US 5,796,094 · Granted 1998-08-18

The Camera That Makes Your Headlights Smart

Imagine a tiny camera mounted on your windshield that watches the road ahead and automatically adjusts your headlights based on what it sees. If it spots oncoming headlights or the taillights of a car ahead, it can dim your lights or switch them on—all without you touching anything.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a system that uses an imaging sensor to detect light sources in specific zones ahead of a vehicle, then automatically controls the vehicle's headlights based on what it sees. What's protected here is the combination of sensing light in separate regions of the forward field of view, analyzing those light patterns (including their color signatures), and using that analysis to trigger automatic headlight adjustments—like switching between high and low beams or turning lights on and off.

Why it matters

This patent represents an early approach to adaptive headlight control, a feature that improves nighttime safety by reducing glare to oncoming drivers while keeping the road ahead well-lit. Rather than relying on manual switches or simple light-level sensors, this system uses imaging to understand context—distinguishing between a car ahead and general darkness. This kind of intelligent automotive sensing became foundational for modern driver-assistance and autonomous vehicle systems.

Real-world use

When you're driving at night and a car approaches from the opposite direction, an adaptive headlight system based on this patent would automatically dip your high beams to avoid blinding the other driver, then restore them once the car passes.

Original USPTO abstract

A vehicle headlamp control method and apparatus includes providing an imaging sensor that senses light in spatially separated regions of a field of view forward of the vehicle. Light levels sensed in individual regions of the field of view are evaluated in order to identify light sources of interest, such as oncoming headlights and leading taillights. The vehicle's headlights are controlled in response to identifying such particular light sources or absence of such light sources. Spectral signatures of light sources may be examined in order to determine if the spectral signature matches that of particular light sources such as the spectral signatures of headlights or taillights. Sensed light levels may also be evaluated for their spatial distribution in order to identify light sources of interest.

Patent details

Publication number: US 5,796,094
Filing date: 1996-03-25
Grant date: 1998-08-18
Assignee: Donnelly Corporation
Inventor(s): SCHOFIELD; KENNETH, LARSON; MARK L., VADAS; KEITH J.
CPC class: B60R21/01538

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