Vehicle interior lighting and illumination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345278-B2
Application number	US-202117317165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2021
Priority date	Dec 26, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

One or more light sources, one or more detectors, a processor, and a controller are configured to provide spot illumination that follows a moving object, a moving occupant, or a portion of a moving occupant in the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle interior lighting system comprising:
a microLED array disposed in the vehicle and comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel less than 500 microns in size, a spacing between pixels less than 50 microns;
a processor configured to receive a user input signal indicating a direction and based on the user input signal, send a control signal for controlling the microLED array; and
a controller configured to receive the control signal and in response control one or more pixels of the microLED array to provide spot illumination in the direction indicated by the user input signal.

2. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 1 , comprising one or more detectors configured to detect user input.

3. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more detectors is configured to detect user hand gestures.

4. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 3 , wherein at least one detector is an IR light detector.

5. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 1 , comprising a user interface.

6. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 5 , wherein the user interface is a touch screen.

7. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the microLED array comprises a wavelength converter.

8. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the microLED array provides spot illumination in the direction indicated using dynamic beam steering.

9. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the spot illumination comprises a vertical and a horizontal illuminance of an object and the vertical illuminance is at least twice the horizontal illuminance.

10. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixels of the microLED array are mounted and electrically coupled to CMOS circuitry.

11. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 1 , comprising a transceiver capable of communicating with a network.

12. A vehicle interior lighting system comprising:
a microLED array disposed in the vehicle and comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel less than 500 microns in size, a spacing between pixels less than 50 microns;
one or more detectors configured to detect ambient lighting;
a processor configured to receive one or more signals from the one or more detectors and based on the received one or more signals, send a control signal for controlling the microLED array; and
a controller configured to receive the control signal and in response adjust a color of light emitted by the one or more pixels of the microLED array.

13. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the color of light emitted by the one or more pixels of the microLED array based on the ambient lighting detected by the one or more detectors to preserve the night vision of a vehicle driver or occupant.

14. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the color of light emitted to a red color.

15. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust an intensity of light emitted by the one or more pixels of the microLED array.

16. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of pixels of the microLED array are mounted and electrically coupled to CMOS circuitry.

17. A vehicle interior lighting system comprising:
a microLED array disposed in the vehicle and comprising a plurality of pixels and a silicon back plane, the plurality of pixels mounted on the silicon back plane, the silicon back plane configured to switch pixels in the microLED array on and off;
a processor configured to receive a user input signal indicating a direction and based on the user input signal, send a control signal for controlling the microLED array; and
a controller configured to receive the control signal and in response control one or more pixels of the microLED array to provide spot illumination in the direction indicated by the user input signal.

18. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 17 , wherein
the processor is configured to receive a user input signal indicating a direction; and
the controller is configured to control the one or more pixels of the microLED array to provide spot illumination in the direction indicated by the user input signal.

19. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 17 , wherein the microLED array provides spot illumination in the direction indicated by using dynamic beam steering.

20. The vehicle interior lighting system of claim 17 , wherein the silicon back plane comprises CMOS circuitry configured to switch pixels in the microLED array on and off.

Assignees

• Lumileds Llc

Inventors

• Camras Michael
• Bhardwaj Jyoti Kiron

Classifications

• H05B47/195

  the transmission using visible or infrared light · CPC title

• H05B47/199

  Commissioning of light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/1975

  Gesture control · CPC title

• B60Q2900/30

  Lamps commanded by wireless transmissions · CPC title

• B60W30/09

  Taking automatic action to avoid collision, e.g. braking and steering · CPC title