Lighting and/or signaling light-emitting device for vehicles

• US 9,776,554 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Hue, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaiser, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US15/161,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20160347238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 315 82, 362526, 362516, 362 27, 362276
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0017 Devices integrating an element dedicated to another function
• 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 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/9316 combined with communication equipment with other vehicles or with base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication

Abstract

A light-emitting device, notably a lighting and/or signaling device for a motor vehicle, including at least one first light source intended to emit a first modulated light beam coding information; at least one second light source intended to emit a second modulated light beam coding information; a control device adapted: to determine, on receiving information to be transmitted via the light-emitting device, if a first light beam intended to be emitted by the first source should be modulated to code the information to be transmitted and/or if a second beam intended to be emitted by the second source should be modulated to code the information to be transmitted, the determination depending on information relating to the local solar illumination; as a function of the determination, to modulate the first light beam and/or the energization second light beam to code the information to be transmitted.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device for a motor vehicle, including:

at least one first light source to emit a first modulated light beam coding information;

at least one second light source to emit a second modulated light beam coding information;

a control device adapted;

to determine, on receiving information to be transmitted via said light-emitting device, if said first modulated light beam emitted by said at least one first light source should be modulated to code said information to be transmitted or if said second modulated light beam emitted by said at least one second light source should be modulated to code said information to be transmitted, said determination depending on information relating to a local solar illumination;

as a function of said determination, to modulated said first modulated light beam and/or the energization of said second modulated light beam to code said information to be transmitted;

wherein a controller is configured to modify a first energization signal at a first coding frequency less than a second coding frequency used to effect the modification of a second energization signal.

2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein:

said at least one first light source is adapted to emit visible light;

said at least one second light source is adapted to emit infrared light.

3. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said control device includes means for detecting energization of said at least one first light source, said information relating to the local solar illumination depending on said detection.

4. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a single light beam by a single one of said at least one first light source and said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate said single light beam as a function of said determination to code said information to be transmitted.

5. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a first light beam by said at least one first light source and a second light beam by said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate a single one of said first light beam and said second light beam to code said information to be transmitted as a function of said determination.

6. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting device includes at least:

a headlight assembly;

said at least one first light source and/or said at least one second light source is installed in said headlight assembly.

7. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is adapted to determine that said second energization signal must be modified if the energization of said at least one first light source is below a predetermined threshold.

8. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is adapted to determine that said first energization signal must not be modified if the energization of said at least one first light source is below a predetermined threshold.

9. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a coding frequency of said information to be transmitted on modification of said first energization signal and/or said second energization signal is greater than 25 Hz.

10. The light-emitting device according to claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to reduce said coding frequency of said information should at least one of the following conditions apply:

an error rate during a preceding transmission has exceeded a predetermined value;

information is received relating to a presence of rain or fog.

11. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device is at least one of a lighting device or a signaling device.

12. A light-emitting device for a motor vehicle, including:

a light source;

a controller adapted;

to modify an energization signal of said light source to code information to be transmitted, the modification of said energization signal including multiplication of said energization signal with a coding signal including forms repeated in said energization signal, said forms having a given temporal extension and an amplitude,

on reception of a command, to reduce said temporal extension of said forms and to increase said amplitude of said forms in said energization signal.

13. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said controller is adapted to modify said energization signal in accordance with a Manchester code.

14. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the reduction of said temporal extension depends on said increase of said amplitude.

15. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein, said coding signal including a coding frequency, said coding frequency is retained on reducing said temporal extension of said forms.

16. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said control device includes means for detecting energization of said at least one first light source, said information relating to the local solar illumination depending on said detection.

17. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a single light beam by a single one of said at least one first light source and said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate said single light beam as a function of said determination to code said information to be transmitted.

18. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a first light beam by said at least one first light source and a second light beam by said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate a single one of said first light beam and said second light beam to code said information to be transmitted as a function of said determination.

19. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein a controller is configured to modify a first energization signal at a first coding frequency less than a second coding frequency used to effect the modification of a second energization signal.

20. The light-emitting device according to claim 13, wherein, said coding signal including a coding frequency, said coding frequency is retained on reducing said temporal extension of said forms.

21. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the light-emitting device is at least one of a lighting device or a signaling device.