PATENT WRITING 1

NAME OF THE PRODUCT

Self-adaptive headlight regulator

STATEMENT OF INVENTION
The present invention belongs to the field of non-portable lighting devices or systems, in
particular, it relates to a vehicle headlight for lighting adjustments during night time.

ABSTRACT
Automotive lighting devices are important safety parts for automobiles. Common vehicles
headlamp has fixed structure. Its lamp illumination angle and the shape of light are fixed.
This will cause visibility problems when the vehicle is cornering. The driver cant see the
road conditions ahead; thus affecting traffic safety. An adaptive regulator for the headlight of
car is composed of a central control unit with MCU chip, a drive executing unit with step
motor, a LIN bus transceiver between central control unit and drive executing unit, and a
position feedback module between MCU chip and step motor. A method for setting up the
initial position of headlight and an algorithm for the lighting on curved road are also
disclosed. The present invention belongs to the field of non-portable lighting devices or
systems, in particular, it relates to a vehicle headlamp for lighting adjustments during night
time.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
There are technical solutions which work as per the cornering of the vehicle, but not
according to the driving condition of the vehicle (for example, high-speed cruise, the
emergency brake, start, etc.), road conditions (such as highways, urban roads, rural roads,
etc.) and weather conditions (e.g. rain, snow, etc.) to timely and automatically adjust light
headlamp shape, making it possible to achieve the optimal performance of the respective light
situations.

With modern automotive technology development and improvement of people's car active
safety requirements, vehicle headlamp adaptive lighting system (Adaptive Front-lighting
System, referred to as the AFS) is gradually applied.

At present, a number of newly-listed, high-end models have been equipped with imported
AFS system, which mainly provides a headlamp dimming levels automatically adjust
automatic adjustment and cornering light functions.

This includes automatically adjusting the headlight illumination height and the curve
autoregulation AFS system, which represents the information 101 automobiles traveling
condition detected by the sensor 104,106,107,108 and fed to the ECU (Electric control unit)
105; wherein the sensor comprises: means for detecting steering angle of the steering wheel

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 PATENT WRITING 2

angle sensor 106, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed 108, the respective
front and rear axles for detecting the vehicle height of the front axle height sensor 104 and
rear height sensors 107, which are connected to the sensors ECU105; ECU105 basis of the
output signals from the sensors, for controlling the headlights 102 and 103 changes the
irradiation direction, so that it can rotate a certain angle in the left direction and height; front
lit lamps 102 and 103 are equipped with a stepper motor and a corresponding connection
means in the power drive, stepper motor driven rotary coupling means, so as to drive
headlight rotation.

By this AFS system, the car load changes due to acceleration and deceleration, as well as
changes in road surface gradient can be kept illuminated with the headlight height remaining
unchanged. On the other hand, when the car traveling on a curved road, to be turning radius
and walking speed car, you can put in front of the curve as lighting, can improve driving
safety.

However, existing systems typically use AFS CAN bus (Controller Area Network, a serial
data transmission system) for data transmission connections AFS system, the electronic
control unit which higher requirements chip, circuit topology complexity, high manufacturing
cost , poor scalability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Technical problem to be solved by the present invention is providing an automatically
adjusted headlight regulator, according to road conditions and different state of motion of the
vehicle in which the shape and distribution of the irradiation light changes, to achieve the best
lighting state and improve traffic safety, but also has a simple circuit structure, high
integration, low manufacturing cost, scalability good car headlight adaptive devices.

Aspect of the present invention are: to provide an adaptive vehicle headlamp apparatus
includes a driving unit executed by the driver chips, a stepping motor of the main MCU chip
containing a central control unit and that the central control unit with the acquisition sensor
connection, wherein: between the central control unit and the driver execution unit, set the
LIN bus transceiver; stepper motor drive execution unit and a central control unit between the
main MCU chip is provided with a position feedback module; and a central control unit drive
execution unit is connected via the LIN bus.

Between further, the central control unit in the main chip MCU I / O port terminal I / O ports
and drive execution unit driver chip set LIN bus transceiver.

Specifically, the central control unit by collecting signals from the sensors to determine
whether it should be the level of the headlamp dimming curve automatically adjust the
lighting, it takes about two further calculate the light in the vertical and lateral direction each

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 PATENT WRITING 3

should be adjusted the angular size, motion converting each pair of stepper motor control
parameters sent to the LIN bus; driving execution unit by obtaining a stepper motor
movement corresponding to the state from the LIN bus control parameters to control the
operation of the stepping motor corresponding to complete dimming process.

Which the actual rotational position of the stepping motor by the position feedback module
back to the central control unit, the central control unit based on the calculated rotation of the
stepping motor to be rotated to the position of the actual position and the difference between
the detected and adjusted correction command issued.

The present invention also provides a method of setting the initial position of the optical axis
of the headlight of the above means, for every time you re-start the car, the level of lighting
dimming curve resets the stepper motor, characterized in that: (1) after the power system,
four stepper motor for horizontal lighting dimming curve simultaneous operation in which
two level dimming while rotating the stepping motor to the lowest limit position light,
cornering light two stepper motors rotate simultaneously to limit the light closest to the
middle position; (2) the central control unit to the current signal acquisition front and rear
axle height sensor, the current time is calculated two level dimming stepper motor should be
rotated to a position, the position data transmission via the LIN bus ; (3) by driving the
execution unit two level dimming position corresponding to the rotation of the stepping
motor, complete horizontal axis dimming initial position setting.

Further, the stepping motor is determined by the position of the limit switch or the limit set
by the driver execution unit.

The present invention also provides a dimming algorithm when cornering light of the above
device is used for cars with the process, real-time adjustment headlights illuminated two
directions in the lateral direction, characterized in that: (1) use a steering wheel angle sensor
measures the present time the steering wheel angle [delta], while the use of the vehicle speed
sensor measures the current time vehicle speed V; (2) the two into the formula & alpha to the
two headlights come time to their needs in the lateral direction of the rotation angle , where
K is a vehicle stability factor, L is the wheelbase car, n is the steering wheel angle and the
front corner of the car scale factor; (3) the resulting conversion curve illumination should
be adjusted stepping motor reaches a position; (4) transmits the position signal to the
execution unit via the LIN bus driver; (5) by the drive unit about two execution cornering
light the stepping motor is rotated to the corresponding position, complete real-time curve
lighting.

Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: an invention is a
single-chip integrated control system based on a simple circuit structure, high integration, low
manufacturing cost; using the LIN bus as the central control unit and drive.

RAMESH KUMAR CHANDAK | 712ME4091

 PATENT WRITING 4

DRAWING

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

101: Road condition detecting sensor

102: Right side headlight

103: Left side headlight

104: Front axle height detecting sensor

105: Electronic control unit (ECU)

106: Steering wheel angle detecting sensor

107: Real axle height detecting sensor

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 PATENT WRITING 5

108: Vehicle speed detecting sensor

CLAIMS
1. An adaptive vehicle headlamp apparatus includes a main MCU chip comprising a
central control unit and the execution unit driven by the driving chip, a stepping
motor, the central control unit connected to each acquisition sensor, characterized in
that: between the central control unit and the driver execution unit, set the LIN bus
transceiver; stepper motor drive execution unit and a central control unit between the
main MCU chip is provided with a position feedback module; and a central control
unit via the LIN bus driver execution unit connection.

2. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive adjustment means,
wherein between the I / O port at the end of the central control unit of the main chip
MCU I / O port and drive execution unit driver chip set LIN bus transceiver.

3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive adjustment device,
wherein the central control unit through the acquisition of signals from the sensors to
determine whether it should be the level of the headlamp lighting automatically
dimming curve regulation, further need to calculate the angular size of about two
lamps in the vertical and lateral direction each should be adjusted, the motion state
transitions of each pair of stepper motor control parameters sent to the LIN bus;
driving execution unit by obtaining from the LIN bus corresponding to the state of
motion of the stepper motor control parameters to control the operation of the
stepping motor corresponding to complete the dimming process.

4. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the adaptive adjustment device,

wherein the actual rotational position of the stepping motor by the position feedback
module back to the central control unit, the central control unit stepping calculated
according to the motor should be rotated to a position of the detected actual rotational
position of the poor, a modulating correction command.

5. A vehicle headlamp as claimed in claim 1 adaptive headlight optical axis adjustment

method of setting the initial position of the device, characterized in that: (1) After the
power system for horizontal lighting dimming curve the four stepping motors operate
simultaneously, wherein the two level dimming while rotating the stepping motor to
the lowest limit position lights, two cornering light while rotating the stepping motor
to the light close to the middle of the extreme positions; (2) central control current
signal acquisition unit to the front and rear axle height sensor, the current time is
calculated two level dimming stepper motor should be rotated to a position, the
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 PATENT WRITING 6

position data transmission via the LIN bus; (3) by driving the execution unit two level
dimming step stepping motor is rotated to the position corresponding to complete the
level dimming axis initial position setting.

6. The method of setting the initial position of the optical axis of the headlight according
to claim 5, characterized in that the initial position of the stepping motor adjustment
command issued by the system initialization phase the central control unit.

7. The method of setting the initial position of the optical axis of the headlight according
to claim 5, characterized in that said stepping motor or the position determination of
the limit set by the execution unit driven by the limit switch.

8. A vehicle headlamp as claimed in claim 1 curve adaptive algorithm automatically

adjust the lighting device, characterized in that: (1) using a steering wheel angle
sensor to measure the steering wheel angle delta the present time, while the use of the
vehicle speed sensor current time vehicle speed V; (2) the two into the formula &
alpha (3) converting the resulting [alpha] cornering light should be adjusted stepping
motor reaches a position; (4) LIN bus transmits the signal to the driving position
execution unit; (5) by driving about two execution units will bend lighting stepper
motor rotates to the appropriate location, complete real-time curve lighting.

9. A bend according to claim 8 wherein the automatic lighting adjustment algorithm,

wherein said angle position signal, the number of rotation pulses, the phase of the
signal voltage or current value.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Given figure is about the control system with headlights which automatically adjusts the
height and the curve of the AFS system.

The central control unit through the acquisition of signals from the sensors to determine
whether it should be the level of the headlamp dimming curve automatically adjust the
lighting to further calculate the angular size of the lamp takes about two in the vertical and
lateral direction of each adjustment should be converted into motion control parameters on
the status of each stepper motor, sent to the LIN bus; driving execution unit by acquiring
stepper motor motion control parameters corresponding to the state, the corresponding
stepper motor control operation, complete dimming process from the LIN bus.

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 PATENT WRITING 7

Headlamp cornering light about two stepper motors, with position feedback module and a
feedback signal which is directly connected to the main MCU, the actual rotational position
of the stepping motor by the position feedback module back to the central control unit the
central control unit based on the calculated stepping motor should be rotated to a position
with the detected actual rotational position of the poor, the adjuster correcting issued
instructions to implement closed-loop control curve lighting.

LIN (Local Interconnect Network) is a low-cost serial communication network, automotive

electronic systems, LIN bus is a secondary bus network. LIN communication is based on the
SCI (UART) data format, using a single-master / multi-slave mode device, use only a 12V
signal bus, and a non-fixed time reference node synchronization clock.

The main characteristics of the LIN bus structure of the system: (1) low cost, based on
common UART interface, almost all microcontrollers have the necessary hardware LIN; (2)
the signal line can be realized with minimal international standards of ISO9141 regulations;
maximum transfer rate up to 20Kbit / s; (3) a single master / multi-slave mode, without
arbitration mechanisms; (4) from the nodes without a crystal or ceramic oscillator can
achieve self-synchronization, saving the hardware cost of the equipment; assurance the delay
time of signal transmission; (5) no need to change the hardware and software from LIN nodes
can add nodes on the network.

Therefore, in the case does not require the bandwidth and versatility of CAN bus, LIN bus
use can greatly reduce costs; at the same time, the use of LIN bus structure in the form of
help automotive electronic system design, manufacture, simplicity of structure, but also
contribute to after the factory vehicle electronic system maintenance, repair and
troubleshooting.

LIN bus transceiver can be used Philips 51LPC76x family of microcontrollers, LIN master /
slave interface LIN protocol controller and the physical bus can be used TJA1020 or have the
same / similar function circuit chip.

Since the LIN bus is a prior art, the major IC manufacturers have relevant information and
standard peripheral chip matching circuit diagrams are available for inspection, so the LIN
bus transceiver with the main MCU and LIN bus transceiver with the drive unit of execution
specific connecting lines and communications, work in this room will not be described.

Since the present invention employs LIN bus as the central data transmission medium
between the drive unit and the execution unit control, simple circuit structure, high
integration, low manufacturing cost, system scalability, the combined effect of all after the
implementation is better than using CAN bus circuit control system architecture.

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 PATENT WRITING 8

Axis oriented device initialization Setting Flow for cars at every restart, the level of lighting
dimming curve stepper motor reset. Specifically, the initial position of the stepping motors to
adjust the phase of the initialization command issued by the system central control unit.

After testing, the dimming level of the present embodiment is less than 0.035 steady-state
error, dynamic response time less than 420 milliseconds, the dynamic adjustment time is less
than 1.2 seconds; cornering light response time less than 100 ms, the adjustment time is less
than 264 milliseconds. Aspect of the present invention is not limited to the examples given
above (or examples), these cases (or examples) only contribute to the understanding of the
invention, and should not be construed as a limitation on the aspect of the present invention.

One of ordinary skill in the art, after understanding and mastering the ideas and points of the
present invention without inventive labour, can reproduce technical solutions and technical
effects of the present invention. Lighting of the present invention can be widely used in
automotive headlight adjustment control.

REFERENCES

CITED PRIORITY PUBLICATION ASSIGNEE TITLE

PATENT DATE DATE

CN101365277B 2008-09-22 2012-01-04 Adaptive front

lighting lamp

system and
monitoring
processing method
for failure thereof
CN101365276B 2008-09-22 2012-01-04 Adaptive front lamp
set control system
based on network
technique and
controlling method
thereof
CN101722890B 2008-10-21 2012-05-09 Head light and
method for

controlling
deflection of
illumination
direction thereof

RAMESH KUMAR CHANDAK | 712ME4091