Illumination system for the interior of a motor vehicle

• US 9,358,922 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Rogge, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Jany
• Application Number:
  US14/427,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20150239395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/338 Light strips
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An illumination system for an interior of a motor vehicle includes a sensor, with which an environmental lighting situation is able to be detected, as well as an illumination device for illuminating the motor vehicle interior. The illumination system has a controller that is subordinate to the sensor and is superordinate the illumination device. The controller adjusts an interior lighting situation depending on the environmental lighting situation that is influenced by actual objects located in the environment of the motor vehicle, by lights of the illumination device.

Claims

1. An illumination system for an interior of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect an environmental lighting situation, wherein the environmental lighting situation is based on visually perceptible information associated with an environment exterior to the motor vehicle;

an illumination device configured to illuminate the motor vehicle interior;

a controller, which is subordinate to the sensor and the illumination device, and which is configured to adjust an ambient interior lighting situation depending on the detected environmental lighting situation, and

wherein the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation temporally offset to the detected environmental lighting situation.

2. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the illumination device is configured to emit light into the motor vehicle interior at least on a roof or side walls of the vehicle.

3. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation in a temporally synchronous manner to the detected environmental lighting situation.

4. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to detect the environmental lighting situation by spatial resolution of actual objects on both sides, laterally to the motor vehicle and the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation by relaying the actual objects using the illumination device.

5. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation to correspond with the detected environmental lighting situation before the motor vehicle reaches the environment.

6. The illumination system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation to correspond with the detected environmental lighting situation and for a temporal delay after the motor vehicle has passed the environment.

7. A method for generating an ambient interior lighting situation in a motor vehicle interior, the method comprising:

determining, using a sensor, an environmental lighting situation of the motor vehicle, wherein the environmental lighting situation is based on visually perceptible information associated with an environment exterior to the motor vehicle;

updating, by a controller coupled to the sensor, the ambient interior lighting situation depending on the determined environmental lighting situation and thereby adjusting the interior lighting situation to the environmental lighting situation,

wherein the interior lighting situation is adjusted to be temporally offset to the environmental lighting situation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the interior lighting situation is adjusted synchronously to the environmental lighting situation.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

relaying an actual object of the environmental lighting situation when adjusting the interior lighting situation.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the interior lighting situation is adjusted to correspond with the detected environmental lighting situation before the motor vehicle reaches the environment.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the interior lighting situation is adjusted to correspond with the detected environmental lighting situation and for a temporal delay after the motor vehicle has passed the environment.

12. A motor vehicle, comprising:

an interior; and

an illumination system for the interior of a motor vehicle, the illumination system comprising

a sensor configured to detect an environmental lighting situation, wherein the environmental lighting situation is based on visually perceptible information associated with an environment exterior to the motor vehicle;

an illumination device configured to illuminate the motor vehicle interior;

a controller, which is subordinate to the sensor and the illumination device, and which is configured to adjust an ambient interior lighting situation depending on the detected environmental lighting situation,

wherein the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation temporally offset to the detected environmental lighting situation.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation to correspond with the detected environmental lighting situation before the motor vehicle reaches the environment.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the interior lighting situation to correspond with the detected environmental lighting situation and for a temporal delay after the motor vehicle has passed the environment.