System for controlling exterior vehicle lights

• US 7,653,215 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Stam, Joseph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai; Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US11/251,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 382/104, 382/291, 315 77- 80, 315/82, 340/457.2, 340/901, 340/930, 340/933, 340/458, 340/815.73, 701/23, 701/36, 701/45, 701/49, 701/53, 701/72, 701/74, 362/465, 362/466, 362/467, 250/201.9, 250/552, 250/591, 348/118
• US Class Current: 382/104
• 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 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• 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 2300/332 on city roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details

Abstract

A system and method of automatically controlling exterior vehicle lights includes an image sensor and a controller to generate control signals. The control signals are derived based on information obtained from the image sensor as well as other detected parameters pertaining to the detected light source(s), the vehicle having the inventive control system, and the ambient environment. The control circuit may simply turn certain exterior lights on or off, or change the brightness, aim, focus, etc. to produce various beam patterns that maximize the illuminated area in front of the vehicle without causing excessive glare in the eyes of other drivers.

Claims

1. A control system to control the headlamps of a vehicle, the vehicle having a microwave receiver for receiving signals from satellites, said control system comprising:

a control circuit for receiving signals from the microwave receiver indicative of the location of the vehicle, said control circuit controls the headlamps to limit the perceived brightness of the headlamps from exceeding a predetermined level less than their capacity when the vehicle is traveling on a residential street.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said control circuit determines whether the vehicle is traveling on a residential street based on the signals received from the microwave receiver.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the headlamps of the vehicle operate in at least a high beam mode and a low beam mode, and wherein said control circuit inhibits operation of the headlamps in the high beam mode when the vehicle is traveling on a residential street.

4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the headlamps of the vehicle operate in at least a high beam mode, a super-high beam mode, and a low beam mode, and wherein said control circuit inhibits operation of the headlamps in the super-high beam mode when the vehicle is not traveling on an expressway or divided highway.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein said control circuit inhibits operation of the headlamps in the super-high beam mode when the vehicle is traveling in a geographic region in which the operation of headlamps in a super-high beam mode is prohibited.

6. The control system of claim 2, wherein said control circuit uses the location of the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is presently driving in a region where vehicles are driven on the left-hand side of the road or in a region where vehicles are driven on the right-hand side of the road.

7. A control system to control the headlamps of a vehicle, the vehicle having a microwave receiver for receiving signals from satellites and further having headlamps operable in at least a high beam mode, a super-high beam mode, and a low beam mode, said control system comprising:

a control circuit for receiving signals from the microwave receiver indicative of the location of the vehicle and for determining whether the vehicle is traveling on either an expressway or a divided highway based upon the signals received from the microwave receiver, said control circuit inhibits operation of the headlamps in the super-high beam mode when the vehicle is not traveling on either an expressway or a divided highway.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the headlamps are operated in a super-high beam mode when the headlamps produce illumination having an intensity of greater than 75,000 cd at 0°

vertical and horizontal.

9. The control system of claim 7, wherein said control circuit inhibits operation of the headlamps in the super-high beam mode when the vehicle is traveling in a geographic region in which the operation of headlamps in a super-high beam mode is prohibited.

10. A control system to control the headlamps of a vehicle, the vehicle having a microwave receiver for receiving signals from satellites and further having headlamps operable in at least a high beam mode, a super-high beam mode, and a low beam mode, said control system comprising:

a control circuit for receiving signals from the microwave receiver indicative of the location of the vehicle and for determining a geographic region in which the vehicle is traveling based upon the signals received from the microwave receiver, said control circuit inhibits operation of the headlamps in the super-high beam mode when the vehicle is traveling in a geographic region in which the operation of headlamps in a super-high beam mode is prohibited.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein the headlamps are operated in a super-high beam mode when the headlamps produce illumination having an intensity of greater than 75,000 cd at 0°

vertical and horizontal.