Headlights for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9243773-B2
Application number	US-201213555592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2012
Priority date	Jul 22, 2011
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A headlight for a motor vehicle includes a plurality of illuminants, wherein the illuminants are arranged in a matrix which has a first direction of extension and a second direction of extension which is perpendicular to the first direction of extension. In order to operate the headlight more efficiently a value of the luminance is individually adjustable for each of the illuminants, and the value of the luminance of the respective illuminants is adjustable in dependence on a position of the illuminants along the first direction of extension and/or the second direction of extension according to at least one predetermined distribution function.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a headlight, said headlight comprising a plurality of illuminants arranged in a matrix, said matrix having first and second directions of extension, wherein a value of a luminance of each illuminant is individually adjustable as a function of a position of the illuminant along the first direction of extension and/or the second direction of extension and in accordance with at least one predetermined distribution function; and
a first assistance system determining a predictive road course by means of a navigation system and changing the distribution function as a function of the predictive road course.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distribution function is a discretized normal distribution.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a center of the distribution function defines a first region of the headlight, and wherein the illuminants have a higher luminance in the first region than in a second region of the headlight which borders on the first region.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the illuminants are arranged adjacent to one another in the first and second direction of extension.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein each of the illuminants is operable with an electric current, and wherein the value of the luminance of the respective illuminants is adjustable by a pulse width modulation of the electric current.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the illuminants are constructed as light emitting diodes.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising
a second assistance system, said second assistance system changing the distribution function as a function of at least one member selected from the group consisting of a steering angle, a yaw rate, an inclination, a speed and an acceleration of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 7 , further comprising a control device for implementing a high beam function and/or a dipped beam function of the headlight.

9. A method for operating a headlight for of the a motor vehicle, comprising:
individually adjusting a value of a luminance of each of multiple illuminants of the head light, wherein the illuminants are arranged in a matrix, said matrix having a first direction of extension and a second direction of extension which is perpendicular to the first direction of extension, and wherein the value of the luminance is adjusted as a function of a position of the illuminant along the first direction of extension and/or the second direction of extension and in accordance with at least one predetermined distribution function;
determining with an assistance system a predictive road course by means of a navigation system; and
changing with the assistance system the distribution function as a function of the predictive road course.

Assignees

• Funk Christian
• Huhn Wolfgang
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Funk Christian
• Huhn Wolfgang

Classifications

• B60Q2300/322

  Road curvature · CPC title

• B60Q2300/134

  Yaw · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

  Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers · CPC title

• B60Q1/143 Primary

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

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title