Vehicle lighting and obstacle detection system

Abstract

Vehicle Lighting and Obstacle Detection System The invention relates to a vehicle lighting and obstacle detection system (1), comprising: - lighting means (10b, 3b, 12b) including photonic emitters (123, 124) and a control unit (3b) capable of applying a modulated current to the photonic emitters (123, 124), configured for transmitting a high-frequency coded light signal (s1b) to the outside of the vehicle, - receiving means (32, 13) for a corresponding reflected light signal, the receiving means (32, 13) including coupling means to obstacle detection means (40) of the vehicle, the modulated current having a duty cycle greater than 80%. (Figure 3)

Description

Title of the invention: Vehicle lighting and obstacle detection system

[0001] The present invention relates to the fields of automotive, optics and electronics. More specifically, it relates to a vehicle lighting system.

[0002] In modern vehicles, light-emitting diode (LED) arrays are commonly used to create external lighting devices such as dipped or signal lights. These LED arrays allow for energy savings while providing vehicles with distinctive brand-specific light signatures, and are anticipated as future means of communication between vehicles or with road infrastructure, thanks to optical communication technologies such as VLC (Visible Light Communication), for example.

[0003] Indeed, the bandwidth of a conventional light-emitting diode with a side of one millimeter is approximately 5 MHz (Megahertz), and is therefore sufficient to enable light communication between vehicles or between a vehicle and road infrastructure. However, this bandwidth is not suitable for obstacle detection applications. Such an application is generally implemented optically in certain vehicles using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology based on laser sensors that allow analysis of the reflected signal over a bandwidth on the order of several tens of Megahertz, or even several hundred Megahertz. LiDAR systems installed on vehicles are nevertheless very expensive.

[0004] The inventors have discovered, however, that such an obstacle detection application is possible by using light-emitting diodes (LEDs), by increasing their bandwidth, either through equalization techniques, or by using diodes smaller than 300 micrometers, or by combining these techniques. This application may require the use of a specific type of control unit, such as a high-speed control unit or a laser control unit. Furthermore, the LEDs used for this application are blue LEDs adapted to emit white light.

[0005] Thanks to this discovery, the inventors made it possible to replace in a vehicle the costly means of LiDAR technology, with specific signaling devices based on light-emitting diodes, which perform, in addition to regulatory signaling functions, an obstacle detection function.

[0006] During the day, the obstacle detection function is performed, for example, by the daytime running lights, also known as DRLs (for "Day Running Lights"). At night, Obstacle detection can be implemented using nighttime position lights, also known as PLs (for "Position Lights"). However, inventors have observed that using nighttime position lights to detect obstacles reduces the detection range. This is because the light reflected by the objects to be detected is relatively low, depending on their distance from the vehicle and their reflectivity. This reduces the signal-to-noise ratio in the detection process, even in the absence of ambient light, which during the day consists primarily of sunlight.

[0007] The present invention aims to remedy, at least in part, the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a lighting and obstacle detection system based at night on dipped or main beam headlights. Indeed, regulations allow for a much higher luminous intensity for main beam headlights than for nighttime position lights, which increases the signal-to-noise ratio in the detection process of the invention and thus increases the range of this detection. Furthermore, the invention avoids oversizing the electronics and increasing the power consumption of the dipped and main beam headlights.

[0008] To this end, the invention proposes a lighting and obstacle detection system for a vehicle, comprising: - means for emitting light capable of providing a lighting function, the emitting means comprising photonic emitters and a control unit capable of applying a modulated current to the photonic emitters, the modulated current being configured so that the photonic emitters transmit a high-frequency coded light signal to the outside of the vehicle, - means for receiving a high-frequency coded reflected light signal arriving from outside the vehicle, the receiving means comprising means for coupling to means for detecting obstacles on the vehicle, the lighting and obstacle detection system being characterized in that the current modulated to transmit a high-frequency coded light signal has a duty cycle greater than 80%.

[0009] Thanks to the invention, lights with sufficient luminous power are used to send a high-frequency coded light signal that enables the detection of obstacles far from the vehicle, without oversizing the vehicle's lighting or signaling elements. The emission means are, for example, suitable for forming a dipped beam and / or a main beam.

[0010] The modulated current is obtained by applying voltage or current to the photonic emitters and comprises different voltage or current levels corresponding to either zeros or ones. The modulated current may exhibit significant distortion, so that the voltage or current pulses representing ones are very distorted, the voltage or current gaps between the voltage or current pulses represent zeros. Thanks to this modulated current, the transmitting means emit at high frequency, the light signal encoding bits, for example at 50 MHz, for example with a data rate of 50 Mbit / s.

[0011] The duty cycle of this modulated current is greater than 80%, the duty cycle being defined as the ratio between the number of "ones" encoded on a portion of the signal (here a modulated current) containing a coded pattern (of at least ten bits), and the total number of ones and zeros encoded on that same portion of the signal. The pattern is, for example, a pseudo-random pattern repeated periodically, encoded, for example, over 300 ns (nanoseconds). The portion of the signal is therefore chosen, for example, as a signal portion corresponding to the emission period of a pattern or as a signal portion corresponding to a period representative of the eye's integration time. Of course, if zeros are encoded by voltage spikes and ones by voltage dips, the definition of the duty cycle is modified accordingly.

[0012] Even if two consecutive patterns are not identical, they are chosen so that they contain many more "ones" than zeros, the duty cycle over each emission period of a pattern always being greater than 80%.

[0013] Preferably, in order to maintain a significant luminous power for lighting, the modulated current is at a current level encoding a "one" by default, that is to say, it takes its high value in particular between two detection periods or between two coded patterns.

[0014] Preferably, the duty cycle of the modulated current is between 85 and 95%.

[0015] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the invention, the photonic emitters are Blue light-emitting diodes adapted to emit white light, for example by means of a wavelength converter, such as a phosphor. Alternatively, photonic emitters are vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes, known by the abbreviation VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser).

[0016] The receiving means include, for example, means for processing the reflected light signal, and the lighting and obstacle detection system includes means for correlating the transmitted light signal with the reflected light signal, capable of providing a time offset to the vehicle's obstacle detection means. The receiving means include, for example, SPAD photodiodes performing at least part of the processing carried out by the processing means.

[0017] In particular, the processing means include, for example, means for thresholding the reflected light signal, capable of providing a thresholded signal. These thresholding means can be implemented by adapting the detection threshold of the SPAD photodiodes.

[0018] The receiving means comprise, for example, a photon avalanche photodiode array, and the thresholding means use a counting mechanism to count the photons absorbed by the photon avalanche array. Furthermore, the receiving means comprise, for example, a blue light filter capable of allowing only light with a wavelength between 400 and 490 micrometers to pass through the photon avalanche photodiodes.

[0019] In one embodiment of the invention, the lighting and obstacle detection system according to the invention comprises signaling means capable of providing a daytime running light function, the signaling means comprising at least one photonic emitter and a control unit capable of applying to the photonic emitter a modulated current with a duty cycle of less than or equal to 50% and configured so that the photonic emitter transmits another high-frequency coded light signal to the outside of the vehicle.

[0020] In this embodiment of the invention, the processing means preferably include means for inverting the thresholded signal, activated only when the thresholded signal corresponds to a reflected light signal formed by the photonic emitters controlled by the control unit, the inversion means being capable of providing an inverted thresholded signal to the correlation means. Thus, the correlation and detection means require only minimal modification depending on whether the lighting and detection system emits one or the other of the high-frequency light signals. Indeed, the inversion means allow the correlation means to receive, at their input, a thresholded signal similar to the one it receives during the day. The transmission means are, for example, configured to encode in the light signal a pattern inverse to that encoded in the other light signal emitted by the signaling means. In other words, the modulated current applied by the control unit encodes zeros, while the modulated current applied by the control unit encodes ones to represent the same information. This allows the transmission and signaling means to send high-frequency light signals encoding the same pattern, but in reverse.

[0021] Thus the reflected signal corresponding to each light signal will be received and processed in the same way by the receiving means, with the exception of an inversion step implemented only when the light signal is emitted by the emitting means, then the thresholded signal inverted or not is processed by the correlation and detection means in an identical or almost identical way whether it corresponds to a light signal emitted by the emitting means or by the signaling means.

[0022] A processing delay by the inversion means must be taken into account, which does not exist when the receiving means process a reflected light signal corresponding to a light signal emitted by the signaling means. The means Correlation means, for example, are capable of adjusting the time offset based on a thresholded signal inversion delay when the inversion means are activated. This adjusted time offset is then transmitted to the detection means. Alternatively, the detection means modify the time offset received from the correlation means, based on the inversion delay.

[0023] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description on the one hand, and from several illustrative and non-limiting examples of embodiments given with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings on the other hand, in which:

[0024] [Fig. 1] represents a vehicle equipped with a lighting and detection system according to the invention, and dipped headlights emitted by this night lighting system, in one embodiment of the invention,

[0025] [Fig.2] schematically represents the operation of an obstacle detection application implemented in the lighting and detection system of [Fig.1], using the vehicle's daytime running lights,

[0026] [Fig.3] schematically represents the operation of an obstacle detection application implemented in the lighting and detection system of the [Fig.1], using the vehicle's low or high beam headlights, and

[0027] [Fig.4] represents a high-frequency light signal emitted by the dipped or main beam headlights of the vehicle in [Fig.1], and processing of a corresponding reflected signal implemented by receiving means of the vehicle.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the invention, a vehicle 2 comprises a lighting and obstacle detection system 1. This system 1 comprises, on the front of the vehicle 2, a right front optical unit 22 and a left front optical unit 24, each comprising photonic emitters, here blue light-emitting diodes adapted to emit white light. The right front optical units 22 and 24 are capable of emitting, by means of at least some of these photonic emitters, light beams 222, 242 providing a low-beam headlight function. The front right optical blocks 22 and left 24 are also capable of emitting, using the same photonic emitters and / or other photonic emitters, light beams corresponding to high beams, and, thanks to one or more of the photonic emitters of the optical blocks 22, 24, a daytime running light.

[0029] Indeed, dipped or main beam headlights generally use a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) given the required light output. These diodes can be located differently on the front of the vehicle, depending on the angular light distribution to be covered, therefore depending on whether the vehicle 2 emits dipped or main beam headlights. These can be arrays of light-emitting diodes, That is, LEDs sharing a common substrate, or "pixelated" LEDs, meaning LEDs separated from each other. In contrast, daytime running lights, for example, each use a single LED and a light guide that allows the light emitted by the LED to propagate along the length of the guide, and also reflects the emitted light back onto an output surface that can also cover the entire length of the guide. Alternatively, daytime running lights use several LEDs arranged to form a distinctive vehicle light signature.

[0030] The optical blocks 22, 24 also include means for receiving a reflected light signal from outside the vehicle 2. These receiving means include processing means 38 (referenced in [Fig. 2]) for this reflected light signal. The processing means 38 are, for example, implemented in hardware and are coupled, for example, via analog means, to correlation means 36, which are themselves coupled via a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus to obstacle detection means 40, implemented at least in part in software. The correlation means 36 are, for example, implemented in the optical blocks 22, 24 or in another part of the vehicle 2. The receiving means are distributed between the optical blocks 22, 24 and possibly between the optical blocks 22, 24 in order to capture the maximum number of reflected light signals.In this embodiment of the invention, these are SPAD photodiodes (from the English "Single-Photon Avalanche Diode").

[0031] According to the invention, the light-emitting diodes of the low beam and high beam headlights are used at night for obstacle detection. The daytime running lights of vehicle 2 are also used for obstacle detection, but during the day. Day and night, the reflected light signals are captured by the SPAD photodiodes of the receiving means and processed by the same processing means 38 of the receiving means.

[0032] Figure 2 now represents the operation of obstacle detection daytime, in order to better understand the operation of nighttime obstacle detection in relation to [Fig. 3]. In this embodiment of the invention, daytime obstacle detection uses, in each optical block 22 or 24, a plurality 12 of photonic emitters for a daytime running light. The plurality 12 of photonic emitters comprises, for example, two blue LEDs 121, 122, adapted to emit white light. These LEDs 121, 122 are therefore part of the vehicle's signaling means 2, capable of providing a daytime running light function.

[0033] The light-emitting diodes 121, 122 each comprise, for example, a layer of gallium-indium nitride (InGaN) on which is deposited a layer of phosphorus. Thus they are adapted to produce a beam of light for a daytime running light.

[0034] Furthermore, the receiving means of system 1 each comprise a plurality 32 of photonic receivers, here SPAD photodiodes for increasing the receiving gain, referenced 321, 322. Of course, [Fig. 2] only shows two light-emitting diodes and two photodiodes for simplicity. Many more photodiodes are preferentially used, and daytime running lights can use many more diodes.

[0035] The plurality 12 of light-emitting diodes is capable of emitting a light signal if coded at high frequency to the outside of the vehicle 2, and the plurality 32 of photodiodes is capable of receiving a corresponding reflected light signal s2, arriving from outside the vehicle 2.

[0036] In order to generate the high-frequency coded light signal, each optical block 22, 24 comprises a voltage square wave source 10 and a control unit 3, connected upstream of the light-emitting diodes 121, 122. To send the light signal, the source 10 provides a square wave signal with a width 1 of approximately 10 ns (nanoseconds), and a signal frequency of 50 MHz. The duty cycle of the signal is less than or equal to 50%.

[0037] The light-emitting diodes 121, 122 are indeed generally oversized relative to the regulatory luminous intensity they must provide, in order to emit very strong light peaks with a relatively low duty cycle, so that these light peaks are more easily detectable (better signal-to-noise ratio). This oversizing is not problematic because it is inexpensive given the regulatory luminous intensity that must be met.

[0038] To enable the transmission of this signal at such a high frequency level, the control unit 3 includes, for example, a pre-equalization stage, possibly combined with an amplifier stage. It is therefore an electronic device. Instead of, or in addition to, the light-emitting diodes 121, 122 are chosen to be smaller than 300 micrometers in size so as to naturally have a cutoff frequency greater than 50 MHz.

[0039] Furthermore, the control unit 3 includes, in a known manner, a device called a "bias tee" allowing the injection of a DC voltage to the signal from the signal source 10, possibly amplified, before the application of the sum of this DC voltage and the square wave signal from the signal source 10, to the terminals of the diodes 121, 122. The application of the DC voltage allows the diodes 121, 122 to be biased, and allows the emission of the light signal si by them.

[0040] The light signal sent by diodes 121, 122 encodes a specific sequence of "slots" or light peaks of width 1 and a duration of 10 ns; this sequence repeating cyclically. The sequence of pulses is defined in such a way as to easily evaluate a time lag between its emission and reception, as explained below. For example, it presents a peak of light after a period of no light emission for four 20ns periods, then a period of no light emission for two 20ns periods, the encoded pattern thus being 0000100. Since the duty cycle of the voltage source is less than or equal to 50%, the light signal encodes fewer "ones" than zeros. In reality, each pattern contains slightly more bits because it lasts approximately 300ns.

[0041] The reflection of the light signal si on an obstacle 6 gives rise to the reflected light signal s2 of sufficient light power to be captured by the photodiodes 321, 322.

[0042] The receiving means comprise, in addition to the photodiodes 321, 322, a blue light filter 8 for filtering the light from the reflected light signal s2 so as to allow only the blue component of this light to pass through, and a lens 9 focusing this component towards the photodiodes 321, 322. The blue light emitted by the diodes 121, 122 generally has a lower luminous intensity than sunlight, but approaches it for wavelengths close to 460 nm. Modulation of the reflected signal s2 makes it possible to distinguish it from external light pollution in the decoding process of this reflected light signal s2.

[0043] More specifically, the photodiodes 321, 322 capture the blue components of the reflected light signal s2 and ambient light, for example, sunlight, and provide an electrical signal to an electronic control device 13, which amplifies it and supplies it to the processing means 38. The electronic control device 13 optionally includes, in addition to an amplifier stage, a post-equalization stage. Since the photodiodes 321 and 322 are SPAD photodiodes, the electrical signal they provide is equivalent to a count Nb of the photons received as a function of time t by each of the photodiodes 321, 322. Thresholding means 34 adjust the detection level of these photodiodes so as to separate, within the intensity of the light signal received by the photodiodes 321, 322, the portion of light intensity due to sunlight.This thresholding corresponds to a clipping of the counting signal Nb as a function of time t, beyond a number of photons corresponding to the light intensity of the blue component of sunlight, resulting in a thresholded light signal s3. Such thresholding makes it possible to remove the component due to sunlight from the received electrical signal. Of course, here we are actually referring to a thresholded light signal as an electrical or digital signal corresponding to the thresholding of the received light signal s2.

[0044] The processing means 38 comprise the photodiodes 321, 322 as well as the thresholding means 34 which can alternatively be implemented in software or analog form from an unthresholded electrical signal from the photodiodes 321, 322.

[0045] The processing means 38 cooperate with correlation means 36 of the thresholded light signal s3 with the light signal si sent by the diodes 121, 122. These correlation means 36 determine a time shift r between the thresholded light signal s3 and the light signal si sent, and transmit this time shift r to the obstacle detection means 40 of the vehicle 2. The obstacle detection means 40 convert this time shift r into a distance relative to an obstacle 6, and thus enable the detection of this obstacle.

[0046] It should be noted that the receiving means of an optical block 22, 24 process reflected light signals s2 corresponding to light signals emitted by one or the other of the optical blocks 22, 24.

[0047] Figure 3 now illustrates the operation of the nighttime obstacle detection system. The lighting and detection system 1 comprises, in addition to the diodes 121, 122, the control unit 3, and the voltage square wave signal source 10, emission means capable of providing a high beam or low beam lighting function. These emission means comprise a plurality 12b of photonic emitters including blue light-emitting diodes 123, 124, adapted to emit white light. Of course, the emission means actually comprise more than two diodes.

[0048] The transmission means also include a control unit 3b and a modulated voltage source 10b (or modulated current source, the diodes being powered by either voltage or current). Diodes 123 and 124 are, for example, of the same type as diodes 121 and 122, and the control unit 3b is also of the same type as the control unit 3; in particular, it includes, for example, a pre-equalization stage and an amplifier stage. Finally, the voltage source 10b produces voltage peaks that can be likened to distorted "square waves," at a frequency of, for example, 50 MHz. The average width of the "square waves" produced by the voltage source 10b is the same as that produced by the voltage source 10.

[0049] The differences between the voltage sources 10 and 10b, as well as between the control unit 3 and the control unit 3b, lie in the fact that the voltage source 10b and the control unit 3b are configured to supply the diodes 123, 124 with a duty cycle signal close to 90%, for example, between 80% and 99%. This makes it possible, compared to a configuration where the duty cycle would be less than or equal to 50%, to avoid oversizing the low beams and high beams when the luminous power required to ensure the necessary lighting function is significant.

[0050] The transmission means of system 1 are therefore configured to emit a high-frequency coded light signal, also at 50 MHz, this light signal encoding many more "ones" than zeros. However, in order to ensure an intensity Sufficient illumination between the transmission of each coded pattern in the light signal slb, the voltage source 10b takes its high value, for example 5V (volts), between each of these transmissions, for example over 100ns if these patterns are spaced 100ns apart. Therefore, in order to modify as little as possible the decoding logic of a reflected signal s2b corresponding to the transmitted signal slb, implemented by the correlation means 36 and detection means 40, it is more convenient to reverse the coding of the pattern usually used during the day, as shown in [Fig.4].

[0051] Figure 4 shows a representation of a portion of the light signal slb, that is, its luminous intensity in candelas (cd) as a function of time. Unlike the si signal sent by diodes 121, 122, the slb light signal sent by diodes 123, 124 encodes many more "ones" than zeros, here only one "zero," each light pulse encoding the value 1, and each period of the voltage source 10b without a change in value encoding the value 0. Here, the sequence encoded by the slb light signal is in transmission order, 1111011, and corresponds to the inverse of the sequence encoded by the si light signal sent during the day.

[0052] The reflection of the light signal slb on the obstacle 6 gives rise to the reflected light signal s2b of sufficient luminous power to be captured by the photodiodes 321, 322. The reflected signal s2b is first filtered by the blue light filter 8 and then focused by the lens 9 towards the photodiodes 321, 322. The processing of the reflected signal s2b by the processing means 38 being very similar to that of the reflected signal s2, it will not be detailed further.

[0053] In particular, the photodiodes 321, 322 and the electronic control device 13 allow thresholding of the reflected signal s2b providing a thresholded signal s3b, shown [Fig.4]. This thresholded signal s3b is time-shifted from the corresponding emitted light signal slb by a time shift r.

[0054] In order to avoid modifying the decoding logic, particularly in the correlation means 36, the processing means 38 invert the signal s3b using an analog inverter 35. Thus, the processing means 38 provide an inverted signal s3i, shown in [Fig. 4], to the correlation means 36. The sequence encoded by the inverted signal s3i is therefore, in the order of reception, 0000100, that is, the same as that encoded by the non-inverted threshold signal s3 corresponding to the light signal if sent during the day. Consequently, the processing performed by the correlation means 36 does not need to be modified depending on whether the voltage source 10 or the voltage source 10b is used.Indeed, to compare a moment when a pattern of the light signal si or slb is emitted with a moment when this pattern is found in the thresholded signal s3 or in the inverted signal s3i, the correlation methods 36 do not require knowledge of the light signal si or slb but only of the emission moment of one of the patterns it encodes.

[0055] The inversion performed by the inverter 35, however, requires a predetermined processing time Ati. This processing time Ati is, for example, measured prior to the use of the invention, on a test bench.

[0056] The processing time Ati is taken into account either by the correlation means 36 in the time offset r + Ati that they determine by comparing a time at which a pattern of the light signal slb is emitted with a time at which this pattern is found inverted in the inverted signal s3i, or by the detection means 40 themselves. In other words, either the correlation means 36 are not modified with respect to their configuration for daytime obstacle detection, and the detection means 40 subtract the processing time Ati from the time offset provided to them by the correlation means 36, or the correlation means 36 are slightly modified to provide the detection means 40 with a time offset r between the emitted light signal slb and the inverted thresholded signal s3i, from which the processing time Ati has been subtracted.

[0057] The obstacle detection means 40 then convert the received time offset into a distance relative to an obstacle 6, and thus enable the detection of this obstacle.

[0058] Of course, the receiving means of each optical block 22, 24 process reflected light signals s2b corresponding to light signals slb with a duty cycle greater than 80% emitted by one or the other of the optical blocks 22, 24.

[0059] The invention is not limited to the examples just described and many modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) for a vehicle (2), comprising: - light emission means (10b, 3b, 12b) capable of providing a lighting function, the emission means (10b, 3b, 12b) comprising photonic emitters (123, 124) and a control unit (3b) capable of applying a modulated current to the photonic emitters (123, 124), the modulated current being configured so that the photonic emitters transmit a high-frequency coded light signal (slb) to the outside of the vehicle (2), - reception means (32, 13) for a high-frequency coded reflected light signal arriving from the outside of the vehicle (2), the reception means (32, 13) comprising means for coupling to obstacle detection means (40) of the vehicle (2),the lighting and obstacle detection system (1) being characterized in that the modulated current for transmitting a high-frequency coded light signal has a duty cycle greater than 80%.,

2. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to claim 1, in which the duty cycle is between 85 and 95%.

3. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the photonic emitters (123, 124) are blue light emitting diodes adapted to emit white light.

4. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the reception means (32, 13) comprise means (38) for processing the reflected light signal, and in which the lighting and obstacle detection system (1) comprises correlation means (36) between the transmitted light signal (slb) and the reflected light signal (s2b), capable of providing a time shift (r) to the obstacle detection means (40) of the vehicle (2).

5. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to claim 4, in which the processing means (38) comprise thresholding means (34) for the reflected light signal (s2b), capable of providing a thresholded signal (s3b).

6. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising signaling means- lisation capable of ensuring a daytime positioning light function, the signaling means comprising at least one photonic transmitter (121, 122) and a control unit (3) capable of applying to the photonic transmitter (121, 122), a modulated current with a duty cycle less than or equal to 50% and configured so that the photonic transmitter transmits another light signal (si) coded at high frequency towards the exterior of the vehicle (2).

7. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to claims 5 and 6, in which the processing means (38) comprise means (35) for inverting the thresholded signal (s3b), activated only when the thresholded signal (s3b) corresponds to a reflected light signal (s2b) formed by the photonic emitters (123, 124) controlled by the control unit (3b), the inverting means (35) being capable of providing an inverted thresholded signal (s3i) to the correlation means (36).

8. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to claim 7, in which the correlation means (36) are capable of adjusting the time offset (r) as a function of an inversion delay of the thresholded signal (s3b) when the inversion means (35) are activated.

9. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 8 in which the receiving means (32, 13) comprise a matrix of photon avalanche photodiodes, and in which the thresholding means (34) use a count of photons absorbed by the photon avalanche matrix.

10. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to claim 9, in which the receiving means (32, 13) comprise a blue light filter (8), capable of allowing only light having a wavelength of between 400 and 490 micrometers to pass through the photon avalanche photodiodes.

11. Lighting and obstacle detection system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, in which the emission means (10b, 3b, 12b) are capable of forming a dipped beam and / or a main beam.

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