Maneuvering aid, method, and headlight device for a utility vehicle

• US 9,452,706 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: MAN Truck & Bus AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Schwertberger, Walter, Brummer, Markus, Heyes, Daniel, Resch, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US13/227,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20120056540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,846 Days
• Field of Search: 315/79, 315/77, 315/80, 315/84, 362/459
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/22 for reverse drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/247 for illuminating the close surroundings of the vehicle, e.g. to facilitate entry or exit for reverse drive B60Q1/22; by opening a side door B60Q1/323

Abstract

A maneuvering aid for a vehicle has a lighting device configured to at least partially illuminate at least an underlying surface under the vehicle and/or a vehicle bodywork. A control device configured to control the lighting device in order to activate and/or deactivate same. The control device is configured to control the lighting device at least as a function of a vehicle speed and/or of a vehicle acceleration and/or of a distance of the vehicle from a roadway boundary or an obstacle in the roadway. A corresponding method, a corresponding vehicle, and a headlight assembly are described as well.

Claims

1. A maneuvering aid for a vehicle, comprising:

a lighting device configured to at least partially illuminate one or both of an underlying surface underneath the vehicle and a vehicle bodywork; and

a control device connected to and controlling said lighting device between activation and deactivation, said control device being configured to control said lighting device in dependence on at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, a distance of the vehicle from a roadway boundary, and an obstacle in the roadway, said control device being configured to activate said lighting device when the vehicle speed drops below a predetermined vehicle speed, the predetermined speed being a relatively low speed, in particular a walking pace;

said lighting device being a maneuvering aid lighting system controlled by said control device, separately from a vehicle standard lighting system.

2. The maneuvering aid according to claim 1, wherein said control device is configured to additionally control said lighting device in dependence on whether or not a reverse gear of the vehicle has been engaged, a low beam of the headlight has been turned on, and/or in dependence on a steering wheel turn angle.

3. The maneuvering aid according to claim 1, wherein said control device is configured to deactivate said lighting device when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed and/or the vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined vehicle acceleration.

4. The maneuvering aid according to claim 1, wherein said control device is configured to activate said lighting device when the distance of the vehicle from the roadway boundary or to the obstacle in the roadway drops below a predetermined distance.

5. The maneuvering aid according to claim 1, wherein said control device is configured to deactivate said lighting device when the distance of the vehicle from the roadway boundary or from the obstacle in the roadway exceeds a predetermined distance.

6. The maneuvering aid according to claim 1, configured for a heavy-duty utility vehicle.

7. A vehicle, comprising a maneuvering aid according to claim 1.

10. The method according to claim 8, which comprises providing a maneuvering aid according to claim 1 and carrying out the method with the maneuvering aid.

8. A method of providing maneuvering assistance in a vehicle, the method which comprises:

providing a lighting device configured to illuminate at least an underlying surface underneath the vehicle and/or a bodywork of the vehicle;

selectively activating and deactivating the lighting device in dependence on at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a vehicle speed, a vehicle acceleration, a distance of the vehicle from a roadway boundary, and an obstacle in the roadway; and

deactivating the lighting device when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed, the predetermined speed being a relatively low speed, in particular a walking pace;

providing the lighting device as a maneuvering aid lighting system and controlling the lighting device separately from a vehicle standard lighting system.

9. The method according to claim 8, which comprises providing and controlling the lighting device in a heavy-duty utility vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 8, which comprises additionally controlling the lighting device in dependence on whether or not a reverse gear of the vehicle has been engaged, a low beam of the headlight has been turned on, and/or in dependence on a steering wheel turn angle.

12. The method according to claim 8, which comprises activating the lighting device when the vehicle speed drops below a predetermined vehicle speed and/or the vehicle acceleration drops below a predetermined vehicle acceleration.

13. The method according to claim 8, which comprises activating the lighting device when the distance of the vehicle from the roadway boundary or the obstacle in the roadway drops below a predetermined distance.

14. The method according to claim 8, which comprises deactivating the lighting device when the distance of the vehicle from the roadway boundary or the obstacle in the roadway exceeds a predetermined distance.

15. A headlight device for a vehicle, comprising:

a lighting device having first illumination means to at least partially illuminate a surrounding of the vehicle and second illumination means to illuminate an underlying surface underneath the vehicle and/or a vehicle bodywork;

means for separating the first and second illumination means embodied as one or both of the following;

a dividing wall in said lighting device disposed to separate the first illumination means for lighting the surroundings of the vehicle and said means for lighting the underlying surface underneath the vehicle and/or the vehicle bodywork so as to illuminate at least partially different areas; and

a direction-dependent lighting device for respective direction-dependent illumination of at least partially different areas.

16. The headlight device according to claim 15, wherein said lighting device includes light sources selected from the group consisting of an incandescent lamp, gas discharge lamp, arc lamp, and a light emitting diode.

17. The headlight device according to claim 15, further comprising a control device connected to and controlling said lighting device between activation and deactivation, said control device being configured to activate said lighting device when the vehicle speed drops below a predetermined vehicle speed and/or when the vehicle acceleration drops below a predetermined vehicle acceleration.

18. The headlight device according to claim 15, further comprising a control device connected to and controlling said lighting device between activation and deactivation, said control device being configured to deactivate said lighting device when the vehicle speed exceeds a predetermined vehicle speed and/or the vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined vehicle acceleration.