Method for controlling the light distribution of vehicle headlights and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017225608-A1
Application number	US-201515502400-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 10, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for controlling the light distribution of vehicle headlights using vehicle-to-X communication, as well as a vehicle having an electronic circuit that executes such a method. The method can be used to implement a variable light distribution of vehicle headlights without cameras and digital maps.

First claim

1 . A method for controlling the light distribution of vehicle headlights, comprising
receiving data from a vehicle-to-X communication, calculating the light distribution based at least on this data, and adjusting the light distribution to a standard value in the case in which no data from vehicle-to-X communication or an insufficient amount of data from vehicle-to-X communication is received within a predetermined period of time.

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light distribution includes a light range of the vehicle headlights.

3 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light distribution includes a lighting direction of the vehicle headlights.

4 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the data at least partially comes from other vehicles.

5 . The method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the data coming from the other vehicles at least partially contains information about a respective route traveled.

6 . The method according to claim 5 ,
further comprising of calculating a course of the route based on information about the respective routes traveled by the other vehicles, wherein the calculated course of the route is used for calculating the light distribution.

7 . The method according to claim 4 ,
wherein the data that comes from other vehicles at least partially includes periodic signals indicating a respective current position of the other vehicle.

8 . The method according to claim 7 ,
further comprising the calculating the course of a route based on the periodic signals, wherein the calculated course of the route is used for calculating the light distribution.

9 . The method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the calculating of a course of the route is performed at least partially by lining up the positions of other vehicles.

10 . The method according to claim 7 ,
further comprising detecting oncoming or preceding vehicles using the periodic signals, wherein the positions and/or routes of the oncoming or preceding vehicles are used for calculating the light distribution.

11 . (canceled)

12 . The method according to claim 1 ,
which is performed without using camera data and/or without using map data.

13 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein calculating the light distribution is additionally based on camera data and/or map data.

14 . The method according to claim 1 ,
which is executed in an electronic circuit.

15 . A vehicle, comprising:
vehicle-to-X communication means, an electronic circuit, configured to perform the method according to claim 1 , and at least one headlight whose light distribution is controlled by the electronic circuit.

16 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the light distribution includes a lighting direction of the vehicle headlights.

17 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the data that comes from other vehicles at least partially includes periodic signals indicating a respective current position of the other vehicle.

18 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the data that comes from the other vehicles at least partially includes periodic signals indicating a respective current position of the other vehicle.

19 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising detecting oncoming or preceding vehicles using the periodic signals, wherein the positions and/or routes of the oncoming or preceding vehicles are used for calculating the light distribution,

20 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising detecting oncoming or preceding Vehicles using the periodic signals, wherein the position and/or routes of the oncoming or preceding vehicles are used for calculating the light distribution.

21 . The method according to claim wherein the electronic circuit is a high beam assist circuit.

Assignees

• Continental Teves Ag & Co Ohg
• Continental Teves Ag & Co Ohg

Inventors

• Stahlin Ulrich

Classifications

• B60Q1/143

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

• B60Q2300/42

  oncoming vehicle · CPC title

• B60Q2300/41

  preceding vehicle · CPC title

• B60Q2300/47

  Direct command from other road users, i.e. the command for switching or changing the beam is sent by other vehicles or road devices · CPC title

• B60Q2300/12

  Steering parameters · CPC title