Abstract:
Provided is a novel control technology for a light device for a vehicle. The control device starts an alighting illumination process after a vehicle stops so as to ensure the driver&#39;s field of view when alighting the vehicle. When the alighting illumination process is started, the control device stands by until the driver alights the vehicle (S 110 ). When the driver alights the vehicle, it is determined whether the vehicle is in the premises of the driver&#39;s home, and whether it is nighttime (S 120,  S 130 ). If the determinations are both affirmative (Yes in S 130 ), a lighting control process is started (S 140 ). In the lighting control process, an area forward of the driver as he or she advances is illuminated with a head lamp while the range of irradiation of light by the head lamp is switched in accordance with the movement of the driver, until the driver enters the home or continuously stays out of the field of view of an external camera.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a light control device for a vehicle. 
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0002]    Conventionally, devices controlling irradiation directions of lights from headlight devices according to turning of vehicles, devices controlling headlight devices to light for notifying users of positions of vehicles such that the users can efficiently find the vehicles, and the like are known as light control devices for vehicles (see PTL1). As the light control devices of the latter, further, devices switching lamps to light depending on approaching directions of the users are known. 
       CITATION LIST  
     Patent Literature  
       [0003]    [PTL 1] JP-A-2006-48091 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
     Technical Problem  
       [0004]    Apart from the objective of securing the driver&#39;s view when the vehicle is traveling, headlight devices are only used for the objective of notification/alert by light. The present invention has an objective of providing a novel control technique of lamps as a technique which can utilize lamps mounted on vehicles such as headlight devices. 
       Solution to Problem  
       [0005]    A light control device of this disclosure is a light control device controlling a lamp mounted on a vehicle, and has a position detecting means and a controlling means. The position detecting means detects a current position of a user after the user gets out of the vehicle. The controlling means controls the light from the lamp on the basis of the current position of the user detected by the position detecting means. 
         [0006]    Thereby, the forward direction of movement of the user is lit by the lamp according to the movement of the user who has got out of the vehicle. 
         [0007]    According to the light control system of this disclosure, the lamp mounted on the vehicle can be used for securing the view of the driver when the driver gets out of the vehicle. Therefore, according to this disclosure, the lamp can be utilized conveniently. 
         [0008]    A window detecting means for detecting a window of a building in the lighting direction of the lamp can be provided to the light control device of this disclosure. The controlling means can be configured to control the light such that an area of the window which is detected by the window detecting means is not lit. As another aspect, the controlling means can be configured to control the light such that the irradiation amount of the light to the area of the window is reduced relative to that of the outside area thereof. 
         [0009]    This control of the irradiation light can prevent the light from the lamp from being transmitted through the window into the building and from dazzling the person in the building. The surrounding environment-conscious lighting can be realized by using the lamp mounted on the vehicle. 
         [0010]    Apart from this, the controlling means can be configured to control the light such that an area of an eye of the user is not lit. As another aspect, the controlling means can be configured to control the light such that the irradiation amount of the light to the area of eye of the user is reduced relative to that of the outside area thereof. 
         [0011]    This control of the irradiation light can prevent the driver from being dazzled when the forward direction of movement of the driver is lit, and the forward direction of movement can be lit comfortably for the driver. 
         [0012]    A headlight device as the lamp mounted on the vehicle can be used for lighting. That is, the controlling means can be configured to control the light of the headlight device mounted on the vehicle as the lamp, thereby lighting the forward direction of movement of the user by the headlight device. According to the light control device, the headlight device mounted on the vehicle can be used effectively, and the forward direction of movement can be lit conveniently for the user. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a configuration of a light control system; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an example of lighting from a headlamp; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a plan view showing a structure of a headlamp; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing a light control process, for getting out of a vehicle, which is executed by a controller; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a (first) flow chart showing a light control process which is executed by the controller; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a (second) flow chart showing the light control process which is executed by the controller; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a diagram showing a formation example of an on/off irradiation pattern of light-emitting diodes; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is an explanatory diagram showing an example where lighting is performed with a window and a head of a driver out of a lighting range. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    With reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. 
         [0022]    A light control system of this embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  has left and right headlamps  10  as a headlight device, a controller  20 , an outside-vehicle camera  30 , an in-cabin camera  40 , and a communication device  50 . 
         [0023]    A respective headlamp  10  is provided at each of the right and left sides in the front portion of the vehicle, and used for securing the field of view of the driver Z when the vehicle  100  travels. In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the suffix L is added to the headlamp  10  provided on the left side of the vehicle  100 , thereby describing it as  10 L. The suffix R is added to the headlamp  10  provided on the right side of the vehicle  100 , thereby describing it as  10 R. In this specification, when the left and right headlamps  10 L and  10 R are not discriminated, each of these headlamps  10 L and  10 R is expressed as only headlamp  10 . 
         [0024]    Each of the left and right headlamps  10  has the same configuration except for having a bilaterally symmetric and geometrical shape. Each headlamp  10  has a light unit  11 , an up-and-down drive device  13  and a right-and-left drive device  15 , and is controlled by the controller  20  to irradiate light from the light unit  11 , thereby lighting the area ahead of the vehicle  100 . 
         [0025]    Further, each of the headlamps  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , is used for lighting the forward track of the driver Z when the driver Z has got out of the vehicle, thereby securing the view of the driver Z when getting out of the vehicle. 
         [0026]    The up-and-down drive device  13 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , is configured to change the direction of the light unit  11  in altitude direction (i.e. up and down direction). The up-and-down drive device  13  is controlled by the controller  20  to change the direction of the light unit  11  to the direction specified by the controller  20 . Thus, the optical axis of the light unit  11  is regulated in the altitude direction. 
         [0027]    On the other hand, the right-and-left drive device  15  is configured to change the direction of the light unit  11  in the azimuth direction (i.e. right and left direction). The right-and-left drive device  15  is, as the up-and-down drive device  13 , controlled by the controller  20  to change the direction of the light unit  11  to the direction specified by the controller  20 . Thus, the optical axis of the light unit  11  is regulated in the azimuth direction. 
         [0028]    The light unit  11  has a configuration where many light-emitting diodes  11 A are two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally arrayed on a substrate  11 B. The light unit  11  is controlled by the controller  20  to set the respective light-emitting diodes  11 A on/off. Further, in this embodiment, the light unit  11  is controlled by the controller  20  to regulate emission intensity of the respective light-emitting diodes  11 A. 
         [0029]    The controller  20  has a CPU  21  (see  FIG. 1 ), a ROM  23  and a RAM  25 . The CPU  21  executes processes according to programs to realize control of the emitting light of the headlamp  10 . The ROM  23  stores these programs. The RAM  25  is used as a working area when the CPU  21  executes the processes. 
         [0030]    The outside-vehicle camera  30  is a wide angle camera which images the surroundings of the vehicle  100  corresponding to the emitting range of the light by the headlamp  10 , and is configured to input video signals indicating the captured images to the controller  20 . The outside-vehicle camera  30  may be a monocular camera or a binocular camera. The outside-vehicle camera  30  may be an aggregate of cameras. Further, the outside-vehicle  30  is configured to capture the outside of the vehicle from a very close point to the vehicle  100 . That is, the outside-vehicle camera  30  is configured to image the driver Z who has got out of the vehicle from just after getting out of the vehicle. 
         [0031]    The in-cabin camera  40  is a camera capturing the inside images of the cabin, and disposed at a position from which a sequence of movements of the driver Z until they open the driver&#39;s door and get out of the vehicle can be imaged. The communication device  50  is a communication interface which can communicate with communication nodes connected to an in-vehicle network. The communication device  50  is controlled by the controller  20  to communicate with the in-vehicle communication nodes and input the received data to the controller  20 . 
         [0032]    For example, the communication device  50  acquires current location information and home location information of the driver Z from a navigator  300  as the communication node. In addition to this, the communication device  50  acquires information indicating the brightness of the outside of the vehicle from a brightness sensor  400  detecting the brightness of the outside of the vehicle, and acquires information indicating vehicle status from a group of status sensors  500  for detecting other vehicle status. The communication device  50  inputs the information to the controller  20 . 
         [0033]    The navigator  300 , as known, acquires the current location information of the vehicle  100  from a location detector  310  such as typified by a GPS receiver to display the map of the vicinity of the current location or to guide a route to a destination. In this embodiment, the navigator  300  is configured to provide the light control system  1  through the in-vehicle network with the current location information of the vehicle  100  acquired from the location detector  310  and the home location information which is the location information of the specific point registered as home. 
         [0034]    Next is described the processes which the controller  20  executes. The controller  20  initiates a lighting process for getting out of the vehicle in order to secure the view of the driver Z when the driver gets out of the vehicle, after the vehicle  100  stops, as shown in  FIG. 4 . Hereinafter is described the lighting process for getting out of the vehicle and the light control process shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  by the controller  20 . The CPU  21  provided in the controller  20  executes the processes according to the programs stored on the ROM  23 , thereby realizing these process. 
         [0035]    After starting the lighting process for getting out of the vehicle, the controller  20  waits until the driver Z exits the vehicle  100  (S 110 ). It can be determined whether the driver has got out of the vehicle by analyzing the video signal from the in-cabin camera  40 . This determination may be performed on the basis of a door sensor which is one of the status sensors  500 , specifically a door sensor detecting opening and closing of the driver&#39;s door, in addition to or in place of the video signal from the in-cabin camera  40 . 
         [0036]    If the driver Z has got out of the vehicle (Yes in S 110 ), the controller  20  proceeds to S 120 , and determines whether the vehicle  100  is on the premises of the driver Z&#39;s home. The controller  20  acquires, for example, the current location information of the vehicle and the home location information from the navigator  300  through the communication device  50 , and can perform the determination on the basis of the acquired information. 
         [0037]    If the controller determines the vehicle  100  is not on the premises of home (No in S 120 ), the controller terminates the lighting process for getting out of the vehicle. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle  100  is on the premises of home (Yes in S 120 ), the controller proceeds to S 130 . 
         [0038]    In S 130 , the controller  20  determines it is night or not. For example, information indicating brightness of the outside of the vehicle is acquired from the brightness sensor  400 . If the brightness of the outside of the vehicle is below a standard level on the basis of the acquired information, it can be determined that it is night. If the brightness is the standard level or more, it can be determined that it is not night. Alternatively, the controller  20  may determine whether it is night or not by analyzing the video signal from the outside-vehicle camera  30 . 
         [0039]    If the controller  20  determines it is not night (No in S 130 ), the controller  20  terminates the lighting process for getting out of the vehicle. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is night (Yes in S 130 ), the controller proceeds to S 140 , and executes the light control process shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . Thereafter, the lighting process for getting out of the vehicle is terminated. 
         [0040]    On initiating the light control process in S 140 , the controller  20  determines whether the driver Z is in view of the outside-vehicle camera  30  (S 210 ). In S 210 , the controller determines whether the driver Z is in the captured image of the outside-vehicle camera  30  which the video signal from the outside-vehicle camera  30  indicates, thereby it is determined that the driver Z is in view of the outside-vehicle camera  30 . It can be determined whether the person in the captured image is the driver Z who has got out of the vehicle or not, for example, by checking the face in the captured image of the outside-vehicle camera  30  with the face of the driver Z which was captured by the in-cabin camera  40  before the driver Z has got out of the vehicle. 
         [0041]    If it is determined that the driver Z is in view (Yes in S 210 ), the controller proceeds to S 220 , and analyzes the video signal of the outside-vehicle camera  30  to determine the position and the direction of movement of the driver Z to the vehicle  100 . That is, in S 210  and S 220 , the controller recognizes the face of the driver Z in the captured images of the outside-vehicle camera  30  which the video signal indicates, and determines the position and the direction of movement of the driver Z relative to the vehicle  100  from the position and direction of the driver Z in the captured images. 
         [0042]    Thereafter, the controller  20  decides the lighting range of the light by the right and left headlamps  10  on the basis of the determined position and direction of movement of the driver Z. The controller sets a group of control parameters of the headlamps  10  such as to light the decided lighting range selectively (S 230 ). 
         [0043]    Specifically, the controller  20  decides the periphery of the driver Z and a predetermined range in the forward direction of movement of the driver Z as the lighting range. However, the lighting range is set such that the head of the driver Z is out of the lighting range. In S 230 , the controller can decide a respective irradiation intensity of each part of the decided lighting range and can set the group of the control parameters to realize the decided irradiation intensity. 
         [0044]    The group of control parameters in this embodiment includes control parameters for controlling the directions (altitude angle and azimuth angle) of the right and left headlamps  10 , and control parameters for controlling on/off and light emission intensity (driving current) of each light-emitting diode  11 A. 
         [0045]    Thereafter, the controller  20  executes a window detection process (S 240 ). In the window detection process, the controller detects a window of a building imaged in the captured images of the outside-vehicle camera  30  on the basis of the video signal from the outside-vehicle camera  30 . In S 240 , for example, since window frames generally have rectangular shapes, a rectangular area in the captured images can be recognized as a window. 
         [0046]    Window frames are generally metallic, and have higher reflectance than that of the periphery thereof. Accordingly, the window detection process can be configured to detect a rectangular area which shows high luminance in the captured image as a window. When a window is detected from the captured image, the captured image is transformed into an edge image using differential filter or the like, and the rectangular area in the edge image is detected as a window. Further, in S 240 , the controller determines the relative position (window position) of the detected window to the vehicle  100 . 
         [0047]    After finishing the process in S 240 , the controller  20  determines, on the basis of the detection result in the window detection process, whether the window is in the lighting range decided in S 230  or S 310  described below (S 250 ). If it is determined that the window is in the lighting range (Yes in S 250 ), the controller corrects the group of control parameters set in S 230  or S 310  on the basis of the window position detected in the window detection process (S 260 ). 
         [0048]    Specifically, the controller corrects the group of control parameters such as to remove the area of the window in the lighting range decided in S 230  or S 310  from the lighting range. In this embodiment, on/off of each light-emitting diode  11 A provided in the light unit  11  is switched respectively, thereby forming a local area where the light is not irradiated. 
         [0049]    For example, if a part of the light-emitting diodes  11 A provided in the light unit  11  is set off as shown in the left side of  FIG. 7 , a lighting (light distribution) pattern as shown in the right side of  FIG. 7  can be formed. In the left area of  FIG. 7 , the hatched light-emitting diodes  11 A show the light-emitting diodes  11 A set off, and the light-emitting diodes  11 A which are not hatched show the light-emitting diodes  11 A set on. Similarly, the hatched area in the rectangular area shown in the right side of  FIG. 7  show the area which are not lit, and the other area show the lit area. 
         [0050]    In S 260 , the group of control parameters is corrected such as to change the light-emitting diodes  11 A which are set on and the light-emitting diodes  11 A which are set off. Thereby, the group of control parameters can be corrected to remove the area of the window from the lighting range. 
         [0051]    On finishing the process of S 260  as described above or making negative judgement in S 250 , the controller  20  proceeds to S 270 , and controls the headlamps  10  according to the group of control parameters to light the lighting range according to the group of control parameters from the right and left headlamps  10  with the irradiation intensity according to the group of control parameters. In S 270 , one or both of the right and left headlamps  10  is lit according to the group of control parameters. 
         [0052]    Specifically, after proceeding from S 260  to S 270 , the controller controls the right and left headlamps  10  according to the group of control parameters. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the irradiation light from the headlamps  10  is controlled such as not to light the area Aw of the window of the building B and the area Ah of the head of the driver Z (especially the eyes of the driver Z), and the periphery and the forward direction of movement of the driver Z are lit by the headlamps  10 . The dashed lines shown in  FIG. 8  show the lighting range, and the parts surrounded by partially hatched areas show areas which are in the lighting range shown by the dashed lines and not lit. 
         [0053]    On the other hand, when making negative judgement in S 250  and proceeding to S 270 , the controller  20  controls the right and left headlamps  10  according to the group of control parameters set by the process of S 230  or S 310 . Thus, the irradiation light from headlamps  10  is controlled not to light the area of the head of the driver Z, and the periphery and the forward direction of movement of the driver Z are lit by the headlamps  10 . 
         [0054]    Thus, after finishing the process in S 270 , the controller  20  proceeds to S 210 . In addition to this, if the controller  20  determines that the driver Z is not in view of the outside-vehicle camera  30  in S 210 , the controller executes the processes from S 280  onward. Specifically, if determines in the last iteration of S 210  that the driver Z is in the view, the controller makes negative judgement in S 280  and proceeds to S 290 . 
         [0055]    On proceeding to S 290 , the controller  20  determines whether the driver Z enters their home on the basis of the video signal acquired from the outside-vehicle camera  30  from a predetermined time before. If determines that the driver Z has entered their home (Yes in S 290 ), the controller turns the right and left headlamps  10  off (S 320 ), and terminates the light control process. 
         [0056]    On the other hand, if making negative judgements in S 290 , the controller proceeds to S 310 . In addition to this, if the controller determined that the driver Z was not in the view in the last iteration of S 210  but the driver Z was in the view in the last iteration of S 210  but one, the controller makes a positive judgement in S 280 , makes a negative judgement in the following S 300 , and proceeds to S 310 . 
         [0057]    In S 310 , the controller decides the lighting range by the right and left headlamps  10  on the basis of the current position and the direction of movement of the driver Z determined in S 220  at last iteration. The controller sets the group of parameters such as to light the lighting range selectively. Thereafter, the controller proceeds to S 240 , and executes the processes following thereof. 
         [0058]    Apart from this, if the controller determined that the driver Z was not in the view in the last iteration of S 210  and the last iteration of S 210  by one, the controller makes positive judgments in S 280  and S 300 , proceeds to S 320 , turns the right and left headlamps  10  off, and thereafter terminates the light control process. 
         [0059]    Thus, in the light control process of this embodiment, the controller changes the lighting range of the headlamps  10  according to the movement of the driver Z to light the forward direction of movement of the driver Z by the headlamps  10 . The light control process is executed after the driver Z gets out of the vehicle until the driver Z enters home or the state where the driver is out of view continues. 
         [0060]    The light control system  1  of this embodiment is described above. According to the light control system of this embodiment, the headlamps  10  mounted on the vehicle  100  can be used for securing the view of the driver Z when the driver gets out of the vehicle, and the headlamps  10  can be utilized conveniently. 
         [0061]    Especially, according to this embodiment, when the headlamp  10  lights the forward direction of movement of the driver Z, windows provided in the periphery buildings are detected, and the areas of the windows are removed from the lighting range. Accordingly, this embodiment can prevent the light from the headlamp  10  from being transmitted through the window into the building and from dazzling the person in the building. That is, according to this embodiment, the surrounding environment-conscious lighting can be realized by using the headlamps  10  mounted on the vehicle  100 . 
         [0062]    In addition to this, the area of the head of the driver Z is removed from the lighting range. Accordingly, this embodiment can prevent the driver Z from being dazzled when the forward direction of movement of the driver Z is lit, and the forward direction of movement can be lit comfortably for the driver Z. 
         [0063]    Further, in this embodiment, when the driver Z is out of view of the outside-vehicle camera  30  or the driver Z enters their home, the headlamp  10  is turned off. Accordingly, there is no need for actively operating the light control system  1  by the driver Z in order to turn the light of the headlamp  10  off, therefore the lighting function of the headlamp  10  can be used conveniently. 
       Other Modifications  
       [0064]    The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various aspects can be adopted. 
         [0065]    For example, in the above embodiment, the area of the window is removed. However, in S 260  of the light control process, the group of control parameters may be corrected such that the irradiation amount (intensity) of the light to the area of the window in the lighting range is reduced relative to that of the outside area thereof. The correction of the group of control parameters can prevent the light from the headlamp  10  from being transmitted through the window into the building and from dazzling the person in the building, even if the irradiation light from the headlamp  10  is controlled. 
         [0066]    Similarly, in the above embodiment, the area of the head of the driver Z is removed from the lighting range. However, in S 230  of the light control process, the group of control parameters may be corrected such that the irradiation amount (intensity) of the light to the area of the head of the driver Z in the lighting range is reduced relative to that of the outside area thereof. The setting of the group of control parameters can also prevent the driver Z from being dazzled. 
         [0067]    Apart from this, the headlamp  10  is not limited to the configuration having a plurality of light-emitting diodes  11 A. That is, the present invention can be applied to vehicles having other headlamps. For example, the present invention can also be applied to vehicles having headlamps where projector lamps are configured to be driven upward, downward, leftward and rightward. Further, the light control system  1  is not limited to the headlamp  10 , and can control various type of lights mounted on the vehicle  100  to light the forward direction of movement of the user. 
       Correspondence  
       [0068]    The correspondences between the terms are as follows. The function realized by S 210  and S 220  executed by the controller  20  corresponds to an example of the function realized by the position detecting means. The function realized by S 230 , S 250  to S 270 , S 310  and S 320  corresponds to an example of the function realized by the controller, and the function realized by S 240  corresponds to an example of the function realized by the window detecting means. Apart from this, the function realized by S 120  corresponds to an example of the function realized by the determining means, and the function realized by S 280 , S 290  and S 300  corresponds to an example of the function realized by the event detecting means. 
       REFERENCE SIGNS LIST  
       [0000]    
       
           1  . . . Light control system,  10  . . . Headlamp,  11  . . . Light unit,  11 A . . . Light-emitting diode,  11 B . . . Substrate,  13  . . . Up-and-down drive device,  15  . . . Right-and-left drive device,  20  . . . Controller,  21  . . . CPU,  23  . . . ROM,  25  . . . RAM,  30  . . . Outside-vehicle camera,  40  . . . In-cabin camera,  50  . . . Communication device,  100  . . . Vehicle,  300  . . . Navigator,  310  . . . Location detector,  400  . . . Brightness sensor,  500  . . . Status sensor, Z . . . Driver.