RU2682103C2 - Lighting device for vehicles with control of plurality of portions using proximity sensors - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: motor vehicle industry.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to directional lighting of the internal space of a vehicle. In the method, the vehicle lighting system contains a group of light sources containing a plurality of portions and a controller that communicates with the light sources and proximity sensors. Each portion contains a proximity sensor. Said controller is configured to activate, upon selection, the first portion of the plurality of portions in response to the first detection by the first sensor and to activate the plurality of portions in response to the second detection by the first sensor.

EFFECT: possibility of intuitive activation and regulation of the intensity of the emitted light by the passenger of the vehicle is achieved.

20 cl, 10 dwg

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This patent application is a partial continuation of US patent application No. 14 / 257,309, filed April 21, 2014 and entitled "VEHICLE READING LAMP WITH LOW INTENSITY LIGHT SETTING", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to lighting a vehicle, and more particularly, to directional lighting of an interior of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Currently, some lighting devices require the user to interact with an external lens in order to activate and deactivate lighting devices. One drawback of this design is that the passenger of the vehicle typically has to rely on tactile sensations in order to find an external lens when dark conditions occur. As a result, some passengers of the vehicle may be distracted by the need to feel the position of the external lens if they wish to activate lighting devices. Therefore, there is a need for a lighting device that allows a vehicle passenger to intuitively activate and control the intensity of the emitted light from the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle lighting system is described. The lighting system contains a group of light sources having many plots. Each of the sections has a proximity sensor, configured to transmit a signal to control a section of a plurality of sections. The controller communicates with light sources and proximity sensors. The controller is configured to activate a first portion of a group of light sources in response to detecting a first approximation and activate a plurality of regions in response to detecting a second approximation.

[0005] According to another aspect of the present invention, a lighting device for a vehicle is described. A lighting device comprises a plurality of light sources having a plurality of lighting areas or zones, each having a plurality of proximity sensors. The controller communicates with light sources and proximity sensors. The controller is configured to selectively activate each site in response to detecting a first approximation and selectively activate a plurality of sites in response to detecting a second approximation.

[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, a lighting device is described. A lighting device comprises a plurality of directional light sources located in a plurality of regions, each region comprising a proximity sensor. The controller communicates with light sources and proximity sensors. The controller is configured to activate a selection of each site in response to detecting a first approximation and to activate a selection of multiple sites in response to detecting a second approximation.

[0007] These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon examination of the following description, claims, and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] In the drawings:

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating a front passenger compartment of a vehicle having a ceiling console using two reading lamps;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing illustrating a reading lamp using a capacitive detection configuration;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a reading lamp control circuit;

[0012] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a reading lamp control circuit;

[0013] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for controlling a reading lamp;

[0014] FIG. 6 is a diagram of a lighting device for a vehicle;

[0015] FIG. 7A is a top cross-sectional view of the lighting device shown in FIG. 6, along the section line 1-1.

[0016] FIG. 7B is a side cross-sectional view along a sectional line II-II of the lighting device shown in FIG. 7A;

[0017] FIG. 8 is a diagram of a lighting device for a vehicle;

[0018] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device shown in FIG. 8, along the line of the III-III section; and

[0019] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for controlling a lighting device in accordance with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In accordance with the requirements herein, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the invention, which may be practiced in various and alternative forms. The drawings do not necessarily reflect the detailed diagram, and some schematic elements may be exaggerated or minimized to demonstrate the general appearance of the functions. Therefore, the specific details of the construction and functions disclosed herein should not be interpreted as limiting, but merely as representing the basis for informing a person skilled in the art about various applications of the present invention.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, the front part of the passenger compartment 10 of the vehicle for the wheeled vehicle 12 is shown in general as having at least one reading lamp 14 mounted in the ceiling console 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the ceiling console 16 is mounted on the inside of the ceiling lining of the front part of the passenger the passenger compartment 10 of the vehicle and is located at a central location in front of the passenger compartment 10 of the vehicle. As shown by way of example, two reading lamps 14 are mounted on the ceiling console 16, one positioned so as to provide greater accessibility to the driver of the vehicle 12, and the other positioned so as to provide greater accessibility to the passenger in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. While two reading lamps 14 were shown generally in FIG. 1, it should be understood that one or more reading lamps 14 may be mounted at other locations on the ceiling console 16 or other locations on board the vehicle 12. In addition, one or more switches 18 may be provided to allow the vehicle passenger to manually activate reading lamps 14. As shown by way of example, a switch 18 is located next to each respective reading lamp 14 to provide independent control of each reading lamp 14. In addition, or alternatively, one or more switches 18 may be located anywhere else on board the vehicle 12, for example, on the dashboard 20 of the vehicle, as shown by way of example in FIG. 1. However, it should be understood that the switch 18 may be located at other locations within the vehicle 12, such as, but not limited to, a driver's side door, a passenger side door and / or a center console area.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, a diagram of a reading lamp 14 is shown according to one embodiment. The reading lamp 14 includes an external lens 22, which is accessible to passengers of the vehicle, and a light source 24 for illuminating the external lens 22. A light source 24 is generally provided behind the external lens 22 and may include one or more light emitting diodes ( LED) to allow the light source 24 to emit one or more types of colored light. In order to diffuse the light emitted from the light source 24, the scattering optics 26 may be located between the light source 24 and the outer lens 22 to ensure uniform distribution of light through the outer lens 22 when the light source 24 is activated. The activation of the light source 24 can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, in one embodiment, the outer lens 22 may be implemented in a push configuration in which a vehicle passenger presses or pushes the outer lens 22 inward to activate the light source 24. In addition or alternative, the light source can be activated through an appropriate switch (for example, switch 18) on the ceiling console 16 and / or on board the vehicle 12, as previously described.

[0023] In the illustrated embodiment, a proximity sensor, shown and described herein as a capacitive sensor 28, may be provided behind and attached to the outer lens 22. The capacitive sensor 28 provides an activation detection field that covers the outermost surface of the outer lens 22 and can detect capacitive changes resulting from a conductor, such as a finger of a vehicle passenger, located in the activation detection area of the capacitive sensor 28 (for example, touching an external lens 22). In one embodiment, if the capacitive change satisfies or exceeds a predetermined threshold level, the light source 24 may be instructed to activate accordingly. While the proximity sensor is shown and described herein as capacitive sensor 28, it should be understood that additional or alternative types of proximity sensors can be used to detect various other signal changes, such as, but not limited to, inductive sensors, optical sensors , temperature sensors, resistive sensors, etc., or a combination thereof.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 3, the reading lamp 14 may further include a controller 30 in electrical connection with the capacitive sensor 28 and the light source 24. In this configuration, when the capacitive sensor 28 detects a change in capacitance, the controller 30 may respond by activating / deactivating the light source 24 accordingly. As shown, controller 30 may include circuits such as processor 32 and controller memory 34. According to one embodiment, the procedure 36 for controlling the reading lamp 14 is stored in the controller memory 34 and executed by the processor 32. In addition, the controller 30 may receive input from one or more user input devices 38 (eg, switch 18) and / or one or more vehicle equipments, shown as an on-board vehicle sensor 40 configured to detect the presence of dark conditions. In order to drive the light source 24, the controller 30 may be powered by a power source 42, which may be an on-board power source of the vehicle or an independent power source.

[0025] The controller 30 is configured to instruct the light source 24 to generate low-intensity light to assist the passenger of the vehicle in determining the location of the reading lamp 14 in dark conditions. This feature is particularly useful for reading lamps 14 that use the push configuration or capacitive detection configuration described herein, both of which require the vehicle passenger to find the outer lens 22 and perform some action on it. In addition, the above function can be implemented autonomously and / or manually called. In some embodiments, the controller 30 may receive a signal from the light sensor 40 or any signal corresponding to an input signal indicative of the presence of darkness. In response to the dark conditions, the controller 30 may instruct the light source 24 to generate low-intensity light.

[0026] Low-intensity light can be expressed as a dim light (eg, ambient lighting) to improve driving conditions without distracting the driver. In addition or alternative, the light source 24 can be manually activated using the user input device 38. In any case, if a reading lamp 14 is provided, equipped with a low-intensity light function, passengers of the vehicle can visually determine the location of the outer lens 22 in dark conditions, if desired, activate the reading lamp 14 to form a working light. In such cases, the controller 30 may instruct the light source 24 to switch from low-intensity light to high-intensity light.

[0027] Each light intensity setting can be expressed as light of the same color or a different color and can be selected by the passenger of the vehicle using any suitable user input device 38 (eg, the center console of the vehicle). Thus, depending on which color options are available, it should be readily understood that the light source 24 may include one or more LEDs. In one embodiment, low-intensity light is expressed as blue light, and high-intensity light can be expressed as white light. As further shown in FIG. 3, the light source 24 may include an LED module 44 having red, green, and blue light emitting diodes, whereby the blue LED provides low intensity blue light, and the combination of red, green, and blue LED provides high intensity white light. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the LED module 44 may have a blue LED for providing low intensity blue light and a white LED for providing high intensity white light. In either of the two embodiments, the controller 30 may provide each LED with pulse width modulation (PWM) signals to create a corresponding light intensity and light color. Alternatively, the controller 30 can directly drive current to each LED to do the same.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 5, a procedure 36 for controlling a reading lamp 14 according to one embodiment is illustrated. The procedure starts at step 52 and proceeds to step 54 to check whether dark conditions are present. As described previously, the controller 30 may receive a signal from the light sensor 40, indicating the presence of dark conditions. If there are dark conditions, procedure 36 proceeds to step 56, where the controller 30 instructs the light source 24 to generate a low-intensity light of the first color, and procedure 36 proceeds to step 58. If the dark conditions do not occur, procedure 36 skips step 56 and skips to step 58. If necessary, step 54 can be manually bypassed using the user input device 38, thereby forcing the light source 24 to generate low-intensity light of the first color at the request of the passenger of the vehicle.

[0029] In step 58, procedure 36 checks whether the passenger of the vehicle has activated the light source 24. For a reading lamp 14 using a capacitive detection configuration (FIG. 2), activation can occur when a vehicle passenger places a conductor (e.g., a vehicle passenger’s finger) close to the capacitive sensor 28, thereby causing a capacitive change to be detected and a message to the controller 30. Alternatively, for a reading lamp 14 employing a push configuration, activation may occur when a passenger of a vehicle presses or pushes an external lens 22. In one or the other gom If light source 24 has been activated, the routine 36 proceeds to step 60, where the controller 30 instructs the light source 24 to form a high-intensity light of a second color, if step 56 has previously been omitted. Alternatively, when step 56 was previously completed, the controller 30 instructs the light source 24 to switch from low-intensity light of the first color to high-intensity light of the second color.

[0030] Following the completion of step 60, procedure 36 proceeds to step 62 and waits until the vehicle passenger deactivates the light source 24. For example, for a reading lamp 14 using a push configuration, tapping or pushing on the outer lens 22 a second time will typically deactivate the light source 24. For a reading lamp 14 employing a capacitive detection configuration, the light source 24 can be deactivated when the capacitive sensor 28 detects a capacitive change, while the light source 24 emits high intensity light. After the light source 24 has been deactivated, the procedure 36 returns to step 54. With regard to the above procedure 36, it should be understood that the first color and the second color may be the same color or a different color, and as previously described, the source 24 The light may include one or more LEDs depending on the desired color to be emitted from it.

[0031] Accordingly, with this advantage, a vehicle reading lamp 14 and a method for controlling it have been provided. The reading lamp 14 includes a light source 24 that is capable of manually or automatically activating to generate low-intensity light to illuminate the outer lens 22 of the reading lamp 14. Thus, for the reading lamp 14, which is activated as a result of user interaction with the external lens 22, the dim lighting generated from the light source 24 greatly helps vehicle passengers to visually locate the external lens 22 in dark conditions. As a result, vehicle passengers who require working lights can easily find and activate the reading lamp 14, thereby causing the output light to switch from low-intensity light to high-intensity light. Thus, by providing the function of light of low intensity, the passenger of the vehicle eliminates the need to search by touch when trying to activate the lamp 14 for reading at night, or when other dark conditions occur.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 6, a schematic drawing of a lighting device 70 for a vehicle is shown. The lighting device 70 comprises a plurality of lighting zones 72 or sections. Each of the lighting zones 72 may comprise a plurality of light sources 73, each of which is configured to illuminate a substantially separate portion of the passenger compartment 10. In some implementations, the lighting device 70 may comprise an elongated light strip located in the lining or surface panel 74 of the vehicle. As illustrated, the lighting device 70 is located in the passenger door 76 and is configured to illuminate the front portion of the passenger compartment 10.

[0033] In this example, the lighting device 70 is shown as having a first zone 82, a second zone 84, a third zone 86, and a fourth zone 88. The lighting device 70 includes a controller (eg, controller 30) configured to control the lighting emitted from each of a plurality of lighting zones 72. The controller is configured to control the lighting of a plurality of lighting zones 72 in response to detecting the proximity of an object 90 through a plurality of proximity sensors. In some implementations, the controller communicates with a plurality of capacitive proximity sensors configured to transmit to the controller signals corresponding to the location of the object 90 in a first approximation and a second approximation. The proximity sensors, as well as the proximity detection of the object 90, will now be described with reference to FIG. 7A and 7B. Although capacitive sensors are described herein, proximity sensors may include inductive sensors, optical sensors, temperature sensors, resistive sensors, and the like. or a combination thereof. Object 90 may comprise any shape of an object that can be detected by a proximity sensor, for example, a hand or finger of a passenger of a vehicle.

[0034] In operation, the controller is configured to illuminate a particular lighting zone (eg, the first zone 82) from a plurality of lighting zones 72 in response to an object 90 detected as a first approximation. If the controller continues to detect the object 90 in a first approximation for a predetermined period of time, the controller is configured to control the brightness or intensity of the lighting of a particular lighting zone. If the controller continues to detect the object 90 in a first approximation for a second predetermined period of time, the controller is configured to deactivate a specific lighting zone. Thus, the lighting device 70 may be configured to provide light with a plurality of intensities or levels of illumination projected from each zone of the plurality of lighting zones 72.

[0035] The controller may also be configured to illuminate more than one of a plurality of lighting zones 72 in response to an object 90 detected in a second approximation. For example, the controller may activate the first lighting zone 82 and the second lighting zone 84 in response to an object 90 detected in the second approximation. In some implementations, the controller may activate all of the lighting zones from the plurality of lighting zones 72 in response to an object 90 detected in a second approximation. In addition, the controller may be configured to adjust the intensity of more than one lighting zone in response to the detection of an object 90 in a second approximation for a predetermined period of time.

[0036] FIG. 7A and 7B show a top view in cross section along a section line 1-1 and a side view in section along a section line 2-2 of a lighting device 70, respectively. FIG. 7A shows a first lighting zone 82 and a second lighting zone 84. In some implementations, the lighting device 70 may include a communication circuit 102 located close to the rear surface 104 of the lighting device 70. The communication circuit 102 is configured to transmit control signals from a plurality of control circuits 106 to activate and control each light source from a plurality of light sources 73. The lighting device 70 may include a control circuit 106 corresponding to each lighting zone of the plurality of lighting zones 72. Each control circuit 106 may also communicate with a controller and be configured to operate as described herein.

[0037] Each light source from a plurality of light sources 73 may be mounted on a front surface 108 of the communication circuit 102. Close to each light source, the optics 110 are located in the insertion support 112. The insertion supports 112 are attached to the communication circuit 102 and / or one or more intermediate layers, so that the optics 110, the insertion supports 112 and the communication circuit 102 form an intermediate assembly of the lighting device 70. Insertable the supports 112 may correspond to molded plastic configured to hold the optics 110. In some implementations, the optics 110 and the insert supports 112 may correspond to a dual plastic construction. In such implementations, the optics 110 may be cast using a transparent polymeric material, and the insert supports 112 may be cast using an opaque polymeric material.

[0038] The transparent material of each of the optical elements 110 may be configured to focus light emitted from each light source from a plurality of light sources 73. Each optical element 110 may be configured to project light outward from a particular light source along a channel formed by plug-in supports 112. In this configuration, each optical element 110 is configured to direct light from a light source to a substantially separate portion of the passenger compartment 10. B in such configurations, the lighting device 70 is made in the form of a directional light source configured to illuminate a plurality of sections of the passenger compartment 10, p and wherein each of the portions may be substantially separate. The expression "substantially separate" in the context of this document may include some overlapping light emitted from each zone from the plurality of zones, while at the same time providing the directional or multi-zone illumination described herein.

[0039] Optics 110 and insertion supports 112 may form the outer surface 114 of the lighting device 70. A plurality of proximity sensors 116 may be located on the outer surface 114 and correspond to each area of the plurality of lighting areas 72. For example, each of the lighting zones 72 may include a proximity sensor 116 to track an object 90 in the vicinity of a specific zone (e.g., the first lighting zone 82). In this configuration, the lighting device 70 is configured to detect the presence of an object 90 close to each zone and transmit to the controller a signal corresponding to the presence of the object 90.

[0040] In some implementations, each of the proximity sensors 116 may correspond to capacitive pads printed on the outer surface 114 of the lighting device 70. In some implementations, the outer surface 116 may correspond to the insulated inner surface of the outer layer 124. The proximity sensors 116 may likewise be printed and / or located on the rear surface 104. Capacitive platforms can be essentially transparent and printed on the outer surface 114 in a conductive material, such as copper, oxide indium and tin (ITO), etc. Thus, the light emitted from each of the light sources can be emitted through the proximity sensors 116 without significantly interfering with the emission of light.

[0041] Each of the proximity sensors 116 communicates with the communication circuit 102 through the conductive connector 118. Each conductive connector 118 extends from the proximity sensor 116 located on the outer surface 114 of the lighting device 70 to the front surface 108 of the communication circuit 102. The communication circuit 102 also communicates with the control circuit 106 and the controller. In this configuration, the controller is configured to receive signals (eg, voltage signals) identifying the detection of the object 90. Based on the magnitude or any other identified characteristic of the signal for signals received from the proximity sensors 116, the controller is configured to identify whether the object 90 is within the first approximation 120 or the second approximation 122 corresponding to each zone of the plurality of zones 72. In some configurations, the first approximation 120 may correspond to a larger the distance relative to each proximity sensor than the distance of the second approximation 122.

[0042] For example, the controller may identify that the object 90 is within the first proximity 120, in response to a signal from a specific proximity sensor (eg, the proximity sensor corresponding to the first zone 82) that exceeds the first threshold value. The controller may also identify that the object 90 is within the second approximation 122, in response to a signal from a specific proximity sensor exceeding the second threshold value. After the controller receives a signal from one of the proximity sensors 116, the controller is configured to control a plurality of light sources 73 of the lighting device 70 corresponding to the specific area in which the proximity of the object 90 is detected. As shown in FIG. 6, a controller is illustrated having activated light sources 73 corresponding to the first illumination zone 82 in response to the detection of an object by the proximity sensor 116 located in the first illumination zone 82 in a first approximation of 128. Thus, the controller is configured to selectively activate and control the intensity light emitted from each zone from the plurality of zones 72. Further details describing a control method for lighting devices are given with reference to FIG. 10.

[0043] The lighting device 70 may further comprise an outer layer 124 located on top of proximity sensors 116 on the outer surface 114 of the lighting device 70. The outer layer 124 may correspond to a decorative film forming a class A surface (for example, a surface with which a passenger of a vehicle can regularly to interact). The outer layer 124 may be formed of a transparent or translucent polymeric material and an insert molded so that the outer layer 124 is applied to the outer surface 114. The outer layer 124 may include various decorative aspects and / or identifiers corresponding to the lighting device 70.

[0044] The rear surface 104 of the communication circuit 102 may be adapted to be mounted on the surface of the vehicle by means of glue. The communication circuitry 102 may comprise any form of circuitry, for example, a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible or plastic circuit, a flexible printed circuit board, a flexible fingerprint, or a flexible circuit. In some implementations, the communication circuit 102 may be in the form of a flexible or ductile structure, so that the circuit 102 can be bent in width and length and correspond to changes in the surface of the vehicle. Communication circuitry 102 may be formed from a variety of materials. In some implementations, the communication circuit 102 may be formed from various layers, for example, base layers, tie layers, protective layers, and conductive layers. The base layer may be formed from a carrier film having a polymer structure such as polyester (PET), polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyetherimide (PEI), as well as various fluoropolymers (FEP), copolymer polyimide films or other suitable materials.

[0045] The controller communicates with each control circuit 106 through the communication circuit 102 and can be implemented similarly to the controller 30. The controller may comprise at least one circuit configured to control the brightness of each of the plurality of light sources 73. For example, the controller may communicate with each of the control circuits 106 and is configured to control the brightness of the light sources 73 corresponding to a particular lighting zone (for example, the first lighting zone 82). In this configuration, the controller may serve to provide control signals to each of the plurality of lighting zones 72 through a control circuit 106 corresponding to each zone.

[0046] The controller comprises a brightness control circuit configured to control the brightness or intensity of each of the light sources 73 through the control circuit 106 in response to a signal received from the controller. In some implementations, the intensity of the light sources 73 can be controlled by the controller by controlling the voltage / current signal in the periodic signal, for example, a pulse width modulation signal transmitted from the control circuit 106. In response to the frequency of the periodic signal, each light source can output a level of light that can be perceived as brighter or dimmer, corresponding to faster or slower frequencies, or longer or shorter pulse durations. For example, the brightness of a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) corresponding to light sources 73 can be controlled by changing the duty cycle of a voltage / current signal to adjust the brightness or intensity level of light emitted from the plurality of LEDs.

[0047] In an exemplary implementation, each light source from a plurality of light sources 73 may correspond to an LED or a similar lighting device. For example, each of the light sources 73 can be implemented using phosphor LEDs, organic LEDs (OLED), quantum dot LEDs, or any other similar lighting technology. Although many LEDs are described in detail, other similar light sources can be implemented as light sources (e.g., fluorescent lamps, incandescent lamps, xenon lamps, etc.) without departing from the spirit of the invention. Each light source from a plurality of light sources 73 may also correspond to a group of LEDs, for example, an array of red, green, blue (RGB) pixels, two-color LED, three-color LED, multi-color LED, etc. By realizing each light source from a plurality of light sources 73 as an array of RGB pixels, the controller may further be configured to send instructions to each light source through the light controller 106 to further control the color of the light emitted from each of the light sources 73.

[0048] Turning now to FIG. 8 and 9, an embodiment of a lighting device 130 in accordance with the invention is shown. For clarity, similar aspects and details of the lighting device 130 may be omitted or described using the same reference numerals for the lighting device 70. The lighting device 130 is shown located on the vehicle roof portion 132 and comprises a plurality of lighting areas 134 located in the array. The plurality of lighting zones 134 comprises a first lighting zone 142, a second lighting zone 144, a third lighting zone 146, and a fourth lighting zone 148. The lighting device 130 can be designed and operate similarly to the lighting device 70 and in this configuration can also be configured to illuminate portions of the passenger compartment 10 of the vehicle corresponding to each of the lighting areas 142, 144, 146 and 148.

[0049] Each lighting zone of the plurality of lighting zones 134 may comprise one or more light sources 73 that can be optionally illuminated by a controller as described herein to illuminate substantially individual portions of the passenger compartment 10. For example, each of the lighting zones can be directed from the lighting device 130 as follows: the first lighting zone 142 towards the seat on the driver's side, the second lighting zone 144 towards the seat on the passenger side, the third zone 146 is illuminated a direction directed to the dashboard on the driver's side and a fourth lighting zone 148 directed to the dashboard on the passenger side. In this configuration, the lighting device 130 may optionally illuminate various sections of the passenger compartment 10 to provide directional or multi-zone lighting for the passenger of the vehicle.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 9, a cross-sectional view of a lighting device 130 is shown along section line III-III, showing a first lighting zone 142 and a second lighting zone 144. Similar to the lighting device 70, the lighting device 130 comprises light sources 73 mounted on a communication circuit 102. In this configuration, the controller is configured to control the light sources 73 of each zone from the plurality of lighting zones 134 through the control circuit 106. The light sources 73 are configured to emit light through optical elements 110 that are located close to each light source.

[0051] In this implementation, the insertion supports 150, similar to the insertion support 112, are configured to position each of the optical elements 110 in such a way that light emitted from the plurality of light sources 73 is scattered radially outward from the outer surface 114 of the lighting device 70. The insertion supports 150 may be formed similarly to the plug-in supports 112. The plug-in supports 150 may further be arranged such that light emitted through each of the optical elements 110 is directed radially outward from each of the sources Ikov beam 73 by providing angular separation extending from the front surface 102 of communication circuit 108 to the outer surface 114 of the lighting device 130.

[0052] The lighting device 130 may also comprise a plurality of proximity sensors 116, each of which communicates with a communication circuit 102 via a conductive connector 118. Each proximity sensor 116 may correspond to an area of the plurality of lighting zones 134, such that the controller is configured to detect an object 90 and controls for selecting each of the lighting zones 134. The controller is configured to control each of the lighting zones 134 by detecting an object 90 in a first approximation 120 or a second approximation 122 corresponding to each zone of the plurality of lighting zones 134. Thus, the lighting device 130 is configured to selectively activate each of the lighting zones 134, as well as to control the light intensity of the light sources 73, as further described with reference to FIG. 10.

[0053] Turning now to FIG. 10, a flow chart of a method 160 for controlling a lighting device is shown. For clarity, method 160 is described with respect to lighting device 70; however, it can be understood that method 160 can be widely applied to a variety of lighting devices in accordance with the invention. The controller may begin by activating the lighting device 70 in response to a vehicle event (162). After activation, the controller of the lighting device 70 may initialize and activate many or all of the lighting zones 82, 84, 86, and 88 (164). A vehicle event may correspond to detecting a vehicle key approaching, opening a door, ignition sequence, or any other vehicle event. After activation, the controller may continue to maintain illumination of lighting zones 82, 84, 86, and 88 for a predetermined trigger time interval (166).

[0054] While the vehicle is operating, and the controller can monitor proximity sensors 116 for an object 90 detected in a first approximation 120 or a second approximation 122 (168). During tracking of proximity sensors 116, the controller is configured to identify whether an object 90 is detected in the vicinity of one of the proximity sensors 116 (170). If the controller does not detect the object in the first approximation 120 or the second approximation 122, the controller can continue to monitor the proximity sensors 116, returning to step 168. If the object 90 is detected near one of the proximity sensors 116, the controller is configured to determine whether the object 90 is first approximation 120 or second approximation 122 (172).

[0055] If the object 90 is detected in a first approximation of 120, the controller may first activate an area or portion of the lighting device 70 corresponding to a particular proximity sensor from which the proximity detection signal is received (174). If the proximity sensor continues to detect the object 90 in a first approximation of 120, the controller can adjust the lighting level or light intensity of the lighting zone corresponding to the proximity sensor (176). For example, the controller may increase or decrease the illumination intensity of light sources 73 in the first zone 82 for a plurality of predetermined time intervals corresponding to the duration of the detection by the proximity sensor of the object 90.

[0056] The controller is further configured to determine whether the object 90 remains in the first approximation 120 for a time longer than the turn-off time (178). The off time may be a predetermined time corresponding to a plurality of predetermined time intervals during which the controller can adjust the intensity level of the lighting zones. If the object 90 is detected by the proximity sensor for a time longer than the off time, the controller can deactivate the lighting zone corresponding to the proximity sensor to which the object 90 is closest (180). If the shutdown time is not exceeded, the controller may maintain the light level or return to step 176 to adjust the light level. The controller may continue to monitor proximity sensors 116 to detect the object 90 in step 168 while the vehicle is in operation.

[0057] If the object 90 is detected in the second approximation 122 by any of the proximity sensors 116, the controller can activate a plurality of lighting zones of the lighting device (182). For example, the controller can activate all lighting zones 184 in response to detection in the second approximation 122. If at least one of the proximity sensors 116 continues to detect an object 90 in the second approximation 122, the controller can adjust the level or light intensity of the lighting zones (184). For example, the controller may increase or decrease the illumination intensity of the light sources 73 corresponding to the plurality of lighting zones 72 for a plurality of predetermined time intervals. Each of the specified time intervals can correspond to the duration of the detection by the proximity sensor of the object 90 in the second approximation 122.

[0058] The controller is further configured to determine whether the object 90 remains in the second approximation 122 for a time longer than the turn-off time (186). If an object 90 is detected by at least one of the proximity sensors 116 for a time longer than the shutdown time, the controller may deactivate the plurality of lighting zones (188). If the shutdown time is not exceeded, the controller may maintain the light level or return to step 184 to adjust the light level.

[0059] The lighting device, systems, and related methods described herein provide lighting devices that can be used to illuminate various portions of a vehicle. The various implementations described herein provide a reliable and affordable lighting system that can be used in various applications. It should be understood that changes and modifications may be made in the above structure that are not outside the scope of the intent of the present invention, and in addition, it should be understood that such an intention is understood to be covered by the following claims, to the extent that the wording of this claims is clearly does not indicate otherwise.

Claims (32)

1. A vehicle lighting system comprising: a group of light sources containing a plurality of sections, each section comprising an proximity sensor; a controller communicating with light sources and proximity sensors, while the controller is configured to: activation of the choice of the first plot of the plurality of plots in response to the first detection by the first sensor; and activating multiple plots in response to the second detection by the first sensor. 2. The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the first detection corresponds to an object detected at a first distance, and the second detection corresponds to an object detected at a second distance. 3. The vehicle lighting system of claim 2, wherein the first distance corresponds to a greater distance than the second distance. 4. The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, in which each section corresponds to a directional light source configured to direct light from light sources to substantially separate sections of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. 5. The vehicle lighting system according to claim 4, in which each of the light sources contains at least one optical element configured to direct light to essentially individual sections of the passenger compartment. 6. A lighting device for a vehicle, comprising: many light sources, each of which contains a proximity sensor; and a controller communicating with light sources and proximity sensors, while the controller is configured to: activating optionally a first light source from said light sources in response to detecting a first approach by a first proximity sensor from said proximity sensors; and activating optionally multiple light sources in response to detecting a second approximation by the first proximity sensor. 7. The lighting device according to claim 6, in which the detection of the first approximation corresponds to an object detected at a first distance, and the detection of the second approximation corresponds to an object detected at a second distance. 8. The lighting device according to claim 6, in which the first distance corresponds to a greater distance than the second distance. 9. The lighting device according to claim 6, further comprising a front surface from which a plurality of light sources emit light, wherein the first approximation corresponds to an object found to be approximately in contact with the surface. 10. The lighting device according to claim 6, in which the controller is further configured to control the brightness of each section in a plurality of intensity values in response to detecting an object as a first approximation for a predetermined period of time. 11. The lighting device according to claim 6, in which the controller is further configured to control the brightness of a plurality of sections to a plurality of intensity values in response to detecting an object in a second approximation for a predetermined period of time. 12. A lighting device comprising: a plurality of light sources forming a plurality of regions, each region comprising an proximity sensor; a controller communicating with light sources and proximity sensors, while the controller is configured to: activating a first section of said sections in response to detecting a first approximation by a sensor of said proximity sensors; and activating said plurality of sites in response to detecting a second approximation by said sensor. 13. The lighting device according to claim 12, further comprising at least one circuit communicating with the controller and each of the light sources, wherein the circuit forms a rear portion of the lighting device. 14. The lighting device according to item 13, in which many light sources are installed in the rear section. 15. The lighting device according to 14, further comprising a plurality of optical elements protruding outward from the rear portion. 16. The lighting device according to clause 15, in which each of the optical elements is configured to direct light from each section to a substantially separate section of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. 17. The lighting device according to clause 15, in which the optical elements are configured to direct light emission outward from the lighting device to form radiation paths corresponding to each of the light sources. 18. The lighting device according to 17, further comprising a front surface on which proximity sensors are located. 19. The lighting device according to claim 18, wherein the proximity sensors communicate with the controller through at least one conductive connector extending from the front surface to the rear surface. 20. The vehicle lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to change the intensity of light emitted from the plurality of sections into a plurality of light intensities in response to the duration of the second detection by the first sensor.

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