Lighting device and lighting system for a motor vehicle and method for operating a lighting system for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856385-B2
Application number	US-201916403238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2019
Priority date	Nov 7, 2016
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle having a processing module configured to receive, process and send signals from a data bus of the motor vehicle, and a light-emitting diode (LED) unit configured to emit light of adjustable brightness and prescribed color locus, where the LED unit has a microcontroller and a plurality of LEDs. The microcontroller and the LEDs are surrounded by a package of the LED unit, and the LED unit has a temperature sensor configured to measure a present temperature value on the LED unit and to communicate bidirectionally with the processing module so that the present temperature value on the LED unit is ascertainable by the temperature sensor and the processing module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a processing module configured to receive, process and send signals from a data bus of the motor vehicle, and
a light-emitting diode (LED) unit configured to emit light of adjustable brightness and prescribed color locus, wherein the LED unit has a microcontroller and a plurality of LEDs,
wherein the microcontroller and the LEDs are surrounded by a package of the LED unit, and
wherein the LED unit comprises a temperature sensor configured to measure a present temperature value on the LED unit and to communicate bidirectionally with the processing module so that the present temperature value on the LED unit is ascertained by the temperature sensor and the processing module.

2. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is configured to communicate bidirectionally with the microcontroller so that the present temperature value on the LED unit is recalled by the temperature sensor and the microcontroller.

3. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the present temperature value on the LED unit is recalled independently of an operating state of the LEDs.

4. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the present temperature value on the LED unit is recalled independently of an operating state of the LEDs.

5. The lighting apparatus as claimed claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller and the processing module are configured to communicate bidirectionally with one another.

6. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the microcontroller and the processing module are configured to communicate bidirectionally with one another.

7. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the microcontroller and the processing module are configured to communicate bidirectionally with one another.

8. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the LED unit is a multicolor LED unit and the LEDs are each single-color LEDs.

9. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the LED unit comprises an RGB LED unit and/or an RGBW LED unit.

10. The lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the LED unit has a light sensor configured to measure a present brightness value on the LED unit and to communicate bidirectionally with the processing module so that the present brightness value on the LED unit is recalled by the light sensor and the processing module.

11. A lighting system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
the motor vehicle, and
at least one lighting apparatus comprising:
a processing module configured to receive, process and send signals from a data bus of the motor vehicle, and
a light-emitting diode (LED) unit configured to emit light of adjustable brightness and prescribed color locus, wherein the LED unit has a microcontroller and a plurality of LEDs,
wherein the microcontroller and the LEDs are surrounded by a package of the LED unit, and
wherein the LED unit comprises a temperature sensor configured to measure a present temperature value on the LED unit and to communicate bidirectionally with the processing module so that the present temperature value on the LED unit is ascertained by the temperature sensor and the processing module.

12. The lighting system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the lighting apparatus is arranged in the motor vehicle and is in the form of interior lighting.

13. The lighting system as claimed in claim 11 , in which the lighting apparatus is arranged on an outside of the motor vehicle and is in the form of exterior lighting.

14. A method for operating a lighting system for a motor vehicle, the lighting system comprising lighting apparatus having a processing module configured to receive, process and send signals from a data bus of the motor vehicle, a light-emitting diode (LED) unit configured to emit light of adjustable brightness and prescribed color locus, wherein the LED unit has a microcontroller and a plurality of LEDs, wherein the microcontroller and the LEDs are surrounded by a package of the LED unit, and wherein the LED unit comprises a temperature sensor configured to measure a present temperature value on the LED unit and to communicate bidirectionally with the processing module, the method comprising:
actuating the temperature sensor by the processing module to ascertain a present temperature value on the LED unit,
receiving measurement signals of the temperature sensor,
ascertaining a present temperature value on the LED unit based on the received measurement signals of the temperature sensor, and
controlling the function of the motor vehicle based on the ascertained temperature value on the LED unit.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the LED unit has a light sensor configured to measure a present brightness value on the LED unit and to communicate bidirectionally with the processing module, the method further comprising:
actuating the light sensor by the processing module to ascertain a present brightness value on the LED unit,
receiving measurement signals of the light sensor,
ascertaining a present brightness value on the LED unit based on the received measurement signals of the light sensor, and
controlling a function of the motor vehicle based on the ascertained brightness value on the LED unit.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein controlling the function of the motor vehicle based on the ascertained temperature value on the LED unit comprises storing the ascertained temperature value on the LED unit in a data memory.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein controlling the function of the motor vehicle based on the ascertained brightness value on the LED unit comprises storing the ascertained brightness value on the LED unit in a data memory.

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Altinger Florian
• Bruegl Juergen
• Isele Robert

Classifications

• H05B47/18

  via data-bus transmission · CPC title

• H05B45/18 Primary

  using temperature feedback · CPC title

• H05B45/12

  using optical feedback · CPC title

• H05B45/28

  using temperature feedback · CPC title

• H05B45/24 Primary

  using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules · CPC title