JPH0281743A - Vehicle headlight control device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a vehicle headlight control device that controls the irradiation angle of a vehicle headlight such as a headlamp or fog lamp.

[Conventional technology]

When a vehicle turns right or left in a dark place, it is advantageous for the headlight to have a wide illumination angle with respect to the direction of rotation (direction of travel). For this reason, it is known to detect the rotation of the steering wheel and widen the illumination angle of the headlights.

Conventionally, mechanical sensors have generally been used to detect the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and detect the rotational state of the vehicle by monitoring the neutral point (there are several points on the left and right) of the steering wheel, which rotates several times left and right. Furthermore, the straight-ahead state of the vehicle is detected based on the detection of the neutral point and the time during which the neutral point is detected. Then, the illumination angle of the headlight is controlled according to the detection result.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional headlight control device, as described above, the illumination angle of the headlight is controlled only according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, so the vehicle Due to the difference in the reaction of the vehicle body movement to the rotation of the steering wheel when driving at high speeds and when driving at low speeds, the illumination angle cannot be properly controlled, resulting in a problem that driving safety is low.

This invention has been made with attention to such problems, and it is possible to appropriately control the illumination angle of the headlights when the vehicle is running at high speeds and at low speeds, thereby improving driving safety. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vehicle headlight control device.

[Means to solve the problem]

The vehicle headlight control device of the present invention includes a rotation angle detection means for detecting the rotation angle of the steering wheel, a vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed, and controls the irradiation angle of the headlight according to the stiffness detection result. The illumination angle control means is also provided.

[Effect]

In the vehicle headlight control device of the present invention, the irradiation angle of the headlights is controlled according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel and the vehicle speed, so that the headlights can be adjusted appropriately when driving at high speeds and when driving at low speeds. The illumination angle is controlled.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a vehicle lighting lamp '111m device according to the present invention. That is, this headlight control device detects the rotation angle detection means 2 which detects the rotation angle (turning angle) of the steering wheel using No. 48 from the optical rotation sensor 1, and the vehicle speed based on the signal from the vehicle speed sensor 3. Comprising vehicle speed detection means 4, and illumination angle control means 7 for controlling the illumination angles of right (R) and left (L) headlights 5.6 according to the detection results of these detection means 2.4. There is.

FIG. 2 shows the detailed configuration of each of the detection means 2.4 and the irradiation angle control means 7. As shown in FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 8 denotes a control unit that constitutes the rotation angle detection means 2 and the vehicle speed detection means 4, and current/voltage conversion circuits 9a, 9b, 9 that convert the current signal from the light receiving element of the rotation sensor 1 into a voltage signal.
a waveform shaping circuit 10 that shapes the vehicle speed pulses from the vehicle speed sensor 3 and the vehicle speed sensor 3, and a CPU II that calculates the illumination angles of the right and left headlights 5.6 based on the signals from each of these circuits.
It is provided with D/A converters 12 and 13 that perform D/A (digital/analog) conversion of the control signal output as a result of the calculation. Reference numeral 14.15 denotes a lamp actuator constituting the illumination angle control means 7, each having the same configuration, including a potentiometer 16 for detecting the lamp position of the headlamp 5.6, and a lamp actuator from the control unit 8. A comparator 17 that compares the output signal with the output signal of this potentiometer 16, and a motor for driving the lamp based on the output of this comparator 17! 8.

Further, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of the optical rotation sensor 1 described above. That is, this rotation sensor 1 consists of a rotating disk 20 that rotates with the steering wheel, a light emitting element provided on the column side, and the aforementioned light receiving element.・White mark part (
It has a neutral point detection pattern) and an inner black and white mark part for rotation angle detection (left and right rotation detection pattern). The light-emitting element and the light-receiving element are arranged at positions on the column side corresponding to the three points p, p, p3, respectively, and the optical rotation sensor 1 is configured. In addition,
Here, two sets of light receiving and emitting elements for rotation angle detection are placed at locations shifted by 1/2 by the width of the black and white marks, and the left and right rotation angles are detected with an accuracy 1/4 of that of the black and white marks. It is configured so that it can be done.

Next, the operation will be explained.

The optical rotation sensor 1 detects black and white at three points on the rotating disk 20 using each light receiving and emitting element, and when the steering wheel is operated, a pulse as shown in FIG. 4 is obtained, for example. , the left/right rotational state and straight-ahead state of the steering wheel (vehicle) are detected. For example, if the initial value of the signal detected when the steering wheel is stopped is p2. When the handle is turned from the L level at the p3 position, if the P3 position goes to the H level first, it is detected that the handle is turning clockwise, and if the P2 position goes to the H level first. The counterclockwise rotation of the steering wheel is detected. That is, the state in which the handle is stopped is set as an initial value, and the direction in which the handle is rotated is determined by detecting how the initial value changes when the handle is stopped. This pulse signal of FIG. 4 is then supplied to the control unit 8 of FIG. 2.

On the other hand, the vehicle speed sensor 3 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle.
A vehicle speed pulse corresponding to the vehicle speed is also supplied from the vehicle speed sensor 3 to the control unit 8. The CPU II of the control unit 8 calculates the above-mentioned irradiation angle from these detection signals and outputs a control signal to each lamp actuator 14, 15. Each lamp actuator 14, 15 drives the lamp according to its control signal, and controls the irradiation angle of each headlamp 5.6 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the control range of the irradiation angle of the headlight 5.6. In the figure, the shaded area is the range of the normal irradiation angle α, and β indicates the maximum value of the irradiation angle.

Next, the above-mentioned specific control operation of the irradiation angle will be explained based on the control characteristic diagrams shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

FIG. 6(a) is a diagram showing the relationship between the steering rotation angle
〈θ<90'').At this vehicle speed S, if the rotation angle of the steering wheel when the illumination angle y changes from 0° is xi, the relational expression from the figure can be obtained.In this case, the steering When the rotation angle decreases with appropriate bisteresis as shown by the dotted line in the figure.

FIG. 6(b) shows that in the control of FIG. 6(a) described above,
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a case where the illumination angle y is changed in a stepwise manner when the steering wheel is rotated.

In this case as well, the illumination angle y has hysteresis with respect to changes in the rotation angle X of the steering wheel.

Above, Fig. 6 shows the case where the illumination angle y is changed according to the steering rotation angle X, but Fig. 7 shows the case where the illumination angle y is changed according to the steering rotation angle X and the heavy speed S. It shows. That is, Fig. 7(a) shows the case where xi (steering rotation angle when the illumination angle y changes from Oo) and θ (the slope of the straight line in Fig. 6) are changed according to the vehicle speed S. , A is a curve showing the relationship between the vehicle speed S and the angle θ, and the end is a curve showing the vehicle speed S and the initial operating position of the illumination angle. In this case, as the vehicle speed S increases, θ increases and xi decreases. Also, FIG. 7(b).

(C) shows an example in which one of the values of xi and θ is fixed, and the other is changed according to the vehicle speed S.

In this way, by changing the illumination angle of the headlights 5.6 according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel and the vehicle speed, the reaction of the vehicle body movement to the rotation of the steering wheel is different when the vehicle is running at high speed and when driving at low speed. The conventional problems caused by this can be solved, and the irradiation angle can be controlled appropriately.

In other words, when driving at high speeds, the reaction of the vehicle body movement to the rotation of the steering wheel is faster than when driving at low speeds, so by increasing the irradiation angle in response to changes in the steering wheel when driving at high speeds than when driving at low speeds, the irradiation angle can be properly controlled. Driving safety is improved. Furthermore, since the rotation of the steering wheel is detected by the optical rotation sensor 1, the rotation of the steering wheel can be detected with high precision and safety.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the irradiation angle of the headlight is controlled according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel and the vehicle speed. The irradiation angle of the light can be controlled, which has the effect of increasing driving safety.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic configuration of a headlamp illumination angle control device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the rotation angle detection means, vehicle speed detection means, and illumination angle control means shown in FIG. Figure 3 is a configuration diagram showing a specific example of the rotation sensor in Figure 1;
The figure is a waveform diagram showing the operation of the rotation sensor, Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the control range of the illumination angle of the headlight, Figure 6 (a),
(b) is a control characteristic diagram showing the case where the illumination angle of the headlights is controlled according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and Figs. 7(a) and (b).
) and (c) are control characteristic diagrams showing the case where the illumination angle of the headlights is controlled according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel and the vehicle speed. 1...One revolution sensor 2...Rotation angle detection means 3---Vehicle speed sensor 4---Vehicle speed detection means 5.6---Headlight 7 ----Irradiation angle control means 8...Control unit 14.15---Lamp actuator 20---
--・Applicant for rotating disk Stanley Electric Co., Ltd. Written amendment to procedure No. (a) (a) Figure (b) (b) August 14, 1999

Claims (1)

[Claims] The present invention is characterized by comprising a rotation angle detection means for detecting the rotation angle of the steering wheel, a vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed, and an illumination angle control means for controlling the illumination angle of the headlight according to the detection results. Vehicle headlight control device.