Automatic vehicle exterior light control

• US 20050219852A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Frederick T. Bauer, Jon H. Bechtel, Joseph S. Stam
• Original Assignee: Frederick T. Bauer, Jon H. Bechtel, Joseph S. Stam
• Inventors: Bauer, Frederick T., Stam, Joseph S., Bechtel, Jon H.
• Application Number:
  US11/144,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219852A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/466
• 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 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 1/18 being additional front lights bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC 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 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A system for automatically controlling continuously variable headlamps on a controlled vehicle includes an imaging system capable of determining lateral and elevational locations of headlamps from oncoming vehicles and tail lamps from leading vehicles. The system also includes a control unit that can acquire an image from in front of the controlled vehicle. The image covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare. The image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within the glare area. If at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced. Otherwise, the illumination range is set to full illumination range.

Claims

1. An automatic exterior light control, comprising:

an image array sensor, said image array sensor comprising an array of pixel sensors, wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor substantially passes through an associated windshield area that is wiped by a windshield wiper.

2. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 1 wherein an image array sensor aim is adjustable electronically.

3. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 1 wherein an image array sensor aim is automatically adjusted.

4. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 1 comprising an ambient light level input.

5. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 4 wherein automatic exterior light control is enabled when an ambient light level is below a threshold.

6. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 1 comprising an exterior light control signal comprising a variable rate of change.

7. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 1 comprising a variable exterior light control signal threshold.

8. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 1 wherein at least one image acquired from said image array sensor covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare, said image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within a glare area and if at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced.

9. An automatic exterior light control, comprising:

an image array sensor, said image array sensor comprising an array of pixel sensors, wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor is adjustable electronically.

10. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 9 wherein an image array sensor aim is automatically adjusted.

11. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 9 wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor substantially passes through an associated windshield area that is wiped by a windshield wiper.

12. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 9 comprising an ambient light level input.

13. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 12 wherein automatic exterior light control is enabled when an ambient light level is below a threshold.

14. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 9 comprising an exterior light control signal comprising a variable rate of change.

15. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 9 comprising a variable exterior light control signal threshold.

16. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 9 wherein at least one image acquired from said image array sensor covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare, said image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within a glare area and if at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced.

17. An automatic exterior light control, comprising:

an image array sensor, said image array sensor comprising an array of pixel sensors; and

a controller configured with an ambient light input, wherein automatic exterior light control is enabled when an ambient light level is below a threshold.

18. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 17 wherein said ambient light input is derived from said image array sensor.

19. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 17 wherein an image array sensor aim is adjustable electronically.

20. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 17 wherein an image array sensor aim is automatically adjusted.

21. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 17 wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor substantially passes through an associated windshield area that is wiped by a windshield wiper.

22. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 17 comprising an exterior light control signal comprising a variable rate of change.

23. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 17 comprising a variable exterior light control signal threshold.

24. An automatic exterior light control as in claim 17 wherein at least one image acquired from said image array sensor covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare, said image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within a glare area and if at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced.