Head light for a motor vehicle

• US 8,536,789 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Audi AG (Volkswagen AG), Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Chen, Pao Hsu, Diaz, Luis Sampedro, Stoschek, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US12/651,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20110163671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/81, 315/82, 362/2, 362/459, 362/509, 362/510, 362/511, 362/514, 362/516, 362/475, 362/476, 362/507
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/645 by electro-optic means, e.g. liquid crystal or electrochromic devices

Abstract

A head light for a motor vehicle has a light source for generating a beam of light as well as a electronic beam steering module for steering the beam of light and/or a electronic beam shaping module for shaping the beam of light, wherein the head light has a light filter for eliminating at least the substantial portion of red light from the light generated by means of the light source.

Claims

1. A head light for a motor vehicle comprising:

a light source for generating a beam of light;

a red light filter for eliminating at least the substantial portion of red light, but not green light or blue light, from the light generated by the light source; and

an electronic beam steering module arranged downstream of the red light filter and comprising one or more electrically controllable liquid crystal layers configured to steer the filtered light beam in different directions depending on a received control signal without mechanical movement, wherein the electronic beam steering module has a performance wavelength which lies between the wavelength of green light and the wavelength of blue light such that the electronic beam steering module is specifically configured for steering the light filtered by the red light filter.

2. The head light according to claim 1, wherein the electronic beam steering module has a performance wavelength which lies centered between the wavelength of green light and the wavelength of blue light.

3. The head light according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic beam shaping module having a performance wavelength which lies between the wavelength of green light and the wavelength of blue light.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the electronic beam shaping module has a performance wavelength which lies centered between the wavelength of green light and the wavelength of blue light.

5. The head light according to claim 3, wherein the electronic beam shaping module has a performance wavelength which lies between 490 nm and 520 nm.

6. The head light according to claim 1, wherein the electronic beam steering module has a performance wavelength which lies between 490 nm and 520 nm.

7. The head light according to claim 1, wherein the electronic beam steering module comprises a pixilated liquid crystal panel arranged between a mirror and a wire-grid polarizer.

8. The head light according to claim 1, wherein the electronic beam steering module comprises a stack of electro-polarizing filters, each electro-polarizing filter comprising a layer of switchable liquid crystal polarization retarder and a layer of switchable liquid crystal polarization grating.

9. A head light for a motor vehicle comprising:

a light source for generating a beam of light;

a red light filter for eliminating at least a substantial portion of red light, but not green light or blue light, from the light generated by the light source;

an electronic beam steering module comprising one or more electrically controllable liquid crystal layers for steering the filtered beam of light in different directions depending on a received control signal without mechanical movement, wherein the electronic beam steering module has a performance wavelength which lies between 490 nm and 520 nm such that the electronic beam steering module is specifically configured for steering the light filtered by the red light filter; and

an electronic beam shaping module for shaping the beam of light;

wherein the electronic beam shaping module has performance wavelength which lies between 490 nm and 520 nm.

10. A head light for a motor vehicle comprising:

a first light source for generating a first beam of light of a first color;

a second light source for generating a second beam of light of a second color;

at least one of;

an electronic beam steering module for steering the first beam of light and the second beam of light and an electronic beam shaping module for shaping the first beam of light and the second beam of light; and

a control for such an activation of the first light source and the second light source that the first beam of light and the second beam of light are generated alternatingly;

wherein the electronic beam steering module is activated by means of the control such that it steers the first beam of light and the second beam of light into the same direction.

11. The head light according to claim 10, wherein the electronic beam shaping module is activated by means of the control such that it shapes the first beam of light and the second beam of light in the same manner.

12. The head light according to claim 10, wherein the electronic beam steering module and the electronic beam shaping module are activated by means of the control such that they steer the first beam of light and the second beam of light shaped in the same manner into the same direction.

13. The head light according to claim 10, wherein the control is formed such that the first beam of light and the second beam of light are generated alternating with a frequency of at least 20 MHz.

14. A head light for a motor vehicle comprising:

a first light source for generating a first beam of light of a first color;

a second light source for generating a second beam of light of a second color;

at least one third light source for generating a third beam of light of a third color;

at least one of;

an electronic beam steering module for steering the first beam of light, the second beam of light and the third beam of light and an electronic beam shaping module for shaping the first beam of light, the second beam of light and the third beam of light; and

a control for such an activation of the first light source, the second light source and the third light source that the first beam of light, subsequently the second beam of light and subsequently the third beam of light are generated, wherein the sequence of the beams of light is repeated periodically;

wherein the electronic beam steering module is activated by means of the control such that it steers the first beam of light, the second beam of light and the third beam of light into the same direction.

15. The head light according to claim 14, wherein the electronic beam shaping module is activated by means of the control such that it shapes the first beam of light, the second beam of light and the third beam of light in the same manner.

16. The head light according to claim 14, wherein the electronic beam steering module and the electronic beam shaping module are activated by means of the control such that they steer the first beam of light, the second beam of light and the third beam of light shaped in the same manner into the same direction.

17. The head light according to claim 14, wherein the control is formed such that the sequence of the beams of light is repeated periodically with a frequency of at least 20 MHz.

18. The head light according to claim 14, wherein the superposition of the first beam of light, the second beam of light and the third beam of light results in white light.

19. The head light according to claim 14, wherein the first color is red.

20. The head light according to claim 14, wherein the second color is yellow.

21. The head light according to claim 14, wherein the third color is blue.