Vehicle lamp control device and vehicle lamp system

Abstract

The utility model relates to a vehicle lamp control device and a vehicle lamp system, the vehicle lamp control device comprises an area controller and a vehicle lamp controller, and the vehicle lamp controller comprises a buck-boost circuit and a drive circuit; wherein the output end of the area controller is connected with the input end of the buck-boost circuit, the input end of the drive circuit and the input end of the load, and the area controller is used for issuing a vehicle lamp control instruction; the output end of the buck-boost circuit is connected with the input end of the load, the buck-boost circuit is used for providing converted power supply voltage for the load, and the load comprises an LED lamp module; the output end of the driving circuit is connected with the input end of the load, and the driving circuit is used for driving the load. According to the invention, the problems of complex internal circuit structure and high cost of the vehicle lamp controller in the prior art are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vehicle exterior light control, and in particular to a vehicle light control device and a vehicle light system. Background Technology

[0002] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a traditional vehicle lighting controller, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it mainly consists of a buck-boost circuit, a driver circuit, and a microcontroller unit (MCU). Each MCU is connected to a corresponding LED module, and each MCU is equipped with its own buck-boost circuit and driver circuit. The buck-boost circuit provides constant current or constant voltage to the LED module, the driver circuit drives the LED module, and the MCU sends control commands to the buck-boost circuit and driver circuit to control the LED module.

[0003] Because each LED module requires an independent MCU, and each MCU needs to deploy a matching buck-boost circuit and driver circuit, the hardware circuit structure is relatively complex and the cost is high.

[0004] Currently, no effective solution has been proposed to address the issues of complex internal circuitry and high cost of vehicle lighting controllers in related technologies. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a vehicle lighting control device and a vehicle lighting system to at least solve the problems of complex internal circuit structure and high cost of vehicle lighting controllers in related technologies.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle lighting control device, including: a zone controller and a vehicle lighting controller, wherein the vehicle lighting controller includes a boost / buck voltage circuit and a drive circuit; wherein...

[0007] The output terminal of the area controller is connected to the input terminal of the buck-boost circuit, the input terminal of the drive circuit, and the input terminal of the load, respectively. The area controller is used to issue vehicle light control commands.

[0008] The output terminal of the step-up / step-down circuit is connected to the input terminal of the load. The step-up / step-down circuit is used to provide the converted power supply voltage to the load, which includes an LED lamp module.

[0009] The output terminal of the driving circuit is connected to the input terminal of the load, and the driving circuit is used to drive the load.

[0010] In some embodiments, the driving circuit includes: a high-side driver and a high-side switch;

[0011] The input terminal of the high-side driver is connected to the area controller via a high-speed communication protocol interface;

[0012] The output terminal of the high-side driver is connected to the high-side switch;

[0013] The high-side switch is used to connect or disconnect the path of current flow to the load under the control of the high-side driver.

[0014] In some embodiments, the buck-boost circuit includes a boost converter and a buck converter;

[0015] The input terminals of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the area controller through different high-speed communication protocol interfaces;

[0016] The outputs of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the input of the load through different IO / AD interfaces.

[0017] In some embodiments, the buck-boost circuit includes a boost converter and a buck converter;

[0018] The boost converter and the buck converter are packaged in a first chip, the first chip including a first high-speed communication protocol interface and a first IO / AD interface;

[0019] The input terminals of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the area controller through the first high-speed communication protocol interface;

[0020] The outputs of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the input of the load through the first IO / AD interface.

[0021] In some embodiments, the driving circuit includes: a motor driver chip;

[0022] The load also includes motor moving parts;

[0023] The input terminal of the motor driver chip is connected to the output terminal of the buck converter, the output terminal of the motor driver chip is connected to the input terminal of the motor moving component, and the motor moving component is connected to the LED lamp module.

[0024] The motor driver chip is used to drive the motor moving parts to move, so as to adjust the illumination pitch angle of the LED lamp module.

[0025] In some embodiments, the buck-boost circuit and the drive circuit are packaged in a second chip, the second chip including a second high-speed communication protocol interface, a second IO / AD interface and a third IO / AD interface;

[0026] The boost / buck circuit and the drive circuit receive the vehicle light control command from the area controller through the second high-speed communication protocol interface;

[0027] The buck-boost circuit is connected to the load via the second IO / AD interface;

[0028] The drive circuit is connected to the load through the third IO / AD interface.

[0029] In some embodiments, the area controller includes:

[0030] Processor, used to generate the vehicle light control commands;

[0031] A memory, connected to the processor, is used to store data;

[0032] A high-speed communication protocol interface is used to transmit the vehicle light control commands.

[0033] Secondly, this application provides a vehicle lighting system, including: a load and the vehicle lighting control device described in the first aspect above, wherein the load is connected to the vehicle lighting control device, and the load includes an LED lamp module.

[0034] In some embodiments, the load further includes a matrix chip and a linear chip, and the LED module includes high-current LED units and low-current LED units;

[0035] The input terminal of the matrix chip is connected to the high-side switch in the vehicle lighting control device, and the output terminal of the matrix chip is connected to the input terminal of the LED lamp module. The matrix chip is used to control the on / off state and brightness of the high-current LED unit.

[0036] The input terminal of the linear chip is connected to the high-side switch, and the output terminal of the linear chip is connected to the input terminal of the LED module. The linear chip is used to control the on / off state and brightness of the low-current LED unit.

[0037] In some embodiments, the load further includes: a temperature sensor and / or a fan; wherein,

[0038] The input terminal of the temperature sensor is connected to the step-up / step-down circuit in the vehicle lighting control device;

[0039] The input terminal of the fan is connected to the high-side switch in the vehicle light control device.

[0040] Compared to related technologies, the vehicle lighting control device and system provided in this application connect the area controller and the vehicle lighting controller communicatively. By reusing the area controller instead of a separate MCU, the vehicle lighting controller does not need to have an internal MCU. That is, each LED module does not need a separate MCU; all are controlled by the area controller, simplifying the circuit structure and reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs. Simultaneously, the area controller and the vehicle lighting controller transmit data based on a high-speed communication protocol interface, enabling cross-board remote communication and improving the flexibility and scalability of the vehicle lighting control device.

[0041] Details of one or more embodiments of this application are set forth in the following drawings and description to make other features, objects and advantages of this application more readily apparent. Attached Figure Description

[0042] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0043] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a vehicle lighting controller based on relevant technologies;

[0044] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle lighting control device in one embodiment;

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle lighting control device in one embodiment;

[0046] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle lighting control device in one embodiment;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle lighting control device in one embodiment;

[0048] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle lighting control device in one embodiment;

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vehicle lighting system in one embodiment;

[0050] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle lighting system in another embodiment;

[0051] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle lighting system in another embodiment.

[0052] Reference numerals: 1. Area controller; 2. Vehicle light controller; 3. Load; 21. Buck converter circuit; 211. Boost converter; 212. Buck converter; 22. Drive circuit; 221. High-side driver; 222. High-side switch; 223. Motor driver chip; 31. LED light module; 32. Motor moving parts; 33. Matrix chip; 34. Linear chip; 35. Temperature sensor; 36. Fan; A. First chip; O1. First high-speed communication protocol interface; O2. First IO / AD interface; B. Second chip; O3. Second high-speed communication protocol interface; O4. Second IO / AD interface; O5. Third IO / AD interface. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application is described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, it is understood that although the efforts made in such a development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the content disclosed in this application, modifications to design, manufacturing, or production based on the technical content disclosed in this application are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as insufficient disclosure of the content of this application.

[0054] In this application, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of this application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this application may be combined with other embodiments without conflict.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms “a,” “an,” “an,” “the,” and similar words used in this application do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and any variations thereof used in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms “connected,” “linked,” “coupled,” and similar words used in this application are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. “Multiple” used in this application means two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, “A and / or B” can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., used in this application are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of the objects.

[0056] This embodiment provides a vehicle lighting control device. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle lighting control device in this embodiment, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle lighting control device includes: a zone controller 1 and a vehicle lighting controller 2. The vehicle lighting controller 2 includes a boost / buck circuit 21 and a drive circuit 22.

[0057] The output of area controller 1 is connected to the input of buck-boost circuit 21, the input of drive circuit 22, and the input of load 3, respectively. Area controller 1 is used to issue vehicle lighting control commands. Internally, area controller 1 may include a processor, memory, and a high-speed communication protocol interface. The processor generates vehicle lighting control commands, the memory is connected to the processor and stores data, and the high-speed communication protocol interface transmits the vehicle lighting control commands. The high-speed communication protocol interface can be CAN (Controller Area Network) or CAN FD (CAN with Flexible Data-Rate).

[0058] The output terminal of the boost / buck circuit 21 is connected to the input terminal of the load 3. The boost / buck circuit 21 provides the converted power supply voltage to the load 3. The load 3 includes an LED lamp module 31, which contains multiple LEDs serving as the vehicle's exterior lights. The boost / buck circuit 21 may include a boost converter (BOOST) and a buck converter (BUCK). The boost converter boosts the input power supply voltage, raising the lower input voltage to the required higher voltage level. The buck converter reduces the input power supply voltage, lowering the higher input voltage to the required lower voltage level.

[0059] The output terminal of the drive circuit 22 is connected to the input terminal of the load 3, and the drive circuit 22 is used to drive the load 3. The drive circuit 22 may include a high-side driver and a high-side switch, as well as a motor drive chip.

[0060] The buck-boost circuit 21 and the drive circuit 22 can be connected to the load via an IO (Input / Output) interface or an AD (Analog-to-Digital Converter) interface.

[0061] The vehicle lighting control device provided in this embodiment connects the area controller 1 and the vehicle lighting controller 2 in communication. By reusing the area controller 1 to replace the independent MCU, the vehicle lighting controller 2 does not need to be configured with an MCU. That is, each LED lamp module 31 does not need to be configured with an independent MCU. They can all be controlled by the area controller 1, which simplifies the circuit structure and reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0062] Traditional vehicle lighting controllers can only achieve LED driving and logic control through communication within the circuit board. However, in this embodiment, the area controller 1 and the vehicle lighting controller 2 transmit data based on a high-speed communication protocol interface, which can realize cross-board remote communication and improve the flexibility and scalability of the vehicle lighting control device.

[0063] In some of these embodiments, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of another vehicle lighting control device is provided, such as... Figure 3 As shown, in this vehicle lighting control device, the drive circuit 22 includes: a high-side driver 221 and a high-side switch 222; the input terminal of the high-side driver 221 is connected to the area controller 1 through a high-speed communication protocol interface; the output terminal of the high-side driver 221 is connected to the high-side switch 222; the high-side switch 222 is used to connect or disconnect the path of current flowing to the load 3 under the control of the high-side driver 221.

[0064] In this embodiment, the high-side driver 221 and the high-side switch 222 are located on the positive side of the power supply and are responsible for controlling the connection between the power supply and the load 3 in the circuit, protecting the circuit from abnormal conditions such as overcurrent and short circuit. The high-side driver 221 can be implemented using a high-side HSD (High Side Driver) chip.

[0065] In some of these embodiments, Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another vehicle lighting control device is provided, such as... Figure 4 As shown, in this vehicle lighting control device, the boost / buck circuit 21 includes: a boost converter 211 and a buck converter 212; the input terminals of the boost converter 211 and the buck converter 212 are respectively connected to the area controller 1 through different high-speed communication protocol interfaces; the output terminals of the boost converter 211 and the buck converter 212 are respectively connected to the input terminal of the load 3 through different IO / AD interfaces.

[0066] In this embodiment, the driving circuit 22 may include a motor driving chip 223; the load 3 may also include a motor moving component 32; the input terminal of the motor driving chip 223 is connected to the output terminal of the step-down converter 212, the output terminal of the motor driving chip 223 is connected to the input terminal of the motor moving component 32, and the motor moving component 32 is connected to the LED lamp module 31; the motor driving chip 223 is used to drive the motor moving component 32 to move, so as to adjust the illumination pitch angle of the LED lamp module 31.

[0067] Specifically, the moving part 32 of the motor includes a motor and a gear; the output end of the motor driver chip 223 is connected to the input end of the motor, the output end of the motor is connected to the gear, and the gear is connected to the LED lamp module 31; the motor driver chip 223 drives the motor to rotate the gear to adjust the illumination pitch angle of the LED lamp module 31.

[0068] In one embodiment, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another vehicle lighting control device is provided, such as... Figure 5 As shown, in this vehicle lighting control device, the boost / buck circuit 21 includes a boost converter 211 and a buck converter 212; the boost converter 211 and the buck converter 212 are packaged in a first chip A, the first chip A includes a first high-speed communication protocol interface O1 and a first IO / AD interface O2; the input terminals of the boost converter 211 and the buck converter 212 are respectively connected to the area controller 1 through the first high-speed communication protocol interface O1; the output terminals of the boost converter 211 and the buck converter 212 are respectively connected to the input terminal of the load through the first IO / AD interface O2.

[0069] In this embodiment, the boost converter 211 and the buck converter 212 are integrated into the same chip, which helps to further simplify the circuit structure. In some application scenarios, the number of chip types for the boost converter 211 and the buck converter 212 can be reduced by 20% to 40%.

[0070] In this embodiment, the driving circuit 22 may include a motor driving chip 223; the load may also include a motor moving component 32; the input terminal of the motor driving chip 223 is connected to the output terminal of the step-down converter 212, the output terminal of the motor driving chip 223 is connected to the input terminal of the motor moving component 32, and the motor moving component 32 is connected to the LED lamp module 31; the motor driving chip 223 is used to drive the motor moving component 32 to move, so as to adjust the illumination pitch angle of the LED lamp module 31.

[0071] Specifically, the moving part 32 of the motor includes a motor and a gear; the output end of the motor driver chip 223 is connected to the input end of the motor, the output end of the motor is connected to the gear, and the gear is connected to the LED lamp module 31; the motor driver chip 223 drives the motor to rotate the gear to adjust the illumination pitch angle of the LED lamp module 31.

[0072] In one embodiment, Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another vehicle lighting control device is provided, such as... Figure 6 As shown, in this vehicle lighting control device, the boost / buck circuit 21 and the drive circuit 22 are packaged in a second chip B. The second chip B includes a second high-speed communication protocol interface O3, a second IO / AD interface O4, and a third IO / AD interface O5. The boost / buck circuit 21 and the drive circuit 22 receive vehicle lighting control commands from the area controller 1 through the second high-speed communication protocol interface O3. The boost / buck circuit 21 is connected to the load 3 through the second IO / AD interface O4. The drive circuit 22 is connected to the load 3 through the third IO / AD interface O5.

[0073] In this embodiment, the buck-boost circuit 21 and the drive circuit 22 are integrated into the same chip, which helps to further simplify the circuit structure.

[0074] In one embodiment, Figure 7 A vehicle lighting system, such as Figure 7 As shown, the vehicle lighting system includes: a load 3 and a vehicle lighting control device according to any of the above embodiments, wherein the load 3 includes an LED lamp module 31.

[0075] The vehicle lighting system provided in this embodiment connects the area controller 1 and the vehicle lighting controller 2 in communication. By reusing the area controller 1 to replace the independent MCU, the vehicle lighting controller 2 does not need to be configured with an MCU. That is, each LED module 31 does not need to be configured with an independent MCU. They can all be controlled by the area controller 1, which simplifies the circuit structure and reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs.

[0076] Traditional vehicle lighting controllers can only achieve LED driving and logic control through communication within the circuit board. However, in this embodiment, the area controller 1 and the vehicle lighting controller 2 transmit data based on a high-speed communication protocol interface, which can realize cross-board remote communication, improving the flexibility and scalability of the vehicle lighting system.

[0077] In some embodiments, Figure 8 Another lighting system is provided, such as Figure 8 As shown, in this vehicle lighting system, the load 3 may also include a matrix chip 33 and a linear chip 34, and the LED lamp module 31 includes a high-current LED unit and a low-current LED unit.

[0078] The input terminal of the matrix chip 33 is connected to the high-side switch 222 in the vehicle light controller 2, and the output terminal of the matrix chip 33 is connected to the input terminal of the LED light module 31. The matrix chip 33 is used to control the on / off state and brightness of each high-current LED unit in the LED light module 31 to ensure that the brightness of each high-current LED unit is consistent.

[0079] The input terminal of the linear chip 34 is connected to the high-side switch 222, and the output terminal of the linear chip 34 is connected to the input terminal of the LED lamp module 31. The linear chip 34 is used to control the on / off state and brightness of each small current LED unit in the LED lamp module 31 to ensure that the brightness of each small current LED unit is consistent.

[0080] In some embodiments, Figure 8 On this basis, Figure 9 Another lighting system is provided, such as Figure 9As shown, the step-up / step-down circuit 21 may include a step-up converter 211 and multiple step-down converters 212, with the multiple step-down converters 212 connected in parallel. The load 3 may also include a motor moving part 32, a temperature sensor 35, and a fan 36. The motor moving part 32 is as described above and will not be repeated here. The input terminal of the temperature sensor 35 is connected to the step-up / step-down circuit 21 in the headlight controller 2. The temperature sensor 35 is used to collect the temperature of the LED lamp module 31 inside the headlight system to monitor the temperature of the headlight system. The input terminal of the fan 36 is connected to the high-side switch 222 in the headlight controller 2. The fan 36 is used to dissipate heat from the headlight system. Specifically, the LED lamp module 31 includes high and low beam modules. The fan 36 can be installed near the rear of the high and low beam modules to dissipate heat from the high and low beam modules, ensuring that the headlight system operates normally in a high-temperature environment.

[0081] Those skilled in the art should understand that the technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments have been described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0082] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting control device, characterized in that, include: The system includes a zone controller and a vehicle lighting controller, wherein the vehicle lighting controller comprises a boost / buck voltage circuit and a drive circuit; wherein... The output terminal of the area controller is connected to the input terminal of the buck-boost circuit, the input terminal of the drive circuit, and the input terminal of the load, respectively. The area controller is used to issue vehicle light control commands. The output terminal of the step-up / step-down circuit is connected to the input terminal of the load. The step-up / step-down circuit is used to provide the converted power supply voltage to the load, which includes an LED lamp module. The output terminal of the driving circuit is connected to the input terminal of the load, and the driving circuit is used to drive the load.

2. The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving circuit includes: a high-side driver and a high-side switch; The input terminal of the high-side driver is connected to the area controller via a high-speed communication protocol interface; The output terminal of the high-side driver is connected to the high-side switch; The high-side switch is used to connect or disconnect the path of current flow to the load under the control of the high-side driver.

3. The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boost-buck circuit includes: a boost converter and a buck converter; The input terminals of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the area controller through different high-speed communication protocol interfaces; The outputs of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the input of the load through different IO / AD interfaces.

4. The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boost-buck circuit includes: a boost converter and a buck converter; The boost converter and the buck converter are packaged in a first chip, the first chip including a first high-speed communication protocol interface and a first IO / AD interface; The input terminals of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the area controller through the first high-speed communication protocol interface; The outputs of the boost converter and the buck converter are respectively connected to the input of the load through the first IO / AD interface.

5. The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The driving circuit includes: a motor driving chip; The load also includes motor moving parts; The input terminal of the motor driver chip is connected to the output terminal of the buck converter, the output terminal of the motor driver chip is connected to the input terminal of the motor moving component, and the motor moving component is connected to the LED lamp module. The motor driver chip is used to drive the motor moving parts to move, so as to adjust the illumination pitch angle of the LED lamp module.

6. The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buck-boost circuit and the drive circuit are packaged in a second chip, which includes a second high-speed communication protocol interface, a second IO / AD interface and a third IO / AD interface. The boost / buck circuit and the drive circuit receive the vehicle light control command from the area controller through the second high-speed communication protocol interface; The buck-boost circuit is connected to the load via the second IO / AD interface; The drive circuit is connected to the load through the third IO / AD interface.

7. The vehicle lighting control device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area controller includes: Processor, used to generate the vehicle light control commands; A memory, connected to the processor, is used to store data; A high-speed communication protocol interface is used to transmit the vehicle light control commands.

8. A vehicle lighting system, characterized in that, include: The load and the vehicle lighting control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the load is connected to the vehicle lighting control device, and the load includes an LED lamp module.

9. The vehicle lighting system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The load also includes a matrix chip and a linear chip, and the LED module includes high-current LED units and low-current LED units; The input terminal of the matrix chip is connected to the high-side switch in the vehicle lighting control device, and the output terminal of the matrix chip is connected to the input terminal of the LED lamp module. The matrix chip is used to control the on / off state and brightness of the high-current LED unit. The input terminal of the linear chip is connected to the high-side switch, and the output terminal of the linear chip is connected to the input terminal of the LED module. The linear chip is used to control the on / off state and brightness of the low-current LED unit.

10. The vehicle lighting system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The load also includes: a temperature sensor and / or a fan; wherein... The input terminal of the temperature sensor is connected to the step-up / step-down circuit in the vehicle lighting control device; The input terminal of the fan is connected to the high-side switch in the vehicle light control device.

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