Vehicle headlight control system and method

• US 9,694,737 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2014
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chambers, Jeremy, Christensen, Andy, Goudy, Roy, Probert, Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hutchinson, Alan D
• Application Number:
  US14/305,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20150360601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 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 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle headlight control system includes a headlight, a positioning system, a receiver, and a controller. The positioning system is configured to generate host vehicle information including a host vehicle location and a host vehicle trajectory. The receiver is configured to receive remote vehicle information including a remote vehicle location and a remote vehicle trajectory. The controller is configured to calculate a remote vehicle distance from the host vehicle location based on the remote vehicle information and the host vehicle information, determine whether the remote vehicle distance is less than a predetermined distance, and automatically operate the headlight in a first setting while the remote vehicle distance is determined to be less than the predetermined distance.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlight control method comprising:

generating host vehicle information with a positioning system, the host vehicle information including a host vehicle location and a host vehicle trajectory;

receiving remote vehicle information with a receiver, the remote vehicle information including a remote vehicle location and a remote vehicle trajectory;

calculating a remote vehicle distance from the host vehicle location with a controller based on the remote vehicle information and the host vehicle information;

determining with the controller whether the host vehicle trajectory and the remote vehicle trajectory are such that the remote vehicle will pass by the host vehicle within a predetermined distance and whether the remote vehicle distance is less than the predetermined distance;

determining with the controller whether the host vehicle information and the remote vehicle information indicate a converging path or a diverging path based on the host vehicle trajectory and the remote vehicle trajectory by determining an absolute value of the difference between a heading angle of the host vehicle and an angle between a direction of the host vehicle and a straight line from the host vehicle to the remote vehicle; and

automatically operating with the controller a headlight of the host vehicle in a first setting while the remote vehicle distance is determined to be less than the predetermined distance and only when the converging path is indicated.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

detecting with the controller a set operating state of the headlight,

the automatically operating the headlight including automatically altering operation of the headlight from a second setting to the first setting when the set operating state of the headlight is detected as the second setting, and maintaining operation of the headlight in the first setting when the set operating state of the headlight is detected as the first setting.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising

determining with the controller whether the host vehicle information and the remote vehicle information indicate a converging path or a diverging path based on the host vehicle trajectory and the remote vehicle trajectory,

the automatically operating the headlight including automatically returning the headlight to the set operating state when the diverging path is indicated.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising

storing a previous remote vehicle distance in a storage unit,

the automatically operating the headlight including automatically altering operation of the headlight from a second setting to the first setting when the remote vehicle distance is less than the predetermined distance and the previous remote vehicle distance is greater than the predetermined distance.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising

determining with the controller whether the host vehicle information and the remote vehicle information indicate a converging path or a diverging path based on the host vehicle trajectory and the remote vehicle trajectory;

and

receiving with the controller a user input signal from a user input device,

the automatically operating the headlight including automatically returning the headlight to the set operating state when the converging path is indicated and the user input signal is an override signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

determining with the controller a jurisdiction corresponding to the host vehicle location;

and

retrieving the predetermined distance with the controller from a storage unit.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the host vehicle information further includes a host vehicle elevation, the remote vehicle information further includes a remote vehicle elevation, and the automatically operating the headlight includes determining an elevation difference between the host vehicle elevation and the remote vehicle elevation, and automatically operating the headlight in the first setting only when the elevation difference is less than a predetermined elevation threshold.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

operating the headlight in the first setting includes operating the headlight to emit light at a lower intensity than a second setting.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein

operating the headlight in the first setting includes operating the headlight to emit light in a direction that is further away from the remote vehicle location than a second setting.

10. A vehicle headlight control system comprising:

a headlight;

a positioning system configured to generate host vehicle information including a host vehicle location and a host vehicle trajectory;

a receiver configured to receive remote vehicle information including a remote vehicle location and a remote vehicle trajectory; and

a controller configured to

calculate a remote vehicle distance from the host vehicle location based on the remote vehicle information and the host vehicle information,

determine whether the host vehicle trajectory and the remote vehicle trajectory are such that the remote vehicle will pass by the host vehicle within a predetermined distance and whether the remote vehicle distance is less than a predetermined distance,

determine whether the host vehicle information and the remote vehicle information indicate a converging path based on a difference between a heading angle of the host vehicle and an angle between a direction of the host vehicle and a straight line from the host vehicle to the remote vehicle, and

automatically operate the headlight in a first setting while the remote vehicle distance is determined to be less than the predetermined distance and only when the converging path is indicated.

11. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 10, wherein

the controller is further configured to detect a set operating state of the headlight, and automatically alter operation of the headlight from a second setting to the first setting when the set operating state of the headlight is detected as the second setting and the remote vehicle distance is determined to be less than the predetermined distance, and maintain operation of the headlight in the first setting when the set operating state of the headlight is detected as the first setting and the remote vehicle distance is determined to be less than the predetermined distance.

12. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 11, wherein

the controller is further configured to determine whether the host vehicle information and the remote vehicle information indicate a converging path or a diverging path based on the host vehicle trajectory and the remote vehicle trajectory, and automatically return the headlight to the set operating state when the diverging path is indicated.

13. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 11, further comprising

a storage unit,

the controller being further configured to store a previous remote vehicle distance, and automatically alter operation of the headlight from a second setting to the first setting when the remote vehicle distance is less than the predetermined distance and the previous remote vehicle distance is greater than the predetermined distance.

14. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 11, further comprising

a user input device configured to provide a user input signal to the controller,

the controller being further configured to determine whether the host vehicle information and the remote vehicle information indicate a converging path or a diverging path based on the host vehicle trajectory and the remote vehicle trajectory, and automatically return the headlight to the set operating state when the converging path is indicated and the user input signal is an override signal.

15. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 10, further comprising

a storage unit,

the controller being further configured to determine a jurisdiction corresponding to the host vehicle location, and retrieve the predetermined distance from the storage unit.

16. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 10, wherein

the host vehicle information further includes a host vehicle elevation, the remote vehicle information further includes a remote vehicle elevation, and the controller is further configured to determine an elevation difference between the host vehicle elevation and the remote vehicle elevation, and automatically operate the headlight in the first setting only when the elevation difference is less than a predetermined elevation threshold.

17. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 10, wherein

the first setting includes operating the headlight to emit light at a lower intensity than a second setting.

18. The vehicle headlight control system according to claim 10, wherein

the first setting includes operating the headlight to emit light in a direction that is further away from the remote vehicle location than a second setting.