Headlights having one light source module for a high beam and a low beam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9863603-B2
Application number	US-201514933846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A high beam and a low beam is disclosed, the headlight including: a first light source unit; a second light source unit; a first light output unit; a second light output unit; and a controller configured to adjust a light quantity irradiated from the light source in response to a low beam mode or a high beam mode, and to control a beam output of the first light output unit and the second light output unit by allowing the first optical unit to be arranged selectively on a light path between the light source unit and the second optical unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headlight having one light source module for a high beam and a low beam, the headlight comprising:
a light source unit configured to irradiate a first beam having a characteristic of linearly polarized light;
a first optical unit configured to output as a second beam having a characteristic of a circularly polarized light or an elliptically polarized light when the first beam is incident;
a second optical unit configured to output the first beam directly incident from the light source unit to a first path by projecting the first beam, to output a first component of the second beam incident from the first optical unit to the first path by separating the second beam and projecting the first component, and to output a second component to a second path by reflecting the second component;
a first light output unit configured to output the beam provided from the first path to an outside;
a second light output unit configured to output the beam provided from the second path to an outside; and
a controller configured to adjust a light quantity irradiated from the light source unit in response to a low beam mode or a high beam mode, and to control a beam output of the first light output unit and the second light output unit by allowing the first optical unit to be arranged selectively on a light path between the light source unit and the second optical unit.

2. The headlight of claim 1 , wherein the first component of the second beam is a P-polarized beam and the second component of second beam is an S-polarized beam.

3. The headlight of claim 1 , wherein the light source unit includes one or more of laser diodes, HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps and LEDs.

4. The headlight of claim 3 , wherein the first optical unit is configured to output as a second beam having a characteristic of a circularly polarized light or an elliptically polarized light by passing the first beam of linearly polarized blue light oscillated from the laser diode.

5. The headlight of claim 1 , wherein the controller outputs a beam through the first light output unit and the second light output unit under a high beam mode, and output a beam only through the first light output unit in a low beam mode.

6. The headlight of claim 1 , wherein the second optical unit outputs the second component of the second beam to the second path by reflecting the second component of the second beam to a right angle direction of the incident direction.

7. The headlight of claim 1 , wherein the first optical unit is a ¼ wave plate.

8. The headlight of claim 7 , wherein the ¼ wave plate generates the circularly polarized light or the elliptically polarized light by adjusting a coating material, or adjusting an incident angle of polarization in response to adjustment of arrangement angle.

9. The headlight of claim 1 , wherein the second optical unit is a PDF (Polarization Dichroic Filter) or a PBS (Polarization Beam Splitter).

10. The headlight of claim 1 , further comprising a position adjuster configured to change an arrangement of the first optical unit in response to control of the controller to allow the first optical unit to be selectively arranged on the light path between the light source unit and the second optical unit.

11. A headlight having one light source module for a high beam and a low beam, the headlight comprising:
a light source unit;
a first optical unit configured to convert a light incident from the light source to a circularly polarized light or an elliptically polarized light and output the converted light;
a second optical unit configured to project the light incident from the light source unit, and to output the circularly polarized light or the elliptically polarized light by projecting or reflecting the circularly polarized light or the elliptically polarized light in response to polarization component;
a first light output unit configured to output the light projected from the second optical unit to an outside;
a second light output unit configured to output the light reflected from the second optical unit to an outside; and
a controller configured to adjust a light quantity irradiated from the light source in response to a low beam mode or a high beam mode, and to control a position of the first optical unit so as to allow the first optical unit to be arranged selectively on a light path between the light source unit and the second optical unit.

12. The headlight of claim 11 , wherein the second optical unit projects a P-polarized light and reflects an S-polarized light.

13. The headlight of claim 11 , wherein the light source unit includes one or more of laser diodes, HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps and LEDs.

14. The headlight of claim 13 , wherein the first optical unit is configured to output a linearly polarized blue light oscillated from the laser diode by converting the linearly polarized blue light to a circularly polarized light or an elliptically polarized light while allowing the linearly polarized blue light to pass.

15. The headlight of claim 11 , wherein the controller controls in a manner such that the first optical unit is positioned on a light path of the light source unit and the second optical unit under the high beam mode.

16. The headlight of claim 11 , wherein the controller controls in a manner such that the first optical unit is not positioned on a light path between the light source unit and the second optical unit under the low beam mode.

17. The headlight of claim 12 , wherein the second optical unit outputs the S-polarized light to the second light output unit by reflecting the S polarized light to a right angle direction.

18. The headlight of claim 11 , wherein the first optical unit is a ¼ wave plate.

19. The headlight of claim 18 , wherein the ¼ wave plate generates the circularly polarized light or the elliptically polarized light by adjusting a coating material, or adjusting an incident angle of polarization in response to adjustment of arrangement angle.

20. The headlight of claim 11 , wherein the second optical unit is a PDF (Polarization Dichroic Filter) or a PBS (Polarization Beam Splitter).

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Oh Hong Lyeol
• Park Jun

Classifications

• F21S41/176

  Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element · CPC title

• F21S41/172

  High-intensity discharge light sources · CPC title

• F21S41/153

  arranged in a matrix · CPC title

• F21W2102/13

  for high-beam region or low-beam region · CPC title

• F21S41/37

  characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings · CPC title