Vehicle lighting control system

Abstract

Vehicle lighting control system, characterized in that it comprises the following: an image capture device configured to capture image information about a vehicle driving ahead; an electronic control unit of the image acquisition device, configured to determine relevant data of a front object based on the image information, wherein the relevant data includes size, position and speed of movement; a light control system configured to determine the properties of the dark zone corresponding to the object in front, based on the vehicle's driving parameters and relevant data, where the driving parameters include the vehicle speed; a projector drive configured to control a projector to project a white screen and create a dark zone in an area of ​​the foreground object based on the properties of the dark zone.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automation control of vehicles, in particular to a method, a device and a medium for controlling lighting for vehicles. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] With the increasing prevalence and application of vehicle intelligence, the control of lighting systems in vehicles is also becoming increasingly intelligent. For example, vehicle headlights can be implemented as an adaptive front lighting system (AFS) or an adaptive high beam (ADB) depending on road conditions.

[0003] In the prior art, the principle of ADB function is that a vehicle control system collects image information in front of the vehicle using a camera, and then recognizes the vehicle through the electronic control unit (ECU) of the camera by performing image calculations based on the image information, and after recognizing the vehicle, the light source drive is controlled by the light control system to execute a lighting strategy of automatically masking the beam of the high beam to form a shadow area to avoid dazzling the other party, and the high beam is turned on only when there is no vehicle in the same or opposite direction, so that the driver does not need to frequently switch between high beam and low beam and can concentrate more on driving.

[0004] However, when the state-of-the-art technology is used for adaptive high beam control, there is a problem that a large area is shaded, which impairs the driver's field of vision and thus affects the driver's driving safety. CONTENT OF THIS APPLICATION

[0005] The present application provides a method, apparatus, and medium for controlling light for vehicles to solve the problem that a large area of ​​shadow areas exists which obstructs the user's field of vision and thus impairs the user's driving safety when the prior art adaptive high beam control is used.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for controlling lights for vehicles, comprising: Capturing image information about a vehicle ahead; Determining relevant data of a front object based on the image information, the relevant data including a size, a position, and a moving speed; Determining the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object based on driving parameters of the vehicle and the relevant data, wherein the driving parameters include the driving speed; Controlling a projector to project a white screen and form a dark zone in an area of ​​the front object based on the characteristics of the dark zone.

[0007] In one possible embodiment, the driving parameter further comprises a yaw rate, and the characteristics of the dark zone include a size, a position, and a moving speed, and determining the characteristic of the dark zone corresponding to the front object based on the driving parameters of the vehicle and the relevant data comprises the following steps: determining a relative moving speed of the front object based on the moving speed of the front object and the driving speed of the vehicle; determining a moving speed of the dark zone based on the relative moving speed and position of the front object and the yaw rate of the vehicle; and determining a size and position of the dark zone based on the size and position of the front object.

[0008] In one possible embodiment, controlling a projector to project a white screen and form a dark zone in a region of the front object based on the characteristics of the dark zone comprises: Controlling the projector to project a white screen in the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle; Controlling the projector to form a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object according to the characteristics of the dark zone consistent with both the size and position of the front object, with the dark zone moving according to the moving speed.

[0009] In one possible embodiment, controlling the projector to project a white screen in the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle comprises: controlling the projector to project a white screen as fill light in the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle.

[0010] In one possible embodiment, the front object comprises one or more of the following objects: a vehicle, a person, and an animal.

[0011] In one possible embodiment, the method for controlling lighting for vehicles comprises the following: Determine, based on the image information, that there is no object in front of the vehicle, Controlling a projector to project a white screen into a lit area of ​​the vehicle.

[0012] In one possible embodiment, the relevant data further comprises a number of objects and the method for controlling light further comprises: Controlling the projector to switch from high beam to near beam when the number of objects of the front object is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0013] In one possible embodiment, it further comprises at least one of the following properties: that the projector is a digital light processing projector; that the projector is also used to play a color video; that the projector is positioned between two headlights of the vehicle; that the number of projectors is two and that they are located close to each of the vehicle's two headlights; that the projector replaces the vehicle's headlights.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application provides a device for controlling lighting for vehicles, comprising: a detection module for detecting image information of the front object in front of the vehicle; a first determination module for determining, based on the image information, relevant data of the front object, the relevant data including a size, a position, and a moving speed; a second determination module for determining, based on driving parameters and relevant data of the vehicle, characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object, wherein the driving parameters include the driving speed; a processing module for controlling a projector to project a white screen and form a dark zone in an area of ​​the front vehicle based on the characteristics of the dark zone.

[0015] In a third aspect, the present application provides an electronic device comprising: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by at least one processor, the processor being configured to execute the computer execution instructions stored in the memory to implement the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium having computer execution instructions stored therein that are used to implement the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising a computer program, the computer program being used to implement the method described in any of the first aspects.

[0018] The vehicle light control method, apparatus, and medium provided by the present application include the steps of: acquiring image information about a front object in front of the vehicle; determining, based on the image information, relevant data of the front object, the relevant data including a size, a position, and a moving speed; determining characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object based on driving parameters of the vehicle and the relevant data, the driving parameters including driving speed; controlling the projector based on the characteristics of the dark zone to project a white screen and form a dark zone in an area of ​​the front object.In this process, the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object are determined by combining the relevant data of the front object and the vehicle's driving parameters, so the accuracy of the obtained dark zone characteristics is higher. Furthermore, by controlling the projector, which projects a white screen and forms a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object based on the characteristics of the dark zone, the area of ​​the formed dark zone is more accurate and reduces the impact on the user's field of vision, thereby improving the user's driving safety. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and are used in conjunction with the specification to explain the principles of the present application. Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of the architecture of a prior art adaptive high beam control for headlights in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in a vehicle of an adaptive high beam control for headlights in the prior art in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in several vehicles of an adaptive high beam control for headlights in the prior art in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a process of a vehicle light control method in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of an architecture for adaptive high beam control of a projector in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the lighting effect in a vehicle of an adaptive high beam control of a projector in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in several vehicles of an adaptive high beam control of a projector in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 8 shows a schematic representation of the architecture of the adaptive high beam control for headlights and projectors, in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 9 is a schematic illustration of the lighting effect on a vehicle of an adaptive high beam control for headlights and projectors in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 10 is a schematic illustration of the lighting effect on multiple vehicles of an adaptive high beam control for headlights and projectors in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a vehicle light control device in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in an exemplary embodiment of the present application.

[0020] Certain embodiments of the present application are illustrated by the accompanying drawings above, which will be discussed in more detail below. These accompanying drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of the present application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Example embodiments are described in detail herein, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, like numerals in different accompanying drawings refer to the same or similar elements unless otherwise noted. The embodiments described in the following example embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application, as described in the appended claims.

[0022] The terms "first," "second," etc., in the description and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects and need not be used to describe a particular order or sequence. It is understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable, where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein may be implemented in a different order than that shown or described herein, for example. Furthermore, the terms "comprise" and "have," and all variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.For example, a process, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units need not be limited to the clearly listed steps or units, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or that are inherent in the process, product, or device.

[0023] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to information about the user's device, user's personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, stored data, displayed data, etc.) used in this application are those authorized by the user or sufficiently authorized by the parties. Furthermore, the collection, use, and processing of relevant data must comply with relevant laws, regulations, and standards, and the relevant operation portal is provided to users so that they can choose whether to allow or deny the data.

[0024] For example, Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the architecture of an adaptive high beam control for headlights in the prior art in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the architecture of the adaptive high beam control for headlights in the prior art includes a camera, a camera ECU, a light control system, a vehicle control system, a light source driver, and a headlight. Referring to the principle of the ADB function, as described above, when the light source driver is controlled by the light control system to execute a lighting strategy that automatically shades the high beam to form a shadow area, due to the fact that the pixels of the high beam module included in the headlights are too low, resulting in a shadow area that is too large and inaccurate in the case of the adaptive high beam, it is not possible to realize a high-precision shadow area that reflects the advantages of the adaptive function, and due to the limited number of light sources, such asLEDs in the headlight, the connection of adjacent pixels results in a black shadow between them, which increases the shadow area, impairs the user's field of vision and thus affects the user's driving safety.

[0025] Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in a vehicle of an adaptive high beam control for headlights in the prior art in an exemplary embodiment of the present application and Fig. Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in several vehicles of an adaptive high beam control for headlights in the prior art in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the shadow area formed by the prior art has a large area in the light area of ​​the headlight, and the connection of adjacent pixels results in a black shadow between them, which affects the user's field of vision.

[0026] In addition, with the increasing popularity and application of intelligent vehicle technology, more and more entertainment functions are becoming available, making the use of in-car projectors more feasible. However, the working environment of home projectors is better, and the vehicle must meet complex working conditions. Vibration resistance, high temperature resistance, waterproof, dustproof, and weatherproof requirements are very high, so they must be made very safe. Therefore, vehicle-mounted projectors have much higher light source and chip requirements than home and office projectors, requiring a mature, highly stable technical solution.

[0027] Vehicle-mounted projectors, especially external vehicle-mounted projectors, require projection in outdoor locations such as picnics, camping, and other application scenarios. In addition to conventional projection functions, external vehicle-mounted projectors, due to the millions of pixels and high brightness of the projector, especially the laser projector, can partially or completely fulfill the vehicle's long-distance and short-distance beam functions, while also implementing the AFS functions of the vehicle's headlights, such as the adaptive high beam function (ADB), according to the situation of the road vehicle.

[0028] Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, embodiments of the present application provide a solution for vehicle light control in which the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object are determined by obtaining relevant data of the front object and the driving parameters of the vehicle, and the vehicle-mounted projector is controlled to project a white screen by using, for example, the high pixel characteristics of the vehicle-mounted projector, such as a laser projector. In work scenarios such as encountering and following a vehicle, a dark zone is formed in the area of ​​the front object in front of the vehicle, so that the area of ​​the formed dark zone is more accurate, thereby solving the problems such asThe excessive shadow area of ​​the adaptive high beam of the headlights on the current market can be effectively solved, the impact on the user's field of vision can be reduced, and thus the user's driving safety can be effectively and significantly improved.

[0029] Optionally, the vehicle light control solution provided by the embodiments of the present application can be applied in various scenarios, such as driving in urban areas, driving on winding roads, driving at high speeds, and driving in cloudy and rainy weather, to improve the safety of complex work scenarios such as driving at night.

[0030] The technical solutions of the present application and how the technical solutions of the present application solve the above technical problems are described in detail below using specific embodiments. The following specific embodiments may be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or methods may not be repeated in specific embodiments. The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the attached drawings.

[0031] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a process of a vehicle lighting control method in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the method for controlling the lighting control for vehicles comprises the following steps: S401: Acquiring image information of the front object in front of the vehicle.

[0032] For example, Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of an architecture for adaptive high beam control of a projector in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As in Fig. 5, the projector adaptive high beam control architecture includes an image capture device, an image capture device ECU, a lighting control system, a vehicle control system, a projector drive, and a projector, wherein the projector may be used to implement a headlight illumination function of the vehicle.

[0033] In the Fig. 5, the vehicle control system acquires image information in front of the vehicle through the image acquisition device, wherein the image information may include, but is not limited to, a video or an image, and based on the image information, a situation of a front object in front of the road in the opposite direction or in the same direction may be determined.

[0034] Optionally, the image capture device can be a camera or an infrared lidar, or similar. Conventional cameras can detect vehicles at night by detecting their lights, but cannot detect non-luminous objects such as human bodies or animals. In addition to identifying vehicles by detecting their lights, infrared lidar can also be used to identify non-luminous objects such as people and animals.

[0035] S402: Based on the image information, relevant data of the object ahead is determined, where the relevant data includes size, position and moving speed.

[0036] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, in this step, the vehicle control system using the ECU of the image acquisition device may preprocess the image information acquired by the image acquisition device. Based on the results of the image preprocessing, relevant data of the forward object, such as the size of the forward object, the position of the forward object, and the moving speed of the forward object, are determined. Subsequently, the relevant data is sent to the lighting control system. It should be understood that preprocessing here is an optional step; that is, the relevant data of the forward object can be determined directly without preprocessing the image information.

[0037] Preprocessing includes, for example, image denoising, image alignment, and image measurement. Image denoising can be achieved through filtering techniques, and commonly used filtering methods include mean filtering and median filtering, etc., to reduce noise in the image information. Image alignment refers to the alignment of images at different time points to measure the position and velocity of the target object. Image measurement refers to the measurement of the pixel values ​​of the target object for use in obtaining the size and position information of the target object. Optionally, the measurement method includes a brightness threshold method and an edge detection method, etc.

[0038] S403: Determining the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the forward object based on driving parameters and relevant data of the vehicle, wherein the driving parameters include the driving speed.

[0039] Accordingly, the relevant data of the front object sent from the ECU of the image acquisition device is obtained by the lighting control system, and the current traveling speed of the vehicle is obtained by the vehicle control system. According to this traveling speed and the size, position, and moving speed of the front object, a predetermined rule is used to determine an illumination strategy. The illumination strategy includes the characteristics of the dark zone. The characteristics of the dark zone are consistent with the size, position, and moving speed of the front object, so that during the relative movement of the vehicle and the front object, the characteristics of the dark zone also change in real time in accordance with the vehicle's driving parameters and the relevant data of the front object, so as to better match the characteristics of the dark zone to the front object.

[0040] S404: Control the projector based on the characteristics of the dark zone to project a white screen and form a dark zone near the front object.

[0041] Furthermore, a lighting strategy is sent to the projector drive via the lighting control system, and the projector drive controls the projector to project a white screen and form a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object based on the characteristics of the dark zone in the lighting strategy.

[0042] Fig. 6 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in a vehicle of an adaptive high beam control of a projector in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. Fig. 7 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in several vehicles of an adaptive high beam control of a projector in an exemplary embodiment of the present application; As in Fig. As shown in Figure 6, for a single vehicle, the projector projects a white screen and creates a dark zone corresponding to the size and speed of the vehicle at the vehicle's location, without creating black shadows in other areas. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, when there are multiple vehicles, the projector casts a white screen and forms a dark zone at the position of each vehicle corresponding to the size and moving speed of the corresponding vehicle, and there are no black shadows in other areas.

[0043] The vehicle light control method provided by embodiments of the present application determines the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object by combining relevant data of the front objects and vehicle driving parameters, so that the accuracy of the obtained dark zone characteristics is higher. Furthermore, by controlling a projector that projects a white screen and forms a dark zone in a region of the front object based on the characteristics of the dark zone, the area of ​​the formed dark zone becomes more accurate and the impact on the user's field of vision is reduced, thereby improving the user's driving safety.

[0044] In some embodiments, the driving parameter further includes a yaw rate, and the characteristics of the dark zone include a size, a position, and a moving speed, and determining the characteristic of the dark zone corresponding to the front object based on the driving parameters of the vehicle and the relevant data comprises the steps of: determining a relative moving speed of the front object based on the moving speed of the front object and the driving speed of the vehicle; determining a moving speed of the dark zone based on the relative moving speed and position of the front object and the yaw rate of the vehicle; and determining a size and position of the dark zone based on the size and position of the front object.

[0045] For example, when the moving speed of the front object is the same, the traveling speed of the vehicle is the same, and the traveling direction of the front object and the vehicle are opposite, the relative moving speed of the front object is the sum of and ; when the front object and the vehicle are traveling in the same direction, the relative moving speed of the front object is the difference of the sum. Furthermore, it should be remembered that the vehicle's yaw rate is an important indicator of the vehicle's driving stability, because several factors, such as tires, suspension system, steering system, vehicle load, and driver operation, can cause the vehicle's yaw problem.Because the embodiments of the present application determine the moving speed of the dark zone based on the relative moving speed and position of the front object and in combination with the yaw rate of the vehicle, so that the accuracy of the obtained moving speed of the dark zone is higher; accordingly, the size and position of the dark zone are determined based on the size and position of the front object, that is, the size of the dark zone is consistent with the size of the front object, and the position of the dark zone is consistent with the position of the front object.

[0046] In some embodiments, the forward object may include one or more of the following objects: a vehicle, a person, an animal, and the like.

[0047] For example, if the front object is a person or an animal, relevant data of the person or animal is determined based on the image information. The relevant data includes a size, position, and moving speed. Based on the driving parameters of the vehicle and the relevant data of the person or animal, the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the person or animal are determined. Based on the characteristics of the dark zone, the projector is controlled to output a white screen, and dark zones are formed in the area of ​​the person or animal. By forming the dark zone in the area of ​​the person or animal, glare to the person or animal can be avoided.

[0048] In some embodiments, controlling the projector to display a white screen and form a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object based on the characteristics of the dark zone comprises the following steps: controlling the projector to project a white screen into an illuminated area of ​​a vehicle; controlling the projector based on the characteristics of the dark zone to form a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object that matches the front object in both size and position, wherein the dark zone moves in accordance with a moving speed.

[0049] For example, the projector is used to implement a headlight illumination function of the vehicle, and a high beam is emitted from the projector to implement night driving lighting of the vehicle when the lighting control system sends the lighting strategy to the projector driver. The projector driver controls the projector to generate a white screen in a bright area of ​​the projector based on the characteristics of the dark zone in the lighting strategy, and controls the projector to form a dark zone in an area of ​​a front object that matches the front object in size and position based on the characteristics of the dark zone. The dark zone moves according to a moving speed, for example, if the moving speed in the characteristics of the dark zone is V0, the dark zone moves according to V0. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. As shown in Figure 7, if the front object is a vehicle, the size of the dark zone is the same as the size of the front vehicle.

[0050] In some embodiments, the relevant data further comprises a number of objects, and the vehicle light control method further comprises the step of controlling the projector to switch from high beam to near beam at a time when the number of forward objects is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0051] When the number of front objects is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, for example, when the predetermined value is 10, if a dark zone is formed in the area of ​​each object, 10 dark zones will be formed in front of the vehicle, which may cause interference with the user's line of sight, and therefore the projector can be controlled to switch from the high beam to the near beam to further ensure the user's driving safety.

[0052] Based on the above embodiments, some embodiments control the projector to project a white screen into the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle, including the step of: controlling the projector to project a white screen into the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle to fill light.

[0053] For example, Fig. 8 is a schematic representation of the architecture of the adaptive high beam control for headlights and projectors, in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the architecture of the adaptive high beam control of the headlight and projector includes an image acquisition device, an image acquisition device ECU, a light control system, a vehicle control system, a light source driver, a headlight, a projector driver, and a projector. Accordingly, the projector is controlled to project a white screen for supplementary light in the vehicle's light area. According to the characteristics of the dark zone, the projector is controlled to form a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object that matches the size and position of the front object, and the dark zone is moved according to the moving speed. Accordingly, Fig. 9 is a schematic representation of the lighting effect in a vehicle of an adaptive high beam control for headlights and projectors in an exemplary embodiment of the present application and Fig. 10 shows a schematic representation of the lighting effect in several vehicles of an adaptive high beam control for headlights and projectors in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 9, for a single vehicle, the projector projects a white screen to fill the light area of ​​the headlights and create a dark zone at the location of the vehicle. Fig. As shown in Figure 10, when multiple vehicles are present, the projector projects a white screen to fill the bright area of ​​the headlights and form a dark zone at the position of each vehicle. By superimposing the white screen projected by the projector to supplement the light based on the existing low-pixel adaptive high beam headlights, it is possible to form a more precise dark zone area even at a lower cost, reducing the impact on the user's field of vision and thus improving the user's driving safety.

[0054] Based on the above, in some embodiments, the vehicle light control method further includes: determining, based on the image information, that there is no front object in front of the vehicle; and controlling the projector to project a white screen into the light area of ​​the vehicle.

[0055] For example, if there is no front object in front of the vehicle, i.e., no vehicle, person, or animal, the lighting control system updates the lighting strategy and sends the updated lighting strategy to the projector driver. Accordingly, in one embodiment, based on the updated lighting strategy, the projector driver controls the projector to project a white screen into the vehicle's illumination area to supplement the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle, which further improves the user's driving safety by increasing the light intensity. In another embodiment, the lighting control system updates the lighting strategy when there is no front object in front of the vehicle, i.e.,no vehicle, person, or animal, and sends the updated lighting strategy to the projector drive, and the projector drive controls the projector to turn off or switches the projector from an operating state to a standby mode based on the updated lighting strategy to reduce energy consumption.

[0056] In some embodiments, the method for controlling the light control for vehicles further comprises at least one of the following features: the projector is a digital light processing projector; the projector is also used to display a color video; the projector is arranged between two headlights of the vehicle; a number of the projectors is two, each located near two headlights of the vehicle; and the projector replaces the headlights of the vehicle.

[0057] Optional is a projector, specifically a digital light processing projector (DLP projector), a light emission method that uses digital light processing (DLP) technology. The core of DLP technology is a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) as the imaging element, which enables the projection of an image by adjusting the reflected light, thereby forming a high-definition digital light curtain. Accordingly, the DLP projector updates the lighting strategy according to the vehicle or person in front of the vehicle and automatically switches the high beam or near beam according to the lighting strategy, thereby accurately reaching the dark zone around the vehicle or person in front of the vehicle and avoiding glare to the other party, which is useful in various scenarios, such as:It can be widely used in driving in urban areas, on winding roads, at high speeds, and in cloudy and rainy weather, further improving the user's driving safety. In addition, there are a variety of new applications for the DLP projector, such as near-field illumination, adaptive near-field illumination, traffic sign dimming, and weather detection, which can be used to increase vehicle functionality and improve the vehicle's lighting system.

[0058] In some embodiments, in addition to the adaptive high beam function, the projector can also be used for functions such as color video playback. For example, color videos can be projected and played back by the projector in outdoor locations such as picnics or camping.

[0059] In some embodiments, it is contemplated that some projectors, particularly laser projectors, due to their high brightness, can be used to replace the headlights of a vehicle to partially or completely fulfill the vehicle's high and near beam functions, and at the same time can be used to realize an AFS function of the vehicle headlights, such as an ADB function, according to the road vehicle situation.

[0060] In summary, the present application has at least the following advantages: 1. By combining relevant data from the front object and vehicle driving parameters to determine the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object, the accuracy of the obtained dark zone characteristics is increased. Furthermore, by controlling the projector, which projects a white screen and forms a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object based on the characteristics of the dark zone, the area of ​​the formed dark zone is more accurate and the impact on the user's field of vision is reduced, thereby improving the user's driving safety. 2. By supplementing the existing low-pixel adaptive high beam headlights with the overlay of a white screen projected by a projector, it is possible to form a more accurate range of dark zones at a lower cost and reduce the impact on the user's field of vision, thereby improving the user's driving safety. 3. The present application can also be used for the detection of people and animals, whose glare can be avoided by forming a dark zone in the area of ​​people and animals.

[0061] The following describes embodiments of the device embodiments of the present application that can be used to carry out the method embodiments of the present application. For details not listed in the device embodiments of the present application, reference is made to the method embodiments of the present application.

[0062] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle light control device in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As shown in Fig. 11, the vehicle lighting control device 110 comprises a detection module 111, a first determination module 112, a second determination module 113 and a processing module 114, wherein: the acquisition module 111 for acquiring image information of the front object in front of the vehicle; the first determination module 112 for determining, based on the image information, relevant data of the front object, the relevant data including a size, a position, and a moving speed; the second determination module 113 for determining, based on driving parameters and relevant data of the vehicle, characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the front object, wherein the driving parameters include the driving speed; the processing module 114 for controlling a projector to project a white screen and form a dark zone in an area of ​​the front vehicle based on the characteristics of the dark zone.

[0063] In one possible embodiment, the driving parameter further includes a yaw rate, and the characteristics of the dark zone include a size, a position, and a moving speed, and the second determination module 113 may be specifically used for the following purposes: determining a relative moving speed of the front object based on the moving speed of the front object and the traveling speed of the vehicle; determining a moving speed of the dark zone based on the relative moving speed and position of the front object and the yaw rate of the vehicle; and determining a size and position of the dark zone based on the size and position of the front object.

[0064] In one possible embodiment, the processing module 114 may be used in particular for the following purposes: controlling the projector to project a white screen in an illuminated area of ​​the vehicle; controlling the projector to form a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object that corresponds to both the size and the position of the front object, based on the characteristics of the dark zone, and wherein the dark zone moves in accordance with the movement speed.

[0065] In one possible embodiment, the processing module 114 is further used for the following purposes: Controlling the projector to project a white screen into the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle to fill the light.

[0066] In one possible embodiment, the front object comprises one or more of the following objects: a vehicle, a person, and an animal.

[0067] In one possible embodiment, the first determination module 112 may be specifically used for the following purpose: determining that there is no vehicle in front of the vehicle based on the image information; The processing module 114 is also used for the following purpose: controlling a projector to project a white screen in an illuminated area of ​​the vehicle.

[0068] In one possible embodiment, the relevant data further comprises a number of objects, and the processing module 114 is further used for the following purpose: controlling the projector to switch from high beam to near beam when the number of objects of the front objects is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0069] In one possible embodiment, the present application further includes at least one of the following features: the projector is a digital light processing projector; the projector is also used to display a color video; the projector is arranged between two headlights of the vehicle; the number of projectors is two, each located near the two headlights of the vehicle; and the projector replaces the headlights of the vehicle.

[0070] The vehicle light control device provided by the embodiments of the present application can implement the technical solutions shown in the above embodiments, and the realization principles and advantageous effects thereof are similar and will not be repeated this time.

[0071] It should be noted that the division of the various modules of the above device is merely a logical functional division, and the actual implementation may be fully or partially integrated into a physical unit or physically separate. These modules may all be implemented as software called by processing elements; they may all be implemented as hardware; some modules may be implemented as software called by processing elements, and some modules may be implemented as hardware. For example, the processing module may be a separately implemented processing element, or it may be integrated into one of the chips of the above device.Furthermore, it may also be stored in the memory of the above device in the form of program code, which is called by one of the processing elements of the above device and executes the functions of the above processing module. Other modules are implemented in a similar manner. Furthermore, all or some of these modules may be integrated together or implemented independently of each other. The processing element here may be an integrated circuit with signal processing function. In implementation, the steps of the above method or each of the above modules may be performed by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processing element or by instructions in the form of software.

[0072] The above modules may, for example, be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the method described above, e.g., one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more microprocessors (digital signal processors or DSPs), or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc. If one of the above modules is implemented as a processing element that schedules the program code, the processing element may, for example, be a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or another processor that can call the program code. Furthermore, these modules may be integrated together and implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0073] In the above embodiments, this may be realized in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, it may be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product comprises one or more computer instructions. When loaded onto a computer and executed, the computer instructions produce, in whole or in part, a process or function consistent with the embodiments of the present application. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium.For example, computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center using a wire (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) or a wireless (e.g., infrared, radio, microwave, etc.) medium. A computer-readable storage medium can be any usable medium accessible by a computer, or it can be a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc., that has one or more usable media embedded into it. The usable medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a Digital Universal Disc (Digital Video Disc, or DVD for short)), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a Solid State Disk (SSD)).

[0074] Fig. 12 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in an exemplary embodiment of the present application. As in Fig. 12, the electronic device 120 of the present embodiment includes the following: at least one processor 121; and a memory 122 communicatively connected to at least one processor; wherein the memory 122 stores instructions executable by at least one processor 121, the instructions being executed by at least one processor 121 to cause the electronic device to perform a method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0075] Optionally, the memory 122 can be either standalone or integrated into the processor 121.

[0076] The memory 122 may comprise a high-speed random access memory (RAM) or a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage.

[0077] The processor 121 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement embodiments of the present application. Specifically, when implementing the vehicle lighting control method described in the above embodiment, the electronic device may be, for example, a vehicle lighting control device installed in a vehicle, such as a processing chip or the like, or an electronic device with processing functions, such as a server.

[0078] Optionally, the electronic device may also include a communication interface 123. If the communication interface 123, the memory 122, and the processor 121 are implemented independently of each other, the communication interface 123, the memory 122, and the processor 121 may be interconnected and communicate with each other via a bus. The bus may be an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus, a PCI (Peripheral Component) bus, an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, or an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus, and so on. Buses can be classified as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc., but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0079] When the communication interface 123, the memory 122, and the processor 121 are integrated and implemented on a single chip, the communication interface 123, the memory 122, and the processor 121 can perform communication via an internal interface.

[0080] The realization principles and technical effects of the electronic device provided by the present embodiments are found in the above embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0081] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium having computer execution instructions stored therein that are used to implement method steps like those in the method embodiments described above when the computer execution instructions are executed, and the specific implementation and technical effects are similar and will not be repeated here.

[0082] The above computer-readable storage media can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device, or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, floppy disk, or optical disk. A readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0083] An exemplary readable storage medium is connected to a processor such that the processor is capable of reading information from the readable storage medium and writing information to the readable storage medium. Of course, the readable storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and the readable storage medium can be housed in a separate integrated circuit. Of course, the processor and the readable storage medium can also be present as discrete components in a vehicle lighting control unit.

[0084] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executing the computer program, performs the method steps as in the above embodiments, the concrete implementation and technical effects of which are similar and will not be repeated here.

[0085] Other embodiments of the present application will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the utility models disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present application which follow the general principles of the present application and incorporate common knowledge or conventional technical means in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application is indicated by the following claims.

[0086] It should be understood that this application is not limited to the precise structure described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The scope of this application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

[1] Lighting control system for vehicles, characterized by that it includes: an image capture device configured to capture image information about a preceding vehicle; an electronic control unit of the image capturing device configured to determine relevant data of a front object based on the image information, the relevant data including a size, a position, and a moving speed; a light control system configured to determine, based on driving parameters of the vehicle and the relevant data, the characteristics of the dark zone corresponding to the forward object, wherein the driving parameters include the driving speed; a projector driver configured to control a projector to project a white screen and form a dark zone in an area of ​​the front object based on characteristics of the dark zone. [2] A vehicle lighting control system according to claim 1, characterized by that the driving parameter further comprises a yaw rate, wherein the characteristics of the dark zone comprise a size, a position and a speed of movement, wherein the light control system is configured for: Determining a relative moving speed of the front object based on a moving speed of the front object and a traveling speed of the vehicle; Determining a moving speed of the dark zone based on the relative moving speed and position of the front object and a yaw rate of the vehicle; Determine the size and position of the dark zone based on the size and position of the front object. [3] Lighting control system for vehicles according to claim 1, characterized by that the projector drive is configured for: Controlling the projector to project a white screen in the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle; Controlling the projector to form a dark zone in the area of ​​the front object according to the characteristics of the dark zone consistent with both the size and position of the front object, with the dark zone moving according to the moving speed. [4] Lighting control system for vehicles according to claim 3, characterized by that the projector drive is further configured to: Control the projector to project a white screen as fill light into the illuminated area of ​​the vehicle. [5] Lighting control system for vehicles according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the front object includes one or more of the following objects: a vehicle, a person and an animal. [6] Lighting control system for vehicles according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the electronic control unit of the image capture device is further configured to: Determine, based on the image information, that there is no object in front of the vehicle; Controlling a projector to project a white screen into a lit area of ​​the vehicle. [7] Lighting control system for vehicles according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that the relevant data further comprises a number of objects and the projector drive is further configured for: Controlling the projector to switch from high beam to near beam when the number of objects of the front object is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. [8] Lighting control system for vehicles according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by that it further has at least one of the following properties: that the projector is a digital light processing projector; that the projector is also used to play a color video; that the projector is positioned between two headlights of the vehicle; that the number of projectors is two and that they are located close to each of the vehicle's two headlights; that the projector replaces the vehicle's headlights.

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