# US 2013/0154477 A1 · Method for event-based override strategy for automatic high-beam control

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- Number: US 2013/0154477 A1
- Document ID: US20130154477A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/329,207
- Filed: 2011-12-16
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Brian Wolski; Timothy Prodin; John Shutko; Kenneth Michael Mayer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154477A1

## CPC

- B60Q 1/1423: {Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic}
- B60Q 2300/21: Manual control
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A system and method for re-enabling automatic mode after manually overriding automatic mode of an automatic headlamp control system for a motor vehicle. The system and method monitors the headlamp state in a controller, recommends a headlamp state from the automatic mode of the automatic headlamp control system, monitors a driver request for headlamp state in the controller, and causes the controller to return to the automatic mode when the recommended headlamp state matches the driver request for a headlamp state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for resuming automatic mode of a headlamp control system, the method comprising the steps of:
monitoring a headlamp state in the headlamp control system;
recommending a headlamp state from an automatic mode of the headlamp control system;
monitoring a driver input for a headlamp state to the headlamp control system;
causing a controller to temporarily change from the automatic mode to a manual mode when a driver inputs a headlamp state that conflicts with the recommendation from the automatic mode; and
causing the controller to return to an automatic mode when a recommendation for a headlamp state from the automatic mode matches the driver input for a headlamp state.

### Claim 2

The method as claimed in claim I wherein the controller operates the headlamp state as input by the driver and remains in the manual mode while the driver input for a headlamp state conflicts with the recommendation from the automatic mode.

### Claim 3

The method as claimed in claim I wherein the headlamp state is a high beam state or a low beam state.

### Claim 4

A system for switching between manual and automatic control of a vehicle headlamp system that controls a headlamp state of illumination, the system comprising:
a controller for controlling and monitoring a state of illumination of a vehicle headlamp system;
a sensor coupled to the controller, the sensor for detecting illumination characteristics of a forward view of a vehicle headlamp system and providing an input to the controller, wherein the controller automatically controls a state of illumination for the vehicle headlamp system based on the sensor input;
an input device coupled to the controller for inputting a state of illumination that manually overrides automatic control of the state of illumination; and
the controller transitioning back to automatic control when the automatically controlled state of illumination matches the manually overridden input state of illumination.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the controller operates the headlamp system according to the input device while the state of illumination from the input device conflicts with a state of illumination controlled by the automatic control.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the state of illumination is a high beam state or a low beam state.

### Claim 7

A method for re-enabling automatic mode after manually overriding automatic mode of an automatic headlamp control system for a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
monitoring headlamp state in a controller;
recommending a headlamp state from the automatic mode of the automatic headlamp control system;
monitoring a driver request for headlamp state in the controller; and
causing the controller to return to the automatic mode when the recommended headlamp state matches the driver request for a headlamp state.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the controller operates the headlamp system according to the driver request for headlamp state while the driver request for headlamp state conflicts with a recommended headlamp state.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the headlamp state is a high beam state or a low beam state.