Automatic vehicle exterior light control

Abstract

A system for automatically controlling continuously variable headlamps on a controlled vehicle includes an imaging system capable of determining lateral and elevational locations of headlamps from oncoming vehicles and tail lamps from leading vehicles. The system also includes a control unit that can acquire an image from in front of the controlled vehicle. The image covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare. The image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within the glare area. If at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced. Otherwise, the illumination range is set to full illumination range.

1 . An automatic exterior light control, comprising: 
 an image array sensor, said image array sensor comprising an array of pixel sensors, wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor substantially passes through an associated windshield area that is wiped by a windshield wiper.    
   
   
       2 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 1  wherein an image array sensor aim is adjustable electronically.  
   
   
       3 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 1  wherein an image array sensor aim is automatically adjusted.  
   
   
       4 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 1  comprising an ambient light level input.  
   
   
       5 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 4  wherein automatic exterior light control is enabled when an ambient light level is below a threshold.  
   
   
       6 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 1  comprising an exterior light control signal comprising a variable rate of change.  
   
   
       7 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 1  comprising a variable exterior light control signal threshold.  
   
   
       8 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 1  wherein at least one image acquired from said image array sensor covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare, said image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within a glare area and if at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced.  
   
   
       9 . An automatic exterior light control, comprising: 
 an image array sensor, said image array sensor comprising an array of pixel sensors, wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor is adjustable electronically.    
   
   
       10 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 9  wherein an image array sensor aim is automatically adjusted.  
   
   
       11 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 9  wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor substantially passes through an associated windshield area that is wiped by a windshield wiper.  
   
   
       12 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 9  comprising an ambient light level input.  
   
   
       13 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 12  wherein automatic exterior light control is enabled when an ambient light level is below a threshold.  
   
   
       14 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 9  comprising an exterior light control signal comprising a variable rate of change.  
   
   
       15 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 9  comprising a variable exterior light control signal threshold.  
   
   
       16 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 9  wherein at least one image acquired from said image array sensor covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare, said image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within a glare area and if at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced.  
   
   
       17 . An automatic exterior light control, comprising: 
 an image array sensor, said image array sensor comprising an array of pixel sensors; and    a controller configured with an ambient light input, wherein automatic exterior light control is enabled when an ambient light level is below a threshold.    
   
   
       18 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 17  wherein said ambient light input is derived from said image array sensor.  
   
   
       19 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 17  wherein an image array sensor aim is adjustable electronically.  
   
   
       20 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 17  wherein an image array sensor aim is automatically adjusted.  
   
   
       21 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 17  wherein said image array sensor is configured and mounted such that a field of view of said image array sensor substantially passes through an associated windshield area that is wiped by a windshield wiper.  
   
   
       22 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 17  comprising an exterior light control signal comprising a variable rate of change.  
   
   
       23 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 17  comprising a variable exterior light control signal threshold.  
   
   
       24 . An automatic exterior light control as in  claim 17  wherein at least one image acquired from said image array sensor covers a glare area including points at which drivers of oncoming and leading vehicles would perceive the headlamps to cause excessive glare, said image is processed to determine if at least one oncoming or leading vehicle is within a glare area and if at least one vehicle is within the glare area, the headlamp illumination range is reduced.