Dynamic means of illuminating a field of vision

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981593-B2
Application number	US-201414904965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2014
Priority date	Jul 16, 2013
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A process for producing an adaptive light pattern that is produced by at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) in a vehicle ( 2 ) that can be steered by a vehicle driver ( 3 ), the at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) having at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ), wherein at least one camera ( 5 ) detects the direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver is looking, at least one computing unit ( 6 ) evaluates the information obtained in this way and produces, on the basis of this information, control signals and transmits the control signals to the at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) with the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ), and wherein the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) is controlled, on the basis of the control signals for targeted illumination of an area (BR 1 ) lying in the direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver ( 3 ) is looking.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing an adaptive light pattern that is produced by at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) in a vehicle ( 2 ) that is configured to be steered by a vehicle driver ( 3 ), the at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) having at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ), the process comprising:
detecting, with at least one camera ( 5 ), a direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver is looking;
using at least one computing unit ( 6 ) to evaluate the detected direction and thereby produce control signals; and
transmitting the control signals to the at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) with the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) to produce the adaptive light pattern,
wherein the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) is controlled, on the basis of the control signals, for targeted illumination of an area (BR 1 ) lying in the direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver ( 3 ) is looking,
wherein the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) is configured to execute different light functions comprising a low-beam function, a glare-free high-beam function, and an adaptive light pattern function, the light functions being organized in a hierarchy, in which a production of a low-beam pattern comprises the highest priority followed by a production of a high-beam pattern and the targeted illumination of the area lying in the direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver ( 3 ) is looking, and
wherein surroundings of the vehicle are detected by the at least one camera ( 5 ), and wherein the at least one computing unit ( 6 ) evaluated information obtained from the at least one camera ( 5 ), recognizes light-reflecting objects comprising road signs located in the vehicle surroundings, and controls an intensity of targeted illumination of one of the light-reflecting objects on the basis of its reflectivity.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the adaptive light pattern is produced by horizontal and/or vertical segmentation of a light pattern of the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ).

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the adaptive light pattern is put together from light patterns of two vehicle headlights (SW 1 , SW 2 ), each of which includes the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ).

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the adaptive light pattern is put together from light patterns of two vehicle headlights (SW 1 , SW 2 ), each of which has exactly one of the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ).

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the adaptive light pattern is produced by at least two adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) that are controlled independently of one another.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle surroundings are detected by the at least one camera ( 5 ), and the at least one computing unit ( 6 ) evaluates information obtained by the at least one camera and recognizes road users located in the vehicle surroundings and selects them according to defined criteria, at least the targeted illumination of the selected road users being suppressed.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera ( 5 ) detects a curve in a road lying in front of the vehicle ( 2 ).

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle surroundings are detected by the at least one camera ( 5 ), and wherein the at least one computing unit ( 6 ) evaluates information obtained by the at least one camera ( 5 ) and checks moving objects located in the vehicle surroundings for their relevance to traffic on the basis of defined criteria, the position of a respective object being compared with the direction in which the vehicle driver ( 3 ) is looking and, depending on a result of the checking of the object and the comparison with the direction in which the vehicle driver is looking, taking at least one illuminating engineering measure to direct the attention of the vehicle driver.

9. An illumination system ( 1 ) for producing an adaptive light pattern that is produced by at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) in a vehicle ( 2 ) that is configured to be steered by a vehicle driver ( 3 ), the at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) having at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ), the illumination system comprising:
at least one camera ( 5 ) configured to detect a direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver is looking; and
at least one computing unit ( 6 ) configured to control the at least one adaptive means of illumination for targeted illumination of an area (BR 1 ) lying in the direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver ( 3 ) is looking,
wherein the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) is configured to execute different light functions comprising a low-beam function, a glare-free high-beam function, and an adaptive light pattern function, the light functions being organized in a hierarchy, in which a production of a low-beam pattern comprises the highest priority followed by a production of a high-beam pattern and the targeted illumination of the area lying in the direction (BR) in which the vehicle driver ( 3 ) is looking, and
wherein at least one camera ( 5 ) is configured to detect vehicle surroundings, and wherein the at least one computing unit ( 6 ) is configured to evaluate information obtained by the at least one camera, recognize objects comprising road signs located in the vehicle surroundings, and to control an intensity of targeted illumination of a light-reflecting object on the basis of its reflectivity.

10. The illumination system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) have horizontal and/or vertical segmentation.

11. The illumination system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) has exactly one of the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ).

12. The illumination system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one camera ( 5 ) is configured to detect the vehicle surroundings, the at least one computing unit ( 6 ) being configured to evaluate information obtained by the at least one camera and to recognize road users located in the vehicle surroundings, recognized road users being selected according to defined criteria and the targeted illumination of the selected road users being suppressible.

13. The illumination system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one camera ( 5 ) is configured to detect a curve in a road lying in front of the vehicle ( 2 ).

14. The illumination system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one camera ( 5 ) is configured to detect the vehicle surroundings, wherein the at least one computing unit ( 6 ) is configured to evaluate information obtained from the at least one camera, recognize and check moving objects located in the vehicle surroundings, compare a position of a respective object with the direction in which the vehicle driver ( 3 ) is looking, and, depending on a result of the checking of the object and the comparison with the direction in which the vehicle driver is looking, trigger the at least one adaptive means of illumination (BM 1 , BM 2 ) in a targeted manner.

15. A motor vehicle comprising at least one illumination system of claim 9 .

16. The motor vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the motor vehicle has two front headlights equipped with the illumination system.

17. A process for producing an adaptive light pattern that is produced by a vehicle headlight (SW 1 , SW 2 ) in a vehicle ( 2 ) that is configured to be st

Assignees

• Zizala Lichtsysteme Gmbh
• Zkw Group Gmbh

Inventors

• Mayer Peter

Classifications

• B60Q2300/054

  Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity · CPC title

• B60Q1/1438

  Actuating means for dimming masks or screens · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

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

• B60Q2300/322

  Road curvature · CPC title

• 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