Vehicle Interior Light Configured to Color Correct and Method Thereof

• US 20120043888A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Singer, Jeffrey, Gardner, Cornel Lewis, Igoe, Denis Patrick, Lovejoy, Megan
• Application Number:
  US12/858,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20120043888A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/54 Lighting devices embedded in interior trim, e.g. in roof liners
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

An interior light in a vehicle and method of compensating for a change of color of emitted light are provided. The interior light includes a circuit board configured to be attached to a roof support structure of the vehicle, an at least partially transparent material proximate to the circuit board and attached to the roof support structure, wherein the at least partially transparent material changes a perceived color and of light propagating there-through, and at least one light source electrically connected to the circuit board, such that the at least one light source is between the circuit board and the at least partially transparent material, wherein the at least one light source is configured to emit light that propagates through the at least partially transparent material, and further configured to compensate for the change of the color and the intensity of light propagating through the at least partially transparent material.

Claims

1. An interior light in a vehicle, said interior light comprising:

a circuit board configured to be attached to a roof support structure of the vehicle;

an at least partially transparent material proximate to said circuit board and attached to the roof support structure, wherein said at least partially transparent material changes a perceived color of light propagating there-through; and

at least one light source electrically connected to said circuit board, such that said at least one light source is between said circuit board and said at least partially transparent material, wherein said at least one light source is configured to emit light that propagates through said at least partially transparent material, and further configured to compensate for said change of said color of light propagating through said at least partially transparent material.

2. The interior light of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

3. The interior light of claim 2, wherein said at least one light source compensates for said change of said color by shifting LED bins as a function of attenuation characteristics of said at least partially transparent material.

4. The interior light of claim 3, wherein said LED bin shift comprises shifting from a W bin to a Y bin.

5. The interior light of claim 2, wherein said at least one LED comprises a plurality of red, green, and blue LEDs, and said light emitted from said red, green, and blue LEDs is controlled to blend said emitted light as a function of attenuation characteristics of said at least partially transparent material.

6. The interior light of claim 2, wherein said at least one LED is a red, green, and blue (RGB) LED, and said light emitted from said RGB LED is controlled to blend said emitted light as a function of attenuation characteristics of said at least partially transparent material.

7. The interior light of claim 1, wherein said at least one light source comprises a filter configured to compensate for said change of said color of said emitted light propagating through said at least partially transparent material.

8. The interior light of claim 1, wherein said at least partially transparent material is a headliner fabric.

9. The interior light of claim 8 being a hidden dome lamp.

10. A method of compensating for a change of color of light emitted from a hidden dome lamp in a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:

emitting light from at least one light source;

propagating said emitted light through an at least partially transparent headliner fabric, wherein said at least partially transparent headliner fabric attenuates said emitted light propagating there-through, such that a perceived color of said emitted light is changed;

configuring said at least one light source to compensate for said change of said color of light propagating through said at least partially transparent headliner fabric.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one light source comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of configuring said at least one light source comprises:

shifting LED bins as a function of attenuation characteristics of said at least partially transparent headliner fabric.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of shifting LED bins comprises:

shifting from a W bin to a Y bin.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of configuring said at least one light source comprises:

providing said at least one LED comprising a plurality of red, green, and blue LEDs, and said light emitted from said red, green, and blue LEDs is controlled to blend said emitted light as a function of attenuation characteristics of said at least partially transparent headliner fabric.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of configuring said at least one light source comprises:

providing said at least one LED that is a red, green, and blue (RGB) LED, and said light emitted from said RGB LED is controlled to blend said emitted light as a function of attenuation characteristics of said at least partially transparent headliner fabric.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of configuring said at least one light source comprises:

providing said at least one light source that comprises a filter configured to compensate for said change of said color of said emitted light propagating through said at least partially transparent headliner fabric.

17. A hidden dome lamp in a vehicle comprising:

an at least partially transparent headliner fabric that changes a perceived color of light propagating there-through; and

at least one LED emits light that propagates through said fabric, wherein said LED is configured to compensate for said change in color of light propagating through said fabric.

18. The hidden dome lamp of claim 17, wherein said LED compensates for said change in color by shifting LED bins as a function of attenuation characteristics of said fabric.

19. The hidden dome lamp of claim 17, wherein said LED comprises at least one of a red, green, and blue LED and a plurality of red, green, and blue LEDs, wherein said RGB light is blended as a function of attenuation characteristics of said fabric.

20. The hidden dome lamp of claim 17, wherein said LED comprises a filter configured to compensate for said change in color of said emitted light propagating through said at least partially transparent material.