Automotive Lighting Control System with Dynamic Configuration Selection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing automotive lighting control systems lack adaptability and accuracy, leading to potential mistaken selections by drivers, especially in adverse weather conditions, which can be dangerous.

Innovation Solution

A lighting control system for automotive vehicles that includes a controller, an input device, and sensors to detect environmental parameters, allowing automatic selection and ordering of lighting configurations based on these parameters, ensuring only useful configurations are available to the driver, and a control member that can increment or decrement lighting configurations without being bound to specific positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional rotary switches or stalk switches are used with predefined positions, then the control system is simple and easy to manufacture, but the driver may make mistaken selections especially in adverse weather conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of lighting selectionVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control member is designed to be freely rotatable without predefined positions, allowing dynamic adaptation of lighting configurations based on environmental conditions detected by sensors. The controller dynamically determines which lighting configurations are available and their implementation order based on detected parameters such as daylight intensity, rain, fog, or snow conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Sensors detect environmental parameters (daylight intensity, weather conditions) and provide feedback to the controller. The controller uses this feedback to automatically determine which lighting configurations should be available and in what order they should be implemented when the driver operates the control member, preventing mistaken selections in adverse conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the control member can freely rotate without predefined positions, then the system becomes more adaptable and user-friendly, but the control system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to environmental conditionsVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically detecting environmental conditions through sensors and autonomously determining the appropriate lighting configurations and their implementation order. The controller manages the complexity internally while presenting a simple, freely rotatable control interface to the driver, eliminating the need for predefined switch positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The traditional mechanical switch with predefined physical positions is replaced by a freely rotatable control member coupled with electronic sensors and a controller. This substitution allows the system to adapt lighting configurations based on detected environmental parameters rather than being constrained by fixed mechanical positions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If all lighting configurations are always available to the driver, then the driver has maximum control freedom, but improper selections may occur in adverse weather

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of lighting controlVSAvoiddanger from mistaken selection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The controller preemptively prevents harmful selections by detecting adverse weather conditions (fog, heavy rain, snow) through sensors and automatically removing inappropriate lighting configurations (such as high beams in fog) from the available options before the driver can make a mistaken selection. This preliminary action blocks potential harmful actions rather than correcting them afterward.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection of environmental conditions and pre-determines the appropriate lighting configurations and their implementation order before the driver operates the control member. This ensures that only suitable lighting options are presented to the driver in advance, preventing improper selections in adverse weather conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2951056B1Lighting control system and method for a motor vehicle

Publication Date: 2018.07.04 VOLVO TRUCK CORP

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Figure 2-a~2-b
Figure 3-a~3-c

AI summary

The invention concerns a lighting control system and a lighting control method to implement, in an automotive vehicle, external running lights (7-12) in different available lighting configurations. The lighting control method comprises the steps of a) detecting at least one environment parameter (101, 201, 301); b) selecting among the different available lighting configurations and depending on said parameter, which lighting configurations can be implemented (102, 202, 302); c) depending on said parameter, defining in which order the selected lighting configurations are implemented when an input device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) is manually actuated (103, 203, 303); d) detecting (104, 204, 309) a manual actuation on the input device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25); e) depending on a motion of the input device (2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) or a motion on the input device, implementing at least one lighting configuration that is chosen among the selected lighting configurations according to the implementation order (105, 206, 310).