• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The invention makes it possible to control a plurality of light modules able to emit a segmented light beam by a common control processor having a single video output interface, while maintaining the possibility of projecting different contours at each light module. This reduces the number of necessary connections between a control unit and a plurality of light modules, which reduces the complexity of the system, and reduces the cost of production.
    公开号:FR3075921A1
    申请号:FR1763129
    申请日:2017-12-22
    公开日:2019-06-28
    发明作者:Hafid El Idrissi；Frantz PELISSIER
    申请人:Valeo Vision SA；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    The invention relates to lighting assemblies for motor vehicles, in particular to such assemblies comprising light sources capable of emitting segmented light beams, e.g., matrix or pixelated.
    In the automotive field, the use of matrix or pixelated lighting devices is increasingly recommended. In what follows the term “segmented” will be applied to such lighting devices. Such devices are capable of projecting a light beam having a predetermined imprint and contour by a digital image supplied by a control module such as an image or video image processor. These are, for example, liquid crystal display devices in which each pixel emitting a light flux can be controlled independently. Other segmented lighting devices include monolithic matrix sources with light emitting semiconductor elements. In such sources, semiconductor elements of the light-emitting diode, LED type, are produced on a common substrate and arranged in the form of a matrix. Each of the LEDs in the matrix can be controlled independently. Another alternative is that of DMD devices (“Digital Micromirror Device”). In a DMD, a light source illuminates a matrix of micro-mirrors. The position of each micro-mirror is controlled independently of the other micro-mirrors of the matrix by a mechanical precision device. The relative position of a micro-mirror relative to the light source determines whether the light incident on the mirror is reflected towards the output of the device where the light beam is formed, or not. In this way a segmented beam is produced. Yet another variant is given by laser scanning devices, as described by way of example in patent document EP2690352.
    It is known to order light modules capable of emitting segmented light beams using digital images. Each pixel or group of pixels in the digital image determines the state of a pixel / segment of the lighting device. Using known solutions, it is necessary to provide a processor capable of generating a digital control image for each light module of a motor vehicle, if the latter is equipped with several light modules with segmented beams. This generates on the one hand a large number of connections between the control processors and the light modules, and on the other hand the installation of a large number of control processors, which are relatively bulky and expensive taking into account the limited space available in a motor vehicle. The invention aims to overcome at least one of the problems posed by the prior art. More specifically, the invention aims to provide a lighting assembly which several light modules capable of emitting a segmented light beam are controlled by a single control processor, while maintaining the possibility of projecting different contours at each light module.
    According to a first aspect of the invention, a lighting assembly for a motor vehicle is proposed. The assembly includes a plurality of light modules, each light module being capable of emitting a segmented light beam. The lighting assembly is remarkable in that it comprises at least one control unit common to several light modules, the control unit being adapted to transmit the same digital control image comprising a plurality of digital image channels. by means of a communication channel to each of said modules. The lighting assembly is also remarkable in that each light module is adapted to project a segmented light beam determined by a subset of the channels of the received digital control image.
    Preferably, the lighting assembly can comprise a single control unit, common to each of the plurality of light modules. Preferably, the control unit can have a single video output interface to serve the light modules.
    Each light module can preferably be adapted to project a segmented light beam determined by one of the channels of the digital control image.
    Preferably, at least one of the light modules can be adapted to project a segmented light beam determined by the combination of at least two of the channels of the digital control image. The control unit may preferably include a plurality of data outputs, each of the data outputs being configured for sending the digital control image to one of the light modules.
    Preferably, the control unit can comprise a data output, configured for sending the digital control image to a first of the lumienux modules, said first module being configured to repeat the digital control image received at at least one other light module in the assembly.
    The light modules can preferably be connected in chain or in series, so that each module of the assembly, apart from the first, is configured to receive the digital control image from the unit of the light module. preceding it in the chain.
    Preferably, the light modules may be capable of projecting a segmented beam having a resolution of 800, preferably 1000 segments. The control unit can preferably be configured to transmit a sequence of digital control images to the light modules.
    Preferably, the digital control images transmitted by the control unit can be followed at a frequency between 30 Hz and 100 Hz, preferably between 50 Hz and 100 Hz and even more preferably at a frequency of 60 Hz. digital control may preferably comprise three image channels, in particular red, green and blue, and the module may comprise three light modules, each of which is configured so as to project a segmented image conforming to one of said three channels.
    Preferably, each light module can comprise a micro-mirror device, DMD, or a monolithic matrix source with electroluminescent semiconductor elements, or a liquid crystal screen, or a laser scanning projection device.
    Preferably, the light modules of the lighting assembly can be distributed over external light devices, such as spotlights or lights, different from a motor vehicle, for example right and left and / or front and rear.
    Alternatively, a plurality of light modules of the lighting assembly can be incorporated into the same light device of a motor vehicle.
    According to another aspect of the invention, a method of controlling light modules in a lighting assembly for a motor vehicle is proposed. Each light module is capable of emitting a segmented light beam. The method is remarkable in that it comprises the following steps: i) at the level of a control module, generating a digital control image comprising a plurality of digital image channels, the information contained in each image channel defining the contours of a segmented light beam to be emitted by one of the light modules; ii) transmission, via a communication channel, of the digital control image to each of said light modules.
    Preferably, the method may further comprise the following step: iii) at each of the light modules, projecting a segmented light beam determined by a subset of the channels of the received digital control image.
    Using the measures proposed by the embodiments of the present invention, it becomes possible to control several light modules capable of emitting a pixelated or segmented light beam by a common control processor having a single video output interface, while maintaining the possibility of projecting different contours at each light module. This reduces the number of connections required between a control unit and a plurality of projection units, which reduces the complexity of the system, and reduces the production cost. Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be better understood with the aid of the description of the examples and of the drawings among which: FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically a light module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows schematically a light module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 shows schematically a light module according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
    Unless specifically indicated to the contrary, technical characteristics described in detail for a given embodiment may be combined with the technical characteristics described in the context of other embodiments described by way of examples and without limitation. Similar reference numbers will be used to describe similar concepts through different embodiments of the invention. For example, the references 100, 200 and 300 denote three embodiments of a lighting assembly according to the invention.
    The description focuses on the technical aspects which distinguish the embodiments of a lighting assembly according to the invention compared to known solutions. Other technical elements necessary for the operation of a lighting assembly, but which are well known to those skilled in the art, are not explained in detail for the sake of presenting the invention in a clear and concise manner. These are, for example, power supply modules for supplying the light modules, and the control units with electric current, or optical modules comprising optical lenses, or even heat dissipation elements and mechanical supports. Likewise, the operation of segmented light beam light modules such as DMD, matrix LED sources, laser scanning sources or liquid crystal displays will not be detailed and is known in the art. The illustration in FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a lighting assembly 100. A control unit 150, comprising for example a graphics processor capable of generating a digital control image 160, is operatively connected by means of a data transmission channel, such as a video data bus, to a plurality of light modules, two modules 110 and 120 of which are illustrated. The light modules are part of a headlight of a motor vehicle. In an alternative embodiment, the two light modules each form part of another headlight of a motor vehicle, for example of the right headlight respectively left front. The digital image includes several image channels. These are, for example, red, green and blue channels.
    In general, it is known to record different components of a digital image in dedicated image channels, the composition of which gives the complete image. By way of example, the red component of each pixel is recorded in a matrix which represents the red channel, and so on. The combination of channels gives the red, green and blue components of each pixel in the digital image.
    In the context of the present invention, the digital control image 160 generated by the control unit 150 comprises a plurality of channels, each channel representing a matrix of pixels or segments. The content of each segment matrix is for example prerecorded in a memory element to which the control unit has read access. For example, the memory element can contain a plurality of possible contents, depending on the light function which is to be performed by the light modules. When the control unit receives an instruction to perform a given light function, for example from a central control unit of the motor vehicle, the corresponding content is loaded from the memory element to generate the image channels of control 160. The information of the first channel 1 includes the control information for the first light module 110, while the information of the channel N includes the control information for the light module of index N, 120. In other words, the digital image 160 of dimensions X times Y pixels or segments comprises N sub-images of identical dimensions determined by each of its channels. Each light module 110, 120 is configured so as to project a segmented light beam of dimensions X times Y pixels, corresponding to one of the image channels received, ignoring the other channels of the digital control image. Each light module can be located in another light projection device (headlight) of the motor vehicle. By way of example, if the light module 110 is a DMD type device, following reception of the digital control image, the micro-mirrors are positioned by the light module 110, which in a known manner comprises its own module for controlling the position of the micromirrors. The positioning of the micro-mirrors is carried out so that the contour determined by the first image channel of the digital control image 160 is projected by the light beam reflected by the matrix of micro-mirrors. The illustration of FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the lighting assembly 200 according to the invention. A control unit 250 comprises a graphics processor 252 capable of generating a digital control image 260 and a data transmission unit 254. It is for example a data communication interface configured to send the raster or segmented data contained in the channels of the digital control image 260 sequentially on the data transmission channel which connects the control unit 250 to the light modules 210, 220. The data transmission unit 254 comprises two data outputs 256 and 257, connected by two data transmission channels dedicated to the transmission of the same digital control image to each of the light modules 210 and 220 respectively. The same digital control image comprising the image channels 1 and N is sent to the two light modules. The light module 210 includes a data reception unit 216 such as a data communication interface capable of reading the sequential data transmitted by the control unit, and of reconstructing the matrix or segmented information which corresponds only to the first image channel of the digital control image. The resulting image 1 is then projected by the light module 210. The light module 220 comprises a data reception unit 227 capable of reading the sequential data transmitted by the control unit, and of reconstructing the matrix information therefrom which corresponds to the image channel of index N of the digital control image. The resulting image N is then projected by the light module 220. The illustration in FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the lighting assembly 300 according to the invention. A control unit 350 includes a graphics processor 352 capable of generating a digital control image 360, and a data transmission unit 354. It is for example a data communication interface configured to transmit the contained segmented data in the channels of the digital control image 360 sequentially on the data transmission channel which connects the control unit 350 to the first light module 310. The data transmission unit 354 comprises a data output 356, connected by a data transmission channel to the first light module 310. The digital control image 360 comprising the image channels 1 and N is sent to the first light module. The first light module 310 comprises a data reception unit 316 such as a data communication interface capable of reading the sequential data transmitted by the control unit, and configured to reconstruct the matrix information which corresponds to the first channel d image of the digital command image. The resulting image 1 is then projected by the light module 310. The first light module 310 further comprises a data transmission unit 317 capable of relaying or repeating the data of the digital control image 360 intended for a second light module 320. The second light module 320 comprises a data reception unit 327 capable of reading the sequential data transmitted by the first module 310, and of reconstructing the segmented information therefrom which corresponds to the image channel of index N of the digital control image. The resulting image N is then projected by the light module 320. This chain assembly can obviously be extended to a greater plurality of light modules, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.
    In all the embodiments of the invention, a new digital control image can alternatively be sent at predetermined times. For example, the control unit 350 of FIG. 3 can be configured to transmit a stream of digital control images at a frequency of 60 Hz. The resolution of a control image is advantageously identical to the projection resolution that light modules can achieve, so that a segment of an image channel of the digital control image corresponds to a segment projected by a light module. At least one of the light modules can further be configured to form a light beam which is determined by a combination of several channels of received images with the digital control image. Alternatively, if a light module is capable of emitting light beams of different colors, the contour of each of the beams can be determined by one of the channels of the digital control image, without however departing from the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection is determined by the following claims.
    权利要求:
    Claims (12)
    [1" id="c-fr-0001]
    claims
    1. Lighting assembly (100, 200, 300) for a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising a plurality of light modules (110,120; 210,220; 310,320), each module being capable of emitting a segmented light beam, characterized in that the assembly includes at least one control unit (150, 250, 3540) common to several light modules, the control unit being adapted to transmit the same digital control image (160, 260, 360) comprising a plurality of channels digital images by means of a communication channel to each of said modules, and characterized in that each light module is adapted to project a segmented light beam determined by a subset of the channels of the received digital control image.
    [2" id="c-fr-0002]
    2. Lighting assembly according to the first claim, characterized in that the assembly comprises a single control unit, common to each of the plurality of light modules.
    [3" id="c-fr-0003]
    3. Lighting assembly according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each light module is adapted to project a segmented light beam determined by one of the channels of the digital control image.
    [4" id="c-fr-0004]
    4. Lighting assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control unit comprises a plurality of data outputs, each of the connection outputs being configured for sending the digital control image to one of the light modules.
    [5" id="c-fr-0005]
    5. Lighting assembly according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control unit comprises a data output, configured for sending the digital control image to a first of the light modules, said the first module being configured to repeat the digital control image received to at least one other light module in the assembly.
    [6" id="c-fr-0006]
    6. Lighting assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the light modules are connected in a chain, so that each module of the assembly, apart from the first, is configured so as to receive the digital image the light module preceding it in the chain.
    [7" id="c-fr-0007]
    7. Lighting assembly according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the light modules are capable of projecting a segmented light beam having a resolution of at least 800 segments.
    [8" id="c-fr-0008]
    8. Lighting assembly according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the control unit is configured to transmit a sequence of digital control images to the light modules.
    [9" id="c-fr-0009]
    9. Lighting assembly according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the digital control image comprises three image channels, in particular red, green and blue, and in that the assembly comprises three light modules , each of which is configured to project a segmented image conforming to one of said three channels.
    [10" id="c-fr-0010]
    10. Lighting assembly according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that each light module comprises a micro-mirror device, DMD, or a monolithic matrix source with electroluminescent semiconductor elements, or a liquid crystal screen, or a laser scanning projection device.
    [11" id="c-fr-0011]
    11. A method of controlling a plurality of light modules in a lighting assembly for a motor vehicle, each light module being capable of emitting a segmented light beam, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps: i) at the level a control module, generating a digital control image comprising a plurality of digital image channels, the information contained in each image channel defining the contours of a segmented light beam to be emitted by one of the light modules; ii) transmission, via a communication channel, of the digital control image to each of said light modules.
    [12" id="c-fr-0012]
    12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that it comprises the following step: iii) at each of the light modules, projecting a segmented light beam determined by a subset of the channels of the digital control image received.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    CN109958957A|2019-07-02|
    FR3075921B1|2019-11-29|
    US10878735B2|2020-12-29|
    EP3501895A1|2019-06-26|
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    法律状态:
    2018-12-31| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 2 |
    2019-06-28| PLSC| Publication of the preliminary search report|Effective date: 20190628 |
    2019-12-31| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 3 |
    2020-12-31| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 4 |
    2021-12-31| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 5 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    FR1763129|2017-12-22|
    FR1763129A|FR3075921B1|2017-12-22|2017-12-22|SEGMENTING LIGHTING ASSEMBLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE|FR1763129A| FR3075921B1|2017-12-22|2017-12-22|SEGMENTING LIGHTING ASSEMBLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE|
    EP18214376.8A| EP3501895A1|2017-12-22|2018-12-20|Segmented lighting device for a motor vehicle|
    US16/229,705| US10878735B2|2017-12-22|2018-12-21|Segmented lighting assembly for a motor vehicle|
    CN201811579307.6A| CN109958957A|2017-12-22|2018-12-21|Segmented illumination component for motor vehicles|
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