Method for the automatic adaptation of a light beam of a headlight device

• US 7,708,434 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Reiss, Benoît, Moizard, Julien, Albou, Pierre, Bourdin, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Ali
• Application Number:
  US11/941,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 362/466, 362/464
• US Class Current: 362/466
• 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 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/334 on motorways
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

A proposed method to illuminate optimally, or at least in an improved fashion compared with existing solutions, a road taken by a vehicle in question implementing the method whilst ensuring that other vehicles are not dazzled. To this end, it is not proposed in the invention to detect the distance between the vehicle in question and the first vehicle liable to be dazzled by the vehicle in question, and to generate accordingly a light beam optimized in terms of range on the road, and advantageously light intensity; according to the invention, the optimization of the light beam produced is achieved by the use of the motorway function available on the vehicle in question. The use of this function in this context also ensures a gradual transition between the function of the dipped type and the function of the main-beam type in the context of automatic switching operations between these functions.

Claims

1. A method for the automatic adaptation of a light beam of a headlight device of a first motor vehicle traveling on a road, the headlight device being able to perform a lighting function of the dipped beam type producing a light beam of the dipped type, and a lighting function of the motorway type producing a light beam of the motorway type, the lighting function of the dipped beam type being activated, wherein it comprises the steps of:

detecting the presence of at least a second vehicle, being followed or passed in the opposite direction, not to be dazzled;

estimating an instantaneous distance separating the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and

determining whether the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a first threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for activating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, activating the motorway lighting function;

wherein the vehicle not to be dazzled is the vehicle closest to the first vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein it comprises the various supplementary steps of, after activation of the lighting function of the motorway type:

estimating a new distance separating the first vehicle from a third vehicle not to be dazzled;

determining whether the new estimated distance is less than a second threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for deactivating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, deactivating the lighting function of the motorway type.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value are identical.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first threshold value is substantially greater than the second threshold value.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second vehicle and the third vehicle are a single vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said second threshold value depends on the character, passed or followed, of the third vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of activating the lighting function of the motorway type comprises in particular a fourth operation of shifting upwards the light beam of the motorway type.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the headlight device consists of a first optical module able to perform the dipped beam function and a second optical module involved in the performance of the motorway function, the first optical module and the second optical module being self-contained, the second optical module comprising in particular a light source, a lens and a dedicated motor able to cause a relative movement between the lens and said light source.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the headlight device consists of a first optical module able to fulfill the dipped beam function and a second optical module involved in the performance of the motorway function, the first optical module and the second optical module being self-contained, the second optical module comprising in particular a semiconductor light source with a substantially rectangular shape, an exit mirror generating by itself a light beam with cutoff and a dedicated motor able to cause a rotation of the exit mirror about an axis containing one of the edges of the source rectangle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the headlight device is able to perform a main-beam function, said main-beam function being activated automatically when the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a third threshold value greater than the first threshold value.

11. A motor vehicle able to implement the method according to claim 1.

12. A method for the automatic adaptation of a light beam of a headlight device of a first motor vehicle traveling on a road, the headlight device being able to perform a lighting function of the dipped beam type producing a light beam of the dipped type, and a lighting function of the motorway type producing a light beam of the motorway type, the lighting function of the dipped beam type being activated, wherein it comprises the steps of:

detecting the presence of at least a second vehicle, being followed or passed in the opposite direction, not to be dazzled;

estimating an instantaneous distance separating the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and

determining whether the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a first threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for activating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, activating the motorway lighting function;

wherein the step of activating the lighting function of the motorway type comprises in particular a third operation of shifting upwards a complementary light beam produced during the activation of the lighting function of the motorway type.

13. A method for the automatic adaptation of a light beam of a headlight device of a first motor vehicle traveling on a road, the headlight device being able to perform a lighting function of the dipped beam type producing a light beam of the dipped type, and a lighting function of the motorway type producing a light beam of the motorway type, the lighting function of the dipped beam type being activated, wherein it comprises the steps of:

detecting the presence of at least a second vehicle, being followed or passed in the opposite direction, not to be dazzled;

estimating an instantaneous distance separating the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and

determining whether the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a first threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for activating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, activating the motorway lighting function;

wherein the step of activating the lighting function of the motorway type comprises in particular a first operation of modulating a supplementary light power added to a light power available for performing the lighting function of the dipped beam type.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the modulation and shifting operations are implemented gradually, according to the distance assessed between the first vehicle and the vehicle not to be dazzled, in order to optimize the lighting of the road.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

a first operation of modulating a supplementary light power added to a light power available for performing the lighting function of the dipped beam type;

or

a second operation of shifting, towards the optical axis of the headlight device observed when it produces solely the beam of the motorway type, an axis of maximum intensity of the light beam of the motorway type;

or

either a third operation of shifting upwards a complementary light beam produced during the activation of the lighting function of the motorway type or a fourth operation of shifting upwards the light beam of the motorway type;

are performed if the estimated instantaneous distance is greater respectively than a first reference value, a second reference value or a third reference value, with the third reference value greater than the second reference value and the second reference value greater than the first reference value.

16. A method for the automatic adaptation of a light beam of a headlight device of a first motor vehicle traveling on a road, the headlight device being able to perform a lighting function of the dipped beam type producing a light beam of the dipped type, and a lighting function of the motorway type producing a light beam of the motorway type, the lighting function of the dipped beam type being activated, wherein it comprises the steps of:

detecting the presence of at least a second vehicle, being followed or passed in the opposite direction, not to be dazzled;

estimating an instantaneous distance separating the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and

determining whether the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a first threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for activating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, activating the motorway lighting function;

wherein the step of activating the lighting function of the motorway type comprises in particular a second operation of shifting, towards the optical axis of the headlight device observed when it produces solely the beam of the motorway type, an axis of maximum intensity of the light beam of the motorway type.

17. A method for the automatic adaptation of a light beam of a headlight device of a first motor vehicle traveling on a road, the headlight device being able to perform a lighting function of the dipped beam type producing a light beam of the dipped type, and a lighting function of the motorway type producing a light beam of the motorway type, the lighting function of the dipped beam type being activated, wherein it comprises the steps of:

detecting the presence of at least a second vehicle, being followed or passed in the opposite direction, not to be dazzled;

estimating an instantaneous distance separating the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and

determining whether the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a first threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for activating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, activating the motorway lighting function;

wherein said first threshold value depends on the character, passed or followed, of the second vehicle.

18. A method for the automatic adaptation of a light beam of a headlight device of a first motor vehicle traveling on a road, the headlight device being able to perform a lighting function of the dipped beam type producing a light beam of the dipped type, and a lighting function of the motorway type producing a light beam of the motorway type, the lighting function of the dipped beam type being activated, wherein it comprises the steps of:

detecting the presence of at least a second vehicle, being followed or passed in the opposite direction, not to be dazzled;

estimating an instantaneous distance separating the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and

determining whether the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a first threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for activating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, activating the motorway lighting function;

wherein said method further comprises the steps of;

determining the nature of the vehicle not to be dazzled by establishing whether the vehicle not to be dazzled is a vehicle being passed in the opposite direction or a vehicle being followed;

adapting the first threshold value and/or the second threshold value according to the determination of the nature of the vehicle.

19. An automatic adaptation of a light beam system for automatically adapting a headlight device of a first motor vehicle traveling on a road, the headlight device being able to perform a lighting function of the dipped beam type producing a light beam of the dipped type, and a lighting function of the motorway type producing a light beam of the motorway type, the lighting function of the dipped beam type being activated, wherein said system comprises:

vehicle detecting means for detecting the presence of at least a second vehicle, being followed or passed in the opposite direction, not to be dazzled;

estimating means for estimating an instantaneous distance separating the first vehicle from the second vehicle; and

determining means for determining whether the estimated instantaneous distance is greater than a first threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for activating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, activating the motorway lighting function;

wherein the vehicle not to be dazzled is the vehicle closest to the first vehicle.

20. The automatic adaptation of a light beam system according to claim 19, wherein the first threshold value depends on the character, passed or followed, of the second vehicle.

21. The automatic adaptation of a light beam system according to claim 19, wherein after activation of the lighting function of the motorway type

said estimating means estimates a new distance separating the first vehicle from a third vehicle not to be dazzled;

said determining means determines whether the new estimated distance is less than a second threshold value, referred to as the threshold value for deactivating the motorway lighting function;

where necessary, deactivating the lighting function of the motorway type.

22. The automatic adaptation of a light beam system according to claim 19, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

said determining means determines the nature of the vehicle not to be dazzled by establishing whether the vehicle not to be dazzled is a vehicle being passed in the opposite direction or a vehicle being followed;

wherein said determining means adapts the first threshold value and/or the second threshold value according to the determination of the nature of the vehicle.

23. The automatic adaptation of a light beam system according to claim 21, wherein the second threshold value depends on the character, passed or followed, of the third vehicle.

24. The automatic adaptation of a light beam system according to claim 21, wherein the second vehicle and the third vehicle are a single vehicle.

25. The automatic adaptation of a light beam system according to claim 21, wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value are identical.

26. The automatic adaptation of a light beam system according to claim 21, wherein the first threshold value is substantially greater than the second threshold value.