Patent ID: 8979336
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: B60Q,F21S,F21Y

Abstract:
1. A vehicle headlamp apparatus comprising: a low beam lamp unit which forms a low beam distribution pattern having a cutoff line along an upper edge thereof; a first additional lamp unit which forms a first additional light distributing pattern at least partially above the cutoff line of the low beam distributing pattern, the first additional light distributing pattern comprising a plurality of first partial regions, and the first additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward each of the first partial regions is adjustable; a second additional lamp unit which forms a second additional light distributing pattern overlapping with the first additional light distributing pattern, the second additional light distributing pattern comprising a plurality of second partial regions, each of the second partial regions partially overlapping at least one of the first partial regions, and the second additional lamp unit being configured such that a luminous intensity of a light to be irradiated toward each of the second partial regions is adjustable; a camera which captures an image of a forward region of a vehicle to produce image data; and a controller configured to control the first additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward each of the first partial regions and configured to control the second additional lamp unit to adjust the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward each of the second partial regions based on the produced image data, wherein the first additional lamp unit comprises a plurality of first light emitting devices, each of the plurality of first light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the first partial regions, wherein the second additional lamp unit comprises a plurality of second light emitting devices, each of the plurality of second light emitting devices generating a corresponding one of the second partial regions, wherein the controller is configured to individually control the plurality of first light emitting devices and individually controls the plurality of second light emitting devices such that the controller is configured to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward one of the first partial regions together with the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward at least one of the second partial regions that partially overlaps said one of the first partial regions with the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the remaining ones of the first and second partial regions being maintained, and wherein a rear focal point of the first additional lamp unit is provided on a light emitting surface of one of plurality of first light emitting devices and a rear focal point of the second additional lamp unit is provided on an outer edge of one of plurality of second light emitting devices, and wherein in response to a position of an oncoming vehicle obtained from the produced image data being placed on a dividing line between one region of the first or second partial regions and an adjacent region of respective first or second partial regions, the controller is configured to control the first or second light emitting devices corresponding to the one and adjacent regions to lower the luminous intensity of the light to be irradiated toward the one and adjacent regions.