Methods and a device for automatically switching on or off the illumination of a vehicle

• US 6,900,594 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2000
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH
• Original Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH
• Inventors: Reichert, Andreas, Lägler, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US10/130,982
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 315/76, 315/149, 315 79- 83, 315/159, 315/154, 307/10.8, 307/10.1, 701/36, 701/49, 250/214.AL, 250/208.1, 340/815.4, 34042623-42625
• US Class Current: 315/83
• 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges

Abstract

A method and device for automatically switching on and/or off the illumination of a vehicle. Faulty switching is reduced by adapting the threshold value for switching on the illumination by averaging the measured brightness value(s) according to the driving speed and using switching-off conditions which, inter alia, consider the surrounding brightness.

Claims

1. A method for automatically switching on the lighting of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

determining an average brightness H_amb in the environment of the vehicle; and

switching the vehicle exterior lighting on, if brightness H_amb is less than or equal to a threshold value S_Night during a time interval T_min,Night.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

creating a time-averaged brightness H_amb,m(t+tΔ

) according to the formula H_amb,m (t+t×

)=H_amb,m(t)*(1−

a)+H_amb(t)*a, with 0<

a<

1, wherein H_amb(t) is the instantaneous average brightness at time t and H_amb,m(t) is the average brightness over time at time t; and

switching on the vehicle exterior lighting when the time-averaged brightness H_amb,m(t+tΔ

) is less than or equal to a lower threshold value S_Night.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining the road speed v of the vehicle;

creating a time-averaged brightness H_amb,m(t+tΔ

) according to the formula H_amb,m(t+tΔ

)=H_amb,m(t)*(1−

a)+H_amb (t)*av, with 0<

a<

1, wherein H_amb(t) is the instantaneous average brightness at time t and H_amb,m(t) is the average brightness over time at time t; and

switching on the vehicle exterior lighting when the time-averaged brightness H_amb,m(t+tΔ

) is less than or equal to a lower threshold value S_Night.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one brightness value H_v,1 . . . H_v,n in a direction of travel of the vehicle; and

switching on the vehicle exterior lighting when brightness H_amb or H_amb,m and the at least one brightness value H_v,1 . . . H_v,n is less than or equal to the threshold value A_Night during a time interval T_min,Night.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one brightness value H_v,1 . . . H_v,n in a direction of travel of the vehicle; and

switching on the vehicle exterior lighting when at least one of the brightness values H_v,1 . . . H_v,n lies below a threshold value S_Tunnel.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising the step of:

increasing the threshold value S_Tunnel with increasing ambient brightness H_amb.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising the step of:

increasing the threshold value S_Tunnel with increasing road speed v of the vehicle.

8. The method in accordance with claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

determining the steering angle of the steered wheels of the vehicle; and

increasing the threshold value S_Tunnel with increasing steering angle.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

switching on the vehicle exterior lighting when the vehicle windshield wipers are switched on at least during a time interval T_min,Rain.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

setting the threshold value S_Night higher and reducing the time interval T_min,Rain when the vehicle windshield wipers are switched on at least during the time interval T_min,Rain.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one brightness value H_v,1 . . . H_v,n in a direction of travel of the vehicle; and

switching the vehicle lighting on when at least one brightness value H_amb, H_amb,m and H_v,1 . . . H_v,n is subject to severe fluctuations and falls below a threshold value S_Forest.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising the step of:

increasing the threshold value S_Forest with increasing ambient brightness H_amb.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining the average brightness H_amb in the vehicle environment when the vehicle is started; and

switching on the vehicle exterior lighting, when the brightness H_amb is less than or equal to a threshold value S_Garage.

14. A method for automatically switching off the lighting of a vehicle, characterized by the steps of:

determining an average brightness H_amb in the environment of the vehicle; and

switching the vehicle exterior lighting off, when the brightness H_amb is greater than or equal to a threshold value S_Day during a time interval T_{min, Day}.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

creating a time-averaged brightness H_amb (t+tΔ

) according to the formula H_amb,m(t+tΔ

)=H_amb,m(t)*(1−

a)+H_amb(t)*a, with 0<

a<

1, wherein H_amb(t) is the instantaneous average brightness at time t and H_amb,m is the average brightness over time at time t; and

switching the vehicle exterior lighting off when the time-averaged brightness H_amb,m(t+tΔ

) is greater than or equal to the threshold value S_Day.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

determining a road speed v of the vehicle;

creating a time-averaged brightness H_amb,m(t+tΔ

) according to the formula H_amb,m(t+tΔ

)=H_amb,m(t)*(1−

av)+H_amb(t)*av, with 0<

a<

1, wherein H_amb(t) is the instantaneous average brightness at time t and H_amb,m(t) is the average brightness over time at time t; and

switching off the vehicle exterior lighting when the time-averaged brightness H_amb,m (t+tΔ

) is greater than or equal to the threshold value S_Day.

17. The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

determining at least one brightness value H_v1 . . . H_v,n in the direction of travel of the vehicle; and

switching the vehicle exterior lighting off when the brightness H_amb and the at least one brightness value H_v1 . . . H_v,n during a time interval T_min,Day are greater than or equal to a threshold value S_Tunnel.

18. The method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

switching the vehicle exterior lighting off when the vehicle windshield wipers are switched off during a time interval T_min,Rain and the ambient brightness H_amb is greater than or equal to the threshold value S_Day.

19. The method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

switching the vehicle exterior lighting off, when, after the vehicle is started, the brightness H_amb for the duration of a time interval T_min,Garage is greater than or equal to threshold value S_Garage and a speed of the vehicle is greater than or equal to a minimum speed v_min.

20. A device for automatically switching on or switching off the exterior lighting of a vehicle comprising:

a first light sensor determining brightness over a large area ahead of the vehicle;

a second light sensor determining brightness in the direction of travel;

the first light sensor determining the brightness H₁ of incident light beams entering inside a first spot with a large cone angle;

the second light sensor determining the brightness H₂ of the light beams entering within a second spot with a small cone angle;

the wherein longitudinal axis of the second spot extends horizontally and the wherein longitudinal axis of the first spot rises with respect to the horizontal;

a third light sensor determining the brightness H₃ of the light beams entering within a spot with a smaller cone angle than the second light sensor;

the wherein longitudinal axes of the second and third spots run coaxially; and

a light control unit responsive to signals from the first, the second and the third light sensors for automatically switching on and off the exterior lighting of the vehicle.

21. A vehicle having a device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the longitudinal axes of the second and third spots run in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and the longitudinal axis of the first spot runs in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

22. The device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the cone angle of the first spot is greater than 40°

.

23. The device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the cone angle of the second spot is less than 20°

.

24. The device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the cone angle of the second spot is 15°

.

25. The device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the cone angle of the third spot is less than 6°

.

26. The device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the cone angle of the third spot is 5°

.

27. The device in accordance with claim 20, wherein the longitudinal axes of the second and the third spots run parallel.

28. The vehicle having a device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the longitudinal axes of the first, second and third spots are freely selectable.

29. The vehicle having a device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the longitudinal axes of the second and third spots run in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and the longitudinal axis of the first spot in plan runs in the direction of travel.

30. The vehicle having a device in accordance with claim 21, wherein the longitudinal axes of the second and third spots run in the rolling direction of steered wheels of the vehicle, and in plan the longitudinal axis of the first spot runs in the rolling direction of the steered wheels.