Patent ID: 8827514

Claim:
A vehicle light distribution control apparatus, comprising: a camera configured to capture a scene in a forward direction of the vehicle; a lighting apparatus configured to illuminate a forward direction of the vehicle with illumination light; and a controller configured to detect an image portion in an image captured by the camera as an object estimated as another vehicle when the image portion meets a predetermined criterion, and control a light distribution of the illumination light based on a detection result, wherein if the controller detects the object estimated as another vehicle within an illumination region of the illumination light, the controller limits the illumination region of the illumination light of a high beam such that the object estimated as another vehicle is not illuminated by the illumination light of the high beam; then if the image portion related to the object detected as the object estimated as another vehicle does not meet the predetermined criterion, the controller cancels the limitation on the illumination region of the illumination light of the high beam and determines that the object detected as the object estimated as another vehicle is a reflecting object other than another vehicle; and then even if an image portion related to the object determined as the reflecting object other than another vehicle meets the predetermined criterion, the controller prohibits the limitation on the illumination region of the illumination light of the high beam with respect to the image portion related to the object.