Adaptive Rear Lamp Intensity Control Using Visibility Distance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle rear lamps lack the ability to adaptively control light intensity based on real-time visibility distance, leading to reduced driver visibility in adverse weather conditions, and fail to consider the speed of following vehicles, resulting in increased accident risks.

Innovation Solution

An automatic light intensity control device that measures real-time visibility distance using a visibility distance measurement unit and calculates appropriate light intensity using regression analysis, adjusting rear lamp intensity based on visibility distance and vehicle speeds, and includes an infrared LED for autonomous vehicle detection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If uniform light intensity is used for rear lamps, then manufacturing and control are simple, but visibility for following vehicles is insufficient in adverse weather conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight intensityVSAvoidadaptability to visibility conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic light intensity control by continuously adjusting the rear lamp brightness based on real-time visibility distance measurements. The controller modifies the light output intensity in response to changing environmental conditions (fog, rain, snow), transforming the static uniform lighting system into an adaptive dynamic system that optimizes visibility for following vehicles under various weather conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If additional road facilities and light-emitting/receiving units are installed on both leading and following vehicles to measure visibility distance, then data accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility distance measurement accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the visibility distance measurement function from the following vehicle and places it solely on the leading vehicle. The leading vehicle's controller measures the visibility distance using its own sensors (cameras, LIDAR, or other detection units) and uses this information to adjust its rear lamp intensity. This eliminates the need for additional measurement units on following vehicles and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary approach where the leading vehicle's rear lamp serves as both the light source and the measurement reference. By measuring visibility distance from the leading vehicle's position and using its rear lamp output as the control target, the system creates a direct feedback loop that simplifies the control architecture compared to bidirectional measurement systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Illumination intensity

If light intensity is increased to ensure visibility in foggy conditions, then following vehicle recognition improves, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverear lamp visibilityVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically changes the light intensity parameter based on measured visibility distance and weather conditions. Instead of maintaining constant high intensity, the controller adjusts the rear lamp output to match the actual visibility requirements - using higher intensity only when visibility distance is reduced due to fog, rain, or snow, and reducing intensity when visibility is good. This parameter adaptation optimizes the balance between visibility performance and energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4431338A1Automatic light intensity control device for vehicle rear lamps in response to changes in visibility distance and its control method
Publication Date: 2024.09.18 KOREA INST OF CIVIL ENG & BUILDING TECH
  • EP4431338A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4431338A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4431338A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to an automatic light intensity control device for vehicle rear lamps (RL) in response to changes in visibility distance and its control method. To this end, the automatic light intensity control device (A) for vehicle rear lamps (RL) of the present invention comprises: a visibility distance measurement unit (10) that is mounted on a driving vehicle (LV) or installed in the vicinity of a driving road to measure a visibility distance information (Md) of the road in real time; and a light intensity calculation and control unit (20) that is mounted on the driving vehicle (LV) to calculate an appropriate light intensity (Cd) using visibility distance information (Md) measured by the visibility distance measurement unit (10) and then control the light intensity of rear lamps (RL) in real time. As a result, since it is possible to automatically calculate an appropriate light intensity (Cd) using visibility distance information (Md) measured in real time and then control the light intensity of the rear lamps (RL) in real time based on the calculated light intensity (Cd), the light intensity of the rear lamps (RL) can be continuously changed based on the real-time visibility distance (Md) of the driving vehicle (LV), which makes it possible to ensure a more stable visibility for the following vehicle's driver.