CONTROL APPARATUS OF IRRADIATING DIRECTION OF VEHICLE LAMP AND INITIALIZING METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

An irradiating direction control apparatus includes a storing portion for storing a design reference value of a vehicle and storing output voltages of vehicle height sensors when the vehicle is in a reference attitude as measured reference values, an operating portion for operating a reference vehicle height based on the measured reference value and the design reference value and operating a pitch angle of the vehicle based on detected outputs of the vehicle height sensors and the reference vehicle height and the design reference value, and a deflection control portion for controlling to deflect an irradiating direction of a lamp based on the operated pitch angle. Even when the design reference value of the vehicle is stored to the storing portion at a later step of steps of assembling the vehicle, the reference vehicle height can be operated by the output voltages and the design reference value and initialization based on the reference vehicle height can be realized. A degree of freedom of design of a factory layout is promoted and a production efficiency is promoted.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of an automobile including an irradiating direction control apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the irradiating direction control apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an initializing process and an irradiating direction control process.

FIGS. 4( a) to 4(c) illustrate flowcharts for explaining initialization settings.

FIGS. 5( a) and 5(b) illustrate conceptual views for explaining an operation of an irradiating direction control.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a correlation between a detected output of a vehicle height sensor and a vehicle height.

Claims

1. An irradiating direction control apparatus for a vehicle lamp capable of controlling deflection of an irradiating direction, the apparatus comprising: a vehicle height detector for detecting a vehicle height of a vehicle, anda controller for controlling deflection of the lamp based on the vehicle height detected by the vehicle height detector,wherein the controller is adapted to store a design reference value of the vehicle and a detected output of the vehicle height detector when the vehicle is in a reference position as a measured reference value, the controller being further adapted to determine a reference vehicle height based on the measured reference value and the design reference value and to determine a pitch angle of the vehicle based on the detected output of the vehicle height detector and the reference vehicle height, and to control deflection of the irradiating direction of the lamp based on the pitch angle.

2. The irradiating direction control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle height detector includes a vehicle height sensor for obtaining the detected output as an electric signal in correspondence with the vehicle height, wherein the controller is adapted to store a value of the electric signal, and calculate the reference vehicle height by converting the value of the electric signal into a length corresponding to the vehicle height.

3. The irradiating direction control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the design reference value includes a reference value for converting the electric signal of the vehicle height detector into the vehicle height.

4. An initializing method for an irradiating direction control apparatus of a vehicle lamp capable of controlling deflection of an irradiating direction, the method comprising: storing a design reference value of the vehicle,storing, as a measured reference value, an output from a vehicle height detector when the vehicle is in a reference position, anddetermining a reference vehicle height based on the measured reference value and the design reference value.

5. The initializing method according to claim 4, wherein storing a design reference value of the vehicle is carried out after storing, as a measured reference value, an output from the vehicle height detector when the vehicle is in a reference position, and wherein determining a reference vehicle height is carried out thereafter.