Vehicle lighting control method and system

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle lighting control method, comprising the following steps: a judgment step, based on a start-stop system signal from a start-stop system, judging whether the vehicle has turned on the start-stop system; and an automatic control step, if the vehicle has turned on the start-stop system, automatically controlling the vehicle lighting system to reduce the power consumption of the lighting system. The present invention provides a vehicle lighting control system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle lighting control method and system. Background Art

[0002] The car start-stop system is a system that automatically shuts down the engine when the vehicle stops temporarily during driving, and automatically starts the engine when the vehicle moves forward again. It is equipped with a manual switch, which is commonly known as the car start-stop switch. The driver can choose whether to turn on the automatic start-stop function. Since the engine no longer idles while waiting, it saves energy and reduces pollutant emissions. The car start-stop system has gradually become a standard feature of automobiles.

[0003] The advantages of automatic start-stop technology in reducing consumption and emissions are self-evident, but it still has its drawbacks. Frequent engine starts and stops will damage related components, such as starters and batteries. Although vehicles equipped with start-stop systems will use enhanced starters and batteries, in actual use, their failures will be higher than ordinary vehicles without start-stop systems. At the same time, the maintenance costs of enhanced starters and batteries will also be higher than ordinary ones. Therefore, reducing the power consumption of the entire vehicle's electrical system, reducing battery load and increasing service life has become a solution. The lighting system, audio-visual system, and air-conditioning system have become the main modules of power consumption, but in the start-stop system, the audio-visual system and air-conditioning system are already in low-power mode, so reducing the power consumption of the lighting system has become the best way. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention is completed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle lighting control method and system, which can realize automatic control of turning off or on the backlight, low beam, fog light and width light when the vehicle's start-stop system is turned on, so as to avoid the battery overload caused by the instantaneous high current overload at the engine start, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing consumption and emission and extending the life of related components.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle lighting control method, comprising the following steps: a judgment step, judging whether the vehicle has turned on the start-stop system based on a start-stop system signal from the start-stop system; and an automatic control step, if the vehicle has turned on the start-stop system, automatically controlling the vehicle's lighting system to reduce the power consumption of the lighting system.

[0006] Preferably, the automatic control step further includes the following steps: a receiving step, receiving the light switch signal and sensor signal of the vehicle; a command generating step, generating a command to control the lighting system based on the light switch signal, the start-stop system signal, and the sensor signal, the lighting system including backlight, low beam, fog light and width light; and a control step, controlling the lighting system based on the generated command.

[0007] Preferably, in the command generating step, if the sensor signal indicates that the environment is brighter, a daytime control mode is adopted; if the sensor signal indicates that the environment is darker, a nighttime control mode is adopted.

[0008] Preferably, in the command generating step, in the daytime control mode, it is further determined whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal; if the engine is in operation, the command generating step generates a command to control the low beam, the fog lights and the width lights according to the light switch signal; if the engine is not in operation, the command generating step generates a command to turn off the low beam, the fog lights and the width lights.

[0009] Preferably, in the command generating step, in the daytime control mode, it is further determined based on the start-stop system signal whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation; if the engine is in operation, the command generating step generates a command to set the backlight to a default maximum value; if the engine is not in operation, the command generating step generates a command to set the backlight to a calibrated value.

[0010] Preferably, in the command generating step, in the night control mode, it is further determined whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal; if the engine is in operation, the command generating step generates a command to set the backlight to a calibrated value; if the engine is not in operation, the command generating step generates a command to set the backlight to a minimum value.

[0011] Preferably, in the command generating step, in the night control mode, it is further determined whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal; if the engine is in operation, the command generating step generates a command to control the low beam, the fog lights and the width lights according to the light switch signal; if the engine is not in operation, the command generating step generates a command to turn off the low beam and the fog lights, and generates a command to keep the width lights on.

[0012] Preferably, the calibration value is set by a user.

[0013] Preferably, the minimum value is set by a user.

[0014] Preferably, the sensor signal is a signal from a photoelectric sensor.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle lighting control system is provided, which is connected to the start-stop system and the headlight combination switch of the vehicle, and includes: a sensor device, which is used to detect ambient light; a processing module, which receives a start-stop system signal from the start-stop system and a light switch signal from the headlight combination switch, and generates a command to control the lighting system based on the start-stop system signal, the light switch signal and the sensor signal of the sensor device, wherein the lighting system includes a backlight, a low beam, a fog light and a width indicator light; and a control module, which controls the lighting system based on the generated command. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a vehicle lighting control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 The figure is a flow chart of a vehicle lighting control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant invention, rather than to limit the invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the relevant invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0019] The terms used herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "made of" are used in this specification, the presence of the features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and / or components is specified, but the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof is not excluded.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined as such herein.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a vehicle lighting control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] like Figure 1As shown, a vehicle lighting control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a sensor device 10 , a processing module 20 and a control module 30 .

[0023] The sensor device 10 is a photoelectric sensor that can detect ambient light by converting light intensity into an electrical signal. Here, the electrical signal output by the sensor device 10 is referred to as a sensor signal.

[0024] The processing module 20 receives a start-stop system signal from the start-stop system 40, a light switch signal from the headlight combination switch 50, and a sensor signal from the sensor device 10, and generates a command to control the lighting system based on the start-stop system signal, the light switch signal and the sensor signal of the sensor device 10. The lighting system includes a backlight 61, a low beam 62, a fog light 63 and a width marker light 64.

[0025] Specifically, the processing module 20 determines whether the vehicle has turned on the start-stop system based on the start-stop system signal. If the vehicle has not turned on the start-stop system, the processing module 20 does not perform any processing. If the vehicle has turned on the start-stop system, the processing module 20 receives the sensor signal from the sensor device 10 and receives the light switch signal from the light combination switch 50. Here, the processing module 20 does not perform any processing means that the light system is controlled according to the light switch signal of the light combination switch as in the prior art.

[0026] The processing module 20 determines the environment of the vehicle based on the sensor signal. If the surrounding environment is bright, it is determined to be a daytime control mode and adopts daytime control. If the surrounding environment is dark, it is determined to be a nighttime control mode and adopts nighttime control. The judgment logic here belongs to the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0027] In the case of determining that the vehicle is in the daytime control mode, the processing module 20 further determines whether the vehicle's engine is in operation based on the start-stop system signal. If the engine is in operation, the processing module 20 generates a command to set the backlight 61 to the default maximum value to ensure the visual effect in a bright environment, and generates a command to control the low beam 62, fog lamp 63 and width lamp 64 according to the light switch signal, that is, generates a command to control the low beam 62, fog lamp 63 and width lamp 64 according to the light switch operation of the vehicle user. If the engine is not in operation, it means that the engine will be started later, and the lighting system needs to maintain low power consumption at this time. Therefore, the processing module 20 generates a command to turn off the low beam 62, fog lamp 63 and width lamp 64, and generates a command to set the backlight 61 to the calibration value. Here, the backlight refers to the backlight of the instrument panel, the central control and all buttons. In addition, the calibration value can be set by the automobile manufacturer at the factory, or it can be set by the user.

[0028] In the case of judging that it is the night control mode, the processing module 20 further judges whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal. If the engine is in operation, the processing module 20 generates a command to set the backlight 61 to a calibrated value in order to adapt to the surrounding brightness environment, and generates a command to control the low beam 62, fog lights 63 and width lights 64 according to the light switch signal. If the engine is not in operation, it means that the engine will be started later. At this time, the lighting system needs to maintain low power consumption. Therefore, the processing module 20 generates a command to turn off the low beam 62 and fog lights 63, and generates a command to keep the width lights 64 on. In addition, a command to set the backlight 61 to the minimum value is generated. Turning on the width lights here is for the sake of driving safety in a night environment. Among them, the minimum value of the backlight 61 can be set by the automobile manufacturer at the factory, or it can be set by the user.

[0029] The control module 30 controls the lighting system based on the commands generated in the processing module 20 .

[0030] Therefore, when the vehicle's start-stop system is turned on, the backlight, low beam, fog light and width light can be automatically turned on or off to avoid battery overload caused by high current overload at the moment of engine starting, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing consumption and emissions and extending the life of related components.

[0031] In addition, the processing module 20 can be independently provided or integrated into an existing vehicle body control unit.

[0032] Figure 2 The figure is a flow chart of a vehicle lighting control method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, in step S101, it is determined whether the vehicle has started the start-stop system based on the start-stop system signal from the start-stop system. If so, the process proceeds to step S102, and if not, the process ends.

[0034] In step S102 , a light switch signal is received from the light combination switch 50 , and a sensor signal is received from the sensor device 10 .

[0035] In step S103, it is determined whether the vehicle is currently in a brighter environment based on the sensor signal of the sensor device 10. If yes, the process proceeds to step S104, and if no, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0036] In step S104, it is determined to be a daytime control mode, and daytime control is adopted. It is further determined based on the start-stop system signal whether the vehicle's engine is in operation. If so, proceed to step S105, if not, proceed to step S107.

[0037] In step S105, since the engine has been started, it is sufficient to generate a command to control the low beam headlights, fog lights and width lights according to the light switch signal.

[0038] In step S106, for the same reason, a command is generated to set the backlight 61 to the default maximum value to ensure the visual effect in a bright environment.

[0039] In step S107 , the engine is not in operation, which means that the engine will be started later. At this time, the lighting system needs to maintain low power consumption, so a command to turn off the low beam 62 , the fog lamp 63 and the width lamp 64 is generated.

[0040] In step S108, for the same reason, a command is generated to set the backlight 61 to a nominal value in order to maintain low power consumption.

[0041] In step S109, it is determined to be a night control mode, and night control is adopted, and further based on the start-stop system signal, it is determined whether the vehicle's engine is in operation. If so, proceed to step S110, if not, proceed to step S112.

[0042] In step S110 , since the engine has been started, it is sufficient to generate a command to control the low beam lamp 62 , the fog lamp 63 and the width lamp 64 according to the light switch signal.

[0043] In step S111, a command is generated to set the backlight 61 to a calibration value.

[0044] In step S112, the engine is not in operation, which means that the engine will be started later. At this time, the lighting system needs to maintain low power consumption. Therefore, a command is generated to turn off the low beam 62 and the fog lamp 63 to reduce power consumption, and a command is generated to keep the width lamp 64 turned on for driving safety.

[0045] In step S113, for the same reason, a command is generated to set the backlight 61 to the minimum value in order to maintain low power consumption.

[0046] In step S114 , the lighting system is controlled based on the generated command, specifically, the backlight 61 , the low beam 62 , the fog light 63 and the width light 64 are controlled.

[0047] Through the above-mentioned vehicle lighting control method, when the vehicle's start-stop system is turned on, the backlight, low beam, fog light, and width light can be automatically turned on or off to avoid battery overload caused by high current overload at the moment of engine starting, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing consumption and emissions and extending the life of related components.

[0048] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the current specific embodiments, those skilled in the art should recognize that the scope of the invention involved in the present invention is not limited to the technical solutions formed by the specific combination of the above technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by any combination of the above technical features or their equivalent features without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the above features are replaced with the technical features with similar functions disclosed in the present invention (but not limited to) by each other.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting control method, characterized in that: The steps include: A determination step, determining whether the start-stop system of the vehicle is turned on based on a start-stop system signal from the start-stop system; an automatic control step, if the vehicle has a start-stop system turned on, automatically controlling the lighting system of the vehicle to reduce power consumption of the lighting system; A receiving step, receiving a light switch signal and a sensor signal of the vehicle; A command generating step, generating a command to control the lighting system based on the lighting switch signal, the start-stop system signal, and the sensor signal, wherein the lighting system includes a backlight, a low beam, a fog light, and a width indicator light; as well as A control step, controlling the lighting system based on the generated command; In the command generation step, if the sensor signal indicates that the environment is brighter, a daytime control mode is used; if the sensor signal indicates that the environment is darker, a nighttime control mode is used; In the daytime control mode, further determining whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal, if the engine is in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a default maximum value, and if the engine is not in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a calibrated value; In the night control mode, it is further determined whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal. If the engine is in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a calibrated value. If the engine is not in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a minimum value.

2. The vehicle lighting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the command generating step, in the daytime control mode, it is further determined whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal. If the engine is in operation, the command generating step generates a command to control the low beam, the fog lights and the width lights according to the light switch signal. If the engine is not in operation, the command generating step generates a command to turn off the low beam, the fog lights and the width lights.

3. The vehicle lighting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the command generating step, in the night control mode, it is further determined whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal. If the engine is in operation, the command generating step generates a command to control the low beam, the fog lights and the width lights according to the light switch signal. If the engine is not in operation, the command generating step generates a command to turn off the low beam and the fog lights, and generates a command to keep the width lights on.

4. The vehicle lighting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The calibration value is set by the user.

5. The vehicle lighting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The minimum value is set by the user.

6. The vehicle lighting control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor signal is a signal from a photoelectric sensor.

7. A vehicle lighting control system, which is connected to the vehicle's start-stop system and a vehicle light combination switch, characterized in that: include: A sensor device, the sensor device is used to detect ambient light; a processing module, the processing module receiving a start-stop system signal from the start-stop system and a light switch signal from a light combination switch, and generating a command to control a light system based on the start-stop system signal, the light switch signal and a sensor signal of the sensor device, wherein the light system includes a backlight, a low beam, a fog light and a width indicator light; as well as A control module, for controlling the lighting system based on the generated commands; In the command generation step, if the sensor signal indicates that the environment is brighter, a daytime control mode is used; if the sensor signal indicates that the environment is darker, a nighttime control mode is used; In the daytime control mode, further determining whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal, if the engine is in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a default maximum value, and if the engine is not in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a calibrated value; In the night control mode, it is further determined whether the engine of the vehicle is in operation based on the start-stop system signal. If the engine is in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a calibrated value. If the engine is not in operation, the command generation step generates a command to set the backlight to a minimum value.

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