On-board lighting device in a motor vehicle and related method for controlling a light source

• US 9,150,148 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive France (Continental AG), Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Baudru, Stephan, Cordier, Maxime, Robin, Cyril
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, DYLAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/088,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/180, 315/280
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2669 on door or boot handles lighting devices for vehicle interior on door handles B60Q3/267
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/267 Door handles; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/82 Switches specially adapted for vehicle interior lighting, e.g. switching by tilting the lens
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/04 Controlling

Abstract

Disclosed is a lighting device (D′) on a motor vehicle, including: at least one light source (D1, D2, D3, D4) controlled by a pulse-width modulated lighting signal (PWM′); and a body controller module (10) generating the lighting signal (PWM′) linked to the light source and, to at least one sensor (100, 200, 300, 400) detecting the approach and/or contact of the user'"'"'s hand. The device includes a switching element (S1, S2, S3, S4) located between the detection sensor and the light source. The detection sensor includes: receiving and a processing element (101, 201, 301, 401) of the lighting signal; and a control element (102, 202, 302, 402) of the switching element, linked electrically firstly to the receiving and processing element, and secondly to the light source via the switching element. Also disclosed is a method for controlling the light source.

Claims

1. A lighting device carried on board a motor vehicle, said device comprising:

at least two light sources controlled by a pulse-width modulated lighting signal;

a body controller module generating the pulse-width modulated lighting signal, connected electrically to the light sources and to at least two sensors detecting the approach and/or contact of a hand of a user;

a switching device located between each light source and the ground,

wherein each approach and/or contact detection sensor includes;

receiving and processing means receiving the pulse-width modulated lighting signal from the body controller module, and

a controller configured to control the switching device connected to the receiving and processing means, and

to one of the light sources via the switching device.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the switching device includes a switch.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the light sources are light-emitting diodes.

4. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the approach and/or contact detection sensor, the light source, and the switching device are built into a vehicle door handle.

5. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the receiving and processing means and the control device of the switching device are built into a microcontroller.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light sources are light-emitting diodes.

7. The lighting device according to claim 6, wherein the approach and/or contact detection sensor, the light source, and the switching device are built into a vehicle door handle.

8. The lighting device according to claim 6, wherein the receiving and processing means and the control device means of the switching device are built into a microcontroller.

9. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the approach and/or contact detection sensor, the light source, and the switching device are built into a vehicle door handle.

10. The lighting device according to claim 9, wherein the receiving and processing means and the control device means of the switching device are built into a microcontroller.

11. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving and processing means and the control device of the switching device are built into a microcontroller.

12. A method for controlling a light source using a lighting device carried on board a motor vehicle, said device including:

at least two light sources controlled by a pulse-width modulated lighting signal;

a body controller module generating the pulse-width modulated lighting signal, connected electrically to the light sources and to at least two sensors detecting the approach and/or contact of a hand of a user; and

a switching device located between each light source and the ground,

each approach and/or contact detection sensor including

receiving and processing means receiving the pulse-width modulated lighting signal from the body controller module, and

a control device configured to control the switching device, connected to the receiving and processing means, and to one of the light sources via the switching device,

the method comprising;

using the receiving and processing means to store a switching frequency and a switching duty cycle of the lighting signal, both predetermined to obtain a desired luminous intensity;

using the body controller module to send a pulse-width modulated lighting signal, having a pulse frequency and a rated voltage, to the processing means and to the light source;

receiving the lighting signal by the receiving and processing means; and

activating the switching device by the control device, according to the switching frequency and switching duty cycle stored in order to set the light source to the desired luminous intensity.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the switching frequency is higher than the pulse frequency.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the switching frequency is at least ten times greater than the pulse frequency.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the switching frequency and the pulse duty cycle are determined during a prior calibration phase comprising:

determining a desired luminous intensity value,

measuring, at a reference power supply voltage value, a luminous intensity for each light source from a plurality of light sources as a function of the variation of the switching frequency and of the variation of the switching duty cycle of the lighting signal; and

storing, in the receiving and processing means associated with each light source, a given switching frequency and a given switching duty cycle to obtain the desired luminous intensity.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the desired luminous intensity is equal to the lowest luminous intensity measured from the plurality of light sources.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the receiving the lighting signal includes correcting, at the rated voltage value, the switching frequency and the switching duty cycle determined during the measuring the luminous intensity as a function of the reference power supply voltage value.

18. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the switching means includes a switch.

19. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the light sources are light-emitting diodes.

20. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the approach and/or contact detection sensor, the light source, and the switching means are built into a vehicle door handle.