Vehicle Lighting Pixel Control With Split Image Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle lighting systems face high costs and latency issues due to centralized video streaming for high-resolution lighting, and decentralized systems are expensive and have limited update capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A decentralized approach with a lighting device having individually controllable pixels and a split computing system for generating light images, where image sizes are determined externally and rendered locally, reducing bandwidth requirements and latency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a centralized approach with uncompressed video streaming is used for high-resolution lighting control, then the lighting resolution can be high, but the network bandwidth requirements increase directly proportional to the resolution and latency is high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting resolutionVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the lighting control into two parts: light image size determination (performed externally) and light image generation (performed locally in the lighting device). This segmentation allows the external device to send only compact size parameters rather than full-resolution image data, dramatically reducing bandwidth requirements while maintaining high lighting resolution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The light image size is determined in advance by an external device based on lighting requirements, and this pre-determined size information is used to generate the actual light image locally. This preliminary determination of image dimensions allows the system to avoid transmitting large amounts of image data, reducing bandwidth consumption before the actual lighting operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If a decentralized approach with control unit in each lamp is used, then the system has good update capabilities, but the cost increases due to requiring one control unit per lamp and synchronization becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupdate capabilitiesVSAvoidcontrol unit quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the light image generation functionality into the lighting device itself while keeping the light image size determination external. This combination allows the lighting device to have sufficient processing capability for real-time control and updates without requiring a separate control unit for each lamp, reducing overall system complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Quantity of substance

If compression is applied to video streaming for centralized control, then bandwidth requirements are reduced, but significant computing power is required for decompression in the luminaire and latency remains moderate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork bandwidthVSAvoidcomputing power for decompression
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts the computationally intensive light image generation process from the external control device and places it locally in the lighting device. Only the compact light image size parameters are transmitted externally, eliminating the need for compression and decompression operations. This extraction reduces both bandwidth requirements and the computing power needed for decompression while achieving low latency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4631786A1Method for operating at least one lighting device of a vehicle and lighting device
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP4631786A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4631786A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4631786A1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

Method for operating at least one lighting device (10) of a vehicle (1), in particular a headlight and/or a floor projector of the vehicle (1), for outputting a light distribution (L1, L2) on the basis of a light image (LB), in particular one generated in real time, which is generated at least in part and preferably completely by a light image generation device (30), in particular a processor- and/or controller-based one, of the vehicle (1) as a function of at least one non-spatially resolved light image variable (LG), preferably of a plurality of non-spatially resolved light image variables (LG), wherein the at least one light image variable (LG) is characteristic of at least one region of the light image (LB) to be generated, preferably of the entire light image to be generated.According to the invention, the light image generating device (30) receives the at least one light image size (LG) from a light image size determining device (20) of the vehicle (1) which is spaced apart from it and is in particular processor and/or controller-based, in order to generate the light image at least in part.