Method and device for controlling vehicle interior lighting
First Claim
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1. Method for controlling vehicle interior lighting, comprising the steps of:
- determining each of a plurality of lighting-relevant vehicle states by interrogating at least one state condition that can be interrogated;
monitoring the vehicle states and if one of the vehicle states is detected, activating a corresponding control process to turn the interior lighting on or off;
wherein the corresponding control processes to turn the interior lighting on or off each include a respective dimming process, wherein a lighting brightness during a certain time interval is variably set to a range between a maximum brightness and a zero brightness for each vehicle state, said respective dimming process for each vehicle state being determined by corresponding dimming parameters for each vehicle state, and includes variably setting values of said dimming parameters as a function of the vehicle state that is detected and that activates the corresponding control process.
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Abstract
A method and device for controlling vehicle interior lighting as a function of certain lighting-relevant states, in which the respective turning-on or turning-off process takes place with dimming. The dimming parameters, such as turning-on or turning-off dimming time or desired final brightness, are selected in advance as a function of the vehicle state that activated the control process, which permits a highly variable and situation-specific lighting control. The lighting control unit, depending on signals from a sensor group and according to a program stored in a program memory, controls a lighting device through a controllable switch.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. Method for controlling vehicle interior lighting, comprising the steps of:
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determining each of a plurality of lighting-relevant vehicle states by interrogating at least one state condition that can be interrogated; monitoring the vehicle states and if one of the vehicle states is detected, activating a corresponding control process to turn the interior lighting on or off; wherein the corresponding control processes to turn the interior lighting on or off each include a respective dimming process, wherein a lighting brightness during a certain time interval is variably set to a range between a maximum brightness and a zero brightness for each vehicle state, said respective dimming process for each vehicle state being determined by corresponding dimming parameters for each vehicle state, and includes variably setting values of said dimming parameters as a function of the vehicle state that is detected and that activates the corresponding control process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. Device for controlling vehicle interior lighting, comprising:
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a central lighting control unit with a program memory, said control unit including; means for determining each of a plurality of lighting-relevant vehicle states by interrogating at least one state condition that can be interrogated; means for monitoring the vehicle states; means for activating a corresponding control process if one of the vehicle states is detected to turn the interior lighting on or off, wherein the corresponding control processes to turn the interior lighting on or off each include respective dimming process, said activating means including means for variably setting a lighting brightness for each respective dimming process during a certain time interval to a range between a maximum brightness and a zero brightness, said dimming process for each vehicle state being determined by corresponding dimming parameters, and including means for variably setting values of said dimming parameters as a function of the vehicle state that is detected and that activates the corresponding control process; wherein said means for detecting includes a sensor group coupled to the central lighting control unit, the sensor group interrogating the state conditions for the lighting-relevant vehicle states, and producing output signals that are fed to the central lighting control unit; a lighting device coupled to the central lighting control unit; and a switch coupled between the central lighting control unit and the lighting device, and is controllable by the central lighting control unit for activating and deactivating the lighting device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification