US 12,065,109 B2
Vehicle lamp system, foreign substance determination device, and foreign substance determination method
Hiroki Sumitani, Shizuoka (JP)
Assigned to KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/766,987
Filed by KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Oct. 5, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/037745
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 6, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/075299, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 22, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-190783 (JP), filed on Oct. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0101073 A1, Mar. 28, 2024
Int. Cl. B60S 1/00 (2006.01); B60Q 1/00 (2006.01); B60Q 1/08 (2006.01); B60S 1/60 (2006.01); G01N 21/94 (2006.01); G01N 21/956 (2006.01)
CPC B60S 1/603 (2013.01) [B60Q 1/0023 (2013.01); B60Q 1/085 (2013.01); G01N 21/94 (2013.01); G01N 21/95607 (2013.01); G01N 2021/95615 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle lamp system comprising:
a vehicle lamp configured to emit light to a front area of a vehicle, and form a predetermined light distribution pattern;
a camera configured to capture an image of the front area of the vehicle; and
a foreign substance determinator including:
a memory that stores a light distribution pattern formed in the front area by the vehicle lamp in a state where no foreign substance adheres to a light emitting surface as a reference pattern, and
determination circuitry configured to compare a light distribution pattern captured by the camera with the reference pattern stored in the memory and determine whether a foreign substance adheres to the light emitting surface based on a comparison result when the vehicle stops or an engine of the vehicle starts.