Lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle having a daytime running light illuminated at different levels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9615431-B2
Application number	US-201615006136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2016
Priority date	Feb 16, 2015
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle includes a daytime running light device, a low-beam, high-beam, or low- and high-beam light device, and a drive device operable to drive an illumination level of the daytime running light device. With the low-beam and/or high-beam light device switched off, the drive device drives the daytime running light device so as to have a first illumination level. With the low-beam and/or high beam light device switched on, the drive device drives the daytime running light device so as to have a second illumination level. With the low-beam and/or high-beam light device switched on and with poor weather conditions, the drive device drives the daytime running light device so as to have a third illumination level. The second illumination level is less than or equal to the first illumination level. The third illumination level is less than the second illumination level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle comprising:
a daytime running light device;
a light beam device; and
a drive device operable to drive an illumination level of the daytime running light device, wherein:
the drive device is operable to drive the daytime running light device so as to have a first illumination level with the light beam device switched off,
the drive device is operable to drive the daytime running light device so as to have a second illumination level with the light beam device switched on and,
the drive device is operable to drive the daytime running light device so as to have a third illumination level with the light beam device switched on with poor weather conditions,

wherein light beam device is a low-beam device, a high-beam device, or a low- and high-beam device,
wherein the second illumination level is less than or equal to the first illumination level, and
wherein the third illumination level is less than the second illumination level.

2. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second illumination level is less than the first illumination level.

3. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the third illumination level is different than zero.

4. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the third illumination level is zero.

5. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the drive device is configured to generate or receive a signal that signals a poor weather condition and to assess a poor weather condition as present when the signal is present.

6. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein the signal that signals the poor weather condition is a signal of at least one of an actuated wiper, an actuated rear fog lamp, and an actuated fog lamp.

7. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein the drive device is configured to receive a signal from a sensor which identifies rain, snowfall, fog or comparable weather conditions and to generate the signal that signals a poor weather condition.

8. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 7 , wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

9. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the optical sensor is a camera-based sensor.

10. The lighting apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein the drive device receives the signal that signals the poor weather condition from a different device present in the motor vehicle that generates the signal if it identities a poor weather condition.

11. A method for operating a lighting apparatus, the method comprising:
driving an illumination level of a daytime running light device using a drive device so as to:
drive the daytime running light device at a first illumination level when a light beam device is switched off,
drive the daytime running light device at a second illumination level when the light beam device is switched on, and
drive the daytime running light device at a third illumination level when the light beam device is switched on and there are poor weather conditions,

wherein light beam device is a low-beam device, a high-beam device, or a low- and high-beam device,
wherein, the second illumination level is less than or equal to the first illumination level, and
wherein the third illumination level is less than the second illumination level.

Assignees

• Porsche Ag

Inventors

• Heimpel Peter

Classifications

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B47/175

  by remote control · CPC title

• H05B47/105

  in response to determined parameters · CPC title

• B60Q1/2603 Primary

  Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps · CPC title

• H05B47/10 Primary

  Controlling the light source · CPC title