METHOD FOR DETERMINING A ROADWAY IRREGULARITY IN A ROADWAY SECTION ILLUMINATED BY AT LEAST ONE HEADLIGHT OF A VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A LIGHT EMISSION OF AT LEAST ONE HEADLIGHT OF A VEHICLE

• US 20150073654A1
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Foltin, Johannes
• Application Number:
  US14/240,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073654A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• 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 1/115 by electric means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/47 Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence G01N21/55 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20224 Image subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30256 Lane; Road marking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A method is provided for determining a roadway irregularity in a roadway section illuminated by at least one headlight of a vehicle. The method has a step of recognizing an instantaneous light distribution of the at least one headlight of the vehicle which is produced in the roadway section. The method also has a step of determining the roadway irregularity based on the instantaneous light distribution and a light distribution characteristic for the at least one headlight.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A method for determining a roadway irregularity in a roadway section illuminated by at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

recognizing an instantaneous light distribution of the at least one headlight of the vehicle which is produced in the roadway section; and

determining the roadway irregularity based on the instantaneous light distribution and a light distribution characteristic for the at least one headlight.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein:

in the step of determining, a step of combining the recognized, instantaneous light distribution and the light distribution characteristic is carried out, to produce a combined light distribution, and

the roadway irregularity is determined based on the combined light distribution.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising checking whether the combined light distribution meets a roadway irregularity condition, wherein, in the step of determining the roadway irregularity, the roadway irregularity is determined if the combined light distribution meets the roadway irregularity condition.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the roadway irregularity condition has at least one light distribution pattern that represents at least one of a presence and a property of the roadway irregularity.

15. A method for controlling a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a roadway irregularity according to a method for determining the roadway irregularity in a roadway section illuminated by the at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method for determining the roadway irregularity including;

recognizing an instantaneous light distribution of the at least one headlight of the vehicle which is produced in the roadway section, and

determining the roadway irregularity based on the instantaneous light distribution and a light distribution characteristic for the at least one headlight; and

ascertaining an item of control information for controlling the light emission of the at least one headlight of the vehicle based on the roadway irregularity.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the step of ascertaining is executed before the vehicle reaches the determined roadway irregularity.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising generating a pitching movement value for the at least one headlight based on the determined roadway irregularity, wherein, in the step of ascertaining, the control information is formed, to control the light emission of the at least one headlight while using the generated pitching movement value.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein, in the step of ascertaining, the control information is additionally ascertained based on at least one of surrounding data and travel data of the vehicle.

19. A device for determining a roadway irregularity in a roadway section illuminated by at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

an arrangement for recognizing an instantaneous light distribution of the at least one headlight of the vehicle which is produced in the roadway section; and

an arrangement for determining the roadway irregularity based on the instantaneous light distribution and a light distribution characteristic for the at least one headlight.

20. A device for controlling a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

an arrangement for determining a roadway irregularity according to a device for determining the roadway irregularity in a roadway section illuminated by the at least one headlight of a vehicle, the device for determining the roadway irregularity including;

an arrangement for recognizing an instantaneous light distribution of the at least one headlight of the vehicle which is produced in the roadway section, and

an arrangement for determining the roadway irregularity based on the instantaneous light distribution and a light distribution characteristic for the at least one headlight; and

an arrangement for ascertaining an item of control information for controlling the light emission of the at least one headlight of the vehicle based on the roadway irregularity.

21. A computer program product having program code for carrying out a method for determining a roadway irregularity in a roadway section illuminated by at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

recognizing an instantaneous light distribution of the at least one headlight of the vehicle which is produced in the roadway section; and

determining the roadway irregularity based on the instantaneous light distribution and a light distribution characteristic for the at least one headlight

22. A computer program product having program code for carrying out a method for controlling a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a roadway irregularity according to a method for determining the roadway irregularity in a roadway section illuminated by the at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method for determining the roadway irregularity including;

recognizing an instantaneous light distribution of the at least one headlight of the vehicle which is produced in the roadway section, and

determining the roadway irregularity based on the instantaneous light distribution and a light distribution characteristic for the at least one headlight; and

ascertaining an item of control information for controlling the light emission of the at least one headlight of the vehicle based on the roadway irregularity.