Procedure and steering mechanism to control main headlights with adjustable vertical cut-off line to reduce the glare of objects

• US 9,610,889 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hella KGaA Hueck & Company
• Original Assignee: Hella KGaA Hueck & Company
• Inventors: Schmidt, Christian, Irmscher, Tobias, Hster, Christian, Krause, Stefan, Wilks, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Breval, Elmito
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fallahkhair, Arman B
• Application Number:
  US13/683,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20130182448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 362460-468, 3404572, 340469, 340937, 701523, 701 28, 701 49, 382104
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/06 adjustable, e.g. remotely-controlled from inside vehicle B60Q1/05 takes 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 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Abstract

A control device for vehicle headlights with adjustable light distributions and with an adjustable vertical cutoff line in at least one light distribution,

• • with access to the programming of information about the location of objects located in front of the vehicle with glare needing to be reduced,
  • with a processing medium,
    • operable for generating variables to set an adjustable light distribution on at least one main headlight
    • and/or operable for generating variables to set a vertical cut-off line on a light distribution installed on the main right headlight and a vertical cut-off line installed on the main left headlight,
  • with an outlet on which variables for setting up a light distribution and/or the vertical cut -off lines can be deployed,
    whereby the control device has a memory to store the light strengths of locations in front of the main headlights for the adjustable light distributions.

Claims

1. A control device for controlling headlights of a vehicle with at least one of an adjustable light distribution and a vertical cutoff line, comprising:

at least one headlight of a vehicle capable of adopting at least two headlight configurations, each of which generate light intensities at different locations in front of the at least one headlight;

a memory for storing light intensities of said headlight for different locations in front of the headlight and for each headlight configuration;

an input for identifying an object in a location in front of the headlight;

a processor for determining a present headlight configuration for the headlight, and for retrieving the stored light intensity at the identified location for the present headlight configuration; and

wherein said processor is operable to reduce the light intensity at the location of the at least one object by instructing the headlights to adopt a different headlight configuration having a lower light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above a threshold, and wherein the headlight adopts the different headlight configuration; and

wherein said processor is operable to maintain the light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be below the threshold.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said processor is operable to reduce the light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above the threshold by adjusting at least one of a light distribution and a vertical cut-off line.

3. A process of controlling the headlights of a vehicle with at least one of an adjustable light distribution and a vertical cut-off line, comprising the steps of:

storing light intensities for different locations in front of said headlights and for different headlight configurations;

identifying an object in a location in front of the headlights;

determining a present headlight configuration;

retrieving the stored light intensity of that location for the present headlight configuration;

comparing the retrieved light intensity to a threshold to determine whether the present headlight configuration needs to change; and

instructing the headlights to adopt a different headlight configuration having a lower light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above the threshold by adjusting at least one of a light distribution and a vertical cut-off line.

4. The process of controlling headlights of a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising maintaining the light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be below a threshold.

5. A process of controlling the headlights of a vehicle with at least one of an adjustable light distribution and a vertical cut-off line, comprising the steps of:

storing light intensities of said headlights for different locations in front of the headlights and for different headlight configurations;

identifying an object in a location in front of the headlights;

determining a present headlight configuration;

retrieving the stored light intensity of that location for the present headlight configuration;

comparing said retrieved light intensity to a threshold to determine whether the present headlight configuration needs to change; and

instructing the headlights to adopt a different headlight configuration having a lower light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above the threshold by adjusting at least one of a light distribution and a vertical cut-off line.