Method and device for controlling at least one headlight of a vehicle

• US 9,409,511 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Foltin, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, JIMMY T
• Application Number:
  US14/457,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/82
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

A method for controlling at least one headlight of a vehicle, in which the at least one headlight has first and second emission characteristics for illuminating the surroundings of the vehicle. The reading in of a first brightness signal initially occurs. In this case, the first brightness signal represents a first brightness, which is assigned to the first emission characteristic, of the surroundings of the vehicle. Subsequently, the receiving of a second brightness signal occurs. The second brightness signal represents a second brightness, which is assigned to the second emission characteristic, of the surroundings of the vehicle. In a further task, a brightness deviation is ascertained between the first and the second brightnesses by using the first and the second brightness signals. Finally, the setting of a debouncing time occurs for changing from the first emission characteristic to the second emission characteristic as a function of the brightness deviation.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

reading in a first brightness signal, the first brightness signal representing a first brightness, which is assigned to a first emission characteristic of the at least one headlight for illuminating the surroundings of the vehicle, of the surroundings of the vehicle;

receiving a second brightness signal, the second brightness signal representing a second brightness, which is assigned to a second emission characteristic of the at least one headlight for illuminating the surroundings of the vehicle, of the surroundings of the vehicle;

ascertaining a brightness deviation between the first and the second brightnesses by using the first brightness signal and the second brightness signal; and

setting a debouncing time for changing from the first emission characteristic to the second emission characteristic as a function of the brightness deviation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

delaying the change from the first emission characteristic to the second emission characteristic by the debouncing time for controlling the at least one headlight.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the setting, a length of the debouncing time is set proportionally to a magnitude of the brightness deviation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the ascertaining, the brightness deviation is further ascertained by using at least one of a piece of surroundings information and a piece of weather information, the at least one of the piece of surroundings information and piece of weather information characterizing a reflective property of the surroundings of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the setting, the debouncing time is further set by using a piece of time information, the time information representing at least one of a reading-in point in time at which the first brightness signal was read in and a reception point in time at which the second brightness signal was received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving is carried out repeatedly to receive a plurality of the second brightness signals, and, in the ascertaining, the brightness deviation is ascertained by using the first brightness signal and the plurality of the second brightness signals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

in the reading in, the first brightness signal is read in via an interface to a headlight sensor; and

in the receiving, the second brightness signal is received via the interface to the headlight sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the reading in, the first brightness signal is read in via an interface to an estimation device for estimating the first brightness by using the second brightness signal, and, in the receiving, the second brightness signal is received via the interface to the estimation device for estimating the second brightness by using the first brightness signal.

9. A device for controlling at least one headlight of a vehicle, comprising:

a reading-in unit for reading in a first brightness signal, the first brightness signal representing a first brightness, which is assigned to a first emission characteristic for illuminating the surroundings of the vehicle, of the surroundings of the vehicle;

a receiving unit for receiving a second brightness signal, the second brightness signal representing a second brightness, which is assigned to a second emission characteristic for illuminating the surroundings of the vehicle, of the surroundings of the vehicle;

an ascertaining unit for ascertaining a brightness deviation between the first and the second brightnesses by using the first brightness signal and the second brightness signal; and

a setting unit for setting a debouncing time for changing from the first emission characteristic to the second emission characteristic as a function of the brightness deviation.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for controlling at least one headlight of a vehicle, by performing the following steps;

reading in a first brightness signal, the first brightness signal representing a first brightness, which is assigned to a first emission characteristic of the at least one headlight for illuminating the surroundings of the vehicle, of the surroundings of the vehicle;

receiving a second brightness signal, the second brightness signal representing a second brightness, which is assigned to a second emission characteristic of the at least one headlight for illuminating the surroundings of the vehicle, of the surroundings of the vehicle;

ascertaining a brightness deviation between the first and the second brightnesses by using the first brightness signal and the second brightness signal; and

setting a debouncing time for changing from the first emission characteristic to the second emission characteristic as a function of the brightness deviation.