Lighting system for use in vehicle cabin

• US 5,206,562 A
• Filed: 09/18/1991
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuno, Yoshio, Matsui, Hitoshi, Okamura, Izumi, Tanabe, Yoshinori, Shigeta, Teruaki
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, SON T
• Application Number:
  US07/761,056
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/84, 315/157, 315/158, 315/159, 307/10.1, 307/10.8, 362/75, 362/83.3, 362/276, 362/80
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/323 on or for doors illuminated exterior door handles B60Q1/2669; illuminated door locks E05B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/324 for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/325 on or for running boards or steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/217 Doors, e.g. door sills; Steps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

A lighting system for use in a vehicle cabin comprises a step lamp arranged to a door, a foot lamp arranged to a seat and a seat lamp arranged to a roof. An ON-OFF circuit turns on the step, foot and seat lamps when the door is opened, and turns off these lamps when the door is closed. An arithmetic circuit controls the step, foot and seat lamps in luminance to obtain a gradual increase in brightness in order of the road and step, the floor and the seat.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a lighting system for use in a cabin of a vehicle on a road, the vehicle having a door, a step, a floor, a roof and a seat, the lighting system including a step lamp arranged to the door, a foot lamp arranged to the seat and a seat lamp arranged to the roof, the method comprising the steps of:

checking whether or not the door is opened;

detecting brightness of the road and step, the floor and the seat when the door is opened and generating brightness indicative signals indicative of said brightness detected;

determining luminous intensities of the step lamp, the foot lamp and the seat lamp in response to said brightness indicative signals to obtain a gradual increase in brightness in order of the road and step, the floor and the seat and generating luminous intensity indicative signals indicative of said luminous intensities determined; and

controlling the step lamp, the foot lamp and the seat lamp in response to said luminous intensities indicative signals.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said checking step is carried out with a door switch and an ON-OFF circuit.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said detecting step is carried out with three sensors.

4. A method of controlling a lighting system for use in a cabin of a vehicle on a road, the vehicle having first and second doors, steps, floors, roofs and seats, the lighting system including first and second step lamps arranged to the first and second doors, first and second foot lamps arranged to the first and second seats, and first and second seat lamps arranged to the first and second roofs, the method comprising the steps of:

checking whether or not the first door is opened;

detecting brightness of the road and first step, the first floor and the first seat when the first door is opened and generating brightness indicative signals indicative of said brightness detected;

determining luminous intensities of the first step lamp, foot lamp and seat lamp in response to said brightness indicative signals to obtain a gradual increase in brightness in order of the road and first step, the first floor and the first seat and generating first luminous intensity indicative signals indicative of said luminous intensities determined; and

controlling the first step lamp, foot lamp and seat lamp in response to said first luminous intensity indicative signals.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

establishing luminous intensities of the second step lamp, foot lamp and seat lamp relative to said luminous intensities of the first step lamp, foot lamp and seat lamp and generating second luminous intensity indicative signal indicative of said luminous intensities established; and

controlling the second step lamp, foot lamp and seat lamp in response to said second luminous intensity indicative signals.

6. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said luminous intensities of the second step lamp, foot lamp and seat lamp are set to 0, 50% and 50%, respectively.

7. A lighting system for use in a cabin of a vehicle on a road, the vehicle having a door, a step, a floor, a roof and a seat, comprising:

a step lamp arranged to the door;

a foot lamp arranged to the seat;

a seat lamp arranged to the roof;

ON-OFF means for turning on sais step lamp, said foot lamp and said seat lamp when the door is opened, and turning off said step lamp, said foot lamp and said seat lamp when the door is closed;

first sensor means for detecting a brightness of the road and step and generating a road/step brightness indicative signal indicative of said brightness of the road/step detected;

second sensor means for detecting a brightness of the floor and generating a floor brightness indicative signal indicative of said brightness of the floor detected;

third sensor means for detecting a brightness of the seat and generating a seat brightness indicative signal indicative of said brightness of the seat detected; and

arithmetic circuit means for controlling said step lamp, said foot lamp and said seat lamp luminous intensity in accordance with said step brightness indicative signal, said floor brightness indicative signal and said seat brightness indicative signal to obtain a gradual increase in brightness in order of the road and step, the floor and the seat.

8. A lighting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said step lamp includes a red diverging lens portion for warning a driver in a follower vehicle that the door is opened, and a transparent converging lens portion for lighting up the road and the step.

9. A lighting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said seat lamp includes a diverging lens portion for lighting up an entirety of the seat, and a converging lens portion for lighting up a part of the seat.

10. A lighting system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said ON-OFF means include a door switch and an ON-OFF circuit.