Automotive lamp device

• US 8,816,526 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SL Corporation
• Original Assignee: SL Corporation
• Inventors: Song, Hae-Seok, Kim, Dae-Kyu, Yu, Eun-Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHILLON, JAGDEEP S
• Application Number:
  US12/885,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.8, 307/10.R, 307/10.LS, 313/111, 313/110, 313/117, 313/355, 313/501, 313/498, 313/502, 439/488, 439/489, 439/595, 439/761, 439/538, 439/537, 362/545, 362/518, 362/240, 362/241, 315/224, 315/129, 315/308, 315/307, 363/15, 363/21.11
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0094 Arrangement of electronic circuits separated from the light source, e.g. mounting of housings for starter circuits for discharge lamps arrangements being part of the light source holder F21V17/06, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/10 Retrofit arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An automotive lamp device is provided. The automotive lamp device includes a lamp housing into which a first lamp or a second lamp is inserted and which includes a plurality of lines, and a lamp driver module which is connected to a first line among the plurality of lines, supplies a first level of voltage and/or current to the first lamp if the first lamp is inserted into the lamp housing, and supplies a second level of voltage and/or current to the second lamp if the second lamp is inserted into the lamp housing.

Claims

1. An automotive lamp device comprising:

a lamp housing in which a first lamp including an LED light source operable at a first level of voltage or current and a second lamp including an LED light source operable at a second level of voltage or current different from the first voltage or current can be disposed at a predetermined position at different times; and

a lamp driver module connected to the lamp housing for supplying, if the first lamp is disposed at the predetermined position of the lamp housing, to the first lamp the first level of voltage and/or current or supplying, if the second lamp is disposed at the predetermined position of the lamp housing, to the second lamp the second level of voltage and/or current, which is different from the first level of voltage and/or current, and the first operable level of voltage or current and the second operable level of voltage or current are detected by the lamp driver module.

2. The automotive lamp device of claim 1, further comprising a setting connector connected to the lamp housing and including a first setting connector and a second setting connector different from the first setting connector,

wherein:

(a) when the first lamp is disposed at the predetermined position in the lamp housing, the lamp housing is connected to the first setting connector; and

(b) when the second lamp is disposed at the predetermined position in the lamp housing, the lamp housing is connected to the second setting connector.

3. The automotive lamp device of claim 2, wherein the lamp driver module includes a voltage divider circuit,

wherein:

(a) when the first setting connector is connected to the lamp housing, the voltage divider circuit provides a first level of output such that the lamp driver module supplies to the first lamp the first level of voltage and/or current in response to the first level of output; and

(b) when the second setting connector is connected to the lamp housing, the voltage divider circuit provides a second level of output different from the first level of output such that the lamp driver module supplies to the second lamp the second level of voltage and/or current in response to the second level of output.

4. The automotive lamp device of claim 2, wherein the lamp driver module includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller,

wherein:

(a) when the first setting connector is connected to the lamp housing, the PMW controller provides a first level of pulse width such that the lamp driver module supplies to the first lamp the first level of voltage and/or current in response to the first level of pulse width; and

(b) when the second setting connector is connected to the lamp housing, the PMW controller provides a second level of pulse width different from the first level of pulse width such that the lamp driver module supplies to the second lamp the second level of voltage and/or current in response to the second level of pulse width.

5. The automotive lamp device of claim 2, wherein the lamp driver module includes a frequency modulator,

wherein:

(a) when the first setting connector is connected to the lamp housing, the frequency modulator provides a first level of frequency such that the lamp driver module supplies to the first lamp the first level of voltage and/or current in response to the first level of frequency; and

(b) when the second setting connector is connected to the lamp housing, the frequency modulator provides a second level of frequency different from the first level of frequency such that the lamp driver module supplies to the second lamp the second level of voltage and/or current in response to the second level of frequency.

6. The automotive lamp device of claim 1, wherein the second lamp is replaced with the first lamp at the predetermined position in the lamp housing.

7. An automotive lamp device comprising:

a lamp housing in which a first lamp including an LED light source having a first identification resistor and a second lamp including an LED light source having a second identification resistor different from the first identification resistor can be disposed at a predetermined position at different times; and

a lamp driver module including a lamp driver circuit and a resistor circuit,

wherein;

if the resistor circuit is connected to the first identification resistor, the first identification resistor and the resistor circuit form a voltage divider circuit, and the voltage divider circuit supplies a first level of output such that the lamp driver circuit supplies to the first lamp a first level of voltage and/or current in response to the first level of output; and

if the resistor circuit is connected to the second identification resistor, the second identification resistor and the resistor circuit form the voltage divider circuit, and the voltage divider supplies a second level of output different from the first level of output such that the lamp driver circuit supplies to the second lamp a second level of voltage and/or current, which is different from the first level of voltage and/or current, in response to the second level of output.

8. The automotive lamp device of claim 7, wherein the identification resistor is a negative temperature coefficient resistor.