Method for automatically adapting vehicle lighting to a surrounding area of a vehicle, lighting apparatus and vehicle having lighting

• US 9,663,023 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Strolz, Michael, Weidhaas, Stefan, Tille, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US14/524,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 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 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/60 relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/582 of traffic signs

Abstract

A method for automatically adapting vehicle lighting to the surrounding area of the vehicle is provided. According to the method, an image of an illuminated surrounding area of the vehicle is acquired. It is determined whether a road sign is present in the surrounding area of the vehicle. Once the position of the road sign has been determined, a light emitted by the lighting device of the vehicle is changed in the direction of the determined position of the road sign so as to reduce the reflection of the emitted light from the road sign.

Claims

1. A method for automatically adapting vehicle lighting to an area surrounding a vehicle, the method comprising:

lighting surroundings of the vehicle via a lighting device of the vehicle,

acquiring an image of the surroundings of vehicle,

determining whether a road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle,

if it is determined that the road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle, detecting a position of the road sign in the surroundings of the vehicle by analyzing the image,

if it is determined that the road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle, changing a light emitted by the lighting device of the vehicle in a direction of the detected position of the road sign, such that a reflection of the emitted light at the road sign is reduced,

determining light intensities in the image

locating dominant radiation sources at points in the image when respective light intensities of radiation sources at the points are higher than at other points in the image, and

classifying the dominant radiation sources located in the image with respect to the reflection of the emitted light based at least in part on information received from a high-beam assistance system relating to oncoming vehicles.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising implementing a road sign detection in order to determine whether the road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing road sign information with respect to the road sign if it is determined that the road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle,

wherein the road sign information comprises information relative to at least one of the position, a class, a size, or a reflectance of the road sign.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the changing of the light emitted by the lighting device takes place as a function of at least one of the classification of the radiation sources, the road sign detection, or the road sign information.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a light intensity at a point of the road sign located in the image, and

changing the light emitted by the lighting device until the light intensity at the point of the road sign located in the image falls below a threshold value.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an area of the lighting device in which the emitted light is to be changed in order to reduce the reflection of the emitted light at the road sign, and

changing the emitted light in the detected area of the lighting device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising reducing a brightness of the emitted light such that an intensity of the emitted light is below a threshold value.

8. A lighting apparatus for a vehicle, the lighting apparatus comprising:

a lighting device for emitting light for illuminating surroundings of the vehicle,

an acquisition device for acquiring an image of the surroundings of the vehicle,

an analyzing device for determining whether a road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the analyzing device is configured to detect a position of the road sign in the surroundings of the vehicle by analyzing the image,

a control device for controlling the lighting device of the vehicle, wherein the control device is configured to control the lighting device such that light emitted by the lighting device in a direction of the detected position of the road sign is changed, whereby a reflection of the emitted light at the road sign is reduced, and

a light intensity detection device for detecting light intensities in the image,

wherein the analyzing device is configured to locate dominant radiation sources at points in the image when respective light intensities of radiation sources at the points are higher than at other points in the image,

wherein the analyzing device is configured to classify the radiation sources located in the image with respect to the reflection of the emitted light based at least in part on information received from a high-beam assistance system relating to oncoming vehicles.

9. The lighting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a road sign detection device for detecting road signs in the surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the road sign detection device is configured to determine whether the road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle.

10. The lighting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the analyzing device configured to detect, as a function of at least one of the classification of the radiation sources, the road sign detection, or the road sign information, an area of the lighting device in which a brightness of the emitted light is to be changed.

11. The lighting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the brightness of the emitted light is reduced such that an intensity of the emitted light is below a threshold value.

12. A motor vehicle comprising a lighting apparatus comprising:

a lighting device for emitting light for illuminating surroundings of the vehicle,

an acquisition device for acquiring an image of the surroundings of the vehicle,

an analyzing device for determining whether a road sign is present in the surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the analyzing device is configured to detect a position of the road sign in the surroundings of the vehicle by analyzing the image,

a control device for controlling the lighting device of the vehicle, wherein the control device is configured to control the lighting device such that light emitted by the lighting device in a direction of the detected position of the road sign is changed, whereby a reflection of the emitted light at the road sign is reduced, and

a light intensity detection device for detecting light intensities in the image,

wherein the analyzing device is configured to locate dominant radiation sources at points in the image when respective light intensities of radiation sources at the points are higher than at other points in the image, and

wherein the analyzing device is configured to classify the radiation sources located in the image with respect to the reflection of the emitted light based at least in part on information received from a high-beam assistance system relating to oncoming vehicles.