Device and method for adjusting the lighting of a vehicle in blind curves

• US 9,227,553 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Nordbruch, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Adam
• Application Number:
  US13/822,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,589 Days
• Field of Search: 362464-467
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• 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 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/23 Driver's line of sight
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

Method and device for adjusting lighting for a vehicle in consideration of the visibility of a curve, light having a glare effect (high beam light) being deactivated before negotiating a curve, if the curve is not visible, or optionally the illumination being increased if the curve is visible. Adjusting the lighting, in particular of headlights, for a vehicle having a first step, in which an upcoming curve is recognized, its visibility is ascertained, the visibility representing the possibility of glare, in particular to other road users, in particular to oncoming traffic, and a second step, of adjusting the lighting between the least possible glare and the best possible illumination, characterized in that the adjustment is carried out as a function of the visibility.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting lighting of headlights for a vehicle, the method comprising:

recognizing an upcoming curve and ascertaining its visibility, the visibility representing the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic; and

adjusting the lighting between the least possible glare to oncoming traffic and the best possible illumination, wherein the adjustment is carried out as a function of the visibility so that at least one of the following is satisfied;

(a) in the case the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic does not exist, an illumination-increasing adjustment is carried out, and (b) in the case the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic exists, a glare-reducing adjustment is carried out;

wherein in the recognizing task, it is recognized whether the vehicle is negotiating the outer side or the inner side of the curve, and wherein in the adjusting task, one of (i) the glare-reducing adjustment is carried out only if the vehicle travels through the inner side of the curve, or (ii) the glare-reducing adjustment is not reduced to the same extent when the vehicle travels through the outer side of the curve as would be the case during travel through the inner side of the curve.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in the recognizing task it is also established whether a road user is present, on the basis of physical effects which the road user achieves without being directly visible.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment includes one of a deactivation of the high beam light, an activation of the low beam light, a change of the light direction, and a change of the light distribution.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the light distribution is adjusted so that the possibly appearing road user or his lane or roadway is illuminated less.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

canceling out the influence of the adjustment at least one of when (i) the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic does not exist again and (ii) when the curve has been negotiated.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment is part of a higher-order regulating structure for the light control.

2. A method for adjusting lighting of headlights for a vehicle, the method comprising:

recognizing an upcoming curve and ascertaining its visibility, the visibility representing the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic; and

adjusting the lighting between the least possible glare to oncoming traffic and the best possible illumination, wherein the adjustment is carried out as a function of the visibility;

wherein the visibility is ascertained on the basis of data which were obtained by a vehicle-bound system in earlier travels past the same point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data contain satellite, aerial, or road images or are generated therefrom.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the visibility is obtained by interpretation of data including data concerning the topography, the building development, the landscape, the vegetation, and accidents.

8. A method for adjusting lighting of headlights for a vehicle, the method comprising:

recognizing an upcoming curve and ascertaining its visibility, the visibility representing the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic; and

adjusting the lighting between the least possible glare to oncoming traffic and the best possible illumination, wherein the adjustment is carried out as a function of the ascertained visibility;

wherein an apex or node point of the curve is determined in the recognizing task, and the adjustment is carried out in the ascertaining task in the apex or node point of the curve or at a configurable distance away from the apex or node point.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the configurable distance is selected as a function of at least one of the curve radius, a speed of one'"'"'s own vehicle, and a distance of a visual obstruction from the curve.

12. A device adjusting lighting of headlights for a vehicle, comprising:

a unit for recognizing an upcoming curve to be traveled and ascertaining its visibility, the visibility representing the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic; and

an adjustment unit, which is configured so that the adjustment of the lighting takes place between the lowest possible glare to oncoming traffic and the best possible illumination, and the adjustment is carried out as a function of the visibility so that at least one of the following is satisfied;

(a) in the case the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic does not exist, an illumination-increasing adjustment is carried out, and (b) in the case the possibility of glare to oncoming traffic exists, a glare-reducing adjustment is carried out;

wherein in the recognizing task, it is recognized whether the vehicle is negotiating the outer side or the inner side of the curve, and wherein in the adjusting task, one of (i) the glare-reducing adjustment is carried out only if the vehicle travels through the inner side of the curve, or (ii) the glare-reducing adjustment is not reduced to the same extent when the vehicle travels through the outer side of the curve as would be the case during travel through the inner side of the curve.