SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ILLUMINATION CONTROL AND DISTRIBUTION DURING A VEHICLE BANK

• US 20150081168A1
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J.W. Speaker, Corporation
• Original Assignee: J.W. Speaker, Corporation
• Inventors: Kay, Bradley William, McWithey, Kevin Jay, Popovic, Dragolsav
• Granted Patent: US 10,023,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0041 of several lamps in relation to each other
• 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: B60Q 1/12 due to steering position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/346 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/128 Steering dead zone
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/023 responsive to the lean angle of the cycle, e.g. changing intensity or switching sub-lights when cornering
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/153 arranged in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/155 having inclined and horizontal cutoff lines
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/24 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects

Abstract

A bank angle of a vehicle can be accurately calculated using yaw axis data and roll axis data, and based on the calculated bank angle, vehicle illumination optics can be controlled to maintain a pattern of distributed light from the illumination optics to be generally horizontal. The calculated bank angle may be zeroed when the yaw axis data equals zero. The improved pattern of distributed light from the illumination optics illuminates a more natural field of view for the vehicle driver during a bank. In some embodiments, the vehicle illumination optics can include a primary illumination group and a plurality of side illumination groups.

Claims

1. An apparatus for calculating a bank angle value of a banking vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an inertial measurement unit, the inertial measurement unit including a processor and at least one motion sensor operatively coupled to the processor;

the processor programmed to;

sample yaw rate data at a predetermined rate, the yaw rate data provided by the at least one motion sensor;

compare the yaw rate data to a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate, and when the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, set a bank angle value to zero; and

when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculate the bank angle value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to receive a motion sensor offset value.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further including, when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, determine a roll data sum, the roll data sum equal to a roll rate data value minus the motion sensor offset value.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bank angle value is calculated using the equation:

bank angle_new=bank angle_old+roll rate data*K,

where K equals a scale factor calculated by a sample rate t, a bank angle calculation period, and resolution of the at least one motion sensor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is further programmed to repeat the sample, receive, and compare program at the sample rate t.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inertial measurement unit further includes a communication device operatively coupled to the processor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the communication device is a communication port operatively coupled to the processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the communication device is a wireless communication device operatively coupled to the processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the wireless communication device is operable to program the inertial measurement unit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inertial measurement unit is plug and play operable with a vehicle control system.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate are adjustable to tune the apparatus for at least one of the at least one motion sensor, the vehicle, or a yaw rate data sample rate.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a motion sensor offset, the processor programmed to:

sample roll rate data at a predetermined rate, the roll rate data provided by the motion sensor coupled to the banking vehicle;

compare a roll rate sum value to a predefined minimum drift and a predefined maximum drift, and when the roll rate sum value is between the predefined minimum drift and the predefined maximum drift, divide the roll rate sum by a counter value to produce a new roll rate average, and adding the new roll rate average to a predetermined value for an offset and then dividing the sum by two; and

when the roll rate sum value is not between the predefined minimum drift and the predefined maximum drift, determine a roll rate sum by adding the new roll rate data, and then increment the counter value.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus controls a horizontal distribution of illumination from a vehicle headlamp when the vehicle is banking.

14. An apparatus for controlling a horizontal distribution of illumination from a vehicle when the vehicle is banking, the vehicle including a headlamp to distribute the horizontal distribution of illumination, the apparatus comprising:

an inertial measurement unit, the inertial measurement unit including a processor and a motion sensor operatively coupled to the processor, the motion sensor to be coupled to the banking vehicle;

the processor programmed to;

sample yaw rate data at a predetermined rate, the yaw rate data provided by the motion sensor coupled to the banking vehicle;

receive a motion sensor offset value;

compare the yaw rate data to a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate, and when the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, determine if the motion sensor offset value is between a predefined minimum offset and a predefined maximum offset;

when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, or when the motion sensor offset value is not between the predefined minimum offset and the predefined maximum offset, determine a roll data sum, the roll data sum equal to a roll rate data value minus the motion sensor offset value, and then calculate the bank angle value; and

when the motion sensor offset value is between the predefined minimum offset and the predefined maximum offset, set the bank angle value to zero.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further including, when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculate the bank angle value.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the motion sensor includes at least one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetic sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the motion sensor senses motion in at least two axis.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is positioned within the headlamp.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the headlamp includes a primary illumination group and a plurality of side illumination groups.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the motion sensor offset, the processor programmed to:

sample roll rate data at a predetermined rate, the roll rate data provided by the motion sensor coupled to the banking vehicle;

compare a roll rate average value to a predefined minimum drift and a predefined maximum drift, and when the roll rate average value is between the predefined minimum drift and the predefined maximum drift, divide the roll rate average by a counter value to produce a new roll rate average, and adding the new roll rate average to a predetermined value for an offset and then dividing the sum by two; and

when the roll rate average value is not between the predefined minimum drift and the predefined maximum drift, determine a roll rate average by adding prior roll rate data and then dividing by a counter value, and then increment the counter value.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further including averaging the new roll rate average with a prior roll rate average.

22. A vehicle headlamp for providing a horizontal distribution of illumination for a vehicle when the vehicle is banking, the headlamp comprising:

a headlamp housing;

an inertial measurement unit positioned within the housing, the inertial measurement unit including a processor and at least one motion sensor operatively coupled to the processor;

a primary illumination group and a plurality of side illumination groups positioned with the headlamp housing, the primary illumination group and the plurality of side illumination groups operatively coupled to a driver board, the driver board operatively coupled to the processor;

the processor programmed to;

sample yaw rate data provided by the at least one motion sensor;

compare the yaw rate data to a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate, and when the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, set a bank angle value to zero; and

when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculate a bank angle value and cause at least one of the plurality of side illumination groups to illuminate to provide the horizontal distribution of illumination for the vehicle when the vehicle is banking.

23. The vehicle headlamp of claim 22, wherein the bank angle value is calculated using the equation:

bank angle_new=bank angle_old+roll rate data*K,

where K equals a scale factor calculated by a sample rate t, a bank angle calculation period, and resolution of the at least one motion sensor.

24. The vehicle headlamp of claim 22, further including, when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, determine a roll data sum, the roll data sum equal to a roll rate data value minus the motion sensor offset value.

25. The vehicle headlamp of claim 22, wherein the inertial measurement unit further includes memory operatively coupled to the processor to store yaw rate data and roll rate data.

26. An apparatus for calculating a angle value of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

an inertial measurement unit, the inertial measurement unit including a processor and at least one motion sensor operatively coupled to the processor;

the processor programmed to;

sample motion data at a predetermined rate, the motion data provided by the at least one motion sensor;

compare the motion data to a predefined minimum motion rate and a predefined maximum motion rate, and when the motion data is between the predefined minimum motion rate and the predefined maximum motion rate, set a vehicle angle value to zero; and

when the motion data is not between the predefined minimum motion rate and the predefined maximum motion rate, calculate the vehicle angle value.