Patent ID: 7755294

Claim:
A method of manually overriding automatic activation of an automatic headlight control system for a motor vehicle having headlamps operable in a high beam state and a low beam state, a high/low beam switch for controlling the state of the headlamps and a headlamp on/off switch comprising a multi-position switch with at least a selectable automatic headlamp position, the system including a forward-facing sensor for collecting light emanating from a light source in front of the vehicle, an ambient light sensor for collecting ambient light and a controller for controlling, when the headlamp switch is detected as being in the automatic headlamp position, the headlamp state as a function of the sensed intensity of the beam of light source, the high/low beam switch being movable in one direction from a neutral low beam position to a latched high beam position and in another direction from the neutral position to anon-latched high flash position; the method comprising: monitoring the states of the headlamps when the headlamp on/off switch is in its automatic position; causing the controller to change from the automatic mode to an override mode if the high beam state is detected and the high/low beam switch is detected as moved from the neutral position to the non-latched position whereupon the controller changes the headlamps to the low state when the high/low beam switch is subsequently released to the neutral position; causing the controller to temporarily change from the automatic mode to the override mode if the low beam state is detected and the high/low beam switch is detected as moved from the neutral position to the non-latched position whereupon the controller changes the headlamps to the high state temporarily while the high/low beam switch is in the non-latched position and thereafter changes the headlamps back to the low state when the high/low beam switch is subsequently released to the neutral position, the controller changing back from the override mode to the automatic mode with the changing of the headlamps back to the low state.