Method for checking the functionality of a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10151628-B2
Application number	US-201515521555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for testing the operability of a motor vehicle ( 10 ) with a headlamp ( 12 ) which comprises a laser ( 14 ) for generating by means of which a converter ( 16 ) for emitting converted light is excited, which is emitted by the headlamp ( 12 ) for generating a predeterminable light distribution ( 18 ) on a surface area ( 20 ) in a surrounding area of the motor vehicle ( 10 ), wherein the predeterminable light distribution ( 18 ) is set by a control device ( 22 ) of the headlamp ( 12 ). The object of the invention is to check the condition of the converter ( 16 ). A test pattern ( 26, 30 ) is set by the control device ( 22 ) as light distribution ( 18 ). The test pattern ( 26, 30 ) is detected on the surface area ( 20 ) by means of an optical detection device ( 24 ) of the motor vehicle ( 10 ). The detected test pattern ( 26, 30 ) is compared with at a predetermined reference pattern by an evaluation device ( 28 ) of the motor vehicle ( 10 ). The invention also relates to a motor vehicle ( 10 ), which is designed to carry out such a method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
testing a headlamp of a motor vehicle, the headlamp including a laser and a converter excitable by the laser, the headlamp configured to generate light in a light distribution on a surface area in a surrounding area of the motor vehicle, wherein the light distribution is controlled by a control device, the testing including:
setting a test pattern with the control device;
generating the light distribution on the surface area in the surrounding area of the motor vehicle in accordance with the test pattern by the headlamp;
detecting the test pattern on the surface area using an optical detection device of the motor vehicle;
comparing the detected test pattern with at least one predetermined reference pattern by an evaluation device of the motor vehicle, the reference pattern corresponding to the test pattern generated from an undamaged or damaged headlamp; and
detecting an aging or a crack of the converter by comparing at least one of a brightness and a color in the detected test pattern and the reference pattern by the evaluation device.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation device compares at least one of a light-dark boundary, a position, and a shape in the detected test pattern and the reference pattern.

3. The method according to claim 1 ,
further comprising generating the reference pattern by the motor vehicle, by setting and detecting an additional light distribution and storing it as the reference pattern.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the test pattern is set for a predetermined duration, which is below a duration from which the test pattern is visually perceptible to a human being.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the test pattern is set for a duration which is dependent on a comparison result of a previous comparison of a detected test pattern with a reference pattern.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
a condition of the surface area illuminated by the light distribution is recognized by the detection device or an additional sensor device, and the test pattern is compared with the reference pattern in dependence on this recognized condition.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the headlamp is calibrated with the reference pattern as a function of a result of the comparison of the test pattern.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein
an error message is output by the evaluation device when the test pattern deviates from the reference pattern by a predetermined threshold value during the comparison.

9. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a headlamp including:
a laser that generates light in operation; and
a converter coupled to the laser, wherein the converter emits converted light in operation that generates a light distribution onto a surface area in a surrounding area of the motor vehicle;

an optical detection device that in operation detects the light distribution on the surface area;
a control device coupled to the headlamp, wherein the control device in operation controls the light distribution of the headlamp; and
an evaluation device that in operation detects an aging or a crack of the converter by analyzing at least one of a brightness and a color in the detected light distribution.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the optical detection device comprises a camera or an infrared camera.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the control device in operation:
selects a test pattern; and
outputs the test pattern from the headlamp on the surface area.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the optical detection device detects in operation the test pattern on the surface area.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , further comprising an evaluation device that compares the test pattern detected by the optical detection device and compares, in operation the detected test pattern with a reference pattern.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the evaluation device compares brightness and color of the reference pattern and the test pattern.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining as a function of a position of a modified subarea of the light distribution a position of damage to the converter.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting the test pattern for a predetermined duration that is less than or equal to 1/20 a second.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the condition of the surface area illuminated by the light distribution is a geometry or reflection characteristic of the surface area.

18. A device, comprising:
a headlamp including a laser and a converter excitable by the laser;
a control device coupled to the headlamp, wherein the control device in operation:
selects a test pattern; and
emits the test pattern through the headlamp to a surface;

an optical detection device coupled to the control device, wherein the optical detection device in operation:
detects the test pattern from the surface; and

an evaluation device coupled to the optical detection device and the control device, wherein the evaluation device in operation:
compares the test pattern with a reference pattern; and
detects an aging or a crack of the converter by detecting differences in at least one of a brightness and a color between the test pattern and the reference pattern.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the evaluation device in operation outputs a signal indicative of damage to the headlamp in response to the detected differences.

20. The device of claim 1 wherein the motor vehicle includes a second headlamp having a second laser and a second converter excitable by the second laser and the at least one predetermined reference pattern is generated by generating a second light distribution on a second surface area in the surrounding area of the motor vehicle in accordance with the test pattern by the second headlamp and detecting the test pattern on the second surface area using the optical detection device.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Gut Carsten

Classifications

• B60C11/005

  with cap and base layers · CPC title

• G01M11/06 Primary

  Testing the alignment of vehicle headlight devices · CPC title

• G01J1/4257 Primary

  applied to monitoring the characteristics of a beam, e.g. laser beam, headlamp beam (monitoring arrangements for lasers in general H01S3/0014) · CPC title

• G01M11/065

  details about the image analysis · CPC title

• G01N21/93

  Detection standards; Calibrating {baseline adjustment, drift correction} · CPC title