PREDICTIVE ADAPTIVE FRONT LIGHTING ALGORITHM FOR BRANCHING ROAD GEOMETRY

• US 20080239698A1
• Filed: 03/28/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varroc Lighting Systems S.R.O. (Varroc Engineering Limited)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Ibrahim, Faroog Abdel-kareem
• Granted Patent: US 7,568,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/37
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/12 due to steering position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature

Abstract

A system for predictive front lighting of a vehicle. The system includes at least two headlamps, at least two swivel mechanisms and a controller. The first and second headlamps project a beam pattern for illumination of the vehicle path. The controller receives vehicle position data, as well as, data regarding a most likely path and a secondary path of the vehicle. The controller then calculates the desired swivel angle of the headlamps based on the most likely path of the vehicle and the secondary path of the vehicle, and the swivel mechanisms respectively manipulate each of the headlamps to accordingly change alignment of the headlamps based on the swivel angle for each of the of the headlamps.

Claims

1. A system for adaptive front lighting of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first headlamp and a second headlamp configured to cooperatively project a beam pattern;

a first swivel mechanism coupled to the first headlamp to change a swivel angle of the first headlamp;

a second swivel mechanism coupled to the second headlamp to change a swivel angle of the second headlamp; and

a controller configured to determine a most likely path of the vehicle and a secondary path, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a first desired swivel angle of the first headlamp based on the most likely path of the vehicle and a second desired swivel angle of the second headlamp based on the secondary path of the vehicle.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the first desired swivel angle based on the branching angle of the most likely path of the vehicle, a distance to branch, and a time to reach the branch.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the first desired swivel angle is calculated according to the relationship:

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the second desired swivel angle based on the branching angle of the secondary likely path, a distance to branch, and a time to reach the branch.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the second desired swivel angle is calculated according to the relationship:

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a nominal swivel angle such that a kink point generated by the first headlamp will be a predefined distance from a host vehicle lane center.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the nominal swivel angle is calculated according to the relationship:

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a weighted average angle of the first desired swivel angle and the nominal swivel angle.

9. A method for adaptive front lighting of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a most likely path;

determining a secondary path;

calculating a first desired swivel angle for a first vehicle headlamp based on the most likely path of the vehicle; and

calculating a second desired swivel angle for a second vehicle headlamp based on the secondary path.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the first desired swivel angle based on the branching angle of the most likely path, a distance to branch, and a time to reach the branch.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the first desired swivel angle is calculated according to the relationship:

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the second desired swivel angle based on the branching angle of the most likely path, a distance to branch, and a time to reach the branch.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second desired swivel angle is calculated according to the relationship:

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a nominal swivel angle such that the kink point will be a predefined distance from a host vehicle center lane.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the nominal swivel angle is calculated according to the relationship:

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a weighted average angle of the first desired swivel angle and the nominal swivel angle.