Light emitting diode headlamp for a vehicle

• US 8,314,558 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Dassanayake, Mahendra Somasara, Bilger, Donald Paul, Kumar, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY V
• Application Number:
  US12/685,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20110169410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/82, 362/487, 362/507, 362/543, 362/545, 307/10.1, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/13 Ultraviolet light; Infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/153 arranged in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24-F21S41/28
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162

Abstract

A vehicle exterior lamp is provided with an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) with rows and columns and each LED positioned at an intersection thereof. An LED is illuminated by selectively applying a signal to the row and column corresponding to the LED position. A vehicle headlamp lighting system is provided with an array of LEDs with rows and columns, and each LED positioned at a row and column intersection. The lighting system has a control module for selectively illuminating the LEDs by applying a signal to the rows and to the columns corresponding to the location of the LEDs to be illuminated. A vehicle headlamp is provided with an optical structure for reflection and refraction of light and LEDs. Light emitted by the LEDs interacts with the optical structure and exits the headlamp in a generally perpendicular direction to the LED emitted light.

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior lamp comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned into an array, the array having at least one row and at least two columns, each LED positioned at an intersection thereof, wherein at least one of the LEDs is illuminated by selectively applying a signal to the row and a signal to the column corresponding to the position of the LED; and

a sheet of microreplicated lenses positioned to interact with light emitted from the at least one illuminated LED.

2. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 1 further comprising a controller to selectively apply signals to the columns and rows of the array.

3. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 2 wherein vehicle exterior lamp is a headlamp and the LED array is oriented such that the LEDs emit light in a generally perpendicular direction to the output of the headlamp.

4. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 1 further comprising a beam collimator to generally collimate at least a portion of light emitted from an illuminated LED into a directed beam to the sheet of microreplicated lenses.

5. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 1 wherein at least two of the plurality of LEDs are illuminated by selectively applying a voltage to the rows and to the columns corresponding to the respective positions of the at least two LEDs, thereby forming an illuminated footprint.

6. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 5, wherein the sheet of microreplicated lenses is configured to produce a predetermined spread light beam pattern from light emitted by a footprint.

7. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 5, wherein the sheet of microreplicated lenses is configured to produce a predetermined down the road beam pattern from light emitted by a footprint.

8. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 5 wherein the LED array is configured to produce a plurality of footprints.

9. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 8 wherein the controller causes the illumination of one of the footprints from at least one vehicle state of operation.

10. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 9 wherein the state of operation further comprises one of a steering state of a vehicle, speed of a vehicle, and high and low beam selection.

11. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 8 wherein the controller causes the illumination of one of the footprints from at least one environmental state.

12. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 11 further comprising a camera to sense the environmental state and provide an input to the controller.

13. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 8 wherein the controller causes the illumination of at least two of the plurality of footprints.

14. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 1 wherein the lens further comprises an outer cover.

15. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 1 wherein the lamp acts as one of a forward headlamp, turn signal lamp, parklamp, foglamp, and emergency lamp.

16. The vehicle exterior lamp of claim 1 wherein the lamp acts as a rear combination lamp.

17. A vehicle headlamp comprising:

a sheet of microreplicated lenses for refraction of light; and

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for selectively emitting light;

wherein light emitted by the LEDs is directed towards the sheet, interacts with the sheet, and the light then exits the headlamp in a generally perpendicular direction to the LED emitted light.

18. A vehicle headlamp comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned into an array having at least one row and at least two columns, wherein at least one of the LEDs is illuminated by selectively applying a signal to the row and a signal to the column corresponding to the LED position; and

a sheet of microreplicated lenses positioned to interact with light emitted from the at least one illuminated LED.