Patent ID: 8562192

Claim:
An automotive headlamp apparatus comprising: a headlamp unit placed in a vehicle; and a control unit which controls the illumination of the headlamp unit, wherein the headlamp unit forms a lower beam distribution pattern and an upper beam distribution pattern, and is configured so that a partial region of the upper beam distribution pattern is capable of being non-illuminated; wherein when the entirety of vehicle existent area of a vehicle-in-front travelling in front of a driver's vehicle is contained within the partial region, the control unit controls the headlamp unit in such a manner that the partial region is non-illuminated, and when at least a part of the vehicle existent area thereof is contained within a region of the upper beam distribution pattern which is other than the partial region, the control unit controls the headlamp unit in such a manner that the upper beam distribution pattern is not formed; and wherein when the entirety of vehicle existent area is contained in the partial region and there exists a vehicle-in-front closer to the driver's vehicle than a first threshold value, the control unit forcibly controls the headlamp unit in such a manner as not to form an upper beam distribution pattern.