Bright as day through the night

Bright as day through the night

High-quality lighting solutions and their contribution to greater safety and a better driving experience are the focus of Continental's trade fair appearance at Auto Shanghai from April 23 to May 2, 2025. The highlights include both cost-effective options such as the Headlamp Control Module (HCM) Air Control Unit, as well as powerful software functions such as the automatic regulation of the low beam or the new near-field projection based on laser beam scans, or LBS for short. The technology expands the capabilities of current projection methods with colors, greater depth of field and better resolution. “We offer our customers a complete ecosystem of high-quality lighting solutions for vehicles,” says Jean-François Tarabbia, head of the Architecture and Networking Solutions business unit at Continental. With LBS technology, Continental has developed an innovative lighting solution that enables dynamic projections in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. With high resolution, precise and colorful images or information such as navigation instructions, safety warnings and personalized driver messages can be projected onto the ground. Automobile manufacturers benefit from the flexible integration of the system: With a size of only 40 x 50 x 30 mm, the LBS modules require little space and can be easily integrated into any corner of the vehicle.

Vision Zero

“Our commitment to Vision Zero means that we not only want to improve safety for the people in the car, but also for everyone around,” explains Maximilian Austerer, Head of Innovations Light Solutions at Continental.” In addition to the hardware, Continental also provides the necessary software for the smooth integration of new functions into vehicle lighting systems. For example, automatic leveling for headlights based on sensor fusion allows manufacturers to reduce the number of control units and sensors in the car. This form of leveling will be required by law for all newly registered vehicle types in Europe from 2027. The aim is for drivers to have the greatest possible headlight range in low beam mode without dazzling other road users. For this purpose, the Continental software algorithm uses sensor fusion technology to evaluate acceleration and gyroscopy data to generate a control signal for headlight adjustment that corresponds to the vehicle's inclination. By using the signals from already installed inertial sensors, the software-only solution can be provided with less weight, less cabling and lower cost. However, Continental also offers a standalone solution with a separate automatic leveling control unit equipped with its own suitable inertial measurement unit.

New control devices

In addition to actuators and innovative software functions, Continental is also presenting various lighting control devices. The HCM Air, for example, optimizes thermal design and offers more flexible duct configurations, further supporting lightweight design and reducing system costs. It uses the Celsius LED driver chip developed by Continental, which meets the reliability requirements in various application scenarios. The chip achieves over 90 percent energy conversion efficiency and improves heat dissipation capabilities. It also offers configurable modes for step-up/step-down as well as continuous current and voltage. For more demanding requirements, Continental offers the new Central Light Computer (CLC), an intelligent control center for modern vehicle lighting. It processes vehicle signals such as light requirements or sensor data to control basic and high-resolution light actuators, interactive social displays, dynamic interior light actuators and near-field projectors. The CLC enables scalable, high-quality lighting control and ensures future-proof solutions for a holistic lighting experience.