Generation and remote processing of light maps

• US 10,272,824 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: El Idrissi, Hafid, Boinet, Loic
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luong, Henry
• Application Number:
  US15/046,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20160243980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• 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 1/1438 Actuating means for dimming masks or screens
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/12 Steering parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/50 Projected symbol or information, e.g. onto the road or car body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A lighting method comprising: definition, by a control system (CTRL_S) of a lighting device (HL), of a parameter (PAR) of the lighting device; transmission of this parameter, by the control system, to an actuator (LSS) of the lighting device; and generation, by the actuator, with a light source (LSR) of the lighting device, of a light beam producing an image corresponding to a light map obtained by modifying a light map stored in the actuator using the parameter received from the control system. The description also relates to a lighting device, a computer program and a storage medium for implementing such a method.

Claims

1. A lighting method implemented by a lighting device comprising:

a digitized matrix-array of light sources;

an actuator storing a plurality of light maps to control all points on the digitized matrix-array, each of the plurality of light maps defined by an image file; and

a control system,

said lighting method comprising;

definition, by said control system, of a parameter of said lighting device;

transmission of said parameter by said control system to said actuator;

generation, by said actuator, with a light source, of a light beam producing an image corresponding to a light map obtained by modifying said each of the plurality of light maps stored in said actuator using said parameter received from said control system;

analysis, by said control system, of a video stream captured by a video camera connected to said control system; and

definition, by said control system, of said parameter depending on the result of said analysis.

2. The lighting method according to claim 1, comprising:

reception, by said control system, of a measurement taken by a sensor connected to said control system; and

definition, by said control system, of said parameter depending on said measurement.

3. The lighting method according to claim 2, comprising:

detection, by said actuator, of a possible malfunction in said lighting device;

in case of detection of a malfunction, generation, by said actuator, of a light beam producing an image corresponding to a light map stored in said actuator.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions that, when they are executed by a processor, lead said processor to implement the lighting method according to claim 2.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions that, when they are executed by a processor, lead said processor to implement the lighting method according to claim 1.

6. The lighting method according to claim 1, comprising:

detection, by said actuator, of a possible malfunction in said lighting device;

in case of detection of said possible malfunction, generation, by said actuator, of a light beam producing an image corresponding to a light map stored in said actuator.

7. The lighting method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is a mask to mask a portion in one of the plurality of the light maps.

8. The lighting method according to claim 7, wherein an image formed by the mask is embedded with navigation information.

9. A lighting device, comprising:

a digitized matrix-array of light sources;

an actuator storing a plurality of light maps to control all points on the digitized matrix-array, each of the plurality of light maps defined by an image file; and

a control system arranged to define a parameter of said lighting device and to transmit said parameter to said actuator,

said actuator being arranged to generate, with a light source, a light beam producing an image corresponding to a light map obtained by modifying a light map stored in said actuator using said parameter;

said actuator being arranged to detect a possible malfunction in said lighting device, and to generate, when it detects such said possible malfunction, said light beam producing said image corresponding to said light map stored in said actuator, and

said control system being arranged to analyze a video stream captured by a video camera connected to said control system and to define said parameter depending on the result of this analysis.

10. The lighting device according to claim 9, said control system being arranged to define said parameter depending on a measurement taken by a sensor connected to said control system.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions that, when they are executed by a processor, lead said processor to operate the lighting device according to claim 9.

12. The lighting device according to claim 9, wherein the parameter is a mask to mask a portion in one of the plurality of the light maps.

13. The lighting device according to claim 12, wherein an image formed by the mask is embedded with navigation information.

14. A lighting method implemented by a lighting device comprising:

a digitized matrix-array of light sources;

an actuator storing a plurality of light maps to control all points on the digitized matrix-array, each of the plurality of light maps defined by an image file; and

a control system,

said lighting method comprising;

definition, by said control system, of a parameter of said lighting device;

transmission of said parameter by said control system to said actuator;

generation, by said actuator, with a light source, of a light beam producing an image corresponding to a light map obtained by modifying a light map stored in said actuator using said parameter received from said control system,

reception, by said control system, of a measurement taken by a sensor connected to said control system; and

definition, by said control system, of said parameter depending on said measurement,

wherein the sensor measures rotation of a steering wheel or a load of a vehicle.