Dual output headlight system for a vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A dual output headlight system, comprising:
- a projection system configured to be disposed within an automotive vehicle, the projection system including;
a laser light source configured to emit incoherent light;
a partitioned display surface including a headlight display section and a selectively active augmented display section, the partitioned display surface disposed within a first path of the incoherent light and configured to generate a display output;
a body control module operatively connected to the partitioned display surface; and
a vehicle sensory system operatively connected to the body control module;
wherein;
the selectively active augmented display section of the partitioned display surface having a display state selected from at least one of an active state and a dark state, wherein;
in the active state, the display output includes graphical output that forms a projected image on a surface exterior to the automotive vehicle;
in the dark state, the display output does not include the graphical output;
the display state is automatically selectable by the body control module in response to object distance data obtained by the vehicle sensory system; and
an optical splitter positioned in a second path of the display output to split the display output into a headlight illumination output and a graphical output.
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Abstract
A dual output headlight system includes a projection system having a laser light source to emit incoherent light. The projection system also has a partitioned display surface including a headlight display section and a selectively active augmented display section. The partitioned display surface is positioned in a first path of the incoherent light from the laser light source and to generate a display output. The dual output headlight system also includes an optical splitter positioned in a second path of the display output to split the display output into a headlight illumination output and a graphical output.
15 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A dual output headlight system, comprising:
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a projection system configured to be disposed within an automotive vehicle, the projection system including; a laser light source configured to emit incoherent light; a partitioned display surface including a headlight display section and a selectively active augmented display section, the partitioned display surface disposed within a first path of the incoherent light and configured to generate a display output; a body control module operatively connected to the partitioned display surface; and a vehicle sensory system operatively connected to the body control module; wherein; the selectively active augmented display section of the partitioned display surface having a display state selected from at least one of an active state and a dark state, wherein; in the active state, the display output includes graphical output that forms a projected image on a surface exterior to the automotive vehicle; in the dark state, the display output does not include the graphical output; the display state is automatically selectable by the body control module in response to object distance data obtained by the vehicle sensory system; and an optical splitter positioned in a second path of the display output to split the display output into a headlight illumination output and a graphical output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A vehicle system, comprising:
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an automotive vehicle; a body control module operatively disposed within the vehicle; a vehicle sensory system operatively disposed within the vehicle; a vehicle bus operatively connecting the body control module and the vehicle sensory system; and a dual output headlight system responsive to commands from the body control module, the dual output headlight system including; a laser light source having a laser light generator configured to generate laser light and a film layer having a laser light-responsive phosphor deposited thereon wherein the phosphor is configured to emit incoherent light in response to excitation by the laser light; a partitioned display surface positioned disposed in a first path of the incoherent light from the laser light source and configured to generate a display output, the partitioned display surface including a headlight illumination section and a selectively active augmented display section wherein; the partitioned display surface includes a pixel array generator portion configured to generate the display output; and the selectively active augmented display section is responsive to object distance data obtained by the vehicle sensory system; wherein; the selectively active augmented display section of the partitioned display surface having a display state selected from at least one of an active state and a dark state; in the active state, the display output includes graphical output that forms a projected image on a surface exterior to the automotive vehicle; in the dark state, the display output does not include the graphical output; the display state is automatically selectable by the body control module in response to object distance data obtained by the vehicle sensory system, wherein; the dark state is selected when the object distance data is less than a threshold distance; and the active state is selected when the object distance data is equal to or greater than the threshold distance; and an optical splitter disposed in a second path of the display output to split the display output into a headlight illumination output and a graphical output. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for generating dual output from a vehicle headlight, the method comprising:
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receiving information from at least one vehicle system of an automotive vehicle; generating incoherent light from a laser light source having a laser light generator; receiving the incoherent light at a partitioned display surface having a headlight illumination section and a selectively active augmented display section, the selectively active augmented display section of the partitioned display surface having a display state selected from at least one of an active state and a dark state; emitting a headlight illumination portion of a display output from the headlight illumination section of the partitioned display surface, wherein, in the active state, the display output includes a graphical image portion and, in the dark state, the display output does not include the graphical image portion; in response to receiving the information and determining that an object distance is equal to or greater than a threshold distance, emitting the graphical image portion of the display output from the augmented display section of the partitioned display surface; transmitting the display output to an optical splitter; splitting the display output into a headlight illumination output and a graphical output; illuminating a zone with white light from the headlight illumination output; and projecting the graphical output onto a surface exterior to the automotive vehicle as an image projected below the zone with white light. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification