Lighting assembly for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260788-B2
Application number	US-201916262675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2019
Priority date	Mar 19, 2010
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

The invention describes a lighting assembly for use in a lighting arrangement of a vehicle. The lighting assembly includes a projection lens and a light source array, wherein a center of the light source array and an optical axis of the projection lens have a lateral offset, and light sources of the light source array are individually controllable to adjust a swivel angle of a light beam generated by that lighting assembly. The invention further describes a controller for controlling the light sources of such a lighting assembly. The invention also describes a lighting arrangement for a vehicle, comprising such a lighting assembly and such a controller for controlling the light sources of the lighting assembly to adjust the swivel angle of the light beam. The invention also describes a method of generating a front beam for a vehicle comprising such a lighting assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting assembly for use in a lighting arrangement of a vehicle, comprising a projection lens and a light source array, wherein:
a center of the light source array and an optical axis of the projection lens have a lateral offset; and
light sources of the light source array are individually controllable to adjust a swivel angle of a light beam generated by that lighting assembly.

2. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical axis of the projection lens is arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

3. The lighting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lighting assembly generates a front left beam and the center of the light source array is offset to the right of the optical axis of the projection lens.

4. The lighting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the light source array is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the projection lens.

5. The lighting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a light source of the light source array comprises an LED.

6. A controller for controlling light sources of the light source array in the lighting assembly according to claim 1 to adjust the swivel angle of a light beam generated by that lighting assembly, the controller comprising a control signal generation unit for generating a control signal for selectively activating specific light sources of the lighting source array on the basis of the lateral offset between the center of the light source array and the optical axis of the projection lens.

7. A lighting arrangement for a vehicle, comprising a lighting assembly for generating a light beam, and a controller according to claim 6 for controlling the light sources of the light source array to adjust the swivel angle of the light beam.

8. A method of generating a front beam for a vehicle comprising a lighting assembly for generating the beam, wherein (1) a center of a light source array and an optical axis of a projection lens have a lateral offset and (2) the projection lens is positioned to receive and project light from each of the light sources in the array, the method comprising:
sensing an angle of turning of the vehicle; and
generating a control signal for the lighting assembly on the basis of the lateral offset and on the basis of the angle of turning to selectively activate specific light sources of the light source array to adjust a swivel angle of the beam.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the optical axis of the projection lens is arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the lighting assembly generates a front left beam and the center of the light source array is offset to the right of the optical axis of the projection lens.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the light source array is arranged essentially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the projection lens.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein a light source of the light source array comprises an LED.

Assignees

• Lumileds Llc

Inventors

• Sikkens Marten
• De Jong Marcel
• Booij Silvia Maria
• Creusen Martinus Petrus

Classifications

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title

• F21S41/663

  by switching light sources (by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162) · CPC title

• B60Q1/122 Primary

  with electrical actuating means (details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076) · CPC title

• F21W2102/19

  for curves · CPC title

• F21S41/143

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