METHOD FOR OPERATING A HEADLIGHT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20160332559A1
• Filed: 11/07/2014
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: FUNK, Christian, BARMEYER, Florenz
• Granted Patent: US 9,809,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/332 on city roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/333 on suburban or country roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/334 on motorways
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/335 Number or size of road lanes
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/588 Recognition of the road, e.g. of lane markings; Recognition of the vehicle driving pattern in relation to the road
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a headlight (12) of a motor vehicle (10), which headlight (12) comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, by receiving a request signal for a high-beam mode; determining a road class of a roadway on which the motor vehicle (10) is located; activating a first group of the plurality of light emitting diodes for providing a first high-beam distribution (20) with the headlight (12) in the event that a road class different from a highway (18) is determined; and activating a second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes for providing a second high-beam distribution (26) with the headlight (12) in the event that a highway (18) is determined as the road class.

Claims

1. A method for operating a headlight for a motor vehicle, said headlight comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the method, comprising:

receiving a request signal for a high-beam mode;

determining a road class of a roadway on which the motor vehicle is located;

activating a first group of the plurality of light emitting diodes for providing a first high-beam distribution with the headlight in the event that a the road class is different from a highway; and

activating a second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes for providing a second high-beam distribution with the headlight in the event that a highway is determined as the road class.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

activating the first and the second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes such that the first and the second high-beam distribution extend along an angle range around a main beam direction of the headlight, wherein the angle range of the second high-beam distribution is smaller in comparison to the angle range of the first high-beam distribution.

3. The method according to either claim 1, wherein

determining the road class of the roadway on which the motor vehicle is located includes using the velocity of the motor vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein

determining the road class of the roadway on which the motor vehicle is located includes using the data of a navigation system.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

determining a structural separation between the lanes of the highway in response to the highway being the road class, and providing the second high-beam distribution by activating the second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes in response to determining the structural separation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein

determining a lane of the highway in which the motor vehicle is located in response the highway being the road class, and providing the second high-beam distribution by activating the second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes in response to the determining of the lane.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein

determining the lane in which the motor vehicle is located by means of road markings, using a camera.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein

activating the first or the second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes such that the light emitting diodes that are associated with an edge area of the headlight provide less illuminance as compared to the light emitting diodes that are associated with a middle area of the headlight.

9. A headlight for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes;

a control device to receive a request signal for a high-beam mode;

a detection device to determine a road class of a roadway on which the motor vehicle is located,

the control device configured to activate a first group of the plurality of light emitting diodes to provide a first high-beam distribution in the event that the determined road class is different from a highway; and

the control device configured to activate a second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes to provide a second high-beam distribution in the event that the highway is determined to be the road class.

10. A motor vehicle having at least one headlight according to claim 9.