Vehicle illumination assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399483-B2
Application number	US-201715453090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2017
Priority date	Mar 8, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

An illumination assembly is provided herein. The illumination assembly includes a first light source configured to generate an illumination pattern. A second light source is configured to generate an image within the illumination pattern. A lens is optically coupled with the first and second light sources. A controller is configured to control the activation state of the first and second light sources.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An illumination assembly, comprising:
a first light source configured to generate an illumination pattern;
a second light source positioned relative to the first light source to generate an illuminated image, wherein the illuminated image is disposed within the illumination pattern generated by the first light source;
a lens optically coupled with the first and second light sources; and
a controller configured to control an activation state of the first and second light sources.

2. The illumination assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second light sources are disposed proximately to a corner of a vehicle.

3. The illumination assembly of claim 1 , wherein the illuminated image is configured as a line that is substantially parallel to a frame of a vehicle.

4. The illumination assembly of claim 3 , wherein the illumination pattern illuminates a ground surface proximate a front portion of the vehicle and the line extends forwardly of the vehicle.

5. The illumination assembly of claim 3 , wherein the illumination pattern illuminates a ground surface proximate a rear portion of the vehicle and the line extends rearwardly of the vehicle.

6. The illumination assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to detect an object proximate a vehicle, wherein one of the first light source, the second light source and both the first and second light sources of the illumination assembly illuminate when the object is detected.

7. The illumination assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a luminescent structure operably coupled with the first and second light sources and configured to luminesce in response to receiving excitation light from the first or second light source.

8. The illumination assembly of claim 7 , wherein the luminescent structure includes at least one luminescent material configured to convert an excitation light into a visible light.

9. The illumination assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second light source includes a laser diode.

10. A vehicle, comprising:
a first illumination assembly configured to illuminate an area proximate a first lateral side of said vehicle;
a second illumination assembly configured to illuminate an area proximate a second lateral side of said vehicle, wherein the second lateral side of said vehicle is an opposed side of said vehicle relative to the first side, and further wherein the first and second illumination assemblies each include a first light source configured to generate an illumination pattern and a second light source configured to generate an illuminated image disposed within the illumination pattern of the first light source; and
a sensor configured to detect objects proximate the vehicle, wherein the first or second illumination assembly illuminates a lateral side of the vehicle corresponding to a detected object.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising:
a lens optically coupled with the first and second light sources.

12. The vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising:
a luminescent structure operably coupled with the first and second light sources and configured to luminesce in response to receiving excitation light from the first or second light source.

13. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first light source emits a first wavelength of light and the second light source emits a second wavelength of light.

14. An illumination assembly, comprising:
a first light source configured to generate an illumination pattern;
a second light source spaced-apart from the first light source, wherein the second light source is operably coupled with an image filter to generate an image, and further wherein the image is positioned within the illumination pattern generated by the first light source; and
a controller configured to control an activation state of the first and second light sources.

15. The illumination assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to detect objects proximate the vehicle, wherein the first and second light sources illuminate a ground surface on a lateral side of the vehicle corresponding to the detected object.

16. The illumination assembly of claim 14 , wherein the image extends forwardly of a front portion of the vehicle.

17. The illumination assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:
a luminescent structure operably coupled with the first and second light sources and configured to luminesce in response to receiving excitation light from the first or second light source.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Aaron Bradley
• Salter Stuart C
• Dellock Paul Kenneth
• Helwig Stephen Kenneth
• Surman James J

Classifications

• F21W2103/60

  Projection of signs from lighting devices, e.g. symbols or information being projected onto the road · CPC title

• F21W2102/40

  the light being emitted to facilitate access to the vehicle · CPC title

• F21W2102/17

  for regions other than high beam or low beam · CPC title

• F21S43/16

  Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element · CPC title

• F21S43/14

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title