System and method for vehicle ambient lighting

• US 9,505,345 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lickfelt, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, THAI N
• Application Number:
  US14/831,954
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 315/76, 315/77, 315/149, 315/150, 396/125, 396/419, 396/429
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2400/20 Multi-color single source or LED matrix, e.g. yellow blinker and red brake lamp generated by single lamp
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/40 Welcome lights, i.e. specific or existing exterior lamps to assist leaving or approaching the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/50 Arrangements to reconfigure features of lighting or signalling devices, or to choose from a list of pre-defined settings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/85 for manual control of the light, e.g. of colour, orientation or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback

Abstract

A vehicle ambient lighting system enables a user to define a personalized ambient lighting color. The ambient lighting system includes a camera capturing image color information from a colored surface forming the user defined ambient lighting color selection. An image processor creates RGB color values representing the color of the colored surface and a generates an LED activation scheme using the RGB color values. A plurality of RGB LEDs are activated in accordance with the LED activation scheme to produce vehicle ambient lighting having a color matching the user defined ambient lighting color selection.

Claims

1. A vehicle ambient lighting color selection system comprising:

a camera having an image sensor and an image processor, wherein the image sensor captures image color information from a colored surface forming a user defined ambient lighting color selection

and the image processor operably connected to the image sensor for receiving the image color information and creating red, green, blue (RGB) color values representing the color of the colored surface;

a controller having a processor operably connected to the image processor for generating a light emitting diode (LED) activation scheme using the RGB color values;

a plurality of a red, green, blue (RGB) LEDs; and

an LED driver connected to the controller for activating the plurality of RGB LEDs in accordance with the LED activation scheme to produce vehicle ambient lighting having a color matching the user defined ambient lighting color selection.

2. The vehicle ambient lighting system of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises:

a memory for storing the LED activation scheme.

3. The vehicle ambient lighting system of claim 2, wherein the memory stores the LED activation scheme in association with a user.

4. The vehicle ambient lighting system of claim 2, further comprising a human machine interface (HMI) connected to the processor providing user control of the ambient lighting system.

5. The vehicle ambient lighting system of claim 4, wherein the human machine interface (HMI) includes a graphic user interface providing instruction to a user to present the colored surface to the camera and trigger the camera to capture the image color information from the colored surface.

6. The vehicle ambient lighting system of claim 4, wherein the human machine interface (HMI) generates a request to save the LED activation scheme corresponding to the user defined ambient lighting color selection after activation of the RGB LEDs displays the vehicle ambient lighting.

7. The vehicle ambient lighting system of claim 2 wherein the human machine interface (HMI) requests a storage identifier for the LED activation scheme for referring to the saved ambient lighting color selection.

8. The vehicle ambient lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a trigger for activating the camera for capturing the image color information from a colored surface, wherein the trigger is at least one of a fob, a switch, and a human machine interface (HMI).

9. A vehicle ambient lighting color selection system comprising:

a camera having an image sensor capturing image color information from a colored surface forming a user defined ambient lighting color selection;

an image processor operably connected to the image sensor for receiving the image color information and creating red, green, blue (RGB) color values representing the color of the colored surface;

a controller having a processor operably connected to the image processor for generating a light emitting diode (LED) activation scheme using the RGB color values;

a human machine interface (HMI) operably connected to the controller for providing a user interface for operating the vehicle ambient lighting;

a plurality of a red, green, blue (RGB) LEDs; and

an LED driver connected to the controller for activating the plurality of RGB LEDs in accordance with the LED activation scheme to produce vehicle ambient lighting having a color matching the user defined ambient lighting color selection.

10. A method of generating colored vehicle ambient lighting comprising:

presenting a colored surface forming a user defined ambient lighting color selection to a vehicle camera image sensor via a camera;

capturing image color information from the colored surface with the camera image sensor;

creating red, green, blue (RGB) color values from the image color information representing the color of the colored surface;

generating an LED activation scheme using the RGB color values; and

activating a plurality of RGB LEDs in accordance with the LED activation scheme to generate vehicle ambient lighting having a color matching the user defined ambient lighting color selection.

11. The method defined in claim 10 further comprising saving the LED activation scheme in association with a user.

12. The method defined in claim 10 further comprising a human machine interface (HMI) generating a request to save the LED activation scheme corresponding to the user defined ambient lighting color selection.

13. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:

receiving an indication to save the LED activation scheme from a user in response to the request; and

saving the LED activation scheme in memory.

14. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:

receiving an indication to create another user defined ambient lighting color selection; and

repeating the presenting, capturing, creating, generating, and activating steps.

15. The method defined in claim 10 further comprising triggering the camera to capture an image of the colored surface.

16. The method defined in claim 15 wherein the triggering uses at least one of a fob, a switch and a human machine interface (HMI).

17. The method defined in claim 15 further comprising the human machine interface (HMI) instructing a user to perform the presenting and triggering.

18. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising:

requesting a storage identifier for the LED activation scheme for referring to the saved ambient lighting color selection; and

saving the LED activation scheme in association with the storage identifier.