Headlight apparatus and method of controlling the same

• US 9,333,903 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Woon
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Jimmy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wei
• Application Number:
  US13/740,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20140084788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/80, 315/82, 315/79, 362464-466
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• 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 2300/054 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/141 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 31/50 specially adapted for ac
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Disclosed are a headlight apparatus and a method of controlling the same. The headlight apparatus provided in a transportation includes a light source unit including at least one light source and emitting a light in a forward direction of the transportation, a light source driving unit supplying a driving current to the at least one light source included in the light source unit, and a control unit receiving information about a driving environment of the transportation and determining a driving condition of the light source unit by using the received information about the driving environment. The driving condition of the light source unit includes a driving current value corresponding to a brightness of the at least one light source included in the light source unit.

Claims

1. A headlight apparatus provided in a transportation, the headlight apparatus comprising:

a light source unit including at least one light source and emitting a light in a forward direction of the transportation;

a light source driving unit supplying a driving current to the at least one light source included in the light source unit; and

a control unit receiving information about a driving environment of the transportation and determining a driving condition of the light source unit by using the received information about the driving environment,

wherein the driving condition includes a driving current value corresponding to a brightness of the light source of the light source unit,

wherein the control unit is configured to;

control the light source unit by using a first driving current value when the information is a first state;

determine a second driving current value corresponding to a second state when the information is changed from the first state to the second state, and

wherein, when a variation of a driving speed drop between a first driving speed of the first state and a second driving speed of the second state exceeds a predetermined driving speed drop value, the first driving current value of the light source unit is maintained for a predetermined time to maintain a first brightness of the light source.

2. The headlight apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information about the driving environment of the transportation includes at least one of speed information corresponding to a driving speed of the transportation and illuminance information corresponding to an illuminance of the transportation, and

wherein the driving current value is changed in proportion to the driving speed, or changed in inverse proportion to the illuminance.

3. The headlight apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit maintains the first driving current value corresponding to the first state during a predetermined time when the information is changed the first state to the second state.

4. The headlight apparatus of claim 2, wherein the light source unit includes a plurality of light sources, and the light sources are operated in any one of an ON-state and an OFF-state.

5. The headlight apparatus of claim 4, wherein the driving condition of the light source unit further includes a number of the light sources to be operated in the ON-state among the plural light sources.

6. The headlight apparatus of claim 5, wherein the number of the light sources to be operated in the ON-state is increased or decreased in proportion to the driving speed or in inverse proportion to the illuminance.

7. The headlight apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit gradually decreases a brightness of the light source to be changed from the first state to the second state as the number of the light sources to be operated in the first state is decreased, and operates the light source in the second state as the brightness of the light source is gradually decreased.

8. The headlight apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine at least one third driving current value existing between the first driving current value and the second driving current value;

control the light source unit by using the determined third driving current value before the second driving current value is applied; and

control the light source unit by using the second driving current value after the third driving current value is applied,

wherein the third driving current value is different from the first driving current value and the second driving current value, and

wherein the control unit is configured to determine the third driving current value when a difference value between the first and the second state exceeds a preset reference value.

9. A method of controlling a headlight apparatus including at least one light source, the method comprising:

receiving information about a driving environment of a transportation;

determining a first driving current value corresponding to a brightness of the light source when the information is a first state;

operating the light source by using the first driving current value; and

determining a second driving current value of the light source corresponding to a second state when the information is changed from the first state to the second state,

wherein, when a variation of a driving speed drop between a first driving speed of the first state and a second driving speed of the second state exceeds a predetermined driving speed drop value, the first driving current value of the light source unit is maintained for a predetermined time to maintain a first brightness of the light source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving information about the driving environment of the transportation includes receiving at least one of speed information corresponding to a driving speed of the transportation and illuminance information corresponding to an illuminance of the transportation, and

wherein the brightness of the light to be emitted from the light source is changed in proportion to the driving speed, or changed in inverse proportion to the illuminance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the headlight apparatus includes a plurality of light sources, and the light sources are operated in any one of an ON-state and an OFF-state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining of the driving condition of the light source unit further includes determining a number of the light sources to be operated in the ON-state among the plural light sources.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of the light sources to be operated in the ON-state is increased or decreased in proportion to the driving speed, or in inverse proportion to the illuminance.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the light sources to be changed from the ON-state to the OFF-state if the number of the light sources to be operated in the ON-state is decreased, and gradually decreasing the brightness of the determined light sources such that the determined light sources are operated in the OFF-state.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining at least one third driving current value of the light source existing between the first driving current value and the second driving current value;

operating the light source by using the determined third driving current value before the second driving current value is applied; and

operating the light source by using the second driving current value after the third driving current value is applied,

wherein the third driving current value is different from the first driving current value and the second driving current value, and

wherein the determining of the third driving current value is performed when a difference value between the first state and the second state exceeds a preset reference value.