Method and system for varying an image processing frequency of an HD headlight

1. A method for controlling a headlight controller ( 23 ) and an HD headlight controlled by the headlight controller ( 23 ), the method comprising:

using at least one sensor of the vehicle for providing input video signals ( 1 ) to the headlight controller ( 23 ) at a predetermined initial input image processing frequency ( 4 );

causing the headlight controller ( 23 ) to perform image processing that uses at least the input video signal ( 1 ) and calculates an output video signal ( 2 ) in a time defined by the image processing frequency ( 4 );

causing the HD headlight to reproduce the output video signal ( 2 ) provided by the headlight controller ( 23 ) and to output illumination defined by the output video signal ( 2 );

determining a computing time expenditure required to perform the image processing and to calculate the output video signal ( 2 ) in view of an existing driving situation or an existing traffic situation determined by the at least one vehicle sensor ( 22 ); and

varying the initial predetermined image processing frequency ( 4 ) to a new image processing frequency ( 6 ) if the computing time expenditure is determined to be inconsistent with the initial predetermined image processing frequency ( 4 ) due to the existing driving situation or the existing traffic situation determined by the at least one vehicle sensor ( 22 ).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using the at least one sensor of the vehicle comprises using at least one area-ahead camera of the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the headlight controller ( 23 ) is configured to perform at least one image processing functions selected from low-beam light, high-beam light, cornering light, masking out oncoming traffic, masking out road users ahead, masking out passer-by, brightening dark object in the area ahead of a vehicle, and inserting symbols.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image processing frequency ( 4 ) is set to the new input image frequency ( 6 ) in accordance with the existing driving situation and the driving speed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image processing frequency ( 6 ) is reduced to half an input image frequency when the driving speed reaches a predefined value.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ) is reduced if an input video signal ( 1 ) does not change with respect to at least one directly temporally preceding input video signal ( 1 ), and wherein the image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ) is increased if a respective input video signal changes with respect to at least one directly temporally preceding input video signal ( 1 ).

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising allocating a computing capacity on a computing unit of the headlight controller depending on the image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ).

8. A system for varying an image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ) of an HD headlight, wherein the system comprises an HD headlight, a headlight controller with a computing unit, and at least one sensor that includes an area-ahead camera, wherein the HD headlight is designed to reproduce an output video signal ( 2 ) provided by a headlight controller, the area-ahead camera being configured to provide an input video signal ( 1 ) to the headlight controller at an input image frequency, the headlight controller being configured to calculate the output video signal ( 2 ) in accordance with at least one image processing function in time consistent with the image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ), wherein an available calculation time between two successive output video signals ( 2 ) is predefined by the image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ), and the headlight controller is configured to vary the image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ) depending on an existing driving situation as sensed by the area-ahead camera.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one image processing function is selectable from low-beam light, high-beam light, cornering light, masking out oncoming traffic, masking out road users ahead, masking out passer-by, brightening dark object in the area ahead of a vehicle, inserting symbols.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computing unit of the headlight controller is configured so that the image processing frequency ( 6 ) is reduced relative to the input image frequency if an input video signal ( 1 ) does not change with respect to at least one directly temporally preceding input video signal ( 1 ), and so that the image processing frequency ( 4 ) corresponds to the input image frequency if an input video signal changes with respect to at least one directly temporally preceding input video signal ( 1 ).

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computing unit of the headlight controller is configured so that a computing capacity is allocated depending on the image processing frequency ( 4 , 6 ).

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which is stored a program code that is executable on a computing unit of a headlight controller of an HD headlight of a vehicle, wherein the program code, upon execution on the computing unit, causes the computing unit to carry out at least one of the following steps in continued iterative implementation:

receiving input video signals ( 1 ) from an area-ahead camera of the vehicle at an input image frequency ( 4 ),

calculating output video signals ( 2 ) in accordance with at least one image processing function in time with the image processing frequency ( 4 ),

providing the output video signal ( 2 ) to the HD headlight,

varying the image processing frequency ( 4 ) to a new image processing frequency ( 6 ) depending on a driving situation sensed by the area-ahead camera.