METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A HEADLAMP

• US 20150002014A1
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Roeckl, Philipp, Feid, Thomas, Langkabel, Frank, Schneider, Ingolf
• Granted Patent: US 9,663,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/82
• 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 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• 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 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers

Abstract

A method is disclosed for controlling a headlight in a motor vehicle. The method includes providing a headlight configured to emit a light distribution in a selectively controlled manner, and controlling the headlight to generate a dynamic wave effect in at least one sub-region in front of the vehicle within the illuminated light distribution.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A method for controlling the illuminated light distribution of a headlight in a region in front of a motor vehicle comprising controlling the headlight to generate a dynamic wave effect in at least one sub-region of the region by locally changing the brightness of a light beam emitted by the headlight.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising generating the illuminated light distribution within the at least one sub-region with a plurality of light sources arranged in the headlight.

15. The method according to one of claims 14, further comprising selectively controlling the plurality of light sources to generate the dynamic wave effect in the illuminated light distribution.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising detecting a detection event and selecting the sub-region present in the region in front of the motor vehicle in response to the detection event.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein detecting a detection event comprises detecting an object in the regions in front of the motor vehicle.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein detecting a detection event comprises detecting a desired direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the detection event is detected using a detector selected from the group consisting of a camera system, a radar system, a navigation system, a driving direction system, and combinations thereof.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein generate a dynamic wave effect comprises generating a wave effect within the light distribution in a preferred direction.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein generating a dynamic wave effect comprises generating a light/dark contrast of the light sources delineated from each other in their respective light distribution edge region.

22. A headlight assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

a headlamp generating an illuminated light distribution in a region in front of a motor vehicle, the headlamp having a plurality of independently controllable light sources; and

a control unit configured to control the plurality of light sources for generating a dynamic wave effect in at least one sub-region of the region by locally changing the brightness of a light beam emitted by the headlight.

23. The headlight assembly of claim 22 further comprising a detection device detecting a detection event, wherein the control unit selects the sub-region present in the region in front of the motor vehicle in response to the detection event.

24. The headlight assembly according to claim 23, wherein the detection event comprises an object in the regions in front of the motor vehicle.

25. The headlight assembly according to claim 23 wherein the detection event comprises a desired direction of travel of the motor vehicle.

26. The headlight assembly according to claim 23, wherein the detection device is selected from the group consisting of a camera system, a radar system, a navigation system, a driving direction system, and combinations thereof.

27. The headlight assembly according to claim 22, wherein the dynamic wave effect comprises a wave effect within the light distribution in a preferred direction.

28. The headlight assembly according to claim 22, wherein the dynamic wave effect comprises a light/dark contrast of the light sources delineated from each other in their respective light distribution edge region.