Smart light assembly and smart lighting system for a motor vehicle

• US 9,809,152 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Remillard, Jeffrey Thomas, VanBelle, Michael Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US15/074,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20170267162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 315 77- 80, 315 82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• 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 2300/32 Road surface or travel path
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/141 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/003 the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A smart light assembly is provided for a motor vehicle. That smart light assembly includes an electronic sensing device dedicated to the smart light assembly, an adjustable beam light source and a controller directly connected to the adjustable beam light source. A smart lighting system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A smart light assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

an electronic sensing device dedicated to said smart light assembly;

an adjustable beam light source; and

a controller directly connected to said adjustable beam light source, wherein said controller is configured to receive data from a motor vehicle speed monitoring device, a motor vehicle acceleration monitoring device and a motor vehicle location monitoring device, and direct illumination from said adjustable beam light source so as to follow a roadway upon which said motor vehicle is being operated.

2. The smart light assembly of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to receive data from said electronic sensing device, identify a road sign from said data and direct illumination from said adjustable beam light source onto said identified road sign.

3. The smart light assembly of claim 1, wherein said electronic sensing device is selected from a group of sensing devices consisting of a photo sensing device, a camera, an infrared sensor and combinations thereof.

4. The smart light assembly of claim 1, wherein said adjustable beam light source is a headlamp of said motor vehicle.

5. The smart light assembly of claim 1, wherein said controller is further configured to include a data input respecting at least one parameter selected from a group consisting of motor vehicle speed, motor vehicle acceleration and motor vehicle location.

6. The smart light assembly of claim 5, wherein said electronic sensing device is selected from a group of sensing devices consisting of a photo sensing device, a camera, an infrared sensor and combinations thereof.

7. The smart light assembly of claim 6, wherein said controller is further configured to receive data from said electronic sensing device, identify a road sign from said data and direct illumination from said adjustable beam light source onto said identified sign.

8. The smart light assembly of claim 7, wherein said controller is further configured to receive data from said electronic sensing device, identify a pedestrian from said data and direct illumination from said adjustable beam light source onto said identified pedestrian.

9. A smart lighting system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first smart light assembly including a first, dedicated electronic sensing device and a first adjustable beam light source;

a second smart lighting assembly including a second dedicated, electronic sensing device and a second adjustable beam light source; and

a control module directly connected to said first dedicated electronic sensing device, said first adjustable beam light source, said second dedicated electronic sensing device and said second adjustable beam light source, wherein said control module is configured to include a data input respecting a plurality of parameters selected from a group consisting of motor vehicle speed, motor vehicle acceleration and motor vehicle location.

10. The smart lighting system of claim 9, wherein said control module is further configured to receive data from said first dedicated sensing device and said second dedicated sensing device and determine a distance from said motor vehicle to an identified object based upon data received from said first dedicated electronic sensing device and said second dedicated electronic sensing device.

11. The smart lighting system of claim 10, wherein said control module is further configured to receive data from said first dedicated sensing device and said second dedicated sensing device, identify a road sign from said data and direct illumination from at least one of said first adjustable beam light source and said second adjustable beam light source onto said identified road sign.

12. The smart lighting system of claim 11, wherein said control module includes a first dedicated controller in said first smart light assembly and a second dedicated controller in said second smart light assembly.

13. The smart lighting system of claim 12, wherein said control module is further configured to receive data from a motor vehicle speed monitoring device, a motor vehicle acceleration monitoring device and a motor vehicle location monitoring device and direct illumination from at least one of said first adjustable beam light source and said second adjustable beam light source so as to follow a roadway upon which said motor vehicle is being operated.

14. A method of improving visibility of a road sign to an operator of a motor vehicle, comprising:

detecting, by a first sensing device, objects along a roadway;

identifying, by a control module, said road sign among said detected objects;

directing, by said control module, illumination from an adjustable beam light source onto said road sign as said motor vehicle approaches said road sign;

receiving, by said control module, data from a motor vehicle speed monitoring device, a motor vehicle acceleration monitoring device and a motor vehicle location monitoring device; and

directing, by said control module, illumination from said adjustable beam light source so as to follow a roadway upon which said motor vehicle is being operated.

15. The method of claim 14, further including identifying, by said control module, a pedestrian among said detected objects and directing, by said control module, illumination from said adjustable beam light source onto said pedestrian as said motor vehicle approaches said pedestrian.

16. The method of claim 15, further including identifying, by said control module, a path of said roadway among said detected objects and directing, by said control module, illumination from said adjustable beam light source to follow said path.

17. The method of claim 16, further including detecting, by a second sensing device, said objects along said roadway.

18. The method of claim 17, further including determining, by said control module, a distance from said motor vehicle to said detected objects, based upon data received by said control module from said first sensing device and said second sensing device.