Camera based headlight control system

• US 9,981,594 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2017
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HL Klemove Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Sherman, Tom B., Schneider, Jim L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahmjoo, Manuchehr
• Application Number:
  US15/486,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 382100
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A lighting system for a vehicle is disclosed. The lighting system comprises an imager configured to capture image data in a plurality of image frames in a rearward field of view. The system further comprises at least one headlamp configured to output an emission of light at a plurality of elevations and a controller. The controller is in communication with the imager and the headlamp. The controller is operable to process the image data to identify features in a first frame and a second frame. The controller is further operable to identify a movement of the features from the first frame to the second frame and adjust the elevation of the output emission in response to the movement.

Claims

1. A lighting system for a vehicle comprising:

an imager configured to capture image data in a plurality of image frames in a field of view rearward relative to the vehicle;

at least one headlamp configured to output at least one emission of light at a plurality of elevations; and

a controller in communication with the imager and the at least one headlamp, wherein the controller is operable to;

process the image data identifying at least one feature in a first frame and a second frame of the plurality of image frames;

identify a feature movement based on a pixel shift of the at least one feature from the first frame to the second frame;

calculate a magnitude of a vehicle movement based on the pixel shift in the image data of the at least one feature in the image data; and

adjust the elevation of the output emission in response to the vehicle movement,

wherein a magnitude of the vehicle movement is calculated based on a comparison of the pixel shift to a focal length of the imager.

2. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one head lamp corresponds to a first headlamp configured to output a first emission and a second headlamp configured to output a second emission.

3. The lighting system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the elevation of a first output emission of the first headlamp independently from a second output emission of the second headlamp in response to the movement.

4. The lighting system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to identify vehicle movement as a rotational movement relative to a forward direction of the vehicle based on the pixel shift in the image data.

5. The lighting system according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the elevation of the first emission in a first direction and the elevation of the second output emission in a second direction in response to rotational movement.

6. The lighting system according to claim 4, wherein the first direction is upward in elevation and the second direction is downward in elevation.

7. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one headlamp comprises a plurality of light emitting sources arranged in a matrix.

8. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the pixel shift based on a change in contrast between a sky portion and a ground portion indicating a horizon.

9. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to identify the pixel shift based on a change in the motion of the at least one feature from a motion trend identified in the plurality of image frames.

10. The lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to filter the feature movement to remove low frequency content corresponding to gradual changes in an operating direction of the vehicle.