Method for illuminating vehicle surroundings, and motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12358416-B2
Application number	US-202017792973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2020
Priority date	Jan 24, 2020
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

A method for illuminating vehicle surroundings of a motor vehicle that comprises an illumination device and a detection device, wherein the illumination device is set up to illuminate at least part of a solid angle region of the vehicle surroundings with different illumination patterns, in particular with visible light, wherein the illumination patterns each predefine illumination intensities for different solid angle subregions of the solid angle region, comprising the steps of: illuminating the vehicle surroundings with a first of the illumination patterns by means of the illumination device, detecting a light pattern that results from the illumination of the vehicle surroundings with the first illumination pattern by means of the detection device, selecting a second of the illumination patterns on the basis of the detected light pattern, and illuminating the vehicle surroundings with the second illumination pattern by means of the illumination device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for illuminating vehicle surroundings of a motor vehicle that comprises an illumination device and a detection device, wherein the illumination device is set up to illuminate at least part of a solid angle region of the vehicle surroundings with different illumination patterns, using visible light, wherein the different illumination patterns each predefine illumination intensities for different solid angle subregions of the solid angle region, and wherein the detection device is set up to detect one or more light patterns illuminated with the different illumination patterns, the method comprising:
illuminating the vehicle surroundings with a first different illumination pattern of the different illumination patterns by the illumination device;
detecting a first light pattern that results from illumination of the vehicle surroundings with the first different illumination pattern by the detection device;
selecting a second different illumination pattern of the different illumination patterns on the basis of the detected first light pattern;
illuminating the vehicle surroundings with the second different illumination pattern by the illumination device;
detecting a second light pattern that results from the illumination of the vehicle surroundings with the second different illumination pattern by the detection device;
recognizing on the basis of the detected first light pattern, whether a bump and/or an obstacle is located in the solid angle region and/or a position of the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle is determined,
wherein the selection of the second different illumination pattern depends on the position and/or on whether the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle is located in the solid angle region,
wherein, based on the first different illumination pattern and the detected first light pattern, height information is determined for portions of a driving plane located in the solid angle region to extract a first height profile of the driving plane from the detected first light pattern, and
wherein the recognition of the bump and/or the obstacle and/or the determination of the position is based on the first height profile;
determining a second height profile of the driving plane from the detected second light pattern; and
classifying, by a classification algorithm based on the second height profile, the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle into one or more conditions corresponding to at least easily drivable over, unable to be driven over, or only drivable over under specific conditions.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in at least one selected subregion of the second different illumination pattern, illumination intensity changes more frequently in at least one direction than in a same selected subregion of the first different illumination pattern.

3. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein the at least one selected subregion is selected based on the position of the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one parameter of a chassis of the motor vehicle is set and/or notification information is output to a driver of the motor vehicle on the basis of the second light pattern.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first and/or second different illumination pattern is selected in such a way that when the first and/or second different illumination pattern is emitted by the illumination device in regions where a flat surface is illuminated, a stripe pattern or a grid pattern or concentric circles result(s) as a light pattern.

6. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the illumination device comprises at least one headlight of the motor vehicle.

7. A motor vehicle comprising:
an illumination device, wherein the illumination device is set up to illuminate at least part of a solid angle region of vehicle surroundings with different illumination patterns, using visible light, wherein the different illumination patterns each predefine illumination intensities for different solid angle subregions of the solid angle region;
a detection device, wherein the detection device is set up to detect one or more light patterns illuminated with the different illumination patterns; and
a control device, wherein the control device is configured to control the illumination device by:
illuminating the vehicle surroundings with a first different illumination pattern of the different illumination patterns by the illumination device;
detecting a first light pattern that results from illumination of the vehicle surroundings with the first different illumination pattern by the detection device;
selecting a second different illumination pattern of the different illumination patterns on the basis of the detected first light pattern;
illuminating the vehicle surroundings with the second different illumination pattern by the illumination device;
detecting a second light pattern that results from the illumination of the vehicle surroundings with the second different illumination pattern by the detection device:
recognizing on the basis of the detected first light pattern, whether a bump and/or an obstacle is located in the solid angle region and/or a position of the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle is determined,
wherein the selection of the second different illumination pattern depends on the position and/or on whether the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle is located in the solid angle region,
wherein, based on the first different illumination pattern and the detected first light pattern, height information is determined for portions of a driving plane located in the solid angle region to extract a first height profile of the driving plane from the detected first light pattern, and
wherein the recognition of the bump and/or the obstacle and/or the determination of the position is based on the first height profile;
determining a second height profile of the driving plane from the detected second light pattern; and
classifying, by a classification algorithm based on the second height profile, the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle into one or more conditions corresponding to at least easily drivable over, unable to be driven over, or only drivable over under specific conditions.

8. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein in at least one selected subregion of the second different illumination pattern, illumination intensity changes more frequently in at least one direction than in a same selected subregion of the first different illumination pattern.

9. The motor vehicle according to claim 8 ,
wherein the at least one selected subregion is selected based on the position of the recognized bump and/or the recognized obstacle.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein at least one parameter of a chassis of the motor vehicle is set and/or notification information is output to a driver of the motor vehicle on the basis of the second light pattern.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first and/or second different illumination pattern is selected in such a way that when the first and/or second different illumination pattern is emitted by the illumination device in regions where a flat surface is illuminated, a stripe pattern or a grid pattern or concentric circles result(s) as a light pattern.

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the illumination device comprises at least one headlight of the motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Schmidt Valentin
• Armbruster Tilman
• Reim Johannes
• Debelec Marcel

Classifications

• B60G17/0165

  to an external condition, e.g. rough road surface, side wind · CPC title

• G06V20/58

  Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads · CPC title

• G06V10/145

  Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings · CPC title

• G06V10/141

  Control of illumination · CPC title

• B60G2401/14

  Photo or light sensitive means, e.g. Infrared · CPC title