Lamp masking method and apparatus

• US 20030185011A1
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illume LLC
• Original Assignee: Illume LLC
• Inventors: Strazzanti, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 6,913,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/318
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0041 of several lamps in relation to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/645 by electro-optic means, e.g. liquid crystal or electrochromic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/04 characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13347 working in reverse mode, i.e. clear in the off-state and scattering in the on-state

Abstract

A motor vehicle lamp assembly having a light source for emitting light and a source enclosure having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the light source to an illumination zone. The enclosure is affixed with a material which covers a selected region of the light transmissive portion of the enclosure. The material is electrically energized to alter an amount of light transmitted from the light source to the illumination zone. A drive circuit electrically coupled to the material energizes the material to control a light output from the lamp assembly.

Claims

1. A lamp assembly comprising:

a light source for emitting light from the lamp assembly;

a light source enclosure having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the light source to an illumination zone, a portion of said enclosure including a material which covers a selected region of the light transmissive portion of the enclosure and which when electrically energized alters an amount of light transmitted from the light source to the illumination zone; and

a drive circuit electrically coupled to the material for selectively energizing the material and thereby controlling a light output from the lamp assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the material comprises a sheet of pliable PDLC that is supported by the light transmissive portion of the enclosure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light transmissive portion of the enclosure has affixed to it multiple regions of the material that are independently energized to adjust the light output from the lamp assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the multiple regions of the material form a matrix array of rows and columns that are independently energized by the drive circuit to adjust the light output from the lamp assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the light transmitting portion of the enclosure comprises inner and outer layers and wherein the material is supported between the inner and outer layers of said light transmitting portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the material comprises distinct regions that are individually energized by conductors that are routed between the inner and the outer layers of the light transmitting portion of the enclosure.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the material is a PDLC material.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the material is supported by a separate enclosure cap that positions the material a spaced distance from the light transmitting portion of the enclosure to reduce heat transfer to the material from light source within said enclosure.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the coating is affixed to the light transmitting portion of the enclosure with a conductive adhesive that forms a portion of a conductive path between the drive circuit and the material.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the driver circuit includes a user interface for setting multiple inputs that control the light transmissive state of the multiple regions.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the enclosure includes a light reflector and wherein a light transmissive portion of the enclosure includes an outer peripheral region and a center region and wherein light reflected from a light reflector is concentrated to exit the enclosure through said center region, said apparatus including one or more regions that cover the outer peripheral region of the light transmission portion of the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive circuit comprises:

a) a user interface including a switch selector;

b) a programmable controller for responding to the setting of the switch selector to produce a set of driver outputs; and

c) a driver circuit coupled to the material to apply an alternating signal to the material to alter the light transmissive characteristics of said material.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive circuit includes a control output for adjusting a level of light transmission through a region of said material depending upon an activation state of the light source.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive circuit applies a direct current (DC) signal output for adjusting the light transmission level of an associated region of said material.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the enclosure is a housing that can be coupled to a motor vehicle.

11. The apparatus of 3 wherein the driver circuit includes a programmable controller coupled to an output circuit that causes the multiple regions to exhibit one of two light transmissive states, a relatively high light transmissive state and a relatively low light transmissive state.

16. A lamp assembly comprising:

a light source for emitting light from the lamp assembly;

a enclosure having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the light source to an illumination zone,

a cap attached to the enclosure that includes a light transmitting cap portion between the light source and the illumination zone which supports a material which when electrically energized alters an amount of light transmitted from the light source to the illumination zone;

said cap spacing the material a distance from the light source to control heat transfer from the light source to the material; and

a drive circuit electrically coupled to the material for selectively energizing the material and thereby controlling a light output from the lamp assembly.

17. A process for constructing a lamp assembly comprising:

positioning a light source within an enclosure having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the light source to an illumination zone,

mounting a material in relation to the enclosure to cover selected regions of the light transmissive portion; and

coupling the material to a drive circuit for selectively energizing the material which when electrically energized renders a region of the light transmissive portion having the material more light transmissive to control light intensity transmitted from the light source to the illumination zone.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the material forms multiple regions in a matrix of rows and columns across a surface of said light transmissive portion of the lamp assembly which are coupled to the drive circuit independently to allow independent control over the light transmitting characteristics of said regions during operation of the headlamp assembly.

19. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising providing an interface for monitoring multiple inputs to control the light transmissive state of the material.

20. A process for operating a lamp comprising:

positioning a light source within an enclosure having a light transmissive portion for transmitting light from the light source to an illumination zone,

affixing a material in relation to the enclosure to cover selected regions of the light transmissive portion;

coupling the material to a drive. circuit for controlling a light transmissive state of the material; and

selectively activating the drive circuit to energize the material and thereby render a region of the light transmissive portion having the material more light transmissive.