Vehicle illumination assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9227565-B2
Application number	US-201314017135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2013
Priority date	Sep 3, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle interior illumination assembly includes a lighting fixture and a controller. The lighting fixture has a proximity detection layer and an illumination layer, with one of the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer overlaying the other of the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer. The controller is operably connected to the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer. The controller is configured to toggle the illumination layer on and off in response to detecting a first movement gesture at the proximity detection layer. The controller is configured to adjust a first prescribed lighting parameter of the light produced by the illumination layer in response to detecting a second movement gesture at the proximity detection layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle interior illumination assembly, comprising:
a lighting fixture having a proximity detection layer and an illumination layer, with one of the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer overlaying the other of the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer; and
a controller operably connected to the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer, the controller being configured to toggle the illumination layer on and off in response to the controller detecting a first movement gesture at the proximity detection layer, the controller being configured to adjust a first prescribed lighting parameter of the light produced by the illumination layer in response to the controller detecting a second movement gesture at the proximity detection layer different from the first movement gesture, the first prescribed lighting parameter being changing of the color of light produced by the illumination layer, and the controller being configured to adjust a second prescribed lighting parameter in response to the controller detecting a third movement gesture at the proximity detection layer that is different from the first and second movement gestures, the second lighting parameter each being adjusting a level of brightness of light produced by the illumination layer.

2. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the first movement gesture includes the controller detecting a single contact with a finger within a first predetermined time period.

3. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the second movement gesture includes the controller detecting a plurality of contacts with the finger within the first predetermined time period.

4. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the second movement gesture includes the controller detecting a single contact with the finger for at least a second predetermined time period greater than the first predetermined time period.

5. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting fixture is separately toggled on and off by a separately operable switch that is spaced apart from the lighting fixture.

6. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting fixture comprises a first lighting fixture having a first illumination layer and the proximity detection layer, and a second lighting fixture having a second illumination layer that is operated in concert with the first illumination layer.

7. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting fixture comprises a first lighting fixture having a first illumination layer and a first proximity detection layer, and a second lighting fixture having a second illumination layer and a second proximity detection layer that is operated independently of the first illumination layer, the first lighting fixture being spaced apart from the second lighting fixture.

8. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the lighting fixture comprises a first lighting fixture having a first illumination layer and a first proximity detection layer, and a second lighting fixture having a second illumination layer and a second proximity detection layer, the first lighting fixture being spaced apart from the second lighting fixture, the controller being configured to operate the first and second illumination layers in unison in response to detecting a fourth movement gesture at one of the first proximity detection layer and the second proximity detection layer, and operate the first illumination layer independently from operation of the second illumination layer in response to detecting a fifth movement gesture at one of the first proximity detection layer and the second proximity detection layer.

9. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the proximity detection layer comprises an array of proximity switches defining a touch-sensitive surface.

10. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the first movement gesture includes the controller detecting a single contact with a finger within a first predetermined time period.

11. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the second movement gesture includes the controller detecting a linear movement with a finger along the touch-sensitive surface.

12. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the second movement gesture includes the controller detecting contact with and movement of two fingers along the touch-sensitive surface.

13. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 12 , wherein
the second movement gesture further includes the controller detecting simultaneous linear movement of the two fingers along the touch-sensitive surface.

14. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the second movement gesture includes the controller detecting movement of a finger along the touch-sensitive surface in a circular pattern.

15. A vehicle interior illumination assembly, comprising:
a lighting fixture having a proximity detection layer and an illumination layer, with one of the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer overlaying the other of the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer; and
a controller operably connected to the proximity detection layer and the illumination layer, the controller being configured to toggle the illumination layer on and off in response to the controller detecting a first movement gesture at the proximity detection layer, the controller being configured to adjust a first prescribed lighting parameter of the light produced by the illumination layer in response to the controller detecting a second movement gesture at the proximity detection layer, and the controller being configured to adjust a second prescribed lighting parameter in response to the controller detecting a third movement gesture at the proximity detection layer, the first, second and third movement gestures each being different from one another and each being selected from a group of movement gestures consisting of: pulse-like contact between a finger and the lighting fixture along the proximity detection layer, contact between a finger and the lighting fixture along the proximity detection layer for at least a predetermined first period of time, contact between a finger and the lighting fixture along the proximity detection layer for a predetermined second period of time that is longer than the first period of time, contact between a finger and the lighting fixture with linear movement of the finger along the proximity detection layer, contact between two fingers and the lighting fixture with parallel movements of the two fingers along the proximity detection layer, and contact between a finger and the lighting fixture with circular movement of the finger along the proximity detection layer.

16. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
one of the first, second and third prescribed lighting parameters include adjusting a level of brightness of light produced by the illumination layer in response to detecting the second movement gesture at the proximity detection layer.

17. The vehicle interior illumination assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
one of the first, second and third prescribed lighting parameter include changing of the color of light produced by the

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Sura Bhargav
• Weinert Norbert
• Cat Quan
• Johnson Randall
• Phan Nelson

Classifications

• B60Q3/0216

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/0293 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60Q3/0296

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• H03K17/00

  Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking (gated amplifiers H03F3/72; switching arrangements for exchange systems using static devices H04Q3/52) · CPC title

• B60Q3/06

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic