Lighting and/or signaling light-emitting device for vehicles

Abstract

A light-emitting device, notably a lighting and/or signaling device for a motor vehicle, including at least one first light source intended to emit a first modulated light beam coding information; at least one second light source intended to emit a second modulated light beam coding information; a control device adapted: to determine, on receiving information to be transmitted via the light-emitting device, if a first light beam intended to be emitted by the first source should be modulated to code the information to be transmitted and/or if a second beam intended to be emitted by the second source should be modulated to code the information to be transmitted, the determination depending on information relating to the local solar illumination; as a function of the determination, to modulate the first light beam and/or the energization second light beam to code the information to be transmitted.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device for a motor vehicle, including: at least one first light source to emit a first modulated light beam coding information; at least one second light source to emit a second modulated light beam coding information; a control device adapted: to determine, on receiving information to be transmitted via said light-emitting device, if said first modulated light beam emitted by said at least one first light source should be modulated to code said information to be transmitted or if said second modulated light beam emitted by said at least one second light source should be modulated to code said information to be transmitted, said determination depending on information relating to a local solar illumination; as a function of said determination, to modulated said first modulated light beam and/or the energization of said second modulated light beam to code said information to be transmitted; wherein a controller is configured to modify a first energization signal at a first coding frequency less than a second coding frequency used to effect the modification of a second energization signal.

2. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein: said at least one first light source is adapted to emit visible light; said at least one second light source is adapted to emit infrared light.

3. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said control device includes means for detecting energization of said at least one first light source, said information relating to the local solar illumination depending on said detection.

4. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a single light beam by a single one of said at least one first light source and said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate said single light beam as a function of said determination to code said information to be transmitted.

5. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a first light beam by said at least one first light source and a second light beam by said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate a single one of said first light beam and said second light beam to code said information to be transmitted as a function of said determination.

6. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said light-emitting device includes at least: a headlight assembly; said at least one first light source and/or said at least one second light source is installed in said headlight assembly.

7. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is adapted to determine that said second energization signal must be modified if the energization of said at least one first light source is below a predetermined threshold.

8. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said controller is adapted to determine that said first energization signal must not be modified if the energization of said at least one first light source is below a predetermined threshold.

9. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a coding frequency of said information to be transmitted on modification of said first energization signal and/or said second energization signal is greater than 25 Hz.

10. The light-emitting device according to claim 9, wherein said controller is further configured to reduce said coding frequency of said information should at least one of the following conditions apply: an error rate during a preceding transmission has exceeded a predetermined value; information is received relating to a presence of rain or fog.

11. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting device is at least one of a lighting device or a signaling device.

12. A light-emitting device for a motor vehicle, including: a light source; a controller adapted: to modify an energization signal of said light source to code information to be transmitted, the modification of said energization signal including multiplication of said energization signal with a coding signal including forms repeated in said energization signal, said forms having a given temporal extension and an amplitude, on reception of a command, to reduce said temporal extension of said forms and to increase said amplitude of said forms in said energization signal.

13. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said controller is adapted to modify said energization signal in accordance with a Manchester code.

14. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the reduction of said temporal extension depends on said increase of said amplitude.

15. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein, said coding signal including a coding frequency, said coding frequency is retained on reducing said temporal extension of said forms.

16. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said control device includes means for detecting energization of said at least one first light source, said information relating to the local solar illumination depending on said detection.

17. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a single light beam by a single one of said at least one first light source and said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate said single light beam as a function of said determination to code said information to be transmitted.

18. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein said control device is adapted to command the emission of a first light beam by said at least one first light source and a second light beam by said at least one second light source as a function of said determination and to modulate a single one of said first light beam and said second light beam to code said information to be transmitted as a function of said determination.

19. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein a controller is configured to modify a first energization signal at a first coding frequency less than a second coding frequency used to effect the modification of a second energization signal.

20. The light-emitting device according to claim 13, wherein, said coding signal including a coding frequency, said coding frequency is retained on reducing said temporal extension of said forms.

21. The light-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the light-emitting device is at least one of a lighting device or a signaling device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

(1) Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent on reading the following description. The latter is purely illustrative and must be read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows communication between two motor vehicles in one particular embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIGS. 2a and 2b show light-emitting devices, notably lighting and/or signaling devices for motor vehicles in two embodiments of the invention; and

(4) FIGS. 3a and 3b show energization signals of lighting devices in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows communication between two motor vehicles 100, 102 in one particular embodiment of the invention.

(6) During travel in a motor vehicle 100, 102, it may be useful for that motor vehicle 100, 102 to interact with its near environment: possible obstacles, nearby cars, road signs, etc.

(7) Indeed, these interactions can make it possible for the motor vehicle 100, 102 to adapt the driving conditions offered to the driver of the motor vehicle 100, 102. Without this being limiting on the invention, these interactions may include:

(8) the reception/transmission from a road sign of the maximum speed allowed on a road in order for the motor vehicle 100, 102 to be able to configure a speed “limiter” of the motor vehicle 100, 102;

(9) the reception/transmission of the current driving speed of the vehicle/other nearby motor vehicles 100, 102 in order to adapt the current speed to the average speed of the other motor vehicles 100, 102;

(10) the estimation of the distances of other motor vehicles 100, 102;

(11) the reception/transmission of sudden braking information in order for the other motor vehicles 100, 102 to be able to act accordingly (e.g. braking and turning on of emergency lights);

(12) etc.

(13) As indicated above, it is advantageously possible to use the existing lighting or signaling devices (e.g. LED headlights 101a, daylight running lights (DRL) 101b, position lights, fog lights 101c or 102b, in the rear lights 102a, etc.) in order to serve as emitters of the communication/detection devices.

(14) The combination of the existing lighting or signaling devices 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a and the emitters of the communication/detection devices therefore makes it possible to gain a significant amount of space and to reduce the mechanical installation constraints.

(15) Thus if the existing lighting or signaling devices 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a are turned on (e.g. the driver has wanted their headlights to be turned on), it is possible to cause these lighting or signaling devices 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a to blink at a high frequency in order to be able to transmit information and thus to be able to cause these lighting or signaling devices 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a to operate as emitters of communication/detection devices.

(16) Of course, the blinking of these lighting or signaling devices 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a must be sufficiently fast to prevent the human eye detecting this blinking or for the latter to cause visual fatigue. This being so, the blinking frequency used is advantageously higher than the reciprocal of the retinal persistence time (>=25 Hz).

(17) It is possible for the type of lighting or signaling devices 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a used to limit the blinking frequency: indeed, some bulbs/LED or other semiconductor emitter chips may have maximum frequencies beyond which the lighting or signaling device 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a deteriorates or beyond which the blinking is no longer visible (the lighting or signaling device 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a then emitting light continuously).

(18) Nevertheless, and for LED or other semiconductor emitting chips, it is common for them to be able to blink at frequencies of the order of a few hundred Hertz (e.g. 100 Hz, 200 Hz, 500 Hz).

(19) If it is advantageous to cause the lighting or signaling devices 101a, 101b, 101c, 102b, 102a to blink at frequencies close to their maximum blinking frequency (e.g. 10% below their maximum blinking frequency) (the speed of transmission of the data then being at a maximum), that frequency may be dynamically reduced under certain conditions:

(20) presence of fog or rain (information obtained via the rain detectors on the windshield, for example, via the turning on of the windshield wipers by the driver, via meteorological data from the internet, etc.)

(21) error relates detected during a preceding transmission above a predetermined threshold;

(22) etc.

(23) The dynamic reduction of the frequency therefore makes it possible for the communication/detection channel to continue to be reliable despite the fact that the transmission conditions are deteriorating.

(24) Instead of or in addition to this frequency reduction, it is possible to introduce an error corrector code into the transmission or to strengthen the error corrector code that exists already.

(25) The blinking may be complete blinking of the light source (i.e. a time period during which the source is emitting, a time period during which the source is not emitting), but this blinking may also be a partial blinking (i.e. variation of the luminous intensity of the light source between two non-zero values). In order to produce this blinking, it is possible to combine with the supply voltage of the light source an information signal of appropriate frequency (i.e. a few hundred Hertz as mentioned above).

(26) Moreover, the frequency may be variable as a function of the light source used. Indeed, it is found that the quality of the transmission can be better for infrared light sources (for example). This being so, the frequency used may be higher for this type of light sources.

(27) FIGS. 2a and 2b show light-emitting devices, notably lighting and/or signaling devices 200 for motor vehicles in two embodiments of the invention.

(28) In FIG. 2a, the vehicle lighting device 200 comprises:

(29) a housing 201 (including a transparent or at least translucent front part);

(30) a set of high-power lighting diode(s) 202 that can operate as low beams (for example);

(31) a first reflector 205 adapted to direct the light rays coming from the lighting diodes 202 toward the transparent/translucent part of the housing 201;

(32) a set of signaling diode(s) 203 (of lower power than the lighting diodes 202) that can operate as daylight running lights (for example);

(33) a second reflector 204 adapted to direct the light rays coming from the signaling diodes 203 toward the transparent/translucent part of the housing 201.

(34) In this embodiment, it is possible to use the set of lighting diode(s) 202 as communication/detection devices when this set of lighting diode(s) 202 is energized (i.e. when the low beams are necessary for driving and/or activated by the driver). If this set of lighting diode(s) 202 is not energized, it is then possible to energize the daylight running lights (the set of signaling diode(s) 203) and to use the latter lights as communication/detection devices.

(35) This being so, there are activated communication/detection devices in the lighting device 200 at all times (day and night).

(36) Of course, the daylight running lights may be outside the headlight assembly or housing 201.

(37) In FIG. 2b, the vehicle lighting device 200 comprises:

(38) a housing 201 (including a transparent or at least translucent front part);

(39) a set of high-power lighting diode(s) 202 that can operate as low beam or high beam (for example);

(40) a set of high-power infrared (IR) diode(s) 206;

(41) an optional waveguide (or light guide) 207;

(42) a first reflector 205 adapted to direct toward the transparent/translucent part of the housing 201 the light/IR rays coming from the lighting diodes 202 and the infrared diodes 206 (where necessary, the light/IR rays pass through the waveguide 207 before being reflected at the first reflector 205);

(43) a set of signaling diode(s) 203 (of lower power than the lighting diodes 202) that can operate as daylight running lights (for example);

(44) a second reflector 204 adapted to direct the light rays coming from the signaling diodes 203 toward the transparent/translucent part of the housing 201.

(45) In this embodiment it is possible to use the set of lighting diode(s) 202 as communication/detection devices when this set of lighting diode(s) 202 is energized (i.e. when the low beams are necessary for driving and/or activated by the driver).

(46) The waveguide 207 is optional in this embodiment. Thus it is possible to dispense with it by positioning the two sets of diode(s), the lighting diodes 202 and the infrared diodes 206 side by side, for example, close to the optical center of the first reflector 205.

(47) In addition to this or instead of this, when this set of lighting diode(s) 202 is not energized, it is possible to use the set of IR or infrared diode(s) 206 as communication/detection devices.

(48) Assuming that the set of IR or infrared diode(s) 206 is used in addition to the set of lighting diode(s) 202 as communication/detection devices, it is possible:

(49) for these two sets of diodes 206, 202 to transmit the same information simultaneously;

(50) for one of the two sets of diodes 206 or 202 to transmit a portion of the information to be transmitted while the second set of diodes 206 or 202 transmits the complementary portion;

(51) for one of the two sets of diodes 206 or 202 to transmit the information to be transmitted while the second set of diodes 206 or 202 transmits an error corrector code for that same information.

(52) Thus if the low beams are not being used, the set of IR or infrared diode(s) 206 can make it possible to transmit information without that transmission being visible to road users and without it being necessary to turn on the (visible) lights of the motor vehicle 100, 102 to enable this transmission.

(53) Of course, it is possible to combine the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b.

(54) The set or sets of diodes 206 or 202 used as emitters of a communication/detection device may be chosen by a control circuit, either integrated into the lighting device 200 or not. That control circuit (not shown) therefore receives the information to be transmitted via an interface provided for this purpose and determines the set or sets of diodes 206 or 202 to be caused to blink.

(55) This circuit may be, for example:

(56) a processor in the form of a computer program adapted to interpret instructions, or

(57) an electronic circuit card the operation of which is defined in the silicon, or again

(58) a programmable electronic chip such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

(59) Moreover, it is equally possible for the visible light beam emitted by the lighting diode 202 to be masked for certain areas in space (e.g. masking of the high beams to avoid dazzling a driver approaching in the opposite direction) whereas the infrared beam emitted by the infrared diode 206 is not masked in those areas. This is notably possible using a mask blocking only some wavelengths or providing, at least in part, different optical paths for the different beams (the masking occurring on an optical path on which the beams are separate).

(60) By way of nonlimiting illustration, the various visible light sources in a vehicle may be:

(61) at the front: “low beam” lights; “high beam” lights; DRL; “sidelights”; laser spotlights; position lights (marking lights);

(62) at the rear: position lights; stoplights; foglights; reversing lights.

(63) FIGS. 3a and 3b show energization signals of light-emitting devices in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.

(64) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3a, the energization or pulse signal 300 of the light-emitting device is not a constant current: here the energization signal is a pulse energization signal with period 2t.sub.0 and amplitude A.sub.0.

(65) This pulse signal 300 notably enables so-called Manchester coding of the information to be transmitted.

(66) For example, before any transmission of information begins, it is possible to emit a standard pattern 301 shared at least by the emitter and the receiver. This standard pattern 301 enables the receiver to recognize a start of transmission and to synchronize its internal clock to the clock of the emitter.

(67) Following on from this standard pattern 301, the information bits are coded over a period, the part of the signal 302 corresponding for example to a 0 bit and the part of the signal 303 corresponding for example to a 1 bit.

(68) The average amplitude of the signal is A.sub.0/2. Accordingly, if the required amplitude for the lighting or signaling device is A.sub.1 (i.e. no blinking), the value is A.sub.0 is chosen as being twice the amplitude of A.sub.1 when blinking is activated by the control circuit.

(69) Moreover, there may arise situations in which the amplitude A.sub.0 cannot provide a sufficient transmission distance (the distance effectively depending on this amplitude): this is notably the case if the sets of diodes used as communication/detection devices are not intended to cast light far from the vehicle, but only intended to be seen (e.g. the daylight running lights, stop lights, position lights, etc.). On these assumptions, it is possible for the energization amplitude of these sets of diodes to be increased by a factor N (e.g. by a factor of two as shown in FIG. 3b).

(70) To prevent the luminous intensity perceived by the driver (or any other person) increasing, it is then possible to reduce the periods of emission of light by the same factor N (e.g. t.sub.0/2 as shown in FIG. 3b). Because the efficacy of the emitter can decrease when the amplitude A.sub.0 increases, it must be taken into consideration with the aim of guaranteeing a constant luminous intensity perceived by the driver.

(71) Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3b, the energization signal 300 of the light-emitting device is a pulse energization signal with period 2t.sub.0 and amplitude 2A.sub.0. The pattern 301 is then converted into the pattern 311. Moreover, the bits are coded using the signal parts 312 and 313.

(72) Of course, the factor N can take numerous values such as 3, 4, 5 or 6. This factor N can be adapted as a function of the necessary transmission distance imperatives and/or as a function of the inherent characteristics of the light source (e.g. maximum voltage or intensity).

(73) Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of example; it is encompasses other variants.

(74) For example, it is possible to use any code for the transmission of the data other than the Manchester code described above. For example, it is possible to use a differential Manchester code, a Miller code, an NRZ (Non Return to Zero) code, an NRZI (Non Return to Zero Inverted) code, an NRZM (Non Return to Zero Mark) code, an RZ (Return to Zero) code or any other code. Of course, if the list of the listed codes contains only so-called two-level (of amplitude) codes, it is equally possible to use codes having more levels (e.g. AMI, Bipolar, BHDn, B8ZS, HDB3, MLT-3, etc.).

(75) Moreover, the diodes of the description may be replaced by lasers or laser diodes. Using lasers or laser diodes makes directional communication possible and makes it possible to increase the communication range for an equivalent power.

(76) While the system, apparatus, process and method herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise system, apparatus, process and method, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.