Systems and methods for illumination control and distribution during a vehicle bank
AssigneeJ.W. Speaker Corporation
InventorsKevin Jay McWithey, Bradley William Kay, Dragolsav Popovic
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bank angle of a vehicle can be accurately calculated using yaw axis data and roll axis data, and based on the calculated bank angle, vehicle illumination optics can be controlled to maintain a pattern of distributed light from the illumination optics to be generally horizontal. The calculated bank angle may be zeroed when the yaw axis data equals zero. The improved pattern of distributed light from the illumination optics illuminates a more natural field of view for the vehicle driver during a bank.
Claims20
A control system for a headlight of a vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle headlamp including a plurality of illumination elements, the vehicle headlamp being configured to control an illumination pattern generated by one of more of the plurality of illumination elements in response to a bank angle value;
- and
- a processor configured to calculate the bank angle value based on a bank angle calculation, the processor being adapted to:
- receive yaw rate data from a motion sensor;
- compare the yaw rate data to a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate;
- when the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, set the bank angle value to zero;
- and
- when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculate the bank angle value.
A vehicle headlamp for providing an illumination pattern for a vehicle, the headlamp comprising:
- a vehicle headlamp including a plurality of illumination elements in communication with a processor;
- the processor adapted to:
- receive yaw rate data from a motion sensor,
- compare the yaw rate data to a predefined minimum yaw rate and a predefined maximum yaw rate,
- when the yaw rate data is between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, set a bank angle value to zero, and
- when the yaw rate data is not between the predefined minimum yaw rate and the predefined maximum yaw rate, calculate the bank angle value;
- and
- wherein the vehicle headlamp is configured to energize one or more of the plurality illumination elements to generate an illumination pattern based on the bank angle value.
A method for controlling a headlight on a vehicle, the method comprising:
- sampling yaw rate data;
- determining that the yaw rate data is within a predefined yaw rate range;
- setting a first bank angle value to zero;
- illuminating a first subset of illumination elements among a plurality of illumination elements based on the first bank angle value;
- determining that the yaw rate data is outside the predefined yaw rate range;
- calculating a second bank angle value;
- and
- illuminating a second subset of illumination elements among the plurality of illumination elements based on the second bank angle value to change an illumination pattern provided by the plurality of illumination elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.