System for controlling the in situ orientation of a vehicle headlamp, and method of use

• US 20040167697A1
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Albou, Pierre, Leleve, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• 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 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/062 using an indicator mounted on the head-light
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 11/068 with part of the measurements done from inside the vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for controlling the in situ orientation of a vehicle headlamp equipped with a light source that is fixed to a mobile reflector and with a camera that is fixed to the mobile reflector and connected to an image processing unit.

The invention also relates to a method of controlling the in situ orientation of a vehicle headlamp, comprising the following operations:

recording of images of a road scene in front of the vehicle,

processing of at least one image of the road scene,

determination, from said processed image, of a measured horizon line of the road scene,

comparison of this measured horizon line with a predetermined setpoint horizon line and determination of a distance between the measured horizon line and the setpoint horizon line,

adjustment of the orientation of the headlamp so that the distance between the measured horizon line and the setpoint horizon line tends towards zero.

Claims

1. System for controlling the in situ orientation of a vehicle headlamp equipped with a light source that is fixed to a mobile reflector, which comprises a camera that is fixed to the mobile reflector and connected to an image processing unit.

2. Control system according to claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted at one end of the reflector.

3. Control system according to claim 1, wherein the camera is an infrared camera.

4. Control system according to claim 1, which comprises a light line generator.

14. Vehicle headlamp comprising a mobile reflector that is actuated by a motor and a light source that is fixed to the reflector, wherein the in situ orientation of the headlamp is controlled by the control system according to claim 1.

5. Method of controlling the in situ orientation of a vehicle headlamp, comprising the following operations:

recording of images of a road scene in front of the vehicle,

processing of at least one image of the road scene,

determination, from said processed image or images, of a measured horizon line of the road scene,

comparison of this measured horizon line with a predetermined setpoint horizon line and determination of a distance between the measured horizon line and the setpoint horizon line,

adjustment of the orientation of the headlamp so that the distance between the measured horizon line and the setpoint horizon line tends towards zero.

6. Control method according to claim 5, wherein the image processing operation consists in processing at least two images in order to deduce therefrom a processed image.

7. Control method according to claim 6, wherein the operation of processing two images consists in subtracting one image from the other.

8. Control method according to claim 7, wherein the operation of processing two images consists in carrying out a thresholding on the image obtained after subtraction.

9. Control method according to claim 5, wherein the operation of determining a measured horizon line consists in determining vanishing lines in the processed image and in deducing therefrom the horizon line.

10. Control method according to claim 5, wherein the setpoint horizon line is determined from the vanishing lines in a processed image, during initial adjustment of the headlamps.

11. Control method according to claim 5, wherein the distance between the measured horizon line and the setpoint horizon line corresponds to a number of frames of the camera.

12. Control method according to claim 5, wherein the setpoint horizon line is extrapolated as a function of the vanishing lines.

13. Control method according to claim 5, wherein light lines are emitted by the headlamp, forming, on the processed image, segments of vanishing lines.