ADAPTIVE VEHICLE COMMUNICATION CONTROLLED LIGHTING SYSTEM

• US 20040114381A1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dassanayake, Mahendra Somasara, DiMeo, David M., Salmeen, Irving Toivo, Alles, Sheran Anthony, Wagner, David Anthony, Strumolo, Gary Steven, Miller, Ronald Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 7,541,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/465
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 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 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• 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: G01S 13/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9319 Controlling the accelerator
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/932 using own vehicle data, e.g. ground speed, steering wheel direction
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9321 Velocity regulation, e.g. cruise control
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9322 using additional data, e.g. driver condition, road state or weather data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9323 : Alternative operation using light waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9324 : Alternative operation using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9325 : for inter-vehicle distance regulation, e.g. navigating in platoons
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9329 : cooperating with reflectors or transponders

Abstract

A vehicle safety system (10) includes a light source (32). A beam-forming assembly (34) is optically coupled to the light source (32). An object detection sensor (16) detects an object and generates an object detection signal. A controller (18) is coupled to the beam-forming assembly (34) and the object detection sensor (16). The controller (18) adjusts illumination output of the vehicle safety system (10) in response to the object detection signal.

Claims

1. A vehicle safety system comprising:

at least one light source;

at least one beam-forming assembly optically coupled to said at least one light source;

at least one object detection sensor detecting at least one object and generating at least one object detection signal; and

a controller coupled to said at least one beam-forming assembly and said at least one object detection sensor and adjusting illumination output of the vehicle safety system in response to said object detection signal.

2. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a memory coupled to said controller and storing a plurality of beam patterns, said controller selecting at least one of said beam patterns in response to said object detection signal.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller in adjusting said illumination output adjusts an illumination parameter selected from at least one of beam pattern, beam location, beam intensity, beam focus, and beam angle.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one object detection sensor is a receiver and receives a communication signal from said at least one object, said controller adjusting said illumination output in response to said communication signal.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one object detection sensor is a passive object detection sensor.

6. A system as in claim 1 wherein said at least one object detection sensor is selected from at least one of a radio frequency transceiver, a radio frequency receiver, a radio frequency sensor, an infrared transceiver, an infrared receiver, an infrared sensor, a laser transceiver, and a laser sensor.

7. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a transmitter coupled to said controller and transmitting a first communication signal, said object detection sensor receiving a second communication signal in response to said first communication signal and adjusting said illumination output in response to said second communication signal.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller adjusts said illumination output in response to at least one vehicle operating condition.

9. A system as in claim 8 wherein said controller adjusts said illumination output in response to at least one vehicle operating condition selected from at least one of velocity, speed, directional heading, acceleration, location, steering wheel angle, brake status, throttle angle, turn signal status, traction control status, differential wheel speed, light status, turn indicator status, windshield wiper status, windshield wiper speed, and engine speed.

10. A system as in claim 1 further comprising a navigation system coupled to said controller, said controller receiving information related to at least a portion of said at least one vehicle operating condition from said navigation system.

11. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller adjusts a vehicle state in response to said object detection signal.

12. A system as in claim 11 wherein said controller in adjusting a vehicle state adjusts at least one vehicle state selected from velocity, speed, directional heading, acceleration, location, steering wheel angle, brake status, throttle angle, turn signal status, traction control status, differential wheel speed, light status, turn indicator status, windshield wiper status, windshield wiper speed, and engine speed.

13. A system as in claim 11 wherein said object detection sensor receives a cruise control signal and said controller in response to said cruise control signal adjusts said vehicle state.

14. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller adjusts a cruise control parameter in response to said object detection signal.

15. A system as in claim 1 further comprising at least one light emitter optically coupled to said at least one beam-forming assembly, said controller independently adjusting illumination output of each of said at least one light emitter.

16. A system as in claim 1 wherein said object detection signal is generated in response to illumination generated from said at least one object.

17. A system as in claim 1 wherein said object detection signal is generated in response at least one communicative light signal generated from said at least one object.

18. A system as in claim 1 further comprising at least one light emitter optically coupled to said at least one beam-forming assembly and emitting a communicative light signal, said object detection sensor generating said object detection signal in response to said communicative light signal.

19. A vehicle headlight system comprising:

at least one light source;

at least one beam-forming assembly optically coupled to said at least one light source and forming an illumination beam;

a transceiver generating a first communication signal;

a receiver receiving a second communication signal from at least one object in response to said first communication signal; and

a controller coupled to said at least one beam-forming assembly and said receiver and adjusting said illumination beam in response to said second communication signal.

20. A method of operating a vehicle headlight system comprising:

detecting at least one communication signal from at least one object; and

adjusting illumination output of the vehicle headlight system in response to said at least one communication signal.