PROCESS FOR CONTROLLING A HEADLAMP OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A process is provided for controlling a headlamp of a motor vehicle. The headlamp includes a first light source module and a second light source module. The light source modules each feature several light sources that emit light. The light emitted by the light sources of the light source module represents a first light distribution, and the light emitted by the light sources of the second light source module represents a second light distribution. The first light distribution and the second light distribution partially overlap. The first light distribution and the second light distribution together form an overall light distribution. A subarea of the overall light distribution is formed only by the first light distribution, and the subarea is a vertical edge area of the overall light distribution.

Claims

1. A process for controlling a headlamp of a motor vehicle, where the headlamp includes a first light source module and a second light source module, where the light source modules each feature several light sources that emit light, the process comprising the steps of: causing light to be emitted by the light sources of the first light source module as a first light distribution; causing light to be emitted by the light sources of the second light source module as a second light distribution; wherein the first light distribution and the second light distribution partially overlap; wherein the first light distribution and the second light distribution together form an overall light distribution; wherein a subarea of the overall light distribution is formed only by the first light distribution; wherein the subarea is a vertical edge area of the overall light distribution.

2. The process in accordance with the claim 1, wherein a resolution of the first light distribution is lower than a resolution of the second light distribution.

3. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein a provisional second light distribution is determined and the second light distribution is determined from the provisional second light distribution by the provisional second light distribution being shifted downwards by an offset.

4. The process in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second light distribution is determined from the provisional second light distribution only for one of several operating modes of the headlamp.

5. The process in accordance with claim 3, wherein a first light intensity in accordance with the provisional second light distribution and a second light intensity in accordance with the second light distribution is determined for each light source of the second light source module, where the second light intensity is equal to the first light intensity or smaller than the first light intensity.

6. The process in accordance with the claim 5, wherein, when determining the second light distribution, the second light intensity of a first light source is reduced by an amount if, without such reduction, the second light intensity of the first light source would be larger than the first light intensity of the first light source, where a light intensity of a second light source of the first light source module is increased by the same amount.

7. The process in accordance with the claim 6, wherein the first and the second light source illuminate the same area.

8. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light source modules are controlled depending on the overall light distribution, an operating mode of the headlamp, a vertical pivoting of the overall light distribution and/or a horizontal pivoting of the overall light distribution.

9. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the high contrast areas in the overall light distribution and the third light sources illuminating these high contrast areas are determined, where an optimization algorithm is performed exclusively to control the third light sources.

10. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light source modules are controlled depending on the overall light distribution, an operating mode of the headlamp, a vertical pivoting of the overall light distribution and/or a horizontal pivoting of the overall light distribution; wherein the high contrast areas in the overall light distribution and the third light sources illuminating these high contrast areas are determined, where an optimization algorithm is performed exclusively to control the third light sources; wherein the high contrast areas are determined taking account of the operating mode of the headlamp, the vertical tilting of the overall light distribution and/or the horizontal tilting of the overall light distribution.

11. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light source modules are controlled in such a way that any single one of the light source modules projects a symbol.

12. The process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the only light source module is the second light source module.

13. A headlamp comprising a first light source module, a second light source module and a control system, where the light source modules each feature several light sources and where the control system performs the process of claim 1.

14. A motor vehicle comprising the headlamp of claim 13.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an overall light distribution without a second light distribution shifted by an offset.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an overall light distribution with a second light distribution shifted by an offset.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a first possible light distribution 100 of a first light source module and a second possible light distribution 101 of a second light source module of a headlamp. It should be noted that it is not absolutely necessary for the entire respective light distribution 100 or 101 to be present when using one of the light source modules. It is possible to use only one part of the corresponding light distribution 100 or 101. The first light distribution 100 features a lower resolution than the second light distribution 101. The two light distributions 100 and 101 overlap in an overlapping area 102.

[0028] If the headlamp is operated in low beam mode, the entire first light distribution 100 is used while only the part of the second light distribution 101 within the overlapping area 102 is used. The vertical edge area 103 of the overall light distribution arising from the first light distribution 100 and the part of the second light distribution 101 used is thus formed in one part exclusively from the first light distribution 100 and in a second part from the two light distributions 100 and 101. This is the light-dark cut-off line running several meters in front of the motor vehicle.

[0029] To reduce the risk of double images and blurs in particular in the overlapping area 102 from FIG. 1, in the embodiment of the invention in accordance with FIG. 2 the overlapping area 102 is shifted downwards by an offset by the part of the first light distribution 101 used being shifted downwards by the offset.

[0030] If the two light distributions 100 and 101 now no longer correspond in practice to the data stored in the control system due to instances of mechanical imprecision, temperature fluctuations and/or aging effects, the risk of double images and blurs is reduced in the overall light distribution from FIG. 2 as the entire vertical edge area 103 is formed exclusively by the first light distribution 100. This means that if, for example, the second light distribution 101 is shifted slightly upwards in an undesired manner, this will be hardly perceptible to the driver of the motor vehicle as the light-dark cut-off line is still formed by the first light distribution 100 alone.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0031] 100 First light distribution

[0032] 101 Possible second light distribution

[0033] 102 Overlapping area

[0034] 103 Vertical edge area