control system to automatically control vehicle headlamps

• US 6,919,548 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2003
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gentax Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentax Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, John K., Stam, Joseph S., Bechtel, Jon H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Thanh X.
• Application Number:
  US10/677,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20040069931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/205, 315/82, 362464-465
• US Class Current: 250/205
• 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 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 1/18 being additional front lights bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/116 Vehicle at a stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/332 on city roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/333 on suburban or country roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/337 Tunnels or bridges
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 : of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 : Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

An automatic vehicle headlamp dimming system which includes an optical system and an imaging processing system. The optical system is configured to discriminate between headlamps and tail lamps, and focus the light rays from the headlamps and tail lamps on different portions of a pixel sensor array. The optical system as well as the image processing system provides for relatively increased discrimination of headlamps and tail lamps of other vehicles and also enables the high beam headlamps of the control vehicle to be controlled as a function of the distance as well as horizontal angular position of other vehicles relative to the controlled vehicle.

Claims

1. An automatic vehicle exterior light control, comprising:

an image array sensor and a controller configured such that frames are read out at a rate of 240 Hz or higher from said image array sensor, wherein said controller is further configured to generate an exterior light control signal as a function of said frames.

2. An automatic vehicle exterior light control as in claim 1 wherein at least one of said frames comprises fewer than a total number of pixels within said image array sensor.

3. An automatic vehicle exterior light control as in claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to identity an AC powered light source.

4. An automatic vehicle exterior light control as in claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to distinguish a stationary light source from an oncoming head lamp and, or, a leading tail lamp.