Driver assistance system and operating procedure for the latter

• US 9,566,900 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Gerald, Moebus, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US14/341,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20150028741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/80, 315/82, 348/148, 348/342, 348/370, 340/988
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/02 the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
• 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 1/16 illuminating the way asymmetrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A driver assistance system is disclosed which automatically control the high and low beam of a headlamp on a vehicle. The system includes a camera and an image evaluation unit configured to search images acquired by the camera for initial bright zones that correspond with an activated vehicle headlamp, and to switch the headlamp from a high beam to a low beam upon detecting both a first bright zone and a second bright zone that is larger and less bright than the image of the activated vehicle headlamp.

Claims

1. A driver assistance system for automatically controlling a headlamp on a vehicle comprising:

a camera arranged on the vehicle to acquire images ahead of the vehicle; and

an image evaluation unit configured to search the images acquired by the camera for an initial bright zone representing an activated vehicle headlamp, and to adjust the headlamp on the vehicle when both a first bright zone and a second bright zone that is larger and less bright than the image of an activated vehicle headlamp are detected,

wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to detect a second bright zone only when its portion of the image surface is smaller than that of a dark zone (S2, S3).

2. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to detect the second bright zone in particular when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied:

the second bright zone lies over the horizon or the second bright zone continuously passes over into a dark zone.

3. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to detect when the second bright zone contains a bright object against a dark background.

4. The driver assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to detect when the second bright zone forms a bright background behind a dark object.

6. A computer programming product that encompasses instructions, which when executed on a computer to execute an image evaluation unit in a driver assistance system according to claim 1.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which are recorded program instructions that allow a computer to operate as an image evaluation unit in a driver assistance system according to claim 1.

5. The driver assistance system according to 1 wherein the headlamp comprises a high beam and a low beam, and wherein the evaluation unit adjusts the headlamp from the high beam to the low beam.

8. A driver assistance system for automatically controlling a headlamp on a vehicle comprising:

a camera arranged on the vehicle to acquire images ahead of the vehicle; and

an image evaluation unit configured to search the images acquired by the camera for an initial bright zone representing an activated vehicle headlamp, and to adjust the headlamp on the vehicle when both a first bright zone and a second bright zone that is larger and less bright than the image of an activated vehicle headlamp are detected,

wherein the image evaluation unit is operably coupled to a map database and localizing device for determining the geographic position of the vehicle, and is further configured to consider information in the map database upon detection of the second bright zone.

9. The driver assistance system according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to consider information in the map database indicating a route laying ahead of the vehicle, and wherein a readiness of the image evaluation unit to detect the second bright zone is enhanced when the route lying ahead of the vehicle exhibits a hilltop.

10. The driver assistance system according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to consider information in the map database indicating a route laying ahead of the vehicle, and wherein a readiness of the image evaluation unit to detect the second bright zone is enhanced when the route lying ahead of the vehicle exhibits a curve and the bright object is situated on the outside of the curve.

11. The driver assistance system according to claim 8, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to consider information in the map database indicating a route laying ahead of the vehicle, and wherein a readiness of the image evaluation unit to detect the second bright zone is enhanced when the route lying ahead of the vehicle exhibits a curve and the dark object is situated on the inside of the curve.

12. A driver assistance system for automatically controlling a headlamp on a vehicle comprising:

a camera arranged on the vehicle to acquire images ahead of the vehicle; and

an image evaluation unit configured to search the images acquired by the camera for an initial bright zone representing an activated vehicle headlamp, and to adjust the headlamp on the vehicle when both a first bright zone and a second bright zone that is larger and less bright than the image of an activated vehicle headlamp are detected,

wherein the image evaluation unit is operably coupled with a C2C interface, and a readiness of the image evaluation unit to detect the second bright zone is enhanced when a C2C signal from another vehicle is received by the C2C interface.

13. The driver assistance system according to claim 12, wherein the image evaluation unit is configured to extract information about the position, traveling direction, steer angle and/or speed of the other vehicle from the C2C signal.