# US 11,077,787 B2 · Control device for vehicle headlamps

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,077,787 B2
- Document ID: US11077787B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/643,762
- Filed: 2018-09-07
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2017-09-08
- Assignees: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Mitsuhiro Uchida; Yasushi Kita; Takako Kimura; Takeshi Waragaya; Wataru Nakashima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077787B2

## CPC

- H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
- B60Q 1/247: {for illuminating the close surroundings of the vehicle, e.g. to facilitate entry or exit (for reverse drive B60Q1/22; by opening a side door B60Q1/323)}
- B60Q 1/525: {automatically indicating risk of collision between vehicles in traffic or with pedestrians, e.g. after risk assessment using the vehicle sensor data}
- B60Q 1/04: the devices being headlights
- B60Q 2300/45: Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
- Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A control device for vehicle headlamps configured to control illumination with light using headlamps of a vehicle, the control device for vehicle headlamps includes a determination part configured to determine whether the vehicle will collide with an object detected by an object detection part configured to detect an object, and an illumination controller configured to illuminate a region corresponding to the object that has been determined to collide with the vehicle by the determination part with a marking light and configured to illuminate a region around the region corresponding to the object with a background light in which a light intensity level thereof is decreased when a light intensity level of the marking light is increased, by using the headlamps.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control device for vehicle headlamps configured to control illumination with light using headlamps of a vehicle, the control device for vehicle headlamps comprising:
a determination part configured to determine whether the vehicle will collide with an object detected by an object detection part configured to detect an object; and
an illumination controller that is configured to illuminate a region corresponding to the object that has been determined to collide with the vehicle by the determination part with a marking light and that is configured to illuminate a region around the region corresponding to the object with a background light in which a light intensity level thereof is decreased when a light intensity level of the marking light is increased, by using the headlamps,
wherein, in a case where the determination part determines that the object is a person and determines that a face of the person is oriented towards a direction of the vehicle, the illumination controller is set to a first control mode in which the marking light, which has a size larger than the background light and which has a light intensity that does not exceed a glare level, is emitted to the region corresponding to the object, and
wherein, in a case where the determination part determines that the object is a person and determines that a face of the person is not oriented towards the direction of the vehicle the illumination controller is set to a second control mode in which the marking light, which has a light intensity that exceeds the glare level, is emitted to the region corresponding to the object.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1, wherein the illumination controller emits blinking light as the marking light.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1, wherein the determination part is configured to determine that the face of the person is oriented towards the direction of the vehicle when a pupil of the person is detected.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the determination part determines that the object is not a person, the illumination controller is set to the second control mode in which the marking light, which has the light intensity that exceeds the glare level, is emitted to the region corresponding to the object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 4, wherein the illumination controller emits blinking light as the marking light.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control device for vehicle headlamps according to claim 1, wherein a light intensity of the glare level is a brightness of one lux.