Vehicle lighting assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9896020-B2
Application number	US-201615161635-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	May 23, 2016
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A lighting assembly for a vehicle is provided herein. The lighting assembly includes first and second sets of light sources disposed on a bumper of the vehicle. A photoluminescent structure is disposed on the lighting assembly and configured to luminesce in response to excitation by the first or second sets of light sources. A detection system is configured to detect an object disposed proximately to the vehicle. The first or second set of light sources illuminate upon the detection of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a lighting assembly including first and second sets of light sources disposed on a bumper of the vehicle, the first or second set of light sources configured to excite a photoluminescent structure disposed on the lighting assembly;
a detection system configured to detect an object proximate the vehicle; and
a controller that selectively activates the first set and second set of light sources in various geometric patterns upon detection of the object.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the detection system includes a plurality of cameras configured to monitor one or more blind spots disposed around the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first set of light sources emit a first excitation light of a first wavelength and the second set of light sources emit a second excitation light of a second wavelength.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of light sources include LED sources dispersed in a printed LED arrangement.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the photoluminescent structure includes at least one photoluminescent material therein configured to convert an excitation light received from at least one of the first and second sets of light sources into a visible converted light.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lighting assembly illuminates a corresponding area proximate to the vehicle when the detection system detects an object proximately disposed to the vehicle and a vehicle transmission is in gear.

7. The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the lighting assembly illuminates in a first color when the vehicle is above a threshold speed and a second color when the vehicle slows to below the threshold speed.

8. A lighting assembly, comprising:
a light-producing assembly on a vehicle bumper having a first, a second, and a third set of light sources therein; and
a photoluminescent structure disposed on the light-producing assembly and configured to luminesce in response to excitation by the first, the second, and the third set of light sources of the light-producing assembly, wherein each respective set of light sources independently illuminates based on a pre-defined sensor event, wherein the first, the second, and the third set of light sources each independently illuminate in pre-defined geometric shapes to alert an approaching vehicle of a vehicle state.

9. The lighting assembly for a vehicle panel of claim 8 , further comprising a controller for selectively activating one or more light sources disposed within the light-producing assembly.

10. The lighting assembly for a vehicle panel of claim 8 , wherein the light-producing assembly includes LED sources dispersed in a printed LED arrangement.

11. The lighting assembly for a vehicle panel of claim 10 , further comprising:
a detection system disposed on a vehicle, wherein the first set of light sources is illuminated when the detection system fails to detect an object within a sensor's field of view and the second set of light sources is illuminated when an object is detected within the sensor's field of view.

12. The lighting assembly for a vehicle panel of claim 8 , wherein the photoluminescent structure includes at least one photoluminescent material configured to perform an energy conversion on an excitation light received from at least a portion of the light-producing assembly into a visible, converted light.

13. A vehicle lighting assembly, comprising:
first and second light sources disposed on a bumper and configured to excite a photoluminescent structure disposed thereon;
a detection system including a sensor configured to detect an object proximate to a vehicle; and
a controller operably coupled with the first and second light sources and the detection system, the controller configured to illuminate the first and second light sources in various geometric patterns upon detection of the object.

14. The vehicle lighting assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first and second light sources include LED sources dispersed in a printed LED arrangement that are each configured to emit an excitation light.

15. The vehicle lighting assembly of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is a short-range sensor.

16. The vehicle lighting assembly of claim 13 , wherein the detection system includes a front long-range sensor, a rear long-range sensor, and a plurality of short range sensors disposed around an exterior portion of the vehicle.

17. The vehicle lighting assembly of claim 13 , wherein the sensor is a long-range sensor.

18. The vehicle lighting assembly of claim 13 , wherein the detection system further includes a camera operably coupled with the controller.

19. The vehicle lighting assembly of claim 18 , further comprising:
a video interface within the vehicle that is configured to show images from the camera, wherein the interface highlights an image if the sensor detects an object within a field of view of the camera.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Dellock Paul Kenneth
• Johnston Marla
• Salter Stuart C
• Danowski Christopher Anthony
• Rogers Jason C
• Buttolo Pietro

Classifications

• F21S43/16

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

• B60Q1/52

  for indicating emergencies · CPC title

• B60Q1/54

  for indicating speed {outside of the vehicle} · CPC title

• H05B45/20

  Controlling the colour of the light · CPC title

• H05B47/11

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