IP Library Granted Patent US 12,635,057
Granted Patent B2
US 12,635,057 · App. 18/665,014 · Granted May 19, 2026

Method for operating a circuit arrangement having an open-loop and/or closed-loop controller for an illumination field

Inventors: Boris Kubitza (Moehnesee-Koerbecke, DE); Martin Pluempe (Paderborn, DE); Carsten Wilks (Lippstadt, DE)
Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
H05B47/11H05B45/12H05B47/17
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,635,057
App. No.
18/665,014
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for operating a circuit arrangement is provided. An illumination field has at least one first module and one second module that each comprise at least one light source and a controllable switching element. An open-loop and/or closed-loop controller for the illumination field is provided, wherein the controllable switching elements are controlled by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller such that switch-on times and/or switch-off times are defined for each light source by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller and such that the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller controls one and/or more controllable switching elements of the modules to close during the switch-on times and to open during the switch-off times. The switch-on times and/or switch-off times are determined based on a desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules or a desired overall luminous intensity distribution.

Claims (81)

1 . A method for operating a circuit arrangement, the method comprising:

providing an illumination field that comprises at least one first module and one second module, which each comprise at least one light source;

providing an open-loop and/or closed-loop controller for the illumination field;

controlling each light source by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller such that a brightness of each light source is set based on a desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules or a desired overall luminous intensity distribution; and

implementing continuously a transition between the desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules and a desired overall luminous intensity distribution,

wherein the transition between the desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules and the desired overall luminous intensity distribution takes place based on at least one measured parameter, and

wherein the luminous intensity distributions are determined using the following formula, wherein the brightness for each light source is determined from the calculated luminous intensity distributions:

OverallLID

I

=

LID

Module

1

,

opt

+

LID

Module

2

,

opt

OverallLID

u

=

OverallLID

opt

=

LID

Module

1

+

LID

Module

2

OverallLID

m

=

(

1

-

v

)

*

OverallLID

I

+

v

*

OverallLID

u

where

OverallLID 1 is the luminous intensity distribution for parameter values below a lower threshold,

OverallLID u is the luminous intensity distribution for parameter values above an upper threshold,

OverallLID m is the luminous intensity distribution for parameter values above the lower threshold and below the upper threshold,

LID Module1,opt is the desired luminous intensity distribution of the first module,

LID Module2,opt is the desired luminous intensity distribution of the second module,

OverallLID opt is the desired overall luminous intensity distribution,

LID Module1 is the luminous intensity distribution of the first module calculated to achieve the desired overall luminous intensity distribution,

LID Module2 is the luminous intensity distribution of the second module calculated to achieve the desired overall luminous intensity distribution, and

where v is a distance between the lower threshold and the measured value as a percentage of the distance between the lower and upper thresholds.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each module comprises at least one controllable switching element, wherein the controllable switching elements are controlled by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller such that the brightness of each light source is set by defining switch-on times and/or switch-off times for each light source by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller, and wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller controls at least one of the controllable switching elements of the modules during the switch-on times for closing and during the switch-off times for opening.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the desired overall luminous intensity distribution is created by superimposing the desired luminous intensity distributions of the individual modules.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first module is an LED module with a low resolution and the second module is an LED module with a high resolution.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one measured parameter includes a speed of the vehicle and/or a distance of the vehicle to other objects.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the lower and the upper threshold is stored in the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein when a measured value for the at least one measured parameter is below the lower threshold, the brightness for each light source is determined based on the desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein when a measured value for the at least one measured parameter is above the upper threshold, the brightness for each light source is determined based on the desired overall luminous intensity distribution.

9 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein when a measured value for the at least one measured parameter lies between the lower threshold and the upper threshold, the brightness for each light source is determined weighted based on a distance of the measured value to the respective threshold.

10 . An open-loop and/or closed-loop controller for an illumination field, comprising:

a measurement signal input to which a sensor signal of at least one measured parameter is applied,

wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller is configured to perform the method according to claim 1 .

11 . The open-loop and/or closed-loop controller according to claim 10 , wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller comprises at least two outputs at which control signals for controlling controllable switching elements of the illumination field are adapted to be tapped.

12 . A circuit arrangement for an open-loop and/or closed-loop control of an illumination field, comprising

an open-loop and/or closed-loop controller according to claim 10 ; and

an illumination field comprising at least one first module and one second module, which each comprise at least one light source.

13 . The circuit arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein each module comprises at least one controllable switching element, wherein a control terminal of each controllable switching element is connected to an output of the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller.

14 . The circuit arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller controls an opening and a closing of at least one of the controllable switching elements of the modules.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 6, 2024
From: KUBITZA, BORIS; PLUEMPE, MARTIN; WILKS, CARSTEN
To: HELLA GMBH & CO. KGAA
Reel/Frame 068199/0504 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 129 680.3 · Nov 15, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2022080240 · Oct 28, 2022
Related Publication 20240298394A1 · Sep 5, 2024
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