Method for controlling an interior lighting system in a vehicle and interior lighting system

• US 9,950,659 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Backes, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US14/402,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 315 77- 82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2900/40 Several lamps activated in sequence, e.g. sweep effect, progressive activation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/00 Arrangement of lighting devices for vehicle interiors; Lighting devices specially adapted for vehicle interiors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/16 Circuits; Control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters

Abstract

In a method of controlling an interior lighting (25) in a vehicle (18), having a plurality of separately drivable lamps (26a-26g), provision is made that a motion light pattern, in particular a wave light pattern, is generated as a function of vehicle operating data by separately driving the individual lamps (26a-26g), all of the lamps (26a-28g) being driven with an identical or similar light pattern, and the lamps (26a-26g) being driven with the light pattern offset in time. The time offset with which the lamps (26a-26g) are driven is dependent on the driving speed of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an interior lighting (25) in a vehicle (18), comprising a plurality of separately drivable lamps (26a-26g), wherein a motion light pattern, in particular a wave pattern, is generated as a function of vehicle operating data by separately driving the individual lamps (26a-26g), all of the lamps (26a-26g) being driven with an identical or similar light pattern, and the lamps (26a-26g) being driven with the light pattern offset in time, wherein the time offset with which the lamps (26a-26g) are driven is dependent on the driving speed of the vehicle to inform a driver of the vehicle (18) about the driving speed of the vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a substantially periodically recurrent light pattern is generated, the period of the light pattern more particularly having a defined variance.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lamps (26a-26g) are driven offset in time in the longitudinal direction (L) of the vehicle, in particular in the direction of travel, so that a motion light pattern is generated that runs in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lamps (26a-26g) are driven offset in time in the transverse direction of the vehicle, so that a motion light pattern is generated that runs in the vehicle transverse direction of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time offset with which the lamps (26a-26g) are driven is dependent on the acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction and/or in the transverse direction.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating data includes acceleration data or speed data of the vehicle.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating data includes ambient data picked up by means of a sensor, in particular a light sensor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle operating data is stored in a memory.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light pattern is dependent on the driving speed of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light pattern is dependent on the acceleration of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction and/or in the transverse direction.

11. An interior lighting (25) for a vehicle (18), comprising at least two lamps (26a-26g) which can be driven separately, and a controller (28) which can drive the lamps (26a-26g) separately, wherein the lamps (26a-26g) are driven by a method according to claim 1, and that at least one sensor is provided for acquiring vehicle operating data.

12. The interior lighting according to claim 11, wherein a memory (32) for the vehicle-specific data is provided.

13. The interior lighting according to claim 11, wherein the lamps (26a-26g) are arranged in the longitudinal direction (L) of the vehicle and/or in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light pattern of one individual lamp is offset from the light pattern of another individual lamp to generate the wave pattern and inform the driver of the vehicle about the driving speed of the vehicle.

15. A method of controlling an interior lighting in a vehicle, comprising:

separately driving a plurality of individual lamps with an identical or similar light pattern as a function of vehicle operating data to generate a wave light pattern, the light pattern of each individual lamp being offset in time from the light pattern of each other individual lamp by an amount dependent on the driving speed of the vehicle such that the wave pattern informs a driver of the vehicle about the driving speed of the vehicle.