Method for the operation of a headlight and motor vehicle headlight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10293740-B2
Application number	US-201514971323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A motor vehicle headlight and method for operating the headlight is disclosed, wherein the headlight is operated in a main beam mode or in a partial main beam node. A light distribution of the main beam of the headlight is adapted as a function of a course of a road which is being traveled along by the motor vehicle. In addition, a motor vehicle headlight is described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a headlight of a motor vehicle comprising:
determining a road course for a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling;
selecting a mode of operation for the headlight as a function of the road course, wherein the mode of operation is selected from the group consisting of a main beam mode and a partial beam mode;
operating the headlight in the selected mode of operation such that a light distribution of a main beam of the headlight is adapted to the road course;
adapting the light distribution in a first stage and in a second stage; and
activating a first side reflector in the first stage and activating the first side reflector and a second side reflector in the second stage.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising altering the light distribution of the main beam as a function of a curve lying ahead such that the light distribution is widened in the direction of the inside of the bend.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the light distribution is altered such that the light distribution is narrowed towards the outside of the bend.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first stage is activated in the case of bends with a curve radius smaller with respect to a first threshold radius, and wherein the second stage is activated in the case of bends with a curve radius smaller with respect to a second threshold radius which is smaller than the first threshold radius.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising deactivating the main beam mode when determining when a traffic density adjacent the vehicle is greater than a threshold traffic density.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the headlight is not pivoted when the headlight is operated in the selected mode.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the headlight is selected from the group consisting of a matrix headlight, a pixel headlight, a laser headlight and a combination thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining a road course with the aid of a camera.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining a road course by means of map data.

10. A motor vehicle headlight assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:
a fixed headlight having a main beam operable to emit a light distribution therefrom, a first side reflector configured to provide lateral illumination and a second side reflector configured to provide additional lateral illumination; and
a controller configured to:
adapt the light distribution of the main beam as a function of a road course of a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling;
adapt the light distribution in a first stage and in a second stage;
activate the first side reflector in the first stage; and
activate the first side reflector and the second side reflector in the second stage.

11. The motor vehicle headlight assembly according to claim 10 , further comprising a camera system aligned in a direction of travel of the motor vehicle and operably coupled to the controller for indicating the road course.

12. The motor vehicle headlight according to claim 11 , further comprising map data indicating the road course, wherein the controller is configured to receive the map data.

13. The motor vehicle headlight according to claim 10 , further comprising map data indicating the road course, wherein the controller is configured to receive the map data.

14. The motor vehicle headlight according to one of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to receive traffic density data for road on which the motor vehicle is traveling and adapt the light distribution as a function of the traffic density data.

15. The motor vehicle headlight according to claim 10 , wherein the headlight is selected from the group consisting of a matrix headlight, a pixel headlight, a laser headlight and a combination thereof.

16. A method for operating a headlight of a motor vehicle comprising:
determining a road course for a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling;
selecting a mode of operation for the headlight as a function of the road course, wherein the mode of operation includes a main beam mode and a partial beam mode;
operating the headlight in the selected mode of operation such that a light distribution of the headlight is adapted to the road course;
altering the light distribution in a first stage wherein a first side reflector adapted to provide lateral illumination is activated; and
alerting the light distribution in a second stage wherein the first side reflector and a second side reflector adapted to provide additional lateral illumination are both activated.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Langkabel Frank
• Haberkorn Rouven
• Roeckl Philipp
• Feid Thomas
• Illium Justus
• Rabe Michael
• Schneider Ingolf
• Woelfelschneider Isabell

Classifications

• B60Q2300/40

  Indexing codes relating to other road users or special conditions · CPC title

• B60Q2300/322

  Road curvature · CPC title

• B60Q1/143

  combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers · CPC title

• B60Q1/12 Primary

  due to steering position · CPC title