Vehicle apparatus for charging photoluminescent utilities

• US 10,075,013 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Huebner, Annette Lynn, Hellman, Kristin Ann, Surman, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US15/259,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20180069426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 320101, 362 84, 362487
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/16 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/18 for varying the light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/225 Small compartments, e.g. glove compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/35 Portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/00 Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/06 mounted on or below dashboards
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A vehicle charging compartment is disclosed. The compartment comprises a charging device comprising a plurality of light sources configured to emit a charging emission. The light sources are disposed on an interior surface formed by the compartment. A controller is configured to selectively illuminate the charging device in response to an environmental condition and a vehicle fault communicated to the controller.

Claims

1. A vehicle charging compartment comprising:

a charging device comprising a plurality of light sources configured to emit a charging emission and disposed on an interior surface formed by the compartment; and

a controller configured to selectively illuminate the charging device in response to an environmental condition and a vehicle fault communicated to the controller.

2. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 1, wherein the light sources are distributed on the interior surface to consistently illuminate a volume enclosed by the compartment.

3. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 1, wherein the charging emission comprises a wavelength of light configured to charge a photoluminescent material of an article disposed in the compartment.

4. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to monitor the environmental condition in communication with the controller.

5. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 4, wherein the sensor corresponds to at least one of a light sensor and a rain sensor.

6. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to activate the charging device in response to an indication of the vehicle fault condition and the light sensor indicating that the ambient light proximate the vehicle is less than a brightness threshold.

7. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 1, wherein the compartment is configured to receive an article comprising a persistent photoluminescent material.

8. A vehicle charging compartment comprising:

a charging device comprising a plurality of light sources configured to emit a charging emission and disposed on an interior surface formed by the compartment;

a light sensor configured to monitor an ambient light proximate the vehicle; and

a controller configured to selectively illuminate the charging device in response to a vehicle fault communicated to the controller and the ambient light being less than a brightness threshold.

9. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 8, further comprising an access door configured to provide access to an interior volume of the compartment.

10. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 9, further comprising a door sensor in communication with the controller and configured to identify a closed status of the access door.

11. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control the activation of the charging device to only activate when the closed status is indicated by the door sensor.

12. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 8, wherein the vehicle fault condition corresponds to at least one of a tire inflation warning, an engine fault, a remote start indication, and a collision detection.

13. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 8, further comprising a reflective coating applied to the interior surface.

14. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 13, wherein the reflective coating is configured to reflect the charging emission.

15. The vehicle charging compartment according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control the charging device to emit the charging emission for a predetermined time.

16. A method for controlling a charging apparatus comprising:

detecting a control signal identifying a vehicle operating state;

identifying a closure status of an access door of a storage compartment; and

activating a light source to emit a charging emission in response to the closure status and the control signal, wherein the charging emission is configured to charge a photoluminescent material disposed in the storage compartment.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

monitoring an activation time of the light source.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

deactivating the light source after a predetermined time, wherein the predetermined time corresponds to a charging period of the photoluminescent material.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

identifying a light condition of an environment proximate the vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to suppress the activating of the light source in response to the light condition exceeding a minimum brightness threshold.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the control signal corresponding to the environmental condition is received from a rain sensor.