Illumination device for a motor vehicle for increasing the perceptibility of an obstacle

• US 10,632,899 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Neukam, Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Application Number:
  US16/303,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20190329699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2300/05 Special features for controlling or switching of the light beam
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2554/00 Input parameters relating to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/09 Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/04 Traffic conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads

Abstract

This disclosure relates to an illumination device for a motor vehicle. The illumination device provides a first light beam bundle with a first light distribution for illuminating an environment of the motor vehicle in a first operating mode, and provides a second light beam bundle with a second light distribution for displaying a measurement pattern onto the environment in a second operating mode. The illumination device comprises a control device designed to alternately periodically activate the first operating mode and the second operating mode. This disclosure also relates to a driver assistance system comprising such an illumination device and an image detection unit, as well as a motor vehicle comprising a driver assistance system of this type. This disclosure further relates to a corresponding method.

Claims

1. An illumination device for a motor vehicle, the illumination device configured to:

generate, in a first operating mode, a first light beam bundle having a first light distribution for illuminating an environment of the motor vehicle and for displaying a first measurement pattern onto the environment; and

generate, in a second operating mode, a second light beam bundle having a second light distribution for displaying a second measurement pattern onto the environment,

wherein the illumination device comprises a control device having at least one processor configured to alternately periodically activate the first operating mode and the second operating mode, wherein the first measurement pattern is formed inversely to the second measurement pattern, and

wherein the illumination device further comprises a point-by-point controllable light modulation unit configured to form the first light beam bundle or the second light beam bundle from a plurality of individually adjustable beams correlated with a respective pixel, and wherein the at least one processor of the control device is further configured to provide an image signal to the point-by-point controllable light modulation unit to activate the first operating mode or the second operating mode.

2. The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising a shared light source configured to generate the first light beam bundle in the first operating mode and the second light beam bundle in the second operating mode.

3. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the image signal is a video signal.

4. The illumination device of claim 1, configured as a high-resolution vehicle headlight having a resolution of at least 320,000 pixels for the generation of the first light beam bundle or the second light beam bundle.

5. The illumination device of claim 1, configured as a high-resolution vehicle headlight having a resolution of at least 360,000 pixels for the generation of the first light beam bundle or the second light beam bundle.

6. The illumination device of claim 1, configured as a high-resolution vehicle headlight having a resolution of at least 400,000 pixels for the generation of the first light beam bundle or the second light beam bundle.

7. A driver assistance system for a motor vehicle, the driver assistance system comprising:

an illumination device configured to;

generate, in a first operating mode, a first light beam bundle having a first light distribution for illuminating an environment of the motor vehicle and for displaying a first measurement pattern onto the environment; and

generate, in a second operating mode, a second light beam bundle having a second light distribution for displaying a second measurement pattern onto the environment,

wherein the illumination device comprises a control device having a first processor configured to alternately periodically activate the first operating mode and the second operating mode, wherein the first measurement pattern is formed inversely to the second measurement pattern,

an image detection unit, comprising a second processor configured to capture image data depending on the environment of the motor vehicle illuminated by the first light beam bundle or by the second light beam bundle; and

a point-by-point controllable light modulation unit configured to form the first light beam bundle or the second light beam bundle from a plurality of individually adjustable beams correlated with a respective pixel, wherein the first processor of the control device is further configured to provide an image signal to the point-by-point controllable light modulation unit to activate the first operating mode or the second operating mode.

8. The driver assistance system of claim 7, further comprising an evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit comprises a third processor configured to determine a presence of an obstacle in the environment of the motor vehicle from the image data.

9. The driver assistance system of claim 8, the third processor of the evaluation unit further configured to provide a correction signal depending on a position of the determined obstacle within the environment of the motor vehicle, wherein the correction signal is provided to activate a steering system or a brake system of the motor vehicle.

10. The driver assistance system of claim 7, wherein the illumination device further comprises:

a shared light source configured to generate the first light beam bundle in the first operating mode and the second light beam bundle in the second operating mode.

11. A motor vehicle having a driver assistance system comprising:

an illumination device configured to;

generate, in a first operating mode, a first light beam bundle having a first light distribution for illuminating an environment of the motor vehicle and for displaying a first measurement pattern onto the environment; and

generate, in a second operating mode, a second light beam bundle having a second light distribution for displaying a second measurement pattern onto the environment,

wherein the illumination device comprises a control device having a first processor configured to alternately periodically activate the first operating mode and the second operating mode, wherein the first measurement pattern is formed inversely to the second measurement pattern;

an image detection unit, comprising a second processor configured to capture image data depending on the environment of the motor vehicle illuminated by the first light beam bundle or by the second light beam bundle; and

a point-by-point controllable light modulation unit configured to form the first light beam bundle or the second light beam bundle from a plurality of individually adjustable beams correlated with a respective pixel,

wherein the first processor of the control device is further configured to provide an image signal to the point-by-point controllable light modulation unit to activate the first operating mode or the second operating mode.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 11, wherein the driver assistance system further comprises an evaluation unit having a third processor configured to determine a presence of an obstacle in the environment of the motor vehicle from the image data.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12, the third processor of the evaluation unit further configured to provide a correction signal depending on a position of the determined obstacle within the environment of the motor vehicle, wherein the correction signal is provided to activate a steering system or a brake system of the motor vehicle.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 11, wherein the illumination device further comprises:

a shared light source configured to generate the first light beam bundle in the first operating mode and the second light beam bundle in the second operating mode.

15. A method for operating an illumination device of a motor vehicle, comprising:

generating, by the illumination device in a first operating mode, a first light beam bundle having a first light distribution for illuminating an environment of the motor vehicle and for displaying a first measurement pattern onto the environment;

generating, by the illumination device in a second operating mode, a second light beam bundle having a second light distribution for displaying a second measurement pattern onto the environment;

providing, by a control device to a point-to-point controllable light modulation unit, an image signal based on a control pattern;

activating, by the control device, the first operating mode or the second operating mode, based on the image signal; and

forming, by the point-to-point controllable light modulation unit, a resulting light pattern from the first light beam bundle in the first operating mode or the second light beam bundle in the second operating mode from a plurality of individually adjustable beams correlated with a respective pixel of the control pattern,

wherein the generating of the first light beam bundle or the second light beam bundle comprises periodically alternately activating, by the control device, the first operating mode and the second operating mode, and

wherein the displaying, by the point-to-point controllable light modulation unit, of the first measurement pattern or the second measurement pattern comprises forming the first measurement pattern inversely to the second measurement pattern.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

capturing, by an image detection unit, image data depending on the environment of the motor vehicle illuminated by the first light beam bundle or by the second light beam bundle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the image data is an image sequence synchronized with the first operating mode or with the second operating mode.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first measurement pattern or the second measurement pattern is a striped pattern or a lattice pattern.