Vehicle-based lighting control

• US 10,201,062 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2018
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Arndt, Christoph, Gussen, Uwe, Stefan, Frederic, Petri, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Jason
• Application Number:
  US15/928,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20180279453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

Infrastructure lighting is controlled from a vehicle. Wireless communication exists between the vehicle and at least one light source of the infrastructure lighting. At least one device of the vehicle is functionally linked to the infrastructure lighting. Switching on a light source of the infrastructure lighting is performed via wirelessly transmitting a first control command to the light source. Switching off the light source is performed via transmitting a second control command to the light source. A blinker is functionally linked to the light source such that activation of the blinker triggers the transmitting of the first control command to light source when vehicle headlights are switched on.

Claims

1. A method to operate a system having at least one vehicle for communicating with infrastructure lighting comprising:

switching on a light source of the infrastructure lighting via wirelessly transmitting a first control command to the light source; and

switching off the light source via transmitting a second control command to the light source,

wherein a blinker is functionally linked to the light source such that activation of the blinker triggers the transmitting of the first control command to light source responsive to vehicle headlights being switched on.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is a street lighting device that is switched on at a certain distance as the vehicle approaches.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein activation of the blinker switches on the light source on a branching street that branches off a present street with respect to a direction of the branching street.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is disposed along a bicycle path being switched on at a certain distance as the vehicle approaches.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising functionally linking a navigation device to the light source such that the light source is switched on at a certain distance of the vehicle from a programmed destination of the light source.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the light source is a street light arranged in a direction of the programmed destination to facilitate route guidance.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is lit in a temporal or individual pattern.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising switching on the light source in response to a triggered approach alarm.

9. A vehicle comprising:

a blinker functionally linked to a streetlight; and

a navigation device communicable with the blinker such that activation of the blinker transmits a first control command from the navigation device to the streetlight if vehicle headlights are switched on, wherein the first control command is transferred wirelessly from the navigation device to the streetlight to switch on the streetlight, and a second control command switches off the streetlight.

10. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first control command is transmitted at a distance as the vehicle approaches to switch on the streetlight.

11. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the streetlight is disposed on a branching street that intersects with a current street in a direction indicated by the blinker.

12. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the streetlight is disposed a bicycle path that is switched on via the first control command at a certain distance as the vehicle approaches.

13. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the navigation device is configured to switched on the streetlight being a certain distance from a destination.

14. The vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first control command activated the streetlight in a temporal and individual pattern.

15. A vehicle lighting system comprising:

a navigation device communicable with a blinker and headlights such that, if the headlights are switched on, activation of the blinker transmits a first control command from the navigation device to a streetlight disposed on a street extending in a direction indicated by the blinker, wherein the first control command is transferred wirelessly from the navigation device to the streetlight to switch on the streetlight, and a second control command switches off the streetlight.

16. The vehicle lighting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first control command is transmitted at a distance as the vehicle approaches to switch on the streetlight.

17. The vehicle lighting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the streetlight is disposed a bicycle path that is switched on via the first control command at a certain distance as the vehicle approaches.

18. The vehicle lighting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the navigation device is configured to switched on the streetlight being a certain distance from a destination.

19. The vehicle lighting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first control command activates the streetlight in a temporal and individual pattern.

20. The vehicle lighting system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first control command is transmitted in response to a triggered approach alarm.