CONFIGURABLE VEHICLE SOLID STATE LIGHTING

• US 20120299476A1
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Published: 11/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Roberts, Bruce R., Boroczki, Agoston
• Granted Patent: US 8,564,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0011 with light guides for distributing the light between several lighting or signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2603 Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/444 with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing shape or intensity of the indication B60Q1/1407, B60Q1/442, B60Q1/447 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/20 Multi-color single source or LED matrix, e.g. yellow blinker and red brake lamp generated by single lamp
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/10 of different colours
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light

Abstract

A vehicle signal light assembly includes: at least one color mixing light source; a support element configured to support the at least one color mixing light source on a vehicle as a signal light; and a controller configured to selectively drive each color mixing light source to generate light of a selected visually perceived color based on a received control signal. In some such embodiments, each color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of at least two constituent colors. In some such embodiments, the controller is configured to operate each color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly using time domain multiplexing (TDM) to generate the light of the selected visually perceived color. In some such embodiments, the vehicle signal light assembly comprises a taillight assembly. In some of the embodiments, the vehicle light assembly comprises an ambient or auxiliary lighting, or a dashboard lighting assembly.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle signal light assembly including;

at least one color mixing light source;

a support element configured to support the at least one color mixing light source on a vehicle as a signal light; and

a controller configured to selectively drive each color mixing light source to generate light of a selected visually perceived color based on a received control signal.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of at least two constituent colors.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate each color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly using time-domain multiplexing (TDM) to generate the light of the selected visually perceived color.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vehicle signal light assembly includes a plurality of color mixing light sources and further includes:

a single piece transparent or translucent cover disposed over all the color mixing light sources.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vehicle signal light assembly further includes:

at least one additional light source that is not a color mixing light source;

wherein the controller is further configured to cause the at least one additional light source to generate light responsive to a received control signal.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to drive the at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to emit visually perceived white light responsive to a backup signal.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to drive at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to emit visually perceived red light responsive to at least one of a taillight or brake signal.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to drive at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to emit visually perceived yellow light responsive to a turn signal.

9. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to drive at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to emit visually perceived yellow light responsive to a turn signal.

10. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to drive at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to emit (i) visually perceived red light responsive to at least one of a taillight or brake signal and (ii) visually perceived yellow or amber light responsive to a turn signal.

11. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to drive at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to emit visually perceived red light with a color point adjustment selected by an adjustment input.

12. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

an environmental sensor generating the adjustment input.

13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the environmental sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

a precipitation sensor, a humidity sensor, a visibility sensor, an altitude sensor, and an ambient light sensor.

14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller drives each color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to generate light of the selected visually perceived color using one of (i) a constant d.c. current and (ii) a constant root-mean-square (rms) a.c. current.

15. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to drive at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to alternate between a visually perceived first color light and a visually perceived second color light different from the visually perceived first color light responsive to simultaneous first and second control signals respectively selecting the visually perceived first color light and the visually perceived second color light.

16. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to selectively drive at least one color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly to generate light of a selected visually perceived color with a color point adjusted based on a color point adjustment parameter.

17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the color point adjustment parameter is defined by a configuration setting of the controller.

18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 17, wherein the configuration setting of the controller selects a geographical region.

19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the color point adjustment parameter is defined by an environmental measurement signal received by the controller.

20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the visually perceived color selected based on a received control signal is further selected based on a configuration setting stored in the vehicle signal light assembly.

21. The apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein the configuration setting has first and second values and the visually perceived color selected based on a received turn signal is red if the configuration setting has the first value and yellow if the configuration setting has the second value.

22. The apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein the configuration setting is stored in the vehicle signal light assembly as one of (i) a mechanical switch setting and (ii) data stored in an electronic configuration memory.

23. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vehicle signal light assembly comprises a taillight assembly.

24. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle;

wherein the vehicle signal light assembly is supported by the support element on the vehicle and the controller is operatively connected with the vehicle to operate the vehicle signal light assembly based on a control signal received from the vehicle.

25. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one color mixing light source includes:

a color mixing light source array module; and

an optical module comprising a plurality of optical paths each coupled with one or more light source elements of the color mixing light source array module, the optical paths comprising passive optical elements.

26. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively drive at least two of the color mixing light sources to generate light of the same selected visually perceived color based on a received control signal.

27. A method comprising:

generating a vehicle signal emanating from a vehicle by;

emitting signaling light of a first visually perceived color responsive to a first control signal using a color mixing light source mounted on the vehicle, the signaling light of the first visually perceived color comprising a mixture of light of at least two different constituent colors; and

emitting signaling light of a second visually perceived color responsive to a second control signal using the color mixing light source mounted on the vehicle, the second visually perceived color being different from the first visually perceived color.

28. The vehicle signal method as set forth in claim 27, wherein the emitting signaling light of the first visually perceived color comprises:

emitting signaling light of the first visually perceived color by time-domain multiplexing (TDM) mixing of light of at least two different constituent colors.

29. An apparatus comprising:

a taillight assembly configured to be mounted on and operatively connected with a vehicle, the taillight including;

a color mixing light source, and

a controller configured to drive the color mixing light source to generate light of a selected one of at least two different selectable visually perceived colors based on a control signal received by the taillight assembly from the vehicle.

30. The apparatus as set forth in claim 29, wherein the controller is configured to drive the color mixing light source to generate light of a selected one of at least two different selectable visually perceived colors using time-domain multiplexing (TDM) mixing of light of at least two different constituent colors.

31. A system comprising:

a plurality of vehicle optical modules wherein each vehicle optical module includes a plurality of optical paths comprising passive optical elements; and

a color mixing light source array module comprising a plurality of light source elements and an electronic controller, the color mixing light source array module being interchangeably optically coupleable with any one vehicle optical module of the plurality of vehicle optical modules to inject light into the optical paths of the coupled vehicle optical module, the electronic controller operating the light source elements to emit light of selected visually perceived colors into the optical paths of the coupled vehicle optical module.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of vehicle optical modules include taillight optical modules for different vehicle make/models.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the plurality of vehicle optical modules include at least (1) a taillight optical module and (2) a vehicle interior lighting optical module.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a vehicle ambient or auxiliary light assembly including;

at least one color mixing light source;

a support element configured to support the at least one color mixing light source on a vehicle as a signal light; and

a controller configured to selectively drive each color mixing light source to generate light of a selected visually perceived color based on a received control signal.