Method for Controlling a Headlamp System for a Vehicle, and Headlamp System

• US 20120271511A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Jahrsau, Bernd, Dierks, Karsten, Freese, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,862,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/20 Indexing codes relating to the driver or the passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/335 Number or size of road lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/338 Overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

In a method for controlling a headlamp system of a vehicle, road users are detected in front of the vehicle in the driving direction, and a total light pattern produced by the headlamp system is controlled such that it provides an illumination range in the direction of at least one detected road user that is less than the distance to the detected road user, and which provides an illumination range in another direction that is greater than the distance to the detected road user. The illumination range in the other direction is controlled as a function of the horizontal angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the connecting line from the vehicle to the detected road user or to another detected road user.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method for controlling a headlamp system of a vehicle, comprising:

detecting road users in front of the vehicle in a driving direction;

controlling a light pattern produced by the headlamp system to have an illumination range in a direction of at least one detected road user that is less than a distance to the detected road user and an illumination range in another direction that is greater than the distance to the detected road user;

wherein the illumination range in the other direction is controlled as a function of a horizontal angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and a connecting line from the vehicle to the detected road user or to another detected road user.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the illumination range in the other direction is in an inverse relationship with the horizontal angle.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the following relationship is satisfied:

LW=Lmax(−

mΦ

+n),

LW representing the illumination range in the other direction, Lmax representing a maximum illumination range, Φ

representing the horizontal angle, and the following applying to m;

0.167 degrees−

1≦

m≦

1.2 degrees−

1

and the following applying to n;

1≦

n≦

1.2.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein for horizontal angles in a range of 0 degrees to 2 degrees or in a range of 0.2 degrees to 0.8 degrees, the illumination range in the other direction corresponds to a maximum illumination range.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein for horizontal angles in a range of 3 degrees to 6 degrees or in a range of 4 degrees to 5 degrees, the illumination range in the other direction corresponds to a minimum illumination range.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the illumination range in the other direction is controlled as a function of the horizontal angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the connecting line from the vehicle to the additional detected road user, and the light pattern in the other direction illuminates an oncoming road lane.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the illumination range in the other direction is controlled as a function of the horizontal angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the connecting line from the vehicle to the detected road user, and in a passing maneuver, the light pattern in the other direction illuminates a region adjacent to a road lane of the detected road user.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the illumination range in the other direction is controlled after a turn signal indicator for a passing maneuver in a direction of an oncoming road lane has been activated.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the light pattern in the direction of the detected road user, a center region having a lower illumination range is formed, and side regions having a greater illumination range are formed on both sides adjacent to the center region, the illumination range in a side region being controlled as a function of the horizontal angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the connecting line of the vehicle with the detected road user or an additional detected road user.

20. A headlamp system for a vehicle, comprising:

at least two headlamps, set apart from each other, adapted to generate a total light pattern;

a road user detection device adapted to detect a road user in front of the vehicle in a driving direction; and

a control unit coupled to the road user detection device and adapted to produce the total light pattern, the total light pattern having an illumination range in a direction of at least one detected road user that is less than a distance to the detected road user and having an illumination range in another direction that is greater than the distance to the detected road user;

wherein the control unit is adapted to control the headlamps to control the illumination range in the other direction as a function of a horizontal angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and a connecting line from the vehicle to the detected road user or to another detected road user.