FR2986755A1 - Method for automatically controlling lighting and/or extinction of headlight of car in car management application, involves performing extinction or maintenance of extinction of headlight according to brightness and sun lighting values - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves determining a value of ambient brightness at a vehicle (E1), and measuring a value of sunlighting (E2) received at a location of the vehicle. Lighting or maintenance of lighting of a headlight of the vehicle is performed (E4). Extinction or maintenance of the extinction of the headlight of the vehicle is performed (E5) according to the brightness value and the sunlighting value if the conditions e.g. brightness value corresponding to day state and the sunlighting value corresponding to confirmation of the presence of day state, are checked together. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for managing a car (2) a light sensor implanted onboard of a car (3) a system for automatically controlling of lighting and/or extinction of headlights of a car (4) a management device embarked on board of a car.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a method and a system for automatically controlling the ignition and / or extinguishing of fires of a light. motor vehicle, comprising determining a value of ambient lightness to the vehicle. The subject of the invention is also a method and an on-board management device on board a vehicle, as well as a light sensor intended to be installed on board a motor vehicle. State of the art An automatic ignition and extinguishing dipped beam must be subject to a safety validation to overcome the risk of unexpected loss of lighting while driving. The dipped beam automation system must comply with the so-called "ASIL B" requirements (for "Automotive Safety Integrity Level B" in English terminology).

The ASIL B requirements lead to the application of a principle of redundancy of two pieces of information. This is currently the case with the sensor rain / light / sunshine (Figures 1 and 2) glued classically on the windshield of the vehicle. The sensor 1 comprises a first and second diode, respectively 2 and 3. Each diode 2, 3 is associated with an optical element 4, 5 corresponding. With reference to FIG. 1, the diode 2 and the optical element 4 serve to determine the ambient luminosity 6 at the vehicle. A high value of the determined luminosity 6 does not in itself make it possible to control a fire extinguishing, in particular of dipped beam, because of the requirements of ASIL B. This is one of the reasons for the existence of the diode 3 of the infrared type and the optical element 5, to create a security redundancy to at least two separate information. Thus, with reference to FIG. 2, this diode 3, via its specific optics, scans the light rays 7 in front of the vehicle to detect by infrared the approach of a colder zone in front of the vehicle (for example due to the presence of a tunnel) and thus improves the reactivity of the ignition automation of the dipped beam. This diode 3 and the optics 5 also serves to provide information redundancy before extinguishing the fires.

Because of a very high gain, the diode 3 gives a binary information, corresponding to a saturated state and an unsaturated state. A high gain is necessary to locate cold zones remotely and this is the reason why such a diode can not give a continuous and progressive measurement, confining itself to being able to adopt only two respectively saturated and unsaturated states, burdening the accuracy and possibilities. In the absence of a tunnel or parking lot or equivalent and under a daylight, this diode 3 normally gives information corresponding to its saturated state, this information being normally redundant with the ambient brightness determined by the other diode 2 via its optical 4 specific. The extinction of lights is controlled only when the diode 3 provides information corresponding to a saturated state and when the brightness determined by the diode 2 is jointly greater than a given threshold corresponding to a state "day" .30 Thus, two information is needed to be able to give an order of extinction of the dipped beam, one from the saturated diode 3 and the other from the diode 2 dedicated to the determination of the ambient brightness.

However, such a solution is expensive and cumbersome because of the existence of many diodes (and their "hardware" packaging), especially in the case where the light sensor 1 comprises in addition at least one diode (not shown) additional or two, dedicated to the precise measurement of sunshine in the context of temperature regulation inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Moreover, the binary operation of the safety redundancy information remains of a perfectible precision.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an operational safety solution for an automatic ignition control and / or extinguishing motor vehicle lights, which overcomes the disadvantages listed above. In particular, an object of the invention is to provide a solution improving compactness and cost, while ensuring the required security and accuracy requirements.

A first aspect of the invention relates to a method of automatically controlling the ignition and / or extinction of lights of a motor vehicle, comprising a step of determining an ambient brightness value to the vehicle. The method includes a step of measuring a value of sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle and a step of igniting or maintaining the ignition of vehicle lights and / or a step of extinguishing or holding the extinction of vehicle lights according to the brightness value determined in the determination step and the amount of sunshine measured in the measuring step.

The method may comprise a step of extinguishing or maintaining the extinguishing of the lights of the vehicle used if the following conditions are jointly verified: the ambient brightness value determined in the determination step corresponds to a presence of a "day" state, the sunshine value measured in the measuring step corresponds to a confirmation of the presence of the "day" state. A "day" state presence may correspond to a value of ambient brightness greater than a given threshold and be confirmed if the value of sunshine measured in the measuring step is greater than a predetermined threshold. The method may comprise a step of igniting or maintaining the ignition of the lights of the vehicle used if the following condition is satisfied: the ambient brightness value determined in the determination step corresponds to an absence of a state "day", and / or the value of sunshine measured in the measuring step corresponds to a confirmation of the absence of the state "day". An absence of a "day" state may correspond to a value of ambient brightness below a given threshold and be confirmed if the value of sunshine measured in the measuring step is less than a predetermined threshold.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for managing a motor vehicle, comprising a phase of implementation of the automatic control method of the ignition and / or extinguishing of vehicle lights and a phase of setting implementation of a thermal conditioning process of a passenger compartment of the vehicle comprising a step of processing the value of sunshine measured at the measurement step of the control method and a step of regulating the temperature inside. of the vehicle interior according to the result of the treatment step.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a light sensor intended to be implanted on board a motor vehicle, comprising an element for determining an ambient brightness value for the vehicle and a measuring element with a value of one sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle where the light sensor is located. The measuring element may comprise at least one receiving diode and an associated optical element configured so that the amount of sunlight measured depends on the light radiation received by the diode through the optical element at least in the infrared spectrum. The measuring element can be arranged in a single area of the light sensor. The sensor may include fasteners to a vehicle dashboard, including snap elements. A fourth aspect of the invention relates to a system for automatically controlling the ignition and / or extinguishing of lights of a motor vehicle, comprising software and / or hardware elements which implement the control method. The system may comprise a light sensor, delivering to a control unit a first parameter representative of an ambient brightness value to the vehicle and a second parameter representative of a value of sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle, control unit being able to emit, to a control unit of the ignition and extinguishing of the vehicle lights, an order of ignition or maintenance of the lighting of the vehicle lights and / or an order of extinguishing or maintaining the extinguishing of vehicle lights according to the first and second parameters. The light sensor can be arranged at a location of the vehicle allowing it to receive solar radiation through the windshield, especially at the dashboard of the vehicle. A fifth aspect of the invention relates to an onboard management device on board a motor vehicle, comprising a system for automatically controlling the ignition and / or extinguishing of vehicle lights and a thermal conditioning system. a passenger compartment of the vehicle comprising a processing unit receiving the second parameter representative of the value of the sunshine measured by the light sensor and providing a temperature control inside the passenger compartment taking into account said second parameter. A sixth aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising such a light sensor and / or such a control system and / or such a management device.

A seventh aspect of the invention relates to a computer-readable data recording medium on which a computer program is recorded comprising computer program code means for implementing the steps of the control method and / or the method. Management. An eighth aspect of the invention relates to a computer program comprising computer program code means adapted to perform the steps of the control method and / or the management method, when the program is executed on a computer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other advantages and features will emerge more clearly from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a rain / light / sunshine sensor according to the prior art; FIG. 3 represents various stages of a motor vehicle management method, comprising a phase of implementation of an automatic control method of the ignition and / or extinction of lights of the vehicle according to the invention, - Figure 4 is a schematic view of the structure of a management device 25 according to the invention, on board a motor vehicle FIGS. 5 and 6 are front and top views of an example of a light sensor; FIG. 7 is a spectral representation of a standard lamp for the measurement of sunshine, FIG. e 8 shows the spectrum of solar radiation received at sea level, - and Figure 9 shows the characteristic of the sensitivity of the infrared diode.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In the remainder of the description and with reference to FIG. 4 in particular, a management device on board a motor vehicle will be described. Mainly, this onboard management device comprises (illustrated in the left part of Figure 4) an automatic control system of the ignition and / or extinction of lights 13 of the vehicle and possibly a thermal conditioning system (partially illustrated right of Figure 4) of a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The control system implements a method of automatically controlling the ignition and / or extinguishing of a motor vehicle, described below. This control method can be carried out in isolation or be only a particular phase of a general vehicle management method, with reference to FIG. 3, this management method then having at least one other phase of implementation. a thermal conditioning process of a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The automatic control system of the ignition and / or extinction of lights 13 of a motor vehicle, includes in particular software and / or hardware that implement the control method described below. The system comprises a light sensor 10 (FIGS. 5 and 6), delivering to a control unit 11 a first parameter P1 representative of an ambient brightness value for the vehicle and a second parameter P2 representative of a value of a sunshine. received (expressed in W / m2) at a given location of the vehicle. The control unit 11 is then able to transmit, to a control unit 12 of the ignition and extinguishing of the lights 13 of the vehicle, an order 01 for starting or maintaining the ignition of the lights 13 of the vehicle and / or an order 02 extinguishing or maintaining the extinction of lights 13 of the vehicle, according to the first and second parameters P1, P2.

The use of a measured value of sunlight, unlike a binary determination according to the prior art, makes it possible to confer good accuracy and high security of operational safety redundancy.

The light sensor 10 is advantageously arranged at a location of the vehicle allowing it to receive solar radiation through the windshield of the vehicle, especially at the dashboard of the vehicle. For this, the light sensor comprises attachment elements to a dashboard of the vehicle, including latching elements 18. To achieve the supply of such parameters P1, P2, the light sensor 10 to be implanted in edge of a motor vehicle, comprises a determination element 19 of an ambient brightness value to the vehicle (measured in Lux (lx)) and a measuring element 20 of a value of sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle. vehicle where is implanted the light sensor 10. The ambient brightness is expressed in Lux while the sun is expressed in Watt per square meter.

The brightness measurement in Lux (lx) is carried out as follows: The lux is a unit of measurement of illuminance (symbol: lx). It characterizes the luminous flux received per unit area. A Lux is the illumination of a surface that receives, in a uniformly distributed manner, a luminous flux of one lumen per square meter.

The set corresponds to the following formula: 1m cd sr 11: c = 1 = 2 7712 because 1-s - sr with: - lm: lumen (unit of measurement of luminous flux); - sr: steradian (solid angle measurement unit); - cd: candela (unit of measure of luminous intensity).

The steradian is defined as the solid angle which, having its vertex in the center of a sphere, cuts, on the surface of this sphere, an area equivalent to that of a square whose side is equal to the radius of the sphere . In other words, a solid angle of a steradian delimits on the unit sphere from the center of this sphere a surface area 1. For a complete sphere, the solid angle is therefore 47 steradians, the surface of a complete sphere of radius r equal to 47 r2. The irradiation measurement, ie the radiated power (W / m 2), is carried out as follows: The characteristic in response of the element 20 is measured by exposing it to a standard lamp whose spectral characteristic is represented by the graph of FIG.

The element 20 thus calibrated is capable of measuring the radiated power per unit area illuminated. It is therefore also possible to identify whether it is night, if the vehicle passes under a tunnel or is parked in a covered parking, by the low value of radiated power measured by the element 20. However, it does not see only in the infrared: a part of the spectrum emitted by the calibration lamp or the sun is not seen by the element 20. Figure 8 shows the spectrum of solar radiation received at sea level, the the average atmospheric attenuation is about 15% on clear skies, about 30% on cloudy skies. FIG. 9 represents the characteristic of the sensitivity of the element 20. Advantageously, the measuring element 20 comprises at least one receiving diode and an associated optical element, configured so that the sunshine value measured by the element 20 depends on the light radiation received by the diode through the optical element at least in the infrared spectrum, possibly in part of the visible spectrum. As shown in FIG. 6, in order to gain compactness and cost, the measuring element 20 is arranged in a single zone of the light sensor 10. In addition, the management device of FIG. processing unit 14 also receiving the second parameter P2 representative of the value of the sunshine measured by the light sensor 10. The processing unit 14 belongs to a thermal conditioning system of a passenger compartment of the vehicle. It also receives data Di from temperature sensors 15 relating for example to the temperature inside the passenger compartment and at the outside temperature. It receives other necessary Di data, such as a desired temperature setpoint inside the passenger compartment from a target acquisition element 16. The processing unit 14, thanks to the data D received and parameter P2, comprises software and hardware means (hardware, software) providing a temperature regulation inside the passenger compartment taking into account the second parameter P2. To do this, the processing unit 14 sends appropriate control signals S to a heating element and / or air conditioning and / or ventilation 17. In other words, the measuring element 20 of sunshine is common to the automatic ignition / extinguishing system and the cabin thermal conditioning system, in that the measured sun value, via the parameter P2, is used separately by the control unit 11 and by the processing unit 14 previously described. Therefore, the light sensor 10 participates in several different functions implemented in the vehicle management, without requiring a multiplication of sunlight measuring elements, promoting congestion (diode, optical element, hardware etc ...) and the cost.

By the control system previously described that it integrates, the management device of FIG. 4 makes it possible to carry out a phase of implementation of the method of automatic control of the ignition and / or extinguishing of fires of a following motor vehicle: In a step E1, a value of ambient light to the vehicle is determined by the determining element 19 of the light sensor 10. In a step E2, a value of sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle is measured by the measuring element 20 of the light sensor 10. These steps E1 and E2 are accompanied by the delivery of the previously mentioned parameters P1 and P2 to the control unit 11. The steps E1 and E2 can be performed continuously or periodically, simultaneously or in any order between them. Then, the control unit 11 performs a step E3 for processing the parameters P1 and P2. The processing performed in step E3 is such that it selectively selects, according to the parameters P1 and P2, the orders 01 and / or 02 which must be sent by the control unit 11 to the unit 12. The control unit 12, from the orders 01, 02, ensures a step E4 of igniting or maintaining the ignition of lights 13 of the vehicle and / or a step E5 extinguishing or holding the extinguishing of the lights 13 of the vehicle according to the brightness value determined in the determination step E1 and the sun exposure value measured in the measurement step E2. The treatment carried out in step E3 by the control unit 11 is such that a step E5 extinguishing or maintaining the extinction of lights 13 of the vehicle is implemented if the following conditions are jointly verified: the ambient brightness value determined in the determination step E1 corresponds to a presence of a "day" state; the sunshine value measured in the measurement step E2 corresponds to a confirmation of the presence of the state "day". In particular, for simplicity, a "day" state presence corresponds to an ambient brightness value, determined in step E1, greater than a given threshold. In France (because the value is to be determined according to its position in latitude on the globe), one of the possible settings corresponding to the state "Day" is 3100 lx. On the other hand, a "day" state presence can simply be confirmed if the sun exposure value measured in the measurement step E2 is greater than a predetermined threshold. The infrared measurement made by the sunlight measurement diode is between 0 and 1000 W / m2. The "day" state could be set at 150 W / m2, however a multiplier or a high gain could be applied to this measurement in order to be certain of the "day" state, irrespective of cloudiness.

However, a state presence "day" can be signified from the brightness determined using other criteria, different from the use of a given fixed threshold. In all cases, the state "day" must correspond to illumination conditions allowing the extinction of the lights 13 of the vehicle safely, regardless of the conditions of use of the vehicle. By performing such a processing in step E3, a safety redundancy is therefore present at a lower cost in controlling the extinguishing of the lights 13. Furthermore, the processing carried out in step E3 by the control unit 11 is such that a step E4 of igniting or maintaining the ignition of lights 13 of the vehicle is implemented if the following condition is satisfied: - the ambient brightness value determined in the determination step E1 corresponds to an absence of a state "day", and / or - the value of sunshine measured in step E2 of measurement corresponds to a confirmation of the absence of the state "day".

In particular, for simplicity, a lack of "day" status corresponds to an ambient brightness value, determined in step E1, below a given threshold. By way of example, the given threshold of brightness below which an absence of "day" state is signified may be equal to the given threshold of brightness above which a "day" state presence is signified. On the other hand, an absence of a "day" state can be confirmed in a simple manner if the sunlight value measured in measurement step E2 is less than a predetermined threshold.

By way of example, a hysteresis is provided between the predetermined threshold of sunshine below which an absence of "day" state is confirmed and the predetermined threshold of sunshine above which a "day" state presence is confirmed, in order to mitigate any uncertainty about the state as a function of radiation variations. As indicated above, the management method of a motor vehicle, already comprising a phase of implementation of the automatic control method of the ignition and / or extinguishing of vehicle lights as previously described in support stages El to E5, may optionally further include a phase of implementation of a thermal conditioning method of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, in particular thanks to the previous conditioning system. The implementation phases of the automatic control method of the ignition and / or extinction of lights and implementation of the thermal conditioning process of the cabin can be simultaneous or carried out in any order between them. With reference to FIG. 3, the thermal conditioning process of the passenger compartment may comprise a step E7 of processing the value of the sunshine measured in step E2 of measurement of the control method and a step E8 of regulation of the temperature inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle according to the result of the processing step E7. The processing unit 14 carries out this processing E7 by also receiving the thermal conditioning data Di acquired and transmitted by the temperature sensors 15 and by the element 16 during a step E6 of acquisition and of data transmission Di. For the implementation of the control step E8 by the heating element and / or air conditioning and / or ventilation 17, the processing unit 14 emits signals S depending on the result of step E7.

The invention finally relates to: - a motor vehicle comprising a light sensor 10 as previously described a control system and / or a management device as described above, - a data storage medium readable by a computer, on which is recorded a computer program comprising computer program code means for implementing the steps of the control method and / or the management method as previously described, - a computer program comprising adapted computer program code means performing the steps of the control method and / or the management method as previously described when the program is executed on a computer.

The calculators, the software and / or hardware means can be included or read by the control units 11, control 12 and processing 14. The software strategy or "software" (intermediate calculations, thresholds and timers) is developed so to be able to confirm a state "day" from a measurement of sunshine in W / m2. It is obvious that from a sunlight information in W / m2, this "day" state necessary for the redundancy of operating reliability can be confirmed following its determination via the brightness value, account given very low or even insignificant levels of sunshine, measured in a tunnel, an underground car park or any other sheltered place requiring the maintenance of lit fires, in particular dipped beam. ASIL operating safety B is not based on the saturation of an infrared tunnel detection diode as in the prior art, but on the crossing of a very low threshold threshold of sunshine corresponding to the state " "day" of all situations confirming the possibility of extinguishing the dipped beam, thereby providing redundancy of information to meet the requirements for ASIL B.5

Claims (19)

REVENDICATIONS1. A method for automatically controlling the ignition and / or extinction of lights (13) of a motor vehicle, comprising a step (El) of determining an ambient brightness value for the vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a step (E2) of measuring a value of sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle and a step (E4) of igniting or maintaining the ignition of vehicle lights and / or a step (E5) extinguishing or maintaining the extinguishing of vehicle lights according to the brightness value determined in the determination step (E1) and the sunshine value measured in the measuring step (E2). 2. Control method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a step (E5) extinguishing or maintaining the extinguishing of the vehicle lights implemented if the following conditions are jointly verified: - the value of ambient brightness determined in the determination step (E1) corresponds to a presence of a "day" state, - the sunshine value measured in the measurement step (E2) corresponds to a confirmation of the presence of the 'state' day. 3. Control method according to claim 2, characterized in that a presence of "day" state corresponds to a value of ambient brightness greater than a given threshold. 4. Control method according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that a presence of "day" state is confirmed if the sunshine value measured in step (E2) measurement is greater than a threshold predetermined. 5. control method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a step (E4) of ignition or maintenance of the ignition of the vehicle lights implemented if the following condition is verified the ambient brightness value determined in the determination step (E1) corresponds to an absence of a "day" state, and / or the sunshine value measured in the measurement step (E2) corresponds to a confirmation of the absence of the state "day". 6. Control method according to claim 5, characterized in that a lack of "day" state corresponds to a value of ambient brightness below a given threshold. 7. Control method according to one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that a lack of "day" state is confirmed if the sunlight value measured in step (E2) measurement is less than one predetermined threshold. 8. A method for managing a motor vehicle, comprising a phase of implementation of the automatic control method of the ignition and / or extinction of vehicle lights according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a phase of implementation of a thermal conditioning process of a passenger compartment of the vehicle comprising a step (E7) for processing the value of the sunshine measured in step (E2) for measuring the control method and a step (E8) for regulating the temperature inside the cabin of the vehicle according to the result of the step (E7) of treatment. A light sensor (10) to be implanted on board a motor vehicle, comprising an element (19) for determining a value of ambient lightness at the vehicle and a measuring element (20) having a value of sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle where is implanted the light sensor (10). Light sensor (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the measuring element (20) comprises at least one receiving diode and an associated optical element configured so that the measured sun exposure value depends on the radiation light received by the diode through the optical element at least in the infrared spectrum. Light sensor (10) according to one of claims 9 and 10, characterized in that the measuring element (20) is arranged in a single zone of the light sensor (10). 12. Light sensor according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that it comprises fastening elements to a dashboard of the vehicle, in particular latching elements (18). 13. System for automatically controlling the ignition and / or extinction of lights of a motor vehicle, comprising software and / or hardware elements which implement the control method according to one of claims 1 to 7. . 14. Control system according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a light sensor (10), in particular a light sensor according to one of claims 9 to 12, delivering to a control unit (11) a first parameter (P1) representative of a value of ambient light at the vehicle and a second parameter (P2) representative of a value of sunshine received at a given location of the vehicle, the control unit (11) being adapted to transmitting, to a driving unit (12) of the ignition and extinguishing of the lights (13) of the vehicle, an order (01) for starting or holding the ignition of lights (13) of the vehicle and / or an order (02) for extinguishing or maintaining the extinction of lights (13) of the vehicle according to the first and second parameters (P1, P2). 15. Control system according to one of claims 13 and 14, characterized in that the light sensor (10) is arranged at a location of the vehicle to receive solar radiation through the windshield, particularly at the level the dashboard of the vehicle. 16. Onboard management device on board a motor vehicle, comprising an automatic control system of the ignition and / or extinction of lights (13) of the vehicle according to one of claims 13 to 15 and a system for thermal conditioning of a passenger compartment of the vehicle comprising a processing unit (14) receiving the second parameter (P2) representative of the value of the sunshine measured by the light sensor (10) and providing a control of the temperature at the interior of the vehicle interior taking into account said second parameter (P2). 17. Motor vehicle comprising a light sensor (10) according to one of claims 9 to 12 and / or a control system according to one of claims 13 to 15 and / or a management device according to claim 16. Computer-readable data recording medium, on which is recorded a computer program comprising computer program code means for implementing the steps of the control method according to one of claims 1 to 7 and / or of the management method according to claim 8. A computer program comprising a computer program code means adapted to perform the steps of the control method according to one of claims 1 to 7 and / or the management method according to claim 8, when the program is executed on a program. computer.