A computing device for a vehicle exterior light control system is described. The computing device includes one or more processors for controlling operation of the computing device, and a memory for storing data and program instructions usable by the one or more processors. The one or more processors are configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to automatically operate vehicle headlights responsive to a location of the vehicle.

A headlight (10) and a lighting system (54) with the headlight (10) and a control unit. A motor vehicle (52) has the headlight (10), which combines a full beam matrix (20) and a dipped light in a common pivotable lighting module (18).

The invention relates to a method for operating a headlight (12) of a motor vehicle (10), which headlight (12) comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes, by receiving a request signal for a high-beam mode; determining a road class of a roadway on which the motor vehicle (10) is located; activating a first group of the plurality of light emitting diodes for providing a first high-beam distribution (20) with the headlight (12) in the event that a road class different from a highway (18) is determined; and activating a second group of the plurality of light emitting diodes for providing a second high-beam distribution (26) with the headlight (12) in the event that a highway (18) is determined as the road class.

A vehicular forward viewing image capture system includes an accessory module configured for attachment at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, whereby a CMOS image sensor views through the windshield forward of the equipped vehicle. With the accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield, and while the vehicle is traveling along a road, captured image data is processed to determine (i) presence of an object of interest viewed by the image sensor and (ii) location and/or movement of the object of interest viewed by the image sensor. Multiple frames of captured image data are processed in determining location and/or movement of the object of interest. Image data captured by the image sensor is processed for an automatic headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle. The vehicular forward viewing image capture system automatically compensates for misalignment of the image sensor.

A vehicular forward viewing image capture system includes an accessory module configured for attachment at an in-cabin side of a windshield of a vehicle, whereby a CMOS image sensor views through the windshield forward of the equipped vehicle. With the accessory module attached at the in-cabin side of the windshield, and while the vehicle is traveling along a road, captured image data is processed to determine (i) presence of an object of interest viewed by the image sensor and (ii) location and/or movement of the object of interest viewed by the image sensor. Multiple frames of captured image data are processed in determining location and/or movement of the object of interest. Image data captured by the image sensor is processed for an automatic headlamp control system of the equipped vehicle. The vehicular forward viewing image capture system automatically compensates for misalignment of the image sensor.

A light distribution controlling device includes a vehicle detector that detects a front vehicle through an image analysis on an image obtained from an imaging device, a region determiner that sets a processing region by adding a margin in a widthwise direction of the vehicle to a presence region of the front vehicle, and a pattern determiner that, in parallel with the detection of the front vehicle, sets a light blocking portion based on a pixel value of a pair of luminous points included in the processing region in the image and determines a light distribution pattern that includes the light blocking portion.

A headlight module includes: a light source for emitting light; a condensing optical element for concentrating the light; and an optical element including an incident surface for receiving the concentrated light, a reflecting surface for reflecting the received light, and an emitting surface for emitting the reflected light. The condensing optical element changes a divergence angle of the light to form a light distribution pattern. The reflected light and light that enters the optical element and is not reflected by the reflecting surface are superposed on a plane including a point located at a focal position of the emitting surface in a direction of an optical axis of the emitting surface and being perpendicular to the optical axis, thereby forming a high luminous intensity region in the light distribution pattern on the plane. The emitting surface has positive refractive power and projects the light distribution pattern formed on the plane.

A motor vehicle includes headlamps having a plurality of LED light sources, one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions. One or more processors executing the instructions are enabled to receive first data, including at least map data, indicating a road curvature upcoming along a road on which the motor vehicle is traveling. The processors are also enabled to determine a light change, the change adapting a light pattern of the headlamps in at least one of color, intensity or spatial distribution to increase light in a direction of the road curvature ahead of the motor vehicle and shaping light based at least in part on the road curvature. The processors are further enabled to control at least a first plurality of the LED light sources to provide light based at least in part on the determined light change and prior to the motor vehicle reaching the road curvature.

Reliability of an in-vehicle headlight is improved by changing a light distribution pattern without using any mechanical configuration. The in-vehicle headlight includes a laser light source, a spatial light modulator, a spatial-light-modulator controller, and a projection lens. The laser light source emits a laser light beam. The spatial light modulator modulates a phase distribution of the laser light beam emitted by the laser light source. The spatial-light-modulator controller is provided in a headlight controller, and controls the spatial light modulator. The spatial-light-modulator controller controls the spatial light modulator so as to modulate the phase distribution of the laser light beam, and changes the light distribution pattern projected from the projection lens.

A vehicle lamp control device includes: an imaging unit that takes an image ahead of a host vehicle; a target analysis unit that detects target objects ahead of the host vehicle based on the information obtained from an imaging unit configured to take an image ahead of the host vehicle; and a tracking unit that determines a specific target object from the target objects detected by the target analysis unit and to detect displacement of the specific target object based on a detection result of an luminance analysis unit configured to detect luminance of each of a plurality of individual areas ahead of the host vehicle based on information obtained from the imaging unit. A light distribution pattern to be formed by a light source unit of a vehicle lamp is determined based on the detection result of the luminance analysis unit and a detection result of the tracking unit.