System for controlling at least one headlight of a motor vehicle

Abstract

1. A system (1) for controlling at least one headlight (3) of a motor vehicle provided with at least one light-emitting diode, characterized in that it comprises at least one camera (2) with calculation means suitable for determining the presence of at least one vehicle to be detected in an area in front of the motor vehicle and for determining the shape of a shadow zone around the at least one detected vehicle so that the at least one detected vehicle is not obscured by the light emitted by the at least one light-emitting diode of the headlight; and means (4) for controlling the headlights, which means are suitable for controlling the state of each light-emitting diode according to the operating state of the headlight (3) and the shape of the shadow zone around the detected vehicle.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technical field of the invention is the control of lighting in motor vehicles, in particular the control of adaptive high beam lighting in such vehicles. [Background technology]

[0002] The Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) function is a function that creates a shadow zone in the high beams positioned on the car facing the host vehicle to avoid dazzling oncoming vehicles. This function is currently created by three main components: a camera, a lighting computer (light control unit) dedicated to the function, and a dedicated computer for each of the two headlights ("ADB driver LED"). The purpose of the camera is to detect and locate the target vehicle on the road and transmit information about the target vehicle's position and width to the lighting computer. The lighting computer calculates the shadow zone to be created on the road to obscure the target car and the light-free angular portion of the high beam that needs to be created for each of the headlights. Each LED driver built into the headlight receives the angle information and drives the turning on or off of each of the LEDs of the high beam to create a shadow zone on the target vehicle.

[0003] There is a need to reduce the cost of producing such features. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The subject of the invention is a control system for at least one headlight of a motor vehicle provided with at least one light-emitting diode, comprising: at least one camera equipped with a calculation means, the calculation means being able to determine the presence of at least one vehicle to be detected in a scene in front of the motor vehicle and to determine the shape of a shadow zone around the at least one detected vehicle so that the at least one detected vehicle is not obscured by light emitted by a light emitting diode of the headlights; a headlight control means for controlling the state of each light emitting diode in response to the operational state of the headlights and the shape of the shadow zone around the detected vehicle; The control system includes:

[0005] The control means is capable of receiving information from the camera.

[0006] The motor vehicle may be equipped with electronic control means capable of transmitting the operational status of the headlights.

[0007] The headlight operational states may include a high beam operational state, a partial high beam operational state, and an off state.

[0008] The control system offers the advantage of reducing the number of control and processing means used.

[0009] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will emerge on reading the following description, given purely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the attached drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram of a control system for at least one headlight of a motor vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] 1 shows a lighting control system 1 for a motor vehicle comprising a camera 2, at least one headlight 3 equipped with at least one light emitting diode LED, at least one control means 4 for the or each headlight connected to electronic control means 5. This control means consists for example of the control means of the host vehicle. In a particular embodiment, the control means 4 for the headlight is connected to the headlight 3 via a control gateway.

[0012] The camera 2 is provided with computation means and a memory. These computation means consist of hardware and software means integrated in a computer provided in the camera, which computation means are duly programmed to detect the presence of a vehicle to be detected in the scene around the host vehicle by image processing. The camera 2 performs the capture of images of the scene in front of the vehicle and the detection of vehicles present in the scene via the computation means of the camera. The vehicles present in the scene include following vehicles and approaching vehicles. The camera 2 also performs the determination of the shadow zone to be created around each detected vehicle to avoid dazzling by headlights.

[0013] This shadow zone constitutes a zone of the view in front of the host vehicle that is within the illumination range of the host vehicle but which must not be illuminated by the headlights.

[0014] The camera 2 transmits the shadow zone to be created to the headlight control means 4 which controls the LEDs to switch them on or to keep them on depending on the shadow zone to be created, which is the shadow zone of the mode of operation of the headlights 3 received from the camera 2 and received from the electronic control means 5 of the vehicle.

[0015] The control means 4 therefore specifically transmits on or off signals to each LED for setting and shaping the lighting provided by the headlight to provide effective lighting whilst avoiding glare by creating shadow zones in the illuminated scene.

Claims

[Claim 1] A control system (1) for at least one headlight (3) of a motor vehicle provided with at least one light-emitting diode, comprising: at least one camera (2) equipped with a calculation means, said calculation means being able to determine the presence of at least one vehicle to be detected in a scene in front of said motor vehicle and to determine the shape of a shadow zone around said at least one detected vehicle so that said at least one detected vehicle is not obscured by the light emitted by said at least one light emitting diode of said headlights; a control means (4) for said headlights, capable of receiving from said calculation means angle information of said headlights (3) according to the operational state of said headlights (3) and the shape of said shadow zone around said detected vehicle, and controlling the state of each of said light emitting diodes; The present invention is characterized in that: the operational states of the headlights (3) include a high beam operational state, a partial high beam operational state, and an off state; A control system, wherein said motor vehicle comprises electronic control means (5) capable of transmitting said operating state of said headlights (3).

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