Method and vehicle for operating high beam assist

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for operating the high beam assist of a vehicle (1) equipped with matrix headlights, wherein the matrix headlights project a light distribution (2) into the surrounding area. The present invention relates to the following method steps, namely, - A step of detecting the area around the vehicle (1) using at least one surrounding sensor of the vehicle, -In order to confirm the presence of a convex obstacle (3) at the edge of the road, the process involves processing sensor data generated by at least one ambient sensor using a computing unit inside the vehicle, -If at least one convex obstacle (3) is present, the process involves identifying the current location of the vehicle (1), comparing the current location with a digital road map, and determining whether the calculation unit can read the route of the road portion behind the convex obstacle (3) from the digital road map, as viewed from the vehicle (1), and if it can be read, -The process is characterized by a calculation unit controlling at least the matrix headlights facing the convex obstacle (3) in order to generate a dimming tunnel (4) in the light distribution (2), wherein the brightness of the dimming tunnel (4) is reduced compared to the rest of the light distribution (2), and the calculation unit aligns the orientation of the dimming tunnel (4) with at least the portion of the road located behind the convex obstacle (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for operating high beam assist of a host vehicle equipped with a matrix headlight of the type defined in detail in the preamble of claim 1, and a vehicle of the type defined in detail in the preamble of claim 11.

Background Art

[0002] Compared with low beam, high beam enables better illumination around the vehicle, thereby allowing the vehicle driver to better perceive surrounding objects and the road. However, using high beam poses a risk of dazzling other road users or oncoming vehicles traveling ahead. Therefore, in such situations, the vehicle driver needs to "switch to low beam (abblenden)".

[0003] High beam assist can enhance the comfort of the vehicle driver and reduce the risk of forgetting to switch to low beam. Such high beam assist is based on detecting road users using a surrounding sensor and controlling the vehicle headlights so that the area where road users are present is excluded from the high beam among the light distributions projected around by the vehicle headlights. For this purpose, for example, a movable headlight can be swiveled or the individual pixels of a matrix headlight can be accurately dimmed.

[0004] For high beam assist to function correctly, it is necessary to reliably detect road users. Since the visibility conditions are poor in the dark, it is particularly difficult for a camera-based sensor system to recognize and classify a vehicle that is far away based on its image. Therefore, in a camera image, vehicle lamps such as the rear lamp, position lamp, or front headlight of a vehicle of another road user that may be present are accurately searched for, and the presence of a road user is inferred when such a lamp is detected.

[0005] Road routes often have curves, which can lead to situations where protruding obstacles such as guardrails, green spaces, and concrete boundaries obscure the headlights of other road users, particularly oncoming vehicles or vehicles traveling far ahead. In such cases, high beam assist may not be able to correctly recognize the corresponding road user and therefore cannot switch to low beam. This increases the risk of dazzling other road users.

[0006] Patent Document 1 provides a method for operating a driver information system in a vehicle and a driver information system itself. The driver information system described in this document enables the detection of the vehicle's surroundings and their realistic display on the vehicle's display. In particular, it can determine the radius of curvature of a curve ahead and apply this to the display of the corresponding roadway. Furthermore, it can detect and classify boundary markings such as road markings or guardrails and display them correctly on the display. In this case, the surrounding data generated by the sensors can be merged with map data. The operation of high beam assist is not the subject of this document. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses control of the illumination range of an automobile's headlights. This document describes predictive control of the headlight illumination range. In this case, the road path is detected, and the headlight beam is raised when approaching a concave road surface, lowered when approaching a convex road surface, and tilted into the curve when approaching a curve. This differs from headlight adjustment linked to the steering wheel position, and allows for early illumination of curves. In this case, the road path can be recognized by evaluating sensor data generated by surrounding sensors. For this purpose, road markings or road boundaries can be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the road path is validated based on light recognized in the camera image, such as reflections from directional signs or lamps of road users. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] DE102019202592A1 [Patent Document 2] DE102006016071A1 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] The present invention is based on the problem of providing an improved method for operating the high beam assist of a vehicle equipped with matrix headlights, which enables particularly reliable operation of the high beam assist. Advantageous embodiments and developments, as well as corresponding vehicles for carrying out the method, will become apparent from the dependent claims. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A method for operating the high beam assist of a vehicle equipped with matrix headlights, wherein the matrix headlights project light distribution into the surrounding area, according to the present invention, comprises the following method steps, namely: - A step of detecting the area around the vehicle using at least one of the vehicle's surrounding sensors, - A process of processing sensor data generated by at least one ambient sensor using a computing unit inside the vehicle in order to confirm the presence of a convex obstacle at the edge of the road, -If at least one convex obstacle is present, the process involves identifying the current location of the vehicle, comparing the current location with a digital road map, and determining whether the calculation unit can read the route of the road portion behind the convex obstacle from the digital road map, as viewed from the vehicle, and if it can be read, -The process is improved by a calculation unit controlling at least the matrix headlights facing a convex obstacle in order to generate a dimming tunnel in the light distribution, such that the brightness of the dimming tunnel is reduced compared to the rest of the light distribution, and the calculation unit aligns the orientation of the dimming tunnel with at least the portion of the road located behind the convex obstacle.

[0010] Therefore, the method according to the present invention, in situations where the lamps of a vehicle traveling ahead or an oncoming vehicle may be obstructed by a convex obstacle such as a guardrail, green belt, or concrete wall on a curve, assumes the presence of road users in the portion of the road extending behind the convex obstacle, thereby making it possible to avoid projecting high beams onto this portion of the road. This reduces the risk of dazzling other road users, or even completely prevents them from being dazzled. In this case, whether or not there are actually road users in that portion of the road is irrelevant.

[0011] Typically, a vehicle has two matrix headlights. Generally, a vehicle may have more matrix headlights. Such a matrix headlight has a number of light-emitting means, such as LEDs, arranged in a grid or field to form a large number of pixels. Such an arrangement is also called an LED array. Alternatively, a small number of light-emitting means, especially one, can be provided, in which case the corresponding light matrix is ​​generated using microlenses and / or micromirrors. In this case, individual pixels can be precisely darkened by precisely controlling the individual LEDs or microlenses and / or micromirrors. This can reduce the brightness of the area of ​​light distribution that shines on the road portion located behind a convex obstacle. In this case, it may be sufficient to control just one of the matrix headlights to create a dimmed tunnel in order to prevent dazzling oncoming vehicles. In the case of right-hand traffic, this is the left headlight of the vehicle, and in the case of left-hand traffic, this is the right headlight of the vehicle. Each of the other headlights can radiate light to the surroundings without changing its light distribution, such as high beam distribution.

[0012] The method according to the present invention describes the operation of high beam assist. However, the light distribution does not necessarily have to be high beam. In general, the light distribution can be low beam, parking light, or other light.

[0013] Surround detection is possible using various ambient sensors, such as cameras, laser scanners like LiDAR, radar sensors, and ultrasonic sensors. Such sensor systems can acquire depth information, enabling the recognition of convex obstacles based on their geometric features. Evaluating camera images allows for the classification of static and dynamic surrounding objects based on characteristic image features.

[0014] To determine its current location, the vehicle has positioning means such as a navigation system. The navigation system can determine its geographical location by evaluating signals from global navigation satellites, such as GPS, Galileo, and Beidou. The vehicle may carry a digital road map stored in a database included in a computing unit. Alternatively, the vehicle can use a communication unit to wirelessly access a central computing device, such as a cloud server of the vehicle manufacturer or map service provider, thereby reading the digital road map as needed. The vehicle, i.e., the computing unit, then compares its current location with the digital road map. In this case, the vehicle's orientation is automatically considered based on the direction of travel in each section, allowing the computing unit to easily check whether there is a corresponding road section behind a convex obstacle. This is especially true for winding or curved roads.

[0015] In that case, the calculation unit can determine which areas of the light distribution need to be darkened in order to generate a dimmed tunnel and project it correctly onto the road portion by matching the orientation of the vehicle, the arrangement of the matrix headlights on the vehicle, the path of the convex obstacle, and the corresponding geometric information of the road portion located behind it.

[0016] This ensures that, in particular, other road users who are more than 150 meters away from the vehicle will not be dazzled.

[0017] An advantageous development of the method according to the present invention is that, when the calculation unit matches the vehicle's current location with a digital road map, it intends to consider only the road sections within 30m, the maximum lateral distance to the convex obstacle, as being behind the convex obstacle. The brightness per unit area of ​​light distribution, commonly known as luminous flux density, decreases with increasing distance from the matrix headlights; therefore, as the distance from the vehicle increases, the glare risk decreases accordingly. Thus, since the glare risk automatically decreases with increasing distance, directing a dimming tunnel to a considerably distant section of road will only reduce the glare risk to a limited extent. Therefore, advantageously, the method according to the present invention is performed only on road sections at a specific distance behind the convex obstacle. In this case, a lateral distance of 30m has been found to be particularly advantageous. In this case, "lateral distance" means the distance extending orthogonally from the corresponding curve element when searching for the corresponding road section on the digital road map. This is a simple and reliable method for determining whether there are road routes that could lead to a glare risk for other road users.

[0018] Furthermore, this makes it particularly easy to project a dimming tunnel onto the opposing lane located behind a structural separation, for example, on a highway or an expressway with a guardrail between two traffic directions.

[0019] According to another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the computing unit evaluates sensor data to determine the height of surrounding objects and classifies only surrounding objects whose upper ends are at a geodetic height in the range of 30 cm to 120 cm as convex obstacles. When surrounding objects extend to a height in the range of 30 cm to 120 cm, the surrounding objects are located at a typical height where vehicle lamps are mounted. Therefore, such surrounding objects pose a high risk of obscuring vehicle lamps that may be present in the road portion behind the convex obstacle. Thus, particularly advantageously, such surrounding objects are classified as convex obstacles. Optionally, camera image evaluation can be performed to classify surrounding objects. Using proven image recognition algorithms, characteristic features can be recognized in the camera image, thereby recognizing, for example, whether a convex obstacle is a guardrail, green belt, concrete block, barrier tape, etc. This enables more reliable recognition and classification of convex obstacles.

[0020] Another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention further intends for the calculation unit to register the recognized convex obstacles in a digital road map. Thus, information on existing convex obstacles is aggregated and advantageously incorporated into the digital road map for later use. This can be used, for example, to improve the reliability of the method according to the present invention. There may be a risk that individual vehicles may not correctly detect, i.e., overlook, convex obstacles. In that case, when performing the method according to the present invention, the calculation unit can read the presence of convex obstacles from the digital road map in addition to the road route, so that even if convex obstacles are overlooked by purely sensor-based detection, the presence of convex obstacles can be inferred.

[0021] The digital road map can register various information representing convex obstacles, and at least the location or route of the convex obstacles is saved. Additionally, dimensions such as, for example, the height, width and / or depth of the convex obstacles, and the mutual intervals can be saved. The classification of convex obstacles, that is, for example, "guardrails" and "green belts" can also be saved. Time stamps such as dates and / or times can also be saved, so that it is possible to track in the digital road map when and how frequently the corresponding convex obstacles are detected. Thereby, temporary convex obstacles can be recognized and deleted from the digital road map if they are not detected again within a specific time.

[0022] According to another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the dimming tunnel extends horizontally at a first opening angle between the left tunnel boundary and the right tunnel boundary as seen from the host vehicle. In the case of right-hand traffic, the calculation unit arranges the left tunnel boundary at the outermost left edge of the light distribution and dynamically changes the first opening angle in order to move the right tunnel boundary, whereby the right tunnel boundary hits the road portion located furthest to the right within the maximum distance in front of the host vehicle from the digital road map, and vice versa in the case of left-hand traffic.

[0023] Thereby, it is ensured that only the relevant area of the light distribution becomes dark in order to generate the dimming tunnel. Especially as seen from the host vehicle, the area of the light distribution located particularly far to the right remains bright, whereby the vehicle driver can recognize the surrounding objects located near the host vehicle particularly well. Depending on how the road extends, the right tunnel boundary moves back and forth within the light distribution radiated from the host vehicle. If the road portion located furthest to the right is outside the light distribution, the dimming tunnel extends horizontally across the entire light distribution. That is, in extreme cases, the right tunnel boundary can coincide with the outermost right edge of the light distribution.

[0024] Another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention further intends for the calculation unit to set 400m as the maximum distance. In this case, 400m is found to be an advantageous value for the maximum distance, and thus prevents the generation of excessive dimming tunnels, particularly for road sections located far ahead, because a large distance from the vehicle would result in only a slight or no advantageous reduction in the risk of glare. Thus, the frequency with which brightness is maintained in the light distribution section, particularly far to the right, increases, thereby allowing the vehicle driver to perceive their surroundings better in this area.

[0025] According to another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the brightness of the dimmed tunnel is reduced to 80% of the brightness of the remaining light distribution. In other words, in this case, the dimmed tunnel has a brightness equivalent to at least 20% of the brightness of the remaining light distribution. In this case, dimming the brightness of the dimmed tunnel to 20% of the standard brightness has been found to be particularly advantageous in reducing the risk of glare. This is a compromise that ensures sufficient illumination of the surroundings while reliably preventing glare for other road users, so that vehicle drivers can still perceive their surroundings well even in the dimmed areas of the light distribution.

[0026] Another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention further intends for the computing unit to process sensor data to detect a vehicle in the vicinity of the vehicle, and for the computing unit to control the matrix headlights to reduce the brightness of the area of ​​light distribution where the detected vehicle is located. This makes it possible to exclude road users who emerge from the road section located behind the convex obstacle and enter the vehicle's field of view from the light distribution. That is, this reduces the risk of dazzling other road users who were previously obscured by the convex obstacle but subsequently enter the vehicle's field of view because an oncoming vehicle is approaching the vehicle, or because the vehicle is catching up to road users traveling further ahead at a relatively high speed.

[0027] In that case, vehicle detection around the vehicle can be done using proven methods based on geometric features and / or image recognition techniques, for example.

[0028] According to another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention, the dimming tunnel extends vertically at a second opening angle between the lower tunnel boundary and the upper tunnel boundary as seen from the vehicle, and the calculation unit positions the lower tunnel boundary above the lower edge of the outer side of the light distribution and the upper tunnel boundary below the upper edge of the outer side of the light distribution. This makes it possible to design the lower and upper regions of the light distribution to be relatively bright, thereby improving the driver's awareness of the surroundings. In particular, the roadway portion located relatively close in front of the vehicle can be brightly illuminated, ensuring safer driving. By maintaining high brightness in the upper region of the light distribution, for example, gantry signs can be strongly illuminated, and these can be reliably seen by the driver even at night, especially at large distances.

[0029] However, generally, the dimming tunnel can extend across the entire light distribution spread in a vertical view. Particularly preferably, the second opening angle can take on various values ​​in a range of horizontal angles. This allows for a wider adaptation of the dimming tunnel to different driving conditions. Therefore, from a line of sight that coincides with the direction of light propagation, the dimming tunnel can have a cross-sectional shape other than a square, rectangle, ellipse, or circle, such as an L-shape, T-shape, or triangle.

[0030] Another advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention involves the calculation unit reading from a digital road map the path of a convex obstacle along at least the section closest to the vehicle, determining the distance between two consecutive convex obstacles, comparing the distance to a specified permissible distance, and further attempting to prevent the deactivation of the dimming tunnel while driving along the section located between the two convex obstacles if the distance between the two convex obstacles is less than the permissible distance. This prevents the dimming tunnel from switching on and off alternately when driving along non-consecutive convex obstacles, which could be distracting to the vehicle driver and thus endanger safe driving. In this case, the permissible distance can take any fixed value, such as 50 cm, 1 m, 10 m, or a fraction or multiple thereof.

[0031] Additionally or alternatively, it is possible to detect interruptions between adjacent convex obstacles by evaluating sensor data. However, this is only possible up to a limited distance in front of the vehicle, depending on the curvature of the road path on the curve, whether it is a right curve in right-hand traffic or a left curve in left-hand traffic. Therefore, it is advantageous to read the distance between convex obstacles from a digital road map.

[0032] A vehicle comprising at least one ambient sensor, a matrix headlight, a positioning means, and a computing unit, wherein, according to the present invention, the at least one ambient sensor, the matrix headlight, the positioning means, and the computing unit are configured to perform the method described above. The vehicle can be any vehicle such as a passenger car, a cargo van, a transporter, or a bus. The computing unit can also be comprised of a single computer system or a plurality of distributed computer systems that are communicatively coupled to one another. Such a computer system or computing unit can be, for example, a central onboard computer or a control device for a vehicle subsystem.

[0033] Other advantageous embodiments of the method according to the present invention for operating the high beam assist and of the vehicle according to the present invention will also be apparent from exemplary embodiments which will be described in detail below with reference to the figures. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0034] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of a vehicle according to the present invention that performs a method for operating the high beam assist according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the traffic situation as seen from a vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a side view of the vehicle according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] Figure 1 shows a vehicle according to the present invention, which will be referred to as Vehicle 1 below. Vehicle 1 travels along a road 9. In this case, the road 9 can have any number of lanes, but it is not necessarily required that there be oncoming lanes. Vehicle 1 is equipped with matrix headlights for projecting a light distribution 2 around it. The light distribution 2 is defined horizontally by a left edge 6.L and a right edge 6.R. Generally, there is a risk that the light distribution 2 may dazzle other road users.

[0036] Conventional high-beam assist systems can recognize other road users and control the matrix headlights to darken the area of ​​light distribution 2 where those other road users are located. Such systems can reach their limits, especially at night, because, for example, other road users far from the vehicle 1 may not be sufficiently illuminated and difficult to recognize in the camera image. Therefore, the camera image typically searches for vehicle lights such as taillights, front headlights, and position lights, making it possible to recognize the presence of other road users even if the actual image of the vehicle cannot be recognized.

[0037] At the edge of the road, there may be convex obstacles 3, such as guardrails, as shown in Figure 2, which may obstruct the view from the vehicle 1 to the corresponding vehicle lamp. In such cases, there is a risk that the high beam assist will not recognize other road users, and as a result, the light distribution 2 will not darken the corresponding area. Therefore, there is a risk of dazzling other road users. This risk can be mitigated or even completely prevented by the method according to the present invention.

[0038] To this end, the vehicle 1 uses at least one ambient sensor to detect its surroundings. To detect the presence of the aforementioned convex obstacle 3 at the edge of the road, sensor data generated by at least one ambient sensor is processed by a computing unit inside the vehicle. In this case, the left and right edges of the road can be monitored. If a corresponding convex obstacle 3 is present, the computing unit identifies the current location of the vehicle 1, compares it with a digital road map, and determines whether the route of the road portion behind the convex obstacle 3 is recognized on the digital road map from the perspective of the vehicle 1. If recognized, the computing unit controls the matrix headlights of the vehicle 1 to provide a dimming tunnel 4 in the light distribution 2. In the dimming tunnel 4, the brightness of the light distribution 2 is reduced relative to the rest of the light distribution, specifically to 20% of the standard brightness. The orientation of the dimming tunnel 4 is precisely aligned with the road portion located behind the convex obstacle 3. In other words, the calculation unit assumes that other road users are generally driving on the road section located behind the convex obstacle 3, and as a precaution, the corresponding area of ​​the light distribution 2 is excluded. This reduces the risk of glare.

[0039] Preferably, in this case, the dimming tunnel 4 extends horizontally between the left tunnel boundary 5.L and the right tunnel boundary 5.R as viewed from the vehicle 1, with a first opening angle β1. In this case, the calculation unit dynamically changes the first opening angle β1 to position the left tunnel boundary 5.L at the outermost left edge 6.L of the light distribution 2 and to move the right tunnel boundary 5.R. This is for the maximum distance d maxThis is done according to the road route, taking that into consideration. Therefore, as shown in Figure 1, the calculation unit determines which point 10 on road 9 has the maximum distance d max Determine the point furthest to the right of vehicle 1 within the given range, and align the orientation of the right tunnel boundary 5.R with this point. This ensures that when vehicle 1 travels along road 9, the relevant surrounding area is always included within the effective range of the dimming tunnel 4. Therefore, point 10 is the intersection with road 9.

[0040] Preferably, in that case, the left tunnel boundary 5.L coincides with the outermost left edge 6.L of the light distribution 2.

[0041] The calculation unit is the maximum distance d max The value of 400m is used specifically for this purpose. In other words, in area 11, the distance to the vehicle 1 is large, so even when the light distribution 2 is at its maximum intensity, there is no risk of dazzling other road users.

[0042] Figure 2 shows a diagram of the traffic situation as seen from vehicle 1. This is a nighttime driving situation, indicated by the dark hatched sky. Two guardrails exist as convex obstacles 3, demarcating the roadway driven by vehicle 1 on the left and right. Because this is a right curve, there is a section of road behind the guardrails 12 where other road users may be present. Therefore, the dimming tunnel 4 needs to be directed towards this area. Furthermore, behind the left guardrail as seen from vehicle 1, there is an oncoming lane where other road users may also be present. Therefore, the dimming tunnel 4 also needs to be directed towards area 13. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 2, the dimming tunnel 4 also extends between area 12 and area 13. However, it is possible to emit full light intensity and not dim light here. It is also possible to use only one of the two areas 12 or 13 to form the dimming tunnel 4.

[0043] In that case, Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment in which the dimming tunnel 4 extends vertically only over a portion of the light distribution 2. As viewed from the vehicle 1, the dimming tunnel 4 has an L-shape. However, generally, the dimming tunnel 4 can also extend vertically over the entire light distribution 2.

[0044] Furthermore, Figure 2 shows vehicle 7 traveling in front of vehicle 1. Since vehicle 7 is located relatively close in front of vehicle 1, it can be reliably recognized by vehicle 1 in the manner demonstrated. Therefore, since area 8 is excluded from the light distribution 2 as in the conventional way, the driver of vehicle 7 is not dazzled. In this case, area 8 can be left dark or illuminated with light, with a lower brightness selected than the rest of the light distribution 2, specifically the same brightness as when the dimming tunnel 4 is illuminated. This also prevents dazzling by undisclosed vehicles that enter the field of view of vehicle 1 from area 12 when vehicle 1 is traveling at high speed.

[0045] Figure 3 again clearly shows the vertical extension of the light distribution 2 and the dimming tunnel 4 in a side view. The dimming tunnel 4 has a second opening angle β2 vertically. In this case, the lower tunnel boundary 5.U is positioned above the lower edge 6.U of the light distribution 2. Similarly, the upper tunnel boundary 5.O is positioned below the upper edge 6.O of the light distribution 2. This makes the embodiment of the light distribution 2 shown in Figure 2 possible. Thus, the road surface area of ​​the roadway located in front of the vehicle 1 can be brightly illuminated, thereby making it easier for the driver of the vehicle 1 to recognize the roadway and surrounding objects in this area. Furthermore, by brightly illuminating the upper area of ​​the light distribution 2, related objects such as traffic signs, bridges, or overhanging branches can be more easily recognized.

Claims

1. A method for operating the high beam assist of a vehicle (1) equipped with matrix headlights, wherein the matrix headlights project a light distribution (2) to the surrounding area, The following method steps, namely, - A step of detecting the area around the vehicle using at least one surrounding sensor of the vehicle (1), - A step of processing sensor data generated by at least one surrounding sensor using a calculation unit inside the vehicle in order to confirm the presence of a convex obstacle (3) at the edge of the road, - If at least one convex obstacle (3) is present, the steps include: identifying the current location of the vehicle (1); comparing the current location with a digital road map; and determining whether the calculation unit can read the route of the road portion behind the convex obstacle (3) from the digital road map, as viewed from the vehicle (1); and if it can be read, - A step of controlling, by the calculation unit, at least the matrix headlights facing the convex obstacle (3) in order to generate a dimming tunnel (4) in the light distribution (2), wherein the brightness of the dimming tunnel (4) is reduced compared to the remaining light distribution (2), and the calculation unit aligns the orientation of the dimming tunnel (4) with at least the portion of the road located behind the convex obstacle (3), The method characterized by the above.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when the calculation unit compares the current location of the vehicle (1) with the digital road map, it considers only the portion of the road that is within a maximum lateral distance of 30 meters from the convex obstacle (3) to be located behind the convex obstacle (3).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the calculation unit evaluates the sensor data to determine the height of surrounding objects and classifies only surrounding objects whose upper ends are in the geodetic height range of 30 cm to 120 cm as convex obstacles (3).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the calculation unit registers the recognized convex obstacle (3) in the digital road map.

5. The dimming tunnel (4) has a first opening angle (β) between the left tunnel boundary (5.L) and the right tunnel boundary (5.R) as viewed from the vehicle (1) in the horizontal direction. １ ) expands, and in the case of right-hand traffic, the calculation unit positions the left tunnel boundary (5.L) at the outermost left edge (6.L) of the light distribution (2), and moves the right tunnel boundary (5.R) by the first opening angle (β １ ) is dynamically changed, thereby the right tunnel boundary (5.R) is determined from the digital road map to be the maximum distance (d) in front of the vehicle (1). ｍａｘ The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it corresponds to the road portion located furthest to the right within ) and the opposite in the case of left-hand traffic.

6. The calculation unit calculates the maximum distance (d) to be 400 meters. ｍａｘ The method according to claim 5, characterized in that it is set as ).

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the brightness of the dimming tunnel (4) is reduced to 80% compared to the remaining light distribution (2).

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the calculation unit processes the sensor data to detect a vehicle (7) in the vicinity of the vehicle, and the calculation unit controls the matrix headlight to reduce the brightness of the region (8) of the light distribution (2) where the detected vehicle (7) is located.

9. The dimming tunnel (4) has a second opening angle (β) between the lower tunnel boundary (5.U) and the upper tunnel boundary (5.O) when viewed from the vehicle (1) in the vertical direction. ２ The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the calculation unit spreads out in the following way, and the lower tunnel boundary (5.U) is positioned above the lower outer edge (6.U) of the light distribution (2), and the upper tunnel boundary (5.O) is positioned below the upper outer edge (6.O) of the light distribution (2).

10. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that the calculation unit reads from the digital road map the path of a convex obstacle (3) along at least the section located in front of the vehicle (1) that is closest to the vehicle itself, identifies the distance between two consecutive convex obstacles (3), compares the distance with a specified allowable distance, and if the distance between the two convex obstacles (3) is less than the allowable distance, prevents the deactivation of the dimming tunnel (4) while traveling along the section located between the two convex obstacles (3).

11. A vehicle comprising at least one ambient sensor, matrix headlights, positioning means, and a computing unit, The vehicle is characterized in that the at least one ambient sensor, the matrix headlight, the positioning means, and the calculation unit are configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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