Method for calibrating a lighting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016257241-A1
Application number	US-201615060962-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 4, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for calibrating a lighting apparatus, particularly lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle.

First claim

1 . Method for calibrating a lighting apparatus, wherein the lighting apparatus has a plurality of illuminants as light sources that each produce an individual light distribution, control means for controlling the settings of the individual light distributions to produce a superimposed overall light distribution by dint of superimposition of the individual light distributions of at least single illuminants, additionally characterized by
the production of an essentially overlap-free distribution of the individual light distributions of at least single selected illuminants, pickup of the light distribution of the selected illuminants by means of a sensor, determination of at least one characteristic of the picked-up individual light distributions of the selected illuminants, calibration of the lighting apparatus on the basis of a comparison of the at least one characteristic of different illuminants among one another and/or with prescribable setpoint data.

2 . Method for actuating a lighting apparatus, wherein the lighting apparatus has a plurality of illuminants as light sources that each produce an individual light distribution, having control means for controlling the settings of the individual light distributions to produce a superimposed overall light distribution by dint of superimposition of the individual light distributions of at least single illuminants, additionally characterized by
the production of an essentially overlap-free distribution of the individual light distributions of at least single selected illuminants at a selected time, pickup of the light distribution of the selected illuminants by means of a sensor, determination and storage of at least one characteristic of the picked-up individual light distributions of the selected illuminants, actuation of the lighting apparatus during operation based on the at least one characteristic.

3 . Method according to claim 2 , wherein the actuation involves a setpoint value for the characteristic being compared with the actual value and the difference being used for control.

4 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the illuminants are provided with means for setting the direction of radiation of the individual light distribution and/or with means for setting the focusing of the individual light distribution.

5 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the illuminants are in a form such that the intensity of the individual light distribution is adjustable, the respective intensity of the individual light distribution of the illuminants being controllable by the control means.

6 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration of the lighting apparatus is setting and/or the actuation is control of the direction of radiation of the individual light distribution from at least one illuminant or all illuminants and/or of the focusing of the individual light distribution from at least one illuminant and/or from all illuminants and/or of the intensity of the individual light distribution from at least one illuminant or from all illuminants.

7 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration of the lighting apparatus is setting and/or the actuation is control of the direction of radiation of the individual light distribution from at least one of the selected illuminants or all selected illuminants and/or of the focusing of the individual light distribution from at least one of the selected illuminants and/or from all selected illuminants and/or of the intensity of the individual light distribution from at least one of the selected illuminants or from all selected illuminants.

8 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is a center or focus of an individual light distribution.

9 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristic is an expansion and/or a profile of the light distribution.

10 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison is a comparison of centers and/or expansion parameters and/or profile parameters from light distributions that are ascertained from different illuminants.

11 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison is used to examine at least one regularity.

12 . Method according to claim 1 , one of the preceding claim 1 , wherein the comparison is a comparison of centers and/or expansion parameters and/or profile parameters from light distributions that are compared with setpoint positions, setpoint expansions and/or setpoint profiles.

13 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the production of an essentially overlap-free distribution of the individual light distributions is performed over an area in front of the vehicle.

14 . Method according to claim 13 , wherein the area is an at least essentially even area that has a horizontal or vertical profile, in particular.

15 . Method according to claim 13 , wherein the area is a selected area or is a subregion of a selected area in which the operation of the headlamp is essentially unimpaired and/or the driver of the vehicle and/or other road users are not disturbed or influenced.

16 . Method according to claim 15 , wherein the area is not visible to the driver of the vehicle.

17 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the method for calibration is performed cyclically in multiple calibration cycles.

18 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein the method for calibration is performed such that only a portion of the illuminants of the lighting apparatus are calibrated in a calibration cycle, different calibration cycles involving a respective different portion of the illuminants being calibrated.

19 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein after a complete pass through the calibration cycles, essentially all illuminants are calibrated.

20 . Method according to claim 17 , wherein the selected illuminants for calibration are selected such that they are currently not used to produce a light distribution that is needed on account of the situation, or such illuminants are used but they are at least intermittently replaced by other illuminants.

21 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein only one individual light distribution for an illuminant at a time is calibrated in a calibration cycle.

22 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the production of the overlap-free distribution of the individual light distributions is performed in at least one of various settings for the illuminants.

23 . Method according to claim 18 , wherein the setting that is set is a central position, a, in particular extreme, swivel position, a, in particular extreme, focusing and/or an, in particular extreme, expansion.

24 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein a dynamic setting for the individual light distribution or for the light distributions is made.

25 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein swiveling and/or circling and/or expansion and contraction is set.

26 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration and/or the ascertainment of control parameters for a lighting apparatus of a motor vehicle is performed, the calibration and/or the ascertainment of control parameters being performed at a standstill during and/or after the production of the motor vehicle.

27 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration and/or the ascertainment of control parameters for a lighting apparatus of a motor vehicle is performed, the calibration and/or the ascertainment of control parameters being perf

Assignees

• Hella Kgaa Hueck & Co

Inventors

• Hoffmann Ingo

Classifications

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title

• H05B45/00

  Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• B60Q2300/42

  oncoming vehicle · CPC title

• G01M11/064

  by using camera or other imaging system for the light analysis · CPC title

• B60Q2200/38

  Automatic calibration of motor-driven means for adjusting headlamps, i.e. when switching on the headlamps, not during mounting at factories · CPC title