Adaptive Vehicle Headlamp With Transition Light Sources

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional motor vehicle headlamps with main beam functions provide uniform lighting that fades laterally, causing discomfort and uneven lighting due to disjoint pixels, which can dazzle drivers and lead to reduced driving comfort when encountering opposing vehicles, especially when they straddle or touch neighboring pixels.

Innovation Solution

An adaptive lighting device with selectively activatable main light sources and optical projection means forming disjoint pixels, supplemented by transition and complementary light sources to create blurred transition and end images that illuminate dark intervals and extend beyond pixel edges, providing a homogeneous illumination pattern.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If disjoint pixels are used to create adaptive light beam, then the ability to selectively illuminate specific road areas is improved, but the lighting uniformity deteriorates causing uneven lighting divided by dark grid

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveselective illumination capabilityVSAvoidlighting uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces transition light sources as intermediary elements between the main light sources (pixels). These transition sources emit light that fills the dark intervals between pixels, acting as a mediator that connects the discrete pixel illuminations and creates a continuous, uniform light distribution across the road surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent achieves lighting homogeneity by combining the discrete pixel illumination with additional transition light sources. The transition sources are specifically designed to illuminate the dark intervals between pixels, ensuring that the overall lighting pattern appears uniform and homogeneous to the driver, eliminating the perceived dark grid effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

2Object-affected harmful factors

If neighboring pixels are extinguished to avoid dazzling when opposing vehicle straddles pixels, then the safety against dazzling is improved, but the road illumination coverage deteriorates leaving large areas in darkness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedazzling preventionVSAvoidilluminated road area
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the lighting function into two independent parts: main light sources (pixels) for selective illumination and transition light sources for filling dark intervals. This segmentation allows the pixels to be selectively deactivated for dazzling prevention while the transition sources continue to illuminate the intervals, maintaining road coverage without causing glare.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The transition light sources serve as intermediaries that maintain illumination in the intervals between pixels even when pixels are deactivated. When pixels are turned off to prevent dazzling, the transition sources ensure that the road areas between the pixel positions remain illuminated, preventing large dark areas while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Illumination intensity

If transition light sources are added to illuminate dark intervals, then the lighting homogeneity is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting homogeneityVSAvoidnumber of light sources
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the transition light sources with the existing pixel structure, arranging them in an alternating pattern along the transverse alignment. This combining approach allows both pixel and transition sources to be integrated into a single lighting device module, sharing common optical components and control systems, thereby reducing overall complexity despite the increased number of light-emitting elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures reduced dazzling of opposing vehicle drivers by creating a dark hole only where necessary, maintaining road illumination homogeneity and enhancing driving comfort by minimizing the dark areas created when opposing vehicles are detected.

Implementation Method 1

optical projection means which are arranged so as to project an image at infinity of each main light source

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical projection: Lens

Implementation Method 2

project an image at infinity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight propagation: Light

Implementation Method 3

at least one transition light source whose transition image is superimposed on all the pixels of the alignment by fully illuminating all the dark intervals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical projection with blur: Lens

Implementation Method 4

blurred transition and end images

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight scattering/blur: Scattering

Implementation Method 5

two complementary light sources which are associated with projection means so as to form end images

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical projection: Lens

Implementation Method 6

illuminate in the extension of a transverse end of the alignment of pixels

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight propagation: Light

Data Source

PatentEP3130841B1Adaptive lighting device for a motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2018.11.07 VALEO VISION SA
  • EP3130841B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3130841B1 patent drawingFigure 4~7
  • EP3130841B1 patent drawingFigure 8~9

AI summary

The invention relates to a lighting device (26, 40) for a motor vehicle which comprises: - a plurality of selectively activatable main light sources (12) which are arranged in a transverse alignment; - optical projection means (14) which are arranged so as to project an image to infinity from each main light source (12), the images forming pixels (18) each having at least one sharp edge, the pixels (18) being disjoint and transversely aligned, two adjacent pixels (18) being separated transversely by a dark interval (20).According to the invention, the device comprises at least one transition light source (28) of which a transition image (30) is projected to infinity by associated optical projection means (14, 42), each transition image (30) fully illuminating at least one dark interval (20) by overlapping the pixels (18) adjacent to said dark interval (20), each transition light source (28) being capable of being selectively activated.