AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEM WITH CONTROLLABLE HEADLAMP
An illumination system for a vehicle is described, which includes a first headlight, a second headlight, a first camera and a processor. The processor is communicatively coupled to the first headlight, the second headlight, and the first camera. When operating, the processor controls the first headlight to project a first patterned light on to an object on a roadway, controls the second headlight to project a second patterned light on to the object on the roadway, controls the first camera to capture an image of the first patterned light projected on the object and the second patterned light projected on the object, and send the captured image of the first patterned light and the image of the second patterned light to another system in the vehicle for object detection.
1 . An illumination system for a vehicle comprising:
a first headlight;
a second headlight;
a first camera; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the first headlight, the second headlight, and the first camera, the processor being configured to, when operating:
control the first headlight to project a first patterned light on to an object on a roadway,
control the second headlight to project a second patterned light on to the object on the roadway,
control the first camera to capture an image of the first patterned light projected on the object and the second patterned light projected on the object, and
send the captured image of the first patterned light and the image of the second patterned light to another system in the vehicle for object detection.
2 . The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the first headlight and the second headlight each comprise a light source comprising a silicon backplane and a monolithic array on the silicon backplane, the monolithic array comprising a plurality of lighting emitting pixels, groups of which are individually controllable by the processor to project the first and second patterned light
3 . The illumination system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of light emitting pixels comprises at least light-emitting segments spaced 20 μm or less apart.
4 . The illumination system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second camera that is configured to capture images of the first patterned light projected on to the object on the roadway and exclude the second patterned light projected by the second headlight,
wherein the first camera is adapted to exclude the first pattern light projected by the first headlight.
5 . The illumination system of claim 4 , wherein the first camera is integrated in the first headlight and the second camera is integrated in the second headlight.
6 . The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to select a pattern for the first patterned light and the second pattern light based on at least one of:
operating parameters of the vehicle, or
the image of the first patterned light projected on the object and the second patterned light projected on the object captured by the first camera.
7 . The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the first headlight and the second headlight to project the first patterned light and the second patterned light on to the object on the roadway for a period of time that is less than a threshold of human perception.
8 . The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the first headlight and the second headlight to project a non-patterned light on the roadway using at least one of the first headlight or the second headlight.
9 . The illumination system of claim 8 , wherein the non-patterned light is in a visible spectrum, the patterned light is in a non-visible spectrum, and the first camera is configured to capture images in the non-visible spectrum.
10 . The illumination system of claim 1 , wherein the first patterned light and the second patterned light are projected at different non-overlapping times.
11 . A method for illuminating a roadway on which a vehicle is traveling, the method comprising:
projecting a first patterned light on to an object on the roadway using a first hybridized device integrated in a first headlight;
projecting a second patterned light on to the object on the roadway using a second hybridized device integrated in a second headlight;
causing a first camera to capture an image of the first patterned light projected on the object and the second patterned light projected on the object; and
sending the captured image of the first patterned light and the image of the second patterned light to another system in the vehicle for object detection.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first hybridized device and the second hybridized device comprise a silicon backplane and a monolithic array on the silicon backplane, the monolithic array comprising a plurality of light emitting pixels that are individually controllable in groups to project the first patterned light and the second patterned light.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of light emitting pixels comprises at least 20,000 light-emitting segments spaced 20 μm or less apart.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
causing a second camera to capture an image of the first patterned light projected on the object by the first hybridized device, wherein the second camera is adapted to exclude the second pattern light projected by the second hybridized device,
wherein the first camera is adapted to exclude the first pattern light projected by the first hybridized device
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first camera is integrated in the first headlight and the second camera is integrated in the second headlight
16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising selecting a pattern for the first patterned light and the second patterned light based on at least one of:
operating parameters of the vehicle, or
the image of the first patterned light projected on the object and the second patterned light projected on the object captured by the first camera.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first patterned light and the second patterned light are projected on to the object on the roadway for a period of time that is less than a threshold of human perception.
18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising projecting a non-patterned light on the roadway using at least one of the first hybridized device or the second hybridized device.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the non-patterned light is in a visible spectrum and the patterned light is in a non-visible spectrum.
20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first pattern light and the second patterned light are projected at different non-overlapping times.