VEHICLE LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20180339681A1
• Filed: 05/24/2017
• Published: 11/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Salter, Stuart C., Dellock, Paul Kenneth, Shutko, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,562,501 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0005 Devices preventing the lights from becoming dirty or damaged, e.g. protection grids or cleaning by air flow windshield wipers for cleaning optical devices of vehicles B60S1/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0064 with provision for maintenance, e.g. changing the light bulb swivel arrangements B60Q1/0425
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/543 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle indicating taxis' state of hire or fare G07B13/045
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/481 the operation of at least part of the liquid supply being controlled by electric means electrical washing liquid warming-up means B60S1/488
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/52 Arrangement of nozzles; Liquid spreading meansnozzles per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/603 the operation of at least a part of the cleaning means being controlled by electric means

Abstract

A vehicle light assembly is provided. The vehicle lighting assembly includes a housing, a light source, a lens disposed in front of the light source, a light sensor disposed outside the lens for sensing light intensity of light output from the lens, and a controller controlling the light source to adjust intensity of the light based on the sensed light intensity. The controller may also control a lens cleaner based on the sensed light intensity.

Claims

1. A vehicle light assembly comprising:

a housing;

a light source;

a lens disposed in front of the light source;

a light sensor for sensing light intensity of light output from the lens; and

a controller controlling the light source to adjust intensity of the light based on the sensed light intensity.

2. The vehicle light assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens cleaner adapted to clean the lens, wherein the controller controls the lens cleaner based on the sensed light intensity.

3. The vehicle light assembly of claim 2, wherein the lens cleaner comprises a spray washer for spraying liquid on the lens.

4. The vehicle light assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts current applied to the light source to adjust the intensity.

5. The vehicle light assembly of claim 1, wherein the light sensor is disposed outside the lens.

6. The vehicle light assembly of claim 5, wherein the light sensor is disposed at least partially in front of the lens.

7. The vehicle light assembly of claim 6, wherein the light sensor comprises a light pipe.

8. The vehicle light assembly of claim 6, wherein the light sensor comprises an extendable portion that extends and retracts.

9. The vehicle light assembly of claim 1 further comprising an optical silicone layer formed on the lens.

10. A vehicle light assembly comprising:

a housing;

a light source;

a lens disposed in front of the light source;

a light sensor disposed outside the lens for sensing light intensity of light output from the lens; and

a controller controlling a lens cleaner adapted to clean the lens, wherein the controller controls the lens cleaner based on the sensed light intensity.

11. The vehicle light assembly of claim 10, wherein the controller further controls the light source to adjust intensity of the light based on the sensed intensity.

12. The vehicle light assembly of claim 10, wherein the lens cleaner comprises a spray washer for spraying liquid on the lens.

13. The vehicle light assembly of claim 10, wherein the light sensor is disposed at least partially in front of the lens.

14. The vehicle light assembly of claim 13, wherein the light sensor comprises a light pipe.

15. The vehicle light assembly of claim 13, wherein the light sensor comprises an extendable portion that extends and retracts.

16. The vehicle light assembly of claim 10 further comprising an optical silicone layer formed on the lens.

17. A method of controlling a vehicle exterior light assembly, comprising:

generating a light output through a lens from a light source;

sensing light output emitted from the lens with a light sensor; and

adjusting with a controller intensity of light generated by the light source based on the sensed light intensity.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of activating a lens cleaner to clean the lens, wherein the controller controls the lens cleaner based on the sensed light intensity.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the lens cleaner comprises a spray washer for spraying liquid on the lens.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the light sensor is disposed outside the lens.