Vehicle headlight system comprising a master control apparatus and a slave control apparatus wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute an application software for the purpose of actuating a headlight system component

Abstract

A lighting device has a master control apparatus and at least one slave control apparatus connected to the master control apparatus via a bus system. The slave control apparatus is designed to execute application software for actuating a headlight system component. The master control apparatus is designed to upload the application software onto the slave control apparatus and/or to actuate and/or diagnose the slave control apparatus.

Claims

1. A lighting device of a vehicle, comprising: a master control apparatus; a slave control apparatus connected to the master control apparatus via a bus system; and a headlight system component including a processor and a plurality of interfaces, the plurality of interfaces including supply interfaces for supplying voltage to the headlight system component, bus connections for communicating via the bus system, a plurality of sensor interfaces connected to sensors and a plurality of thermistor interfaces connected to thermistors; wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute an application software for the purpose of actuating the headlight system component; and wherein the master control apparatus is designed to: install the application software on the slave control apparatus, and at least one of actuate and diagnose the slave control apparatus.

2. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a headlight housing, wherein the slave control apparatus and the headlight system component are arranged in the headlight housing and the master control apparatus is arranged outside the headlight housing.

3. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute the application software for actuating an LED vehicle headlight.

4. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute the application software for actuating a laser vehicle headlight.

5. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute the application software for actuating a matrix vehicle headlight.

6. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the master control apparatus is a front headlight master control apparatus or a rear light master control apparatus.

7. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to overwrite a flash memory of a BIOS of the slave control apparatus with a firmware in order to install the application software on the slave control apparatus.

8. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to carry out an error diagnosis of the slave control apparatus.

9. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of slave control apparatuses, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to: install the application software on the plurality of slave control apparatuses in a parallel manner, and at least one of actuate and diagnose the plurality of slave control apparatuses in a parallel manner.

10. The lighting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to communicate with an external diagnostic apparatus.

11. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute the application software for actuating an LED vehicle headlight.

12. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute the application software for actuating a laser vehicle headlight.

13. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute any desired application software for actuating any desired headlight system component.

14. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slave control apparatus is designed to execute the application software for actuating a matrix vehicle headlight.

15. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master control apparatus is a front headlight master control apparatus or a rear light master control apparatus.

16. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to overwrite a flash memory of a BIOS of the slave control apparatus with a firmware in order to install the application software on the slave control apparatus.

17. The lighting device as claimed in one claim 1, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to carry out an error diagnosis of the slave control apparatus.

18. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of slave control apparatuses, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to: install the application software on the plurality of slave control apparatuses in a parallel manner, and at least one of actuate and diagnose the plurality of slave control apparatuses in a parallel manner.

19. The lighting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master control apparatus is designed to communicate with an external diagnostic apparatus.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a lighting device of a vehicle.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a slave control apparatus.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a further slave control apparatus.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a further slave control apparatus.

(5) Elements with the same design or function are indicated using the same reference symbols throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) FIG. 1 shows a lighting device of a vehicle.

(7) The lighting device has a master control apparatus 1. The lighting device also has at least one further slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c.

(8) The slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c is connected to the master control apparatus 1 via a bus system 15.

(9) The master control apparatus 1 is also connected to the slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c by a supply interface 13, by which it can supply the slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c with current/voltage in a switchable manner.

(10) The master control apparatus 1 is designed to install application software on the slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c. For this purpose, the master control apparatus 1 has, in particular, a computing unit (not shown), a program and data memory (not shown) and one or more communication interfaces 11, for example. The program and data memory and/or the computing unit and/or the communication interfaces 11 may be formed in one structural unit and/or distributed among a plurality of structural units.

(11) The master control apparatus 1 is designed, for example, to overwrite a flash memory of a BIOS of the slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c with firmware in order to install the application software on the slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c.

(12) The master control apparatus 1 is a front headlight master control apparatus, for example.

(13) Alternatively or additionally, the master control apparatus 1 is optionally designed to actuate the slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c.

(14) Alternatively or additionally, the master control apparatus 1 is optionally designed to carry out an error diagnosis of the slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c.

(15) In particular, the master control apparatus 1 is designed to communicate with an external diagnostic apparatus for this purpose, for example, via the communication interface 11 and/or via the bus system 15 or a further communication interface and/or a further bus system.

(16) The slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c is designed to execute the application software for the purpose of actuating a headlight system component 23a, 23b, 23c.

(17) The slave control apparatus 21a, 21b, 21c and the headlight system component 23a, 23b, 23c are arranged in a headlight housing 20, for example. The master control apparatus 1 is, in particular, arranged outside the headlight housing 20.

(18) FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the slave control apparatus 21a which is designed to execute application software for the purpose of actuating a laser vehicle headlight.

(19) The slave control apparatus 21a in FIG. 2 has, in particular, a computing unit 31, a program and data memory (not shown) and one or more interfaces, for example. The program and data memory and/or the computing unit 31 and/or the interfaces may be formed in one structural unit and/or distributed among a plurality of structural units.

(20) The interfaces comprise, for example, supply connections 41, 42 for supplying voltage to the slave control apparatus 21a.

(21) The interfaces also comprise, for example, one or more bus connections 43, 44 for communicating with the master control apparatus 1.

(22) The interfaces comprise, for example, a connection for actuating a laser light source 51. Alternatively, a plurality of laser light sources 51 may also be provided.

(23) The interfaces also comprise, for example, one or more sensor connections for communicating with sensors 61, 62, 63.

(24) The interfaces comprise, for example, one or more connections of thermistors 71, 72, 73.

(25) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the slave control apparatus 21b which is designed to execute application software for the purpose of actuating an LED vehicle headlight.

(26) The slave control apparatus 21b in FIG. 3 has, in particular, a computing unit 131, a program and data memory (not shown) and one or more interfaces, for example. The program and data memory and/or the computing unit 131 and/or the interfaces may be formed in one structural unit and/or distributed among a plurality of structural units.

(27) The interfaces comprise, for example, supply connections 141, 142 for supplying voltage to the slave control apparatus 21b.

(28) The interfaces also comprise, for example, one or more bus connections 143, 144 for communicating with the master control apparatus 1.

(29) The interfaces comprise, for example, a plurality of connections for actuating a plurality of LED light sources 151, 152.

(30) The interfaces comprise, for example, one or more connections of thermistors 171, 172.

(31) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the slave control apparatus 21c which is designed to execute application software for the purpose of actuating a matrix vehicle headlight.

(32) The slave control apparatus 21c in FIG. 4 has, in particular, a computing unit 231, a program and data memory (not shown) and one or more interfaces, for example. The program and data memory and/or the computing unit 231 and/or the interfaces may be formed in one structural unit and/or distributed among a plurality of structural units.

(33) The interfaces comprise, for example, supply connections 241, 242 for supplying voltage to the slave control apparatus 21c.

(34) The interfaces also comprise, for example, one or more bus connections 243, 244 for communicating with the master control apparatus 1.

(35) The interfaces comprise, for example, a plurality of connections for actuating a matrix of LED light sources 251, 252, which is symbolized by the multiplicity of lines.

(36) The interfaces comprise, for example, one or more connections of thermistors 271, 272, 273.

(37) The slave control apparatus can also be designed (not shown) to execute any desired application software for the purpose of actuating any desired headlight system component.

(38) The lighting device may also have a plurality of slave control apparatuses 21a which are designed to execute application software for the purpose of actuating a laser vehicle headlight and/or a plurality of slave control apparatuses 21b which are designed to execute application software for the purpose of actuating an LED vehicle headlight and/or a plurality of slave control apparatuses 21c which are designed to execute application software for the purpose of actuating a matrix vehicle headlight.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(39) 1 Master control apparatus 11 Communication interface 13 Supply interface 15 Bus system 17 Voltage supply 20 Headlight housing 21a, 21b, 21c Slave control apparatuses 23a, 23b, 23c Headlight system component 31 Computing unit 41, 42 Supply connections 43, 44 Bus connections 51 Light source 61, 62, 63 Sensors 71, 72, 73 Thermistors 131 Computing unit 141, 142 Supply connections 143, 144 Bus connections 151, 152 Light sources 171, 172 Thermistors 231 Computing unit 241, 242 Supply connections 243, 244 Bus connections 251, 252 Light sources 271, 272 Thermistors

(40) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.