SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VEHICLE LIGHTING-BASED ROADWAY OBSTACLE NOTIFICATION

Abstract

A vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification for a motor vehicle has a vehicle headlamp system with a controllable light distribution. A camera is aligned parallel to a forward driving direction records a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle which includes a multiplicity of roadway detection paths. Camera data are individually evaluated in relation to ranges and at least one quantity from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle, with respect to the roadway detection paths. When at least one predetermined condition in respect of at least one of these quantities is complied with, the vehicle headlamp system is controlled in order to illuminate a part of the width of the roadway in which a roadway anomaly has been detected.

Claims

1. A method for vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification for a motor vehicle which has a vehicle headlamp system with a controllable light distribution, at least one camera with an optical axis aligned parallel to a forward driving direction of the motor vehicle, and at least one electronic control unit operatively connected to the at least one camera and to the vehicle headlamp system, the method comprising the steps of: moving the motor vehicle along a roadway; recording camera data of a part of a roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle in the forward driving direction using the camera, wherein a recorded part of the roadway surface includes a multiplicity of roadway detection paths; individually evaluating the camera data relating to the roadway detection paths in relation to ranges and at least one quantity from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle; detecting a roadway anomaly in response to compliance of at least one from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle with at least one respective predetermined condition; and controlling the vehicle headlamp system as a function of the compliance with the respective predetermined condition in order to illuminate a part of the roadway corresponding to one of the roadway detection paths in which the roadway anomaly has been detected.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one respective predetermined condition is comprised of a threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the vehicle headlamp system in order to illuminate the detected roadway anomaly comprises the illuminated part of the roadway covering at least one of the roadway detection paths along which the roadway anomaly has been detected, as well as at least a part of the roadway for a neighboring roadway detection path, and in case the roadway anomaly is detected on an outer path of the roadway detection paths then the illuminated part of the roadway covering up until a corresponding lane edge.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the vehicle headlamp system in order to illuminate the detected roadway anomaly is continued until the motor vehicle has approached the detected roadway anomaly to within a predetermined distance.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions of the step of detecting the roadway anomaly is dependent on at least one of a distance d of the motor vehicle from the detected roadway anomaly, a size of a confidence level in respect of the vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, the vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway per se, the gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction, and the instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein after the step of illuminating the part of the roadway corresponding to the roadway detection path in which the roadway anomaly has been detected, the method further comprises repeatedly performing the steps of: recording camera data of a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle in the forward driving direction using the camera; individually evaluating camera data relating to the roadway detection paths in relation to ranges and at least one quantity from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle; continuing to detect the roadway anomaly in response to compliance of at least one from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle with at least one modified predetermined condition involving at least a lower requirement for compliance.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle is equipped with an automatic dynamic lighting range regulating device, which includes at least one electronic control unit that is intended to determine an instantaneous pitch angle of the motor vehicle in response to received data of sensors and to control the vehicle headlamp system in such a way that a predetermined lighting direction angle with respect to a roadway plane is adjusted, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of: when the roadway anomaly is detected, transmitting results of the step of detecting the roadway anomaly in relation to ranges and at least one quantity from among a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle to an electronic control unit; in response to a previous calibration and the transmitted results, calculating an expected time variation of the pitch angle of a body of the motor vehicle when driving over the roadway anomaly; and controlling, as a function of driving over the roadway anomaly by the motor vehicle, the lighting range regulating device in order to compensate for a deviation of a lighting direction angle from a predetermined lighting direction angle with respect to a roadway plane during a pitch movement of the body of the motor vehicle according to signals from sensors including a pitch angle determination sensor.

8. A vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification system for a motor vehicle that moves along a roadway, comprising: a vehicle headlamp system with a controllable light distribution; at least one camera having an optical axis aligned parallel to a forward driving direction; and an electronic control unit operatively connected to the at least one camera and to the vehicle headlamp system, configured to: record camera data of a part of a surface of the roadway lying in front of the motor vehicle in the forward driving direction using the camera, wherein a recorded part of the roadway includes a multiplicity of roadway detection paths; individually evaluate the camera data relating to the roadway detection paths in relation to ranges and at least one quantity from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle; detect a roadway anomaly in response to compliance of at least one from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle with at least one respective predetermined condition; and control the vehicle headlamp system as a function of the compliance with the respective predetermined condition in order to illuminate a part of the roadway corresponding to the roadway detection path in which the roadway anomaly has been detected.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one respective predetermined condition is comprised of a threshold.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to illuminate the detected roadway anomaly such that the illuminated part of the roadway covers at least one of the roadway detection paths along which a roadway anomaly has been detected, as well as at least a part of the roadway for a neighboring roadway detection path.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic control unit is configured such that illuminating the detected roadway anomaly is continued until the motor vehicle has approached the detected roadway anomaly to within a predetermined distance.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the predetermined conditions is dependent on at least one of a distance d of the motor vehicle from the detected roadway anomaly, a size of a confidence level in respect of the vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, the vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway per se, the gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction, and the instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the electronic control unit is further configured such that after illuminating the part of the roadway corresponding to the roadway detection path in which the roadway anomaly has been detected, the electronic control unit repeatedly: records camera data of a part of the roadway lying in front of the motor vehicle in the forward driving direction using the camera; individually evaluates camera data relating to the roadway detection paths in relation to ranges and at least one quantity from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle; continues to detect the roadway anomaly in response to compliance of at least one from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle with at least one modified predetermined condition involving at least a lower requirement for compliance.

14. The system according to claim 8, further comprising: an automatic dynamic lighting range regulating device, which includes a controller that determines an instantaneous pitch angle of the motor vehicle in response to received data of sensors and controls the vehicle headlamp system in such a way that a predetermined lighting direction angle with respect to a roadway plane is adjusted; wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to: when the roadway anomaly is detected, employ results of individual evaluation of the recorded camera data in relation to ranges and at least one quantity from among a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway in the forward driving direction, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle to calculate an expected time variation of a pitch movement of a body of the motor vehicle when driving over the roadway anomaly; and control the lighting range regulating device in response to driving over the roadway anomaly by the motor vehicle, confirmed by signals of vehicle-based sensors, in order to compensate for a deviation of the lighting direction angle from the predetermined lighting direction angle with respect to a roadway plane during the pitch movement of the body of the motor vehicle generated by driving over the detected roadway anomaly.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle-based sensors are comprised of (1) a multiplicity of height level sensors, which are arranged on a front axle and a rear axle of the motor vehicle, or (2) a multiplicity of acceleration sensors, which are respectively arranged wheel-individually on wheel supports of a front axle of the motor vehicle, or (3) as an inertial measurement unit with a pitch rate sensor, or (4) a sensor combination consisting of vertical and longitudinal acceleration sensors, in order to determine a pitch movement of a motor vehicle structure.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein the vehicle-based sensors are further comprised of a reduced set of wheel-mounted sensors, wherein two height level sensors are provided wheel-individually on the front axle, or two wheel support-mounted acceleration sensors are provided wheel-individually on the front axle.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising: an image processing unit determining a displacement of at least one object in at least two images recorded at different instants by the at least one camera, wherein the electronic control unit calculates a pitch movement of the motor vehicle from the displacement.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0106] Further advantageous configurations of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims and the following description of the figures, in which:

[0107] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification system according to the invention for a motor vehicle in a plan view.

[0108] FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a method according to the invention for vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification for a motor vehicle by means of the roadway obstacle notification system according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0109] In the various figures, parts which are the same are always provided with the same references, for which reason they will generally be described only once.

[0110] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a possible embodiment of a roadway obstacle notification system according to the invention for a motor vehicle 24, which may for example be configured as an automobile, in a plan view. The motor vehicle 24 is driving on a roadway 28 of a road, which is the right roadway 28 in the plane of the drawing, and which respectively comprises a roadway 28 configured as an asphalted lane for each direction, in a forward driving direction 26.

[0111] The vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification system installed in the motor vehicle 24 is equipped with a vehicle headlamp system 10 with a controllable light distribution. The vehicle headlamp system 10 may, for example, be formed by an illumination system which contains (HD) matrix LEDs or multibeam LED headlamps. Such illumination systems make it possible to focus the illumination by the vehicle headlamp onto a highly defined region by controlling it.

[0112] The vehicle headlamp system 10 is part of an automatic dynamic lighting range regulating device (not represented in detail) of the motor vehicle 24. The automatic dynamic lighting range regulating device contains an electronic control unit, which is intended to determine an instantaneous pitch angle of the motor vehicle 24 on the basis of received data of vehicle-based sensors and to control the vehicle headlamp system 10 in such a way that a predetermined lighting direction angle with respect to a roadway plane is adjusted. The vehicle-based sensors may, as in the present exemplary embodiment, be formed by a multiplicity of height level sensors 18, 20, at least two height level sensors 18, 20 respectively being arranged wheel-individually on a front axle of the motor vehicle 24 in order to detect a relative position between a chassis and a body of the motor vehicle 24.

[0113] The vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification system furthermore comprises a camera 22. The camera 22 may, for example, be arranged behind the windshield of the motor vehicle 24 at the height of the rearview mirror. The optical axis of the camera 22 is aligned parallel to a forward driving direction 26 of the motor vehicle 24. The lens of the camera 22 may be configured in such a way that the field of view of the camera 22 covers at least a width 30 of the roadway 28 at a predetermined range in the forward driving direction 26 of the motor vehicle 24.

[0114] The camera 22 is intended, for example by means of software internal to the camera, in an acquired image of a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26, to set up a multiplicity of roadway detection paths, in the present embodiment a number of six roadway detection paths, namely a right outer roadway detection path 32, a right middle roadway detection path 34, a right inner roadway detection path 36, a left inner roadway detection path 40, a left middle roadway detection path 42 and a left outer roadway detection path 44, each roadway detection path 32-36, 40-44 extending in the forward driving direction 26 of the motor vehicle 24. The left roadway detection paths 32-36 and the right roadway detection paths 40-44 may be arranged symmetrically with respect to a direction of the center line 38 of the motor vehicle. The right roadway detection paths 32-36 and the left roadway detection paths 40-44 are respectively arranged uniformly separated in the transverse direction of the roadway.

[0115] The camera 22 is intended to provide information relating to a range to a roadway anomaly 46 as well as dimensions of a roadway anomaly 46 in the direction of the roadway 28. For this purpose, the camera 22 as well as the vehicle headlamp system 10 are operatively connected by means of data and control lines (not represented) to an electronic control unit 12. In this case, the electronic control unit may be the automatic dynamic lighting range regulating device. Alternatively, a separate electronic control unit 12 may also be provided, which is additionally connected by data technology to the electronic control unit of the automatic dynamic lighting range regulating device.

[0116] Because of the setting up of six roadway detection paths 32-36, 40-44 in the recorded part of the roadway surface, a dimension of the roadway anomaly 46 in the transverse direction of the roadway 28 may be estimated from the detection of a roadway anomaly 46 along a roadway detection path or a plurality of roadway detection paths.

[0117] With the aid of a flowchart, which is shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 1, an example embodiment according to the invention of a method for vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification for the motor vehicle 24 will be described below by means of the embodiment of the vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification system according to the invention according to FIG. 1.

[0118] The electronic control unit 12 may comprise a digital data storage unit 16 and a processor unit 14 with access to the digital data storage unit 16. In order to carry out the method automatically, steps of the method which are to be carried out may be provided in the form of a computer program which is stored in the digital data storage unit 16, the instructions contained in the computer program being executable by the processor unit 14.

[0119] In preparation for carrying out the method, it is assumed that all devices and components involved are in a state ready for operation.

[0120] In a step 60 of the method, the motor vehicle 24 is moved along the roadway 28. During this, in a step 62 of the method, a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26 is recorded by means of the camera 22, for example at uniform time intervals, and the camera data relating to the recorded part of the roadway surface are received by the electronic control unit 12 provided for this purpose. In the recorded part of the roadway surface, a multiplicity of linear roadway detection paths 32-36, 40-44 are in this case set up, the number of which in the present embodiment is six. In other embodiments, a larger number of roadway detection paths may also be set up.

[0121] In the next step 64, the received camera data are evaluated individually, that is to say roadway detection path 32-36, 40-44 by roadway detection path 32-36, 40-44, by the electronic control unit 12 provided for this purpose in relation to ranges, a magnitude of a vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway 28, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway 28 in the forward driving direction 26 and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle 24.

[0122] In a further step 66, a check is carried out by the electronic control unit 12 provided for this purpose regarding compliance with predetermined conditions which relate to a magnitude of the vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway 28, a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction 26 and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle 24, in order to detect roadway anomalies 46. The predetermined conditions in this case respectively involve a query as to whether a magnitude of the vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway 28 and/or a magnitude of a gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction 26 (corresponding to the x direction) exceeds a predetermined threshold value thr.sub.h, thr.sub.grad relating thereto:

h.sub.i≥thr.sub.h(d),i=1−6  (1)

grad.sub.x;i≥thr.sub.grad(d),i=1−6  (2)

[0123] The predetermined condition relating to the instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle is configured as a lookup table which contains predetermined values v.sub.gain dependent on the instantaneous speed v.sub.mom:

v.sub.gain=lookup(v.sub.mom)  (3)

[0124] In this case, the threshold values thr.sub.h and thr.sub.grad are selected, depending on an instantaneous range d of the motor vehicle 24 from the roadway anomaly 46 and the instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle 24, according to

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}{\mathrm{thr}}_h\left(d\right)=v_{gain}.Math.h_0+\frac{d}{\alpha }.Math.\frac{1}{\Delta }& \left(4\right)\end{array}$$\mathrm{and}$$\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{th}{r}_{\mathrm{grad}}\left(d\right)=v_{gain}.Math.\mathrm{gra}{d}_0+\frac{d}{\beta }.Math.\frac{1}{\Delta }& \left(5\right)\end{array}$

[0125] Here, h.sub.0 and grad.sub.0 indicate constants which can be set up relating to the vertical dimension h.sub.i and respectively the gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction 26, d indicates the instantaneous distance of the motor vehicle 24 from the detected roadway anomaly 46, α, β indicate proportional factors, and Δ indicates the confidence level of the signals determined by the camera 22 for determining the magnitudes of the vertical dimension h.sub.i and respectively the gradient grad.sub.x;i in the forward driving direction 26 grad.sub.x;i.

[0126] The respective results found relating to compliance with the predetermined conditions may be logically linked with one another in a predetermined way.

[0127] If the respective results relating to compliance with the predetermined conditions in the step 66 do not correspond to a predetermined value, no roadway anomaly is identified and the method is continued with the step 62 of recording a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26 by means of the camera 22.

[0128] If the respective results relating to compliance with the predetermined conditions in the step 66 correspond to a predetermined value, a step 68 of recording a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26 by means of the camera 22 and a step 70 of individually evaluating camera data relating to the roadway detection paths 32-36, 40-44 during the approach of the motor vehicle 24 to the roadway anomaly 46 is continued, for example at regular time intervals. A step 72 of checking the compliance is carried out with conditions modified from the original predetermined conditions according to (4) and (5) so that the modified conditions involve lower requirements for compliance. After the roadway anomaly 46 is detected, its environment may be checked again with an increased sensitivity, with a reduced risk of false-positive results and with a lower negative effect of a false-positive result.

[0129] If the result of the checking step 72 turns out to be negative, the method is continued with the step 62 of recording a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26 by means of the camera 22

[0130] If the result of the checking step 72 turns out to be positive, the vehicle headlamp system 10 is controlled in a step 74 of the method by the electronic control unit 12 provided for this purpose in order to illuminate a part of the width 30 of the roadway 28, in which a roadway anomaly 46 has been detected.

[0131] A roadway region 52 which is illuminated in this case covers the roadway detection paths 42, 44 along which the roadway anomaly 46 has been detected, a part of the roadway 28 in the direction toward the roadway detection path 40 next to the roadway detection path 42 and a part of the roadway 28 from the roadway detection path 44 in the direction toward a road center marking 50 of the roadway 28.

[0132] If the roadway anomaly 46 is detected along the right (left) middle roadway detection path 34 (42), for example, a part of the roadway 28 around this roadway detection path 34 (42) and a part of the roadway 28 in the direction of the right (left) inner roadway detection path 36 (40) and of the right (left) outer roadway detection path 32 (44) are illuminated.

[0133] If the roadway anomaly 46 is detected along the right (left) outer roadway detection path 32 (44), for example, a part of the roadway 28 around this roadway detection path 32 (44) and a part of the roadway 28 in the direction of the right (left) middle roadway detection path 34 (42) and a part between the right (left) outer roadway detection path 32 (44) and the roadway edge marking (48) (road center marking 50) are illuminated.

[0134] If the roadway anomaly 46 is detected along the right (left) inner roadway detection path 36 (40), for example, a part of the roadway 28 around this roadway detection path 36 (40) and a part of the roadway 28 in the direction of the right (left) middle roadway detection path 34 (42) and a part of the roadway 28 in the direction of the left (right) inner roadway detection path 40 (36) is illuminated.

[0135] The illuminated part of the roadway 28 in the direction of the neighboring roadway detection path may, for example, amount to at least half of the distance between the roadway detection paths. In the case of detecting a roadway anomaly along two neighboring roadway detection paths, the roadway anomaly would be fully illuminated in a region between the neighboring roadway detection paths.

[0136] In the event of a detected roadway anomaly 46, the results of the step 70 of individually evaluating the recorded camera data in relation to ranges d to the roadway anomaly 46, the perpendicular dimension h.sub.i of the roadway 28, the gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway 28 in the forward driving direction 26, and an instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle 24 are transmitted to the electronic control unit 12 in a further step 76 of the method if the instantaneous range d to the detected roadway anomaly 46 has fallen below a predetermined threshold value thr.sub.d and the motor vehicle 24 has not stopped. The control of the vehicle headlamp system 10 in order to illuminate the detected roadway anomaly 46 may, for example, be ended when reaching the predetermined threshold value thr.sub.d of the instantaneous range d, so that the illumination is carried out until the motor vehicle 24 has approached the detected roadway anomaly 46 to within the predetermined distance thr.sub.d, because the roadway anomaly 46 then lies outside the field of view of the driver.

[0137] If the driver has stopped the motor vehicle 24 before the roadway anomaly 46 at an instantaneous range d to the detected roadway anomaly 46 which is greater than the predetermined threshold value thr.sub.d, the method is continued with the step 62 of recording the part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26 by means of the camera 22. This possibility is denoted in the flowchart of FIG. 2 by the letter “B”.

[0138] By the electronic control unit 12 provided for this purpose, in a step 78 of the method, on the basis of a previous calibration and the transmitted results in relation to the vertical dimension h.sub.i of the roadway 28, the gradient grad.sub.x;i of the roadway 28 in the forward driving direction 26, and the instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle 24, a time variation of the pitch movement of the body of the motor vehicle 24 to be expected when driving over the roadway anomaly 46 is calculated.

[0139] With knowledge of the instantaneous range d to the detected roadway anomaly 46 and the instantaneous speed v.sub.mom of the motor vehicle 24, in the step 78 an instant of a pitch movement to be expected of the body of the motor vehicle 24 is furthermore calculated. In a step 80 of the method, driving over the roadway anomaly by the motor vehicle 24 at the calculated instant is confirmed by monitoring the signals of one of the sensor options from the aforementioned list B, or a lack of driving over is established.

[0140] If the result of the step 80 turns out to be negative, the method is continued with the step 62 of recording a part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26 by means of the camera 22. This may, for example, be the case if the driver of the motor vehicle 24 has driven around the roadway anomaly 46. This possibility is denoted in the flowchart of FIG. 2 by the letter “A”.

[0141] The path “A” of the method is also adopted if the driver has stopped the motor vehicle 24 at a distance in front of the roadway anomaly 46 which is less than the predetermined threshold value thr.sub.d, and if a lack of corresponding signals of the multiplicity of height level sensors 18, 20 is established at the calculated instant of driving over.

[0142] If the result of the step 80 turns out to be positive, in the repeatedly carried out step 82 of the method, the lighting range regulating device is controlled by the electronic control unit 12 provided for this purpose in order to compensate for a deviation of the lighting direction angle from the predetermined lighting direction angle with respect to a roadway plane during the pitch movement of the body of the motor vehicle 24 generated by driving over the detected roadway anomaly 46. For this purpose, in the step 82, the instantaneous signals of one of the installed sensor options in the aforementioned list A is employed. Known delays, which arise for example from a signal propagation time for the transmission, for instance by using a CAN bus system, are correspondingly taken into account. The step 82 of the method is carried out until one of possible conditions for termination, which has been established in a comparison step 84, occurs or when the motor vehicle 24 has stopped.

[0143] One possible condition for termination consists in the expected pitch movement of the body of the motor vehicle 24 having stabilized, which may be identified from the signals of the height level sensors 18, 20.

[0144] Another possible condition for termination consists in the motor vehicle 24 having traveled a driving distance which reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold value after driving over the detected roadway anomaly 46.

[0145] If the driver has stopped the motor vehicle 24 while the step 82 is being repeatedly carried out, the method is continued with the step 62 of recording the part of the roadway surface lying in front of the motor vehicle 24 in the forward driving direction 26 by means of the camera 22. This possibility is denoted in the flowchart of FIG. 2 by the letter “C”.

[0146] In order to carry out the step 80 of the method of confirming driving over the roadway anomaly 46, the vehicle lighting-based roadway obstacle notification system may, as an alternative or in addition to the respective at least two height level sensors 18, 20, comprise an image processing unit which is intended to determine a displacement of at least one object in at least two images recorded at different instants by the camera 22. In this case, a further step of the method is provided, in which the image processing unit determines a pitch movement of the vehicle structure.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0147] 10 vehicle headlamp system [0148] 12 electronic control unit [0149] 14 processor unit [0150] 16 digital storage unit [0151] 18 height level sensor [0152] 20 height level sensor [0153] 22 camera [0154] 24 motor vehicle [0155] 26 forward driving direction [0156] 28 roadway [0157] 30 width [0158] 32 right outer roadway detection path [0159] 34 right middle roadway detection path [0160] 36 right inner roadway detection path [0161] 38 direction of the center line of the motor vehicle [0162] 40 left inner roadway detection path [0163] 42 left middle roadway detection path [0164] 44 left outer roadway detection path [0165] 46 roadway anomaly [0166] 48 roadway edge marketing [0167] 50 road center marking [0168] 52 illuminated roadway region [0169] d instantaneous range [0170] Method steps: [0171] 60 moving the vehicle [0172] 62 recording a part of the roadway surface by means of cameras [0173] 64 individually evaluating camera data [0174] 66 checking compliance with predetermined conditions [0175] 68 recording a part of the roadway surface by means of cameras [0176] 70 individually evaluating camera data [0177] 72 checking compliance with modified predetermined conditions [0178] 74 controlling the vehicle headlamp system in order to illuminate a part of the width of the roadway [0179] 76 transmitting determined quantities to electronic control unit [0180] 78 calculating the expected time variation of the pitch movement [0181] 80 checking driving over the roadway anomaly [0182] 82 controlling the lighting range regulating device in order to compensate for the pitch movement [0183] 84 checking compliance with the predetermined conditions for termination