Adaptive forward lighting system for vehicle comprising a control that adjusts the headlamp beam in response to processing of image data captured by a camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10787116-B2
Application number	US-201816125891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2018
Priority date	Aug 11, 2006
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

An adaptive forward lighting system for a vehicle includes a camera having a field of view in a forward direction of travel of the vehicle. A control includes an image processor that processes image data captured by the camera to determine presence of an object in the field of view of the camera. The control receives vehicle data via a communication bus of the vehicle, with the vehicle data including vehicle trajectory data. The image processor processes captured image data to determine presence of lane markers in the field of view of the camera. The control adjusts a light beam emitted by a headlamp of the vehicle at least in part responsive to determination of the presence of the object in the field of view of the camera. Adjustment of the light beam of the vehicle headlamp may depend, at least in part, on trajectory of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An adaptive forward lighting system for a vehicle, said adaptive forward lighting system comprising:
a camera disposed at a portion of a vehicle equipped with said adaptive forward lighting system;
said camera having a field of view in a forward direction of travel of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said camera comprises a lens and an imaging array comprising a two-dimensional array of photosensing elements;
wherein said two-dimensional array of photosensing elements comprises at least 307,200 photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of rows and columns;
a control comprising an image processor;
wherein said image processor processes image data captured by said camera to determine presence of an object in the field of view of said camera;
wherein said control receives vehicle data via a communication bus of the equipped vehicle, said vehicle data comprising vehicle trajectory data;
wherein said image processor processes image data captured by said camera to determine presence of lane markers in the field of view of said camera;
wherein said control adjusts a light beam emitted by a headlamp of the equipped vehicle at least in part responsive to determination of the presence of the object in the field of view of said camera; and
wherein adjustment of the light beam of the vehicle headlamp depends, at least in part, on trajectory of the equipped vehicle.

2. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle trajectory data comprises data indicative of a steering wheel angular position.

3. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the light beam of the vehicle headlamp comprises a principal beam, and wherein the principal beam direction of the light beam emitted by the vehicle headlamp is adjusted depending on trajectory of the equipped vehicle.

4. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a headlight of another vehicle.

5. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a taillight of another vehicle.

6. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle data comprises vehicle pitch data.

7. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 1 , wherein a beam state of the light beam emitted by the vehicle headlamp is adjusted depending on trajectory of the equipped vehicle.

8. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 7 , wherein said vehicle communication bus comprises a CAN vehicle communication bus.

9. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 7 , wherein said image processor processes image data captured by said camera to determine road curvature of a road travelled by the equipped vehicle.

10. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 7 , wherein said camera captures frames of image data at a frame rate in the range from 5 frames per second to 120 frames per second.

11. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 1 , wherein said camera is accommodated in a housing assembly that detachably attaches to an attachment plate which is attached at an upper central region of an inner surface of a windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, with the housing assembly attached to the attachment plate, said camera views through a portion of the windshield swept by the vehicle's windshield wiper system.

12. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 11 , wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, controls an adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle.

13. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 11 , wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, controls a pedestrian detection system of the equipped vehicle.

14. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 11 , wherein said vehicle data comprises vehicle data selected from the group consisting of (i) vehicle tilt data and (ii) vehicle yaw data.

15. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 11 , wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of captured image data, a road condition ahead of the controlled vehicle is determined.

16. An adaptive forward lighting system for a vehicle, said adaptive forward lighting system comprising:
a camera disposed at a portion of a vehicle equipped with said adaptive forward lighting system;
said camera having a field of view in a forward direction of travel of the equipped vehicle;
wherein said camera comprises a lens and a CMOS imaging array comprising a two-dimensional array of photosensing elements;
wherein said two-dimensional array of photosensing elements comprises at least 307,200 photosensing elements arranged in a matrix array of rows and columns;
a control comprising an image processor;
wherein said image processor processes image data captured by said camera to determine presence of an object in the field of view of said camera;
wherein said control receives vehicle data via a communication bus of the equipped vehicle, said vehicle data comprising vehicle trajectory data;
wherein said image processor processes image data captured by said camera to determine presence of lane markers in the field of view of said camera;
wherein said control adjusts a light beam emitted by a headlamp of the equipped vehicle at least in part responsive to determination of the presence of the object in the field of view of said camera; and
wherein, responsive at least in part to processing by said image processor of captured image data, a road condition ahead of the controlled vehicle is determined.

17. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 16 , wherein said camera captures frames of image data at a frame rate in the range from 5 frames per second to 120 frames per second.

18. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 17 , wherein said image processor processes image data captured by said camera to determine road curvature of a road travelled by the equipped vehicle.

19. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 18 , wherein said camera is accommodated in a housing assembly that detachably attaches to an attachment plate which is attached at an upper central region of an inner surface of a windshield of the equipped vehicle, and wherein, with the housing assembly attached to the attachment plate, said camera views through a portion of the windshield swept by the vehicle's windshield wiper system.

20. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 19 , wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, controls an adaptive cruise control system of the equipped vehicle.

21. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 19 , wherein said control, responsive to processing of captured image data by said image processor, controls a pedestrian detection system of the equipped vehicle.

22. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 19 , wherein adjustment of the light beam of the vehicle headlamp depends, at least in part, on trajectory of the equipped vehicle, and wherein the light beam of the vehicle headlamp comprises a principal beam, and wherein the principal beam direction of the light beam emitted by the vehicle headlamp is adjusted depending on trajectory of the equipped vehicle.

23. The adaptive forward lighting system of claim 19 , wherein the object comprises an object selected from the group consisting of (i) a headlight of another vehicle and (ii) a taillight of another vehicle.

Assignees

• Magna Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Schofield Kenneth

Classifications

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• G06V20/588

  Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road · CPC title

• G06V20/584

  of vehicle lights or traffic lights · CPC title

• B60K31/00

  Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator · CPC title