 are specified based on the well-known principle of binocular stereo vision. And while outputting the signal (henceforth a detection signal) showing whether the object information was able to be extracted to ECU10, when object information was able to be extracted, the identification information about a lamp, the position, direction, and distance of a preceding vehicle The specific information related to the above is output to the ECU 10.

  The headlamp 2 includes a headlamp 12 that irradiates a headlight using a plurality of light sources (in the present embodiment, light-emitting diodes) provided in the vehicle 5, and the headlamp 12 is arranged in advance in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 5. And a rotation mechanism 14 that rotates (swivels) within a set swivel range.

  The turning mechanism 14 swivels the headlamp 12 with a known stepping motor or the like, thereby turning the optical axis of the headlight in the left-right direction and changing the irradiation direction (irradiation angle) of the headlight with respect to the straight traveling direction of the vehicle 5. It is possible to make it.

  The headlamp 12 includes, for example, an irradiation mechanism 16 that irradiates the headlight with a high beam or a low beam using a halogen lamp, and a shielding mechanism 18 that shields a part of the light source in order to form a light-shielding portion in the irradiation region of the headlight with the high beam. And.

  The irradiation mechanism 16 has a relatively high angle of the optical axis in the vehicle height direction, for example, a high beam lamp 21 that can irradiate a headlight about 100 m away, and a relatively low angle of the optical axis in the vehicle height direction, for example, 40 m. It has a low beam lamp 23 that can irradiate the headlight to a certain extent, and is configured so that the irradiation state of the headlight can be changed by a switch or the like for turning on and off the lamps 21 and 23, respectively. Yes.

  The shielding mechanism 18 is a shade provided in the vicinity of a condensing point between a reflector that reflects an optical axis emitted backward from the high beam lamp 21 toward the front side of the vehicle 5 and a convex lens that expands the reflected light. Thus, a part of the light emitted from the high beam lamp 21 is shielded to form a cut line.

  Note that a plurality of high beams (hereinafter referred to as partial high beams) in which such cut lines (and thus light shielding portions) are formed are prepared in advance as shown in FIG. 2, for example, a light shielding portion at the center of the irradiation region. There is a donut-shaped light distribution pattern (see FIG. 2 (a)) in which is formed, and a concave light distribution pattern (see FIG. 2 (b)) in which a light-shielding portion is formed above the center of the irradiation region. Further, an L-shaped light distribution pattern (see FIG. 2C) in which a light-shielding portion is formed on the upper right side of the irradiation region, or a light distribution pattern (not shown) in which a light-shielding portion is formed on the upper left side of the irradiation region. There are also shades corresponding to the respective light shielding portions. The shielding mechanism 18 is configured to be able to change the height of the cut line by adjusting the positions of these shades.

  A drive circuit 25 for driving a stepping motor (actuator), a switch, and a shade (actuator) between the rotation mechanism 14, the irradiation mechanism 16, and the shielding mechanism 18 and the ECU 10, respectively. A state sensor unit 27 for detecting the current position of these actuators and the on / off state of the switch is connected.

[Configuration of ECU]
Next, FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing various processes executed by the ECU 10.
As shown in FIG. 3, the ECU 10 receives various information input from the image sensor unit 4 and the normal switching swivel control unit 20 that changes the irradiation direction of the headlights according to the behavior information input from the behavior sensor unit 3. A tracking swivel control unit 30 that changes the headlight irradiation direction so as to follow the vehicle ahead, a target calculation unit 40 that calculates a target swivel that will be described later using the detection result of the state sensor unit 27, and a target calculation. And a control setting unit 50 that gives a command to the normal switching swivel control unit 20 and the follow swivel control unit 30 using the calculation result of the unit 40.

  The normal switching swivel control unit 20, the follow swivel control unit 30, the target calculation unit 40, and the control setting unit 50 are all periodically executed on a known microcomputer having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a flash memory, and the like. It is realized as a process to be executed. Further, the flash memory stores a light distribution switching map in which each light distribution pattern in the partial high beam and a position of a shade (actuator) necessary for forming each light distribution pattern are associated in advance. Yes. Further, the RAM is provided with areas for storing the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 (and thus the headlight irradiation direction during normal switching swiveling), the alignment pattern of the partial high beam, the target position of the headlamp 12, and the like. ing.

[Normal switching swivel control processing]
Next, the control process (normal switching swivel control process) executed by the normal switching swivel control unit 20 of the ECU 10 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that this processing is started when it is determined that headlight irradiation is necessary for driving the vehicle 5 based on the detection result of an illuminance sensor (not shown) (for example, at night, dusk, and tunnel travel) It is repeatedly executed until it is determined that headlight irradiation is unnecessary.

  When this process is started, behavior information is first acquired from the behavior sensor unit 3 (S101), and the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 is estimated based on the steering angle with respect to the straight traveling direction of the vehicle 5 in the behavior information. Is stored in the RAM (S102). If the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 is already stored in the RAM, the stored content is updated.

  Next, based on the detection signal from the image sensor unit 4, it is determined whether or not there is a forward vehicle within a preset followable swivel range (S103). ) Does not exist (S103; NO), the process returns to the process of S101. If the target forward vehicle exists (S103; YES), the process proceeds to the next process.

  In the next process, it is determined whether or not an instruction to be described later is included in the command from the control setting unit 50 (S104), and when a negative determination is made (when a prohibition instruction to be described later is included). (S104; NO), the low beam lamp 23 is turned on and the high beam lamp 21 is turned off via the drive circuit 25 (and thus the switch) so that the headlamp 12 emits the low beam (S108). Return to processing.

  On the other hand, when a permission instruction to be described later is included in the command from the control setting unit 50 (S104; YES), the headlight is irradiated in the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 stored in the RAM in the process of S101. The headlamp 12 is rotated via the drive circuit 25 (and thus the stepping motor) (S105).

  Subsequently, in the behavior information acquired in the process of S101, it is determined whether or not the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 5 is equal to or higher than a preset permitted speed (S106). (S106; YES), assuming that the vehicle speed is relatively high, the low beam lamp 23 is turned off via the drive circuit 25 (and thus the switch) so that the headlamp 12 emits a high beam, and the high beam lamp 21 is turned off. Turns on (S107) and returns to the processing of S101.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle speed is less than the permitted speed (S106; NO), it is determined that the vehicle speed is relatively low, and the process proceeds to S108 described above so that the headlamp 12 emits the low beam. The operation of the irradiation mechanism 16 is controlled via 25. In other words, since it is not necessary to illuminate far away when driving at low speeds, avoiding inconvenience to surroundings such as glare to other vehicles by avoiding headlight irradiation with high beams within the range that can be driven, It becomes possible to reduce power consumption efficiently.

  That is, in this process, (1) the operation of the irradiation mechanism 16 is controlled so that the headlamp 12 emits light by switching the headlight to a high beam or a low beam according to the vehicle speed, and the headlamp 12 is directed in a direction according to the steering angle. The operation of the rotation mechanism 14 (normal switching swivel operation) is controlled so as to rotate. Further, (2) according to a command from the control setting unit 50, if the command includes a prohibition instruction, the control of the normal switching swivel operation is exceptionally prohibited. Further, (3) regardless of the command from the control setting unit 50, the traveling direction of the vehicle 5, and hence the irradiation direction of the headlight at the time of the normal switching swivel, is set.

[Follow swivel control processing]
Next, a control process (following swivel control process) executed by the follow-up swivel control unit 30 of the ECU 10 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is repeatedly executed until the switch is turned off while a dedicated switch (not shown) is turned on, for example, during execution of the normal switching swivel control process.

  When this process is started, first, based on the detection signal from the image sensor unit 4, it is determined whether or not the target forward vehicle is present (S201). S201; NO), it waits until the target forward vehicle is detected, and when the target forward vehicle exists (S201; YES), it proceeds to the next process.

  In the next process, identification information and specific information are acquired from the image sensor unit 4 (S202), and based on at least the direction of the target forward vehicle with respect to the vehicle 5 among these pieces of information, the position is determined according to the direction of the target forward vehicle. A light distribution pattern (partial high beam) having a light shielding portion (shade) is selected from a light distribution switching map stored in advance in the flash memory and stored in the RAM (S203). If the partial high beam light distribution pattern is already stored in the RAM, the stored contents are updated.

  In this embodiment, based on at least one of the position and distance of the target front vehicle among the specific information, the cut line of the irradiation region becomes lower (the irradiation region becomes narrower) as the target front vehicle is closer to the vehicle 5. The light distribution pattern is corrected so that the cut line of the irradiation area becomes higher (the irradiation area becomes wider) as the distance from the vehicle 5 increases. Further, based on the identification information, if the detected target front vehicle lamp is a tail lamp, the target front vehicle is a preceding vehicle of the vehicle 5, and if the lamp is a headlamp, it is determined that the target front vehicle is an oncoming vehicle. If the vehicle is judged to be a car, the light distribution pattern is further corrected so that the cut line is relatively low (the irradiation area becomes narrow), and in the case of the preceding vehicle, it is relatively high (the irradiation area becomes wide). .

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a permission instruction to be described later is included in the command from the control setting unit 50 (S204). If a negative determination is made here (when a prohibition instruction to be described later is included) ( S204; NO), the process returns to S201.

  On the other hand, when a command to be described later is included in the command from the control setting unit 50 (S204; YES), the drive circuit is configured to reach a target position (described later) input from the target calculation unit 40. The headlamp 12 is rotated via 25 (and stepping motor) (S205). However, when the target position exceeds the follow swivel range set by the control setting unit 50, the headlamp 12 is stopped at the upper limit position in the rotation direction within the range, and the target position set by the target calculation unit 40 Wait until reaches the upper limit position. In this standby mode, the operation of the irradiation mechanism 16 is controlled via the drive circuit 25 so that the headlamp 12 emits a low beam.

  When it is detected via the state sensor unit 27 that the headlamp 12 has reached its target position, the drive circuit 25 (and thus the shade of the shade) is irradiated so that the headlamp 12 irradiates the partial high beam of the orientation pattern selected in S202. The operation of the shielding mechanism 18 is controlled via the actuator (S206), and the process returns to S201. In the present embodiment, when the vehicle speed is less than the permitted speed, the process of S206 is omitted and the process returns to S201.

  As described above, in this process, (1) when the target forward vehicle is detected, the headlamp 12 rotates to the target position input from the target calculation unit 40 (only the target swivel described later rotates). The operation (following swivel operation) of the rotation mechanism 14 is controlled. Further, (2) according to a command from the control setting unit 50, if the command includes a prohibit command, the control of the follow swivel operation is exceptionally prohibited. Further, (3) regardless of the command from the control setting unit 50, the partial high beam light distribution pattern is set in accordance with the direction of the target vehicle ahead of the vehicle 5 and the like.

[Target calculation process]
Next, the process (target calculation process) executed by the target calculation unit 40 of the ECU 10 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is started when the target forward vehicle is detected during execution of the normal switching swivel control, and is repeatedly executed until the target forward vehicle is in a non-detected state.

  When this process is started, first, the light distribution pattern set by the tracking swivel control unit 30 is acquired by reading the light distribution pattern stored in the RAM (S301). Subsequently, based on the detection signal from the state sensor unit 27, the current position of the stepping motor (actuator) in the rotation mechanism 14, that is, the current position of the headlamp 12 based on the straight traveling direction of the vehicle 5 (in other words, The headlight irradiation angle is recognized (S302).

  Next, based on the specific information (such as the direction of the target front vehicle) acquired from the image sensor unit 4 by the following swivel control unit 30, the target front vehicle is included in the light shielding portion of the light distribution pattern acquired in S301 for the headlamp 12. A target position (target position) is set (S303).

  Subsequently, the target position of the headlamp 12 set in S303 is stored in the RAM, and when the partial high beam is made to follow the target front vehicle by the difference between the target position and the current position of the headlamp 12, the light shielding portion The amount of rotation of the headlamp 12 (hereinafter referred to as the target swivel) necessary for including the target forward vehicle is calculated (S304). Then, the target swivel is output to the control setting unit 50, and the process returns to S301.

  Thus, in this process, (1) the light distribution pattern (light-shielding portion) set by the follow-up swivel control unit 30, the detection signal from the state sensor unit 27 (current position of the headlamp 12), and the image sensor unit The target swivel is calculated on the basis of the specific information (such as the direction of the target front vehicle) acquired from 4 and output to the control setting unit 50. Also, (2) the target position of the headlamp 12 is set every time the target swivel is calculated.

[Control setting process]
Finally, the control process (control setting process) executed by the control setting unit 50 of the ECU 10 will be described in detail along the flowchart of FIG. This process is repeatedly executed until the process (target calculation process) executed by the target calculation unit 40 starts and ends.

  First, when this process is started, it is determined whether or not the target swivel calculated by the target calculation unit 40 exceeds a preset threshold amount (S401). If the determination is affirmative (S401; YES), a command including a prohibition instruction for prohibiting control of the follow swivel operation is output to the follow swivel control unit 30, and control of the normal switching swivel operation is permitted. A command including a permission instruction for performing is output to the normal switching swivel control unit 20 (S405), and the process returns to S401.

  On the other hand, when the target swivel is equal to or less than the threshold amount (S401; NO), the headlight irradiation direction set by the normal switching swivel control unit 20 is read by reading the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 stored in the RAM. (As a result, the position of the headlamp 12) is acquired (S402). Then, the follow-up swivel range is set only in a range centered on the position of the headlamp 12 (S403). That is, since the follow swivel range is set in advance with the vehicle 5 traveling straight in the center, the range is narrowed by changing the setting so that the vehicle 5 travel is centered. During the operation, the headlight irradiation direction does not have to be greatly changed from side to side from the traveling direction.

  Then, a command including a prohibition instruction for prohibiting control of the normal switching swivel operation is output to the normal switching swivel control unit 20, and a command including a permission instruction for permitting control of the tracking swivel operation is output to the tracking swivel control unit. 30 (S404), and the process returns to S401.

[Effect of this embodiment]
As described above, in the headlight control device 1 of the present embodiment, when the target forward vehicle is detected in principle, the follow swivel operation is controlled, and when the target forward vehicle is in a non-detection state, Even if the target forward vehicle is detected exceptionally while controlling the switching swivel operation, if the target swivel related to the rotation of the headlamp 12 exceeds the threshold amount, the normal switching swivel is performed instead of the follow swivel operation. Control the operation.

  For this reason, when the target forward vehicle is detected, it becomes possible to secure a more irradiation range by making the partial high beam follow the target front vehicle in principle, and when the irradiation angle needs to be greatly changed, Since the low beam is irradiated in the traveling direction of the vehicle 5, it is possible to suppress a situation in which the swivel of the headlight continues unnecessarily. Therefore, by reconciling the normal switching swivel operation and the follow swivel operation, visibility can be improved while reducing the driver's uncomfortable feeling.

  Moreover, in the headlamp control device 1, when controlling the follow swivel operation, the height of the cut line of the irradiation region in the partial high beam according to the position, distance, and type (leading vehicle / oncoming vehicle) of the target forward vehicle Therefore, it is possible to further secure an irradiation range while suppressing glare to the target front vehicle, and as a result, it is possible to improve visibility without causing troubles around the vehicle 5.

[Correspondence between this embodiment and claims]
In the present embodiment, the image sensor unit 4 is a forward detection unit, the target calculation unit 40 is a target calculation unit, the follow swivel control unit 30 is a follow swivel control unit, and the normal switching swivel control unit 20 is a normal switching swivel control unit. The setting unit 50 corresponds to a control determining unit, a range setting unit, and a control prohibiting unit.

[Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it is possible to implement in various aspects.

  For example, in the headlamp control device 1 of the above-described embodiment, the image sensor unit 4 is provided in order to detect the target front vehicle, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be configured to include a radar device. .

  In the headlight control device 1 of the above embodiment, the behavior sensor unit 3 includes the steering angle sensor 6 and the vehicle speed sensor 7. For example, the behavior sensor unit 3 further includes a yaw rate sensor and an acceleration sensor. The estimation accuracy of the traveling direction of the vehicle 5 may be improved using the angular velocity, or the calculation accuracy of the target position of the headlamp 12 may be improved using the acceleration.

  In the target calculation means of the above embodiment, the target swivel is calculated regardless of whether the normal switching swivel operation or the follow swivel operation is controlled. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, the target swivel may be calculated only when controlling the normal switching swivel operation.

  In the target calculation means of the above embodiment, the setting of the target position of the headlamp is updated every time the target swivel is calculated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, regardless of the calculation of the target swivel. The setting of the target position of the headlamp may be updated.

  In the headlamp control device 1 of the above embodiment, the control between the normal switching swivel operation and the follow swivel operation is switched by the control setting process. However, the normal switching swivel operation is not necessarily included in the switching target. It is not necessary to change the permission or prohibition of control only for the follow swivel operation.

  In the control setting process of the above embodiment, the control of the follow swivel operation is prohibited when the target swivel exceeds the threshold amount. However, the threshold amount may be set to zero in advance. That is, only when the headlamp 12 does not need to be rotated, the start of the follow swivel operation may be permitted.

  In the follow-up swivel control process of the above embodiment, the target swivel operation is controlled in principle when the target forward vehicle is detected. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When a plurality of detections are detected, the control of the follow swivel operation may be prohibited.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Headlamp control apparatus, 2 ... Headlamp, 3 ... Behavior sensor unit, 4 ... Image sensor unit, 6 ... Steering angle sensor, 7 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 8 ... Image sensor, 9 ... Image processing apparatus, 12 ... Head lamp, 14 ... rotating mechanism, 16 ... irradiation mechanism, 18 ... shielding mechanism, 20 ... normal switching swivel control unit, 21 ... high beam lamp, 23 ... low beam lamp, 25 ... drive circuit, 27 ... state sensor unit, 30 ... following swivel control unit, 40 ... target calculation unit, 50 ... control setting unit.

Claims (8)

An irradiation mechanism for irradiating a headlight with a high beam or a low beam using a light source provided in the vehicle, and a shielding mechanism for shielding a part of the light source in order to form a light-shielding portion in the irradiation region of the headlight by the high beam A headlamp control device that controls a headlamp including a headlamp and a rotation mechanism that rotates the headlamp in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle,
Forward detection means for detecting the forward vehicle present ahead of the vehicle and the direction of the forward vehicle;
A range set in advance so that a partial high beam, which is a high beam having a light-shielding portion according to the direction of the front vehicle, follows the front vehicle is set as a tracking swivel range, and the tracking swivel range is set via the front detection unit. A target calculating means for calculating, as a target swivel, at least the amount of rotation of the headlamp required to include the front vehicle in the light-shielding portion when an existing front vehicle is detected;
When the front vehicle existing within the following swivel range is detected via the front detection means, the operation of the irradiation mechanism and the shielding mechanism is controlled so that the headlamp irradiates the partial high beam, and the target calculation is performed. Follow swivel control means for controlling the operation of the turning mechanism so that the headlamp is turned by the target swivel calculated by the means;
When the preceding vehicle existing in the following swivel range is not detected, the operation of the irradiation mechanism is controlled so that the headlamp irradiates by switching the headlight to the high beam or the low beam according to the behavior of the vehicle. Normal switching swivel control means for controlling the operation of the rotating mechanism so that the headlamp rotates in a direction according to the behavior of the vehicle;
When the target swivel calculated by the target calculating means exceeds a preset threshold amount, the control determining means that exceptionally prohibits the execution of the follow swivel control means and executes the normal switching swivel control means;
A headlamp control device comprising:   2. The headlamp control device according to claim 1, wherein the control determination unit permits execution of the follow-up swivel control unit only when the target swivel is zero.   3. The headlamp according to claim 1, wherein, when the normal switching swivel control unit is executed, the control determining unit irradiates a headlight using a low beam regardless of the behavior of the vehicle. Control device.   The following swivel control means selects a partial high beam having a light-shielding portion corresponding to the direction of the preceding vehicle from a plurality of partial high beams prepared in advance, and controls the partial high beam to be emitted by the headlamp. The headlamp control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein   The normal switching swivel control means controls the headlamp to emit a high beam when the vehicle speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a preset permitted speed, and a low beam when the vehicle speed is less than the permitted speed. The headlamp control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   2. The front detection unit includes an image sensor that captures a front landscape of the vehicle, and detects a front vehicle based on a headlamp or a tail lamp captured by the image sensor. The headlamp control apparatus according to claim 5.   Range setting for setting the following swivel range limited to a range centering on the position of the headlamp determined by the normal switching swivel control means when controlling the operation of the rotation mechanism by the following swivel control means. The headlamp control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising means. An irradiation mechanism for irradiating a headlight with a high beam or a low beam using a light source provided in the vehicle, and a shielding mechanism for shielding a part of the light source in order to form a light-shielding portion in the irradiation region of the headlight by the high beam A headlamp control device that controls a headlamp including a headlamp and a rotation mechanism that rotates the headlamp in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle,
Forward detection means for detecting the forward vehicle present ahead of the vehicle and the direction of the forward vehicle;
A range set in advance so that a partial high beam, which is a high beam having a light-shielding portion according to the direction of the front vehicle, follows the front vehicle is set as a tracking swivel range, and the tracking swivel range is set via the front detection unit. A target calculating means for calculating, as a target swivel, at least the amount of rotation of the headlamp required to include the front vehicle in the light-shielding portion when an existing front vehicle is detected;
When the front vehicle existing within the following swivel range is detected via the front detection means, the operation of the irradiation mechanism and the shielding mechanism is controlled so that the headlamp irradiates the partial high beam, and the target calculation is performed. Follow swivel control means for controlling the operation of the turning mechanism so that the headlamp is turned by the target swivel calculated by the means;
When the target swivel calculated by the target calculating means exceeds a preset threshold amount, a control prohibiting means for exceptionally prohibiting execution of the follow swivel control means,
A headlamp control device comprising: