Automatic headlamp control
First Claim
1. An automatic headlamp control system for controlling the beam illumination state of headlamps of a vehicle, said automatic headlamp control system comprising:
- a first headlamp located at a front driver side of the vehicle and a second headlamp located at an opposing front passenger side of the vehicle, each of said first and second headlamps comprising a high beam lighting element for providing high beam illumination in a high beam state and a lower beam lighting element for providing lower beam illumination in a lower beam state;
an image sensor having a field of view forwardly of the vehicle, said image sensor capturing image data of a scene forwardly of the vehicle;
a control operable to process said image data to determine if a light source within the scene is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle or a taillight of a leading vehicle;
said control being operable to adjust the beam illumination state of said first headlamp between its high beam state and its lower beam state independent of adjustment of said second headlamp between its high beam state and its lower beam state; and
said control adjusting said first headlamp to its lower beam state in response to a determination that a detected light source in the captured image is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle in the forward field of view, said control adjusting or maintaining the beam illumination state of said second headlamp independent of the adjustment of said first headlamp in response to the determination.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic headlamp control system includes an image sensor and a control. The image sensor captures an image of a forward exterior scene and the control processes the image to determine if any light sources in the captured image are indicative of headlamps of oncoming vehicles or taillights of leading vehicles. The control adjusts the state of the headlamps between a high beam state and a lower beam state in response to such processing, and may adjust the beam illumination state of one headlamp independent of adjustment of the beam illumination state of the other headlamp. The control adjusts one headlamp to its lower beam state in response to a detection of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle in the forward field of view, and adjusts or maintains the beam illumination state of the other headlamp independent of the adjustment of the first headlamp in response to the detection.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An automatic headlamp control system for controlling the beam illumination state of headlamps of a vehicle, said automatic headlamp control system comprising:
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a first headlamp located at a front driver side of the vehicle and a second headlamp located at an opposing front passenger side of the vehicle, each of said first and second headlamps comprising a high beam lighting element for providing high beam illumination in a high beam state and a lower beam lighting element for providing lower beam illumination in a lower beam state; an image sensor having a field of view forwardly of the vehicle, said image sensor capturing image data of a scene forwardly of the vehicle; a control operable to process said image data to determine if a light source within the scene is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle or a taillight of a leading vehicle; said control being operable to adjust the beam illumination state of said first headlamp between its high beam state and its lower beam state independent of adjustment of said second headlamp between its high beam state and its lower beam state; and said control adjusting said first headlamp to its lower beam state in response to a determination that a detected light source in the captured image is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle in the forward field of view, said control adjusting or maintaining the beam illumination state of said second headlamp independent of the adjustment of said first headlamp in response to the determination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An automatic headlamp control system for controlling the beam illumination state of headlamps of a vehicle, said automatic headlamp control system comprising:
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a first headlamp located at a front driver side of the vehicle and a second headlamp located at an opposing front passenger side of the vehicle, each of said first and second headlamps comprising a high beam lighting element for providing high beam illumination in a high beam state and a lower beam lighting element for providing lower beam illumination in a lower beam state; an image sensor having a field of view forwardly of the vehicle, said image sensor capturing image data of a scene forwardly of the vehicle; a control operable to process said image data to determine if a light source within the scene is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle or a taillight of a leading vehicle; said control being operable to independently adjust the beam illumination states of said first and second headlamps; and said control adjusting said first headlamp to its lower beam state in response to a determination that a detected light source in the captured image is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle in the forward field of view, said control adjusting or maintaining the beam illumination state of said second headlamp independent of the adjustment of said first headlamp in response to the determination; and said control ramping energization and deenergization of the lighting elements of said first and second headlamps when adjusting the beam illumination state of said first and second headlamps. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An automatic headlamp control system for controlling the beam illumination state of headlamps of a vehicle, said automatic headlamp control system comprising:
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a first headlamp located at a front driver side of the vehicle and a second headlamp located at an opposing front passenger side of the vehicle, each of said first and second headlamps comprising a high beam lighting element for providing high beam illumination in a high beam state and a lower beam lighting element for providing lower beam illumination in a lower beam state; an image sensor having a field of view forwardly of the vehicle, said image sensor capturing image data of a scene forwardly of the vehicle; a control operable to process said image data to determine if a light source within the scene is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle or a taillight of a leading vehicle; said control being operable to independently adjust the beam illumination states of said first and second headlamps; said control adjusting said first headlamp to its lower beam state in response to a determination that a detected light source in the captured image is indicative of a headlamp of an approaching vehicle or a taillight of a leading vehicle in the forward field of view, said control adjusting or maintaining the beam illumination state of said second headlamp independent of the adjustment of said first headlamp in response to said determination; and wherein said control is operable to provide a warm-up current to at least one of (a) said high beam lighting element and (b) said lower beam lighting element when adjusting the beam illumination state of said first or second headlamp. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification