DE102007051272B4 - Device for controlling and/or regulating the activation or deactivation of the automatic adjustment of the cut-off line of a motor vehicle headlight or the switching on or off of the main beam in motor vehicle headlights - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for controlling and/or regulating the activation or deactivation of the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or the switching on or off of the high beam in motor vehicle headlights, wherein the device has one or more interfaces at least for reading in signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) and the device is suitable and set up to process the signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) and to generate an actuating signal (41) depending on the read-in signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) for activating or deactivating the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or for switching the high beam on or off, characterized in that the device is suitable and set up as a signal (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...)- a signal indicating the visibility range,- a signal indicating the switching state of at least one fog lamp indicating signal,- a signal indicating the switching state of at least one rear fog light,- a signal indicating the switching position of the windscreen wiper,- a signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle,- a signal indicating the front wheel angle,- a signal from a lane departure warning system,- a signal indicating the curve radius of the road section being driven through,- a signal indicating the "reverse" switching position of the transmission,- a signal indicating a response of the ESP,- a signal indicating a response of the ABS and- a signal indicating the condition of the road surface, e.g. from axle sensors, to generate the actuating signal (41).

Description

The invention relates to a device for controlling and/or regulating the activation or deactivation of the automatic adjustment of a light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or for switching the high beam on or off in motor vehicle headlights.

Such a device is known, for example, from the publication number US6,281,632 B1 or the printed matter US 5,796,094 A known. The devices have one or more interfaces at least for reading in signals and the device is suitable and set up to process the signals and to generate an actuating signal depending on the read-in signals for activating or deactivating the automatic setting of the light-dark boundary or for switching the high beam on or off.

It is known from the publications, for example, to switch the high beam on or off depending on the ambient brightness, the vehicle inclination, the vehicle speed, the steering angle or the precipitation, or to activate or deactivate the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of the motor vehicle headlight.

From the same publications or from other publications, devices for adjusting the light-dark boundary are also known, which have an image recording and image processing system that takes an image of the traffic situation in front of the vehicle and uses the image processing system to examine the recorded image to determine whether vehicles driving ahead or oncoming vehicles could be blinded by the high beam. Depending on the processing result, the high beam can then be switched on or off or the light-dark boundary can be adjusted.

The systems known from the state of the art generally work reliably and increase driving safety both for the vehicle equipped with such a device and for other road users. Such systems prevent unnecessary dazzling of vehicles ahead and oncoming vehicles.

Further similar systems or procedures emerge from the DE 197 56 574 A1 , the DE 195 23 262 A1 , the WO 01/70 538 A1 as well as from the DE 101 46 786 A1 out.

However, it has been shown that, in addition to the traffic and driving situations considered so far, there may also be other traffic and driving situations in which switching off the high beam is desirable or deactivating the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary is advantageous.

This is where the present invention comes in.

The present invention is based on the object of developing a device for controlling and/or regulating the switching on or off of the high beam or for activating or deactivating the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of the motor vehicle headlight in such a way that further traffic and driving situations can be recognized which are taken into account during the regulation and/or control.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features mentioned in claim 1.

The aforementioned signals are present partly as yes/no statements and partly as value-related variables in the vehicle's internal communication systems, for example the vehicle's bus systems. These signals are fed into the device according to the invention and processed there in a suitable manner. The value-related signals, such as the signal indicating the visibility range, the signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle, the signal indicating the front wheel angle, the signal indicating the curve radius of the road section being driven through, can be included with their value in determining the control signal. It is also possible for the device according to the invention to check whether the value-related signals exceed or fall below a control value. Depending on such a comparison with a control value, a signal can then be generated in the device according to the invention, which is further processed in the device to determine the control signal.

• - ein die Umgebungshelligkeit angebendes Signal,
• - ein die Fahrzeuggeschwindigkeit angebendes Signal,
• - ein den Niederschlag angebendes Signal,
• - ein den Lenkwinkel angebendes Signal

und/oder

• - ein die Fahrzeugneigung angebendes Signal.

According to the invention, further signals can be taken into account for generating the control signal, namely:

• - a signal indicating the ambient brightness,
• - a signal indicating the vehicle speed,
• - a signal indicating precipitation,
• - a signal indicating the steering angle

and or

• - a signal indicating the vehicle inclination.

Another new feature is the use of the aforementioned signals in a device for Controlling and/or regulating the activation or deactivation of the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or the switching on or off of the high beam in motor vehicle headlights, with a sensor means for detecting light, in particular for detecting light from vehicles driving ahead or coming towards you, light from street lamps or the like, provided that the sensor means has a phototransistor, a photoelement and/or a photodiode as a light-sensitive element. By using such simple light-sensitive elements, the use of complex image processing systems for determining the light sources in the space in front of the vehicle or for determining the ambient brightness can be dispensed with.

These signals are mostly value-related variables that can be treated in accordance with the variables mentioned above. This means that the variables can be included as such in the determination or generation of the control signal. Alternatively, it is possible for the value-related variables to first be compared with a threshold value and the result of this comparison to be included in the determination of the control signal.

The device according to the invention can be suitable and set up to generate a control signal for switching on the high beam and/or for activating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary, provided that the signal indicating the ambient brightness, the signal indicating the precipitation, the signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle, the signal indicating the front wheel angle and/or the signal indicating the curve radius of the road section being driven through falls below a first threshold value for the respective signal. The device can be suitable and set up to generate a control signal for switching off the high beam and/or for deactivating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary, provided that the signal indicating the ambient brightness, the signal indicating the precipitation, the signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle, the signal indicating the front wheel angle and/or the signal indicating the curve radius of the road section being driven through exceeds a second threshold value for the respective signal.

It is also possible for a device according to the invention to be suitable and set up to generate a control signal for switching off the high beam and/or for deactivating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary if the signal indicating the vehicle speed and/or the signal indicating the visibility falls below a first threshold value for the respective signal. The same device can be suitable and set up to generate a control signal for switching on the high beam and/or for activating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary if the signal indicating the vehicle speed and/or the signal indicating the visibility exceeds a second threshold value for the respective signal.

In principle, it is conceivable that the first threshold and the second threshold correspond to one another. However, if the values fluctuate around the thresholds, this can lead to constant switching on and off or activation and deactivation. It is therefore advantageous if a hysteresis is provided and the first threshold is smaller than the second threshold. In the case of vehicle speed, for example, the first threshold can be 65 km/h and the second threshold 55 km/h. In the case of visibility, the thresholds can be between 45 and 55 m.

The signal indicating the vehicle speed also allows conclusions to be drawn about the type of road being driven on. If the speed is below 75 km/h, the probability that the road is within a built-up area is very high. At speeds between 75 and 115 km/h, it is highly likely that the road is country roads, and at speeds above 115 km/h, it is highly likely that the road is motorways or dual carriageways. The conclusions about the type of road can then have an influence on the control and/or regulation of the activation or deactivation of the automatic adjustment of the cut-off line of a motor vehicle headlight or the switching on or off of the high beam of motor vehicle headlights.

The aforementioned circuit can be realized, for example, in that the device has threshold switches with hysteresis which are suitable and configured to process at least one of the said signals.

According to the invention, the device can have a digital circuit, in particular a switching network or a switching mechanism. The digital circuit can be suitable and set up to link the signals to one another in order to generate a control signal for switching off the high beam and/or for deactivating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary. The digital circuit can have a flip-flop. The threshold switches are advantageously connected upstream of the digital circuit.

• 1 ein Blockschaltbild der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung,
• 2 eine Kennlinie eines ersten Schwellwertschaltertyps und
• 3 eine Kennlinie eines zweiten Schwellwertschaltertyps.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• 1 a block diagram of the device according to the invention,
• 2 a characteristic curve of a first threshold switch type and
• 3 a characteristic curve of a second threshold switch type.

The device according to the invention for controlling and/or regulating the light-dark boundary of the motor vehicle headlight in motor vehicle headlights can have a 1 The digital circuit includes an AND gate U1, an OR gate O, a flip-flop circuit FP and an AND gate U2.

In 1 Additionally, threshold switches S21, S22, S31 and S32 are shown, which do not belong to the digital circuit and in which, in addition to an analog-digital conversion, a processing of signals 21, 22, 31, 32 takes place.

The circuit arrangement shown has one or more interfaces via which signals 21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...; from sensors arranged in the motor vehicle or from a motor vehicle bus system can be received. These signals 21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ..., are processed in the circuit and in particular in the digital circuit in order to generate an actuating signal 41 with which a high beam is switched on or off or a means for controlling and/or regulating the light-dark boundary of the motor vehicle headlight is activated or deactivated.

The threshold switches S21, S22, S31, S32 are designed to process and digitize analog sensor signals 21, 22, 31, 32. In principle, however, it is also conceivable that digital threshold switches are provided that process digital sensor signals.

The functionality of the threshold switches S21, S22, S31, S32 is described in the 2 and 3 Two types of threshold switches are distinguished. The type of threshold switch whose characteristic curve is in 2 As shown, for input signals below a threshold value 1, the output signal is at an on level, while for high input signals above a threshold value 2, the output signal is at an off level. A hysteresis ensures that if the input signal fluctuates by a few fractions up or down, the level at the output of the threshold switch does not change constantly. The hysteresis ensures that if the sensor signal increases, the level is switched to off from a second threshold value 2, while at the first threshold value 1, which is smaller than the second threshold value 2, it is switched to on when the input signal drops.
The second type of threshold switch, as used in 3 shown has a hysteresis. However, the switch is designed so that it has an off level at the output when the input signals are low and an on level at the output when the input signals are high. The hysteresis ensures that when the input signal increases, the output level is switched to on from a second threshold value 2 of the input signal, while when the input signal decreases, the output signal is switched to off from a first threshold value 1, which is smaller than the second threshold value 2.

The signals 21, 22, 23, ... are partly connected to the AND gate U1 via the threshold switches S21, S22. The output of this AND gate U1 is connected to a set input S of the flip-flop FP. The signals 31, 32, 33 are partly connected to the OR gate O via the threshold switches S31, S32. The output of the OR gate is connected to a reset input R of the flip-flop FP. All of the signals that must have an on level if the high beam is to be switched on or if the automatic setting of the light-dark boundary is to be activated are connected to the AND gate U1 as input signals. On the other hand, the OR gate has signals that have an on level if the high beam is to be switched off or if the automatic setting of the light-dark boundary is to be deactivated.

While the signals 21, 22, 23, ... applied to the AND gate must have an on level at the same time so that the high beam is switched on or the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary is activated, it is sufficient if one of the signals 31, 32, 33 applied to the OR gate O has an on level so that the high beam is switched off or the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary is deactivated.

The flip-flop FP has two outputs, a non-inverted output A1 and an inverted output A2. The non-inverted output A1 is connected to the second AND gate U2. The second AND gate has two further inputs, to which a signal 11 from a manual switch for switching on the vehicle lights and a signal 12 from a manual switch for switching on the high beam are applied. At the output of the second AND gate U2 there is a control signal 41 which switches the high beam on or off, or which automatically sets the light-dark boundary. activated or deactivated. Due to the AND connection of the inputs of the second AND gate U2, the high beam can only be switched on or the setting of the light-dark boundary can only be activated if both the vehicle lights are switched on, the high beam is switched on using the manual switch and the conditions for switching on the high beam or for activating the setting of the light-dark boundary are met, which are checked via the first AND gate U1 and the flip-flop FP.

A signal 42 is present at the inverting output 2 of the flip-flop FP, which indicates whether the high beam must be switched off or whether the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary must be deactivated.

List of reference symbols

U1, U2

And-gate

O

Oder-Gatter

FP

Flip-flop circuit

S11, S12, S21, S22

Threshold switch

21, 22, 31, 32

Signals

41

Control signal

42

signal

2

Threshold

A1,A2

Exit

Claims (13)

Device for controlling and/or regulating the activation or deactivation of the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or the switching on or off of the high beam in motor vehicle headlights, wherein the device has one or more interfaces at least for reading in signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) and the device is suitable and set up to process the signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) and to generate an actuating signal (41) depending on the read-in signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) for activating or deactivating the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or for switching the high beam on or off, characterized in that the device is suitable and set up as a signal (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) - a signal indicating the visibility range, - a signal indicating the switching state of at least one fog lamp indicating signal, - a signal indicating the switching state of at least one rear fog light, - a signal indicating the switching position of the windscreen wiper, - a signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle, - a signal indicating the front wheel angle, - a signal from a lane departure warning system, - a signal indicating the curve radius of the road section being driven through, - a signal indicating the "reverse" switching position of the transmission, - a signal indicating a response of the ESP, - a signal indicating a response of the ABS and - a signal indicating the condition of the road surface, e.g. from axle sensors, to generate the actuating signal (41). Device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the device is further suitable and arranged to process as a signal (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) - a signal indicating the ambient brightness, - a signal indicating the vehicle speed, - a signal indicating precipitation, - a signal indicating the steering angle, and/or - a signal indicating the vehicle inclination for generating the actuating signal (41). Device for controlling and/or regulating the activation or deactivation of the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or the switching on or off of the high beam in motor vehicle headlights, with a sensor means for detecting light, in particular for detecting light from preceding or oncoming vehicles, light from street lamps or the like, wherein the device has one or more interfaces at least for reading in signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) and the device is suitable and set up to process the signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) and to generate an actuating signal (41) depending on the read-in signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) and the light detected by the sensor means for activating or deactivating the automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary of a motor vehicle headlight or for switching on or off the high beam, characterized in that the sensor means comprise a phototransistor, a photoelement and/or a photodiode and that the device is suitable and set up as a signal (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) - a signal indicating the visibility range, - a signal indicating the switching state of at least one fog lamp, - a signal indicating the switching state of at least one rear fog lamp, - a signal indicating the switching position of the windscreen wiper signal, - a signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle, - a signal indicating the front wheel angle, - a signal from a lane departure warning system, - a signal indicating the course of the road, e.g. from a navigation system, - a signal indicating the curve radius of the section of road traveled, - a signal indicating the "reverse" gear position of the transmission, - a signal indicating the passage through a town, e.g. from a navigation system, - a signal indicating an ESP response, - a signal indicating an ABS response, - a signal indicating the condition of the road, e.g. from axle sensors, - a signal indicating the ambient brightness, - a signal indicating the vehicle speed, - a signal indicating precipitation, - a signal indicating the steering angle, and - a signal indicating the vehicle inclination to generate the actuating signal (41). Device according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that the device is suitable and set up to generate an actuating signal for switching on the high beam and/or for activating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary if - the signal indicating the ambient brightness, - the signal indicating the precipitation, - the signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle, - the signal indicating the front wheel angle, and/or - the signal indicating the curve radius of the road section driven through falls below a first threshold value (1) for the respective signal. Device according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the device is suitable and set up to generate an actuating signal (41) for switching off the high beam and/or for deactivating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary if - the signal indicating the ambient brightness, - the signal indicating the precipitation, - the signal indicating the yaw rate of the motor vehicle, - the signal indicating the front wheel angle, and/or - the signal indicating the curve radius of the road section traveled through exceeds a second threshold value (2) for the respective signal. Device according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the device is suitable and arranged to generate an actuating signal (41) for switching off the high beam and/or for deactivating an automatic adjustment of the cut-off line if - the signal indicating the vehicle speed and/or - the signal indicating the visibility falls below a first threshold value (1) for the respective signal. Device according to Claim 6 , characterized in that the device is suitable and arranged to generate an actuating signal (41) for switching on the high beam and/or for activating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary if - the signal indicating the vehicle speed, and/or - the signal indicating the visibility exceeds a second threshold value (2) for the respective signal. Device according to Claim 5 or 7 , characterized in that the first threshold value (1) for the respective signal is smaller than the second threshold value for the respective signal. Device according to one of the Claims 4 until 8th , characterized in that the device comprises threshold switches (S1, S2) with hysteresis, which are used to process at least the Claims 4 until 8th mentioned signals are suitable and set up. Device according to one of the Claims 1 until 9 , characterized in that the device comprises a digital circuit, in particular a switching network or a switching mechanism. Device according to Claim 10 , characterized in that the digital circuit is suitable and arranged to link the signals (21, 22, ...; 31, 32, ...) to one another in order to generate an actuating signal (41) for switching off the high beam and/or for deactivating an automatic adjustment of the light-dark boundary. Device according to Claim 10 or 11 , characterized in that the digital circuit comprises a flip-flop (FP) Device according to Claim 9 and one of the Claims 10 until 12 , characterized in that the threshold switches (S, S2) are connected upstream of the digital circuit.

Images