Photoluminescent color changing dome map lamp

• US 9,902,320 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breval, Elmito
• Assistant Examiner(s): ULANDAY, MEGHAN K
• Application Number:
  US14/519,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20150197192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• 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

Abstract

A lighting device for a vehicle is disclosed. The lighting device comprises at least one light source in communication with a controller. The light source is configured to emit a first emission to excite a photoluminescent portion. The controller is operable to adjust an output color of an emitted light from the lighting device by adjusting an intensity of light output from the at least one light source.

Claims

1. A lighting device for a vehicle comprising:

a single color light source configured to emit a first emission in a first color in a blue spectral range and in communication with a controller, the first color configured to excite a photoluminescent portion to emit a white colored light, wherein the controller is operable to adjust an output color of a second emission output from the photoluminescent portion by adjusting a forward driving current and a duty cycle of the single color light source, such that an intensity of the first emission exceeds a conversion capacity of the photoluminescent portion.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the white colored light is adjusted to include an increasing percentage of the first color in response to an increase in the intensity of the first emission.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the increasing percentage of the first color corresponds to a higher percentage of a blue hue in the output color.

4. The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the output color changes from a warm white light to a cool white light in response to increasing the intensity of the first emission.

5. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to increase a percentage of blue light in the output color by increasing the intensity of the light output.

6. The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to adjust the intensity of the first emission in response to an input from one or more switches in communication with the controller, and in response to the change in the intensity, the output emission changes from a warm white light to a cool blue white light.

7. A lighting device for a vehicle comprising:

a single color light source configured to emit a first emission in a blue color;

an optic device comprising a photoluminescent portion configured to convert at least a portion of the first emission to a second emission in a substantially white color;

a diffusing optic comprising an annular ring disposed around a perimeter of the optic device; and

a controller configured to adjust a color of the second emission by selectively adjusting an intensity of the first emission.

8. The lighting device according to claim 7, wherein the first emission and the second emission are blended to generate an output color comprising a first color in a first state and a second color in a second state.

9. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the first emission in the first state corresponds to a lower intensity of light than the first emission in the second state.

10. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the second color comprises a higher percentage of a blue hue than the first color.

11. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the lighting device is configured to emit the output color as a warm white light in the first state and a cool white light in the second state.

12. The lighting device according to claim 8, wherein the photoluminescent portion corresponds to a photoluminescent material disposed in an optic device substantially aligned with the light source.

13. The lighting device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a diffusing optic disposed around an outer edge of the optic device, wherein the optic device is configured to transmit the second emission into the diffusing optic.

14. The lighting device according to claim 13, wherein the diffusing optic is configured to emit the second emission as an ambient glowing light along an exterior surface of the lighting device and the optic device is configured to emit the second emission from a light projecting surface of the lighting device.

15. The lighting device according to claim 7, wherein adjusting the color of the second emission is a result of the intensity of the first emission exceeding a conversion capacity of the photoluminescent portion.

16. A lighting device for a vehicle, comprising:

a light source in communication with a controller and configured to emit a first emission;

an optic device comprising a photoluminescent portion configured to convert at least a portion of the first emission to a second emission; and

an annular diffusing optic disposed around the optic device, wherein the optic device is configured to transmit the second emission into the diffusing optic, wherein the controller is configured to;

control the first emission at a first intensity to output the second emission in a dome light configuration corresponding to a first color; and

control the first emission at a second intensity to output the second emission in a reading light configuration corresponding to a second color, wherein the change from the first color to the second color is in response to the second intensity exceeding a conversion capacity of the photoluminescent portion.

17. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the first emission is emitted at a first intensity corresponding to the dome light configuration and at a second intensity corresponding to the reading light configuration.

18. The lighting apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the second intensity is greater than the first intensity.

19. The lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the second color comprises a higher percentage of a blue hue than the first color.