Headlamp leveling system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953787-B2
Application number	US-201715826873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2017
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A motor vehicle according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a sensor, a headlamp, and a controller configured to adjust an aim of the headlamp based on a signal from the sensor. The controller is configured to account for a zero drift of the sensor. A method is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a first sensor;
a second sensor;
a headlamp; and
a controller configured to adjust an aim of the headlamp based on a signal from the first sensor, wherein the controller is configured to relate an output of the second sensor to a zero drift of the first sensor, and wherein the controller is configured to account for the zero drift of the first sensor when adjusting the aim of the headlamp.

2. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second sensor is an environmental sensor and the output of the second sensor is indicative of an environmental condition of the first sensor.

3. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 2 , wherein the environmental condition is a temperature.

4. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to reference a lookup table to determine the zero drift of the first sensor based on a particular temperature corresponding to the output of the second sensor.

5. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of a pitch of the motor vehicle.

6. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to interpret signals from the first sensor as corresponding to changes in pitch brought about by a change in road angle or by a change in vehicle load.

7. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the controller interprets a change in pitch when a velocity of the motor vehicle slows to zero as a reference road angle.

8. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 7 , wherein, when the motor vehicle is stopped, the controller interprets a change in pitch relative to the reference road angle as a change in pitch brought about by a change in vehicle load.

9. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the controller interprets a change in pitch during a time when the vehicle is not in motion as being brought about by a change in vehicle load.

10. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 5 , wherein the controller interprets a change in pitch during a time when a vehicle door is open as being brought about by a change in vehicle load.

11. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 5 , further comprising a third sensor configured to output a signal indicative of a pressure of tires of the motor vehicle, wherein the controller interprets a change in pitch when the change in pitch coincides with a change in tire pressure as being brought about by a change in vehicle load.

12. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the controller further monitors a status of all vehicle doors, a pressure of all vehicle tires, and vehicle location.

13. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is an accelerometer.

14. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 13 , wherein the first sensor is mounted to one of restraint control module and a headlight control module.

15. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an actuator assembly configured to adjust an aim of the headlamp in response to commands from the controller.

16. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 15 , wherein the aim of the headlamp is an angle of a beam of light emitted from the headlamp.

17. The motor vehicle as recited in claim 15 , wherein the actuator assembly is configured to adjust a vertical aim or a side-to-side aim of the headlamp.

18. A method, comprising:
accounting for a zero drift of a first sensor when adjusting an aim of a headlamp based on a signal from the first sensor, wherein the zero drift of the first sensor is indicated by an output of a second sensor.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the second sensor is an environmental sensor and the output of the second sensor is indicative of an environmental condition of the first sensor.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 , wherein the environmental condition is a temperature.

21. The method as recited in claim 18 , further comprising:
adjusting the aim of the headlamp based on a change in pitch of a motor vehicle brought about by at least a change vehicle load.

22. The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising:
storing a reference road angle; and
determining a change in pitch brought about by a change in load by comparing a change in pitch when the vehicle is stopped to the reference road angle.

23. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the aim is adjusted by an actuator assembly in response to commands from a controller.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bauch David James
• Biggs Stephan
• Craig Ryan
• Miller Robert
• Clark Todd N

Classifications

• B60C23/04 Primary

  mounted on the wheel or tyre · CPC title

• G01P15/0802

  Details · CPC title

• B60Q1/10 Primary

  due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution · CPC title

• B60Q1/115

  by electric means {(details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076)} · CPC title

• G01C9/06

  Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means · CPC title