Abstract: A vehicular headlamp apparatus includes: a headlamp that illuminates ahead of a vehicle; illumination range changing means for changing an illumination range of the headlamp; detecting means for detecting a position of a forward vehicle present in front of the vehicle; controlling means for controlling the illumination range changing means based on the position of the forward vehicle detected by the detecting means; and determining means for determining whether or not the position of the forward vehicle is within the illumination range. When the position of the forward vehicle is determined as being within the illumination range, the apparatus changes the illumination range so as to have the position of the forward vehicle fall outside the illumination range.

Abstract: In a vehicle headlamp light distribution control system which changes a shaded range so as to track a position of a forward vehicle and terminates the tracking when the forward vehicle moves away from the front of a system-mounted vehicle by a tracking limit, how right and left margins of the shaded range for a tracking lag and the tracking limit is determined is arranged to realize adequate dazzle and improve the visibility to a driver of the system-mounted vehicle. It is determined whether the forward vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle. When the forward vehicle is the preceding vehicle, optical axis control margins that are right and left margins for the shaded range for the tracking lag are set to be smaller than those when the forward vehicle is the oncoming vehicle to widen the maximum shading range according to the tracking limit.

Abstract: The vehicular headlight apparatus includes a control means configured to change a light illumination area following a position of a detected target object until a shift angle between a reference direction and a direction to the target object with respect to a headlight is calculated to exceed a maximum limit shift angle, and configured to, when a vehicle speed is detected to exceed a predetermined threshold value, set the maximum limit shift angle to a small deflection angle, and change the present light illumination area to a low-beam light illumination area covered by the headlight in a low-beam state if the shift angle is calculated to exceed the maximum limit shift angle set to the small deflection angle.

Abstract: The vehicular headlight apparatus includes a control means configured to change a light illumination area following a position of a detected target object until a shift angle between a reference direction and a direction to the target object with respect to a headlight is calculated to exceed a maximum limit shift angle, and configured to, when a vehicle speed is detected to exceed a predetermined threshold value, set the maximum limit shift angle to a small deflection angle, and change the present light illumination area to a low-beam light illumination area covered by the headlight in a low-beam state if the shift angle is calculated to exceed the maximum limit shift angle set to the small deflection angle.

Abstract: An absolute pitch is outputted from an inclination sensor. A gradient related quantity is outputted from a gradient related quantity detection sensor for detecting a gradient related quantity that can specify a gradient of a road surface. The absolute pitch angle and the gradient related quantity are acquired by a vehicle headlight control apparatus. Based on the absolute pitch angle and the gradient related quantity, a pitch angle of a vehicle with respect to a road surface is calculated by the vehicle headlight control apparatus. Based on the pitch angle, an optical axis direction of the head lamp is controlled by the vehicle headlight control apparatus.

Abstract: The vehicular headlight apparatus includes a control means configured to change a light illumination area following a position of a detected target object until a shift angle between a reference direction and a direction to the target object with respect to a headlight is calculated to exceed a maximum limit shift angle, and configured to, when a vehicle speed is detected to exceed a predetermined threshold value, set the maximum limit shift angle to a small deflection angle, and change the present light illumination area to a low-beam light illumination area covered by the headlight in a low-beam state if the shift angle is calculated to exceed the maximum limit shift angle set to the small deflection angle.

Abstract: The vehicular headlight apparatus includes a changing means for changing a light illumination area of a headlight, a recognition means for recognizing an object present ahead of the vehicle, an analyzing means for detecting a target object belonging to one of predetermined categories, and calculating positions of a detected target in vertical direction and lateral directions, a control means for controlling the changing means such that, when a target object is detected by the analyzing means, a present light illumination area is changed to a first light illumination area predetermined depending on a category to which the detected target belongs. The control means makes a change from the first light illumination area to a second light illumination area, if the pitch angle of the vehicle is larger than a predetermined value, or a variation amount of the pitch angle per unit time is larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention provides, as one aspect, a light control apparatus for controlling directions of optical axes of headlights mounted in a vehicle. The apparatus includes a position detecting section that detects positions of the headlights with respect to a road surface, an optical axis direction calculating section that calculates the directions of the optical axes of the headlights, individually, so that the optical axes are directed to illumination targets positioned at predetermined distances from the positions of the headlights detected by the position detecting section, a leveling control section that controls the directions of the optical axes of the headlights in the vertical direction, individually, and a leveling output section that outputs a control command based on a calculation result of the optical axis direction calculating section to the leveling control section.

Abstract: The present invention provides, as one aspect, a light control apparatus for controlling directions of optical axes of headlights mounted in a vehicle. The apparatus includes a position detecting section that detects positions of the headlights with respect to a road surface, an optical axis direction calculating section that calculates the directions of the optical axes of the headlights, individually, so that the optical axes are directed to illumination targets positioned at predetermined distances from the positions of the headlights detected by the position detecting section, a leveling control section that controls the directions of the optical axes of the headlights in the vertical direction, individually, and a leveling output section that outputs a control command based on a calculation result of the optical axis direction calculating section to the leveling control section.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight apparatus includes a headlight and an actuator. The actuator horizontally changes a lighting direction of the headlight. The vehicle headlight apparatus drives the actuator such that the actuator horizontally changes the lighting direction of the headlight based on a target swivel angle that is determined based on a travel condition, upon the occurrence of one of the following conditions: (a) the vehicle headlight apparatus detects a dark road section located on a downstream side of a current position of a vehicle, or (b) the headlight is switched on.

Abstract: A headlight optical axis angle control system for a vehicle has a headlight, a height sensor for detecting a height of the vehicle and an actuator for changing an optical axis angle of the headlight based on an output value of the height sensor. The system also has an ECU that detects an abnormal change in the output value of the height sensor, and drives the actuator to maintain the optical axis angle of the headlight unchanged irrespective of the output value of the height sensor when the abnormal change is detected.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight apparatus includes a headlight and an actuator. The actuator horizontally changes a direction of an optical axis of the headlight. The vehicle headlight apparatus detects a rotational state of at least one predetermined wheel. The vehicle headlight apparatus determines whether a vehicle travels in a forward direction or a non-forward direction based on a detection result. A swivel operation, in which the actuator horizontally changes the direction of the optical axis of the headlight based on a steering operation of the vehicle, is performed when the vehicle headlight apparatus determines that the vehicle travels in the forward direction. The swivel operation is cancelled when the vehicle headlight apparatus determines that the vehicle travels in the non-forward direction.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight apparatus includes a headlight and an actuator. The actuator horizontally changes a lighting direction of the headlight. The vehicle headlight apparatus drives the actuator such that the actuator horizontally changes the lighting direction of the headlight based on a target swivel angle, which is determined based on a travel condition, when the vehicle headlight apparatus detects a dark road section, which is located on a downstream side of a current position of a vehicle, or when the headlight lights.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight apparatus includes a headlight and an actuator. The actuator horizontally changes a direction of an optical axis of the headlight. The vehicle headlight apparatus detects a rotational state of at least one predetermined wheel. The vehicle headlight apparatus determines whether a vehicle travels in a forward direction or a non-forward direction based on a detection result. A swivel operation, in which the actuator horizontally changes the direction of the optical axis of the headlight based on a steering operation of the vehicle, is performed when the vehicle headlight apparatus determines that the vehicle travels in the forward direction. The swivel operation is cancelled when the vehicle headlight apparatus determines that the vehicle travels in the non-forward direction.

Abstract: In an automatic optical axis direction adjusting device for a vehicle headlight, a control characteristic is switched according to a road condition, a designation by a user or the like. Therefore, the optical axis direction of the vehicle headlight can be adjusted to suit a vehicle driving condition, a driver's preference or the like without causing a driver to feel uncomfortableness. Furthermore, the adjustment of the optical axis direction can be stopped or restricted according to the switched control characteristic. Therefore, unnecessary operation of a driving system such as an actuator can be avoided to increase durability.