Vehicle headlight system having digital beam-forming optics

• US 7,156,542 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pilutti, Thomas Edward, Wagner, David Anthony, Strumolo, Gary Steven, Miller, Ronald Hugh, Dassanayake, Mahendra Somasara, Alles, Sheran Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron; Ismael
• Application Number:
  US10/249,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 362/466, 362/276, 362512-514, 362/511, 362/583, 362/3, 362/4, 362/459, 362/464, 362/465, 362/509, 362/257, 362277-284, 362/317, 362/551, 362319-325, 362/517, 349/5, 349/200, 349/202, 349/1, 349/6, 349/13, 349/14, 349/193, 349/195, 353/13, 353/29, 353/97
• US Class Current: 362/466
• 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 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/134 Yaw
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• 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 2300/336 Crossings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle headlight system including a light source, digital beam forming optics optically coupled to the light source, and a memory storing a plurality of light illumination patterns. The memory is electrically coupled to the digital beam forming optics. The digital beam forming optics is adapted to output light from the light source in the form of at least one of the light illumination patterns in response to at least one vehicle operating condition.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlight system comprising:

a centralized light source;

digital beam forming optics optically coupled to and receiving transmitted light from the centralized light source;

first and second headlight emitters, one positioned at a front driver'"'"'s side of the vehicle and one positioned at a front passenger'"'"'s side of the vehicle, and wherein at least one of said centralized light source or said digital beam forming optics is remotely located from said first and second headlight emitters;

a memory storing a plurality of light illumination patterns, said memory electrically coupled to said digital beam forming optics, said digital beam forming optics outputting light from said centralized light source in the form of at least one of said light illumination patterns for each of said first and second headlight emitters independent of each other, and in response to at least one vehicle operating condition.

2. A vehicle headlight system according to claim 1 wherein said light illumination patterns are bitmap light patterns and said digital beam forming optics is at least one digital light processor.

3. A vehicle headlight system according to claim 1 wherein said first and second headlight emitters are positioned to emit said light received from said digital beam forming optics in a region forward of said vehicle.

4. A vehicle headlight system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of light illumination patterns includes at least two different light illumination patterns each corresponding to different sensed vehicle speeds.

5. A vehicle headlight system according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of light illumination patterns includes at least two different light illumination patterns for said first and second headlight emitters that correspond to a left vehicle turn signal activation and a right vehicle turn signal activation, respectively.

6. A vehicle headlight system according to claim 1 wherein said centralized light source is a near infrared light source.

7. A vehicle headlight system according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle operating condition comprises at least one of:

vehicle speed, directional heading, location, steering wheel angle, brake status, throttle angle, turn signal status, traction control status, differential wheel speed, light status, turn indicator status, windshield wiper status, windshield wiper speed, and engine speed.

8. A vehicle headlight system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one IR sensor for detecting oncoming vehicle headlights, and wherein said plurality of light illumination patterns includes at least one light pattern for output by said digital beam forming optics in response to sensed oncoming vehicle headlights.

9. A system as in claim 1 wherein said digital beam forming optics are optically coupled to the centralized light source via a first optical coupling and said first and second headlight emitters are coupled to said digital beam forming optics via a second optical coupling.

14. An illumination system for a vehicle according to claim 1O or 11 wherein said plurality of light illumination patterns includes at least two different light illumination patterns each corresponding to different sensed vehicle speeds.

10. An illumination system for a vehicle comprising:

a centralized light source;

a digital light processor optically coupled to and receiving transmitted light from the centralized light source;

a memory storing a plurality of light illumination patterns, said memory electrically coupled to said digital light processor, said digital light processor outputting light from said centralized light source in the form of at least one of said light illumination patterns in response to at least one vehicle operating condition; and

at least one headlight emitter optically coupled to said digital light processor and positioned to emit said light received from said digital light processor in a region forward of said vehicle, said headlight emitter being located remotely from at least one of said centralized light source or said digital light processor;

wherein said digital light processor outputs light from said centralized light source in the form of at least one of said light illumination patterns in response to at least one roadway condition; and

wherein said at least one roadway condition comprises vehicle absolute positioning data or navigational roadway data including intersections, ramps and roadway surface elevations/depressions.

12. An illumination system for a vehicle according to claim 10 or 11 or wherein said plurality of light illumination patterns are bitmap light patterns.

13. An illumination system for a vehicle according to claim 10 or 11 wherein said vehicle operating condition steering wheel angle, brake status, throttle angle, turn signal status, traction control status, differential wheel speed, light status, windshield wiper status, and windshield wiper speed.

11. An illumination system for a vehicle comprising:

a centralized light source;

a digital light processor optically coupled to and receiving transmitted light from the centralized light source;

a memory storing a plurality of light illumination patterns, said memory electrically coupled to said digital light processor, said digital light processor outputting light from said centralized light source in the form of at least one of said light illumination patterns in response to at least one vehicle operating condition;

at least one headlight emitter optically coupled to said digital light processor and positioned to emit said light received from said digital light processor in a region forward of said vehicle, said headlight emitter being located remotely from at least one of said centralized light source or said digital light processor; and

at least one IR sensor for detecting oncoming vehicle headlights, and wherein said plurality of light illumination patterns includes at least one light pattern for output by said digital light processor in response to sensed oncoming vehicle headlights.

15. A method of operating an illumination system for a vehicle comprising a light source and a digital light processor remotely optically coupled to the light source, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of light illumination patterns each corresponding to a desired vehicle headlight illumination pattern for a sensed vehicle operating condition;

controlling said digital light processor to process transmitted light from said light source to form at least one of said desired vehicle headlight illumination patterns for illumination transmittance from headlights of the vehicle in response to at least one sensed vehicle operating condition; and

sensing the presence of oncoming vehicle headlights and, when no oncoming vehicle headlights are sensed, controlling said digital light processor to output a light illumination pattern having substantially symmetrical illumination about a vehicle central axis.

16. A method according to claim 15 comprising controlling said digital light processor to adaptively process light according to different light illumination patterns indexed by vehicle speed.

17. A method according to claim 15 comprising controlling said digital light processor to adaptively process light according to different light illumination patterns in response to a sensed roadway condition.