Automatic headlamp control

Details Automatic headlamp control Automatic headlamp control

2006-02-28

2006-02-28

O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)

Illumination

Supported by vehicle structure

Including headlamp beam measuring or indicating

C362S465000, C362S466000, C382S104000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07004606

ABSTRACT:
An automatic headlamp control system includes an image sensor, such as an imaging array sensor, and a control. The image sensor is operable to capture an image of a scene forwardly of the vehicle and the control is operable to process the image to determine if any light sources in the captured image are indicative of headlamps of oncoming vehicles or taillights of leading vehicles. The control may adjust the state of the headlamps between a high beam state and a lower beam state in response to such processing of the captured image. The control may be operable to distinguish a reflection of the controlled vehicle's headlamps from the taillights of a leading vehicle, headlamps of an oncoming vehicle, other light sources, and/or reflections from other light sources via recognition of a signature, code or pattern superimposed on the light output of the headlamps of the controlled vehicle.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2632040 (1953-03-01), Rabinow
patent: 2827594 (1958-03-01), Rabinow
patent: 4037134 (1977-07-01), Loper
patent: 4236099 (1980-11-01), Rosenblum
patent: 4355271 (1982-10-01), Noack
patent: 4357558 (1982-11-01), Massoni et al.
patent: 4481450 (1984-11-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 4620141 (1986-10-01), McCumber et al.
patent: 4692798 (1987-09-01), Seko et al.
patent: 4727290 (1988-02-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4862037 (1989-08-01), Farber et al.
patent: 4867561 (1989-09-01), Fujii et al.
patent: 4871917 (1989-10-01), O'Farrell et al.
patent: 4891559 (1990-01-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 4917477 (1990-04-01), Bechtel et al.
patent: 4956591 (1990-09-01), Schierbeek et al.
patent: 4967319 (1990-10-01), Seko
patent: 5059877 (1991-10-01), Teder
patent: 5072154 (1991-12-01), Chen
patent: 5086253 (1992-02-01), Lawler
patent: 5124549 (1992-06-01), Michaels et al.
patent: 5182502 (1993-01-01), Slotkowski et al.
patent: 5313072 (1994-05-01), Vachss
patent: 5329206 (1994-07-01), Slotkowski et al.
patent: 5336980 (1994-08-01), Levers
patent: 5351044 (1994-09-01), Mathur et al.
patent: 5414257 (1995-05-01), Stanton
patent: 5426294 (1995-06-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5461357 (1995-10-01), Yoshioka et al.
patent: 5471515 (1995-11-01), Fossum et al.
patent: 5498866 (1996-03-01), Bendicks et al.
patent: 5535314 (1996-07-01), Alves et al.
patent: 5537003 (1996-07-01), Bechtel et al.
patent: 5550677 (1996-08-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 5650944 (1997-07-01), Kise
patent: 5661303 (1997-08-01), Teder
patent: 5670935 (1997-09-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 5760962 (1998-06-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 5796094 (1998-08-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 5837994 (1998-11-01), Stam et al.
patent: 5844682 (1998-12-01), Kiyomoto et al.
patent: 5877897 (1999-03-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 5923027 (1999-07-01), Stam et al.
patent: 5949331 (1999-09-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 5990469 (1999-11-01), Bechtel et al.
patent: 6020704 (2000-02-01), Buschur
patent: 6049171 (2000-04-01), Stam et al.
patent: 6084519 (2000-07-01), Coulling et al.
patent: 6087953 (2000-07-01), DeLine et al.
patent: 6097023 (2000-08-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 6097024 (2000-08-01), Stam et al.
patent: 6124886 (2000-09-01), DeLine et al.
patent: 6144022 (2000-11-01), Tenenbaum et al.
patent: 6172613 (2001-01-01), DeLine et al.
patent: 6222447 (2001-04-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 6313454 (2001-11-01), Bos et al.
patent: 6320176 (2001-11-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 6353392 (2002-03-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 6559435 (2003-05-01), Schofield et al.
patent: 6611610 (2003-08-01), Stam et al.
patent: 2002/0056805 (2002-05-01), Bos et al.
patent: 2946561 (1981-05-01), None
patent: 0788947 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 2641237 (1990-07-01), None
patent: WO8605147 (1986-09-01), None
Article entitled “Generation of Vision Technology,” published by VLSI Vision Limited, publication date unknown.
Article entitled “On-Chip CMOS Sensors for VLSI Imaging Systems,” published by VLSI Vision Limited, 1991.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Automatic headlamp control does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Automatic headlamp control, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automatic headlamp control will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3629229