Lighting system for use in vehicle cabin

• US 5,254,907 A
• Filed: 09/18/1991
• Issued: 10/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanabe, Yoshinori, Shigeta, Teruaki, Matsuno, Yoshio, Matsui, Hitoshi, Okamura, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, SON T
• Application Number:
  US07/761,052
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/84, 315/157, 315/158, 315/159, 315/291, 307/10.1, 307/10.8, 362/75, 362/83.3, 362/276, 362/80
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/217 Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

A lighting system for use in a vehicle cabin comprises a first lamp arranged to a roof, a second lamp arranged to a seat, and a third lamp arranged to a door. A demand is generated for providing a predetermined information to a passenger when getting out, and the first, second and third lamps are turned on in response to this demand.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a lighting system for use in a cabin of a vehicle on a road, the vehicle having a seat, a roof, a floor, a door and a seat occupant, the lighting system including a first lamp arranged to the roof, a second lamp arranged to the seat and a third lamp arranged to the door, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a demand for providing a predetermined information to the seat occupant, controlling by means of a plurality of sensors and an arithmetic circuit, luminance of the first, second and third lamps to obtain a gradual increase in brightness in order of the seat, the floor and the road; and

sequentially turning on the first lamp, the second lamp and the third lamp in response to said demand.

2. A method of controlling a lighting system for use in a cabin of a vehicle on a road, the vehicle having a seat, a roof, a floor, a door and a seat occupant, the lighting system including a first lamp arranged to the roof, a second lamp arranged to the seat, and a third lamp arranged to the door, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a demand for providing a predetermined information to the seat occupant; and

turning on the first lamp, the second lamp and the third lamp in response to said demand in such a manner as to obtain a gradual increase in brightness in order of the seat, the floor and the road.