Ambient light based illumination control
First Claim
1. An illumination control system for a motor vehicle for controlling headlamps and instrument panel lighting of the motor vehicle, the control system comprising:
- an ambient light sensor providing an ambient light signal responsive to a range of ambient lighting conditions including a night range associated with nighttime driving conditions, a day range associated with bright driving conditions, and a transition range between the night and day ranges, and a control module providing a headlamp control signal for controlling lighting of the headlamps and further providing an instrument panel control signal for controlling the lighting of the instrument panel to vary the intensity of the lighting of the instrument panel from a low level when the ambient light signal is in the night range, and a high level when the ambient light signal is in the day range, and varying the lighting of the instrument panel when the ambient light signal is in the transition range over a plurality of illumination levels between the high and low levels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An ambient light based illumination control system for motor vehicles. The system incorporates an ambient light sensor and provides control signals for controlling headlamp illumination and illumination of interior instrument panel lighting. The control system provides a variation of intensities for instrument panel lighting in transient ambient light conditions. The system may further be integrated into systems including navigation displays or other vehicle displays to provide adjustments for such displays in response to varying ambient light levels.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An illumination control system for a motor vehicle for controlling headlamps and instrument panel lighting of the motor vehicle, the control system comprising:
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an ambient light sensor providing an ambient light signal responsive to a range of ambient lighting conditions including a night range associated with nighttime driving conditions, a day range associated with bright driving conditions, and a transition range between the night and day ranges, and a control module providing a headlamp control signal for controlling lighting of the headlamps and further providing an instrument panel control signal for controlling the lighting of the instrument panel to vary the intensity of the lighting of the instrument panel from a low level when the ambient light signal is in the night range, and a high level when the ambient light signal is in the day range, and varying the lighting of the instrument panel when the ambient light signal is in the transition range over a plurality of illumination levels between the high and low levels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An illumination control system for a motor vehicle for controlling headlamps and instrument panel lighting of the motor vehicle, the control system comprising:
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an ambient light sensor providing an ambient light signal responsive to a range of ambient lighting conditions including a night range associated with nighttime driving conditions, a day range associated with bright driving conditions, and a transition range between the night and day ranges with a headlamps “
ON”
threshold established in the transition range,a control module receiving the ambient light signal and providing a headlamp “
ON”
control signal to illuminate the headlamps when the ambient light signal is in the night range or in the transition range and indicates an ambient light level below the headlamp “
ON”
threshold, and providing a headlamps “
OFF”
control signal to reduce the intensity of lighting of the headlamps when the ambient light signal is in the day range or in the transition range and indicates an ambient light level above the headlamp “
ON”
threshold, andthe control module further providing an instrument panel control signal for controlling the intensity of instrument panel lighting to vary the intensity of lighting of the instrument panel from a low level when the ambient light signal is in the night range, and a high level when the ambient light signal is in the day range, and varying the intensity of lighting of the instrument panel when the ambient light signal is in the transition range over a plurality of illumination levels between the high and low levels. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification