Patent Description:
Dynamic Bending Lights are increasingly present in current automotive lighting devices, becoming an upgrade to standard headlights and designed to make driving at night easier and safer.

To implement such a lighting functionality, there have been many solutions intended to provide a light pattern in the direction of the movement of the vehicle when it is entering a curve. Such methods are known from <CIT>, <CIT> or <CIT>.

Mechanic-based solutions turn the lighting source as the steering wheel does, by means of an angular movement converter which directly uses the turning of the steering wheel to induce a turning in the lighting source. The lights will turn in whatever direction the wheel does, and this range of motion allows the lights to illuminate the road even when taking sharp turns or turning quickly.

This solution has received a huge number of improvements, so that the turning of the light source is more effective and also takes into account different driving circumstances.

An alternative solution for this problem is sought.

The invention provides an alternative solution for this problem by a method for controlling a light pattern provided by an automotive lighting device of an automotive vehicle according to claim <NUM>.

This method provides a controlled light pattern which includes a Dynamic Bending Light functionality, provided by the same lighting device that provides, for example, the low beam and/or the high beam functionalities, without moving parts and also being able to adapt to other driving circumstances, such as the driving speed or the presence of cars in the opposite direction.

The method considers that the lighting device is able to project a matrix arrangement of light pixels, forming a light pattern, which can be done in many different ways, as the skilled person will know. The method is not restricted to any of them.

When the bending light command is received, the light pattern is divided into portions. At least two portions, the first one and the second one, are identified. Each of these two portions have columns which are located in the edge of the portion, so they are adjacent to the following portion. These columns are called boundary columns.

The method comprises the shifting of the boundary columns, thus involving a change in the width of the portions. This shifting movement leads to a "compression" or "expansion" of the columns of pixels which are inside the corresponding portion.

The shifting in the operation should be understood as displacing the column to the right or to the left, depending on the receiving bending light command: if the original pattern in one row is, e.g., <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>, and this row is divided into two portions <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>, after a <NUM> column shift to the left, the width of the first portion will be reduced, thus leading to <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>, and the width of the second portion will be enlarged, thus leading to <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>. The luminous intensity values of the remaining pixels will be duly interpolated.

These particular embodiments comprise a particular example of such an interpolation, which may be clarified with a more complex example. If a light pattern is provided <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>, and is divided into two portions <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM> and <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>, the first portion will have a boundary value of <NUM> (the value of the boundary pixel) and an end value of <NUM> (the value of the end pixel, which is opposite to the boundary pixel) and the second portion will have a boundary value of <NUM> (the value of the boundary pixel) and an end value of <NUM> (the value of the end pixel, which is opposite to the boundary pixel).

If the shifting step comprises, e.g., <NUM> pixels to the right, the result in the first portion will be <NUM>-x-x-x-x-x-<NUM> (since the end value and the boundary value preserves its luminous intensity value, but now the portion includes two more pixels) and the result in the second portion will be <NUM>-x-x-x-<NUM> (since the end value and the boundary value preserves its luminous intensity value, but now the portion includes two less pixels).

In some particular embodiments, the interpolation of the new values is made by a bilinear method or a nearest neighbour method.

The bilinear method considers a first set of values with a first width and a final width, where this set of values should be converted to. The first width is defined by a first number of pixels (N1) and the final width is defined by a final number of pixels (N2), which can be higher or lower than the first number of pixels. A virtual abscissa segment [<NUM>, <NUM>] is divided into N1-<NUM> intervals, according to the first number of pixels. The ordinate values for the abscissa values are the values of the first set of values. Since they are discrete values, linear interpolations between vertices are provided. Then the same virtual interval is divided into N2-<NUM> intervals, thus providing different abscissa values, but all of them also contained between <NUM> and <NUM>. Since the first set of values defined a continuous function (due to the linear interpolation between vertices), the final abscissa values will find a correspondent value in the continuous function. These values will be the values of the final set of data. For example, the first set of values is (<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>), so the first width is <NUM>, since there are <NUM> values. The final width is <NUM>. The virtual segment [<NUM>, <NUM>] is divided into N1-<NUM>=<NUM> intervals with values <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. A function is defined by the vertices defined by the following pairs abscissa-ordinate: (<NUM>, <NUM>), (<NUM>, <NUM>), (<NUM>, <NUM>), (<NUM>, <NUM>), (<NUM>, <NUM>). Linear interpolations are established between vertices. Now, for the final set of values, the interval is divided into N2-<NUM>=<NUM> intervals with values <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. The function values for these abscissa values are located, which will be (<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>), so these will be the values of the final set of data.

The method of nearest neighbour considers a first width and a final width and it finds the ratio between first width and final width. Then a normalizing set of values are obtained by dividing the numbers of the final width by the calculated ratio. Finally, for each normalized value of the normalized set of values, the least integer greater or equal value (e.g. ceil function) is calculated, thus obtaining a set of index values. These are the index values in the first vector leading to interpolation. For example: if the first vector is [<NUM><NUM><NUM>], and should be interpolated into a vector of width of <NUM>. The ratio is <NUM>/<NUM> = <NUM>. The normalized set of values will be (<NUM>/<NUM>, <NUM>/<NUM>, <NUM>/<NUM>, <NUM>/<NUM>, <NUM>/<NUM>, <NUM>/<NUM> = <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> ). Performing ceil function, we obtain the index set of values ceil[( <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> )] = <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. The interpolated vector is then represented by [first_vector(<NUM>) first_vector(<NUM>) first_vector(<NUM>) first_vector(<NUM>) first_vector(<NUM>) first_vector(<NUM>) ] which would be [<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>].

According to the invention, the bending light command comprises a number of positions to shift and a shifting direction, and then the step of shifting the position of the boundary columns is carried out using this number of positions to shift in the shifting direction.

The matrix of solid-state light sources may have many different angular resolutions. Depending on the number and arrangement of these light sources, resolution may vary from <NUM>° per light source up to <NUM>° per light source. Hence, the angular position of the steering wheel may be translated in a different number of columns of the light array, depending on the density of these light sources in the array arrangement.

In some particular embodiments, the light pattern is divided into two portions and the division is performed so half of the light columns belong to the first portion and the other half to the second portion.

This is particularly advantageous in symmetric light patterns, where the two portions are symmetric with respect to the boundary columns.

In other particular embodiments, the light pattern is divided into at least the first portion, the second portion and a central portion, wherein.

In some cases, a central portion must be preserved without compression or expansion, due to light requirements (intensity or shape of the cut-off portion). This central portion is located between the first and the second portions, so it will have a first boundary column adjacent to the first portion and a second boundary column adjacent to the second portion. Contrary to the other ones, the shifting step does not affect to the width of the central portion, the intensity values are only shifted, but do not vary.

In some particular embodiments, the light pattern is a low beam pattern comprising a kink zone and the central portion contains the kink zone.

The cut-off or kink is a diagonal line of the low beam pattern, and its shape is important in automotive regulations. The fact that this kink belongs to the central portion means that this kink is being shifted when the vehicle turns. This is advantageous since the shifted pattern must also comply with the regulations.

In some particular embodiments, the light pattern is a high beam pattern comprising a maximum luminous intensity pixel and the central portion contains the maximum luminous intensity pixel.

The maximum intensity zone is also an advantageous zone to be protected in the central zone.

In some particular embodiments, the width of the central portion is chosen so that the first portion and the right portion have the same luminous flux.

The width of the central portion may be chosen, parting from a particular zone to be protected, it may extend more to the left or to the right to compensate the flux difference between the first and second portions. This means that the final flux will remain constant after the shifting step.

In a further inventive aspect, the invention provides an automotive lighting device comprising.

This automotive lighting device is configured to provide a Dynamic Bending Light functionality without moving parts, and using elements which are already available, but with a new configuration.

The term "solid state" refers to light emitted by solid-state electroluminescence, which uses semiconductors to convert electricity into light. Compared to incandescent lighting, solid state lighting creates visible light with reduced heat generation and less energy dissipation. The typically small mass of a solid-state electronic lighting device provides for greater resistance to shock and vibration compared to brittle glass tubes/bulbs and long, thin filament wires. They also eliminate filament evaporation, potentially increasing the life span of the illumination device. Some examples of these types of lighting comprise semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), or polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED) as sources of illumination rather than electrical filaments, plasma or gas.

In some particular embodiments, the matrix arrangement comprises at least <NUM> solid-state light sources.

This invention can be useful for many types of lighting matrix/array-based technology, from the simplest one, with only a few thousands light sources, to more advanced ones, with several hundred thousand light sources.

Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate:.

Accordingly, while embodiment can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. There is no intent to limit to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate.

<FIG> shows a general perspective view of an automotive vehicle <NUM> comprising an automotive lighting device <NUM> according to the invention.

This automotive vehicle <NUM> comprises a steering system <NUM> and a lighting device <NUM>. The lighting device <NUM> comprises a matrix arrangement of LEDs <NUM> and a control centre <NUM> which is configured to control the operation of these groups of LEDs.

The control centre <NUM> is configured to modify the configuration of the LEDs <NUM> when the steering wheel of the vehicle is activated.

The matrix configuration is a high-resolution module, having a resolution greater than <NUM> pixels. However, no restriction is attached to the technology used for producing the projection modules.

A first example of this matrix configuration comprises a monolithic source. This monolithic source comprises a matrix of monolithic electroluminescent elements arranged in several columns by several rows. In a monolithic matrix, the electroluminescent elements can be grown from a common substrate and are electrically connected to be selectively activatable either individually or by a subset of electroluminescent elements. The substrate may be predominantly made of a semiconductor material. The substrate may comprise one or more other materials, for example non-semiconductors (metals and insulators). Thus, each electroluminescent element/group can form a light pixel and can therefore emit light when its/their material is supplied with electricity. The configuration of such a monolithic matrix allows the arrangement of selectively activatable pixels very close to each other, compared to conventional light-emitting diodes intended to be soldered to printed circuit boards. The monolithic matrix may comprise electroluminescent elements whose main dimension of height, measured perpendicularly to the common substrate, is substantially equal to one micrometre.

The monolithic matrix is coupled to the control centre so as to control the generation and/or the projection of a pixelated light beam by the matrix arrangement <NUM>. The control centre is thus able to individually control the light emission of each pixel of the matrix arrangement.

Alternatively to what has been presented above, the matrix arrangement <NUM> may comprise a main light source coupled to a matrix of mirrors. Thus, the pixelated light source is formed by the assembly of at least one main light source formed of at least one light emitting diode emitting light and an array of optoelectronic elements, for example a matrix of micro-mirrors, also known by the acronym DMD, for "Digital Micro-mirror Device", which directs the light rays from the main light source by reflection to a projection optical element. Where appropriate, an auxiliary optical element can collect the rays of at least one light source to focus and direct them to the surface of the micro-mirror array.

Each micro-mirror can pivot between two fixed positions, a first position in which the light rays are reflected towards the projection optical element, and a second position in which the light rays are reflected in a different direction from the projection optical element. The two fixed positions are oriented in the same manner for all the micro-mirrors and form, with respect to a reference plane supporting the matrix of micro-mirrors, a characteristic angle of the matrix of micro-mirrors defined in its specifications. Such an angle is generally less than <NUM>° and may be usually about <NUM>°. Thus, each micro-mirror reflecting a part of the light beams which are incident on the matrix of micro-mirrors forms an elementary emitter of the pixelated light source. The actuation and control of the change of position of the mirrors for selectively activating this elementary emitter to emit or not an elementary light beam is controlled by the control centre.

In different embodiments, the matrix arrangement may comprise a scanning laser system wherein a laser light source emits a laser beam towards a scanning element which is configured to explore the surface of a wavelength converter with the laser beam. An image of this surface is captured by the projection optical element.

The exploration of the scanning element may be performed at a speed sufficiently high so that the human eye does not perceive any displacement in the projected image.

The synchronized control of the ignition of the laser source and the scanning movement of the beam makes it possible to generate a matrix of elementary emitters that can be activated selectively at the surface of the wavelength converter element. The scanning means may be a mobile micro-mirror for scanning the surface of the wavelength converter element by reflection of the laser beam. The micro-mirrors mentioned as scanning means are for example MEMS type, for "Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems". However, the invention is not limited to such a scanning means and can use other kinds of scanning means, such as a series of mirrors arranged on a rotating element, the rotation of the element causing a scanning of the transmission surface by the laser beam.

In another variant, the light source may be complex and include both at least one segment of light elements, such as light emitting diodes, and a surface portion of a monolithic light source.

<FIG> shows an example of light pattern <NUM> projected by this lighting device. This pattern corresponds to a low beam functionality.

<FIG> shows a non-representative example of luminous intensity values for such a pattern. Since the original pattern has thousands of pixels, it will not be useful to represent all of them, but only a small representation has been chosen for the sake of clarity.

Further, although the standard use will be luminous intensity values from <NUM> to <NUM>, according to a standard grey scale, in this example only numbers from <NUM> to <NUM> will be used, to keep the example as simple as possible.

This light pattern is divided into three portions: a first portion <NUM>, a second portion <NUM> and a central portion <NUM>. The first portion has a boundary column <NUM>, which is adjacent to a first boundary column <NUM> of the central portion <NUM>, and an end column <NUM>, which is opposite to it. The second portion <NUM> has in turn a boundary column <NUM>, which is adjacent to a second boundary column <NUM> of the central portion <NUM>, and an end column <NUM>, which is opposite to it. The central portion <NUM> has the first <NUM> and second <NUM> boundary columns.

<FIG> and <FIG> show the effect of two columns to the left bending light command, according to a particular embodiment of a method according to the invention.

<FIG> shows a first sub-step: the boundary columns are shifted to the left. The central portion remains the same, but shifted, while in the first and second portions, only the boundary columns and the end columns preserve their value.

<FIG> shows the interpolation of the rest of the values of the first and second portions. This is done by rows, adapting the values to the original ones, by "expanding" or "compressing" the intensity patterns following a linear interpolation.

Choosing for example the central row, in the original pattern, this row had the values <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>. This row, according to the division, will have a first portion <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>, a second portion <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM> and a central portion <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>.

Since the bending command includes two columns to the left, the first portion will have the following pattern: <NUM>-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-<NUM>, the second portion will be <NUM>-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-<NUM> and the central portion will be <NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>-<NUM>, but shifted two positions to the left, as shown in <FIG>.

The values x of the first portion will be calculated with respect to the data provided by the original first portion: at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM> and at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>.

This provides a curve, and the values at <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>%, <NUM>% and <NUM>% will be calculated for the new width of the first portion, since this compressed first portion only contains <NUM> pixels, against the <NUM> pixels of the original first portion. Hence, the new values for this interval will be <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM>.

The same will be performed with the second portion: in the original second portion, at <NUM>% the value is <NUM>, at <NUM>% is <NUM>, at <NUM>% is <NUM>, at <NUM>% is <NUM>, at <NUM>% is <NUM>, and from <NUM>% to <NUM>%, the value is <NUM>. For the new second portion, values will be calculated at at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>%, at <NUM>% and at <NUM>%. Hence, the new values for this interval will be <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM> - <NUM>.

<FIG> shows an example of a light pattern which has undergone this shifting step. The central portion remains unchanged, but shifted to the left, while the left and right portions have been compressed and expanded.

<FIG> show a different example of a method according to the invention.

<FIG> shows a high beam light pattern, which is also divided into three portions. When receiving a bending light command to shift <NUM> pixels to the left, the central portion, which comprises the maximum intensity values, is shifted but without any width variation.

Claim 1:
Method for controlling a light pattern (<NUM>) provided by an automotive lighting device (<NUM>) of an automotive vehicle (<NUM>), wherein the light pattern (<NUM>) comprises a matrix arrangement of light pixels, each light pixel being characterized by a luminous intensity value, the method comprising the steps of
- receiving a bending light command from the automotive vehicle (<NUM>);
the method being characterized by:
- dividing the light pattern (<NUM>) in at least a first portion (<NUM>) and a second portion (<NUM>), wherein each portion (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprises at least a boundary column (<NUM>, <NUM>) which is in contact with the boundary column of an adjacent portion;
- modifying the width of the first portion (<NUM>) and the width of the second portion (<NUM>) by shifting the position of the boundary columns (<NUM>, <NUM>) and interpolating the luminous intensity values of the pixels belonging to the first and second portion (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the boundary columns (<NUM>, <NUM>) that were adjacent before the shifting remain adjacent after the shifting;
- each of the first and the second portion (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprises an end column (<NUM>, <NUM>) which is opposite to the corresponding boundary column (<NUM>, <NUM>) and is not shifted during the shifting step;
- the step of interpolating the luminous intensity values is performed by considering the luminous intensity values of the original width between the corresponding end column (<NUM>, <NUM>) and the corresponding boundary column (<NUM>, <NUM>) and interpolating new values for the new width of each portion; and
- wherein the bending light command comprises a number of positions to shift and a shifting direction, and then the step of shifting the position of the boundary columns is carried out using this number of positions to shift in the shifting direction.