Method and control unit for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone

• US 9,260,051 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Ehlgen, Tobias, Foltin, Johannes, Meisner, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiswanto, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US14/368,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• 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 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• 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 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A method for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle. The method includes detecting a time curve of a pitch rate of the vehicle or a value that is dependent on the pitch rate and/or of a roll rate of the vehicle or a value that is dependent on the roll rate. The method also includes ascertaining an envelope curve and/or an amplitude of the time curve and/or an average value of the time curve. The method also includes providing a control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary of the headlight beam.

Claims

1. A method for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

detecting a time curve of at least one of;

i) a pitch rate of the vehicle, ii) a value that is dependent on the pitch rate, iii) a roll rate of the vehicle, and iv) a value that is dependent on the roll rate;

ascertaining at least one of an envelope curve, an amplitude of the time curve, and an average value of the time curve; and

at least one of;

i) providing a control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the envelope curve, in response to a change in the envelope curve, ii) providing the control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the amplitude, the upper headlight beam boundary being adapted more steeply in a direction of the roadway ahead of the vehicle the greater the amplitude, and iii) providing the control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the average value of the curve, the upper headlight beam boundary being adapted more steeply in the direction of the roadway ahead of the vehicle the more negative the average value of the curve.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the detecting step, the time curve is detected by evaluating a relative position of at least one feature of another vehicle from an image of a detection range, recorded by a surroundings detection device, in response to a recognition of another vehicle in the detection range of a surroundings detection device of the vehicle.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the providing step, the control signal for the upper headlight beam boundary is provided in such a way that a safety value is taken into account when setting the upper headlight beam boundary, the safety value representing a vertical safety angle by which the upper headlight beam boundary is lowered to a maximum upper headlight beam boundary, the maximum upper headlight beam boundary representing a headlight beam boundary in which no blinding of a driver of the other vehicle occurs.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein in the providing step, the safety value is variable, the safety value becoming smaller when at least one of the envelope curve has a positive gradient, the amplitude decreases, and an average value of the curve has a positive value.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein in the providing step, the safety valve becoming larger when at least one of the envelope curve has a negative gradient, the amplitude increase, and an average value of the curve has a negative value.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein in the providing step, the safety value is variable, and at least one of the safety value becoming smaller when a distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle becomes greater, and the safety value becoming larger when a distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle becomes smaller.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein in the providing step, the safety value is determined as a function of at least one of a recognized vehicle type, and a recognized travel direction of the other vehicle.

8. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein in the providing step, the safety value is determined as a function of an ascertained degree of roadway unevennesses.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the providing step, at least one of:

i) the control signal is provided in a time-delayed manner when the envelope curve has a positive gradient, and ii) the control signal is provided in an undelayed manner when the envelope curve has a negative gradient.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the providing step, at least one of:

i) the upper headlight beam boundary is raised in a time-delayed manner when the amplitude decreases, and ii) the upper headlight beam boundary is lowered in an undelayed manner when the amplitude increases.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the providing step, at least one of the upper headlight beam boundary is raised in a time-delayed manner when the average value of the time curve becomes greater, and ii) the upper headlight beam boundary is lowered in an undelayed manner when the average value of the time curve becomes smaller.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the detecting step, at least one additional time curve of a relative position of at least one feature of the additional other vehicle with respect to the vehicle is detected in response to a recognition of at least one additional other vehicle in the detection range, and the upper headlight beam boundary is adapted to that other vehicle which has the lower relative position of the feature of one of the other vehicles in the image.

13. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein in the detecting step, a risk of blinding is also recognized by taking into account a differential speed difference between the other vehicle and the at least one additional other vehicle.

14. A control unit for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the control unit comprising:

a detection device to detect a time curve of at least one of a pitch rate of the vehicle, a value that is dependent on the pitch rate, a roll rate of the vehicle, or a value that is dependent on the roll rate;

a device to ascertain at least one of an envelope curve, an amplitude of the time curve, and an average value of the time curve; and

a device to at least one of;

i) provide a control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary, using the envelope curve, in response to a change in the envelope curve, ii) provide a control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the amplitude, the upper headlight beam boundary being adapted more steeply in the direction of the roadway ahead of the vehicle the greater the amplitude, and iii) provide the control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the average value of the curve, the upper headlight beam boundary being adapted more steeply in the direction of the roadway ahead of the vehicle the more negative the average value of the curve.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the program code, when executed by a control unit, causing the control unit to perform the steps of:

detecting a time curve of at least one of a pitch rate of the vehicle, a value that is dependent on the pitch rate, a roll rate of the vehicle, and a value that is dependent on the roll rate;

ascertaining at least one of an envelope curve, an amplitude of the time curve, and an average value of the time curve; and

at least one of;

i) providing a control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the envelope curve, in response to a change in the envelope curve, ii) providing the control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the amplitude, the upper headlight beam boundary being adapted more steeply in a direction of the roadway ahead of the vehicle the greater the amplitude, and iii) providing the control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary using the average value of the curve, the upper headlight beam boundary being adapted more steeply in the direction of the roadway ahead of the vehicle the more negative the average value of the curve.