Light-emitting device, light source and self-adaptive high-beam headlamp

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a light emitting device (100) comprising an array (105) of light emitting pixels (110) wherein each light emitting pixel (110) is individually controlled to emit light; a determination unit (120) configured to determine which virtual pixel (125) should emit light during the next time interval and to output, for each virtual pixel (125), a first control signal indicative of an expected light emission of the respective virtual pixel (125) during the next time interval; and a control unit (130) configured to receive the first control signal and based thereon to generate, for each light emitting pixel (110), a second control signal for controlling light emission of the respective light emitting pixel (110) during the next time interval. Here, a mapping (135) between the dummy pixels (125) and the light emitting pixels (110) maps each dummy pixel (125) to one or a set of adjacent light emitting pixels (110). The control unit (130) generates a second control signal from the first control signal by applying the mapping to the first control signal.

Description

[0001] This disclosure relates to a light-emitting device, a light source, and adaptive driving beam headlights for automobiles.

[0002] For example, adaptive high beams (ADB) used as automotive headlights allow for adaptive adjustment of the light emission within the headlight's field of vision to avoid, for example, dazzling oncoming traffic while still illuminating the road.

[0003] Driving a high-resolution ADB headlight system theoretically requires a high-frequency video interface to ensure the necessary bandwidth. However, existing automotive platforms may only offer low-bandwidth interfaces. Therefore, to equip such vehicles, it is necessary to reduce the bandwidth of the light-emitting device used in ADB headlights, i.e., the data processing and transmission rate. Furthermore, the reduced bandwidth will also allow for the use of lower-cost components. Thus, reducing bandwidth also allows for the manufacture of lower-cost light-emitting devices, which can be used, for example, in ADB headlights.

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved light-emitting device, an improved light source, and an improved ADB headlight.

[0005] According to the embodiments, the above-mentioned objectives are achieved by the subject matter claimed in the independent claims. Further improvements are defined in the dependent claims.

[0006] The embodiment relates to a light-emitting device comprising an array of light-emitting pixels, wherein each light-emitting pixel can be individually controlled to emit light; a determining unit configured to determine which virtual pixel should emit light in a next time interval and output a first control signal for each virtual pixel, the first control signal indicating the expected emission of the corresponding virtual pixel during the next time interval; and a control unit configured to receive the first control signal and, based on the first control signal, generate a second control signal for controlling the emission of the corresponding light-emitting pixel during the next time interval for each light-emitting pixel. Here, a mapping between virtual pixels and light-emitting pixels maps each virtual pixel to one or a group of adjacent light-emitting pixels. The control unit generates the second control signal based on the first control signal by applying the mapping to the first control signal.

[0007] The mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels can be fixed and stored in the control unit.

[0008] The mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels can be dynamically adjusted for the next time interval, and the determining unit can be configured to provide the mapping along with a first control signal to the control unit.

[0009] The light-emitting device may further include a receiving unit configured to receive image data and / or video data of the field of view illuminated by the light-emitting pixels. The determining unit may then be configured to determine, based on the received image data or video data, the virtual pixel that should emit light in the next time interval.

[0010] Groups of adjacent luminous pixels arranged in a rectangle can be mapped to virtual pixels.

[0011] The luminescent pixels can be arranged in rows and columns, and the virtual pixels can also be arranged in rows and columns.

[0012] The number of luminous pixels mapped to a single virtual pixel can be increased from the center region to the outer region of the array of luminous pixels.

[0013] In the central region, n1 x m1 adjacent luminous pixels can be mapped to a virtual pixel, where n1 is 1 to 5 and m1 is 1 to 5; and in the outer region, n2 x m2 adjacent luminous pixels can be mapped to a virtual pixel, where n2 is 10 to 20 and m2 is 2 to 5.

[0014] The number of horizontally adjacent and / or vertically adjacent luminous pixels mapped to a single virtual pixel can increase from the center region to the outer region.

[0015] The central region may be offset from the center of the array of light-emitting pixels.

[0016] The array of light-emitting pixels can be formed by n3 x m3 light-emitting pixels, and the virtual pixels can be formed by an array of n4 x m4 virtual pixels. n3 can be 200 to 640, preferably 320, m3 can be 50 to 200, preferably 80, n4 can be 20 to 80, preferably 32 or 64, and m4 can be 10 to 40, preferably 16 or 32.

[0017] The control unit can be configured to control the emission of the light-emitting pixel at a frame rate of 30 fps to 120 fps based on a first control signal from the determining unit, wherein the frame rate is preferably 50 fps to 70 fps, more preferably 60 fps, and fps represents frames per second.

[0018] A light source for adaptive illumination of a field of view may include the light-emitting device as described above and an optical device for focusing light emitted by light-emitting pixels onto the field of view.

[0019] The light source may further include an imaging device configured to capture images and / or videos of the field of view of the light source. The determining unit is then configured to determine areas in the field of view that should not be illuminated and / or should be illuminated at a reduced intensity based on the images and / or videos captured by the imaging device, and is configured to generate a first control signal based thereon.

[0020] The determining unit can be configured to divide the field of view into virtual pixels based on images and / or videos captured by the imaging device.

[0021] The luminescent pixels can be constructed according to the shape of the virtual pixels.

[0022] Adaptive high beam headlights may include the light sources described above.

[0023] An automobile may include an adaptive high beam headlight as described above, wherein the determining unit determines virtual pixels to be illuminated to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic and / or projecting messages to the driver of the automobile into the field of view of the light source. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings are included in the specification to provide a further understanding of embodiments of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles. Other embodiments of the invention and many anticipated advantages will be readily understood as they will become better understood by referring to the following detailed description. Elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the same reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a light-emitting device.

[0026] Figure 2 This is an example of the mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels in a light-emitting device.

[0027] Figure 3 This is another example of the mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels in a light-emitting device.

[0028] Figure 4 This is another example of the mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels in a light-emitting device.

[0029] Figure 5 This is another example of the mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels in a light-emitting device.

[0030] Figure 6 This is another example of the mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels in a light-emitting device.

[0031] Figure 7This is another example of the mapping between virtual pixels and luminous pixels in a light-emitting device.

[0032] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of a light source including a light-emitting device.

[0033] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a car using adaptive high-beam headlights that include a light-emitting device. Detailed Implementation

[0034] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “above,” “on,” “above,” “in front,” “rear,” etc., are used with reference to the orientation of the described drawings. Since components of the embodiments of the invention can be positioned in many different directions, the directional terms are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to be limiting. It should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope defined by the claims.

[0035] The description of the embodiments is not intended to be limiting. In particular, elements of the embodiments described below may be combined with elements of different embodiments.

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a light-emitting device 100, which is configured to emit light into a solid angle, also known as the field of view of the light-emitting device 100. The light-emitting device 100 includes an array 105 of light-emitting pixels 110, a determining unit 120, and a control unit 130. In addition, the light-emitting device 100 may include a receiving unit 140.

[0037] The luminescent pixels 110 are arranged in a two-dimensional array 105. For example... Figure 1 As shown, pixels 110 can be arranged regularly to form, for example, rows and columns of a two-dimensional matrix. However, pixels 110 can also be arranged irregularly. For example, pixels 110 can have different densities in different regions of the array. Pixels 110 can also be arranged along straight lines or curves, or form a pattern, for example. Therefore, the arrangement of pixels 110 is arbitrary.

[0038] Each pixel 110 is configured to emit light independently of the other pixels 110. Therefore, each pixel 110 is individually controlled to emit light. Preferably, the pixel 110 is an LED or a laser diode. However, in principle, the pixel 110 can also be composed of any light emitter, such as multiple incandescent or halogen lamps. The light emitted by the pixel 110 is preferably visible light, and most preferably white light. However, in principle, the pixel 110 can also emit infrared or ultraviolet light.

[0039] By being individually controllable, the light-emitting pixel 110 can adaptively illuminate the field of view of the light-emitting device 100, that is, within the field of view, high-illuminance areas and low-illuminance or no-illuminance areas can be defined and dynamically changed. For this purpose, the control unit 130 provides control signals to the pixel 110, which at least determine whether the pixel 110 is turned on or off, or determine the amount of light emitted by the pixel 110. Furthermore, the control signals can also indicate the wavelength (spectrum) to be emitted by the corresponding pixel 110.

[0040] The control signal provided to pixel 110 is generated by control unit 130 based on information provided by determination unit 120.

[0041] Specifically, the determining unit 120 is configured to determine which virtual pixel 125 should emit light in the next time interval and output a first control signal for each virtual pixel 125, the first control signal indicating the expected emission of the corresponding virtual pixel 125 during the next time interval. The virtual pixels 125 are associated with emitting pixels 110 via a mapping 135 that maps each virtual pixel 125 to one or a group of adjacent emitting pixels 110. For example, several emitting pixels or at least pixel drivers can be combined into a single virtual pixel.

[0042] Control unit 130 receives a first control signal from determination unit 120. Control unit 130 applies a mapping to the first control signal and, based thereon, generates a (second) control signal for each luminous pixel 110 to control the luminescence of the corresponding luminous pixel 110 during the next time interval.

[0043] This process is in Figure 1 The diagram is schematically shown. Here, array 105 consists of 9x9=81 luminous pixels 110. Seven virtual pixels 125 are provided. Four of these virtual pixels 125 are mapped to four groups of 2x2 luminous pixels 110 arranged in the lower left corner of array 105. One virtual pixel 125 is mapped to a 4x5 block of luminous pixels 110 in the upper left corner of array 105, and one virtual pixel 125 is mapped to a 5x4 block of luminous pixels 110 in the lower right corner of array 105. The remaining 5x5 luminous pixels 110 in the upper right corner of array 105 are mapped to the remaining virtual pixels 125.

[0044] exist Figure 1In the example, determining unit 120 determines that three shaded virtual pixels 125 should emit light in the next time step. Corresponding first control signals (e.g., on / off of the virtual pixels, desired brightness, desired color) are provided to control unit 130. Control unit 130 refers to a mapping 135 that converts the virtual pixels 125 into emitting pixels 110, and generates a second control signal to drive the emitting pixels 110 based on this mapping 135. Therefore, in Figure 1 In the example, the two leftmost 2x2 pixel groups and the top left 4x5 pixel group are identified as luminous, as shown in the shaded pixel 110 of array 105.

[0045] In this way, a relatively small number of virtual pixels 125 can be used to determine the illumination of a relatively large number of real pixels 110. This reduces the processing burden in the determination unit 120 and the control unit 130. Instead of being forced to decide whether to illuminate each individual luminous pixel 110 (which requires a lot of processing power and high bandwidth), it is possible to operate on a significantly reduced number of virtual pixels 125, i.e., make a relatively small number of decisions. Furthermore, by using a predefined mapping 135 from the viewpoint of the control unit 130, the (first) control signal for the virtual pixels 125 can be easily and with a small processing burden converted into the (second) control signal for the luminous pixels 110.

[0046] certainly, Figure 1 The illustrations are purely exemplary in this regard. Specifically, the number of luminous pixels 110 and virtual pixels 125 is not limited to the values ​​described above. Furthermore, the graphical representation of mapping 135 is merely exemplary. Preferably, mapping 135 is provided in the form of a table that assigns the coordinates of virtual pixels 125 to the coordinates of luminous pixels 110. Moreover, it should be noted that the same luminous pixel 110 can, in principle, be mapped to different virtual pixels 125, i.e., as shown below. Figure 1 The pixel groups shown in mapping 135 can overlap in principle. For irregularly arranged pixels 110, the logical order of pixels 110 can be referenced in mapping 135, such as the pixel number. "Adjacent" pixels 110 can then refer to pixels that are adjacent in logical order or pixels that are spatially adjacent.

[0047] The simplest conversion here is to map the on / off signal of the virtual pixel 125 to the corresponding on / off signal for all luminous pixels 110 in the corresponding pixel group. However, more complex cases of adjusting the color and brightness of the virtual pixel 125 can also be mapped to the luminous pixels 110 by forwarding the corresponding signal to all pixels 110 in the pixel group. For example, reducing the brightness of the virtual pixel 125 by 50% can be achieved by controlling all corresponding luminous pixels 110 to reduce their brightness by 50%. Similarly, control over color changes can be forwarded.

[0048] Accordingly, the light emission of the light-emitting device 100 can be flexibly adapted, while keeping the required processing power and bandwidth in the light-emitting device 100 relatively low.

[0049] As described above, mapping 135 is provided to control unit 130 so that it does not need to establish mapping before converting the first control signal into the second control signal. Specifically, mapping 135 can be fixed and stored in control unit 130, or it can be provided to control unit 130 from a separate storage device. Mapping 135 then consists of a fixed lookup table that references the input first control signal from determining unit 120 to the output second control signal for the luminous pixel 110. This means that a fixed relationship exists between virtual pixel 125 and luminous pixel 110, allowing it to be adjusted during the manufacturing or calibration of luminous device 100, such as to meet user requirements of luminous device 100.

[0050] Alternatively, mapping 135 can be dynamically adjusted (at least from time to time) for the next time interval. For example, control unit 130 can store different fixed mappings 135, and control unit 130 can decide which mapping to use, for example, based on a control signal from determining unit 120. Alternatively, determining unit 120 can be configured to provide mapping 135 along with a first control signal to control unit 130, such as... Figure 1 As shown by the dashed arrow in the image.

[0051] For this purpose, the light-emitting device 100 may include a receiving unit 140. The receiving unit is used to receive image data and / or video data of the field of view illuminated by the light-emitting pixel 110. Then, the determining unit 120 determines, based on the received image data or video data, the virtual pixel 125 that should be illuminated in the next time interval and / or the mapping to be used in the next time interval.

[0052] This means that the determining unit 120 can process the input image / video data to identify which areas of the field of view need to be brightly illuminated and which areas should not be illuminated or should only have reduced brightness. For example, if the light source is used as a headlight or flashlight, the brightness towards a face can be reduced to avoid glare. If the light source is used as a flashlight or for scene lighting, the brightness towards highly reflective surfaces can be reduced to reduce specular reflection. Brightness can be increased in areas of particular interest, such as towards the roadside in the headlight example or towards the object of interest in the scene lighting example.

[0053] Then, the determining unit 120 maps the determined brightness distribution within the field of view of the light-emitting device 100 to virtual pixels 125 covering the field of view, in order to determine which virtual pixel 125 to illuminate (and what color / brightness it may be illuminated with). This allows for highly flexible adaptation to the lighting pattern emitted by the light-emitting device 100, without increasing the bandwidth of the lighting control due to the use of virtual pixels 125.

[0054] Here, the determining unit 120 may determine the brightness distribution based on the original image / video data and image segmentation and classification algorithms that are known in principle. However, the determining unit 120 may also receive a brightness distribution that has been calculated on an external device and determine the virtual pixels 125 to be illuminated based on this distribution. Furthermore, this brightness distribution derived from the original image / video data should be understood as the image data and / or video data received by the receiving unit 140.

[0055] In this process, the duty cycle of the light-emitting device 100, i.e., the control unit 130 controls the frame rate of the light-emitting pixel 110 to emit light based on a first control signal from the determining unit 120. This frame rate is 30fps to 120fps, preferably 50fps to 70fps, and more preferably 60fps. This means that the light-emitting device 100 can rapidly change the emitted illumination pattern. In particular, the change in the illumination pattern is faster than the temporal resolution of the human visual system, which allows for the projection of a smoothly changing illumination pattern. Furthermore, it can provide a rapid response to changes in the field of view of the light-emitting device 100, such as in dangerous situations requiring adaptive lighting (e.g., full brightness or warning signal projection).

[0056] The determining unit 120, the control unit 130, and the receiving unit 140 (if present) may be components of a general-purpose processor, or each of the determining unit, the control unit, and the receiving unit may be composed of a general-purpose processor. These units may be composed of a CPU, a GPU, or any circuit capable of performing the functions described above. These functions may be implemented in hardware, based on software, or performed by a combination of hardware and software.

[0057] like Figure 1 As shown, a group of adjacent luminous pixels 110 arranged in a rectangle is mapped to a virtual pixel 125. This provides a simple mapping in the case of the rectangular pixel array 105. However, in principle, it is also conceivable to have pixel groups of different shapes, such as cross-shaped, cross-shaped blocks, or even irregular blocks. Furthermore, for irregularly arranged luminous pixels 110, logical coordinates can be assigned to each pixel 110, for example, by numbering the pixels using a single number (line) or a pair of numbers (matrix). Mapping 135 then references the logical coordinates of the pixels 110. Also in such logical coordinates, a rectangle of pixels 110 can be mapped to a single virtual pixel 125.

[0058] As described above, the luminous pixels 110 are preferably arranged in rows and columns. Then, the virtual pixels 125 can also be arranged in rows and columns. This simplifies the mapping between the luminous pixels 110 and the virtual pixels 125.

[0059] like Figure 1 As illustrated, the number of luminescent pixels 110 mapped to a single virtual pixel 125 can increase from the central region A to the peripheral region B of the array of luminescent pixels 110. Here, the term "central region A" does not refer to the center of the array 105, but rather to the region within the virtual pixel 125 where the highest "real" pixel density is expected. Figure 1 As shown, the central region A can be offset from the center of the array 105 of the luminescent pixels 110.

[0060] By mapping fewer luminous pixels 110 in the central region A than in the peripheral region B to a single virtual pixel 125, the brightness in the central region A can be adjusted at a higher resolution. Therefore, the central region A should be positioned in the direction within the field of view of the luminous device 100 where high-resolution brightness adaptation is expected.

[0061] For example, when the light-emitting device 100 is used in a headlight, the central area A should point towards the road. If the light-emitting device 100 is used for scene lighting, then the central area A should point towards an object of interest within the scene, such as a person or an exhibit being illuminated. Here, if the mapping 135 can be changed, the position of the central area A can of course be dynamically changed. Therefore, the central area A can follow a moving object of interest, such as a car or a person on the road.

[0062] For example, the offset between the central region A and the center of array 105 can be provided as an additional parameter to other fixed mappings 135 / lookup tables. Changing the offset will then cause a corresponding shift of the luminous pixel 110 relative to the virtual pixel 125. This allows for easy handling of linear shifts within the field of view of the luminous device 110. For example, if the luminous device 110 is implemented in a car headlight, the vehicle's load may require shifting of the central region A to ensure it is correctly directed onto the road.

[0063] On the other hand, for the luminous pixels 110 in the peripheral region B, it can be assumed that large blocks of these pixels 110 will be controlled in the same manner. Therefore, grouping these peripheral luminous pixels 110 by assigning them to individual virtual pixels 125 will not degrade the illumination quality of the light-emitting device 100. Furthermore, this grouping in the peripheral region B allows for a significant reduction in the processing power and bandwidth required in the light-emitting device 100.

[0064] exist Figure 1In the example, the number of horizontally and vertically adjacent luminous pixels 110 within a group mapped to a single virtual pixel 125 increases from the central region A to the outer region B. However, it would be sufficient to increase only the number of horizontally adjacent pixels 110 or only the number of vertically adjacent pixels 110.

[0065] In the following examples, reference will be made. Figures 2 to 7 Discuss the different mappings 135 between luminous pixel 110 and virtual pixel 125. Figures 2 to 7 In all examples, array 105 is rectangular and has 320 vertical x 80 horizontal luminous pixels 110. Figures 2 to 7 Each of these is shown in the upper part as a mapping 135, which shows a group of luminous pixels 110 mapped to a single virtual pixel 125. An example of an illumination pattern emitted by the luminous pixels 110 is shown in the lower part, exhibiting high brightness in the central region A and low brightness in the peripheral region B.

[0066] Figure 2 An example is shown where 320 x 80 luminous pixels 110 are mapped to 64 x 16 virtual pixels 125. Here, the number of adjacent pixels 110 increases in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0067] Figure 3 An example is shown where 320 x 80 luminous pixels 110 are mapped to 32 x 32 virtual pixels 125. Here, the number of adjacent pixels 110 increases in both the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0068] Figure 4 Another example is shown where 320 x 80 luminous pixels 110 are mapped to 32 x 32 virtual pixels 125. Here, the number of adjacent pixels 110 increases in both the horizontal and vertical directions. However, the central region A is offset to the lower left from the center of the array.

[0069] Figure 5 An example is shown where 320 x 80 luminous pixels 110 are mapped to 64 x 16 virtual pixels 125. Here, the number of adjacent pixels 110 is constant in the vertical direction but increases in the horizontal direction.

[0070] Figure 6 An example is shown where 320 x 80 luminous pixels 110 are mapped to 32 x 32 virtual pixels 125. Here, the number of adjacent pixels 110 is constant in the vertical direction but increases in the horizontal direction.

[0071] Figure 7An example is shown where 320 x 80 luminous pixels 110 are mapped to 64 x 16 virtual pixels 125. Here, the number of neighboring pixels 110 for each virtual pixel 125 is constant in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0072] certainly, Figures 2 to 7 Mapping 135 is merely exemplary and any mapping can be selected based on the intended use of the light-emitting device 100 or based on the image / video data of the field of view of the light-emitting device. Empirically, in the central region A, n1 x m1 adjacent light-emitting pixels 110 can be mapped to a virtual pixel 125, where n1 is 1 to 5 and m1 is 1 to 5; and in the peripheral region B, n2 x m2 adjacent light-emitting pixels 110 can be mapped to a virtual pixel 125, where n2 is 10 to 20 and m2 is 2 to 5. For 320 x 80 light-emitting pixels 110, this results in... Figures 2 to 7 The example shown.

[0073] Furthermore, for most applications, it is preferred that the array 105 of the luminous pixels 110 is formed by n3 x m3 luminous pixels 110, and the virtual pixels 125 are formed by an array of n4 x m4 virtual pixels 125, where n3 is 200 to 640, preferably 320, m3 is 50 to 200, preferably 80, n4 is 20 to 80, preferably 32 or 64, and m4 is 10 to 40, preferably 16 or 32. This allows for sufficiently reduced bandwidth for most applications while maintaining a sufficiently high resolution for the luminous device 100.

[0074] Figure 8 An implementation of the light-emitting device 100 within a light source 200 is shown, the light source 200 being configured to adaptively illuminate the field of view by utilizing the aforementioned functions of the light-emitting device 100. Specifically, the light source projects light emitted from the light-emitting pixel 110 via optics 210 to focus it onto the field of view. When the light-emitting device 100 is implemented in such a light source 200, the aforementioned reference to the field of view of the light-emitting device 100 should be understood as a reference to the field of view of the light source 200. This means that the determining unit 120 operates on an image / video of the field of view of the light source 200.

[0075] The light source 200 may also include or be connected to an imaging device 220, which is configured to capture images and / or video of the light source's field of view. The implementation of the imaging device 220 is, in principle, arbitrary. Any imaging device 220 capable of providing image / video data to the determination unit 120 at a sufficiently high frame rate (e.g., 60 fps) can be used. The imaging device 220 can detect objects in the field of view that need to be occluded and transmit data to the light-emitting device 100 with very low bandwidth.

[0076] Imaging device 220 can also be an external unit that is not part of light source 200 but provides data to light source 200 / determining unit 120. For example, imaging device can be part of an automotive electronic system. In particular, imaging device 220 can be placed on or inside a rearview mirror and provide imaging data to the central control unit of the automotive electronic system.

[0077] The determining unit 120 is configured to determine areas in the field of view that should not be illuminated and / or should be illuminated with reduced intensity based on images and / or videos captured by the imaging device 220, and is configured to generate a first control signal based thereon. It can use received object data to disable certain real / virtual pixels in the field of view to avoid glare. Furthermore, as described above, the determining unit 120 can generate a mapping 135 between virtual pixels 125 and luminous pixels 110 by dividing the field of view of the light source 200 into virtual pixels 125 based on images and / or videos captured by the imaging device 220.

[0078] Therefore, as described above, due to the function of the light-emitting device 100, the light source 200 can adaptively illuminate the scene, especially based on the image / video from the imaging device 220.

[0079] The light source may be, in particular, or included in the adaptive high beam (ADB) headlight 300. In such a headlight, the determining unit 120, the controlling unit 130, and the receiving unit 140 (if present) can be implemented via a service interface, which can also be used for diagnostics of the headlight 300. Specifically, the ADB headlight does not necessarily use or include a video interface configured to provide and / or process video data with a high bandwidth of 20 Mbit / s (e.g., the bandwidth required for a high resolution of 320x80 pixels). In fact, by using the mapping of virtual pixels 125 to luminous pixels 110, the necessary bandwidth can be reduced, making communication via the service interface (with bandwidth in the range of 1 Mbit / s to 2 Mbit / s, but substantially lower than the 5 Mbit / s available for lower bandwidth CAN-FD transceivers) sufficient.

[0080] This simplifies the ADB headlights and makes them compatible with cars that do not include a high-bandwidth video interface.

[0081] like Figure 9 As shown, the vehicle 400 may include the ADB headlight 300 as described above. The determining unit 120 then determines the virtual pixels 125 to be illuminated to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic and / or projecting messages to the driver of the vehicle 400 into the field of view of the light source. Therefore, the vehicle 400 equipped with the appropriate device improves road safety.

[0082] While embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be apparent that other embodiments can be implemented. For example, other embodiments may include any sub-combination of the features recited in the claims or any sub-combination of the elements described in the given examples above. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0083] Specifically, virtual pixels can be implemented only on the signal processing and silicon side, while on the other side, the light-emitting pixels can be actually implemented on the silicon side at the same size as those virtual pixels. This also allows for greater efficiency with thicker light-emitting pixels, without requiring a new silicon design. List of reference numerals

[0084] 100 Light-emitting devices An array of 105 luminescent pixels 110 luminous pixels 120 Determining Unit 125 virtual pixels 130 Control Unit 135 Mapping 140 Receiving Unit A central area B. Outer Area 200 light source 210 Optical Devices 220 Imaging Device 300 Adaptive High Beam Headlights 400 cars

Claims

1. A light-emitting device (100), comprising: An array (105) of light-emitting pixels (110), wherein each light-emitting pixel (110) can be individually controlled to emit light; The determining unit (120) is configured to determine which virtual pixel among the virtual pixels (125) should emit light in the next time interval and output a first control signal for each virtual pixel among the virtual pixels (125), the first control signal indicating the expected emission of the corresponding virtual pixel (125) during the next time interval; as well as The control unit (130) is configured to receive a first control signal and generate a second control signal for each light-emitting pixel (110) based on the first control signal, for controlling the light emission of the corresponding light-emitting pixel (110) during the next time interval; in The number of virtual pixels (125) is less than the number of luminous pixels (110); The mapping (135) between virtual pixels (125) and luminous pixels (110) maps each virtual pixel (125) to one or a group of adjacent luminous pixels (110); and The control unit (130) generates the second control signal based on the first control signal by applying the mapping to the first control signal.

2. The light-emitting device (100) according to claim 1, wherein The mapping (135) between the virtual pixel (125) and the light-emitting pixel (110) is fixed and stored in the control unit (130).

3. The light-emitting device (100) according to claim 1, wherein The mapping (135) between the virtual pixel (125) and the luminous pixel (110) is dynamically adjusted for the next time interval; and The determining unit (120) is configured to provide the mapping together with the first control signal to the control unit (130).

4. The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims further includes The receiving unit (140) is configured to receive image data and / or video data of a field of view illuminated by the light-emitting pixels (110); wherein The determining unit (120) is configured to determine, based on received image data or video data, the virtual pixel (125) that should emit light in the next time interval.

5. The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein A group of adjacent luminous pixels (110) arranged in a rectangle is mapped to the virtual pixel (125).

6. The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The light-emitting pixels (110) are arranged in rows and columns; and The virtual pixels (125) are arranged in rows and columns.

7. The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The number of luminescent pixels (110) mapped to a single virtual pixel (125) increases from the central region (a) to the peripheral region (b) of the array of luminescent pixels (110).

8. The light-emitting device (100) according to claim 7, wherein In the central region (a), n1 x m1 adjacent luminous pixels (110) are mapped to a virtual pixel (125), where n1 is 1 to 5 and m1 is 1 to 5; and In the peripheral region (b), n2 x m2 adjacent luminous pixels (110) are mapped to a virtual pixel (125), where n2 is 10 to 20 and m2 is 2 to 5.

9. The light-emitting device (100) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein The number of horizontally adjacent and / or vertically adjacent luminous pixels (110) mapped to a single virtual pixel (125) increases from the central region (a) to the peripheral region (b).

10. The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein The central region (a) is offset from the center of the array (105) of the light-emitting pixels (110).

11. The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The array (105) of the light-emitting pixels (110) is formed by n3 x m3 light-emitting pixels (110); The virtual pixels (125) form an array of n4 x m4 virtual pixels (125); and n3 is 200 to 640, preferably 320, m3 is 50 to 200, preferably 80, n4 is 20 to 80, preferably 32 or 64, and m4 is 10 to 40, preferably 16 or 32.

12. The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The control unit (130) is configured to control the light emission of the light-emitting pixel (110) at a frame rate of 30 fps to 120 fps based on a first control signal from the determining unit (120), wherein the frame rate is preferably 50 fps to 70 fps, more preferably 60 fps, where fps represents frames per second.

13. A light source (200) for adaptive illumination of a field of view, the light source (200) comprising: The light-emitting device (100) according to any one of the preceding claims. as well as An optical device (210) focuses the light emitted by the light-emitting pixel (110) onto the field of view.

14. The light source (200) according to claim 13, further comprising: Imaging device (220), configured to capture images and / or videos of the field of view of the light source; wherein The determining unit (120) is configured to determine areas in the field of view that should not be illuminated and / or areas illuminated at reduced intensity based on images and / or videos captured by the imaging device (220), and is configured to generate the first control signal based thereon.

15. The light source (200) according to claim 14, wherein The determining unit (120) is configured to divide the field of view into virtual pixels (125) based on the images and / or videos captured by the imaging device (220).

16. An adaptive high beam headlight (300), comprising: The light source (200) according to any one of claims 13 to 15.

17. A vehicle (400) comprising an adaptive high beam headlight (300) according to claim 16, wherein The determining unit (120) determines the virtual pixels (125) to be illuminated in order to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic and / or projecting messages to the driver of the vehicle (400) into the field of view of the light source.

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