Device for controlling lighting, more especially inside the passenger compartments of vehicles and control , method therefor

• US 20060044800A1
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gerd Reime
• Original Assignee: Gerd Reime
• Inventors: Reime, Gerd
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/276
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/85 for manual control of the light, e.g. of colour, orientation or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2106/00 Interior vehicle lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/085 by touch control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• 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 device for controlling lighting, especially inside the passenger compartments of vehicles, including at least one light source and at least one sensor which influences the light source and which detects at least the movement of a body within the active range of the sensor. A control unit, which is used to control the light source according to a sensor signal provided by a sensor, is associated with the light source. Control means, which are controlled by the control unit, track the light from the at least one light source according to a sensor signal corresponding to the position of the body. The invention also relates to a method for controlling the device.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. Device for controlling lighting, for the interiors of automotive vehicles, the device comprising:

at least one light source;

at least one sensor which influences the light source and detects at least the movement of a body or of a part of the body within an active region of the sensor; and

a control unit associated with the light source for controlling the light source in dependence on a sensor signal supplied by the sensor by means of control means, which tracks the light of the light source in dependence on a sensor signal, the sensor signal corresponding at least to a position of the body, indicating movement of the body;

wherein the sensor includes means for recognizing a movement pattern of the body;

wherein means are provided for generating a sensor signal in dependence on the movement pattern;

wherein, on account of the sensor signal, the control means tracks the light to the movement of the body in terms of amplitude and, where applicable dependent on direction.

33. Device according to claim 32, wherein the sensor includes optoelectronic elements for non-image recognition of the movement pattern.

34. Device according to claim 33, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor, the optical sensor disposed inside the controlling device.

35. Device according to claim 32, wherein the light source is formed by an LED or by a plurality of LEDs disposed in rows.

36. Device according to claim 32, wherein the light source is formed by at least one LED, which is at least partially a part of an optical sensor unit adapted to be the sensor.

37. Device according to claim 32, wherein there are several light sources provided which are nested together with respect to their direction of radiation.

38. Device according to claim 32, wherein the sensor detects the position and/or proximity of the body in a three-dimensional manner.

39. Device according to claim 32, wherein the light source includes lighting means, which work in various directions, and wherein the control means partially activate the lighting means for tracking in a direction of the detected body.

40. Device according to claim 32, wherein a motor is associated with the light source, the control means controlling said motor for tracking the light source in a direction of the detected body.

41. Device according to claim 32, wherein an intensity control is provided for regulating intensity of the light emitted from the light source, said intensity control responding when the body approaches the active region of the sensor and exceeds a predetermined value, and controlling the light source at least at partial output when the predetermined value is exceeded.

42. Device according to claim 41, wherein the intensity control controls output of the light source in such a manner that the intensity increases to maximum output when the body moves away and decreases to a minimum value or until it is deactivated when the body continues to approach the sensor.

43. Device according to claim 32, wherein an indicating device for acoustic acknowledgement is provided with at least one sound or acoustic pattern.

44. Method for controlling a device for controlling lighting, more especially for the interiors of automotive vehicles,

supplying a sensor signal by a sensor;

generating a control signal in a control unit in dependence on the sensor signal, the control unit associated with a light source and the control signal controlling at least one light source;

detecting at least movement of a body or of a part of the body in an active region of the sensor; and

control means tracking the light source in dependence on a sensor signal of the movement of the body corresponding at least to position of the body;

wherein the sensor recognizes a movement pattern of the body;

wherein the sensor signal generated in dependence on the movement pattern in such a manner that the control means tracks light to the movement of the body in terms of amplitude and where applicable according to direction on account of the sensor signal.

45. Method according to claim 44, wherein the control means partially activates lighting means of the light source, working in different directions, for direction-dependent tracking in the direction of the detected body.

46. Method according to claim 44, wherein the control means controls a motor, associated with the light source, for direction-dependent tracking of the light source in the direction of the detected body.

47. Method according to claims 44, wherein when the body approaches the active sensor region of the sensor, the sensor being an optical sensor, associated with the light source, a value of positional detection deviates by more than a predetermined value from a central axis of a positional detection region, this is recognized as a movement pattern and light is activated in direction of the body or is deactivated.

48. Method according to claim 47, wherein the light direction determined by the positional detection of the body is retained if no more change in the position of the body is detected.

49. Method according to claim 44, wherein the sensor detects proximity of and the position of the body in a three-dimensional manner.

50. Method according to claim 44, wherein an intensity control responds when the body approaching the active sensor region is recognized as a movement pattern and the sensor signal exceeds a predetermined value, and the light source is operating with at least partial output when the predetermined value is exceeded.

51. Method according to claim 50, wherein the intensity control continues to control an output of the light source in such a manner that when the body moves away intensity increases to maximum output and when the body continues to approach the sensor the intensity decreases to a minimum value or respectively until it is deactivated.

52. Method according to claim 51, wherein the output decreases to the minimum value on the first approach and is only deactivated if the approach continues.

53. Method according to claim 44, wherein when a predetermined distance between the body and the sensor is exceeded, a current direction of operation is fixed.

54. Method according to claim 44, wherein the sensor recognizes a movement pattern and the control means controls the device by way of this movement pattern, the control comprising:

activating the light source with at least partial intensity as a result of the body approaching;

increasing the intensity and directing at the same time the light in the direction of the body as a result of the body moving away; and

retaining the intensity of the light in a desired position as the body continuously moves away.

55. Method according to claim 44, wherein the sensor recognizes approaching of the body for deactivating the device and where a predetermined distance between the body and the sensor is fallen below and when the body continues to approach, said distance corresponding to a maximum of the active region of the sensor, the light source is gradually turned down or regulated down until the light source is extinguished, where applicable when the body makes repeated approaches.

56. Method according to claim 44, wherein where the body makes a movement in the active region of the sensor at a constant distance from the sensor, the light is tracked in a direction-dependent manner at constant intensity.

57. Method according to claim 44, wherein for gradual tracking of light intensity, the control unit, proceeding from a condition at predetermined intensity with a predetermined position of the body, either changes the intensity in one direction if the body continues to approach, or changes it in the another direction if the body continues to move away, and in that obtained intensity is retained at least until a new movement is made past the obtained intensity.

58. Method according to claim 57, wherein below a predetermined intensity, the light is only reducible until the light source is deactivated.