Illuminated vehicle badge

• US 10,321,550 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• 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:
  US16/040,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20180332694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 that includes one or more light sources emanating emitted light through a viewable portion. The badge also includes a controller configured to adjust at least one of an intensity or a color of the emitted light. An electric current signal value is independently output to each of the one or more light sources and is configured to alter the intensity or the color of emitted light from the one or more light sources in a linearly perceived illumination pattern.

Claims

1. A vehicle badge comprising:

one or more light sources emanating emitted light through a viewable portion;

a controller configured to adjust at least one of an intensity or a color of the emitted light, wherein an electric current signal value is independently output to each of the one or more light sources and is configured to alter the intensity or the color of emitted light from the one or more light sources in a linearly perceived illumination pattern; and

at least one driver circuit operably coupled to the one or more light sources, and one of a logarithmic and an exponential amplifier disposed at an output of the at least one driver circuit.

2. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to the number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:

3. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to a number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:

e^kL−

1

where k is equal to a scaling coefficient that is determined by a number of desired parameters stored within the lookup table, L is a number of predefined intensity levels, and e is Euler'"'"'s number.

4. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller increases the intensity of light emitted from each light source sequentially through each electric current signal value when the intensity of the one or more light sources is increased.

5. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the light intensity of emitted light from the one or more light sources emitted is varied over time.

6. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources are disposed between a housing and a substrate.

7. The vehicle badge of claim 6, wherein the badge further comprises:

a decorative layer disposed between an exterior surface of the housing and the one or more light sources.

8. The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller illuminates the one or more light sources at a predefined number of intensity levels that is less than a maximum electric current signal value.

9. The vehicle badge of claim 8, wherein a range of intensity levels of each color output from the one or more light sources correlates to the same number of the light intensity levels.

10. A vehicle badge comprising:

one or more light sources configured to emit light through a viewable portion;

a controller configured to linearly adjust amongst varying color hues emitted from the one or more light sources; and

a decorative layer disposed in front of the one or more light sources configured to control or modify an appearance of a viewable portion, wherein a predefined set of intensity levels are stored on the controller and wherein a predefined color space to determine a color of light emitted from the one or more light sources is also stored on the controller.

11. The vehicle badge of claim 10, wherein the color and intensity of light emitted from the one or more light sources are sequentially increased such that the intensity of light emitted from the one or more light sources is emitted in a linear pattern.

12. The vehicle badge of claim 10, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to the number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:

13. A vehicle badge comprising:

a light source emanating emitted light through a viewable portion; and

a controller configured to adjust an intensity of the emitted light, wherein an electric current signal value is output to the light source to alter the intensity of emitted light from the light source in a linearly perceived illumination pattern, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to a number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship;

e^kL−

1

where k is equal to a scaling coefficient that is determined by a number of desired parameters stored within the lookup table, L is a number of predefined intensity levels, and e is Euler'"'"'s number.

14. The vehicle badge of claim 13, wherein the variance between the current signal values is smaller at lower intensity levels and larger at higher intensity levels.

15. The vehicle badge of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to linearly adjust the emitted light of the light source amongst varying color hues emitted from the one or more light sources.

16. The vehicle badge of claim 13, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to the number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship: