Method and control unit for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone

• US 9,637,047 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2012
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Meisner, Robert, Foltin, Johannes, Ehlgen, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): MOYER, DALE S
• Application Number:
  US14/370,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20150151669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• 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 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• 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 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2013/93276 in the windshield area
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/161 Decentralised systems, e.g. inter-vehicle communication

Abstract

A method for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle includes reading in at least one configuration position of an illumination unit on another vehicle and/or of a vehicle contour of the other vehicle to provide an identification signal of the other vehicle. In addition, the method includes ascertaining the type of the other vehicle, using the identification signal of the other vehicle, and outputting a control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary, the control signal being output taking the ascertained type of vehicle into account.

Claims

1. A method for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

reading in at least one configuration position of an illumination unit on at least one of another vehicle and a vehicle contour of the other vehicle to provide an identification signal of the other vehicle;

using the identification signal of the other vehicle, ascertaining a type of the other vehicle, the type being at least one of a class and a model of the other vehicle; and

based on the ascertained type of the other vehicle, outputting a control signal to adapt the upper headlight beam boundary.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the reading in step, a position of an illumination unit of the other vehicle is evaluated with respect to a position of a mirror of the other vehicle to provide the identification signal of the other vehicle, and wherein in the outputting step, the control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary is provided so that the headlight of the vehicle does not illuminate the mirror.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein in the reading in step, a configuration position of at least one of a side mirror and a rearview mirror of the other vehicle is evaluated to provide the identification signal of the other vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in the reading in step, a color of the light emitted by the illumination unit is read in, and in the ascertaining step, a travel direction of the other vehicle is deduced using the color of the read-in light.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in the reading in step, an evaluation of a number of illumination units of the other vehicle occurs to provide the identification signal of the other vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein in the reading in step, a piece of information concerning the type of vehicle is wirelessly transmitted from the other vehicle to provide the identification signal of the other vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein when, in the reading in step, an identification signal of the other vehicle is provided which contains a piece of information that an exact classification of the type of the other vehicle is not possible, and wherein in the outputting step, the control signal is provided so that the upper headlight beam boundary is adapted to a predetermined upper safety limit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein when, in the ascertaining step, a position of the head of a driver of the other vehicle is ascertained, and wherein in the outputting step, the upper headlight beam boundary is adapted so that the position of the head of the driver is not illuminated by light of the headlight.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal causes a beam angle of the at least one headlight to be altered, thereby altering the upper headlight beam boundary.

10. A control unit, comprising:

at least one control arrangement for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle, including;

a reading arrangement to read in at least one configuration position of an illumination unit on at least one of another vehicle and a vehicle contour of the other vehicle to provide an identification signal of the other vehicle;

an ascertaining arrangement to ascertain, using the identification signal of the other the other vehicle, a type of the other vehicle, the type being at least one of a class and a model of the other vehicle; and

an outputting arrangement to output a control signal, based on the ascertained type of vehicle, to adapt the upper headlight beam boundary.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, the computer program comprising program code for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle by performing the following:

reading in at least one configuration position of an illumination unit on at least one of another vehicle and a vehicle contour of the other vehicle to provide an identification signal of the other vehicle;

using the identification signal of the other vehicle, ascertaining a type of the other vehicle, the type being at least one of a class and a model of the other vehicle; and

based on the ascertained type of the other vehicle, outputting a control signal to adapt the upper headlight beam boundary.

12. A method for adapting an upper headlight beam boundary of a light cone of at least one headlight of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

reading in at least one configuration position of an illumination unit on at least one of another vehicle and a vehicle contour of the other vehicle and evaluating a position of the illumination unit of the other vehicle with respect to a position of a mirror of the other vehicle to provide an identification signal of the other vehicle;

using the identification signal of the other vehicle, ascertaining a type of the other vehicle, the type being at least one of a class and a model of the other vehicle; and

based on the ascertained type of the other vehicle, outputting a control signal to adapt the upper headlight beam boundary, including providing the control signal for adapting the upper headlight beam boundary so that the headlight of the vehicle does not illuminate the mirror.