Floor console IR bin light

• US 9,573,518 B1
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Gardner, Cornel Lewis, Buttolo, Pietro, Singer, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jason Moon
• Application Number:
  US15/210,993
• Time in Patent Office: 221 Days
• Field of Search: 362/488
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/04 in driver or passenger space , e.g. using racks B60R7/005, B60R7/08 take precedence

Abstract

A lighting system of a vehicle is provided herein. A floor console bin is provided having a housing and a movable lid. A reflective target is coupled to the floor console bin. An overhead console is provided having an IR transmitter for emitting an IR signal toward a target location, an IR receiver for receiving and detecting the IR signal reflected by the target, and a projector for illuminating the housing based on detection of the IR signal.

Claims

1. A lighting system of a vehicle, comprising:

a floor console bin within the vehicle having a housing and a lid movable between a closed and open position;

a reflective target coupled to the lid;

an IR transmitter aimed to emit an IR signal toward a target location;

an IR receiver positioned to receive and detect the IR signal reflected by the target; and

a projector for illuminating the housing based on detection of the IR signal.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the target is provided beneath the lid and the target location corresponds to a location of the target when the lid is in the open position.

3. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising an additional IR receiver positioned to receive and detect stray reflections of the IR signal, and wherein the projector is prevented from illuminating based on the additional IR receiver detecting the IR signal.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the IR transmitter and receiver are coupled to an overhead console of the vehicle.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the IR receiver and configured to activate the projector in response to the IR receiver detecting the IR signal.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the illumination provided by the projector to the housing comprises excitation light and the housing is configured to luminesce in response to the excitation light.

7. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising an additional IR transmitter and receiver operating in conjunction to detect the presence of a movable object in close proximity to the floor console bin, wherein the projector is operated based on the detection of the movable object.

8. A lighting system of a vehicle, comprising:

a floor console bin within the vehicle having a housing;

a reflective target coupled to the housing;

an IR transmitter aimed to emit an IR signal toward the target;

an IR receiver positioned to receive and detect the IR signal reflected by the target; and

a projector for illuminating the housing based on detection of the IR signal.

9. The lighting system of claim 8, further comprising a lid coupled to the housing and movable between a closed and open position, and wherein the target is exposed to the IR signal when the lid is in the open position.

10. The lighting system of claim 8, further comprising an additional IR receiver positioned to receive and detect stray reflections of the IR signal, and wherein the projector is prevented from illuminating based on the additional IR receiver detecting the IR signal.

11. The lighting system of claim 8, wherein the IR transmitter and receiver are coupled to an overhead console of the vehicle.

12. The lighting system of claim 8, further comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the IR receiver and configured to activate the projector in response to the IR receiver detecting the IR signal.

13. The lighting system of claim 8, wherein the illumination provided by the projector to the housing comprises an excitation light and the housing is configured to luminesce in response to the excitation light.

14. The lighting system of claim 8, further comprising an additional IR transmitter and receiver operating in conjunction to detect the presence of a movable object in close proximity to the floor console bin, wherein the projector is operated based on the detection of the movable object.

15. A lighting system of a vehicle, comprising:

a floor console bin within the vehicle having a housing and a movable lid;

a reflective target coupled to the floor console bin; and

an overhead console comprising;

an IR transmitter for emitting an IR signal toward a target location;

an IR receiver for receiving and detecting the IR signal reflected by the target; and

a projector for illuminating the housing based on detection of the IR signal.

16. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the target is provided beneath the lid and the target location corresponds to a location of the target when the lid is moved to an open position.

17. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the target is coupled to the housing and is exposed to the IR signal when the lid is moved to an open position.

18. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the IR transmitter, the IR receiver, and the projector are sunken into the overhead console.

19. The lighting system of claim 15, further comprising an additional IR receiver positioned to receive and detect stray reflections of the IR signal, and wherein the projector is prevented from illuminating based on the additional IR receiver detecting the IR signal.

20. The lighting system of claim 15, further comprising an additional IR transmitter and receiver operating in conjunction to detect the presence of a movable object in close proximity to the floor console bin, wherein the projector is operated based on the detection of the movable object.