US 8,142,059 B2Granted

Automatic lighting system

AssigneeMagna Electronics Inc.

InventorsMichael J. Higgins-Luthman, Yuesheng Lu, William C. Ince

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An automatic lighting system for a vehicle includes a control and an imaging device having a forward field of view. The control is operable to process image data captured by the imaging device to determine if an object imaged by the imaging device is an object of interest present generally forwardly and/or sidewardly of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along the road. An illumination source is operable to illuminate generally forwardly and/or sidewardly of the vehicle. The illumination source includes an array of light emitting diodes and illumination emanating from the illumination source is adjustable via selectively activating at least some individual light emitting diodes of the array of light emitting diodes. Adjustment of the illumination source is responsive to determination by the control that an imaged object is an object of interest to the driver of the vehicle.

Claims39

Dependent claims

An automatic lighting system for a vehicle, said automatic lighting system comprising:

an imaging device having a field of view at least generally forwardly with respect to a forward direction of travel of a vehicle equipped with said automatic lighting system as the equipped vehicle travels forwardly along a road;
wherein said imaging device is operable to capture image data representative of at least a portion of the field of view of said imaging device;
a control operable to process said captured image data to determine if an object imaged by said imaging device is an object of interest to a driver of the equipped vehicle that is present at least one of (i) generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road and (ii) generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road;
wherein said control is operable to determine if an object imaged in the field of view is an object of interest at least in part by determining at least one of (a) a size of the imaged object, (b) a shape of the imaged object, (c) a distance to the imaged object and (d) a direction toward the imaged object;
an illumination source operable to illuminate at least one of generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle and generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road, wherein said illumination source comprises an array of light emitting diodes and wherein illumination emanating from said illumination source is adjustable via selectively activating at least some individual light emitting diodes of said array of light emitting diodes;
and
wherein adjustment of said illumination source is responsive to determination by said control that an imaged object is an object of interest.

4 more elements

An automatic lighting system for a vehicle, said automatic lighting system comprising:

an imaging device having a field of view at least generally forwardly with respect to a forward direction of travel of a vehicle equipped with said automatic lighting system as the equipped vehicle travels forwardly along a road;
wherein said imaging device is operable to capture image data representative of at least a portion of the field of view of said imaging device;
a control operable to process said captured image data to determine if an object imaged by said imaging device is an object of interest to a driver of the equipped vehicle that is present at least one of (i) generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road and (ii) generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road;
an illumination source operable to illuminate at least one of generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle and generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road, wherein said illumination source comprises a headlamp of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said illumination source comprises an array of light emitting diodes and wherein illumination emanating from said illumination source is adjustable via selectively activating at least some individual light emitting diodes of said array of light emitting diodes;
and
wherein adjustment of said illumination source is responsive to determination by said control that an imaged object is an object of interest and wherein said control is operable to adjust illumination of an area encompassing an object of interest when said control determines that an imaged object is an object of interest.

3 more elements

An automatic lighting system for a vehicle, said automatic lighting system comprising:

an imaging device having a field of view at least generally forwardly with respect to a forward direction of travel of a vehicle equipped with said automatic lighting system as the equipped vehicle travels forwardly along a road;
wherein said imaging device is operable to capture image data representative of at least a portion of the field of view of said imaging device;
a control operable to process said captured image data to determine if an object imaged by said imaging device is an object of interest to a driver of the equipped vehicle that is present at least one of (i) generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road and (ii) generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road;
an illumination source operable to illuminate at least one of generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle and generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road, wherein said illumination source comprises a headlamp of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said illumination source comprises an array of light emitting diodes and wherein illumination emanating from said illumination source is adjustable via selectively activating at least some individual light emitting diodes of said array of light emitting diodes;
and
wherein adjustment of said illumination source is responsive to determination by said control that an imaged object is an object of interest, and wherein activation of some of said light emitting diodes results in a first beam of light while activation of others of said light emitting diodes results in a second beam of light.

3 more elements

An automatic lighting system for a vehicle, said automatic lighting system comprising:

an imaging device having a field of view at least generally forwardly with respect to a forward direction of travel of a vehicle equipped with said automatic lighting system as the equipped vehicle travels forwardly along a road;
wherein said imaging device is operable to capture image data representative of at least a portion of the field of view of said imaging device;
a control operable to process said captured image data to determine if an object imaged by said imaging device is an object of interest to a driver of the equipped vehicle that is present at least one of (i) generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road and (ii) generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road;
wherein said control processes said captured image data to determine a characteristic of an imaged object;
an illumination source operable to illuminate at least one of generally forwardly of the equipped vehicle and generally sidewardly of the equipped vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along the road, wherein said illumination source comprises a headlamp of the equipped vehicle, and wherein said illumination source comprises an array of light emitting diodes and wherein illumination emanating from said illumination source is adjustable via selectively activating at least some individual light emitting diodes of said array of light emitting diodes;
and
wherein adjustment of said illumination source is responsive to determination by said control that an imaged object is an object of interest.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/292,120Filed 9 Nov 2011 · continuation
Priority: 12 Jul 2007
Published: US 2012/0051599 A11 Mar 2012
Granted: 27 Mar 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B60Q 1/085
Automatically: due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers
B60Q 1/245
For lighting other areas than only the way ahead: searchlights, e.g. adjustable from within the vehicle
B60Q 2300/23
Indexing codes relating to the driver or the passengers: driver's line of sight
B60Q 2300/45
Indexing codes relating to other road users or special conditions: special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers

Family

Application60/949,352Us provisional application · filed 12 Jul 2007
Application12/171,436Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jul 2008
Application13/074,698Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Mar 2011
US 7,914,187 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Mar 2011
US 2012/0051599 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Mar 2012
US 8,070,332 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2009/0016073 A1Published application
US 2011/0176003 A1Published application
US 8,142,059 B2This patent

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