Functional Description For High-Beam Assistant FLA_01

Functional Description For High-Beam Assistant FLA_01

Functional description for high-beam assistant FLA_01
The high-beam assistant assists the driver to operate the high-beam headlights. The high-beam assistant automatically switches the high-beam headlights on and off as the traffic situation changes.
The high-beam assistant detects vehicles travelling ahead of the car and oncoming traffic, and it also detects lighted stretches of roadway. By automatically switching off the high-beam headlights in good time, the high-beam assistant ensures that the occupants of oncoming vehicles, for example, are not dazzled by the headlights.

Advantages:
Drivers do not have to concern themselves with the job of operating the high-beam headlights. This enhances the level of convenience for drivers. The high-beam headlights are switched on more frequently with the high-beam assistant than manually.
The field of view of the driver has optimized illumination at all times. This makes driving in the dark safer.

IMPORTANT: Driver responsibility despite high-beam assistant.

The high-beam assistant only supports operation of the high-beam headlight.
Responsibility for switching the high-beam headlights on and off appropriately in each traffic situation lies with the driver.
The high-beam assistant can be disabled at any time with the turn indicator / high-beam switch.
If a high-beam assistant is present, only the high-beam headlights are switched on.

Operation
- Turn the light switch to switch position "A" or position 2.
- Operate the FLA button on the turn indicator / high-beam switch to activate the high-beam assistant.
- The FLA indicator light comes on, indicating that the high-beam assistant is activated.
- In twilight, only the low-beam headlights are switched on.
- In the dark, the high-beam headlights are switched on as soon as the conditions required for switch-on for the high-beam assistant are satisfied.
- The conditions required for switch-on are as follows:
- Road speed greater than 50 km/h.
- Reverse gear is not engaged.
- Image sensor does not detect an oncoming vehicle or a vehicle ahead.
- Image sensor does not detect an environment with adequately bright illumination.

Brief description of components
- Light switch
The high-beam assistant can only be activated if the light switch is in switch position "A" or in position 2.

- Turn indicator / high-beam switch
The button on the turn indicator / high-beam switch activates and deactivates the high-beam assistant.

- Rain-driving light sensor
The rain-driving light sensor measures the surrounding brightness. From dusk onwards, the light module switches the low-beam headlights on.
The high-beam assistant can only be activated if the low-beam headlights are switched on. A precondition is that the light switch is in switch position "A" or position 2.

- Wheel-speed sensors
The wheel-speed sensors measure the circumferential wheel speed of the individual wheels.
The ICM control unit (ICM: Integrated Chassis Management) uses this to calculate the driving speed.
The high-beam headlight is switched on if the driving speed is above 50 km/h.
The high-beam headlight is switched off if the driving speed is lower than 38 km/h.

- Yaw rate sensor
The yaw rate sensor integrated in the ICM picks up the motion of the vehicle around the vertical axis, e.g. in a curve.
The high-beam assistant uses the yaw rate to better evaluation the pattern during cornering.

- Image sensor
The image sensor is a special camera for the detection of light sources.
The image sensor transmits images to the control unit for the high-beam assistant.
The control unit for the high-beam assistant evaluates the images.
The image sensor and the control unit are installed in a housing and can only be supplied together.

- Reverse gear switch
When reverse gear is engaged, the high-beam headlights are not switched on.
On vehicles with a manual gearbox, the reverse gear switch delivers the information "reverse gear engaged".
On vehicles with electronic gearbox control (EGS), the EGS delivers the information "reverse gear engaged".

- FLA: High-beam assistant
The FLA control unit evaluates the images of the image sensor. The FLA control unit receives the information regarding the driving speed and yaw rate from the ICM control unit.
The FLA control unit sends a switch-on recommendation or a switch-off recommendation for the high-beam headlight to the light module. The recommendation depends on the traffic situation, the lighting conditions and the driving speed.
The FLA control unit is connected on the K-CAN.

- FRM: Footwell module
The footwell module receives various input variables for the high-beam headlights:
- Switch-on or switch-off recommendation from the FLA control unit
- Switch position of the light switch
- Switch position of the turn indicator / high-beam switch
- Information from the reverse gear switch or selector lever position switch
- Information from the rain-driving light sensor as to whether the low-beam headlights must be switched on

On the basis of the input variables, the light module decides whether the high-beam headlights are switched on or switched off.
- The footwell module activates the high-beam headlights.
- The footwell module actuates the FLA indicator light in the instrument cluster.
In the event of failure of the high-beam assistant, a Check Control symbol is displayed.
The light module is connected on the K-CAN.

System functions
In accordance with the traffic situation, the FLA control unit sends a switch-on recommendation or a switch-off recommendation for the high-beam headlights to the footwell module. On the basis of this recommendation and various other the input variables, the light module or footwell module decides whether the high-beam headlights should be switched on or off.
- Automatic deactivation of the high-beam headlight with oncoming traffic
The cone of light of the high-beam headlight has a range of around 400 m. The pickup range of the image sensor is around 1000 m. This ensures that the image sensor detects oncoming vehicles before they are dazzled by the cone of light of the high-beam headlights.
If the image sensor detects an oncoming vehicle, the FLA control unit sends a switch-off recommendation to the footwell module. The footwell module switches off the high-beam headlights.

- Automatic deactivation of the high-beam headlight with traffic ahead
If the image sensor detects a vehicle ahead, the FLA control unit sends a switch-off recommendation to the footwell module. The footwell module switches off the high-beam headlights.

- Automatic deactivation of the high-beam headlight with adequate light
If the image sensor detects an environment with adequate light, the FLA control unit sends a switch-off recommendation to the footwell module. The footwell module switches off the high-beam headlights. Adequate ambient lighting means:
- Daylight
- Dusk
- Street lighting (e.g. in illuminated towns)

- Automatic activation of the high-beam headlights
If there is no reason for the lights to be dipped, the footwell module switches the high-beam headlight on. The high-beam headlights are reactivated.

- Indicators in the instrument cluster
The FLA indicator lamp lights up in the instrument cluster as soon as the high-beam assistant is activated.
In addition, the high-beam headlight indicator lamp lights up as usual as soon as the high-beam headlight is switched on (blue).
If the FLA control unit detects a system failure, a Check Control symbol is displayed.

- Function limitations of the high-beam assistant
Under the following circumstances, a function limitation of the high-beam assistant can occur:
- Unfavorable weather conditions (e.g. fog or heavy precipitation)
- Poorly illuminated road users (e.g. cyclists, pedestrians)
- Certain roadsigns (e.g. danger sign for tight curve): Reflections from traffic signs may be incorrectly interpreted by the high-beam assistant as a vehicle driving ahead or as oncoming traffic.
- Driving over humps and through small valleys
- Certain traffic situations (e.g. tight curves, vehicles approaching from the side)
- Covered field of view of the image sensor (e.g. due to fogging, snow or labels)

- Automatic alignment of the high-beam assistant
The image sensor must be aligned parallel to the centre axis to work faultlessly. When the car is driven at night, the high-beam assistant can automatically correct alignment up to 3 degrees to the left or 3 degrees to the right. This balances out slight deviations from the centre axis.
Driving conditions for the automatic alignment of the high-beam assistant are:
- Straight-ahead driving over a distance of approx. 50 km: A relatively straight stretch accelerates the directional orientation.
- Road markings must be clearly visible.

No liability can be accepted for printing or other errors. Subject to changes of a technical nature.