Abstract: A lane mark irradiation lamp forming a pair of light distribution patterns on left and right sides of the road surface ahead of a vehicle. The light distribution patterns are formed so as to extend along the lane marks provided on the road, and the luminous intensity distribution of the light distribution patterns in lateral direction in a first angle position that is in a downward direction at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lamp is set so as to have peaks on both sides of such a longitudinal axis.

Abstract: It is an object to reliably decide the running area of a vehicle and to carry out suitable irradiation control for the area. This invention provides a lighting device 1 for a vehicle including irradiation control means 5 for deciding a running area based on position information obtained by vehicle current-position detecting means 2 and road information obtained by road information acquiring means 3 and for carrying out irradiation control of a lighting tool for a vehicle according to a result of the decision. For road information, a current running area (a high-speed running area, an urban area) is decided based on information in the current position of a vehicle and information about a road over which the vehicle has already run or the same information and information about the forward place of the vehicle.

Abstract: In such a state that a self-vehicle runs along a guide route (YES in S6), if an intersection is not present in a forward part for a while (NO in S8), beam control is carried out in a navigation associating mode corresponding to the guide route (S9). Consequently, beam irradiation is properly carried out over a road provided ahead of the vehicle without requiring a complicated calculation for the beam control. On the other hand, if the intersection is present in the forward part of the guide route (YES in S8), the beam control is carried out in a normal mode (a control mode other than the navigation associating mode) (S10). Consequently, even if the self-vehicle gets out of the guide route when passing through the intersection, the beam control itself is performed continuously and the beam irradiation is properly executed over the road provided ahead of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle lighting apparatus is provided with a travel environment detecting means (2) for acquiring information indicative of a travel environment related to a travel path of a vehicle; a travel region judging means (3) for judging a travel region where the vehicle is presently traveling based upon the information acquired by the travel environment detecting means (2); and a lighting control means (4) for lighting control of a vehicle lighting member (6) in response to a judgement signal derived from the travel region judging means (3). For example, in response to a link number of nodes of a vehicle traveling path, which is obtained from a navigation apparatus (2a) constituting the travel environment detecting means (2), a travel region is judged based upon either a total value of the link numbers or an average value thereof, and an increase/decrease trend thereof. Thus, a travel region where a vehicle is traveling is judged to realize a vehicle lighting control suitable for this travel region.

Abstract: In a vehicle headlamp apparatus 1, there are provided a map information acquiring means 2 for acquiring positional information on one's own vehicle on a map and the environmental information, and an environmental condition detection means 3 for detecting an environmental condition relating to a traveling road on which one's own vehicle is driven according image information or the information acquired from a radar. The light distribution control means 4 of a lighting device 5 performs light distribution control over the headlamp according to more reliable one of both kinds of information adopted with the priority given thereto out of the information derived from the map information acquiring means 2 and the information detected by the environmental condition detection means 3 or according to the information complemented with both kinds of information described above.

Abstract: A light distribution control apparatus which is less affected by an error in a navigation function, and conducts a proper light distribution. An illuminated area and a glare quantity are controlled according to a determination on a traveling region of a vehicle (an expressway, a general road, or an urban region), and an illuminating direction is controlled according to a determination on a road shape. On the other hand, a navigation processor determines reliabilities of current position detection, and a vehicle position based on road data, and determines a reliability of the road shape and a reliability of the traveling region. A base illuminated area and a medium glare are selected when the reliability of the traveling region is low, an illuminated area according to the traveling region is selected and the glare quantity is decreased when the reliability is medium, and an illuminated area and a glare quantity according to the traveling region are selected when the reliability is high.

Abstract: Beam control over headlamps is performed with the arriving position, a predetermined time later from the present time, as a target position. At this time, the radius of curvature of a traveling road ahead of a vehicle is calculated on the basis of data from a navigation unit, and the arriving position of one's own vehicle is estimated on the basis of an advisable vehicle speed corresponding to the radius of curvature. Thus, the arriving position of one's own vehicle can accurately be estimated by taking into consideration variation in vehicle speed that is likely to occur in the near future.

Abstract: Beams from headlamps are controlled by a beam control ECU. The beam control ECU has a road-configuration-corresponding mode and a corresponding-turning-angle mode. In the road-configuration-corresponding mode, beam control is performed according to the detected results of a road configuration ahead of a vehicle. In the corresponding-turning-angle mode, beam control is performed according the detected results of the turning angle of the vehicle. One of these modes is selected in response to the vehicle speed. Thus, the beam emitting direction is prevented from being inadvertently changed-irrespective of the rise and fall of vehicle speed-through the actuation of a direction indicator or a steering operation.

Abstract: A light unit 1 for a vehicle has a driving-environment detecting device 2 for detecting information (the shape of the road, the position of the vehicle, whether or not oncoming and preceding vehicle exist, the traffic volume density and ambient luminous intensity) indicating a driving environment provided by a path through which a vehicle is driven. A mode determining device 3 determines a driving mode which is included in driving modes classified in accordance with combinations of information detected by the driving-environment detecting device 2 and which is dynamically changed when the driving environment is changed during driving of the vehicle. In accordance with an instruction signal supplied from the mode determining device 3 to an illumination control device 4 and corresponding to the driving mode, illumination which is performed by the light unit 5 is controlled.

Abstract: A lane mark irradiation lamp forming a pair of light distribution patterns on left and right sides of the road surface ahead of a vehicle. The light distribution patterns are formed so as to extend along the lane marks provided on the road, and the luminous intensity distribution of the light distribution patterns in lateral direction in a first angle position that is in a downward direction at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lamp is set so as to have peaks on both sides of such a longitudinal axis.

Abstract: An infrared-ray radiating lamp which is prevented from being mistaken for a tail lamp or a stop lamp by ensuring that not only infrared rays but also visible rays are emanated from a front lens simultaneously. The lamp includes a lighting chamber defined by a lamp body and a front lens, a reflector disposed in the lighting chamber, and infrared-ray radiation means and visible-ray radiation means disposed in front of the reflector in the lighting chamber. The infrared rays radiated from the infrared-ray radiation means and the visible rays radiated from the visible-ray radiation means are emanated from the front lens simultaneously when the lamp is lit. Thus, the rays distributed by the lamp include both red infrared rays and white visible rays, and therefore a red color is not particularly noticeable. Thus, the infrared-ray radiating lamp when lit is not mistaken for a tail lamp or a stop lamp.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight capable of switching beams between low and high beams by vertically tilting a reflector by a predetermined angle so that upward forward visibility ahead of a vehicle can be secured during high-beam traveling by using a light distribution pattern having a cutoff line as a low-beam light distribution pattern. An upward deflection prism, projecting substantially perpendicularly downward from an upper side of a reflector up to a vicinity of a height position of an upper end edge of the reflective surface of the reflector, is provided in the vicinity of the front of the front end opening of the reflector.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a vehicle lamp system providing a better control in illumination of vehicle lamps in response to various weather and road conditions. The vehicle lamp system includes vehicle lamps, environment detection means for detecting weather and road surface conditions, and illumination control means for controlling an illumination of the vehicle lamps based on the weather and road surface conditions received from the environment detection means.