Adaptive Vehicle Lighting System with Contour Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lighting systems for motor vehicles lack precision in illuminating road scenes, leading to inappropriate lighting that may not effectively draw attention to critical objects like pedestrians or cyclists, risking safety due to overlapping beams.

Innovation Solution

A lighting system that uses a detection unit to digitally model targets with high resolution, allowing for precise contour illumination and adaptive color adjustment, ensuring light is focused only on relevant areas without overflowing onto unnecessary parts of the road scene.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If existing lighting systems illuminate the road scene by dividing the beam into angular sectors or pixels, then the lighting coverage is improved, but the precision of target illumination deteriorates leading to inappropriate lighting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting coverage areaVSAvoidtarget illumination precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the lighting system into multiple independently controllable light sources arranged in a matrix, where each light source corresponds to a specific spatial pixel. This segmentation allows precise control of individual pixels to match the detected target contours, resolving the contradiction between broad coverage and precise targeting by enabling selective activation of only the pixels forming the target outline.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by varying the illumination characteristics (intensity, color temperature) of individual light sources based on their spatial position relative to the detected target. Each pixel can be independently adjusted to provide optimal illumination for its specific location, ensuring high precision target illumination while maintaining appropriate overall scene coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If the lighting system uses fixed beam patterns to illuminate road scenes, then the system complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different targets deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting system complexityVSAvoidtarget adaptation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamics by making the lighting pattern adaptive and changeable based on real-time target detection. The system transitions from static fixed beams to dynamic controllable pixel patterns that automatically adjust to match detected target contours, positions, and movements, thereby achieving high adaptability without requiring overly complex manual configuration systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by varying the illumination state (on/off, intensity, color temperature) of individual light sources based on detected target characteristics. The system changes illumination parameters dynamically to match different target types, sizes, and positions, achieving versatile adaptability through programmable parameter control rather than physical system changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Illumination intensity

If the lighting system illuminates broad areas to ensure visibility, then the visibility is improved, but the energy consumption increases due to unnecessary illumination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroad scene visibilityVSAvoidlighting energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by illuminating only the specific pixels that correspond to detected target contours rather than uniformly illuminating the entire road scene. This selective partial illumination maintains sufficient visibility of critical targets while significantly reducing energy consumption by leaving non-target areas unilluminated or dimly lit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service through automatic target detection and adaptive illumination control. The lighting system autonomously adjusts its output based on detected targets, activating only the necessary pixels to maintain visibility while minimizing energy consumption, without requiring manual intervention or broad-area fixed illumination patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3147821B1Lighting system and method
Publication Date: 2018.12.26 VALEO VISION SA
  • EP3147821B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3147821B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3D
  • EP3147821B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a system and method of lighting for a motor vehicle, comprising a unit (2) for detecting a target (4) in a road scene (1) of the vehicle and a unit (5) for generating lighting of all or part of the road scene, said detection unit (2) being configured to allow the acquisition of information enabling a digital modeling of the target (4) according to a first level of resolution enabling its contour (12) to be followed, said lighting generation unit (5) being configured to generate lighting of the target (4) according to said first level of resolution according to said modeling.