Method for controlling a headlight system of a motor vehicle and controller and device for carrying out the method

• US 9,623,793 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Rabe, Michael, Roeckl, Phillipp, Langkabel, Frank, Neitzke, Carsten, Illium, Justus, Schneider, Ingolf, Haberkorn, Rouven
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Vibol
• Application Number:
  US15/044,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• 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 1/1423 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 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/334 on motorways

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a headlight system of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The headlight system can be actuated in at least two control modes, each having an associated, predetermined maximum main beam width. First, a current driving situation of the motor vehicle is captured on the basis of at least one operating, parameter of the motor vehicle. A current control mode is ascertained based on which control mode from at least two control modes matches a control mode assigned to the captured driving situation on the basis of the captured current driving situation and at least one-time or temporal parameter. The controller is shifted into the assigned control mode when the current control mode does not match the assigned control mode, wherein a maximum main beam width is set for the current driving situation.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a headlight system of a motor vehicle, which can be actuated in at least two control modes, the method comprising:

assigning a driving status to each of at least two control modes, wherein each control mode has a predetermined maximum main beam width associated therewith;

capturing a current driving situation of the motor vehicle on the basis of at least one operating parameter measured locally at the motor vehicle;

ascertaining when a current control mode matches one of the least two control modes on the basis of the captured current driving situation and at least one temporal parameter; and

automatically shifting the headlight system into the assigned control mode when the current control mode does not match the assigned control mode so that the predetermined maximum main beam width is adapted to the current driving situation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a current motor vehicle speed, and wherein the at least one temporal parameter comprises a current status of a timer.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one operating parameter further comprises a current bend radius, and the method further comprises shifting the headlight system from a base mode having a maximum main beam width into a first motorway mode having a first maximum main beam width that is less than the maximum main beam width of the base mode when the current motor vehicle speed exceeds a first predefined speed threshold and the current bend radius exceeds a first predefined bend radius threshold, each continuously for a first predefined time period.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises shifting the headlight system from the first motorway mode back into the base mode when in the first motorway mode the current motor vehicle speed falls below a fourth predefined speed threshold or the current bend radius falls below a fourth predefined bend radius threshold continuously for a fourth predefined time period.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises shifting the headlight system the first motorway mode to a second motorway mode, having a second maximum main beam width that is less than the maximum main beam width of the base mode to avoid dazzling oncoming motor vehicles when the current motor vehicle speed exceeds a second predefined speed threshold and the current bend radius exceeds a second predefined bend radius threshold, each continuously for a second predefined time period.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:

capturing a current traffic density; and

shifting the headlight system into a third motorway mode with the maximum main beam width of the base mode when the current motor vehicle speed exceeds a third predefined speed threshold and the current traffic density falls below a predefined maximum traffic density.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises shifting the headlight system from the second motorway mode back into the first motorway mode when the current motor vehicle speed falls below a fifth predefined speed threshold or the current bend radius falls below the fifth predefined bend radius threshold for a fifth predefined time period.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the method further comprises shifting the headlight system into the first motorway mode without consideration for the current timer status when the motor vehicle speed exceeds a preset gear changing speed.

9. A controller for a headlight system in a motor vehicle, comprising:

a receiver interface for receiving data that represents information about a current driving situation of the motor vehicle measured locally at the motor vehicle;

a timer configured to provide a current timer status;

an evaluation unit configured to determine whether a current control mode matches a control mode from at least two control modes assigned to the captured driving status, each control mode having a predetermined maximum main beam width associated therewith on the basis of the received data and the current timer status; and

an output interface for outputting signals to a headlight control unit;

wherein the evaluation unit is configured to command the output interface to send signals to the headlight control unit for shifting the headlight control unit into a control mode having a maximum main beam width adapted to the current driving situation.

10. The controller according to claim 9 further comprising a sensor device for locally capturing a driving situation of the motor vehicle, and a headlight control unit connected to the sensor device for controlling a headlight system.

11. The controller according to claim 9, wherein the receiver interface is configured to receive data representing information about a current environment of the motor vehicle, and wherein the evaluation unit is configured to calculate a current traffic density using said information based on a number of oncoming motor vehicles within a predefined time period, and to command the output interface to send signals to the headlight control unit for shifting the headlight control unit into a control mode having a maximum main beam width adapted to the current driving situation and the current traffic density.

12. A motor vehicle comprising a controller according to claim 11 having a sensor device connected to at least one sensor of the motor vehicle, and a headlight control unit connected to a headlight system of the motor vehicle.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the headlight system comprises at least one LED matrix headlight with a plurality of LEDs and the controller is configured to actuate the plurality of LEDs individually or in a cluster.

14. A non-transitory computer accessible storage medium, having instructions stored therein for controlling a headlight system of a motor vehicle which can be actuated with at least two control modes, each having an associated, predetermined maximum main beam width, wherein the instructions stored in the non-transitory computer accessible storage medium, when executed on a computing unit in the motor vehicle, instructs the computing unit to:

capture a current driving situation of the motor vehicle on the basis of at least one operating parameter of the motor vehicle measured locally at the motor vehicle;

ascertain whether a current control mode matches the control mode of the least two control modes assigned to the captured driving status on the basis of the captured current driving situation and at least one temporal parameter; and

shift the controller into the assigned control mode when the current control mode does not match the assigned control mode, so that a maximum main beam width adapted to the current driving situation can be set.