Method and device for grouping illumination units

• US 9,764,681 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2012
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Foltin, Johannes, Van Staa, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/356,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20140369058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49, 315 82
• 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 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/584 of vehicle lights or traffic lights

Abstract

A method is described for ascertaining a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units during the travel of a vehicle. The method includes a step of recognizing at least one first illumination unit and at least one second illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor. The method also includes a step of detecting a distance and/or a time which the vehicle travels after a departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor.

Claims

1. A processor-based method for ascertaining a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units during a travel of a vehicle, the method comprising:

recognizing at least one first illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;

performing at least one of;

beginning a measurement of a distance which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, and

beginning a measurement of a time during which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;

performing at least one of;

grouping the first illumination unit with a second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

the measured distance up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a distance threshold value, and

the measured time up to the departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a time threshold value, and

not grouping the first illumination unit with the second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

an instantaneously measured distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and

an instantaneously measured time is greater than the time threshold value;

assessing the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units as one individual illumination unit;

recognizing whether a condition of continuous roadway illumination exists on the basis of at least the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units assessed as one individual illumination unit, in order to control a light emission of a headlight of the vehicle.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

in the step of grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the distance is less than the distance threshold value, and

in the step of grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the time is less than the time threshold value.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of:

in the step of not grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and

in the step of not grouping, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit are not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when the time is greater than the time threshold value.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

in the step of recognizing, at least one third illumination unit is recognized, and

at least one of;

in the step of grouping, the third illumination unit is grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a further distance which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor up to a departure of the third illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, has the predetermined relationship with respect to the distance threshold value, and

in the step of grouping, the third illumination unit is grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a time during which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor up to the departure of the third illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, has the predetermined relationship with respect to the time threshold value.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

in the step of recognizing, a third illumination unit is recognized,

at least one of;

in the step of not grouping, the third illumination unit is not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a further distance which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, does not have the predetermined relationship with respect to the distance threshold value, and

in the step of grouping, the third illumination unit is not grouped into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when a time during which the vehicle travels, starting from the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, does not have the predetermined relationship with respect to the time threshold value.

6. A processor-based method for recognizing a continuous roadway illumination along a roadway to be traveled by the vehicle, comprising:

reading in at least one individual illumination unit and a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which has been ascertained by;

recognizing at least one first illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;

performing at least one of;

beginning a measurement of a distance which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, and

beginning a measurement of a time during which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor; and

performing at least one of;

grouping the first illumination unit with a second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

the measured distance up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a distance threshold value, and

the measured time up to the departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a time threshold value, and

not grouping the first illumination unit with the second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

an instantaneously measured distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and

an instantaneously measured time is greater than the time threshold value;

assessing the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units as one individual illumination unit; and

recognizing the continuous roadway illumination using the individual illumination unit and the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which is assessed as one individual illumination unit, in order to control a light emission of a headlight of the vehicle.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of:

in the step of recognizing, a presence of the continuous roadway illumination is recognized when the vehicle travels at least one of a predetermined travel distance and a predetermined travel time between a position of the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which is assessed as one individual illumination unit and a position of the individual illumination unit, and

in the step of recognizing, the presence of the continuous roadway illumination is recognized when the vehicle travels at least one of the predetermined travel distance and the predetermined travel time between a position of the individual illumination unit and the position of the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which is assessed as one individual illumination unit.

8. A processor-based method for controlling a light emission of at least one headlight of the vehicle, comprising:

recognizing the continuous roadway illumination by;

reading in at least one individual illumination unit and a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which has been ascertained by;

recognizing at least one first illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;

performing at least one of;

beginning a measurement of a distance which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, and

beginning a measurement of a time during which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor; and

performing at least one of;

grouping the first illumination unit with a second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

 

the measured distance up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a distance threshold value, and

 

the measured time up to the departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a time threshold value, and

not grouping the first illumination unit with the second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

 

an instantaneously measured distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and

 

an instantaneously measured time is greater than the time threshold value;

assessing the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units as one individual illumination unit; and

recognizing the continuous roadway illumination using the individual illumination unit and the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units which is assessed as one individual illumination unit; and

changing the light emission of the at least one headlight of the vehicle in response to a presence of the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units assessed as one individual illumination unit.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the changing of the light emission of the at least one headlight of the vehicle takes place at a point in time in which there is a predetermined relationship with respect to a point in time of an ascertained appearance of the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units.

10. A device having units for ascertaining a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units during a travel of a vehicle, the device including a processor comprising:

an arrangement for recognizing at least one first illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;

an arrangement for performing at least one of;

beginning a measurement of a distance which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, and

beginning a measurement of a time during which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor; and

an arrangement for performing at least one of;

grouping the first illumination unit with a second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

the measured distance up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a distance threshold value, and

the measured time up to the departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a time threshold value, and

not grouping the first illumination unit with the second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

an instantaneously measured distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and

an instantaneously measured time is greater than the time threshold value;

an arrangement for assessing the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units as one individual illumination unit;

an arrangement for recognizing whether a condition of continuous roadway illumination exists on the basis of at least the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units assessed as one individual illumination unit, in order to control a light emission of a headlight of the vehicle.

11. A non-transitory computer program product having a program code for carrying out, when the program code is executed on a device, a processor-based method for ascertaining a group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units during a travel of a vehicle, the method comprising:

recognizing at least one first illumination unit in a detection range of a sensor and recognizing a subsequent departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor;

performing at least one of;

beginning a measurement of a distance which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor, and

beginning a measurement of a time during which the vehicle travels after the departure of the first illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor; and

performing at least one of;

grouping the first illumination unit with a second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

the measured distance up to a departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a distance threshold value, and

the measured time up to the departure of the second illumination unit from the detection range of the sensor has a predetermined relationship with respect to a time threshold value, and

not grouping the first illumination unit with the second illumination unit into the group of at least two adjacently situated illumination units when at least one of;

an instantaneously measured distance is greater than the distance threshold value, and

an instantaneously measured time is greater than the time threshold value,

assessing the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units as one individual illumination unit;

recognizing whether a condition of continuous roadway illumination exists on the basis of at least the group of the at least two adjacently situated illumination units assessed as one individual illumination unit, in order to control a light emission of a headlight of the vehicle.