Automatic lighting system and method for vehicle

• US 9,168,866 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Baek, Hyelim
• Primary Examiner(s): Cole, Brandon S
• Application Number:
  US14/107,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 315 76- 84
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/252 Sun visors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47

Abstract

An automatic lighting system and method for a vehicle are provided and the automatic lighting system includes a sun visor switch operated by a controller and configured to be turned on when a sun visor is lowered and turned off when the sun visor is raised. A mirror cover sensor detects an opened state or a closed state of a mirror cover while the sun visor is lowered, and the mirror cover covers a mirror attached to the sun visor. In addition, an interior lamp that includes at least one light-emitting diode (LED) is operated by the controller to be turned off when a vehicle runs and turned on when the vehicle stops while the mirror cover is opened.

Claims

1. An automatic lighting system for a vehicle, comprising:

a sun visor switch executed by a controller and configured to be turned on when a sun visor is lowered and turned off when the sun visor is raised;

a mirror cover sensor operated by the controller and configured to detect an opened state or a closed state of a mirror cover while the sun visor is lowered, wherein the mirror cover covers a mirror attached to the sun visor; and

an interior lamp that includes at least one light-emitting diode (LED) and is operated by the controlled to be turned off when a vehicle runs and turned on when the vehicle stops while the mirror cover is opened.

2. The automatic lighting system of claim 1, further comprising:

a gateway configured to receive a vehicle speed signal from a transmission control unit (TCU) and determine a running state or stopping state of the vehicle; and

an auto-light sensor operated by the controller and configured to sense ambient brightness of the vehicle and determine day or night lighting,

wherein the controller is further configured to set the interior lamp in an automatic turn-on mode or in a constant turn-on mode based on speed of the vehicle.

3. The automatic lighting system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to operate the interior lamp to a maximum brightness when the auto-light sensor senses day lighting and to operate the interior lamp be dimmed when the auto-light sensor senses night lighting.

4. The automatic lighting system of claim 2, wherein the gateway is further configured to generate a stop information signal when the vehicle speed is less than about 2 Km/h and transmit the stop information signal to the controller.

5. The automatic lighting system of claim 1, wherein the interior lamp includes at least one white-light-emitting diode.

6. The automatic lighting system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to maintain the interior lamp turned off when the mirror cover is closed.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

program instructions that operate the interior lamp to a maximum brightness when an auto-light sensor senses day lighting; and

program instructions that operate the interior lamp to be dimmed when the auto-light sensor senses night lighting.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

program instructions that operate the interior lamp to be constantly turned on when the mirror cover is opened when a constant turn-on mode is set.

7. An automatic lighting method executed by an automatic lighting system for a vehicle, comprising:

turning on, by a controller, a sun visor switch when a sun visor is lowered;

detecting, by the controller, an opened state of a mirror cover of the sun visor while the sun visor switch is turned on;

determining, by the controller, whether the vehicle is stopped when an automatic turn-on mode is set, wherein the automatic turn-on mode is a mode in which an interior lamp is turned on while stopping; and

turning off, by the controller, the interior lamp when the vehicle runs and turning on the interior lamp when the vehicle stops.

8. An automatic lighting method of claim 7, further comprising

operating, by the controller, the interior lamp to a maximum brightness when an auto-light sensor senses day lighting;

and

operating, by the controller, the interior lamp to be dimmed when the auto-light sensor senses night lighting.

9. An automatic lighting method of claim 8, further comprising

operating, by the controller, the interior lamp to be constantly turned on when the mirror cover is opened when a constant turn-on mode is set.

10. An automatic lighting method of claim 7, further comprising

operating, by the controller, the interior lamp to be constantly turned off when the mirror cover is closed.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a controller, the computer readable medium comprising:

program instructions that turn on a sun visor switch when a sun visor is lowered;

program instructions that detect an opened state of a mirror cover of the sun visor while the sun visor switch is turned on;

program instructions that determine whether the vehicle is stopped when an automatic turn-on mode is set, wherein the automatic turn-on mode is a mode in which an interior lamp is turned on while stopping; and

program instructions that turn off the interior lamp when the vehicle runs and turning on the interior lamp when the vehicle stops.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising:

program instructions that operate the interior lamp to be constantly turned off when the mirror cover is closed.