Light assembly operable as a dome lamp

• US 9,839,098 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Singer, Jeffrey, Buttolo, Pietro, Kumar, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jason Moon
• Application Number:
  US14/819,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20150367776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 362487-488, 362490, 362509-510, 362545
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/68 using ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• 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 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, a light assembly of a vehicle is provided herein. The light assembly includes an array of light sources and a plurality of light-directing elements, each configured to direct light received from the light sources in an associated direction. A sensor arrangement is configured to sense a user-supplied action and a controller determines which light sources to activate in response to the sensed user-supplied action.

Claims

1. A light assembly of a vehicle, comprising:

an array of light sources coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle;

an optic covering the light source and having light-directing elements for outputting light received from the light sources, wherein the optic comprises a circular light-directing element located at a center of the optic and a plurality of light-directing elements arranged as rings that are concentric with the circular light-directing element, wherein the circular light-directing element is planar and is configured to transmit incident light through the center of the optic and the plurality of light-directing elements together define a sawtooth arrangement and are configured to direct incident light away from the center of the optic; and

a sensor arrangement covering the optic and having sensors located in different regions and configured to sense a user-supplied action specifying one or more regions resulting in the activation of one or more lights located under the specified one or more regions.

2. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the regions comprise a central region of the sensor arrangement and a plurality of regions enclosing the central region and extending outward therefrom.

3. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the user supplied action comprises a touch event on one or more regions of the sensor arrangement.

4. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the user-supplied action comprises a gesture specifying one or more regions based on a direction in which the gesture is made relative to the sensor arrangement.

5. The light assembly of claim 1, configured as a dome lamp and operable to illuminate at least one of a front passenger compartment and a rear passenger compartment of a vehicle.

6. A light assembly of a vehicle, comprising:

an array of light sources coupled to a ceiling of the vehicle;

a photoluminscent structure configured to luminesce in response to light excitation from the light sources;

an optic covering the light sources and photoluminescent structure and having light-directing elements for outputting luminescent light received from the photoluminescent structure, wherein the optic comprises a circular light-directing element located at a center of the optic and a plurality of light-directing elements arranged as rings that are concentric with the circular light-directing element; and

a sensor arrangement covering the optic and having sensors located in different regions and configured to sense a user-supplied action specifying one or more regions resulting in the activation of one or more lights located under the specified one or more regions.

7. The light assembly of claim 6, wherein the circular light-directing element is planar and is configured to transmit incident light through the center of the optic and the plurality of light-directing elements together define a sawtooth arrangement and are configured to direct incident light away from the center of the optic.

8. The light assembly of claim 6, wherein the regions comprise a central region of the sensor arrangement and a plurality of regions enclosing the central region and extending outward therefrom.

9. The light assembly of claim 6, wherein the user-supplied action comprises a touch event on one or more regions of the sensor arrangement.

10. The light assembly of claim 6, wherein the user-supplied action comprises a gesture specifying one or more regions based on a direction in which the gesture is made relative to the sensor arrangement.

11. The light assembly of claim 6, configured as a dome lamp and operable to illuminate at least one of a front passenger compartment and a rear passenger compartment of a vehicle.

12. A light assembly of a vehicle, comprising:

an array of light sources;

an optic covering the light sources and having light-directing elements for outputting light received from the light sources, wherein the optic comprises a circular light-directing element located at a center of the optic and a plurality of light-directing elements arranged as rings that are concentric with the circular light-directing element, wherein the circular light-directing element is planar and is configured to transmit incident light through the center of the optic and the plurality of light-directing elements together define a sawtooth arrangement and are configured to direct incident light away from the center of the optic; and

a sensor arrangement covering the optic and having sensors configured to sense a user-supplied action specifying one or more regions resulting in the activation of one or more lights located under the specified one or more regions;

wherein the light assembly is configured as a dome lamp and specification of one or more regions allows different areas inside the vehicle to be illuminated.

13. The light assembly of claim 12, further comprising a photoluminscent structure configured to luminesce in response to light excitation from the light sources.

14. The light assembly of claim 12, wherein the user-supplied action comprises a touch event on one or more regions of the sensor arrangement.

15. The light assembly of claim 12, wherein the user-supplied action comprises a gesture specifying one or more regions based on a direction in which the gesture is made relative to the sensor arrangement.