Lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060681-B2
Application number	US-202016808825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2020
Priority date	Nov 2, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A lighting device for a motor vehicle has a plurality of laser light sources and an optical channel via which light from the plurality of laser light sources is conducted during the operation of the lighting device, in order to generate light spread from the conducted light in the area around the motor vehicle. The lighting device is characterized in that an optical element, which can be switched by a control device into different switching states, is provided between the plurality of laser light sources and the optical channel, a different switching state being associated with each laser light source. In each respective switching state, only light from the laser light source associated with the respective switching state is fed into the optical channel by way of the optical element. The control device is designed such that, when the light of one of the plurality of laser light sources is fed into the optical channel, the device keeps the other at least one laser light source switched off.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of laser light sources and an optical channel via which light from the plurality of laser light sources is guided during operation of the lighting apparatus to generate, from the guided light, a light distribution in an exterior space of the motor vehicle;
an optical element, which is switchable into different switching states by way of a control device, arranged between the plurality of laser light sources and the optical channel, wherein
the optical element is a MEMS component,
each laser light source is assigned a separate switching state, and in a respective switching state, light is injected, using the optical element, into the optical channel from only the laser light source that is assigned the respective switching state,
the control device is configured so as to, when injecting the light of one of the plurality of laser light sources into the optical channel, maintain the other laser light source or sources in the switched-off state,
the control device is configured so as to switch cyclically between the different switching states of the optical element, with the result that in one cycle, the light of each laser light source is injected at least once into the optical channel,
a repetition frequency of cycles of the optical element is between 500 Hz and 2000 Hz, and
the light distribution is a color mixture.

2. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
at least some of the laser light sources of the plurality of laser light sources comprise an individual laser diode.

3. The lighting apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
all of the laser light sources of the plurality of laser light sources comprise an individual laser diode.

4. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the laser light sources produce monochromatic light, which has the same wavelength for all laser light sources or which has a different wavelength for at least one pair of two laser light sources.

5. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting apparatus is configured such that a respective laser light source in the switched-on state is operated at a power of between 2 Watt and 6 Watt.

6. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical element comprises a movable mirror, which is movable into different switching positions corresponding to the switching states under control of the control device.

7. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical element comprises a component having a variable refractive index, wherein the refractive index is changeable using the control device by varying a voltage that is supplied to the component and the different switching states are brought about by changing the refractive index.

8. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical channel comprises a light guide, and light coming from the respective laser light source is guided in the light guide.

9. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting apparatus comprises one or more conversion elements in a beam path downstream of the optical element in order to convert the light of at least some of the laser light sources from one wavelength range into a different wavelength range.

10. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting apparatus comprises a light sensor system for capturing the light intensity in the optical channel, wherein the control device is configured such that it evaluates the captured light intensity.

11. The lighting apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the control device is configured so as to set the switching states of the optical element in feedback with the light intensity captured by the light sensor system such that the light intensity in the respective switching state exceeds a predetermined threshold.

12. The lighting apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the control device is configured so as to detect an error if the deviation of the light intensity captured by the light sensor system from a specified target light intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold value, wherein the specified target light intensity is dependent on the operating state of the lighting apparatus.

13. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting apparatus generates light in the visible range,
the optical channel is set up to generate, as the light distribution, at least a portion of a low beam, a high beam, a blinking light, a daytime running light, a turn signal light, a side light, a tail light, a brake light, and/or a symbol in the vicinity of the motor vehicle.

14. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting apparatus generates light in the non-visible range, wherein the light is used for one or more driver assistance functions in the motor vehicle.

15. A motor vehicle, comprising one or more lighting apparatuses according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag

Inventors

• Erdl Helmut
• Hanafi Abdelmalek

Classifications

• F21S41/675 Primary

  by moving reflectors · CPC title

• F21S41/16 Primary

  Laser light sources · CPC title

• F21S41/24

  Light guides · CPC title

• G02B26/0833

  the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B) · CPC title

• B60Q11/00

  Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00 · CPC title