IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,610,889
Granted Patent B2
US 9,610,889 · App. 13/683,407 · Granted Apr 4, 2017

Procedure and steering mechanism to control main headlights with adjustable vertical cut-off line to reduce the glare of objects

Inventors: Christian Schmidt (Paderborn, DE); Tobias Irmscher (Gütersloh, DE); Christian Hüster (Salzkotten, DE); Stefan Krause (Versmold, DE); Carsten Wilks (Lippstadt, DE)
Assignee: Hella KgAA
B60Q1/06B60Q1/143B60Q2300/056B60Q2300/41B60Q2300/42
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,610,889
App. No.
13/683,407
Granted
Apr 4, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control device for vehicle headlights with adjustable light distributions and with an adjustable vertical cutoff line in at least one light distribution, with access to the programming of information about the location of objects located in front of the vehicle with glare needing to be reduced, with a processing medium, operable for generating variables to set an adjustable light distribution on at least one main headlight and/or operable for generating variables to set a vertical cut-off line on a light distribution installed on the main right headlight and a vertical cut-off line installed on the main left headlight, with an outlet on which variables for setting up a light distribution and/or the vertical cut -off lines can be deployed, whereby the control device has a memory to store the light strengths of locations in front of the main headlights for the adjustable light distributions.

Claims (23)

1. A control device for controlling headlights of a vehicle with at least one of an adjustable light distribution and a vertical cutoff line, comprising:

at least one headlight of a vehicle capable of adopting at least two headlight configurations, each of which generate light intensities at different locations in front of the at least one headlight;

a memory for storing light intensities of said headlight for different locations in front of the headlight and for each headlight configuration;

an input for identifying an object in a location in front of the headlight;

a processor for determining a present headlight configuration for the headlight, and for retrieving the stored light intensity at the identified location for the present headlight configuration; and

wherein said processor is operable to reduce the light intensity at the location of the at least one object by instructing the headlights to adopt a different headlight configuration having a lower light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above a threshold, and wherein the headlight adopts the different headlight configuration; and

wherein said processor is operable to maintain the light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be below the threshold.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein said processor is operable to reduce the light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above the threshold by adjusting at least one of a light distribution and a vertical cut-off line.

3. A process of controlling the headlights of a vehicle with at least one of an adjustable light distribution and a vertical cut-off line, comprising the steps of:

storing light intensities for different locations in front of said headlights and for different headlight configurations;

identifying an object in a location in front of the headlights;

determining a present headlight configuration;

retrieving the stored light intensity of that location for the present headlight configuration;

comparing the retrieved light intensity to a threshold to determine whether the present headlight configuration needs to change; and

instructing the headlights to adopt a different headlight configuration having a lower light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above the threshold by adjusting at least one of a light distribution and a vertical cut-off line.

4. The process of controlling headlights of a vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising maintaining the light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be below a threshold.

5. A process of controlling the headlights of a vehicle with at least one of an adjustable light distribution and a vertical cut-off line, comprising the steps of:

storing light intensities of said headlights for different locations in front of the headlights and for different headlight configurations;

identifying an object in a location in front of the headlights;

determining a present headlight configuration;

retrieving the stored light intensity of that location for the present headlight configuration;

comparing said retrieved light intensity to a threshold to determine whether the present headlight configuration needs to change; and

instructing the headlights to adopt a different headlight configuration having a lower light intensity at the location of the at least one object when the light intensity at the at least one object is determined to be above the threshold by adjusting at least one of a light distribution and a vertical cut-off line.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2012
From: SCHMIDT, CHRISTIAN; IRMSCHER, TOBIAS; HUESTER, CHRISTIAN; KRAUSE, STEFAN; WILKS, CARSTEN
To: HELLA KGAA
Reel/Frame 029455/0329 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2011 055 606 · Nov 22, 2011 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130182448A1 · Jul 18, 2013