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 a lighting of a vehicle which are controlled by a control unit (2) to provide a plurality of lighting configurations of the system (1), as well as to at least one sensor (3) for acquiring so-called driving data, relating to the external environment of the vehicle and to its operation, the method comprising prior training of the control unit (2) in driving conditions by recognising characteristics of vehicles or obstacles, in motion or stationary, around the vehicle fitted with the system (1), in order to discriminate characteristics of situations of the vehicle driving in free-flowing traffic and situations of the vehicle driving in congested traffic, in order to control the lighting system by providing modified lighting configurations according to the lighting devices (5) that are switched on and the circumstances in order to reduce power consumption.

Description

Description Title of the invention: Method for dynamically controlling 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 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 usually 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 greatly oversized to deal with these overheating problems, so that the 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 some 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. In particular, built-up areas and congested traffic situations are conducive to reducing energy savings since these are two criteria that are generally sources of visual pollution with light significantly higher than what is necessary. However, the detection of conditions in which savings can be made remains a poorly understood and therefore improvable problem.

[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, preferably by optimizing the determination of the conditions under which the lighting can be reduced.

[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 external environment of the vehicle and its operation, said method being characterized in that it comprises at least one prior learning, by the control unit, of traffic conditions by recognizing characteristics of vehicles or obstacles, moving 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, then the implementation of the following steps by the control unit,when said vehicle is in circulation with a first lighting configuration, called nominal, of said system:, - 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, - 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 said vehicle is currently circulating in free-flowing traffic and a situation where said vehicle is currently circulating in congested traffic, thanks to said at least one learning process, from said measurements and comparisons of said traffic data; - Control of said lighting system to provide at least a second configuration lighting, modified from the initial configuration by reducing at least one width and / or range and / or lighting intensity of at least one of said lighting devices used, when said vehicle is in congested traffic.

[0008] According to another feature, said control of said lighting system to provide the second 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 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.

[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, said traffic data acquired by at least one sensor comprises at least two types of data among the lighting devices currently active on said vehicle, the exterior 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 data, known as traffic data, relating to the external environment of the vehicle and its operation; 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 become more clearly apparent upon reading the description of various embodiments below, given 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 an example of how the invention can be implemented. The drawings include the following figures:

[0028] [Fig 1] Figure 1 represents a schematic view of a system according to various embodiments of the invention;

[0029] [Fig 2] Figure 2 represents a schematic view of a method according to various embodiments of the invention;

[0030] The present invention relates to a method for dynamically controlling 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 invention relates to a method for dynamically controlling 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.Furthermore, the person skilled in the art naturally understands, 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 the present application.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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 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").

[0034] 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).

[0035] In general, the present invention aims to save the energy consumed for lighting stationary vehicles, in traffic jam. Indeed, the distance between vehicles in a traffic jam is such that the lighting of the different vehicles overlaps each other and the energy consumption for lighting the environment can be reduced. In addition, the vehicles are close enough to each other so that they can be seen while limiting energy consumption. On the other hand, because of the short but fluctuating distances, the lighting of the vehicles constitutes rather a nuisance for drivers who are subjected to excessive lighting which fluctuates with the approach of vehicles, which has the harmful effect of avoiding generating fatigue.Thus, vehicle lighting generally does not require as much energy as it currently consumes under these conditions. The present invention therefore proposes to overcome this lack by providing adaptive lighting solutions for vehicles.

[0036] 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 external environment of the vehicle and its operation. These data are called "traffic" data because they relate to information relating to the circulation of the vehicle (the activation state of its various components, organs or functions) and to the traffic conditions (for example of the environment and / or road signs and / or other vehicles).Traffic conditions include, for example, ambient light, light sources (traffic lights or lighting devices of surrounding vehicles) in the vicinity, weather conditions, distance or relative speed of. other vehicles, etc. Such traffic data may 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 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 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 the surrounding lighting conditions, global or discrete such as lights or headlights (for example measurable by illuminance and / or luminance sensors often already present on certain vehicles).

[0037] The control unit (2) can therefore, possibly if the driver has accepted it beforehand, monitor the traffic data by discriminating between driving situations and / or various traffic conditions, then activate (or suggest to the driver to activate) a dynamic lighting adaptation function, if the situations and / or conditions are favorable. Thus, the vehicle travels normally with a so-called initial or rather nominal lighting configuration because it corresponds to the lighting configuration imposed by the regulations in force in the vehicle's traffic conditions. Indeed, this initial or nominal configuration is known from the legislation and varies according to the ambient lighting or the weather in particular.This nominal configuration therefore corresponds to a first lighting configuration applied when the monitoring function is not activated or when the vehicle is traveling outside of traffic conditions specifically distinguished as fluid or congested thanks to the implementation of the method.

[0038] This activation of the functionality results in monitoring of traffic data and, if necessary, a modification of the lighting from the nominal configuration to a second or third lighting configuration, depending on the traffic conditions (flowing or congested). Deactivation of the functionality corresponds to a return to the first nominal configuration or a change to another lighting mode required by the regulations (for example, switching from LB to DRL or vice versa) depending on the ambient light conditions. This deactivation therefore corresponds in fact to a return to the minimum lighting required by legislation.

[0039] In general, the method comprises one or more prior learnings, 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 and / or discriminate the vehicle traffic in built-up areas, or even other types of use cases. As known in the field, such learning is considered preliminary since it uses one or more algorithms to train a "model" that learns "discriminative" characteristics (data or parameters) that are relevant to the desired discrimination task, before the "deployment" phase where these characteristics are used in real time to perform this discrimination in traffic conditions where the vehicle will be. Thus, following this learning, the discriminative characteristics are implemented in the control unit (2) of the vehicles. It is therefore clear that the control unit of each vehicle does not require this learning but inherits it and the method necessarily integrates it as a "preliminary" phase, without however implying any limitation with regard to the control unit of a given vehicle.Thus, following this phase of learning or implementation of the results of the learning (or learnings) in the control unit, the method involves the implementation of the following steps by the control unit (2), when said vehicle is in circulation with a first lighting configuration, called nominal, of said system (1):. - 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 circulating in fluid traffic and a situation where said vehicle is currently circulating in congested traffic, thanks to said at least one learning process, from said measurements and comparisons of said traffic data; - Control of said lighting system (1) to provide at least a second lighting configuration, modified with respect to the initial configuration by reducing at least one width and / or a range and / or a lighting intensity of at least one of said lighting devices (5) used, when said vehicle is in congested traffic.

[0040] In certain advantageous embodiments, the method also comprises the following steps implemented 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 to determine whether the vehicle is stationary and start a measurement of the stopping time, then comparison of the stopping time with at least one threshold value recorded in the control unit (2), to determine a prolonged stop or parking, - Decision, when said vehicle has been stopped for a period greater than said threshold value, to choose between activating or deactivating said second configuration lighting or other specific configuration of a prolonged stop in congested traffic, then controlling said lighting system (1) to provide the selected lighting configuration to the system (1).

[0041] It is understood that this provides a method for saving energy in the lighting system (1) when the vehicle is in congested traffic, or even stopped for a certain time. The range and width of the dipped beam headlights (LB) can be reduced for example, but the lighting can nevertheless be maintained, for example by keeping the flat beam (corresponding to the Anglo-Saxon term "fiat") only. Alternatively, these lights can be replaced by the position lights. Furthermore, this type of functionality is particularly useful for daytime running lights, such as the (DRL) for example, which are no longer necessary, especially if the position lights still allow the vehicle's clearance to be indicated.

[0042] Furthermore, in certain embodiments, as discussed above in the present application, the method comprises prior training of the control unit (2) to recognize characteristics (called "discriminative") of built-up areas 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 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.Thus, the various parameters (range, intensity, width) of the lights in congested traffic can be adjusted by the control unit to take into account the type of road on which the vehicle is located. Of course, the same can be true for the discrimination of congested or flowing traffic situations, since monitoring traffic data may actually require a plurality of discriminative characteristics to recognize whether the vehicle is in congested traffic or not, but generally a few pieces of information may be sufficient, so that learning is not actually necessary and it is sufficient to provide determined parameters as discriminative characteristics to the control unit.Indeed, such recognition of a traffic jam can advantageously be achieved by a combination of at least two or three parameters among the average speed, the duration of travel below and / or above one or more determined speed(s), the frequency of acceleration above one or more determined speed(s) and / or the frequency of braking below one or more determined speed(s) or of stops, but also the distance between the vehicles, for example with the time spent below and / or above one or more distance(s) and / or the frequency of occurrence of these distances.All these parameters can also be evaluated with a specific window to be evaluated at least for a given duration (for example a few minutes since a traffic jam generally implies that for several minutes, we are at a standstill or almost and that we only accelerate a little to slow down, or even stop again and that the distance between the vehicles is very reduced). The same type of criteria, with different values, also allows. also detect "accordion" traffic where stops are rare and where the speed is less reduced but still not high. A discrimination is therefore also possible between traffic jam and "accordion" traffic by the values ​​of data such as speed, frequency, distance, etc. It should be noted that the various functionalities and the lighting configurations that result from their activation can of course be subject to authorization by the driver, for example by a prior configuration on his dashboard or an agreement to be validated when the control unit detects the appropriate conditions for the activation of the functionalities.Thanks to this learning allowing to discriminate between built-up areas and other types of road, the control unit makes it possible to take into account the distance at which the vehicle must be seen and to define the range of variation of the lighting parameters (more or less intensity and / or range and / or width depending on the type of road). Finally, certain embodiments provide for an acquisition and calculation of the ambient brightness by the control unit to adjust the lighting parameters.

[0043] In general and in various embodiments, the learning by the control unit (2) comprises 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) 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] As detailed above in this application, thanks to the learning or learnings, the control unit can then monitor the environment of the vehicle when it is in circulation to propose various lighting configurations. Indeed, the vehicle in circulation generally has a so-called nominal lighting configuration (preferably compliant with the regulations) which depends on the conditions and circumstances of circulation and involves the lighting of various devices of the system. The learning is said "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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] Different use cases are defined, and the optimal light pattern is found for each use case using the algorithm mentioned above.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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 data from the plurality of sensors. This data includes external data of the vehicle (active lighting functionality, light intensity exterior, number of cars around and distance from them, current vehicle speed 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 literal sense and therefore does not necessarily imply a variation of the photometry.

[0055] In certain embodiments, following the provision of said second configuration to the lighting system (1) by the control unit (2), the latter implements steps of: - Monitoring the activation of hazard lights (W), to determine whether the parking of said vehicle is signaled, and - Control of said lighting system (1) to modify said second lighting configuration by reducing the intensity, possibly to zero, of at least one of said devices (5), at least during each period when the hazard lights are switched on intermittently.

[0056] Thus, it is understood that the lighting of at least one of the lights will vary intermittently, in phase opposition with the intermittent switching on of the hazard lights. When the vehicle has been stopped for a certain time, either in a traffic jam or parked, the control unit may decide to adjust the lighting parameters of the various devices, in particular with intermittent operation (flashing). It will be noted that this functionality can easily be extended to the flashing lights (direction indicators) since these are the same devices (5) but which light up on only one side of the vehicle. In such cases, it is possible, for example, to provide that, while the hazard lights or the indicators are switched on, the sidelights or dipped beam headlights or the daytime running lights are switched off (at least on the side where the lights are flashing).On the other hand, particularly in the case of a reduction in the intensity of the flashing lights, the control unit can monitor the steering angle of the vehicle and cancel this reduction in intensity as soon as the steering angle varies, so that a maneuver initiated by the driver becomes more visible. It is therefore understood that thanks to this monitoring of the immobility of the vehicle in particular circumstances, the control unit can also integrate a similar functionality to limit the consumption of certain lights (lighting devices) during the various signals that are provided by the vehicle.

[0057] Thus, in certain embodiments, the method also comprises, following one of said reductions to provide the second configuration by the control unit (2), 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 started, to restore the initial values ​​of the width and / or range and lighting intensity of the device or devices whose lighting has been reduced.

[0058] In some of these embodiments, said control of said lighting system (1), on the side of the direction of the turning maneuver initiated, comprises dynamic control of the lighting as a function of the steering angle of said vehicle as it maneuvers.

[0059] Thus, when the control unit detects that the driver of the vehicle wishes to initiate a maneuver while the lighting has been modified, the control unit dynamically adapts the lighting to the circumstances and the maneuvers of the driver, in particular by increasing the lighting of at least one of the lights, at least on the side of the bend which corresponds to the most relevant side, so that, at a minimum, the vehicle is better seen, or even so that the driver can see better where he is going.

[0060] It is understood that by reducing the lighting width, substantial savings can be achieved while maintaining satisfactory visibility for smooth traffic in built-up areas. In particular, in the case of LED lighting devices (5), it is possible to simply obtain light lines (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 the lighting devices (5), in particular dipped beam headlights (LB) and / or daytime running lights (DRL), unnecessary.

[0061] It should be noted that for the detection of a built-up area the control unit can use image recognition from an on-board camera to identify buildings and for example measure their density, but it can also use the geo-positioning signal to determine whether the vehicle is in a city and other possibilities are therefore possible, so that these examples are not limiting.

[0062] 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.

[0063] In some embodiments, said control of said lighting system (1) for providing the second or third lighting configuration also comprises a control 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 vehicle's environment, 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 headlights, possibly with a supplement by the position lights. Many configurations are therefore possible thanks to the implementation of the present invention.

[0064] 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 the 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 production 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 lighting types 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 lighting pattern is therefore found without excessive computational cost, since there are a reasonable number of predefined use cases.

[0065] Thus, in certain embodiments, said control of said lighting system (1) for providing 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 photometry. The invention provides for modifying this photometry in certain cases. For example, 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 for retaining only the "fiat" when driving in a city in congested traffic. In another example, for daytime running lights, it is possible to retain only the lighting necessary to indicate the size of the vehicle. The modification of the photometry thus makes it possible to preserve the safety of users while saving energy by removing portions of light beams which are useless in certain circumstances.

[0066] 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 data, called traffic data, relating to the external environment of the vehicle and its operation; and - a control unit (2) for carrying out the steps of the method according to the invention.

[0067] 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).

[0068] 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 other features of that embodiment unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0069] Detailed list of references in the figures: 1 lighting system 2 control unit 3 sensor 5 lighting (and / or signaling) device

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 external environment of the vehicle and its operation, said method being characterized in that it comprises at least one 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,then the implementation of the following steps by the control unit (2), when said vehicle is in circulation with a first lighting configuration, called initial, of said system (1):, - 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 circulating in fluid traffic and a situation where said vehicle is circulating in congested traffic, thanks to said at least one learning process, from said measurements and comparisons of said traffic data; - Controlling said lighting system (1) to provide at least a second lighting configuration, modified with respect to the initial configuration by reducing at least one width and / or a range and / or a lighting intensity of at least one of said lighting devices (5) used, when said vehicle is in congested traffic.

2. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said control of said lighting system (1) to provide the second 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 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 vehicle's current 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.

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. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, 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 data, called traffic data, relating to the external environment of the vehicle and its operation; 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).

Images