Addressable vehicular lighting system
First Claim
1. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:
- a semiconductor laser light source having a plurality of lasing segments each generating a beam;
excitation means for independently controlling each lasing segment multiple beams from the lasing segments being coupled via at least one optical fiber to an optical load visible to observation means external of said vehicle including individuals located outside the vehicle;
said excitation means being activated by application of brakes of said vehicle producing a pulsed light output from a given lasing segment to the optical load providing a flashing light output therefrom maintained during a period of brake activation; and
said excitation means further activating another lasing segment in the event of failure of said given segment to thereby ensure reliable operation of the optical load.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle with a plurality of individually addressable light sources, preferably semiconductor laser light sources or light emitting diodes, each of which produce a beam of light, are optically coupled to a fiber optic waveguide. The laser light sources are grouped together preferably at a single location within the vehicle for easy access and conveniently located within the vehicle. Fiber waveguides distally transmits the beams to the optical loads of the vehicle, including the brake lights, taillights, instrumentation lights and turn signals. Each fiber optic waveguide may be a single optical fiber, such as a multimode fiber, having a numerical aperture large enough to receive illumination from a plurality of light sources. In cases where some optical loads require a larger flux or brightness of light, such as vehicular headlights, which may greater than a single optic fiber can transmit, the waveguide may comprise of a bundle of optical fibers. Multiple light sources to a single optical output load allows switching to another operational light source or increase the intensity of remaining light sources should one light source fail. In this manner, the operational life of the vehicular lighting system is increased. Also disclosed is circuitry for operating applications of the system as well as illustrating the employment of color wavelength laser light sources.
73 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:
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a semiconductor laser light source having a plurality of lasing segments each generating a beam;
excitation means for independently controlling each lasing segment multiple beams from the lasing segments being coupled via at least one optical fiber to an optical load visible to observation means external of said vehicle including individuals located outside the vehicle;
said excitation means being activated by application of brakes of said vehicle producing a pulsed light output from a given lasing segment to the optical load providing a flashing light output therefrom maintained during a period of brake activation; and
said excitation means further activating another lasing segment in the event of failure of said given segment to thereby ensure reliable operation of the optical load. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vehicular lighting system for a vehicle comprising:
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a semiconductor laser source emitting light in the range of about 400 nm to about 700 nm;
said laser source being coupled to a multimode optical fiber;
said fiber carrying light from said laser source to an optical load on said vehicle; and
said laser source having multiple monolithic lasing emitters which are emitting light at different wavelengths within the same color spectrum to provide light to said optical load with reduced speckle with high reliability due to source emitter redundancy. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:
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a laser source providing a laser beam of coherent light;
at least one optical fiber coupled at one end for receiving the laser beam;
circuitry for modulating the laser beam to provide a pulsed output;
dispersing means coupled to an opposite end of the optical fiber for expanding light from the beam and transmitting a pulsed light output outside of the vehicle; and
said circuitry providing for an increase in the pulse rate of said pulsed light output in response to an increase in pressure applied to said vehicle braking system. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:
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a laser source providing a laser beam of coherent light;
at least one optical fiber coupled at one end for receiving the laser beam;
circuitry for modulating the laser beam to provide a pulsed output;
dispersing means coupled to an opposite end of the optical fiber for expanding light from the beam and transmitting a pulsed light output outside of the vehicle; and
said pulsed light output containing information which is readable by an external optical detector.
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23. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:
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a laser source providing a laser beam of coherent light;
at least one optical fiber coupled at one end for receiving the laser beam;
circuitry for modulating the laser beam to provide a pulsed output; and
dispersing means coupled to an opposite end of the optical fiber for expanding light from the beam and transmitting a pulsed light output outside of the vehicle; and
said pulsed light output containing information which is readable by an external optical detector located at a toll booth, said optical detector decoding the information to deduct tolls from a prepaid advance.
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24. A vehicle light system for a vehicle comprising:
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a semiconductor light source having a plurality of beam generating devices;
excitation means for independently controlling each beam generating device;
at least one optical fiber coupled at one end to multiple beam generating devices and at an opposite end to an optical load; and
said excitation means activating one of the beam generating devices to provide light to the optical load and, upon failure of said one beam generating device, activating another beam generating device to provide light to the optical load.
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Specification