A method and computer which activates a vehicle exterior light 150a-e, measures a luminance in a predetermined region 210a-e outside the vehicle based on data from a vehicle camera 130a-b and determines whether the vehicle exterior light is operational (i.e. switched on; functioning properly; not broken) based on the measured luminance. The vehicle light may be a headlamp, turn signal, hazard light, parking light or brake light, with the camera detecting the brightness of the light reflected from the road or another surface and originally from these sources. There may be multiple cameras and the luminance of two regions that do not overlap may be compared to determine the operational state of the light. Other sources of light (i.e. not from the vehicle) may be detected based on map, time or weather data or data received from the camera, and the operational state of the light may only be determined if these are not present. A histogram of the brightness detected by the camera (e.g. figures 4a-5) may be compared to a reference distribution to determine whether there is a fault. A malfunction indication light may be turned on or a message sent to a remote computer if lamp failure is detected.
Vehicle exterior light outage
2019-01-02
Patent
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
IPC: | B60Q ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL , Anordnung von Signal- oder Beleuchtungsvorrichtungen, deren Einbau oder Halterung oder deren Schaltkreise bei Fahrzeugen allgemein / G01M TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES , Prüfen der statischen oder dynamischen Massenverteilung rotierender Teile von Maschinen oder Konstruktionen / G06V |