Headlamp system with selectable beam pattern

• US 6,497,503 B1
• Filed: 06/21/2001
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Mulvanny, Paul, Dassanayake, Mahendra Somasara, Alles, Sheran Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAYNE, SHARON E
• Application Number:
  US09/681,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 362/20, 362/21, 362/276, 362/465, 362/293, 362/510, 362/516, 362/512, 362/513, 362/514, 362/284, 362/324
• US Class Current: 362/465
• 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/333 on suburban or country roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/334 on motorways
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/28 characterised by coatings

Abstract

A headlamp system stores a plurality of beam patterns on a microprocessor 32 that selects a predetermined beam pattern based on driving conditions and sends the predetermined beam pattern to a digital micromirror device (DMD) 18 that is capable of generating the desired beam pattern by adjusting the position of individual pixels on the DMD 18. Several vehicle parameters are inputs 36, 37, 38, 29, 70 to the microcontroller 32 and are used to determine the appropriate beam pattern to be produced by the DMD 18 and projected by the headlamp system of the present invention.

Claims

1. A headlamp system comprising:

a light source;

at least one headlamp coupled to said light source;

a digital micromirror device positioned to reflect light in a predefined beam pattern from said at least one headlamp;

a lens system for projecting said predefined beam pattern produced by said digital micromirror device;

a microcontroller in communication with said digital micromirror device;

a plurality of beam patterns stored on said microcontroller, said microcontroller having means for determining a desired beam pattern to be communicated to said digital micromirror device; and

an infrared coating on a portion of said light source and wherein said means for determining a desired beam pattern further comprises a driver input request for night vision whereby said digital micromirror device reflects light from said light source emitted by said infrared portion of said light source.

2. A headlamp system comprising:

a light source, a portion of said light source having an infrared coating;

at least one headlamp coupled to said light source;

a digital micromirror device positioned to reflect light in a predefined beam pattern from said at least one headlamp;

optics positioned in a predetermined location with respect to said light source and said digital micromirror device;

a lens system for projecting said predefined beam pattern produced by said digital micromirror device;

a microcontroller in communication with said digital micromirror device;

a plurality of inputs from a plurality of sensors provided to said microcontroller;

a plurality of beam patterns stored on said microcontroller wherein said microcontroller selects a desired beam pattern from said plurality of beam patterns and communicates said desired beam pattern to said digital micromirror device and wherein said plurality of inputs further comprises a driver input for night vision, whereby said digital mirror device reflects light from said light source emitted by said infrared portion of said light source.

3. A method for projecting a headlamp beam pattern from a headlamp system having a light source with an infrared coating on a portion of said light source, at least one headlamp coupled to said light source;

a digital micromirror device positioned to reflect light in a predefined beam pattern from said at least one headlamp;

a lens system for projecting said predefined beam pattern produced by said digital micromirror device;

a microcontroller in communication with said digital micromirror device; and

a plurality of beam patterns stored on said microcontroller, said method comprising the steps of;

sensing a night vision input;

inputting said night vision input to said microcontroller;

selecting a predetermined beam pattern for night vision from said plurality of beam patterns stored on said microcontroller;

communicating said predetermined beam pattern for night vision to said digital micromirror device;

adjusting said digital micromirror device to create said predetermined beam pattern for night vision;

projecting said predetermined beam pattern for night vision from said lens system.