US 12,403,817 B2
Control apparatus, control method, and program for controlling vehicle headlamps
Motoaki Hachisuka, Nagoya (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP); and DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP); and DENSO CORPORATION, Kariya (JP)
Filed on Sep. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/465,456.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-155977 (JP), filed on Sep. 29, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0109475 A1, Apr. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. B60Q 1/14 (2006.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01)
CPC B60Q 1/143 (2013.01) [G06V 20/58 (2022.01); B60Q 2300/12 (2013.01); B60Q 2300/32 (2013.01); B60Q 2300/41 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control apparatus for controlling a vehicle headlamp which projects irradiation light toward a forward direction of an own vehicle, comprising:
a target object detection section which detects a light control target object which is present in the forward direction of the own vehicle and within an irradiation area of the headlamp;
a behavior detection section which detects a behavior of the own vehicle or determines whether or not a change in behavior of the own vehicle is expected; and
a light distribution control section which controls a light distribution of the headlamp on the basis of a result of detection by the target object detection section and a result of detection or determination by the behavior detection section, wherein
in the case where the behavior of the own vehicle detected by the behavior detection section is in a first behavior state in which a change in the irradiation area of the headlamp becomes equal to or less than a predetermined amount or it is expected that the behavior of the own vehicle does not change from the first behavior state, the light distribution control section causes the headlamp to project irradiation light toward the light control target object in a predetermined standard irradiation pattern, and
in the case where the behavior of the own vehicle detected by the behavior detection section is in a second behavior state in which the change in the irradiation area of the headlamp exceeds the predetermined amount or it is expected that the behavior of the own vehicle changes to the second behavior state, the light distribution control section causes the headlamp to project irradiation light toward the light control target object in an irradiation pattern different from the standard irradiation pattern.