Method and device for grouping illumination units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9764681-B2
Application number	US-201214356308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2012
Priority date	Nov 3, 2011
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A method is described for ascertaining a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units during the travel of a vehicle. The method includes a step of recognizing at least one first illumination unit and at least one second illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor. The method also includes a step of detecting a distance and/or a time which the vehicle travels after a departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A processor-based method for ascertaining a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units during a travel of a vehicle, the method comprising:
recognizing at least one first illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;
performing at least one of:
beginning a measurement of a distance which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, and
beginning a measurement of a time during which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;

performing at least one of:
grouping the first illumination unit with a second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of:
the measured distance up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a distance threshold value, and
the measured time up to the departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a time threshold value, and

not grouping the first illumination unit with the second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of:
an instantaneously measured distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and
an instantaneously measured time is greater than the time threshold value;

assessing the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units as one individual illumination unit;
recognizing whether a condition of continuous roadway illumination exists on the basis of at least the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units assessed as one individual illumination unit, in order to control a light emission of a headlight of the vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
in the step of grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the distance is less than the distance threshold value, and
in the step of grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the time is less than the time threshold value.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
in the step of not grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and
in the step of not grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the time is greater than the time threshold value.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
in the step of recognizing, at least one third illumination unit is recognized, and
at least one of:
in the step of grouping, the third illumination unit is grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a further distance which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor up to a departure of the third illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, has the predetermined relationship with respect to the distance threshold value, and
in the step of grouping, the third illumination unit is grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a time during which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor up to the departure of the third illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, has the predetermined relationship with respect to the time threshold value.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
in the step of recognizing, a third illumination unit is recognized,
at least one of:
in the step of not grouping, the third illumination unit is not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a further distance which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, does not have the predetermined relationship with respect to the distance threshold value, and
in the step of grouping, the third illumination unit is not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a time during which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, does not have the predetermined relationship with respect to the time threshold value.

6. A processor-based method for recognizing a continuous roadway illumination along a roadway to be traveled by the vehicle, comprising:
reading in at least one individual illumination unit and a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which has been ascertained by:
recognizing at least one first illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;
performing at least one of:
beginning a measurement of a distance which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, and
beginning a measurement of a time during which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor; and

performing at least one of:
grouping the first illumination unit with a second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of:
the measured distance up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a distance threshold value, and
the measured time up to the departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a time threshold value, and

not grouping the first illumination unit with the second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of:
an instantaneously measured distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and
an instantaneously measured time is greater than the time threshold value;

assessing the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units as one individual illumination unit; and
recognizing the continuous roadway illumination using the individual illumination unit and the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which is assessed as one individual illumination unit, in order to control a light emission of a headlight of the vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein at least one of:
in the step of recognizing, a presence of the continuous roadway illumination is recognized when the vehicle travels at least one of a predetermined travel distance and a predetermined travel time between a position of the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which is assessed as one individual illumination unit and a position of the individual illumination unit, and
in the step of recognizing, the presence of the continuous roadway illumination is recognized when the vehicle travels at least one of the predetermined travel distance and the

Assignees

• Foltin Johannes
• Van Staa Sebastian
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Foltin Johannes
• Van Staa Sebastian

Classifications

• B60Q1/085 Primary

  due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers (B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60Q1/14 Primary

  having dimming means · CPC title

• B60Q2300/3321

  Detection of streetlights · CPC title

• G06K9/00825

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06V20/584

  of vehicle lights or traffic lights · CPC title