Addressable vehicular lighting system

• US 6,491,420 B1
• Filed: 06/08/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Scifres, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/590,523
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 362/551, 362/552, 362/553, 362/554, 362/582, 362/583, 362/511, 362/540, 362/543, 362/544, 362/580, 362/294, 362/373, 362/800, 362/249, 362/545, 362/20, 362/230, 340/479, 340/468, 385/14, 356/4.01, 356/5.01
• US Class Current: 362/553
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0011 with light guides for distributing the light between several lighting or signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A vehicle with a plurality of individually addressable light sources, preferably semiconductor laser light sources or light emitting diodes, each of which produce a beam of light, are optically coupled to a fiber optic waveguide. The laser light sources are grouped together preferably at a single location within the vehicle for easy access and conveniently located within the vehicle. Fiber waveguides distally transmits the beams to the optical loads of the vehicle, including the brake lights, taillights, instrumentation lights and turn signals. Each fiber optic waveguide may be a single optical fiber, such as a multimode fiber, having a numerical aperture large enough to receive illumination from a plurality of light sources. In cases where some optical loads require a larger flux or brightness of light, such as vehicular headlights, which may greater than a single optic fiber can transmit, the waveguide may comprise of a bundle of optical fibers. Multiple light sources to a single optical output load allows switching to another operational light source or increase the intensity of remaining light sources should one light source fail. In this manner, the operational life of the vehicular lighting system is increased. Also disclosed is circuitry for operating applications of the system as well as illustrating the employment of color wavelength laser light sources.

Claims

1. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:

a semiconductor laser light source having a plurality of lasing segments each generating a beam;

excitation means for independently controlling each lasing segment

multiple beams from the lasing segments being coupled via at least one optical fiber to an optical load visible to observation means external of said vehicle including individuals located outside the vehicle;

said excitation means being activated by application of brakes of said vehicle producing a pulsed light output from a given lasing segment to the optical load providing a flashing light output therefrom maintained during a period of brake activation; and

said excitation means further activating another lasing segment in the event of failure of said given segment to thereby ensure reliable operation of the optical load.

2. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said pulsed light output has a pulse rate that is discernible to drivers of other vehicles.

3. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said pulsed light output has a pulse frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 30 Hz.

4. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said pulsed light output has a pulse frequency up to 1 GHz discernible by individuals outside the vehicle.

5. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said laser light source emits light having a red wavelength.

6. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said laser light source is a semiconductor laser diode.

7. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said excitation means increases a frequency of operation of said pulsed light output in response to an increase pressure applied to said vehicle brakes.

8. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said pulsed light output has a pulse frequency up to 1 GHz discernible by light detecting means external of the vehicle.

9. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said laser light source emits light having an infrared wavelength.

10. The vehicle light system of claim 1 wherein said laser light source is a semiconductor laser array.

11. A vehicular lighting system for a vehicle comprising:

a semiconductor laser source emitting light in the range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm;

said laser source being coupled to a multimode optical fiber;

said fiber carrying light from said laser source to an optical load on said vehicle; and

said laser source having multiple monolithic lasing emitters which are emitting light at different wavelengths within the same color spectrum to provide light to said optical load with reduced speckle with high reliability due to source emitter redundancy.

12. The vehicle light system of claim 11 wherein said laser source is coupled to an optical fiber having a core diameter larger than an emitting aperture of said laser source and with a numerical aperture sufficient to capture a substantial fraction of light from said laser source.

13. The vehicular lighting system of claim 12 wherein said laser source aperture is in the range of about 1 μ

m to about 100 μ

m and said fiber core is greater than 100 μ

m.

14. The vehicular lighting system of claim 12 wherein current to said laser source is adjusted according to application of vehicular braking system.

15. The vehicular lighting system of claim 14 wherein said application is braking pressure application.

16. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:

a laser source providing a laser beam of coherent light;

at least one optical fiber coupled at one end for receiving the laser beam;

circuitry for modulating the laser beam to provide a pulsed output;

dispersing means coupled to an opposite end of the optical fiber for expanding light from the beam and transmitting a pulsed light output outside of the vehicle; and

said circuitry providing for an increase in the pulse rate of said pulsed light output in response to an increase in pressure applied to said vehicle braking system.

17. The vehicle light system of claim 16 wherein said circuitry provides a pulsed light output having a pulse rate in the range of 10 Hz to 30 Hz.

18. The vehicle light system of claim 16 wherein said light source emits light having a red wavelength.

19. The vehicle light system of claim 16 wherein said laser source is a semiconductor laser diode.

20. The vehicle light system of claim 16 wherein said light source emits light having an infrared wavelength.

21. The vehicle light system of claim 16 wherein said laser source is a semiconductor laser array.

22. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:

a laser source providing a laser beam of coherent light;

at least one optical fiber coupled at one end for receiving the laser beam;

circuitry for modulating the laser beam to provide a pulsed output;

dispersing means coupled to an opposite end of the optical fiber for expanding light from the beam and transmitting a pulsed light output outside of the vehicle; and

said pulsed light output containing information which is readable by an external optical detector.

23. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:

a laser source providing a laser beam of coherent light;

at least one optical fiber coupled at one end for receiving the laser beam;

circuitry for modulating the laser beam to provide a pulsed output; and

dispersing means coupled to an opposite end of the optical fiber for expanding light from the beam and transmitting a pulsed light output outside of the vehicle; and

said pulsed light output containing information which is readable by an external optical detector located at a toll booth, said optical detector decoding the information to deduct tolls from a prepaid advance.

24. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:

a semiconductor light source having a plurality of beam generating devices;

excitation means for independently controlling each beam generating device;

at least one optical fiber coupled at one end to multiple beam generating devices and at an opposite end to an optical load; and

said excitation means activating one of the beam generating devices to provide light to the optical load and, upon failure of said one beam generating device, activating another beam generating device to provide light to the optical load.