US 6,097,023 · Granted 2000-08-01
The Camera That Turns Your Headlights On and Off
Instead of you manually flicking headlights on and off, this patent describes a camera mounted on your car that watches the road ahead and automatically detects oncoming cars and street lights. When it spots another vehicle's headlights or sees darkness, it tells your car's headlights to turn on or dim—essentially giving your car eyes that make smart lighting decisions.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a system that uses an imaging sensor mounted forward on a vehicle to detect light sources in different zones ahead of the car, 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, identifying specific light sources like oncoming headlights or taillights by analyzing their brightness patterns and color signatures, and triggering the vehicle's headlight system in response to those detections.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early application of machine vision and automation to vehicle safety. Rather than relying on driver awareness or simple light sensors, it introduced the idea of a 'smart' headlight system that could differentiate between types of light sources and respond intelligently. This technology laid groundwork for modern adaptive headlight systems found in premium vehicles today, where cameras and sensors allow cars to automatically adjust beam patterns and brightness based on road and traffic conditions.
Real-world use
When you're driving on a dark highway and an oncoming car approaches, a camera-based headlight system like this one automatically detects those distant headlights and dims your beams to avoid blinding the other driver.
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 6,097,023
- Filing date
- 1998-08-17
- Grant date
- 2000-08-01
- Assignee
- Donnelly Corporation
- Inventor(s)
- SCHOFIELD; KENNETH, LARSON; MARK L., VADAS; KEITH J.
- CPC class
- B60R21/01538
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