Pixelated Vehicle Headlamp Control for Glare-Free Object Framing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automotive lighting systems struggle to generate a pixelated road-type light beam with a dark area that effectively borders a target object, preventing glare while allowing perception of road signs and objects, without causing driver distraction.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling a motor vehicle's lighting system using a sensor system to detect a target object, determine its relative distance and slope, and adjust elementary light sources to create a pixelated beam with defined upper and lower cutoffs, ensuring the dark area frames the object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a segmented beam is used to illuminate the road, then the beam can be controlled to avoid dazzling target objects, but the driver cannot perceive road signs, objects, or road markings in the near field
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system divides the beam into multiple independently controllable segments or pixels, allowing selective illumination of different road regions. This enables the system to create dark areas at target objects while maintaining illumination in other regions, thus preventing glare while preserving driver perception of road signs and objects.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the light beam are assigned different illumination characteristics. Specifically, certain pixels are dimmed or switched off to create dark areas at target objects, while other pixels remain illuminated to allow perception of road signs, objects, and markings. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between avoiding glare and maintaining information perception.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a dark area is created to border the target object, then glare is prevented, but the dark area may cause driver distraction if it moves within the beam
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system dynamically adjusts the position and shape of dark areas in real-time based on the movement of target objects. By continuously tracking and adapting the dark area position, the system prevents driver distraction that would occur if the dark area moved unpredictably within the beam, while maintaining effective glare prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensor feedback to detect target object position and continuously adjusts the dark area location accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures the dark area remains properly positioned to prevent glare while minimizing driver distraction through predictable, controlled movement rather than abrupt or unpredictable changes.
3Measurement precision
If the lighting system adjusts to road slope to accurately border the target object, then precision is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores the relationship between road slope angles and the corresponding positions of upper and lower cutoffs. By preparing this mapping in advance, the system can quickly determine the correct dark area position based on detected slope without performing complex real-time calculations, thus achieving high positioning precision while minimizing control system complexity.
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
Enables non-glaring illumination of the road, allowing drivers to see road signs and objects while preventing distraction by dynamically adjusting the lighting based on object position and road slope.
Implementation Method 1
a computer capable of measuring the time of flight of the emitted and received light after reflection from the road or an object to detect the presence of said object
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Method for controlling a lighting system (3) of a host motor vehicle (1), the lighting system comprising a plurality of elementary light sources (32jj) which can be selectively controlled, wherein each elementary light source is capable of emitting an elementary light beam (HDjj) the vertical angular aperture of which is less than 1°, the method comprising the following steps: • (E1) detecting a target object (5) by means of a sensor system (2) of the host vehicle; • (E2, E2') determining a relative distance (Xhc) between a given point (21) of the host vehicle sensor system and a detected point of the target object and determining a gradient (S) of the road on which the target object is located; • (E6) determining, from the relative distance and the gradient, a lower angle (Vinf) and an upper angle (Vsup) between a given point (31) of the host vehicle lighting system and a high cut-off point and a low cut-off point, respectively, which together are intended to vertically frame the target object; • (E7) controlling the elementary light sources of the host vehicle lighting system in order to emit a pixelated light beam (HD) of the driving beam type, wherein some of the elementary light sources are controlled according to the lower and upper angles in order to generate, in the light beam, a dark zone (ZS) extending substantially between the high and low cut-off points.