US 6,928,180 B2 · System for controlling exterior vehicle lights

Abstract

A system and method of automatically controlling exterior vehicle lights includes an image sensor and a controller to generate control signals. The control signals are derived based on information obtained from the image sensor as well as other detected parameters pertaining to the detected light source(s), the vehicle having the inventive control system, and the ambient environment. The control circuit may simply turn certain exterior lights on or off, or change the brightness, aim, focus, etc. to produce various beam patterns that maximize the illuminated area in front of the vehicle without causing excessive glare in the eyes of other drivers.

Claims38

Dependent claims

An automatic vehicle exterior light control, comprising:

a controller configured to receive at least one image and to identify at least one object within said at least one image, said controller is further configured to generate an object list history;
wherein, said object list history includes at least one object characteristic selected from the group comprising:
an x-coordinate of at least one pixel within the object;
a y-coordinate of at least one pixel within the object;
a sum of grayscale values of all object pixels;
a total number of object pixels;
a grayscale value of object brightest pixel;
a brightness ratio between red filtered and non-red filtered object;
an average object grayscale value;
an object width;
an object height;
and at least one object sensitivity.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/316,511Filed 11 Dec 2002 · continuation

Priority

20 Mar 2000

Published

US 2003/0123705 A13 Jul 2003

Granted

9 Aug 2005

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification32 codes

B60Q 1/18
The devices being headlights: being additional front lights
B60Q 1/085
Automatically: due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers
B60Q 1/143
Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic: combined…
B60Q 1/2603
The devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic: attenuation of the light…

Family

Application09/528,389Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Mar 2000

Application09/800,460Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Mar 2001

US 2003/0123705 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Jul 2003

US 6,587,573 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Jul 2003

US 6,611,610 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 26 Aug 2003

Application09/800,460Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 6,928,180 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

System for controlling exterior vehicle lights

Life of this patent

System for controlling exterior vehicle lights

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims38