METHOD AND DEVICE FOR EMULATING A HEADLAMP THAT IS PARTIALLY COVERED BY A MASK

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for emulating a headlamp that is partially covered by a mask. In order to make it possible to implement a lighting design that is independent of any pre-settings in the headlamps using inexpensive and readily available lighting components while retaining existing lighting control protocols, according to the invention: a two-dimensional pattern is retrieved from a pattern memory (4) in accordance with a pattern channel value of a lighting control protocol and is transformed in accordance with transformation channel values of the lighting control protocol, after which the transformed pattern is converted into a raster image, the pattern pixels of which are brighter by at least 20% than the remaining pattern-free pixels; and the raster image is output as a headlight by means of a digital projector (8).

Claims

1. A method for emulating a spotlight partially covered with a mask, comprising: retrieving a two-dimensional pattern from a pattern memory as a function of a pattern channel value of a lighting control protocol; transforming the two-dimensional pattern as a function of transformation channel values of the lighting control protocol to provide a transformed pattern; converting the transformed pattern into a raster image, the pattern pixels of the raster image being brighter by at least 20% than any remaining pattern-free pixels; and outputting in that the raster image via a digital projector acting as a spotlight.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of pattern channels are provided, each of which is assigned to an image plane and transformed to provide a plurality of transformed patterns, and wherein the transformed patterns of each of the image planes are converted into a common raster image.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of raster images are output via one digital projector, each of the raster images acting as spotlight and wherein a raster image signal for the one digital projector is delayed by a difference between a slowest reaction time of all projectors and a reaction time of one digital projector.

4. A device for emulating a spotlight partially covered by a mask, comprising: an input for a lighting control protocol; a pattern memory for two-dimensional image patterns; and an image mixer connected to the pattern memory and controlled as a function of channel values of the lighting control protocol, wherein a sum image output by the image mixer is provided to an image input of a digital projector acting as a spotlight.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein a brightness difference between pattern pixels and pattern-free pixels in the sum image output is at least 20%.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of pattern channel inputs are provided for the lighting control protocol and wherein each pattern channel input is assigned an image plane mixed with the sum image output of the image mixer.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of raster images are output via one digital projector, each of the raster images acting as spotlight and wherein a raster image signal for the one digital projector is delayed by a difference between a slowest reaction time of all projectors and a reaction time of one digital projector.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of pattern channel inputs are provided for the lighting control protocol and wherein each pattern channel input is assigned an image plane mixed with the sum image output of the image mixer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] The subject matter of the system described herein is shown in the drawings by way of example, wherein the sole drawing is a schematic diagram that shows a device that emulates a spotlight partially covered with a mask.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0012] A device for carrying out a method according to the system described herein for emulating a spotlight partially covered with a mask has an input 1 for a lighting technology control protocol. A bus interface 2 may be provided which, on the one hand, receives control signals from a control unit 3, e.g. a lighting control panel, and, on the other hand, connects a pattern memory 4 for two-dimensional image patterns to an image mixer 5 in such a way that the latter can be controlled as a function of the channel values of the lighting control protocol. The image mixer 5 has a sum image output 6 which is connected to the image input 7 of a digital projector 8 acting as a spotlight, so that the sum image 9 generated in the image mixer 5 as a function of the channel values of the lighting control protocol can be output via the digital projector 8.

[0013] To generate a sum image 9, two-dimensional patterns are retrieved from the pattern memory 4 as a function of the respective pattern channel values of the lighting control protocol and transformed in real time in the image mixer 5 as a function of transformation channel values of the lighting control protocol. The image mixer 5 may be a graphics card for this purpose.

[0014] As shown by way of example in the drawing, the image mixer 5 can have a number of pattern inputs 10, 11, 12 via which patterns can be loaded from the pattern memory 4 into individual image planes 13, 14, 15 using the bus interface 2 on the basis of the channel values of the pattern channels. Each pattern channel input and each pattern input 10, 11, 12 is assigned an image plane 13, 14, 15 which is mixed with the sum image 9. The transformation of the respective patterns of each image plane 13, 14, 15 supplied to the image mixer 5 via the pattern inputs 10, 11, 12 takes place as a function of transformation channel values which are transferred to the image mixer 5 via corresponding transformation channel inputs 16, 17, 18. In addition, the image mixer 5 can have, for example, a plane-independent transformation channel input 19, which enables the sum image 9 to be transformed before the sum image 9 is output. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the image plane 13 can be a black pattern as a background plane. For example, a channel value is specified via the transformation channel input 17 assigned to the image plane 14 in order to calculate a scaling of the pattern 20 in the image plane 14. Similarly, channel values can be specified via the transformation channel inputs 16, 18 assigned to the remaining image planes 13, 15, which, for example, cause a rotation of the pattern 21 or a change in the width/length ratio of the pattern 21. Finally, the plane-independent transformation channel input 19 can be used to specify a channel value which, for example, causes a blurring of the sum image 9 combined from the respective transformed image planes 13, 14, 15 before the sum image 9 is output via the sum image output 6.