Vehicle headlight system with adaptive light distribution
An adaptive headlight system for a vehicle uses an adaptive headlight controller which controls one or more headlights so as to illuminate a scene visible to a vehicle driver. The controller causes the headlights to generate a frame-region within the scene which outlines an object detected by an object-detection system carried by the vehicle. The frame-region is illuminated at a reduced level relative to the areas of the scene inside and outside the frame-region, thereby creating a dark/light contrast, visible to the driver, between the frame-region and the scene. If the object-detecting system indicates that the object is a living being, the frame-region is located to cover a head of the living being so as to avoid visually dazzling the being.
1. A vehicle headlight system comprising:
a headlight; and
an adaptive headlight controller causing the headlight to illuminate a scene visible to a driver and to generate a frame-region within the scene and outlining an object detected by an object-detection system, the frame-region illuminated at a reduced level relative to respective areas of the scene inside and outside the frame-region and creating a dark/light contrast, visible to the driver, between the frame-region and the scene.
2. The vehicle headlight system of claim 1 , wherein the frame-region has a shape of a basic geometric shape.
3. The vehicle headlight system of claim 1 , wherein if the object-detecting system indicates that the object is a living being the frame-region is located to cover a head of the living being.
4. The vehicle headlight system of claim 1 , wherein if the object-detecting system indicates that the object is inanimate the frame-region is generated such that the object appears to fill the area outlined by the frame-region.
5. The vehicle headlight system of claim 1 , wherein an illumination level inside the frame-region is approximately equal to an illumination level outside the frame-region.
6. The vehicle headlight system of claim 1 , further comprising directing a spot-beam to illuminate the area of the scene inside the frame-region at an illumination level greater than an illumination level outside the frame-region.
7. A method of operating an adaptive headlight system, comprising:
detecting an object using an object-detecting system; and
directing light from a headlight to illuminate a scene visible to a driver and to generate a frame-region within the scene outlining the object, the frame-region illuminated at a reduced level relative to respective areas of the scene inside and outside the frame-region and creating a dark/light contrast, visible to the driver, between the frame-region and the scene.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the frame-region has a shape of a basic geometric shape.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein if the object-detecting system indicates that the object is a living being the frame-region is located to cover a head of the living being.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein if the object-detecting system indicates that the object is inanimate the frame-region is generated such that the object appears to fill the area outlined by the frame-region.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein an illumination level inside the frame-region is approximately equal to an illumination level outside the frame-region.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising directing a spot-beam to illuminate the area of the scene inside the frame-region at an illumination level greater than an illumination level outside the frame-region.
13. A method comprising:
operating an adaptive headlight system of a vehicle to illuminate a scene visible to a driver and to generate a frame-region within the scene and outlining an object detected by an object-detection system, the frame-region illuminated at a reduced level relative to respective areas of the scene inside and outside the frame-region and creating a dark/light contrast, visible to the driver, between the frame-region and the scene.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the frame-region has a shape of a basic geometric shape.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein if the object-detecting system indicates that the object is a living being the frame-region is located to cover a head of the living being.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein if the object-detecting system indicates that the object is inanimate the frame-region is generated such that the object appears to fill the area outlined by the frame-region.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein an illumination level inside the frame-region is approximately equal to an illumination level outside the frame-region.
18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising directing a spot-beam to illuminate the area of the scene inside the frame-region at an illumination level greater than an illumination level outside the frame-region.