Vehicle lighting system control

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system (100) for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle (10), the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights (402, 404, 406), the control system comprising one or more controllers (110). The control system is configured to receive a selection input signal (165) indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level (165) associated with each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal (165) from at least one sensor (160), the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle; determine for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, output one or more control signals (155) to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value.

Description

[0001] VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEM CONTROL

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a control system for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle. Aspects of the invention relate to a control system, an external lighting system, a vehicle, a system comprising an external electronic device, a method, and computer program code.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] It is known for a vehicle to have lights which can be used to illuminate the surrounding environment, for example headlamps to illuminate the road ahead.

[0006] If external lighting is desired in some situations, such as camping, vehicle owners may use their vehicle lights to illuminate the camping area. However, the lighting is generally provided by headlights, and turned either on at a pre-set level of illumination or turned off. The user is not able to select particular lights most relevant to the area needing illuminating. As such it is likely that lights would be illuminated which are not required and would therefore be wasting power. A further problem with this situation is light contamination, in that lights would be illuminated that are not required and could be causing a nuisance by light pollution to others in the vicinity.

[0007] It is an aim of the present invention to address one or more of the disadvantages associated with the prior art.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Aspects and embodiments of the invention provide a control system, an external lighting system, a vehicle, a system comprising an external electronic device, a method, and computer program code, as claimed in the appended claims and disclosed herein.

[0010] According to an aspect there is provided a control system for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to: receive: a selection input signal indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level signal associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal from at least one sensor, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle; determine, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, output one or more control signals to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value.

[0011] According to an aspect there is provided a control system for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to: receive an indication of a lighting mode to illuminate one or more external lights of the external lighting system: determine respective output illumination values for the one or more external lights in dependence on the indicated lighting mode; and output a lighting control signal to cause the one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination values.

[0012] In this way, a lighting mode can be selected and the external lights of the vehicle can be illuminated according to the selected mode. The use of the ambient light level to determine an output illumination for selected external lights provides the advantage that a target light level may be set, and the control system can determine output illumination values for selected lights to reach the target light level while compensating for ambient light levels.

[0013] The target illumination level associated with each of the selected one or more external lights may indicate a target illumination of an area associated with the respective selected one or more external lights. For example, a target illumination level associated with a driver side headlamp at the front of a vehicle may be determined according to a target illumination area associated with the headlamp, such as an oval to the front of the vehicle on the driver side.

[0014] The control system may be configured to determine the output illumination value based on the target illumination level associated with each of the selected external lights and the level of ambient light in the external environment of the vehicle to compensate for the level of ambient light and to provide illumination at the associated target illumination level. Advantageously, the target illumination level may be achieved even when the ambient light changes, because the output illumination value is determined to compensate for the level of ambient light. The control system may be configured to increase the output illumination value when the level of ambient light decreases, and to decrease the output illumination value when the level of ambient light increases.

[0015] The control system may be configured to receive the selection input signal from one or more of a vehicle user interface, an application executed on a mobile device, or an electronic vehicle key. Advantageously, a remote user can control the external lighting system using, for example, mobile phone app, or automatic selection of lights by using the vehicle key.

[0016] The selection of the one or more external lights may comprise an individual user selection of each of the selected one or more external lights, or a user selection of a lighting mode associated with at least two external lights from among a plurality of preset lighting modes. Advantageously in some examples, lights can be controlled individually, and thus the user has high degree of control and flexibility. Advantageously in some examples, a plurality of lights can be selected with a single input according to a preset mode, which may be particularly beneficial, for example as a pre-set mode may correspond to a particular activity. As an example, a “wheel change” mode may select all lights on appropriate side of vehicle where the wheel is to be changed. The plurality of pre-set lighting modes may include a first mode associated with all driver side vehicle lights, a second mode associated with all passenger side vehicle lights, a third mode associated with all rear lights, and a fourth mode associated with all front vehicle lights. Advantageously, a predetermined lighting mode can be selected and cause a predetermined set of one or more lights to illuminate at a predetermined illumination value.

[0017] The selection of the target illumination level may comprise an individual user selection of a respective target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights, or a single user selection of the target illumination level for all the selected one or more external lights. The plurality of illumination levels may include one or more of a low illumination level, a medium illumination level, a high illumination level and a full illumination level. Advantageously, in some examples a high degree of user control of lighting level is provided, and in some examples a simplified user input is facilitated to allow selection of a preset mode to perform lighting level adjustment to a predetermined level. The control system may be configured to: receive a proximity signal indicative of one or more of a distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle, and a direction of approach of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle; select the one or more external lights; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the proximity signal. Advantageously, the control system may receive an indication of where the vehicle key is and / or how the vehicle key is approaching the vehicle, and may control the external lighting accordingly, for example to illuminate the path to the vehicle and driver side door as the vehicle key (and therefore the user carrying the key) approaches the driver side door. The proximity signal may be provided, for example, by a motion detector on the vehicle configured to detect a person approaching in combination with an unlock signal being received from the key. The electronic vehicle key may be a standard vehicle key, an electronic passive entry-passive start (EPEPS) type key, or a mobile phone or personal electronic device configured to operate the vehicle locks, for example.

[0018] The control system may be configured to select one or more external lights proximal to the electronic vehicle key in dependence on the direction of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle. Advantageously, the external lighting may be automatically controlled in response to a key-holding user approaching or being proximal to the vehicle to help the user see their environment.

[0019] The control system may be configured to determine one or more of a rate of change of the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle, and a rate of change of the direction of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle; and select the one or more external lights and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the rate of change of the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle or the rate of change of the direction of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle. Advantageously, the external lighting may be automatically controlled responsively to how a user holding the vehicle key is approaching the vehicle.

[0020] According to an aspect there is provided an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising: any control system disclosed herein; and a plurality of external lights each configured to output a variable level of light in dependence on the control signal. The plurality of external lights may comprise one or more headlights, one or more puddle lights, one or more rear lights, or one or more side lights. Advantageously, the external lights of the vehicle may be controlled to provide custom external lighting.

[0021] The external lighting system may comprise at least one ambient light sensor configured to detect a level of ambient light in the external environment of the vehicle and provide the ambient light signal to the control system. The at least one ambient light sensor may comprise a vehicle ambient light sensor, or an ambient light sensor of an external electronic device. Advantageously, the light sensor can be used to determine ambient light levels and feed these into the determination of how brightly to illuminate the external light(s).

[0022] According to an aspect there is provided a vehicle comprising any control system disclosed herein or any external lighting system disclosed herein. Advantageously, the external lights of the vehicle can be used to provide desired customised external lighting.

[0023] According to an aspect there is provided a system comprising any control system disclosed herein, any external lighting system disclosed herein, or any vehicle disclosed herein; and an external electronic device configured to receive a user selection of the one or more external lights and the target illumination level associated with each of the selected one or more external lights, to determine the control signal, and to transmit the control signal to the control system. Advantageously, the external electronic device can be used to remote control the illumination of the external lights of the vehicle to provide desired customised external lighting.

[0024] According to an aspect there is provided a system comprising: a control system for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, the control system comprising one or more controllers; and an external electronic device, wherein the external electronic device is configured to: output, on a touch screen display, a representation of the plurality of external lights of the external lighting system; receive, through the touch screen display, a selection input to a portion of the representation, the selection input selecting one or more of the plurality of external lights to output light; and a level input indicating a target illumination level associated with each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and transmit, to the control system, a lighting selection signal indicative of the selection of the one or more external lights and the target illumination level signal associated with each of the selected one or more external lights; and wherein the control system is configured to: receive the lighting selection signal and the target illumination level signal; determine, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the lighting selection signal and the associated target illumination level signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, output one or more control signals to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value.

[0025] Advantageously, the touch-screen equipped external electronic device can be used to remote control the illumination of the external lights of the vehicle to provide desired customised external lighting via an intuitive GUI whereby the user can interact with a representation of the lights of the vehicle and control the external lighting remotely.

[0026] The external electronic device may be configured to detect a level of ambient light and to transmit an ambient light signal to the control system. Advantageously, a user’s mobile phone or personal electronic device may be used as a sensor to detect ambient light levels, thus reducing the need for hardware changes to the vehicle in order to sense ambient light levels.

[0027] The lighting selection signal may indicate an individual user selection of each of the selected one or more external lights, or a user selection of a lighting mode associated with at least two external lights from among a plurality of pre-set lighting modes. That is, the selection input received by the touch screen display selecting one or more of the plurality of external lights to output light may be input to manually select one or more individual lights, or a mode input to select lights grouped for illumination in a pre-set way. Advantageously, using a pre-set mode enables the user to control the external lights in a simple and easy way with few user inputs.

[0028] The lighting selection may comprise an individual user selection of a respective target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights, or a single user selection of the target illumination level for all the selected one or more external lights. That is, the selection input received by the touch screen display selecting one or more of the plurality of external lights to output light may be input to manually select illumination levels for the one or more individual lights, or a mode input to select lights grouped for illumination at pre-set illumination levels. Advantageously, the user can conveniently select which lights to illuminate.

[0029] The control system may be configured to receive a proximity signal indicative of one or more of a distance between the external electronic device and the vehicle, and a direction of approach of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle; select the one or more external lights; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the proximity signal. The control system may be configured to select one or more external lights proximal to the electronic vehicle key in dependence on the direction of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle. Advantageously, the lighting levels can be automatically adjusted according to the proximity of the user to the vehicle.

[0030] The control system may be configured to determine one or more of a rate of change of the distance between the external electronic device and the vehicle, and a rate of change of the direction of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle; and select the one or more external lights and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the rate of change of the distance between the external electronic device and the vehicle or the rate of change of the direction of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle. Advantageously, the lighting levels can be automatically adjusted according to the proximity and movement of the user to the vehicle.

[0031] According to an aspect there is provided a method for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, the method comprising: receiving a selection input signal indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level signal associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal from at least one sensor, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle; determining, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, outputting one or more control signals to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value.

[0032] Advantageously, a lighting mode can be selected, and the external lights of the vehicle can be illuminated according to the selected mode. The use of the ambient light level to determine an output illumination for selected external lights provides the advantage that a target light level may be set, and the control system can determine output illumination values for selected lights to reach the target light level while compensating for ambient light levels.

[0033] In an aspect there is provided computer readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, are arranged to perform any method disclosed herein.

[0034] In an aspect there is provided a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more electronic processors, causes the one or more electronic processors to carry out any method disclosed herein. Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and / or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and / or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and / or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and / or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

[0035] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0037] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0038] Figure 2 shows a control system in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0039] Figure 3 shows a flow chart illustrating control of an external lighting system of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0040] Figure 4 shows an example external lighting system of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0041] Figure 5 shows a system comprising a vehicle and an external electronic device in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

[0042] Figure 6 shows a flow chart illustrating control of an external lighting system of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and

[0043] Figure 7 shows a system comprising an external electronic device, and a control system of an external lighting system in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

[0044] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] When requiring additional lighting outdoors, on occasions such as camping, vehicle owners may use their vehicles lights to illuminate the area. However, the lighting is generally turned either on or off and when lit, is at a pre-set level of illumination. The user is not able to select the specific lights most relevant to the area needing illuminating, nor the level of desired illumination (e.g. bright or dim), and therefore it is likely that lights would be illuminated which are not required and would therefore be wasting power. A further problem with this is light contamination, in that lights would be illuminated that are not required and could be causing a nuisance to others in the vicinity.

[0046] Examples disclosed herein provide independently selectable lighting, which may be controlled to compensate for fading (or increasing) levels of ambient light. The user can select specific required lighting levels and configurations, or specific individual lights (e.g. all near side, all off-side, front, rear, puddle light only) and these can be controlled to illuminate only the specific chosen lights. Ambient light compensation may be performed, which means that as the ambient light decreases, the vehicle lights’ level of illumination will increase to the requested level. The light provided overall may be controlled, for example, to be comfortable for the user to work or relax in.

[0047] Specifically for vehicle exterior lights, in order to provide a light source which illuminates only a specific area outside of the vehicle, the particular lights which can illuminate that area need to be identified and the required light level needs to be selected. Examples disclosed here allow a user to select which lights to operate and at what illumination level to operate at, with different levels of control. In some examples the user can have full control over individual lights and the light levels they provide. In some examples the user may be able to select a single “mode” option and the external lights may be controlled according to a predetermined pattern of selected lights provided a particular level of illumination. Ambient light compensation may be provided to accommodate changes in ambient light by varying the light levels provided by the external vehicle light. For example, on sensing fading ambient light, the vehicle would be able to increase the illumination level of the selected lights to a pre-set level.

[0048] A vehicle 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described herein with reference to the accompanying Figure 1. The vehicle 10 comprises a control system 100 as illustrated in Figure 2 and has an external lighting system. The vehicle 10 in the present embodiment is an automobile, but it will be understood that the vehicle in other examples may be any vehicle with external lights such as a static caravan, mobile caravan, motor home, camper van, horse box, trailer, van, truck, motorbike, or water vessel such as a boat or canal barge, for example. This is a non-exhaustive list.

[0049] With reference to Figure 2, there is illustrated a control system 100 for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle 10. The control system 100 as illustrated in Figure 1 comprises one controller 110, although it will be appreciated that this is merely illustrative and in other examples the control system 100 may comprise more than one controller 110. The controller 110 comprises an input means 140 and an output means 150. The input means 140 may comprise an electrical input 140 of the controller 110. The output means 150 may comprise an electrical output 150 of the controller 110. The controller 110 comprises processing means 120 and memory means 130. The processing means 120 may be one or more electronic processing device 120 which operably executes computer-readable instructions. The memory means 130 may be one or more memory device 130. The memory means 130 is electrically coupled to the processing means 120. The memory means 130 is configured to store instructions, and the processing means 120 is configured to access the memory means 130 and execute the instructions stored thereon.

[0050] The control system 100 is configured to receive a selection input signal 165 at the input means 140 indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level signal 165 associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal 165 from at least one sensor 160, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle 10. The selection input signal 165 indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system may be received from, for example, a user input on a remote electronic device, such as a smartphone, in wireless communication with the control system, or a user input made to a touchscreen console of the vehicle itself. The target illumination level signal 165 may be similarly received through a user input in some examples. The ambient light signal 165 may be received from at least one sensor 160 such as a light sensor located on the vehicle, a light sensor on a remote electronic device such as a smartphone, in wireless communication with the control system, or a light sensor remote from the vehicle in the vicinity of the vicinity and in communication with the control system in an “Internet of Things” arrangement, for example from a nearby weather station, or light sensor on a building alarm or security system.

[0051] The control system 100 is configured to determine, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal. The determination is performed by processing means 120. The determination may use the memory means 130, for example to retrieve the output illumination value, or to retrieve one or more parameters for use in determining the output illumination value, based on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal. The use of the ambient light level to determine an output illumination for selected external lights provides the advantage that a target light level may be set, and the control system 100 can determine output illumination values for selected lights to reach the target light level while compensating for ambient light levels. The control system 100 is configured to then output one or more control signals 155 via the output means 150 to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value, in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights.

[0052] Figure 3 shows a flow chart illustrating a method 300 of control of an external lighting system of a vehicle performed by a control system. Figure 3 shows a processor 120 of a control system 100 such as that shown in Figure 2 to illustrate the method steps which are performed by a processor 120, in the present embodiment. The control system 100 is configured to receive a selection input signal 302 indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level signal 304 associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal 306 from at least one sensor, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle. Processing means 120 of the control system 100 are configured to determine, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value 308 in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal. The control system 100 is configured to then output one or more control signals 310 to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value, in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights. Described as a method per se, the method is for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, and the method comprises: receiving a selection input signal 302 indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; receiving a target illumination level signal 304 associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and receiving an ambient light signal 306 from at least one sensor, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle; determining 308, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, outputting 310 one or more control signals to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value.

[0053] The control system 100 may be configured to receive the selection input signal 302 from one or more of a vehicle user interface, an application executed on a mobile device, or an electronic vehicle key. Advantageously, a remote user may provide the selection input signal 302 by automatic selection of lights by using the vehicle key. For example, detection of the vehicle key and user holding the key at the driver side of the vehicle 10 may cause the external lighting on the driver side to be illuminated and the external lighting on the passenger side may not necessarily be illuminated. Advantageously, if a mobile device such as a smartphone is used to control the external lighting system, a remote user can control the external lighting system using, for example, a mobile phone app with a graphical user interface, which gives an intuitive way of interacting with the system to control the lighting. An example is later described in reference to Figure 7.

[0054] Figure 4 shows an example external lighting system 400 of a vehicle 10. The external lighting system 400 comprises any control system 100 disclosed herein such as that illustrated in Figures 2 or 3; and a plurality of external lights 402, 404, 406 each configured to output a variable level of light 410, 412, 414 in dependence on the control signal. The plurality of external lights 402, 404, 406 may comprise one or more headlights 402, one or more puddle lights 404, one or more rear lights 406, or one or more side lights (not shown), for example. In this example of Figure 4, the rear light 406 is providing a different level of illumination *(i.e. brightness) than the front lights 402 and the puddle lights 404. Of course in other examples different combinations of lights 402, 404, 406 and levels of illumination of those lights are possible.

[0055] The external lighting system 400 may comprise at least one ambient light sensor 416 configured to detect a level of ambient light 420 in the external environment of the vehicle 10 and provide the ambient light signal to the control system 100. The at least one ambient light sensor 416 may comprise a vehicle ambient light sensor as shown in Figure 4. In other examples, the ambient light sensor may be part of an external electronic device such as a user’s smartphone (for example, a smartphone in communication with the vehicle, which may be used as an electronic key to unlock the vehicle).

[0056] Figure 5 shows a system comprising a vehicle 10 and an external electronic device 500. As noted above, the external electronic device 500 may be an electronic vehicle key, such as a standard vehicle key, an electronic passive entry-passive start (EPEPS) type key, or a mobile phone or personal electronic device configured to operate the vehicle locks. The external electronic device 500 may be a device which comprises an ambient light sensor, such as a smartphone. The vehicle 10 (i.e. a control system 100 of the vehicle 10) and an external electronic device 500 may be in wireless communication. In the case of the external electronic device 500 being a vehicle key or EPEPS key, the external electronic device 500 may not be able to transmit location or movement information, but may transmit an unlock command signal which can be detected by a vehiclebased detection system and used to unlock the vehicle. In examples where the location and / or movement of the vehicle key or EPEPS key is accounted for in controlling the external lighting system, this may be obtained by a proximity detection system of the vehicle which may be able to detect the location of a person approaching or in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example triggered by receipt of an unlock signal from the vehicle key. As another example, in the case of the external electronic device 500 being a communication device which can transmit location and / or movement data, the external electronic device 500 may be able to transmit location and / or movement data signals as well as an unlock signal, and this information may be received by a vehicle-based unlock system to, respectively, control the external lighting system and to unlock the vehicle. User location and / or movement-based illumination is discussed in more detail below.

[0057] Figure 6 shows a flow chart illustrating control of an external lighting system of a vehicle regarding use of an electronic vehicle key 500 and the vehicle 10. The control system 100 may be configured to receive 602 a proximity signal indicative of one or more of a distance between the electronic vehicle key 500 and the vehicle 10, and a direction of approach of the electronic vehicle key 500 with respect to the vehicle 10. The control system 100 may be configured to select 604 the one or more external lights to be controlled and determine 606 the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the proximity signal. Advantageously, the control system 100 can receive an indication of where the vehicle key 500 is and / or how the vehicle key 500 is approaching the vehicle 10 and may control the external lighting accordingly. For example, the path to the vehicle and driver side door may be illuminated as the vehicle key 500 (and therefore the user carrying the key 500) approaches. The proximity signal may be received 602, for example, by a motion detector on the vehicle detecting a person approaching in combination with an unlock signal being received from the key 500.

[0058] The control system 100 may be configured to select 604 one or more external lights proximal to the electronic vehicle key 500 in dependence on the direction of the electronic vehicle key 500 with respect to the vehicle 10; and determine 606 the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the distance between the electronic vehicle key 500 and the vehicle 10. Advantageously, the external lighting 400 may be automatically controlled in response to a key-holding user approaching or being proximal to the vehicle 10.

[0059] The control system 100 may be configured to determine one or more of a rate of change of the distance between the electronic vehicle key 500 and the vehicle 10, and a rate of change of the direction of the electronic vehicle key 500 with respect to the vehicle 10; and select 604 the one or more external lights and determine 606 the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the rate of change of the distance between the electronic vehicle key 500 and the vehicle 10 or the rate of change of the direction of the electronic vehicle key 500 with respect to the vehicle 10. Advantageously, the external lighting 400 may be automatically controlled responsively to how a user holding the vehicle key 500 is approaching the vehicle 10. Figure 7 shows a system 700 comprising an external electronic device 500, and a control system 100 comprising an external lighting system 400 of a plurality of external lights 400a-d. The external electronic device 500 in this example is a smartphone with a touch screen. The touch screen may display, as illustrated schematically, a graphical user interface (GUI) showing a representation 712 of the vehicle 10 having the external lighting system 400 which may be controlled via the smartphone 500. Also illustrated as part of the GUI is a slider 718 which may be used to control a brightness of a selected external light or lights. In other examples a different input graphic or way of selecting a light to be controlled, and / or for selecting brightness, may be used.

[0060] It may be envisaged that a user can interact with the schematic drawing 712, for example by touching an area 714 representing a particular external light of the vehicle 10, and by sliding the slider 718 to a brightness setting which is desired for that external light. User interaction with the schematic drawing 712 to select the external lights to control generates the selection input signal 702. User interaction with the slider 718 to select an illumination level generates the target illumination level signal 704. Once a setting has been input by the user (which may be confirmed in some examples by a user selecting a “done” option or similar) the selection input signal 702 and the target illumination level signal 704 may be transmitted from the external electronic device 500 to the control system 100 and the control system 100 can determine an output illumination value 708 based on the selection input signal 702 and the target illumination level signal 704. Selection of lights and / or illumination levels may be implemented by other user interfaces than a touch screen, such as by hard-keys corresponding to different modes, voice input, etc. In some examples the selection may be made on a console in the vehicle and not necessarily at a remote device.

[0061] The smartphone in this example also comprises a light sensor 716 which can detect ambient light levels at the location of the smartphone 500 (and thus, when the smartphone is in the vicinity of the vehicle (e.g. within a 5m distance, or a 10m distance, or a distance over which remote unlocking of the vehicle can be performed using the smartphone), the ambient light levels are those in the location of the vehicle). Thus, the external electronic device 500 in this example is configured to detect a level of ambient light (via the light sensor 716) which may be transmitted as an ambient light signal 706 and factored into the determination of the output illumination value 708 by the control system 100. Advantageously, a user’s mobile phone 500 or personal electronic device 500 may be used as a sensor 716 to detect ambient light levels, thus reducing the need for hardware changes to the vehicle 10 to include an ambient light sensor and sense ambient light levels.

[0062] The control system 100 determines an output illumination value 708 for each of the selected one or more external lights 400a- d of the external lighting system 400 respectively. In dependence on the output illumination value 708 for each of the selected one or more external lights 400a-d the control system 100 can then output one or more control signals 710 to control the selected one or more external lights 400a-d of the external lighting system 400 to output light at the respective output illumination value.

[0063] Another way of describing the system 700 of Figure 7 is as follows. The system 700 comprises a control system 100 for controlling an external lighting system 400 of a vehicle, and the external lighting system 400 comprising a plurality of external lights 400a-d. The system 700 also comprises an external electronic device 500 which is configured to output, on a touch screen display, a representation 712 of the plurality of external lights 400a-d of the external lighting system 400; receive, through the touch screen display, a selection input to a portion 714 of the representation 712, the selection input selecting one or more of the plurality of external lights 400a-d to output light, and receive, through the touch screen, a level input 718 indicating a target illumination level associated with each of the selected one or more external lights 400a-d respectively. The external electronic device 500 is configured to transmit, to the control system 100, a lighting selection signal 702 indicative of the selection of the one or more external lights 400a-d and the target illumination level signal 704 associated with each of the selected one or more external lights 400a-d. The control system 100 is configured to receive the lighting selection signal 702 and the target illumination level signal 704; determine, for each of the selected one or more external lights 400a-d respectively, an output illumination value 708 in dependence on the lighting selection signal 702 and the target illumination level 704; and output one or more control signals 710 to control the selected one or more external lights 400a-d to output light at the respective output illumination value 708. In some examples an ambient light level 706 may also be used to determine the output illumination value 708, either transmitted from the external electronic device 500 as shown or received from a light sensor of the vehicle 10, for example.

[0064] While the example in Figure 7 shows the control system 100 to be a part of the external lighting system 400, it will be appreciated in other examples that the control system 100 may be separate from, and communicatively connected to, the external lighting system 400 such that control signals 710 may be provided from the control system 100 to the separate external lighting system 400.

[0065] While the example described above uses an external electronic device 500 to provide the selection input signal 702, the target illumination level signal 704 and the ambient light signal 706 to the controller 100 of the external lighting system 400 for determination of the output illumination value 708, in other examples, the external electronic device 500 itself may comprise the controller 100 which is configured to determine the output illumination value 708, and then transmit the output illumination value 708 from the external electronic device 500 to the external lighting system 400 which may then output the one or more control signals 710 to the external lights 400a-d.

[0066] In the examples above, the target illumination level associated with each of the selected one or more external lights may indicate a target illumination of an area associated with the respective selected one or more external lights. For example, a target illumination level associated with a driver side headlamp at the front of a vehicle may be determined according to a target illumination area associated with the headlamp, such as an oval to the front of the vehicle on the driver side. As another example, if a user wants to change a tyre on the vehicle, the user may select the area around the tyre to be changed as an illumination area and the target illumination level would be an increased light level around the tyre to be changed (e.g. for a front tyre, a puddle light may be illuminated to increase the light levels around the front tyre). Other illumination areas not near to the tyre to be changed (i.e. outside the area of interest) may not be illuminated, thereby reducing power consumption by not illuminating lights which are not useful in the present situation), and similarly reducing unnecessary light pollution.

[0067] The control system 100 in some examples may be configured to determine the output illumination value 308 based on the target illumination level associated with each of the selected external lights and the level of ambient light in the external environment of the vehicle to compensate for the level of ambient light and to provide illumination at the associated target illumination level. That is, the external lights may be controlled to provide a brighter light level in dark conditions (e.g. at night time) and dimmer light levels in lighter conditions (e.g. at dusk, or during a cloudy day in the daytime), to provide comparable overall light levels regardless of the ambient light levels at that time. Advantageously, the target illumination level is achieved even when the ambient light changes, because the output illumination value is determined to compensate for the level of ambient light. The control system may be configured to increase the output illumination value when the level of ambient light decreases, and to decrease the output illumination value when the level of ambient light increases.

[0068] A change in output illumination value in some examples may be automatically performed by the control system 100 following receipt of updated ambient light level values from a light sensor. This may be continuous or periodic (e.g. every 10 seconds, every communication cycle between the ambient light sensor device and the control system). In some examples, the change in output illumination value may be continuous in that a continuum of light output levels may be provided and the output illumination value may vary along the continuum of possible light output levels to provide smooth variations to match changed in ambient light and provide a constant light level in the environment regardless of variation in the ambient light levels. In some examples, the change in output illumination value may be between discrete values (e.g. low, medium, high, full light output, or e.g. from 0% maximum light output to 100% maximum light output in 10% increments) and a variation in the light output provided to respond to a change in ambient light level may be following a change over a predetermined threshold of the ambient light levels.

[0069] The selection of the one or more external lights may comprise an individual user selection of each of the selected one or more external lights as discussed above. In such examples, the lighting selection may comprise an individual user selection of a respective target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights. In some examples, selection of the one or more external lights may comprise a user selection of a lighting mode associated with at least two external lights from among a plurality of pre-set lighting modes. In some examples, selection of the one or more external lights may comprise a user selection of the target illumination level for all the selected one or more external lights by selection of an illumination mode. In some examples, a user may be able to select a mode which controls a predetermined selection of external lights to illuminate at a predetermined illumination level. The selection input received by the touch screen display in such examples may thus represent a mode input to select lights grouped for illumination at pre-set illumination levels. In a mode input example, the touch screen may provide a list of commonly used modes (e.g. driver side, rear of vehicle for boot access) and possibly one or more user-defined preset modes for selection to control all the lights required to perform the lighting mode in a single selection. Possible preset modes may include a “camping” mode to provide soft light in the direction of a tent or seating area. The user may be able to select a “mode” and a predetermined illumination level may be retrieved for that mode; for example, “camping” mode may provide medium level illumination but “wheel change” mode may provide brighter level illumination. In reference to Figure 7, for example, instead or alongside the representation 712 of the vehicle and the external lights, there may be a displayed list of possible illumination modes which can be selected.

[0070] In some examples, a preview selection of a particular mode may cause the representation 712 to change to illustrate how the illumination from the external lights may look in that mode. In some examples, the user may be able to select a region to be illuminated in the vicinity of the vehicle, by touching the touch screen in an area outside the representation 712 to show where the user would like illumination (for example, selecting an area by a particular wheel to illuminate that area prior to a wheel change). The user may be able to select a mode and an area to be illuminated via the touch screen in some examples. Other possible GUI interactions may be envisaged. Different combinations of pre-determined light and illumination levels, and manual selection of lights and illumination levels, may be envisaged.

[0071] In some examples, the control system 100 may be configured to provide light of variable directionality, as sensed by motion or object sensors of the vehicle, to track a moving body in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example if a user is unpacking a vehicle and setting up camp in the dark, similar to a spotlight tracking an actor on stage. In some examples, a timer may be implemented to cause the external lights to switch off after a predetermined time period to help save energy. For example, after 30 minutes or one hour of illumination, the lights may be switched off. In some examples the external lights may remain illuminated until a user causes a control signal to be sent to the control system to turn the lights off.

[0072] Advantageously in some examples, lights can be controlled individually, and thus user has high degree of control and flexibility. Advantageously in some examples, a plurality of lights can be selected with a single input (or at least a single mode selection input as opposed to individual inputs for each light) according to a preset mode, which may be particularly beneficial, for example as a pre-set mode may correspond to a particular activity. A “wheel change” mode may select all lights on an appropriate side of the vehicle where the wheel is to be changed. As another example, a “snow chain” mode may be used to illuminate the vehicle in the vicinity of where the snow chains are to be fitted (i.e. the wheels) and where the snow chains are stored prior to fitting (e.g. a boot space). Another example may be to facilitate a user changing the ride height level for different driving conditions and illuminating the wheel areas to check the ride height. The plurality of pre-set lighting modes may include a first mode associated with all driver side vehicle lights, a second mode associated with all passenger side vehicle lights, a third mode associated with all rear lights, and a fourth mode associated with all front vehicle lights. Another possible mode may be "EV Charging mode" where one or more sensors of the vehicle detect the exterior charging point, and the control system causes illuminates the nearest exterior light to the exterior charging point, of the vehicle charging point and a user designated storage location for the charging cable (e.g. trunk or rear loadspace / boot) to facilitate connection of the exterior charging point to the vehicle charging point. Another example mode may be a "vehicle safety check mode", wherein maximum illumination of all exterior lights may be useful to allow a user to check for vehicle damage, tyre damage or anything fouling the vehicle after driving on unmaintained surfaces. Other modes may be envisaged also.

[0073] In some examples, the control system 100 may be configured to provide light of variable directionality, as sensed by motion or object sensors of the vehicle, to track a moving body in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example if a user is unpacking a vehicle and setting up camp in the dark, similar to a spotlight tracking an actor on stage. In some examples, a timer may be implemented to cause the external lights to switch off after a predetermined time period to help save energy. For example, after 30 minutes or one hour of illumination, the lights may be switched off. In some examples the external lights may remain illuminated until a user causes a control signal to be sent to the control system to turn the lights off.

[0074] In some examples, the control system 100 may be configured to provide an alert, such as an audible alert or a tone or spoken warning provided form the vehicle and / or the external electronic device, or a visual alert such as a symbol being made visible on the vehicle and / or on the external electronic device, to indicate that the vehicle battery is below a predetermined threshold (e.g. 10% or 5% remining charge), Such an alert can indicate to a user that the battery will requiring charging soon and that the illumination of external lights is using the remaining charge. The illumination levels and / or the number of lights being illuminated may decrease (or some or all of the lighting may be turned off fully) in response to the predetermined charge level being reached and the remaining charge being lower than the predetermined charge level.

[0075] The control system may be configured to receive a proximity signal indicative of one or more of a distance between the external electronic device and the vehicle, and a direction of approach of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle; select the one or more external lights; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the proximity signal. The control system may be configured to select one or more external lights proximal to the electronic vehicle key in dependence on the direction of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle.

[0076] The control system may be configured to determine one or more of a rate of change of the distance between the external electronic device and the vehicle, and a rate of change of the direction of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle; and select the one or more external lights and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the rate of change of the distance between the external electronic device and the vehicle or the rate of change of the direction of the external electronic device with respect to the vehicle.

[0077] Methods disclosed herein such as the method 300 illustrated in relation to steps performed by a computer processor 120, may be performed by the control system 100 of Figure 2, system illustrated in Figure 5 or system illustrated in Figure 7. In particular, for example in the control system 100 of Figure 2, the memory 130 may comprise computer-readable instructions which, when executed by the processor 120, perform a method for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, the method comprising: receiving a selection input signal indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal from at least one sensor, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle; determining, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, outputting one or more control signals to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon may be envisaged that, when the instructions are executed by one or more electronic processors, the one or more electronic processors may carry out this method or other method disclosed herein.

[0078] Throughout this disclosure the terms “target illumination level”, “ambient light level / level of ambient light” and “output illumination value” are used to describe light levels. “Target illumination level” means a desired or required brightness of light provided by the external lighting system, for example measured in candela, lux, lumens, or Watts. “Ambient light level” means a background light brightness in the environment of the vehicle and external lighting system, again for example measured in candela, lux, lumens, or Watts. “Output illumination value” is a level of brightness of light which is to be provided by the external lighting system to be able to provide the “target illumination level” in the presence of the “ambient light level”, again for example measured in candela, lux, lumens, or Watts. In a very basic formulation, the output illumination value may be determined to be the target illumination value minus the ambient light level. So for example if there is essentially no ambient light (e.g. in the middle of the night in the countryside), then the output illumination value may be determined to be the target illumination value because there is no ambient light to take account of. As another example, in a bright environment such as outside in the daytime in summer, if there is a lot of ambient light, then the output illumination value may be determined to be the target illumination value minus the ambient light level, and this may be an output illumination value close to or equal to zero i.e. the external lights do not need to be switched on. Of course there are many useful examples in which the output illumination value will be a value between the target illumination value and the ambient light value, and of course there may be other factors taken into account in the calculations of output illumination value, such as a minimum non-zero light output level of the external lights, consideration of which of the various external lights of the external lighting system and their position on the vehicle with respect to the area to be illuminated are to be used; consideration of any location obstacles or environmental features which may affect the desired illumination, etc.

[0079] It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present application.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A control system for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, the control system comprising one or more controllers, the control system configured to: receive: a selection input signal indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level signal associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal from at least one sensor, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle; determine for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, output one or more control signals to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , configured to determine the output illumination value based on the target illumination level associated with each of the selected external lights and the level of ambient light in the external environment of the vehicle to compensate for the level of ambient light and to provide illumination at the associated target illumination level.

3. The control system according to any of claims 1 to 2, configured to increase the output illumination value when the level of ambient light decreases, and to decrease the output illumination value when the level of ambient light increases.

4. The control system according to any preceding claim, configured to receive the selection input signal from one or more of a vehicle user interface, an application executed on a mobile device, or an electronic vehicle key.

5. The control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the selection of the one or more external lights comprises an individual user selection of each of the selected one or more external lights, or a user selection of a lighting mode associated with at least two external lights from among a plurality of pre-set lighting modes.

6. The control system according to any preceding claim, wherein the selection of the target illumination level comprises an individual user selection of a respective target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights, or a single user selection of the target illumination level for all of the selected one or more external lights.

7. The control system according to any preceding claim, configured to: receive a proximity signal indicative of one or more of a distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle, and a direction of approach of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle; and select the one or more external lights; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the proximity signal.

8. The control system according to claim 7, configured to: select one or more external lights proximal to the electronic vehicle key in dependence on the direction of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle; and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle.

9. The control system according to claim 7 or claim 8, configured to: determine one or more of a rate of change of the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle, and a rate of change of the direction of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle; and select the one or more external lights and determine the target illumination level associated with the selected one or more external lights in dependence on the rate of change of the distance between the electronic vehicle key and the vehicle or the rate of change of the direction of the electronic vehicle key with respect to the vehicle.

10. An external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising: the control system according to any preceding claim; and a plurality of external lights each configured to output a variable level of light in dependence on the control signal.

11. The external lighting system according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of external lights comprises one or more headlights, one or more puddle lights, one or more rear lights, or one or more side lights.

12. The external lighting system according to any of claims 10 or 11, comprising at least one ambient light sensor configured to detect a level of ambient light in the external environment of the vehicle and provide the ambient light signal to the control system.

13. A vehicle comprising the control system according to any of claims 1 to 9 or the external lighting system according to any of claims 10 to 12.

14. A system comprising one of the control system according to any of claims 1 to 9, the external lighting system according to any of claims 10 to 12, or the vehicle of claim 13; and an external electronic device configured to receive a user selection of the one or more external lights and the target illumination level associated with each of the selected one or more external lights, to determine the one or more control signals, and to transmit the one or more control signals to the control system.

15. A method for controlling an external lighting system of a vehicle, the external lighting system comprising a plurality of external lights, the method comprising: receiving a selection input signal indicative of a selection of one or more external lights of the external lighting system; a target illumination level signal associated with a target illumination level for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively; and an ambient light signal from at least one sensor, the ambient light signal indicative of a level of ambient light in an external environment of the vehicle; determining, for each of the selected one or more external lights respectively, an output illumination value in dependence on the associated target illumination level and the ambient light signal; and in dependence on the determined output illumination value for each of the selected one or more external lights, outputting one or more control signals to control the selected one or more external lights to output light at the respective output illumination value.

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