SELF-ADJUSTING LIGHTING BASED ON VIEWING LOCATION

• US 20160152178A1
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Nathan J., Caliendo, JR., Neal Robert, Mese, John Carl, VanBlon, Russell Speight, Weksler, Arnold S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,137,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/18 for varying the light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/44 Spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/47 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

For automatically adjusting a vehicle light level based on a viewing location of an occupant, a system, apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes an image sensor, an occupant viewing location module that determines an illuminable region corresponding to a viewing location of a vehicle occupant based on data from the image sensor, a light level module that determines a light level for the illuminable region, and an illumination control module that adjusts an illumination setting of at least one light associated with the illuminable region based on the determined light level. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an occupant recognition module that identifies the vehicle occupant, wherein the light level module determines the light level based on the identity of the vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

an occupant viewing location module that determines an illuminable region corresponding to a viewing location of a vehicle occupant based on data from the image sensor;

a light level module that determines a light level for the illuminable region; and

an illumination control module that adjusts an illumination setting of at least one light associated with the illuminable region based on the determined light level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an occupant recognition module that identifies the vehicle occupant, wherein the light level module determines the light level based on the identity of the vehicle occupant.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the illuminable region comprises a dashboard, the at least one light associated with the illuminable region comprises a dashboard light, and the illumination control module increases the illumination setting of the dashboard light in response to a driver looking at the dashboard.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the illuminable region comprises a rear window, the at least one light associated with the illuminable region comprises a dome light, and the illumination control module decreases the illumination setting of the dome light in response to a driver looking at the rear window.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a driving environment module that determines an ambient light level, wherein the light level module determines the light level based on the ambient light level.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle status module that determines a status of the vehicle, wherein the light level module determines the light level based on the determined status.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the status of the vehicle comprises a speed of the vehicle, the light level module determining a first light level in response to the vehicle being stopped and a second light level, different than the first light level, in response to the vehicle being in motion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tinted lens module that determines whether the vehicle occupant is wearing a tinted lens and increases the determined light level in response to the vehicle occupant wearing a tinted lens.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an illumination return module that reverts the illumination setting of the at least one light to a prior value in response to the occupant looking away from the illuminable region.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one light provides illumination at one of a plurality of illumination levels and the illumination control module sets the at least one light at an illumination level closest to the determined light level.

11. A method comprising:

determining, by use of a processor, that an automobile occupant is looking at an illuminable region;

identifying the automobile occupant; and

adjusting an illumination value of at least one light associated with the illuminable region based on the automobile occupant.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the automobile occupant is no longer looking at the illuminable region; and

reverting the illumination value to a prior value in response to the automobile occupant no longer looking at the illuminable region.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating a timer in response to adjusting the illumination value of the at least one light; and

reverting the illumination value to a prior value in response to expiration of the timer.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising associating a user profile with the automobile occupant, the user profile including user preferences for light levels, wherein adjusting the illumination value based on the automobile occupant comprises determining a light level preference for the illuminable region based on the user profile.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising comparing the light level preference for the illuminable region based on the user profile to a driver limit, wherein adjusting the illumination value based on the automobile occupant comprises setting the illumination value for at least one light to the lesser of the light level preference and the driver limit.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

storing a stationary lighting profile and a moving lighting profile for the illuminable region; and

determining whether the automobile is stationary,

wherein adjusting the illumination value of the at least one light comprises;

retrieving an illumination value from the stationary lighting profile in response to the automobile being stationary, and

retrieving an illumination value from the moving lighting profile in response to the automobile being in motion.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the illumination level based on the automobile occupant comprises:

identifying a plurality of illumination levels compatible with the at least one light; and

setting the at least one light to one of a plurality of illumination levels closest to a light level preference associated with the automobile occupant.

18. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

detecting that a vehicle occupant is looking at an illuminable area;

identifying the vehicle occupant;

determining a light level for the illuminable area based on the vehicle occupant; and

adjusting an illumination level of at least one light associated with the illuminable region based on the determined light level.

19. The program product of claim 18, the executable code further comprising code to perform:

determining whether an ambient light level exceeds a daytime threshold;

entering a daytime mode in response to the ambient light level exceeding the daytime threshold; and

entering a nighttime mode in response to the ambient light level not exceeding the daytime threshold,

wherein determining the light level for the illuminable area comprises selecting an illumination level based on the entered mode.

20. The program product of claim 18, wherein determining the light level for the illuminable area comprises identifying a user profile for the occupant, the user profile including user preferences for light levels, and selecting a light level preference for the illuminable region based on the user profile.