Method for controlling a headlight

• US 10,252,662 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hella Gmbh & Co. Kgaa (Forvia SE)
• Original Assignee: Hella Gmbh & Co. Kgaa (Forvia SE)
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anh Q
• Application Number:
  US15/648,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20170305329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a light distribution of a headlight, in particular of a headlight comprising one illuminant or comprising a plurality of illuminants which generates or generate an adaptable light distribution, wherein a glare region of the light distribution is defined with a glare distance outside which no causing of glare for a road user is effected, wherein an optical monitoring device having a monitoring region having a monitoring boundary is provided, wherein a luminous object is identifiable as a road user only within the monitoring region, wherein upon recognition or supposition of at least one luminous object which is outside the monitoring region but within the glare region, the at least one headlight is driven such that the glare distance is adapted, such as in particular reduced.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a light distribution of at least one headlight comprising one illuminant or comprising a plurality of illuminants which generates or generate an adaptable light distribution, the method comprising:

providing an optical monitoring device having a monitoring region, wherein a luminous object is identifiable as a road user only within the monitoring region,

recognizing or suspecting based on data of the optical monitoring device at least one luminous object,

calculating a specific probability of the luminous object, and when it is determined that a certain object type is present with a specific probability, estimating a distance to the object and a residence probability, and

driving at least one headlight on the basis of the residence probability of the luminous object.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one headlight is driven in such a way that a luminous distance or a glare distance is reduced by a light intensity of selected illuminants being reduced.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the residence probability of the luminous object is composed of a probability of the luminous object being an object at risk of glare and/or a probability of the object at risk of glare being situated in a glare region of the headlight and/or a probability of an object being present.

4. The method according to claim 2,

wherein the light intensity is reduced in a predefined areal or spatial region, such that the luminous distance or the glare distance is reduced in a predefined areal or spatial region.