LIGHT SOURCE FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE HEADLIGHT WITH ADAPTIVE FUNCTION

• US 20140029281A1
• Filed: 07/23/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: SUCKLING, James Rowland, MONTGOMERY, David James, MITCHELL, Sarah Anne, TAKAHASHI, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 9,200,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/510
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/04 the devices being headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/14 the elements being filters or photoluminescent elements, reflectors and refractors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/30 Elements containing photoluminescent material distinct from or spaced from the light source shades F21V1/17; globes, bowls or cover glasses F21V3/08, F21V3/12; refractors F21V5/10; reflectors F21V7/26, F21V7/30; elements with provision for controlling the spectral properties or intensity F21V9/40

Abstract

A light source system operable in at least first and second modes to provide at least and first and second different far field illumination patterns, the system comprising: a photoluminescent material; and a light beam generator for generating, in the first mode, a first set of light beams for illuminating respective first regions of the photoluminescent material and for generating, in the second mode, a second set of light beams for illuminating respective second regions of the photoluminescent material, the first and second sets of light beams being independently controllable. In the first mode, the light beam generator generates the first set of light beams such that a first beam of the first set of light beams illuminates a first illumination region of the photoluminescent material having one side that is inclined with respect to another side of the illumination region.

Claims

1. A light source system operable in at least first and second modes to provide at least and first and second different far field illumination patterns, the system comprising:

a photoluminescent material; and

a light beam generator for generating, in the first mode, a first set of one or more light beams for illuminating respective first regions of the photoluminescent material and for generating, in the second mode, a second set of one or more light beams for illuminating respective second regions of the photoluminescent material, the first and second sets of one or more light beams being independently controllable;

wherein in the first mode, the light beam generator generates the first set of one or more light beams such that the beam, or a first beam, of the first set of light beams illuminates a first illumination region of the photoluminescent material having one side that is inclined with respect to another side of the illumination region.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein, in the second mode, the light beam generator generates the second set of one or more light beams such that the beam, or at least one beam, of the second set of light beams illuminates a second region of the photoluminescent material having one side that is inclined with respect to another side of the region, the inclined side of the second illumination region being crossed with the inclined side of the first illumination region of the first mode.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second illumination region of the second mode is substantially a mirror image of the first illumination region of the first mode.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 and operable in a third mode to provide a third far field illumination patterns different from the first and second far field illumination patterns.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein, in the third mode, the light beam generator generates a third set of light beams for illuminating respective regions of the photoluminescent material, the third set of light beams illuminating the first illumination region and the second illumination region.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the first mode, the light beam generator generates the first set of one or more light beams such that the first illumination region on the photoluminescent material has first and third sides that are inclined with respect to a second side of the region.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein, in the second mode, the light beam generator generates the second set of one or more light beams such that the first illumination region is not illuminated by the second set of light beams.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the light beam generator is adapted to generate light beams that illuminate respective regions of the photoluminescent material having first and third sides that are inclined with respect to a second side, a first group of said light beams being included in the first set of light beams generated in the first mode and a second, different group of said light beams being included in the second set of light beams generated in the second mode.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first and third sides of said regions having first and third sides that are inclined with respect to a second side are generally parallel to one another.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said regions having first and third sides that are inclined with respect to a second side further have a fourth side that is generally parallel to the second side.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8 where the regions having first and third sides that are inclined with respect to a second side are adjacent to one another.

12. A system as claimed in claim 8 where the regions having first and third sides that are inclined with respect to a second side are arranged such that the second sides of the regions are substantially co-linear with one another.

13. A system as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising an optical system arranged to image light emitted from the photoluminescent material into the far field, the optical system including a reflector and a projection lens, the reflector being arranged to reflect light emitted by the photoluminescent material towards the projection lens.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein an extent, perpendicular to an optical axis of the light source system, of the reflector is greater than an extent, perpendicular to an optical axis of the light source system, of the projection lens.

15. A light source system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the areas of regions of the photoluminescent material illuminated by respective light beams vary over the area of the photoluminescent material.

16. A light source system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shapes of regions of the photoluminescent material illuminated by respective light beams vary over the area of the photoluminescent material.

17. A light source system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light beam generator is adapted to generate an additional set of one or more light beams for illuminating respective additional regions of the photoluminescent material co-located with one or more first regions or one or more second regions of the photoluminescent material.

18. A light source system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the additional regions of the photoluminescent material define one or more alpha-numeric characters.

19. A headlight for a motor vehicle comprising a light source system as defined in claim 1.

20. A vehicle comprising a headlight as defined in claim 19.