Method for dynamically controlling a lighting system of a vehicle, computing element, computer program and lighting system for implementing the method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, a computing element, a computer program and a lighting system for dynamically controlling the lighting of a vehicle, which lighting system is controlled by a control unit (2) to provide a plurality of lighting configurations of the system (1), and at least one sensor (3) for acquiring so-called travel data, the method comprising prior training of the control unit (2) to detect the travel of the vehicle in an urban area and to discriminate fluid traffic from congested traffic, in order to control the lighting system by providing modified lighting configurations, by reducing at least one lighting width of at least one of the lighting devices used, when the vehicle is currently travelling in fluid traffic in an urban area, and / or by reducing at least a range and / or a lighting intensity of at least one of the lighting devices (LB, DRL) used, when the vehicle is currently travelling in congested traffic in an urban area.

Description

Description Title of the invention: Method for the dynamic control of a vehicle lighting system, computer element, computer program and lighting system for implementing the method

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of lighting and / or signaling devices for motor vehicles, in particular automobiles, and more particularly to the management of energy consumption by these devices.

[0002] Indeed, a recurring problem in the field of lighting devices concerns energy consumption and the technologies of these devices are evolving to limit their energy consumption and increase their lifespan. In addition to these solutions relating to the devices themselves, there remains a problem of vehicle lighting management to limit energy consumption. Indeed, the regulations in force in different countries around the world impose various parameters for vehicle lighting, such as sizes, arrangements, ranges, width, etc. For example, Regulation No. 48 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) provides uniform requirements for the approval of vehicles with regard to the installation of lighting and light-signalling devices.In general, the regulations aim to ensure the safety and the switching on of lighting devices, and some of their parameters, such as their ranges, widths and intensities, are defined to ensure good visibility of the vehicle from the outside and good visibility of users inside the vehicle's surroundings. However, in traffic, visibility conditions vary widely depending on natural factors such as time and / or weather, but also on environmental factors such as public lighting (particularly in built-up areas), the density of vehicles circulating, etc. Thus, the regulations lead to lighting being most often greater than what is necessary for the safety of users in traffic, due to the accumulation of lighting from various vehicles and / or their surroundings.Thus, saving energy for vehicle lighting while complying with regulations remains a problem in the field.

[0003] On the other hand, car manufacturers are increasingly adopting digital lighting devices for mid- and high-end products. These digital lighting devices generally include solid-state light sources, whose operation can involve high energy consumption. In addition, temperature control in these elements is a very sensitive aspect, and is usually carried out by derating, which means that the value of the current that powers the light source is reduced so that the output flux and operating temperature decrease accordingly. The performance of the light sources must therefore be significantly oversized to deal with these over- heating, so that operating values ​​can be reduced while maintaining acceptable values.

[0004] These questions are even more important in the case of new electric vehicles, where energy saving is crucial, as it has a direct impact on the vehicle's range and therefore on CO2 emission values.

[0005] Finally, in certain cases, it is useful to be able to improve visual comfort if the environment allows it, in order to increase user safety by limiting visual light pollution in their fields of vision.

[0006] The present invention therefore aims to provide solutions for managing vehicle lighting and optimizing the energy consumption of the lighting system of these vehicles while complying with regulations, or even improving the visual comfort and safety of users. An additional technical problem is to discriminate between traffic conditions, particularly in built-up areas and depending on the traffic, in order to adapt the lighting appropriately while meeting the requirements of the legislation.

[0007] This aim is achieved by a method for the dynamic control of a lighting system of a vehicle, said system comprising, on the one hand, a plurality of lighting devices controlled by a control unit to provide a plurality of lighting configurations of said system and, on the other hand, at least one sensor for the acquisition of data, called traffic data, relating to the traffic of the vehicle and to the traffic conditions, the method comprising: A prior learning of the control unit to recognize built-up area characteristics from the data provided by at least one sensor during a prior training phase, then to decide whether a built-up area lighting functionality must be activated or deactivated on the basis of the comparison between said traffic data provided by said sensor of the system with said learned built-up area characteristics, said method being characterized in that it comprises a prior learning, by the control unit, of traffic conditions by recognizing characteristics of vehicles or obstacles, in motion or stationary, around the vehicle equipped with said system, in order to discriminate characteristics of situations of said vehicle in circulation in fluid traffic and situations of said vehicle in circulation in congested traffic, from the most relevant traffic data,then the implementation of the following steps by the control unit:, - Calculation of a distance and / or time separating said vehicle from another vehicle or obstacle, then comparison of this distance and / or this time with at least one threshold value recorded in the control unit, - Acquisition of the speed of said vehicle and comparison of this speed with at least one speed threshold recorded in the control unit, - Measurements of the durations during which the speed is above and / or below said speed threshold and measurements of the frequency of crossing said speed threshold, - Discrimination between a situation where the said vehicle is currently in circulation in free-flowing traffic and a situation where the said vehicle is currently in circulation in congested traffic, thanks to learning, from said measurement and comparisons of said traffic data, and when said vehicle is in circulation with a first lighting configuration, called nominal, of said system (1): - Control of said lighting system to provide at least a second lighting configuration, modified from the nominal configuration by reducing a width of a lighting beam, when said vehicle is moving in free-flowing traffic in built-up areas, or - Control of said lighting system to provide a third lighting configuration, modified compared to the nominal configuration by reducing a range and / or an intensity, and possibly a width, of a lighting beam, when said vehicle is traveling in congested traffic in built-up areas.

[0008] According to another feature, said control of said lighting system to provide the second or third lighting configuration also comprises control of at least one other lighting device to supplement or replace those modified, in particular if the modification consists of switching off one of said devices.

[0009] According to another feature, said control of said lighting system to provide the second or third lighting configuration comprises a control of the photometry of at least one of said devices.

[0010] According to another feature, the discrimination of the characteristics of situations of said vehicle in circulation includes a calculation of a time before collision and a comparison of this time with a threshold, for example two seconds.

[0011] According to another feature, following one of said reductions, the control unit implements steps of: - Monitoring the vehicle's current steering angle and / or the activation of direction indicator lights, to determine whether a turning maneuver is initiated in one direction, and - Control of said lighting system, on the side of the direction of the turning maneuver initiated, to restore the initial values ​​of the width and / or the range and the lighting intensity of the device or devices whose lighting has been reduced.

[0012] According to another feature, said control of said lighting system, on the side of the direction of the turning maneuver initiated, to restore the initial values ​​of the width and / or the range and the lighting intensity of the device or devices whose lighting has been reduced, following one of said reductions, comprises dynamic control of the lighting as a function of the steering angle of said vehicle as it maneuvers.

[0013] According to another feature, at least one of the automotive lighting devices comprises a matrix arrangement of luminous pixels in rows and columns.

[0014] According to another feature, following one of the said reductions, certain rows or columns are extinguished compared to the initial light intensity.

[0015] According to another feature, the steps implemented by the control unit when the vehicle is in circulation are carried out periodically with a period of less than 1 second, and in particular less than 0.5 seconds to regularly decide on the passage from one lighting configuration to another.

[0016] According to another feature, the learning by the control unit involves the use of a computer-based automatic learning algorithm.

[0017] According to another feature, the data on the external environment of the vehicle acquired by at least one sensor comprises at least two types of data among the lighting devices currently active on said vehicle, the external light intensity, the number of cars around and the distance from them, the current speed of the vehicle or the presence and color of traffic lights, the positioning coordinates and the surrounding road signs.

[0018] According to another feature, the plurality of sensors comprises at least one of an external light sensor, an activation sensor of said lighting devices, at least one camera, a geo-positioning sensor, a radar, a lidar or infrared sensors.

[0019] Another aim of the present application is to propose a computer element making it possible to at least partially overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0020] This aim is achieved by a computer element comprising means for implementing the steps of a method according to various embodiments of the invention, in cooperation with at least one sensor (3).

[0021] Another aim of the present application is to propose a computer program making it possible to at least partially overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0022] This object is achieved by a computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a control unit, cause the control unit to execute the steps of a method according to various embodiments of the invention, in cooperation with at least one sensor (3).

[0023] Another aim of the present application is to propose a vehicle lighting system making it possible to at least partially overcome the drawbacks of the prior art.

[0024] This goal is achieved by a vehicle lighting system comprising: - a plurality of lighting devices; - a plurality of sensors configured to provide certain data on vehicle traffic and traffic conditions; and - a control unit for carrying out the steps of the method according to various embodiments of the invention.

[0025] According to another feature, at least one of the lighting devices comprises a matrix arrangement of semiconductor light sources.

[0026] According to another feature, the matrix arrangement includes at least 2000 semiconductor light sources.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the description of various embodiments below, made with reference to the appended drawings. Indeed, to complete the description and to allow a better understanding of the invention, a set of drawings is provided. These drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention and form an integral part of the description, which should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention, but simply as a example of how the invention may be carried out. The drawings include the following figures: [Fig 1] Figure 1 represents a schematic view of a system according to various embodiments of the invention; [Fig 2] Figure 2 represents a schematic view of a method according to various embodiments of the invention;

[0028] The present invention relates to a method for the dynamic control of a lighting system (1) of a vehicle, as well as a computer element, a computer program and a lighting system for implementing the method. The present application refers to a control unit which controls the lighting but also which is trained during at least one learning process and which performs calculations, comparisons, etc. Those skilled in the art will of course understand that it may be several control units for the different tasks and cooperating to implement the invention or a single unit performing all the tasks. In addition, those skilled in the art will naturally understand, by the nature of the tasks performed, that such a unit will generally comprise at least one processor executing instructions and that various forms of implementation are possible and that it is therefore not necessary to provide details on the types of hardware that can be used or used.The drawings presented on the figure pages are provided solely as an example and in a very schematic manner, so that the person skilled in the art will be able to imagine any type of variants from the content of this application.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this document must be interpreted in accordance with professional practice, particularly in the field of lighting and signaling of motorized vehicles, in particular automobiles. For example, the terms "range", "width", and intensity are commonly used and may be interpreted to also cover other terms used to define light beams (in particular by vertical and horizontal angles or by focal lengths). Similarly, other terms such as "field of vision", often expressed in degrees, may be used without implying any particular limitation in this application.It is also understood that terms in common usage should be interpreted as being customary in the relevant art and not in an idealized or overly formal sense and should not be interpreted in a limiting manner, unless they are expressly defined as such herein.

[0030] In the present application, as generally accepted in the field of patent applications, the terms "comprises", "comprises" and "includes" as well as their derivatives (such as "comprising", "comprising", etc.) are not to be understood in an exclusive sense, that is to say, these terms are not to be interpreted as excluding the possibility that what is described and defined may include other elements, steps, etc.

[0031] The terms "lighting system" and "lighting device" are understood in this application to mean both the lighting itself and the signaling, including in particular: devices which make it possible to illuminate the vehicle's surroundings, - either to be able to see, such as low beam headlights (LB) or high beam headlights (HB) even if the latter are generally prohibited in certain conditions, particularly in built-up areas, - either to be seen, such as position lights (PL, according to the Anglo-Saxon terminology "position light"), rear position lights (RPL, according to the Anglo-Saxon terminology "rear position light") or daytime running lights (DRL, according to the Anglo-Saxon terminology "day running light") but also devices which allow the actions of a driver to be signaled to other users, such as for example brake lights (SL, according to the Anglo-Saxon terminology "stop light"), direction indicator lights (turn indicators or TI, according to the Anglo-Saxon terminology "turn indicator") or hazard lights (W, according to the Anglo-Saxon terminology "warning").

[0032] The lighting system (1) therefore comprises a plurality of lighting (or signaling) devices (5) which may be of the type of examples (PL, LB, HB, DRL, SL, TI, W) provided above, which are neither exhaustive nor limiting. In general, it will be considered that the system also comprises the control (or command) unit (2) which makes it possible to control the system (1) and implement the method. Each device may comprise one or more light source(s) (6) depending on the type of lighting (incandescent bulbs or light-emitting diode (LED), for example).

[0033] In general, the present invention aims to save the energy consumed for lighting vehicles traveling in built-up areas, preferably depending on traffic conditions and in particular traffic (flowing or congested). Indeed, in built-up areas, public lighting generally makes it possible to at least partially compensate for the reduction in brightness induced by the weather or the absence of sun (e.g., at night) and, when traffic is congested, vehicles are closer to each other, which impacts the various types of lighting and signaling that are actually necessary on vehicles to ensure the safety of users. Thus, vehicle lighting generally does not require as much energy as they currently consume under these conditions. The present invention therefore proposes to overcome this lack by providing adaptive lighting solutions for vehicles.

[0034] Certain embodiments of the invention therefore relate to a method for the dynamic control of a lighting system (1) of a vehicle, said system (1) comprising, on the one hand, a plurality of lighting devices (5) controlled by a control unit (2) to provide a plurality of lighting configurations of said system (1) and, on the other hand, at least one sensor (3) for the acquisition of data, called traffic data, relating to the traffic of the vehicle and to the traffic conditions, in particular information on the external environment of the vehicle but also information relating to the traffic but intrinsic to the vehicle. Such data on the external environment can be numerous and involve a plurality of sensors of different types and the person skilled in the art will be able to assess the most relevant ones according to the data to be collected. The following information will therefore be cited as a non-limiting example which is generally the most relevant for achieving the aims of the invention: - information on the speed, or even acceleration, of said vehicle (for example by its speed sensor or by a gyroscope) - information on the steering wheel angle (from a sensor in the steering wheel or from a gyroscope, for example from the ESP system); - information on the slope of the road on which the said vehicle is traveling (for example by a level sensor or by the gyroscope) in particular to recognize mountain roads; - information on the distance to vehicles or obstacles (measurable by various sensors, lasers or cameras); - information on the relative speed of other vehicles (e.g. using the vehicle speed sensor and integrated time distance information) - information on the vehicle's position (geolocation for example, via GPS) - information on surrounding light conditions (for example measurable by illuminance and / or luminance sensors often already present on certain vehicles).

[0035] In general, the method comprises a preliminary training of the control unit (2) to recognize built-up area characteristics from the data provided by at least one sensor during a preliminary training phase, then deciding whether a built-up area lighting functionality must be activated or deactivated on the basis of the comparison between the data provided by said sensor (3) of the system (1) with said learned built-up area characteristics. Thus, the control unit present in the vehicle to control the lighting system is capable of recognizing the fact that the vehicle is traveling in a built-up area and dynamically adapting the lighting if the functionality is activated.It should be noted that the various functionalities and the lighting configurations resulting from their activation may of course be subject to authorization by the driver, for example by prior configuration on the dashboard or an agreement to be validated when the control unit detects the appropriate conditions for activating the functionalities.

[0036] In general and in various embodiments, the learnings by the control unit (2) comprise the use of a machine learning algorithm, for example by neural networks, classifiers, etc. This machine learning algorithm can be used both for the design of the light patterns of the case and / or for the classification of each situation in a predefined use case. Each of the two options follows its own machine learning algorithm. Once the corresponding results are validated, the values ​​of the control unit are used for the corresponding steps of the method of the invention. On the other hand, to monitor the traffic conditions and circumstances in which the vehicle is located, the steps implemented by the control unit (2) control (2) when the vehicle is in circulation are preferably carried out periodically with a period of less than 1 second, and in particular less than 0.5 seconds, to regularly decide on the transition from one lighting configuration to another.

[0037] In various embodiments, the data on the external environment of the vehicle acquired by at least one sensor (3) comprises at least two types of data among the lighting devices (5) currently active on said vehicle, the external light intensity, the number of cars around and the distance from them, the current speed of the vehicle or the presence and color of traffic lights, the positioning coordinates and the surrounding road signs.

[0038] Likewise, in various embodiments, the plurality of sensors (3) comprises at least one of an external light sensor, an activation sensor of said lighting devices (5), at least one camera, a geo-positioning sensor, a radar, a lidar or infrared sensors.

[0039] Preferably, the method also comprises prior learning, by the control unit (2), of traffic conditions by recognizing characteristics of vehicles or obstacles, moving or stationary, around the vehicle equipped with said system (1), in order to discriminate characteristics of situations of said vehicle in circulation in fluid traffic and situations of said vehicle in circulation in congested traffic. Traffic data supplied to the control unit during this learning not only makes it possible to select the most relevant data (and therefore the sensors) but also allows the control unit to then use the relevant data to recognize the traffic conditions in real time.Thus, training to recognize a built-up area does not a priori use the same information (or not all) as training to recognize congested traffic, nor even the measurements from the same sensors and the unit uses the relevant data for each discrimination task requested. Thanks to this learning, the control unit can then monitor the vehicle's environment when it is in circulation to propose various lighting configurations. Indeed, the vehicle in circulation generally has a lighting configuration, preferably in accordance with the regulations) which depends on the traffic conditions and circumstances and involves the switching on of various system devices. The learning is called "preliminary" because it precedes the steps of the process which are implemented during the circulation of the vehicle (acquisition, calculation, detection, comparison, etc.), but it should be noted that this learning can either be carried out before the installation of the control unit on the vehicle, or be carried out after this installation so that the learning is carried out in real conditions.

[0040] In some embodiments, the control unit undergoes two training processes. Both training processes include machine learning steps, where the control unit is trained with training data provided by the plurality of sensors.

[0041] The first training process involves designing different embodiment light patterns, each associated with a plurality of data values. This first training process includes: - training the control unit to design a light pattern of embodiments in response to a set of training data - testing the control unit by comparing the chosen light pattern with the expected optimal results.

[0042] Different use cases are defined, and the optimal light pattern is found for each use case using the algorithm mentioned above.

[0043] The second training process involves classifying a situation into a predefined use case. This second training process includes - training the control unit to classify a situation into a predefined use case with a training data set - a test of the control unit by comparing the chosen predefined case with the expected optimal results.

[0044] In this embodiment, different situations are set up, each with different data obtained by the sensors. The control unit is trained to identify which of the use cases best matches the situation.

[0045] Once both training processes are completed, the control unit is installed in a vehicle, to perform the light control of the lighting system. However, as mentioned elsewhere in this application, the training or prior learning can be done after installation on said vehicle and it will then be learning in real conditions. The validation of the learning will then be carried out by an action (by an automatic supervisor and / or a user supervising the operation) on the control unit, either on site or remotely.

[0046] The operation of this lighting system would then be to provide a preliminary light pattern, depending on the lighting functionality chosen by the vehicle user.

[0047] In some embodiments, when using said vehicle equipped to implement the present invention, every 0.2 seconds for example, the control unit of the lighting system receives the data from the plurality of sensors. This data includes the external data of the vehicle (active lighting functionality, exterior light intensity, number of cars around and distance from them, current speed of the vehicle or presence and color of traffic lights, etc.) Through its training / learning, the control unit will classify the environment into a use case and associate a lighting pattern with this situation. The lighting system then projects the new light pattern, which provides adequate lighting with minimal energy consumption. This process is for example repeated every 0.2 seconds.It should be noted that the term "light pattern" is used in the present application with the same meaning as the term "lighting configuration" and that it is not limiting of a pattern in the proper sense and therefore does not necessarily imply a variation of the photometry.

[0048] Thus, the present invention provides for the implementation of the following steps of a method by the control unit (2), when said vehicle is in circulation with a first lighting configuration of said system (1), called initial or rather nominal because it corresponds to the lighting configuration imposed by the regulations in force in the conditions of vehicle circulation. Indeed, this initial or nominal configuration is known from the legislation and varies according to the ambient lighting or the weather. This nominal configuration therefore corresponds to an initial lighting configuration applied when the built-up lighting functionality is deactivated or when the vehicle is traveling outside of traffic conditions specifically distinguished as fluid or congested thanks to the implementation of the process.

[0049] Thus, when the vehicle is traveling in this nominal configuration, the monitoring of traffic conditions by the control unit (2) comprises the following steps: - Calculation of a distance and / or a time which separates said vehicle from another vehicle or obstacle, then comparison of this distance and / or this time with at least one threshold value recorded in the control unit (2), - Acquisition of the speed of said vehicle and comparison of this speed with at least one speed threshold recorded in the control unit (2), - Measurements of the durations during which the speed is above and / or below said speed threshold and measurements of the frequency of crossing said speed threshold, - Discrimination between a situation where said vehicle is currently in circulation in flowing traffic and a situation where said vehicle is currently in circulation in congested traffic, thanks to learning, from said measurement and comparisons of said traffic data, then, when said vehicle is in circulation with a first lighting configuration, called nominal, of said system (1): - Control of said lighting system (1) to provide at least a second lighting configuration, modified with respect to the nominal configuration by reducing at least one lighting width (of a beam) of at least one of said lighting devices (5) used (for example of the LB and / or DRL type), when said vehicle is circulating in fluid traffic in built-up areas, and / or - Control of said lighting system (1) to provide a third lighting configuration, modified compared to the nominal configuration by reducing at least one range and / or intensity, and possibly a width, of lighting (of a beam) of at least one of said lighting devices (5) used (for example of the LB and / or DRL type), when said vehicle is traveling in congested traffic in built-up areas.

[0050] By reducing the lighting width, substantial savings can be achieved while maintaining satisfactory visibility for free-flowing traffic in built-up areas. In particular, in the case of LED lighting devices (5), it is possible to simply obtain light beams (vertical or horizontal) which are generally sufficient to meet regulatory requirements. On the other hand, by reducing the lighting range and / or intensity, even more substantial savings can be achieved by taking advantage of the fact that the density of vehicles in congested traffic makes the standard intensity and / or range of lighting devices (5), in particular dipped beam headlights (LB) and / or daytime running lights (DRL), unnecessary.

[0051] It should be noted that for the detection of an agglomeration the control unit can use image recognition from an on-board camera to identify buildings and by example measure their density, but it can also use the geo-positioning signal to determine if the vehicle is in a city and other possibilities are therefore possible, so these examples are not limiting.

[0052] Likewise, it will be noted that for the detection of congested traffic, the control unit preferably uses said speed comparison and the monitoring of stops or slowdowns of the vehicle as explained above, but these examples are not limiting either and the control unit can also, in addition or as an alternative, use distance sensors (for example ultrasonic) to determine the proximity of other vehicles (possibly by combining this distance with image recognition making it possible to identify that they are indeed vehicles and not any obstacles). In certain embodiments, the discrimination of the characteristics of situations of said vehicle in circulation integrates a calculation of a time before collision and a comparison of this time with a threshold, for example two seconds.Thus, when a pre-collision time of less than two seconds is detected, the control unit can infer (preferably with the context provided by the other information) that safety distances are reduced due to congested traffic.

[0053] In certain embodiments, said control of said lighting system (1) to provide the second or third lighting configuration also comprises a control of at least one other lighting device to supplement or replace those modified, in particular if the modification consists of turning off one of said devices. Indeed, in particular to continue to meet the regulatory criteria concerning the visibility of the vehicle (its size in particular) and / or the lighting of the environment of the vehicle, it is possible to combine the use of the various types of devices while reducing energy consumption. Thus, it is possible to reduce the intensity use or turn off one of the lights and turn on another, possibly with a limited intensity as well. For example, the daytime running lights can replace the dipped beam headlights, possibly with a supplement by the position lights.Many configurations are therefore possible thanks to the implementation of the present invention.

[0054] In some embodiments, at least one of the automotive lighting devices (5) comprises a matrix arrangement of light pixels (2) in rows and columns. In some particular cases, the matrix comprises at least 2000 solid-state light sources. A matrix arrangement is a typical example of this method. The rows can be grouped into projected distance intervals and each column of each group represents an angle interval. This angle value depends on the resolution of the matrix, which is generally between 0.01° per column and 0.5° per column. This control of the rows and columns allows for independent control of the angle and range, in addition to the intensity, and allows for multiple light sources to be managed simultaneously. In some of these embodiments, following one of said reductions, some rows or columns are turned off compared to the initial light intensity.Indeed, modern lighting devices often include "solid state" light sources and the invention makes it possible to take advantage of this type of device which notably allows for adaptation of photometry. The term "solid state" refers to light. emitted by solid-state electroluminescence, which uses semiconductors to convert electricity into light. Compared to incandescent lighting, solid-state lighting creates visible light with reduced heat output and less power dissipation. The generally low mass of a solid-state electronic lighting device provides greater resistance to shock and vibration than brittle glass tubes / bulbs and long wires with thin filaments. They also eliminate filament evaporation, which can increase the lifespan of the lighting device. Some examples of these types of lighting include semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), or polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) as lighting sources rather than electric filaments, plasma, or gas.This method aims to find the optimal light pattern to be projected by a lighting device. Predetermined use cases are defined and a corresponding light pattern is projected when the method identifies that the vehicle is in one of the predefined use cases. An optimal light pattern is therefore found without excessive computational cost, since there are a reasonable number of predefined use cases.

[0055] Thus, in certain embodiments, said control of said lighting system (1) to provide the second or third lighting configuration comprises a control of the photometry of at least one of said devices. Indeed, the various devices emit a light beam which is specific to them and which has a particular shape, defined by the photometry. The invention provides for modifying this photometry in certain cases. For example, the dipped headlights have a beam illuminating a symmetrical zone close to the vehicle (called "fiat" in English) and an asymmetrical zone further away. The invention provides for example to keep only the "fiat" when driving in a city in congested traffic. In another example, for the daytime running lights, it is possible to keep only the lighting necessary to signal the size of the vehicle.The modification of photometry thus makes it possible to preserve user safety while saving energy by eliminating portions of light beams that are unnecessary in certain circumstances.

[0056] Particularly advantageously, certain embodiments provide that, when the method has been implemented to provide the second or third configuration (with reductions in certain lighting) because the vehicle is in a built-up area, in particular when it is traveling in congested traffic, the control unit (2) implements steps of: - Monitoring the current vehicle steering angle and / or the activation of direction indicator lights (TI), to determine whether a turning maneuver is initiated in one direction, and Control of said lighting system (1), on the side of the direction of the turning maneuver initiated, to restore the initial values ​​of the width and / or the range and / or the lighting intensity of the device or devices whose lighting has been reduced.

[0057] So, when the control unit detects that the driver of the vehicle wishes to start a maneuver while the lighting has been modified, the control unit dynamically adapts the lighting to the driver's behavior. In some of these embodiments, this adaptive control of said lighting system (1), on the side of the direction of the turning maneuver initiated, to restore the initial values ​​of the width and / or the range and / or the lighting intensity of the device or devices whose lighting has been reduced, comprises dynamic control of the lighting as a function of the steering angle of said vehicle as it maneuvers.The invention therefore allows that even if the energy saving functionality in built-up areas has been activated and the lighting has been adapted to the current traffic, the driver's maneuvers are taken into account and if he wishes to start overtaking or if he approaches a bend, the lighting of at least one of the lights will be increased, at least on the side of the bend which corresponds to the most relevant side, so that at the very least, the vehicle is better seen, or even so that the driver can see better where he is going.

[0058] It is understood that the present invention provides a method for adaptive management or control of vehicle lighting according to traffic conditions. This method involves the use of a control unit (2) having computing resources and connected to sensors (3) to control the vehicle lighting system (1). Such computing resources are known per se and can be implemented by a computer element. Thus, certain embodiments also relate to a computer element comprising means for implementing the steps of a method according to the invention. Similarly, it is known that such computer means for implementing such a method generally require a computer program unless analog programming is envisaged.Thus, certain embodiments relate to a computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a control unit (2), cause the control unit to execute the steps of a method according to the invention. Finally, as the invention is intended to be installed on a vehicle, certain embodiments relate to a vehicle lighting system (1) comprising: - a plurality of lighting devices (5); - a plurality of sensors (3) configured to provide certain data on the vehicle traffic and traffic conditions; and - a control unit (2) for carrying out the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0059] As mentioned above in the present application, in some embodiments of such a system, at least one of the lighting devices (5) comprises a matrix arrangement of solid-state light sources (2). In some of these embodiments, the matrix arrangement comprises at least 2000 solid-state light sources (2).

[0060] The present application describes various technical features and advantages with reference to the figures and / or to various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the technical features of a given embodiment can in fact be combined with features of another embodiment unless the opposite is explicitly mentioned or it is obvious that these features are incompatible or that the combination does not provide a solution to at least one of the technical problems mentioned in the present application. In addition, the technical features described in a given embodiment may be isolated from the other features of this embodiment unless the opposite is explicitly mentioned.

[0061] Detailed list of references in the figures: 1 lighting system 2 control unit 3 sensor 5 lighting device (and / or signaling)

Claims

Claims

1. Method for the dynamic control of a lighting system (1) of a vehicle, said system (1) comprising, on the one hand, a plurality of lighting devices (5) controlled by a control unit (2) to provide a plurality of lighting configurations of said system (1) and, on the other hand, at least one sensor (3) for the acquisition of data, called traffic data, relating to the traffic of the vehicle and to the traffic conditions, the method comprising: A prior learning of the control unit (2) to recognize built-up area characteristics from the data provided by at least one sensor during a prior training phase, then deciding whether a built-up area lighting functionality must be activated or deactivated on the basis of the comparison between said traffic data provided by said sensor (3) of the system (1) with said learned built-up area characteristics,said method being characterized in that it comprises prior learning, by the control unit (2), of traffic conditions by recognizing characteristics of vehicles or obstacles, in motion or stationary, around the vehicle equipped with said system (1), in order to discriminate characteristics of situations of said vehicle in circulation in fluid traffic and situations of said vehicle in circulation in congested traffic, from the most relevant traffic data, then the implementation of the following steps by the control unit (2):, - Calculation of a distance and / or a time which separates said vehicle from another vehicle or obstacle, then comparison of this distance and / or this time with at least one threshold value recorded in the control unit (2), - Acquisition of the speed of said vehicle and comparison of this speed with at least one speed threshold recorded in the control unit (2), - Measurements of the durations during which the speed is above and / or below said speed threshold and measurements of the frequency of crossing said speed threshold, - Discrimination between a situation where said vehicle is in circulation in fluid traffic and a situation where said vehicle is in circulation in congested traffic, thanks to learning, from said measurement and comparison of said traffic data, and when said vehicle is in circulation with a first lighting configuration, called nominal, of said system (1) - Control of said lighting system (1) to provide at least a second lighting configuration, modified with respect to the nominal configuration by reducing a width of a lighting beam when said vehicle is traveling in flowing traffic in built-up areas, and / or - Control of said lighting system (1) to provide a third lighting configuration, modified compared to the nominal configuration by reducing at least one lighting range and / or intensity, and possibly a width, of a lighting beam when said vehicle is traveling in congested traffic in built-up areas.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said control of said lighting system (1) to provide the second or third lighting configuration also comprises control of at least one other lighting device to supplement or replace those modified, in particular if the modification consists of switching off one of said devices.

3. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein said controlling said lighting system (1) to provide the second or third lighting configuration comprises controlling the photometry of at least one of said devices.

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the discrimination of the characteristics of situations of said vehicle in circulation integrates a calculation of a time before collision and a comparison of this time with a threshold, for example two seconds.

5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, following one of said reductions, the control unit (2) implements steps of: - Monitoring the current vehicle steering angle and / or the activation of direction indicator lights (TI), to determine whether a turning maneuver is initiated in one direction, and - Control of said lighting system (1), on the side of the direction of the turning maneuver initiated, to restore the initial values ​​of the width and / or the range and the lighting intensity of the device or devices whose lighting has been reduced.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein said control of said lighting system (1), on the side of the direction of the initiated turning maneuver, to restore the initial values ​​of the width and / or the range and the lighting intensity of the device or devices whose lighting has been reduced, following one of said reductions, comprises dynamic control of the lighting as a function of the steering angle of said vehicle as it maneuvers.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the automotive lighting devices (5) comprises a matrix arrangement of light pixels (2) in rows and columns.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein, following one of said reductions, certain rows or columns are extinguished relative to the initial light intensity.

9. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the steps implemented by the control unit (2) when the vehicle is in circulation are carried out periodically with a period of less than 1 second, and in particular less than 0.5 seconds for regularly switching from one lighting configuration to another.

10. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the learning by the control unit (2) comprises the use of a computer-assisted automatic learning algorithm.

11. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the data on the external environment of the vehicle acquired by at least one sensor (3) comprises at least two types of data among the lighting devices (5) currently active on said vehicle, the external light intensity, the number of cars around and the distance from them, the current speed of the vehicle or the presence and color of traffic lights, the positioning coordinates and the surrounding road signs.

12. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of sensors (3) comprises at least one of an external light sensor, an activation sensor of said lighting devices (5), at least one camera, a geo-positioning sensor, a radar, a lidar or infrared sensors.

13. Computer element comprising means for implementing the steps of a method according to any one of the preceding claims in cooperation with at least one sensor (3).

14. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a control unit (2), cause the control unit to execute the steps of a method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in cooperation with at least one sensor (3).

15. Vehicle lighting system (1) comprising: - a plurality of lighting devices (5); - a plurality of sensors (3) configured to provide certain data on the vehicle traffic and traffic conditions; and - a control unit (2) for carrying out the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

16. System (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein at least one of the lighting devices (5) comprises a matrix arrangement of semiconductor light sources (2).

17. System (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the matrix arrangement comprises at least 2000 semiconductor light sources (2).

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