Illuminated vehicle badge

• US 10,064,259 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Buttolo, Pietro, Salter, Stuart C., Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Surman, James J., Rankin, James Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Dedei K
• Application Number:
  US15/151,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0088 Details of electrical connections B60Q1/305 takes precedence; electrical connection of the light source itself F21S41/192, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2619 built in the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/005 Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/00 Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A vehicle badge is provided herein. The badge includes one or more light sources configured to illuminate in a pseudorandom sequence. Each respective light source illuminates in a first illumination sequence defined by a first set of parameters and a subsequent second illumination sequence defined by a second set of parameters. A controller is operably coupled with the light sources and has a counter therein. The counter determines the subsequent illumination sequence while the first illumination sequence occurs.

Claims

1. A vehicle badge comprising:

a plurality of light sources each configured to illuminate in a non-biased statistically distributed pseudorandom sequence between first and second subsequent illumination sequences; and

a controller operably coupled with the plurality of light sources and having a counter therein, the counter determining the subsequent illumination sequence while the first illumination sequence occurs based on a parameter defined by a base value that is generated from a sample taken from the counter.

2. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources are disposed between a housing and a substrate.

3. The vehicle badge of claim 2, further comprising:

a decorative layer disposed between an exterior surface of the housing and the plurality of light sources.

4. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein an activation state of the plurality of light sources is each independently controlled by a unique routine.

5. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the base value is compared to a predefined value in a lookup table, wherein an illumination parameter is output to the light source based on the predefined value of the lookup table.

6. The vehicle badge of claim 5, wherein one or more bits of the counter are masked to limit the number of illumination parameters.

7. The vehicle badge of claim 5, wherein an illumination start time of the plurality of light sources is the illumination parameter.

8. The vehicle badge of claim 5, wherein an illumination duration of the plurality of light sources is the illumination parameter.

9. The vehicle badge of claim 5, wherein an illumination color of the plurality of light sources is the illumination parameter.

10. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources are aligned and form a similar geometry with indicia defined within a housing disposed forwardly of the plurality of light sources.

11. A vehicle badge comprising:

a plurality of light sources each configured to illuminate in a non-biased statistically distributed pseudorandom sequence in a first illumination sequence and a second, subsequent illumination sequence; and

a controller operably coupled with the plurality of light sources and having a counter therein, wherein the counter determines the subsequent illumination sequence and additional sequences are flashed to the controller once said vehicle badge is attached to a vehicle.

12. A vehicle badge comprising:

a plurality of light sources each configured to illuminate in a non-biased statistically distributed pseudorandom sequence in a first illumination sequence and a subsequent second illumination, wherein each non-illuminated light source in the first illumination sequence has a generally equal probability to become illuminated in the second illumination sequence; and

a controller operably coupled with the plurality of light sources and having a counter configured to determine the subsequent illumination sequence.