JP7528852B2 - Lamp Control Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lamp control device capable of recording light distribution control information including non-operation and malfunction of light distribution control (control for changing the light distribution of vehicle headlamps).

Lamp control devices capable of performing light distribution control have been known for some time. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a lamp control device (vehicle lighting system) that performs light distribution control by automatically switching the light distribution of a headlamp between a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam light distribution pattern.

JP 2011-255826 A

The lamp control device is equipped with an imaging device that captures images of the area ahead of the vehicle, and performs light distribution control based on image information acquired from image data captured by the imaging device and the vehicle's speed. By properly operating the light distribution control, the driver of the vehicle does not need to manually switch the headlamp light distribution, improving convenience. In addition, visibility during night driving is improved, increasing driving safety.

However, current light distribution control often does not operate as expected by the driver, and there is a demand for further improvements in the performance of light distribution control (in other words, light distribution control that operates more as expected). To meet this demand, such a lamp control device can be configured, for example, to record information related to light distribution control over a predetermined period including the time point at which the headlamp light distribution is changed by light distribution control. This is to analyze the recorded information and use it to improve the performance of light distribution control.

However, because the light distribution of the headlamps is frequently changed by the light distribution control, the above-mentioned information is frequently recorded in the above configuration, making it difficult to ensure sufficient recording capacity. In addition, the recorded information includes a mixture of information when the light distribution control operates correctly (when operating correctly) and information when the light distribution control operates incorrectly (when malfunctioning), making it difficult to extract information when the light distribution control malfunctions. Furthermore, in the above configuration, when the light distribution control does not operate (when not operating) despite the driver expecting the light distribution control to operate, the information itself is not recorded, making it impossible to obtain information when the light distribution control is not operating. For this reason, such a lamp control device is unable to properly obtain information that could contribute to improving the performance of the light distribution control.

The present invention has been made to address the above-mentioned problems. That is, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a lamp control device that can properly record light distribution control information, including non-operation and malfunction of light distribution control.

The lamp control device according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the "device of the present invention") comprises:
A headlamp (31) capable of irradiating light ahead of the vehicle;
a control unit (11, 30) capable of acquiring image information based on image data obtained by capturing an image of a scene ahead of the vehicle, and executing light distribution control for changing a light distribution of the headlamp (31) based on the image information and a speed of the vehicle;
Equipped with.
The control unit (11, 30)
A readable/writable volatile memory and a readable/writable non-volatile memory,
During the execution of the light distribution control, light distribution control information including the image information, vehicle state information including the speed of the vehicle, and the control content of the light distribution control is stored in the volatile memory for a predetermined storage period (step 620);
When a specific operation is performed by the driver of the vehicle during execution of the light distribution control, the specific operation is an operation to cancel or interrupt the light distribution control (step 520: Yes),
The light distribution control information from at least the time point (time point t0) when the specific operation is performed to the time point (time point tp) a predetermined first period before the storage period is moved from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory and recorded (step 640).
It is structured as follows.

When the light distribution control does not operate as expected by the driver, it is usually considered that the driver performs some operation to cancel or interrupt the light distribution control. In other words, when the driver performs an operation to cancel or interrupt the light distribution control while the control is being executed, there is a very high probability that the light distribution control was inoperative or malfunctioned immediately before the operation. Therefore, the device of the present invention is configured to record in the non-volatile memory, when the driver performs a specific operation to cancel or interrupt the control while the light distribution control is being executed, at least the light distribution control information from the time the specific operation was performed to a time a first period ago. With this configuration, it is possible to efficiently record the desired information (information including inoperative and malfunctioning of the light distribution control) without exceeding the recording capacity. In other words, it is possible to appropriately record the light distribution control information including inoperative and malfunctioning of the light distribution control.

In one aspect of the invention,
The control unit (11, 30)
If the specific operation is performed during the execution of the light distribution control (step 520: Yes), the light distribution control information from the time point (time point t0) when the specific operation is performed to a time point (time point tf) that is a predetermined second period in the future is recorded in the non-volatile memory (step 640).
It is structured as follows.

The light distribution control information recorded in the non-volatile memory is analyzed and used to further improve the performance of the light distribution control. Therefore, by recording not only past information for the time when a specific operation was performed but also future information for that time as light distribution control information, it becomes possible to collect more information regarding non-operation and malfunction of the light distribution control, which can contribute to further improving the performance of the light distribution control.

In one aspect of the invention,
The control unit (11, 30)
As the light distribution control, auto high beam control or adaptive high beam control is executed.
It is structured as follows.

In the above explanation, to aid in understanding the invention, the symbols used in the embodiments are enclosed in parentheses with respect to the constituent elements of the invention corresponding to the embodiments, but each constituent element of the invention is not limited to the embodiment defined by the symbols.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a lamp control device (present embodiment device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a non-operating state during high beam. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a malfunction situation when a high beam is used. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a non-operating state during low beam. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a malfunction situation during low beam. 4 is a flowchart showing a routine executed by a CPU of a lamp control ECU of the embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart showing a routine executed by a CPU of a lamp control ECU. 4 is a flowchart showing a routine executed by a CPU of a camera ECU of the embodiment of the present invention.

(composition)
Hereinafter, a lamp control device according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the embodiment device") will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiment device is mounted on a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the embodiment device includes a camera 10, a vehicle state sensor 20, and a lamp control ECU 30, which are connected to a headlamp 31, an auto high beam switch 32, and a turn signal lever 33. The camera 10 includes a camera ECU 11. Hereinafter, the camera ECU 11 and the lamp control ECU 30 may be simply referred to as "ECU 11" and "ECU 30", respectively.

These ECUs are mainly equipped with a microcomputer, and are connected to each other via a CAN (Controller Area Network) 100 so that they can transmit and receive information. ECU stands for Electronic Control Unit. The microcomputer includes a CPU, ROM, RAM (readable and writable volatile memory), an interface (I/F), and a readable and writable non-volatile memory (these are not shown in the ECU 30). The CPU realizes various functions by executing instructions (programs, routines) stored in the ROM. Depending on the processing capacity, some or all of these ECUs may be integrated into one ECU. Hereinafter, the vehicle equipped with this embodiment device is referred to as the "own vehicle".

The camera 10 is installed on the rear of the vehicle's room mirror (inner mirror/rearview mirror) and captures an image of the area ahead of the vehicle at predetermined intervals. The ECU 11 recognizes (detects) three-dimensional objects around the vehicle based on image data captured by the camera 10, and calculates the relative relationship between the vehicle and the three-dimensional objects. Here, the "relative relationship between the vehicle and a certain target" includes the distance from the vehicle to the target, the orientation and relative speed of the target with respect to the vehicle, etc. Three-dimensional objects include moving objects (e.g., other vehicles and pedestrians) and stationary objects (e.g., street lights, signs, buildings, traffic lights, road signs, and guardrails). Note that moving objects refer to movable three-dimensional objects, and do not only refer to moving three-dimensional objects.

The ECU 11 also recognizes (detects) marking lines extending ahead of the vehicle based on the image data. The ECU 11 calculates the shape of the lane (the area between two adjacent marking lines) based on the recognized marking lines.

In addition, the ECU 11 recognizes (detects) light sources present around the vehicle based on the image data, and calculates the relative relationship between the vehicle and the light sources and the type of the light source.
The light sources include light from other vehicles and light from the surroundings (hereinafter, these are referred to as "other vehicle light" and "ambient light", respectively). Other vehicle light is typically the headlights of oncoming vehicles and the taillights of leading vehicles. Ambient light is typically the light from street lamps and buildings.
The type of light source can be determined based on the speed of the light source, the positional relationship between the light source and a solid object, the shape of the lane, etc. For example, if a light source is moving at approximately the same speed as another vehicle and is located at approximately the same position as the other vehicle, the light source can be determined as another vehicle light. On the other hand, if the speed of a light source is zero and the light source is located outside the lane, the light source can be determined as an ambient light.

Furthermore, the ECU 11 calculates the ambient illuminance, which is the illuminance around the vehicle, based on the image data using a known method. For example, the ECU 11 generates a captured image from the image data and calculates the ambient illuminance by converting the luminance value of each pixel that constitutes the captured image into illuminance. The ambient illuminance is used when determining whether the operating conditions for the auto high beam control described below are met (described below).

The ECU 11 acquires information as image information, including the calculated relative relationship between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object, the lane shape, the relative relationship between the vehicle and the light source, the type of light source, and the ambient illuminance.

The vehicle condition sensor 20 is a plurality of types of sensors that generate signals representing the vehicle condition, and in this embodiment includes a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The ECU 11 acquires the signals generated by the vehicle condition sensor 20 every time a predetermined time has elapsed, and calculates the speed (vehicle speed), steering angle, and yaw rate of the vehicle based on the acquired signals. The ECU 11 acquires information including the calculated vehicle speed, steering angle, and yaw rate as vehicle condition information.

The ECU 30 is capable of executing auto high-beam control. Auto high-beam control is a control that automatically switches the light distribution of the headlamp 31 between low beam and high beam based on image information and vehicle speed. Hereinafter, auto high-beam control is also referred to as "AHB control." AHB control will be described in detail later. Note that AHB control corresponds to an example of "light distribution control."

The headlamp 31 includes a left headlamp provided at the left front end of the vehicle and a right headlamp provided at the right front end of the vehicle. The left headlamp and the right headlamp each include a passing headlamp that functions as a low beam and a driving headlamp that functions as a high beam. Hereinafter, the low beam of the left headlamp and the low beam of the right headlamp will be referred to as the "low beam of the headlamp 31" or simply as the "low beam", and the high beam of the left headlamp and the high beam of the right headlamp will be referred to as the "high beam of the headlamp 31" or simply as the "high beam". Both the low beam and the high beam of the headlamp 31 can irradiate light ahead of the vehicle, but the irradiation range of the light in the traveling direction of the vehicle is longer for the high beam (e.g., 100 [m]) than for the low beam (e.g., 40 [m]).

The auto high beam switch (AHBSW) 31 is a switch for making the AHB control operable. The AHBSW 32 is provided near the driver's seat and is operated by the driver of the vehicle. When the AHBSW 32 is set to the on state, it generates an on signal until the setting is released. When the AHBSW 32 is set to the off state, it generates an off signal until the setting is released. The ECU 30 acquires the signal generated by the AHBSW 32 every time a predetermined period has elapsed. When the ECU 30 acquires an on signal from the AHBSW 32, it determines that the AHB control is operable, and when the ECU 30 acquires an off signal, it determines that the AHB control is inoperable.

The turn signal lever 33 is an operating device operated by the driver, and is used to manually switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 and to perform a flashing operation. The turn signal lever 33 can be moved to a neutral position, a first position forward of the neutral position, and a second position rearward of the neutral position. The turn signal lever 33 located in the neutral position remains in the neutral position when no external force is applied. When an external force is applied forward from this state, the turn signal lever 33 moves to the first position and remains in the first position even when no external force is applied. When an external force is applied backward (towards the neutral position) to the turn signal lever 33 located in the first position, the turn signal lever 33 returns to the neutral position. On the other hand, when an external force is applied backward from the neutral position, the turn signal lever 33 moves to the second position, but immediately returns to the neutral position when the external force is no longer applied. In other words, the turn signal lever 33 in the second position will remain in the second position as long as an external force is applied to the rear.

The turn signal lever 33 generates a low beam signal while it is in the neutral position. The low beam signal is a signal that indicates that the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is to be switched to or maintained at low beam. The turn signal lever 33 generates a first high beam signal while it is in the first position. The first high beam signal is a signal that indicates that the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is to be switched to or maintained at high beam. The turn signal lever 33 generates a second high beam signal while it is in the second position. The second high beam signal is a signal that indicates that the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is to be switched to or maintained at high beam.

(Details of operation)
Next, the operation of the ECU 30 and the ECU 11 will be described in detail. The ECU 30 acquires a signal generated by the turn signal lever 33 every time a predetermined period has elapsed. During a period in which the AHB control is not being executed, the ECU 30 switches the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to low beam when it acquires a low beam signal from the turn signal lever 33, and switches the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to high beam when it acquires a first or second high beam signal. With this configuration, the driver can manually switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 by operating the turn signal lever 33. Note that a so-called passing operation is realized by temporarily applying a rearward external force to the turn signal lever 33 (i.e., temporarily positioning the turn signal lever 33 to the second position to generate a second high beam signal).

The ECU 30 executes AHB control when the AHB activation condition is satisfied. The AHB activation condition is satisfied when all of the following conditions 1 to 3 are satisfied.
(Condition 1) The environmental illuminance is low.
(Condition 2) AHBSW 32 is set to the ON state.
(Condition 3) The turn signal lever 33 is in the neutral position.

The ECU 30 determines whether or not condition 1 is satisfied by acquiring image information from the ECU 11. Specifically, the ECU 30 determines that condition 1 is satisfied when the environmental illuminance included in the image information is equal to or lower than a predetermined illuminance threshold, and determines that condition 1 is not satisfied when the environmental illuminance exceeds the illuminance threshold. Furthermore, the ECU 30 determines that condition 2 is satisfied when the signal acquired from the AHBSW 32 is an on signal, and determines that condition 2 is not satisfied when the acquired signal is an off signal. Furthermore, the ECU 30 determines that condition 3 is satisfied when the signal acquired from the turn signal lever 33 is a low beam signal, and determines that condition 3 is not satisfied when the acquired signal is a first or second high beam signal.

When the high beam condition is satisfied under the AHB operating condition, the ECU 30 executes control to automatically switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to the high beam as the AHB control. The high beam condition is satisfied when all of the following conditions 4 to 6 are satisfied.
(Condition 4) There is no light from another vehicle ahead of the vehicle.
(Condition 5) There is little ambient light ahead of the vehicle.
(Condition 6) The vehicle speed is high.
As is clear from condition 3 of the AHB operation condition, the turn signal lever 33 remains in the neutral position while the AHB control is being executed. In other words, even if the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is switched to the high beam by the AHB control, the turn signal lever 33 does not move to the first position.

The ECU 30 determines whether or not Condition 4 and Condition 5 are satisfied by acquiring image information from the ECU 11. Specifically, when the ECU 30 determines based on the image information that other vehicle light has not been detected, it determines that Condition 4 is satisfied, and when it determines that other vehicle light has been detected, it determines that Condition 4 is not satisfied. Furthermore, when the ECU 30 determines based on the image information that the number of ambient lights is equal to or less than a predetermined number threshold and that no ambient light whose light intensity exceeds a predetermined intensity threshold has been detected, it determines that Condition 5 is satisfied, and when the ECU 30 determines that the number of ambient lights exceeds the number threshold and/or that one or more ambient lights whose light intensity exceeds the intensity threshold have been detected, it determines that Condition 5 is not satisfied. However, the content of Condition 5 is not limited to this, and any content that is estimated to indicate that there is little ambient light may be adopted. Furthermore, the ECU 30 determines whether or not Condition 6 is satisfied by acquiring the vehicle speed from the vehicle state sensor 20. Specifically, the ECU 30 determines that condition 6 is met when the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined first vehicle speed threshold (e.g., 30 km/h), and determines that condition 6 is not met when the vehicle speed is less than the first vehicle speed threshold.

On the other hand, when the low beam condition is satisfied under the AHB operating condition, the ECU 30 executes control to automatically switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to the low beam as the AHB control. The low beam condition is satisfied when any one of the following conditions 7 to 9 is satisfied.
(Condition 7) There is light from another vehicle ahead of the host vehicle.
(Condition 8) There is a lot of ambient light ahead of the vehicle.
(Condition 9) The vehicle speed is slow.

If condition 4 is not satisfied, ECU 30 determines that condition 7 is satisfied, and if condition 4 is satisfied, ECU 30 determines that condition 7 is not satisfied. Furthermore, if condition 5 is not satisfied, ECU 30 determines that condition 8 is satisfied, and if condition 5 is satisfied, ECU 30 determines that condition 8 is not satisfied. Furthermore, if the vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined second vehicle speed threshold (e.g., 25 km/h), ECU 30 determines that condition 9 is satisfied, and if the vehicle speed exceeds the second vehicle speed threshold, ECU 30 determines that condition 9 is not satisfied.

However, from the start of AHB control until the high beam condition is met, even if the low beam condition is not met, the ECU 30 maintains the light distribution of the headlamps 31 in low beam. Also, once the high beam condition is met, even if the high beam condition is no longer met, the ECU 30 maintains the light distribution of the headlamps 31 in high beam until the low beam condition is met.

The ECU 11 acquires a signal from the ECU 30 indicating whether AHB control is being executed, and determines whether AHB control is being executed based on the signal. If it is determined that AHB control is being executed, the ECU 11 receives a signal from the ECU 30 indicating the control content of the AHB control (i.e., whether the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is low beam or high beam). During execution of the AHB control, the ECU 11 stores (stores) information including image information, vehicle state information, and the control content of the AHB control as AHB control information in its own RAM for a predetermined storage period. At this time, the ECU 11 may store the AHB control information in the RAM in association with the current time. The ECU 11 erases the AHB control information from the RAM when the storage period has elapsed. In this embodiment, the storage period is set to 6 seconds, but is not limited to this configuration. The AHB control information corresponds to an example of "light distribution control information".

However, AHB control may not operate as expected by the driver. For this reason, there has been a demand for acquiring and analyzing information on when AHB control does not operate as expected, thereby further improving the performance of AHB control. However, conventional lamp control devices have not been able to acquire such information appropriately.

However, when AHB control does not operate as expected, it is usually assumed that the driver performs some operation to cancel or interrupt AHB control. In other words, when the driver performs an operation to cancel or interrupt AHB control while the control is being executed, there is an extremely high probability that AHB control has been inoperative or malfunctioned immediately before the operation. Therefore, the present implementation device is configured to record (store) in non-volatile memory AHB control information for a predetermined period including the time when the specific operation was performed when the driver performs a specific operation to cancel or interrupt AHB control while the control is being executed. With this configuration, desired information (including information on inoperative or malfunctioning AHB control) can be efficiently recorded without exceeding the recording capacity.

Specifically, when the driver performs any one of the following operations 1 to 3 while the AHB control is being executed, the ECU 30 determines that a specific operation has been performed.
(Operation 1) Turn off AHBSW32.
(Operation 2) An operation of moving the turn signal lever 33 from the neutral position to the first position.
(Operation 3) Passing operation.

When the signal acquired from the AHBSW 32 changes from an on signal to an off signal, the ECU 30 determines that the driver has performed operation 1. When the signal acquired from the turn signal lever 33 changes from a low beam signal to a first high beam signal, the ECU 30 determines that the driver has performed operation 2. When the signal acquired from the turn signal lever 33 changes (temporarily) from a low beam signal to a second high beam signal, the ECU 30 determines that the driver has performed operation 3. A detailed explanation will be given below with reference to Figures 2A to 3B.

Figure 2A is a diagram showing a situation where a deactivation occurs while the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained at high beam by AHB control (hereinafter, also referred to as a "high beam deactivation situation"). In this example, the driver expects that the light distribution of the headlamp 31 will be automatically switched to low beam by AHB control at time ta, but in reality the switching does not occur and high beam continues, so an operation (operation 1) is performed to turn off the AHBSW 32 at time t0. When the AHBSW 32 is turned off (operation 1 is performed), condition 2 is no longer satisfied, and the AHB activation condition is no longer satisfied, so the AHB control is canceled. At this time, the turn signal lever 33 is in the neutral position, so the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is switched to low beam at time t0 (see Figure 2A).

When the ECU 30 determines that a specific operation (operation 1 in the example of FIG. 2A) has been performed at time t0, it immediately (i.e., at time t0) transmits a trigger signal to the ECU 11. When the ECU 11 receives the trigger signal at time t0, it records the AHB control information for the period from time tp to time tf in its own non-volatile memory. Here, time tp is a time point that is a predetermined first period in the past from time t0. The first period is a period that can be set to any period equal to or less than the storage period, and in this embodiment, it is set to a period (6 seconds) equal to the storage period. Therefore, at the time when the trigger signal is received (time t0), the AHB control information from time tp to time t0 is stored in the RAM of the ECU 11. Therefore, when the ECU 11 receives the trigger signal, it moves the AHB control information from time tp to time t0 from the RAM to the non-volatile memory. In addition, time tf is a time point that is a predetermined second period in the future from time t0. In this embodiment, the second period is set to 1.2 seconds, but is not limited to this configuration. When the ECU 11 receives a trigger signal at time t0, the AHB control information stored in the RAM is moved to the non-volatile memory for the period from that time to the time when the second period has elapsed (time tf). As a result, the AHB control information for the period from time tp to time tf (= first period + second period) is recorded in the non-volatile memory. Hereinafter, the period from time tp to time tf is also referred to as the "specific period."

As is clear from the above explanation, when the high beam is not in operation, operation 1 is an operation that can simultaneously cancel AHB control and switch to low beam.

In the example of FIG. 2A, even after the specific operation is performed at time t0, the state in which the specific operation is performed continues for a while (e.g., 7 seconds). This is a process to prevent hunting, and the specific operation does not actually continue. The same applies to FIGS. 2B to 3B.

FIG. 2A illustrates a situation in which operation 1 is performed as the specific operation, but operation 2 or operation 3 may be performed as the specific operation.
First, operation 2 will be described. When operation 2 is performed at time t0, condition 3 is no longer satisfied, and the AHB operation condition is no longer satisfied, so that the AHB control is canceled. However, when operation 2 is performed in a high beam inoperative state, the turn signal lever 33 has been moved to the first position by operation 2, so that the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained at high beam even if the AHB control is canceled. Therefore, after completing operation 2, the driver can manually switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to low beam, for example, by turning off the AHBSW 32 and returning the turn signal lever 33 to the neutral position. In this case, too, the ECU 30 determines that operation 2 has been performed as a specific operation at time t0 and transmits a trigger signal to the ECU 11, so that the ECU 11 records the AHB control information for the specific period in a non-volatile memory.

As is clear from the above explanation, in a high beam inoperative state, operation 2 is an operation to cancel AHB control, but is not an operation to switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to low beam. However, based on the knowledge that the driver's intervention operation while AHB control is being executed is accompanied by the occurrence of AHB control inoperativeness or malfunction, the present implementation device aims to detect any operation that is expected to be performed by the driver to cancel or interrupt AHB control as a specific operation, and therefore, in a high beam inoperative state, an operation such as operation 2 is included in the specific operation.

Next, operation 3 will be described. When operation 3 is performed while AHB control is being performed, the ECU 30 is configured to switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to low beam in priority to the AHB control for a predetermined period (e.g., 5 seconds) after the end of operation 3, and to resume the AHB control after the period has elapsed (if the AHB operation condition is satisfied). Therefore, when operation 3 is performed at time t0, the AHB control is temporarily interrupted. However, if operation 3 is performed in a high beam inoperative state, the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained in low beam for the above period, but if the high beam condition is satisfied thereafter, the light distribution is switched back to high beam by the AHB control. Therefore, after the end of operation 3, the driver can manually switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to low beam by, for example, turning off the AHBSW 32. In this case, too, the ECU 30 determines that operation 3 has been performed as a specific operation at time t0 and sends a trigger signal to the ECU 11, causing the ECU 11 to record the AHB control information for the specific period in non-volatile memory.

As is clear from the above explanation, in a high beam inoperative state, operation 3 is an operation that interrupts AHB control, but is not an operation that completely switches the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to low beam. However, because operation 3 is an operation that is expected to be performed by the driver to cancel or interrupt AHB control in a high beam inoperative state, operations such as operation 3 are also included in the specific operations.

Figure 2B is a diagram showing a situation in which a malfunction occurs while the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained at high beam by AHB control (hereinafter, also referred to as a "misoperation situation during high beam"). In this example, the driver expects the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to be maintained at high beam by AHB control, but in reality it automatically switches to low beam at time tb, so the driver performs an operation (operation 2) to move the turn signal lever 33 from the neutral position to the first position at time t0. When the turn signal lever 33 is moved to the first position (operation 2 is performed), condition 3 is no longer satisfied, and the AHB operation condition is no longer satisfied, so the AHB control is canceled. At this time, the turn signal lever 33 is in the first position, so the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is switched to high beam at time t0 (see Figure 2B).

When the ECU 30 determines that a specific operation (operation 2 in the example of FIG. 2B) has been performed at time t0, it immediately transmits a trigger signal to the ECU 11. When the ECU 11 receives the trigger signal at time t0, it records the AHB control information for the period from time tp to time tf (specific period) in its own non-volatile memory.

As is clear from the above explanation, in a high beam malfunction situation, operation 2 is an operation that can simultaneously cancel AHB control and switch to high beam.

FIG. 2B illustrates a situation in which operation 2 is performed as the specific operation, but operation 1 or operation 3 may be performed as the specific operation.
First, operation 1 will be described. When operation 1 is performed at time t0, condition 2 is no longer satisfied, and the AHB operation condition is no longer satisfied, so that the AHB control is canceled. However, when operation 1 is performed in a high beam malfunction situation, the turn signal lever 33 remains in the neutral position, so that the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained at low beam even if the AHB control is canceled. Therefore, after the end of operation 1, the driver can manually switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to high beam, for example, by moving the turn signal lever 33 to the first position. In this case, too, the ECU 30 determines that operation 1 has been performed as a specific operation at time t0 and transmits a trigger signal to the ECU 11, so that the ECU 11 records the AHB control information for the specific period in a non-volatile memory.

As is clear from the above explanation, in a high beam malfunction situation, operation 1 is an operation to cancel AHB control, but is not an operation to switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to high beam. However, because operation 1 is an operation that is expected to be performed by the driver to cancel or interrupt AHB control in a high beam malfunction situation, operations such as operation 1 are also included in the specific operations.

Next, operation 3 will be described. When operation 3 is performed at time t0, AHB control is temporarily suspended. When operation 3 is performed in a high beam malfunction situation, the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained in high beam only during the period when the turn signal lever 33 is held in the second position by an external force, but when the external force is released and the turn signal lever 33 returns to the neutral position, the light distribution is switched to low beam for a predetermined period, and thereafter, low beam is maintained if the malfunction continues. Therefore, after the end of operation 3, the driver can manually switch the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to high beam by, for example, moving the turn signal lever 33 to the first position. In this case, too, the ECU 30 determines that operation 3 has been performed as a specific operation at time t0 and sends a trigger signal to the ECU 11, which causes the ECU 11 to record the AHB control information for the specific period in a non-volatile memory.

As is clear from the above explanation, in a high beam malfunction situation, operation 3 is an operation that interrupts AHB control, but is not an operation that completely switches the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to high beam. However, because operation 3 is an operation that is expected to be performed by the driver to cancel or interrupt AHB control in a high beam malfunction situation, operations such as operation 3 are also included in the specific operations.

Figure 3A is a diagram showing a situation in which a deactivation occurs while the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained at low beam by AHB control (hereinafter also referred to as a "low beam inactivation situation"). In this example, the driver expects that the light distribution of the headlamp 31 will be automatically switched to high beam by AHB control at time tc, but in reality the switch does not occur and low beam continues, so at time t0, an operation (operation 2) is performed to move the turn signal lever 33 from the neutral position to the first position. This cancels the AHB control and switches the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to high beam. In other words, in a low beam inactivation situation, operation 2 is an operation that can simultaneously cancel the AHB control and switch to high beam.

In FIG. 3A, a situation in which operation 2 is performed as the specific operation is illustrated, but operation 1 or operation 3 may also be performed as the specific operation. When operation 1 or operation 3 is performed in a low beam inoperative situation, the same effect is brought about as when operation 1 or operation 3 is performed in the above-mentioned high beam malfunction situation, so detailed explanations of these are omitted.

Figure 3B is a diagram showing a situation in which a malfunction occurs while the light distribution of the headlamps 31 is maintained at low beam by AHB control (hereinafter also referred to as a "malfunction situation during low beam"). In this example, the driver expects the light distribution of the headlamps 31 to be maintained at low beam by AHB control, but in reality it automatically switches to high beam at time td, so the driver performs an operation to turn off the AHBSW 32 at time t0 (operation 1). This cancels the AHB control and switches the light distribution of the headlamps 31 to low beam. That is, in a malfunction situation during low beam, operation 1 is an operation that can simultaneously cancel the AHB control and switch to low beam.

In FIG. 3B, a situation in which operation 1 is performed as the specific operation is illustrated, but operation 2 or operation 3 may also be performed as the specific operation. When operation 2 or operation 3 is performed in a low beam malfunction situation, the same effect is brought about as when operation 2 or operation 3 is performed in the above-mentioned high beam inoperative situation, so detailed explanations of these are omitted.

In order to ensure that the AHB control information in the specific period includes information indicating inoperativeness and malfunction of AHB control, it is desirable to set a first period within the specific period to be longer than the "average period from when inoperativeness or malfunction occurs until when the driver performs an intervening operation." This first period may be determined in advance by experiment or simulation. The storage period may be set based on the first period determined in this manner.

The AHB control information recorded in the non-volatile memory can be read out by a dealer or a repair shop, etc. There are no particular limitations on the reading method, and reading can be performed by wired or wireless means. The read AHB control information contains information indicating the inoperation and malfunction of the AHB control in association with image information and vehicle condition information. By analyzing the AHB control information obtained in this way, it is expected that the performance of the AHB control can be dramatically improved.

(Specific operation)
Next, the specific operations of the ECU 11 and the ECU 30 will be described. The CPU of the ECU 30 is configured to repeatedly execute the routines shown in the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5 (AHB control processing and trigger signal transmission processing, respectively) in parallel every time a predetermined time has elapsed while the ignition switch is in the ON position. Also, the ECU 11 is configured to repeatedly execute the routine shown in the flowchart of Figure 6 (AHB control information recording processing) every time a predetermined time has elapsed while the ignition switch is in the ON position. The operations will be described in order below.

At a predetermined timing, the CPU of ECU 30 starts processing from step 400 in FIG. 4 and proceeds to step 410 to determine whether the AHB operation conditions are met. If the AHB operation conditions are not met, the CPU determines "No" at step 410, proceeds to step 495, and ends this routine. On the other hand, if the AHB operation conditions are met, the CPU determines "Yes" at step 410, and proceeds to step 420.

In step 420, the CPU determines whether or not the high beam condition is met. If the high beam condition is met, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 420 and proceeds to step 430, where it maintains (or switches) the light distribution of the headlamp 31 to high beam. The CPU then proceeds to step 495 and ends this routine. On the other hand, if the high beam condition is not met, the CPU determines "No" in step 420 and proceeds to step 440.

In step 440, the CPU determines whether the light distribution of the headlamp 31 in the immediately preceding cycle was high beam or not. If the light distribution was low beam, the CPU determines "No" in step 440 and proceeds to step 450, where the light distribution of the headlamp 31 is maintained at low beam. The CPU then proceeds to step 495 and temporarily ends this routine. On the other hand, if the light distribution of the headlamp 31 in the immediately preceding cycle was high beam, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 440 and proceeds to step 460.

In step 460, the CPU determines whether or not the low beam condition is met. If the low beam condition is met, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 460 and proceeds to step 450, where it switches the light distribution of the headlamps 31 to low beam. The CPU then proceeds to step 495 and ends this routine. On the other hand, if the low beam condition is not met, the CPU determines "No" in step 460 and proceeds to step 470, where it maintains the light distribution of the headlamps 31 at high beam. The CPU then proceeds to step 495 and ends this routine. This concludes the explanation of the AHB control processing routine.

In addition, at a predetermined timing, the CPU of ECU 30 starts processing from step 500 in FIG. 5 and proceeds to step 510 to determine whether or not AHB control is being executed. If AHB control is not being executed, the CPU determines "No" at step 510, proceeds to step 595, and temporarily ends this routine. On the other hand, if AHB control is being executed, the CPU determines "Yes" at step 510, and proceeds to step 520.

In step 520, the CPU determines whether or not a specific operation has been performed by the driver. If a specific operation has not been performed, the CPU determines "No" in step 520, proceeds to step 595, and temporarily ends this routine. On the other hand, if a specific operation has been performed, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 520, and proceeds to step 530.

In step 530, the CPU transmits a trigger signal to the ECU 11. The CPU then proceeds to step 595 and ends this routine. This concludes the explanation of the trigger signal transmission processing routine.

On the other hand, at a predetermined timing, the CPU of ECU 11 starts processing from step 600 in FIG. 6 and proceeds to step 610 to determine whether or not AHB control is being executed. If AHB control is not being executed, the CPU determines "No" at step 610, proceeds to step 695, and temporarily ends this routine. On the other hand, if AHB control is being executed, the CPU determines "Yes" at step 610, and proceeds to step 620.

In step 620, the CPU stores (stores) the AHB control information in the RAM of the ECU 11. In addition, the CPU erases any AHB control information stored in the RAM that has exceeded the storage period. The CPU then proceeds to step 630.

In step 630, the CPU determines whether or not a trigger signal has been received from the ECU 30. If a trigger signal has not been received, the CPU determines "No" in step 630, proceeds to step 695, and temporarily ends this routine. On the other hand, if a trigger signal has been received, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 630, and proceeds to step 640.

In step 640, the CPU records the AHB control information for the specific period (the period from time tp to time tf) in the non-volatile memory. Specifically, the CPU moves the AHB control information for the first period of the specific period (the period from time tp to time t0) from the RAM to the non-volatile memory. In addition, the CPU moves the AHB control information stored in the RAM from the current time (i.e., time t0) to the time when the second period has elapsed (i.e., time tf) to the non-volatile memory. After that, the CPU proceeds to step 695 and ends this routine. This concludes the explanation of the AHB control information recording processing routine. Note that the processing of step 610 does not have to be performed.

As described above, the present implementation device can appropriately record AHB control information, including AHB control non-operation and malfunction.

The above describes the lamp control device according to this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

For example, ECU 11 may be configured to record AHB control information for the first period in its non-volatile memory, rather than for a specific period (= first period + second period). This configuration also allows appropriate recording of information including non-operation and malfunction of AHB control.

In addition, the ECU 30 may be configured to execute adaptive high-beam control instead of AHB control. Adaptive high-beam control is a control that automatically changes the light distribution range (light irradiation range) based on image information so that light is not irradiated onto areas where a preceding vehicle, an oncoming vehicle, etc. are located while maintaining the light distribution of the headlamp 31 at high beam. In this case, the ECU 11 may be configured to store adaptive high-beam control information including image information, vehicle state information, and the light distribution range by the adaptive high-beam control as light distribution control information in its own RAM. Then, when a specific operation is performed and a trigger signal is received, the adaptive high-beam control information for a specific period may be recorded in a non-volatile memory.

Furthermore, condition 3 of the AHB control activation condition may be configured to be satisfied when the turn signal lever 33 is in the first position rather than the neutral position. In this case, the ECU 30 may be configured to determine that a specific operation has been performed when, instead of operation 2, an operation is performed to move the turn signal lever 33 from the first position to the neutral position.

Also, ECU 30 may be integrated into ECU 11.

10: Camera, 11: Camera ECU, 20: Vehicle status sensor, 30: Lamp control ECU, 31: Headlamp, 32: Auto high beam switch (AHBSW), 33: Turn signal lever

Claims (3)

a headlamp capable of emitting light ahead of the vehicle;
a control unit capable of acquiring image information based on image data obtained by capturing an image of a scene ahead of the vehicle, and executing light distribution control to change a light distribution of the headlamp based on the image information and a speed of the vehicle;
A lamp control device comprising:
The control unit
A readable/writable volatile memory and a readable/writable non-volatile memory,
During execution of the light distribution control, light distribution control information including the image information, vehicle state information including a speed of the vehicle, and a control content of the light distribution control is stored in the volatile memory for a predetermined storage period,
When a specific operation is performed by the driver of the vehicle to cancel or interrupt the light distribution control during execution of the light distribution control,
The light distribution control information from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory is moved and recorded at least from the time point when the specific operation was performed to a time point a predetermined first period that is equal to or shorter than the storage period.
It was configured as follows:
Lamp control device. 2. The lamp control device according to claim 1,
The control unit
When the specific operation is performed during the execution of the light distribution control, the light distribution control information from the time when the specific operation is performed to a time in the future by a predetermined second period is recorded in the non-volatile memory.
It was configured as follows:
Lamp control device. 3. The lamp control device according to claim 1,
The control unit
As the light distribution control, auto high beam control or adaptive high beam control is executed.
It was configured as follows:
Lamp control device.

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