Interior lighting system of a motor vehicle and a method for controlling the same
First Claim
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1. An interior-lighting system for a vehicle, comprising:
- a lighting device adapted to illuminate a motor vehicle interior with ambient light; and
a control unit configured to regulate at least one of a brightness and a color of the ambient light emitted by the lighting device to illuminate the motor vehicle interior, the control unit configured to automatically vary the at least one of the brightness and the color of the ambient light as a function of at least one operating parameter of the motor vehicle that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant.
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Abstract
An interior lighting system for a motor vehicle includes a lighting device configured to light a motor vehicle interior and a control unit configured to regulate the brightness and/or the color of the light emitted from the lighting device. The color of the light emitted from the lighting device may be automatically adjusted in accordance with at least one operating parameter and/or at least one parameter associated with the environment of the motor vehicle. Such parameters include, for example, a deviation of an actual temperature from a predetermined desired temperature of the motor vehicle interior and/or the driving speed of the vehicle.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. An interior-lighting system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a lighting device adapted to illuminate a motor vehicle interior with ambient light; and
a control unit configured to regulate at least one of a brightness and a color of the ambient light emitted by the lighting device to illuminate the motor vehicle interior, the control unit configured to automatically vary the at least one of the brightness and the color of the ambient light as a function of at least one operating parameter of the motor vehicle that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12)
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11. An interior-lighting system for a vehicle, comprising:
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a lighting device configured to illuminate a motor vehicle interior with ambient light;
a control unit configured to regulate at least one of a brightness and a color of the ambient light emitted by the lighting device to illuminate the motor vehicle interior, the control unit configured to automatically vary the at least one of the brightness and the color of the ambient light as a function of at least one operating parameter of the motor vehicle that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant; and
a sensor configured to detect an operating state of one of an air-conditioner and a heating system;
wherein the control unit is configured to vary the color of the ambient light as a function of a deviation between an instantaneous temperature and a setpoint temperature of the motor vehicle interior specified by the motor vehicle occupant; and
wherein an output signal of the sensor is an input to the control device.
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13. A method for controlling an interior-lighting system of a motor vehicle having a lighting device, at least one of a brightness and a color of ambient light emitted by the lighting device being regulatable, comprising the steps of:
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detecting at least one operating parameter that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant at a control unit; and
automatically varying at least one of the brightness and the color of the ambient light emitted by the lighting device as a function of the at least one operating parameter. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling an interior-lighting system of a motor vehicle having a lighting device, at least one of a brightness and a color of ambient light emitted by the lighting device being regulatable, comprising the steps of:
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detecting at least one operating parameter that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant at a control unit; and
automatically varying at least one of the brightness and the color of the light emitted by the lighting device as a function of the at least one operating parameter;
wherein the automatically varying step includes the substep of varying the color of the ambient light as a function of a motor vehicle speed; and
wherein the automatically varying step includes the substep of setting at least one of a color promoting concentration and a calming color when the motor vehicle speed exceeds a specified threshold value.
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20. A method for controlling an interior-lighting system of a motor vehicle having a lighting device, at least one of a brightness and a color of light emitted by the lighting device being regulatable, comprising the steps of:
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detecting at least one operating parameter that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant at a control unit; and
automatically varying at least one of the brightness and the color of the light emitted by the lighting device as a function of the at least one operating parameter;
wherein the lighting device includes at least two light sources configured to emit light of different colors, the automatically varying step including the substep of changing the color by increasing a brightness of a first light source and decreasing the brightness of a second light source. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A method for controlling an interior-lighting system of a motor vehicle having a lighting device, at least one of a brightness and a color of ambient light emitted by the lighting device being regulatable, comprising the steps of:
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detecting at least one operating parameter that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant at a control unit;
automatically varying at least one of the brightness and the color of the light emitted by the lighting device as a function of the at least one operating parameter; and
activating the interior-lighting system by opening a motor vehicle door;
wherein the automatically varying step includes the substep of regulating the interior lighting system to a substantially white, bright light in accordance with the activating step; and
wherein the automatically varying step includes the substep of regulating the lighting device to a colored, subdued light in accordance with a presence of an occupant in the vehicle by one of closing a motor vehicle door, a specified delay and starting a motor vehicle engine.
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24. A method for controlling an interior-lighting system of a motor vehicle having a lighting device, at least one of a brightness and a color of light emitted by the lighting device being regulatable, comprising the steps of:
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activating the lighting device only during operation of the motor vehicle with an exterior lighting device of the motor vehicle being on;
detecting at least one operating parameter that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant at a control unit; and
automatically varying at least one of the brightness and the color of the light emitted by the lighting device as a function of the at least one operating parameter.
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25. An interior-lighting system for a vehicle, comprising
a lighting device adapted to illuminate a motor vehicle interior with ambient light; - and
a control unit configured to regulate at least one of a brightness and a color of the ambient light emitted by the lighting device to illuminate the motor vehicle interior, the control unit configured to automatically vary the at least one of the brightness and the color of the ambient light as a function of at least one operating parameter of the motor vehicle that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant;
wherein the lighting device includes at least one of;
(a) a diffuse interior lighting device;
(b) an indirect comfort light;
(c) a footwell light; and
(d) a door-handle light.
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26. A method for controlling an interior-lighting system of a motor vehicle having a lighting device, at least one of a brightness and a color of ambient light emitted by the lighting device being regulatable, comprising the steps of:
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detecting at least one operating parameter that is at least one of controllable and controlled by a motor vehicle occupant at a control unit; and
automatically varying at least one of the brightness and the color of the ambient light emitted by the lighting device as a function of the at least one operating parameter;
wherein the lighting device includes at least one of;
(a) a diffuse interior lighting device;
(b) an indirect comfort light;
(c) a footwell light; and
(d) a door-handle light.
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Specification