Lamp for vehicle and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10501006-B2
Application number	US-201715856688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A lamp for a vehicle includes a light generation unit with an array module having a plurality of micro Light Emitting Diode (micro-LED) elements. The lamp also includes at least one processor and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to: control the light generation unit to form a light distribution pattern that, when projected on a vertical plane at a first distance, has a luminous intensity that is progressively smaller from a central point closer to a center towards a peripheral point further from the center. Controlling the light generation unit to form the light distribution pattern includes: controlling at least one first micro-LED element to generate a first luminous intensity at the central point, and controlling at least one second micro-LED element to generate a second luminous intensity at the peripheral point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp for a vehicle, the lamp comprising:
a light generation unit comprising an array module on which a plurality of micro Light Emitting Diode (micro-LED) elements is disposed; and
at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:
controlling at least one first micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a first luminous intensity at a central point of a light distribution pattern; and
controlling at least one second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a second luminous intensity at a peripheral point of the light distribution pattern, the second luminous intensity being smaller than the first luminous intensity such that a luminous intensity of the light distribution pattern is progressively smaller from the central point of the light distribution pattern to the peripheral point of the light distribution pattern.

2. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the central point is a point located at the center of the light distribution pattern that, when projected on a vertical plane at a first distance from the light generation unit, has a highest luminous intensity among points in the light distribution pattern.

3. The lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that is vertically symmetric with respect to a vertical centerline of the light distribution pattern.

4. The lamp according to claim 3 , wherein the operations further comprise:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that has a luminous intensity that is progressively smaller from the central point to a first point, and from the first point to a second point of the light distribution pattern;
wherein the first point and the second point are arranged on a horizontal centerline of the light distribution pattern,
wherein the first point is a point at which an angle between a reference line, connecting the light generation unit and the central point, and a first virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the first point, is 5 degrees with respect to the light generation unit;
wherein the second point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a second virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the second point, is 10 degrees with respect to the light generation unit, and
wherein the first distance is from 2 m to 4 m.

5. The lamp according to claim 4 , wherein controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit comprises:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that has a luminous intensity at the first point that is 90% of the luminous intensity at the central point, and a luminous intensity at the second point that is 35% of the luminous intensity at the central point.

6. The lamp according to claim 4 , wherein controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit comprises:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that has a luminous intensity at a third point that is smaller than a luminous intensity at the first point, and that is 20% of a luminous intensity of the central point,
wherein the first and third points are on a same vertical line, and
wherein the third point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a third virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the third point, is 5 degrees in a horizontal direction and 10 degrees in a vertical direction with respect to the light generation unit.

7. The lamp according to claim 4 , wherein controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit comprises:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that is horizontally symmetric with respect to the horizontal centerline of the light distribution pattern.

8. The lamp according to claim 7 , wherein controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit comprises:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that has a luminous intensity at a fourth point that is 70% of the luminous intensity of the central point,
wherein the fourth point is on the vertical centerline and is a point at which an angle between a reference line, connecting the light generation unit and the central point, and a fourth virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the fourth point, is 5 degrees with respect to the light generation unit.

9. The lamp according to claim 8 , wherein controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit comprises:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that has a luminous intensity that is progressively smaller from the fourth point to a fifth point, and from the fifth point to a sixth point on the light distribution pattern,
wherein the fourth to sixth points are formed on a same horizontal line,
wherein the fifth point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a fifth virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the fifth point, is 10 degrees in a horizontal direction and 5 degrees in a vertical direction with respect to the light generation unit, and
wherein the sixth point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a sixth virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the sixth point, is 20 degrees in a horizontal direction and 5 degrees in the vertical direction with respect to the light generation unit.

10. The lamp according to claim 9 , wherein controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit comprises:
controlling at least the first micro-LED element and the second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to produce the light distribution pattern in a manner that has a luminous intensity at the fifth point that is 20% of the luminous intensity at the central point, and a luminous intensity at the sixth point that is 10% of the luminous intensity at the central point.

11. The lamp according to claim 2 , wherein the first distance is 3 m.

12. The lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the array module comprises:
a base; and
a plurality of subarrays disposed on the base, and

wherein each of the plurality of subarrays has a different size according to a region where the subarray is disposed on the base.

13. The lamp according to claim 12 , wherein, among the plurality of subarrays, a first subarray positioned closer to a center of the base has a size that is greater than a size of a second subarray positioned further from the center of the base.

14. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein:
the array module comprises a first region and a second region, and
the plurality o

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Seongho

Classifications

• F21S43/14

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21W2107/10

  for land vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/076 Primary

  by electrical means {including means to transmit the movements, e.g. shafts or joints} · CPC title

• F21S41/143

  the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title