METHOD FOR OPERATING A CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT HAVING AN OPEN-LOOP AND/OR CLOSED-LOOP CONTROLLER FOR AN ILLUMINATION FIELD

Abstract

A method for operating a circuit arrangement is provided. An illumination field has at least one first module and one second module that each comprise at least one light source and a controllable switching element. An open-loop and/or closed-loop controller for the illumination field is provided, wherein the controllable switching elements are controlled by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller such that switch-on times and/or switch-off times are defined for each light source by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller and such that the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller controls one and/or more controllable switching elements of the modules to close during the switch-on times and to open during the switch-off times. The switch-on times and/or switch-off times are determined based on a desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules or a desired overall luminous intensity distribution.

Claims

1. A method for operating a circuit arrangement, the method comprising: providing an illumination field that comprises at least one first module and one second module, which each comprise at least one light source; providing an open-loop and/or closed-loop controller for the illumination field; controlling each light source is controlled by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller such that a brightness of each light source is set based on a desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules or a desired overall luminous intensity distribution; and implementing continuously a transition between the desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules and a desired overall luminous intensity distribution.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each module comprises at least one controllable switching element, wherein the controllable switching elements are controlled by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller such that the brightness of each light source is set by defining switch-on times and/or switch-off times for each light source by the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller, and wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller controls one and/or more controllable switching elements of the modules during the switch-on times for closing and during the switch-off times for opening.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the overall luminous intensity distribution is created by superimposing the luminous intensity distributions of the individual modules.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first module is an LED module with a low resolution and the second module is an LED module with a high resolution.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transition between the desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules (1, 2) and the desired overall luminous intensity distribution takes place based on at least one measured parameter, wherein the measured parameter include the speed of the vehicle and/or a distance of the vehicle to other objects.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein a lower and an upper threshold is defined for the at least one measured parameter and is stored in the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein in the case of a measured value for the at least one measured parameter which is below the lower threshold, the brightness for each light source is determined based on a desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein in the case of a measured value for the at least one measured parameter, which is above the upper threshold, the brightness for each light source s determined based on a desired overall luminous intensity distribution.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein in the case of a measured value for the at least one measured parameter which lies between the lower threshold and the upper threshold, the brightness for each light source is determined weighted based in the distance of the measured value to the respective threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the luminous intensity distributions are determined using the following formula, wherein the brightness for each light source is determined from the calculated luminous intensity distributions: ${\mathrm{OverallLID}}_I={\mathrm{LID}}_{\mathrm{Module}1,\mathrm{opt}}+{\mathrm{LID}}_{\mathrm{Module}2,\mathrm{opt}}$ ${\mathrm{OverallLID}}_u={\mathrm{OverallLID}}_{\mathrm{opt}}={\mathrm{LID}}_{\mathrm{Module}1}+{\mathrm{LID}}_{\mathrm{Module}2}$ ${\mathrm{OverallLID}}_m=\left(1-v\right)*{\mathrm{OverallLID}}_I+v*{\mathrm{OverallLID}}_u$ where OverallLID.sub.l is the luminous intensity distribution for parameter values below thelower threshold, OverallLID.sub.u is the luminous intensity distribution for parameter values above the upper threshold, OverallLID.sub.m is the luminous intensity distribution for parameter values above the lower threshold and below the upper threshold, LID.sub.Module1,opt is the desired luminous intensity distribution of the first module, LID.sub.Module2,opt is the desired luminous intensity distribution of the second module, OverallLID.sub.opt is the desired overall luminous intensity distribution, LID.sub.Module1 is the luminous intensity distribution of the first module calculated to achieve the desired overall luminous intensity distribution, LID.sub.Module2 is the luminous intensity distribution of the second module calculated to achieve the desired overall luminous intensity distribution, and where v is the distance between the lower threshold and the measured value as a percentage of the distance between the two thresholds.

11. An open-loop and/or closed-loop controller for an illumination field, comprising: a measurement signal input to which a sensor signal of the at least one measured parameter is applied, wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller is adapted to perform the method according to claim 1.

12. The open-loop and/or closed-loop controller according to claim 11, wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller comprises at least two outputs at which control signals for controlling controllable switching elements of the illumination field are adapted to be tapped.

13. A circuit arrangement for the open-loop and/or closed-loop control of an illumination field, comprising an open-loop and/or closed-loop controller according to claim 11; and an illumination field comprising at least one first module and one second module, which each comprise at least one light source.

14. The circuit arrangement according to claim 13, wherein each module comprises at least one controllable switching element, wherein a control terminal of each controllable switching element is connected to an output of the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller.

15. The circuit arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the open-loop and/or closed-loop controller controls one and/or more controllable switching elements of the modules to close or open such.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0044] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a circuit arrangement of an example of the invention;

[0045] FIG. 2 shows luminous intensity distributions with an optimal luminous intensity distribution of at least one module; and

[0046] FIG. 3 shows luminous intensity distributions with an optimal overall luminous intensity distribution.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] An exemplary circuit arrangement 6 of the invention shown in FIG. 1 comprises an illumination field 7 with two modules 1, 2. Each module 1, 2 comprises a light source 3, in this case a light-emitting diode, and a controllable switching element 5. First module 1 and second module 2 will be referred to below according to the subscripts of the component designations. Modules 1 and 2 are connected in parallel. Light sources 3 are arranged within modules 1, 2 so that their anodes are in contact with a common node. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary structure of a circuit arrangement of the invention. It is also possible, without any inventive effort, for the modules to be electrically decoupled.

[0048] In addition to illumination field 7, circuit arrangement 6 of the invention comprises a measuring means for a parameter 4. The parameter measuring device is, for example, a speed measuring device or a distance measuring device. In addition, an open-loop and/or closed-loop controller 9 of the invention is provided in a circuit arrangement 6 of the invention. Open-loop and/or closed-loop controller 9 has at least one input 8 and a plurality of outputs 10. Open-loop and closed-loop controller 9 is connected to controllable switching elements 5 of illumination field 7 via these outputs 10. Control pulses can be sent to switching elements 5 via these outputs 10 in order to close or open them. The at least one input 8 is connected to the parameter measuring means for the measured parameter 4. A sensor signal of the at least one measured parameter 4 can be applied to this input 8. Open-loop and/or closed-loop controller 9 is set up so that illumination field 7 has a desired luminous intensity distribution. This is achieved in that controllable switching element 5 assigned to a light source 3 is controlled within a cycle period to close until a desired luminous intensity distribution is achieved. The switch-on times for closing controllable switching elements 5 and/or switch-off times for opening controllable switching elements 5 are determined based on a desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules 1, 2 or a desired overall luminous intensity distribution, wherein a transition between the desired luminous intensity distribution of the individual modules 1, 2 and the desired overall luminous intensity distribution is implemented continuously.

[0049] Two exemplary luminous intensity distributions 11, 12 are shown in FIG. 2, which are generated by the individual modules 1, 2 in illumination field 7. Third luminous intensity distribution 13 is the overall luminous intensity distribution resulting from the superimposition of the two individual luminous intensity distributions 11, 12.

[0050] Luminous intensity distribution 12 of first module 1, in this case a matrix LED module, can be influenced only slightly by the low resolution of this module 1. Luminous intensity distribution 11 of second module 2, in this case a high-resolution HD module, is optimal in terms of homogeneity and intensity in FIG. 1. This is particularly relevant for illumination fields 7 in vehicles that can be viewed by an observer at close range.

[0051] Overall luminous intensity distribution 13, which results from the superimposition of the individual luminous intensity distributions 11, 12 of the individual modules 1, 2, also shows an inhomogeneous course due to the inhomogeneities of the luminous intensity distribution of first module 1.

[0052] FIG. 3, in contrast, shows an optimal overall luminous intensity curve 13. Luminous intensity distribution 12 of first module 1 is identical to the curve in FIG. 1. Luminous intensity distribution 12 of second module 2 is calculated from the desired overall luminous intensity distribution 13 minus luminous intensity distribution 12 of first module 1.

[0053] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims