APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DIMMING FUNCTION TO CONTROL LED INTENSITY

• US 20080192499A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gardner, Cornel, Westby, Marion, Chinavare, James, Desjarlais, Frank, Fisher, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,540,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/488
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/85 for manual control of the light, e.g. of colour, orientation or intensity

Abstract

In one non-limiting embodiment, a system is provided for controlling interior lighting in a vehicle. The system is adapted to project a preselected color of light selected by user from a plurality of colors. The system generally includes one or more light emitting devices arrangements, a color selection device and a controller. The one or more lighting arrangements are positioned throughout the vehicle and capable of projecting the plurality of colors of light. The color selection device is configured to generate a signal. The controller is operable to present one or more pulse width modulated (PWM) signals which correspond to the preselected color of light to the lighting arrangements in response to the signal.

Claims

1. A system for controlling interior lighting in a vehicle and the system being adapted to project a preselected color of light selected by user from a plurality of colors, the system comprising:

one or more lighting arrangements positioned throughout the vehicle and capable of projecting the plurality of colors of light;

a color selection device configured to generate a signal; and

a controller operable to present one or more pulse width modulated (PWM) signals which correspond to the preselected color of light to the lighting arrangements in response to the signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of colors of light includes one or more base colors and one or more additional colors, the one or more additional colors are derived from combining the one or more base colors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each PWM signal includes a predetermined duty cycle rate that corresponds to each preselected color of light.

4. The system of claim 3, includes a memory operable to store values that correspond to the predetermined duty cycle rates needed to produce the preselected color of light.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a dimmer switch operable to present a first signal which corresponds to an intensity of the preselected color of light and the controller is configured to control the intensity of the preselected color of light in response to the first signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more lighting arrangements are positioned in a first portion of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a first interior lighting arrangement projecting a first color of light for providing additional lighting in the interior of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first interior lighting arrangement is positioned in a second portion of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a dimmer switch configured to generate a second signal that corresponds to an intensity level of the first color of light and the preselected color of light and the controller is configured to adjust the intensity of the preselected color of light at the same rate the intensity of the first color of light is adjusted in response to the second signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each lighting arrangement includes:

one or more lighting devices configured to emit the preselected color of light;

a circuit board adapted to support the one or more lighting devices;

a foam spacer configured to prevent liquid from contacting the one or more lighting devices;

a lens configured to direct the preselected color of light in a particular orientation;

a bezel adapted to support the lens and coupled to the housing; and

a housing configured to support the circuit board and the bezel.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes one or more switching devices configured to generate the one or more PWM signals and each PWM signal includes a predetermined duty cycle rate that corresponds to each preselected color of light.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller includes a non-volatile memory having a look up table configured to store values that correspond to predetermined duty cycle rates.

13. A method for controlling interior lighting in a vehicle to project a preselected color of light from a plurality of colors selected by a user, the method comprising:

positioning one or more lighting arrangements throughout the vehicle, the lighting arrangements being capable of projecting the plurality of colors of light;

generating a signal; and

presenting one or more pulse width modulated (PWM) signals which correspond to the preselected color of light to the lighting arrangements in response to the signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of colors of light includes one or more base colors and one or more additional colors derived from combining the one or more base colors.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein each PWM signal includes a predetermined duty cycle rate that corresponds to the preselected color of light.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the predetermined duty cycle rates needed to produce the preselected color of light.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling an intensity of the preselected color of light.

18. A system for controlling interior lighting in a vehicle and the system being adapted to project a preselected color of light from a plurality of colors selected by a user, the system comprising:

one or more lighting arrangements positioned throughout the vehicle and capable of projecting the plurality of colors of light;

a color selection device configured to generate a signal; and

a controller operable to present one or more pulse width modulated (PWM) signals having predetermined duty cycle rates which correspond to the preselected color of light to the lighting arrangements in response to the signal.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a dimmer switch operable to present a first signal which corresponds to an intensity of the preselected color of light and the controller is configured to control the intensity of the preselected color of light in response to the first signal.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein each lighting arrangement includes:

one or more lighting devices configured to emit the preselected color of light based on the predetermined duty cycle rates;

a circuit board adapted to support the one or more lighting devices;

a foam spacer configured to prevent liquid from contacting the one or more lighting devices;

a housing configured to support the circuit board;

a lens configured to direct the preselected color of light in a particular orientation; and

a bezel adapted to support the lens and coupled to the housing.