Motor vehicle having interior lighting device(s) for emitting moving light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10195987-B2
Application number	US-201615779467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 24, 2016
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having one or more flashing light devices for generating a turn signal light or a blinking hazard light, one or more elongated interior lighting devices for emitting visible light in a form of moving light in the interior of the motor vehicle, and a control device associated with the interior lighting devices, and the control device is configured to to control the one or more interior lighting devices such that, during the time the turn signal light or the blinking hazard light is being generated by the one or more flashing light devices, visible light in the form of a moving light will be emitted by the one or more interior lighting devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle comprising:
one or more flashing light devices configured to generate a turn signal light or generate a blinking hazard light;
one or more elongated interior lighting devices configured to emit visible light in a form of moving light in an interior of the motor vehicle; and
a control device associated with the one or more interior lighting devices configured to:
detect the generation of the turn signal light or the generation of the blinking hazard light, and
control the one or more interior lighting devices to emit visible light in the form of moving light during a time that the turn signal light is being generated or during a time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, and when the motor vehicle is being driven in an autonomous mode.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to emit the moving light having at least a yellow and/or a red color.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are arranged in an area of a dashboard, inside a driver's door area, inside a passenger's door area, and/or inside an interior roof area of the motor vehicle where it joins a windshield.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:
generate the moving light in the area of the dashboard which starts in a first area behind a steering control element or a second area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle, and runs toward a side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 4 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:
generate the moving light in the interior roof area which starts in an area of the median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and runs toward the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:
generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 4 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:
generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:
generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area as soon as the moving light in the area of the dashboard reaches the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:
generate the moving light in the interior roof area which starts in an area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and runs toward a side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 9 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:
generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:
generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on a side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:
generate two moving lights in the area of the dashboard which start in a first area behind a steering control element or a second area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle, and run simultaneously apart from one another toward both lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:
generate two moving lights in the interior roof area which start in an area of the median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and run simultaneously apart from one another toward both lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:
generate two moving lights both in the driver's door area and the passenger's door area, wherein the two moving lights begin on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and run toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:
generate the two moving lights in the driver's door area and the passenger's door area as soon as the two moving lights in the area of the dashboard reach the lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:
generate two moving lights in the interior roof area which start in an area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and run simultaneously apart from one another toward both lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 16 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:
generate two moving lights both in the driver's door area and the passenger's door area, wherein the two moving lights begin on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and run toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

18. The motor vehicle of

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Berlitz Stephan
• Tontsch Friedrich-Uwe
• Kastner Julia

Classifications

• B60Q3/217

  Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps · CPC title

• B60Q9/00

  Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 {, e.g. haptic signalling} · CPC title

• B60Q3/80 Primary

  Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47) · CPC title

• B60Q3/18

  for varying the light intensity · CPC title

• B60Q1/34

  for indicating change of drive direction (B60Q1/22 takes precedence) · CPC title