Method for controlling a cornering light and lighting device

• US 9,802,529 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hella KGaA Hueck & Company
• Original Assignee: Hella KGaA Hueck & Company
• Inventors: Herntrich, Matthias, Hoffmann, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewandroski, Sara
• Application Number:
  US14/717,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20150336500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/08 automatically
• 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 1/12 due to steering position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/16 illuminating the way asymmetrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a predictive cornering light with at least one headlight with a pivoting means for the controlled pivoting of the headlight, wherein a monitoring device is provided, which monitors the roadway and/or lane in front of the vehicle, and a control unit is provided, which, on the basis of the data of the monitoring device, drives the pivoting means for setting the headlight for illuminating the roadway and/or lane. The invention also relates to a lighting device in this regard.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a predictive cornering light, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle having at least one headlight comprising a pivoting element, an optical monitoring device that monitors a roadway or lane in front of the vehicle and generates roadway data, and a control unit,

generating a model of a headlight light distribution using the roadway data,

determining a pivoting angle by rotating the model of the headlight distribution to minimize a deviation between the model of the headlight light distribution and the roadway, actuating the pivoting element to set a headlight direction for illuminating the roadway or lane to match the pivoting angle,

wherein minimizing the deviation between the model of the headlight light distribution and the roadway corresponds to minimizing a difference of at least one right-hand partial deviation between the roadway and the model and of at least one left-hand partial deviation between the roadway and the model of the headlight light distribution,

wherein the model of the headlight light distribution is a section model,

wherein each partial deviation between the model of the headlight light distribution and the roadway is determined by calculating at least one area between an illumination boundary in a section of the section model and a portion of a curve characterizing a roadway course or lane course corresponding to the section.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting angle corresponds to a resulting rotation angle of the model of the headlight light distribution relative to a selected or initial model position.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the selected or initial model position is defined as a position of the model of the headlight light distribution without pivoting.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein minimizing the deviation between the model of the headlight light distribution and the roadway corresponds to minimizing a sum of a plurality of partial deviations of the roadway from the model of the headlight light distribution.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first area is an area between the section of the section model and a curve characterizing a roadway course or lane course up to a point of intersection thereof and a second area arises between the section and the curve characterizing the roadway course or lane course after the point of intersection thereof up to a predefinable distance, wherein in the case of a right-hand curve the first area is defined as a right-hand partial deviation and the second area is defined as a left-hand partial deviation, and in the case of a left-hand curve the first area is defined as the left-hand partial deviation and the second area is defined as the right-hand partial deviation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a section of the section model lies in a selected or initial model position on a straight line in a direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis and extends forward from a current position of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the section model describes a centroid position of the light distribution.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the section model is a section of a length of a low-beam light range.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the model of the headlight light distribution is an area model.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the area model is an area s situated on a roadway plane and delimited by at least one curve.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the area model is the area between a right-hand delimiting ray and between a left-hand delimiting ray up to a predefinable distance.

12. A lighting device comprising:

at least one headlight with a pivoting element for controlled pivoting of the headlight for controlling a predictive cornering light in a vehicle,

an optical monitoring device that monitors a roadway or lane in front of the vehicle and generates roadway data, a control unit that, uses the data of the optical monitoring device to drive the pivoting element for setting the headlight for illuminating the roadway or lane, wherein the control unit is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1.

13. A method for controlling a predictive cornering light, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle having at least one headlight comprising a pivoting element, an optical monitoring device that monitors a roadway or lane in front of the vehicle and generates roadway data, and a control unit,

generating an auxiliary line using the roadway data,

performing an area determination using the profile of the roadway data and an auxiliary line proceeding from the front of the vehicle,

determining a point of intersection between the course of the roadway and the auxiliary line and using the point of intersection to characterize a pivoting angle,

driving the headlight using the pivoting angle,

wherein the area determination is effected in such a way that a predefinable ratio is achieved between a first area between the auxiliary line and the roadway course up to the point of intersection thereof and a second area between the auxiliary line and a roadway course after the point of intersection up to a predefinable distance.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the pivoting angle is defined as an angle between the auxiliary line and a vehicle longitudinal direction.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the area determination is effected in such a way that a ratio between the first area and the second area assumes a predefinable value.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the area determination is effected in such a way that the ratio between the first area and the second area is 1:

1.

17. A method for controlling a predictive cornering light, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle having at least one headlight comprising a pivoting element, an optical monitoring device that monitors a roadway or lane in front of the vehicle and generates roadway data, and a control unit,

generating a model of a headlight light distribution using the roadway data,

determining a pivoting angle by rotating the model of the headlight distribution to minimize a deviation between the model of the headlight light distribution and the roadway, actuating the pivoting element to set a headlight direction for illuminating the roadway or lane to match the pivoting angle,

wherein minimizing the deviation between the model of the headlight light distribution and the roadway corresponds to minimizing a sum of a plurality of partial deviations of the roadway from the model of the headlight light distribution,

wherein the model of the headlight light distribution is a volume model,

wherein determining each of the partial deviations is carried out by determining an intersection area between a roadway plane and a volume and by determining an at least one area proportion which lies on the left or on the right alongside the lane on the intersection area.

18. A method for controlling a predictive cornering light, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle having at least one headlight comprising a pivoting element, an optical monitoring device that monitors a roadway or lane in front of the vehicle and generates roadway data, and a control unit,

determining a first pivoting angle from the roadway data at a roadway point at a predetermined distance in front of the vehicle,

determining a second pivoting angle from the first pivoting angle which depends in part on a curve radius of the roadway, actuating the pivoting element to set a headlight direction for illuminating the roadway or lane to match the second pivoting angle,

wherein the first pivoting angle is determined by rotating a model of the headlight distribution to minimize a deviation between the model of the headlight light distribution and the roadway,

wherein the second pivoting angle is determined in such a way that a straight line is determined, whose point of intersection with the ascertained roadway course having a curve radius or lane course having a curve radius is chosen such that the resulting two areas between the straight line and the roadway course having a curve radius or the lane course having a curve radius up to the predetermined distance assume a predefinable size ratio.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the second pivoting angle is corrected, relative to the first pivoting angle by using a correction.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the correction is greater in the case of a smaller curve radius than in the case of a larger curve radius.

21. A lighting device comprising:

at least one headlight with a pivoting element for controlled pivoting of the headlight for controlling a predictive cornering light in a vehicle,

an optical monitoring device that monitors a roadway or lane in front of the vehicle and generates roadway data, a control unit that, uses the data of the optical monitoring device to drive the pivoting element for setting the headlight for illuminating the roadway or lane, wherein the control unit is configured to carry out the method according to claim 18.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first pivoting angle is determinable by ascertaining, using an ascertained roadway course or a lane course, the point of intersection between the roadway course or the lane course and a straight line at the predetermined distance, wherein said straight lane projects forward from the current position of the vehicle.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the areas are of identical size.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the size ratio is dependent on the curve radius.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein a first area arranged nearer to the vehicle and a second area further away from the vehicle are formed, wherein a ratio between the sizes of the two areas is chosen depending on the curve radius.

26. The method according to claim 25,

wherein when the curve radius corresponds to a first predefinable curve radius defined as an infinite curve radius, the size of the first area is maximal and the size of the second area is zero,

wherein when the curve radius corresponds a second predefined curve radius, the size of the first area is equal to the size of the second area.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein when the curve radius corresponds to a radius between the second predefined curve radius and a first predefinable curve radius, the ratio of the size of the first area to the size of the second area is greater than 1:

1.