Method and control unit for setting a characteristic of a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle

• US 10,029,606 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Foltin, Johannes Ludwig
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Tyler J
• Application Number:
  US14/964,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20160193956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49
• 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 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers

Abstract

A method for setting a characteristic of a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle, in which the method includes reading in concealment data which represent at least one property of at least one concealment object situated adjacent to a roadway in surroundings of the vehicle. In addition, the method includes ascertaining a distance between the vehicle and a segment of the roadway situated in the forward travel direction of the vehicle, adjacent to the at least one concealment object, using the concealment data. Moreover, the method includes adapting a waiting time period and/or waiting distance for changing the characteristic of the light emission from a first characteristic to a second characteristic as a function of the ascertained distance.

Claims

1. A method for setting a characteristic of a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising:

reading in concealment data which represent at least one property of at least one concealment object situated adjacent to a roadway in a surroundings of the vehicle;

ascertaining a distance between the vehicle and a segment of the roadway situated in the forward travel direction of the vehicle, adjacent to the at least one concealment object, using the concealment data; and

adapting a waiting time period and/or waiting distance for changing the characteristic of the light emission from a first characteristic to a second characteristic as a function of the ascertained distance, wherein the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to a first waiting time period and/or waiting distance in the adapting when the ascertained distance is greater than a first threshold value, and the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to a second waiting time period and/or waiting distance when the ascertained distance is less than the first threshold value, the second waiting time period and/or waiting distance being shorter than the first waiting time period and/or waiting distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a value of the second waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set as a function of a value of the ascertained distance in the adapting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to the second waiting time period and/or waiting distance in the adapting when the ascertained distance is between the first threshold value and a second threshold value which is less than the first threshold value, and the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to a third waiting time period and/or waiting distance when the ascertained distance is less than the second threshold value, the third waiting time period and/or waiting distance being shorter than the second waiting time period and/or waiting distance or equal to the second waiting time period and/or waiting distance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value and/or the second threshold value is determined as a function of the at least one property of the at least one concealment object, the at least one property representing a distance of the at least one concealment object relative to the roadway, and/or an optical density of the at least one concealment object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance between the vehicle and the segment of the roadway is ascertained in the ascertaining when the at least one concealment object is situated closer than a lateral limiting distance from the roadway.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the concealment data, using surroundings data which represent at least one property of the surroundings of the vehicle.

7. A control unit for setting a characteristic of a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle, comprising:

a control arrangement unit configured to perform the following;

reading in, from a surroundings sensor, concealment data which represent at least one property of at least one concealment object situated adjacent to a roadway in a surroundings of the vehicle;

ascertaining a distance between the vehicle and a segment of the roadway situated in the forward travel direction of the vehicle, adjacent to the at least one concealment object, using the concealment data; and

adapting a waiting time period and/or waiting distance for changing the characteristic of the light emission from a first characteristic to a second characteristic as a function of the ascertained distance, wherein the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to a first waiting time period and/or waiting distance in the adapting when the ascertained distance is greater than a first threshold value, and the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to a second waiting time period and/or waiting distance when the ascertained distance is less than the first threshold value, the second waiting time period and/or waiting distance being shorter than the first waiting time period and/or waiting distance.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:

a program code arrangement having program code for setting a characteristic of a light emission of at least one headlight of a vehicle, by performing the following;

reading in concealment data which represent at least one property of at least one concealment object situated adjacent to a roadway in a surroundings of the vehicle;

ascertaining a distance between the vehicle and a segment of the roadway situated in the forward travel direction of the vehicle, adjacent to the at least one concealment object, using the concealment data; and

adapting a waiting time period and/or waiting distance for changing the characteristic of the light emission from a first characteristic to a second characteristic as a function of the ascertained distance, wherein the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to a first waiting time period and/or waiting distance in the adapting when the ascertained distance is greater than a first threshold value, and the waiting time period and/or waiting distance is set to a second waiting time period and/or waiting distance when the ascertained distance is less than the first threshold value, the second waiting time period and/or waiting distance being shorter than the first waiting time period and/or waiting distance.