Pixelated light module for a motor vehicle and lighting and/or signalling device provided with such a module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11072274-B2
Application number	US-201816129203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2018
Priority date	Sep 12, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

A light module for a motor vehicle configured to produce an output beam, including a light source, a pixelated and digital imaging system, and an optical device that is interposed between the light source and the pixelated and digital imaging system so as to transmit at least part of the light rays originating from the light source to an impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface. The optical device includes a first portion configured to process a first part of the light rays originating from the light source and a second portion configured to process a second part of the light rays originating from the light source. The first portion is configured to produce a first output beam having a first distribution of light on the impact surface and the second portion is configured to produce a second output beam having a second distribution of light on the impact surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light module for a motor vehicle configured to produce an output beam, comprising:
a light source;
a pixelated and digital imaging system; and
an optical device that is interposed, following the path of the light rays originating from the light source, between the light source and the pixelated and digital imaging system so as to transmit at least part of the light rays originating from the light source to an impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface,
wherein the optical device includes:
a first portion configured to optically process a first part of the light rays originating from the light source, and
a second portion configured to optically process a second part, different from the first part, of the light rays originating from the light source,
wherein the first portion is configured to produce a first output beam having a first spatial distribution of light on the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface, and the second portion is configured to produce a second output beam having a second spatial distribution of light, different from the first spatial distribution of light, on the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface, wherein the optical device comprises an optical block comprising an input dioptre for the rays originating from the light source and at least one additional optical element separated from the optical block, a center axis of the optical block being aligned with a center portion of the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface and angled at a non-zero angle relative to the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface,
wherein the first spatial distribution of light on the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface is a homogeneous spatial distribution, the second spatial distribution of light on the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface is an inhomogeneous spatial distribution, and the first and second spatial distributions of light overlap such that a portion of the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface includes only the homogeneous spatial distribution of light,
wherein the second portion of the optical device is configured to reflect light rays towards an output diopter and the first portion of the optical device is configured to transmit light rays towards the output dioptre without reflecting said light rays.

2. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein the first spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface has a homogeneous light intensity in a closed contour zone centered on the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface, and the first spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface covers at least 50% of the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface.

3. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein the second spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface has an increasing light intensity up to a zone of maximum light concentration.

4. The light module according to claim 3 , wherein the zone of maximum light concentration includes a center of the impact surface of the pixelated and digital imaging surface.

5. The light module according to claim 3 , wherein the light intensity in the zone of maximum light concentration is greater than a maximum light intensity of the first spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface.

6. The light module according to claim 1 ,
wherein a first face of the optical block forms the input dioptre, the optical block being provided with a cavity comprising a bottom and a lateral wall,
wherein the optical device includes a second face, opposite the first face, forming the output dioptre for light rays, and
wherein the optical block is configured to reflect at least part of the rays entering the optical block via the lateral wall towards the second face and to transmit at least part of the rays entering the optical block via the bottom towards the second face.

7. The light module according to claim 6 , wherein the optical block is configured to reflect at least part of the rays entering the optical block via the lateral wall towards the second face by total internal reflection.

8. The light module according to claim 6 , wherein the optical block is configured to reflect at least part of the rays entering the optical block via the lateral wall towards the second face by reflecting on a reflective surface of the external wall of the optical block.

9. The light module according to claim 6 , wherein the optical block is an integrally formed single part.

10. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein the optical block is configured to collimate at least part of the rays upon exiting and the additional optical element is configured to concentrate the collimated rays.

11. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein the pixelated and digital imaging system comprises a matrix of micro-mirrors.

12. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a rectangular shaped light emission face provided with at least one light-emitting diode.

13. The light module according to claim 12 , wherein the light emission face is a homothety of the impact surface.

14. The light module according to claim 12 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to produce an anamorphosis between the emission face and the impact surface.

15. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein the output beam is configured to project at least one pictogram pattern.

16. A lighting and/or signalling device for a motor vehicle equipped with at least one said light module according to claim 1 .

17. The lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 16 , comprising at least one additional said light module comprising at least one from among an additional module configured to produce a low beam base beam and an additional module configured to produce a high beam base beam.

18. The lighting and/or signalling device according to claim 17 , comprising an additional module configured to produce a low beam base beam and an additional module configured to produce a high beam base beam, wherein the output beam of the module partly overlaps both the high beam base beam and the low beam base beam.

19. The lighting and/or signaling device according to claim 16 , further comprising:
an additional module configured to produce a low beam base beam; and
an additional module configured to produce a high beam base beam, wherein:
the first spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface has a homogeneous light intensity in a closed contour zone,
the second spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface has an increasing light intensity up to a zone of maximum light concentration, and
the zone of maximum light concentration corresponds to a location of maximum illumination of a full beam including the low beam base beam and the high beam base beam.

20. The light module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface has a homogeneous light intensity in a closed contour zone,
wherein the second spatial distribution of light on the pixelated and digital imaging surface has an increasing light intensity up to a zone of maximum light concentration,
wherein the light intensity in the zone of maximum light c

Assignees

• Valeo Vision

Inventors

• Egal Fabrice
• Rizzi Julien
• Ruiz-Aranzaes David

Classifications

• F21S41/285 Primary

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805 · CPC title

• F21S41/675

  by moving reflectors · CPC title

• F21S41/322

  the reflector using total internal reflection · CPC title

• F21W2107/10

  for land vehicles · CPC title

• B60Q1/0047 Primary

  Signalling unit mounted on a headlamp unit · CPC title