US 12,297,975 B2
Method for operating a lighting apparatus of a motor vehicle
Sebastian Bartscher, Hamm (DE); Florian Herold, Bielefeld (DE); Ingo Moellers, Rietberg (DE); and Martin Pluempe, Paderborn (DE)
Assigned to Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA, Lippstadt (DE)
Filed by HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA, Lippstadt (DE)
Filed on May 16, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/666,421.
Application 18/666,421 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2022/081035, filed on Nov. 8, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2021 129 815.6 (DE), filed on Nov. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0302021 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
Int. Cl. H05B 45/18 (2020.01); B60Q 1/14 (2006.01); F21S 41/153 (2018.01); F21S 41/65 (2018.01); F21S 45/40 (2018.01)
CPC F21S 45/40 (2018.01) [B60Q 1/1407 (2013.01); F21S 41/153 (2018.01); F21S 41/65 (2018.01); H05B 45/18 (2020.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a lighting apparatus of a motor vehicle, the lighting apparatus comprising a light source with semiconductor elements arranged in a matrix for a targeted generation of pixels of a light distribution and the lighting apparatus being configured to control the semiconductor elements so that at least one first light distribution and one second light distribution are generated in succession, the method comprising:
recording a temperature of the light source while the first light distribution is generated;
calculating a temperature change of the light source that is expected to emerge during a transition from the first light distribution to the second light distribution; and
when the calculation predicts that the transition from the first light distribution to the second light distribution will give rise to an excessive temperature leading to a temperature above a specified threshold value in at least one critical region of the light source, reducing the power of at least one of the semiconductor elements during the control of the semiconductor elements implemented to generate the second light distribution, such that the temperature in the at least one critical region of the light source is not expected to exceed the specified threshold value as a result of the transition from the first light distribution to the second light distribution,
wherein, for calculating the temperature change at the transition from the first light distribution to the second light distribution, an algorithm is used which calculates a temperature difference between a solder joint and a junction region of the at least one of the semiconductor elements.