Modern automotive lighting systems must deliver unprecedented luminous intensity—often exceeding 1000 lumens per headlight unit—while managing thermal loads and meeting strict regulatory requirements for beam patterns. As LED systems replace traditional halogen and xenon sources, managing junction temperatures above 85°C while maintaining precise optical control has become a critical engineering challenge.

The fundamental trade-off exists between achieving maximum luminous output and managing the thermal constraints that affect LED lifetime, color stability, and optical performance.

This page brings together solutions from recent research—including integrated thermal management structures, advanced optical designs for beam control, phosphor optimization techniques, and multi-function light distribution systems. These and other approaches focus on delivering high-performance automotive lighting while ensuring reliability and regulatory compliance.

1. Automotive Lighting Device with Phosphor-Coated Reflective Bowls and Sliding Mechanism

Marelli Automotive Components Co., Ltd., MARELLI AUTOMOBILE COMPONENTS CO LTD, Marelli Automotive Components (Wuhu) Co., Ltd., 2024

Lighting device for cars with uniform lighting effect without glare or dark spots. It uses phosphor-coated reflective bowls that slide over an invisible LED source. The bowls have phosphor layers with different colors. When a bowl slides directly under the LED, the phosphor lights up for uniform illumination. A micro servo moves the bowls. A sensor positions them. This allows adjusting the lit bowl color. The invisible LED prevents direct glare. The bowls reflect light. Patterns on the bowls and lens further scatter the illumination.

CN107893962B-patent-drawing

2. Integrated Heat Dissipation Structure for Automotive LED Headlights with Combined Radiator, Heat Pipes, and LED Board

SHENZHEN AURORA TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, 2023

Heat dissipating structure for automotive LED headlights to improve brightness, power, and lifetime while keeping the lights cool. The structure integrates the radiator, heat pipes, and LED board into a single unit to efficiently transfer heat from the LEDs to the fins. This eliminates the need for separate parts that can compromise heat dissipation. The integrated structure allows quick heat transfer and dissipation, reducing LED temperatures to improve brightness and longevity. The design also enables higher-power LEDs without overheating. By welding the parts together, heat is directly conducted from the LEDs to the fins. This ensures better heat transfer compared to separate components.

US11754253B2-patent-drawing

3. Adaptive Car Lighting System with RGB LED Array and Sensor-Driven Control Module

CHANGZHOU XINGYU AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEMS CO LTD, 2023

Car light system using RGB LEDs for better light distribution compared to monochrome LEDs. The system has a control module that receives inputs from sensors like cameras, angle sensors, and speed sensors to determine the driving environment and vehicle state. The control module then adjusts the RGB LEDs to provide optimized lighting based on the sensor data. This allows the car lights to adapt to conditions like nighttime, turns, and obstacles. The system also has diagnostics to detect and handle lamp failures.

4. Vehicle LED Headlight with Ceramic Substrate and Phosphor-Covered LED Chips Featuring Integrated Light Blocking Member and Independent Current Loops

SHENZHEN TELEIGE ELECTRONIC TECH CO LTD, SHENZHEN TELEIGE ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022

LED headlight for vehicles that provides better low beam lighting with reduced glare to other drivers and pedestrians. The headlight has a ceramic substrate with multiple LED chips attached, some covered by a phosphor diaphragm. A light blocking member is flush with the uncovered LED chips. This configuration creates a low beam pattern that illuminates the ground well without dazzling opposing drivers. The LED chips are driven by separate current loops to control on/off states.

5. High-Intensity LED Automotive Lamp with Dual Integrated Reflectors and SMD LED Alignment

DONGGUAN RONGHAI OPTOELECTRONICS TECH CO LTD, DONGGUAN RONGHAI OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022

High-intensity LED automotive lamp with improved light output and beam pattern compared to conventional LED headlights. The lamp uses a unique design where two integrated reflectors emit light from corresponding SMD LEDs. The reflectors are aligned and fixed above the circuit board with the LEDs. This allows both reflectors to reflect light in the same direction, increasing intensity compared to separate reflectors and LEDs. It also avoids the issues of low intensity and narrow beams from single high-power LEDs. The central control sends a signal to drive the LEDs, which emit through the reflectors to achieve bright headlights.

6. LED Lamp with Temperature-Responsive Power Modulation for Automotive Headlights

FOSHAN HANMENG TECH CO LTD, FOSHAN HANMENG TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022

LED lamp for automotive headlights that provides high initial brightness and improves safety by gradually reducing power as the lamp heats up. The lamp has an LED substrate on the lamp holder, a heat sink below, and a power lead on the heat sink. An LED driver is connected to the power lead. The driver initially provides high power to the LEDs until they stabilize, then reduces power as the heat sink temperature rises. This gives high initial brightness for safety and reminding, then reduces power as the lamp warms.

CN217445546U-patent-drawing

7. Vehicle Lamp with RGB LED Array and Sensor-Driven Dynamic Color Adjustment System

CHANGZHOU XINGYU AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEMS CO LTD, 2022

A vehicle lamp using RGB LEDs that provides better light distribution uniformity compared to monochromatic LED lamps. The lamp has a controller that adjusts the RGB LEDs based on inputs from sensors like cameras, angle sensors, and speed sensors to optimize lighting for different conditions. It can also communicate with external devices to customize lighting effects. The controller drives the RGB LEDs using constant current chips. This allows the lamp to dynamically mix the RGB colors for improved light distribution compared to fixed color monochromatic LED lamps. The lamp can also detect faults in the lighting system.

8. LED Lighting Device with Micro LED Sub-Areas and Shaded Light Guiding Plate

Gu'an Yiguang Technology Co., Ltd., GUAN ORGANIC LIGHT TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022

LED lighting device and vehicle lamp with improved brightness uniformity, displayability, and durability for automotive applications. The device uses micro LEDs arranged in individually controlled sub-areas with shading between them. This allows dense packing of micro LEDs without cross-talk or unevenness. The sub-areas are covered by a light guiding plate with shaped openings matching the sub-area. The guiding plate improves extraction of the LED light. The device also uses current limiting resistors to prevent LED failures from affecting others. The sub-areas can be combined into a larger lamp using connections like screws, glue, or snap fits.

CN111878779B-patent-drawing

9. Integrated Headlight Assembly with Combined High and Low Beam LED Modules and Rotatable Support

Foshan Sunway Auto Electrical Co., Ltd, 2022

Motor vehicle headlight design that combines main high beam and secondary low beam functions in a single headlight. The headlight has a power supply driver, structure modules with LEDs, a light guide element, a reflector, and a heat sink. The secondary LEDs are surrounded by the light guide element. The main LED is in a through hole. This allows the secondary LEDs to diffuse light through the guide and reflector for low beams. The main LED provides high beam intensity. The driver controls both. Adjustable support rotates the LED positions for customization.

US11339937B2-patent-drawing

10. LED Multi-Core Headlight with Independently Controlled Chip Groups and Dedicated Heat Sink Pads

GUANGZHOU AOZOOM CO LTD, 2021

LED multi-core headlight that improves efficiency and reduces waste compared to conventional LED headlights. The LED multi-core headlight has multiple LED chips arranged in a rectangular array on a substrate. Each row of chips forms a group. Each group has a separate heat sink pad and can be independently turned on/off. This allows selective activation of groups for low beam vs high beam. It avoids wasting energy by fully activating all chips for low beam when only a portion is needed.

CN214332557U-patent-drawing

11. Light-Emitting Device with Integrated Microcontroller for Temperature-Compensated Multi-Color LED Units

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW AG), BMW AG, 2021

A light-emitting device for vehicles like cars with improved appearance using multi-color LED units. Each multi-color LED unit contains multiple monochromatic LEDs and a microcontroller integrated in the same housing. The microcontroller adjusts the brightness and chromaticity of each LED based on the local temperature to compensate for variations. This prevents color shifts and non-uniformity across units when powered. The microcontrollers communicate internally to coordinate brightness and color adjustments. The main controller sends commands via an internal bus. This allows each unit to adapt and maintain consistent appearance despite temperature differences.

CN108605396B-patent-drawing

12. LED Headlight System with Horizontally Arranged Modules and Adjustable Beam Control

CHANGZHOU XINGYU AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEMS CO LTD, 2021

LED headlight system with spliced far and near beams that provides a clear cutoff line and meets regulation requirements. The system uses horizontally arranged LED modules and light-concentrating units for both high and low beams. This allows precise control of light distribution without deformation issues. The high beam modules are mounted on a base that can move left/right and up/down. The low beam modules are fixed horizontally. This allows independent dimming and adjustment of the far/near beams. The modular design enables customization and optimization of light patterns for different applications.

13. Automotive Headlamp with Stacked LED High Beam Module and Homogenizing Layer

CHAOSHIJIE LASER TECH SUZHOU CO LTD, CHAOSHIJIE LASER TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2020

Integrated automotive headlamp that combines far and near beams with improved high beam uniformity. The lamp has separate low and high beam modules with reflectors, and the high beam module uses a stack of LED chips, phosphor, and homogenizing layer. This stacked LED design prevents gaps between chips that can cause uneven high beam spots. The chips emit light into the phosphor layer which converts it to white, and the homogenizing layer smooths the light before emitting the high beam.

CN210717339U-patent-drawing

14. Integrated LED Headlight with Dual-Chip and Single-Chip LED Module, Reflector Mirror Patterns, and Cast Aluminum Heat Sink

CHANGZHOU TONGBAO PHOTOELECTRIC MANUFACTURING CO LTD, CHANGZHOU TONGBAO PHOTOELECTRIC MFG CO LTD, 2020

Integrated LED headlight with improved thermal management and brightness for both far and near beams. The headlight has a unique design with a far and near beam integrated LED module, a reflector with reflecting mirror patterns, and a cast aluminum heat sink. The LED module uses double-chip and single-chip LEDs in both the low and high beams. The double-chip LEDs have poor thermal conductivity between the chips due to the PCB glue. The cast aluminum heat sink provides better heat dissipation compared to a cast aluminum radiator or fan. The reflector with mirror patterns further improves light extraction and reduces glare.

15. LED Headlight Module with Single Primary Optical Element for Dual-Function Beam Shaping

Changchun Faway Hella Automotive Lighting Co., Ltd., CHANGCHUN HELLA FAWAY AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING CO LTD, 2020

LED headlight module with dual-function near and far beam capability using a single primary optical element. The module has a heat sink, LED PCB, primary optic, cutoff baffle, lens holder, and lens. The primary optic has separate high and low beam shaping structures that condense and refract the beams. A cutoff baffle prevents high beam light from leaking into the low beam area. This allows using a single optic for both beams instead of separate elements. The compact module design reduces size and cost compared to reflective or separate optics dual-function modules.

16. Vehicle Lamp with Micro LED Array and Phosphor-Excited White Light Projection System

LANGFANG GUANGTONG ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT CO LTD, 2020

Vehicle lamp using micro LED technology that provides unified functionality for traditional automotive lighting, intelligent lighting, and ground projection. The lamp has micro LEDs that can individually emit blue light. These micro LEDs excite phosphor to produce white light. A micro lens array shapes the white light. An optical system projects the shaped white light onto the road. This allows separate control of each micro LED to emit light and excite phosphor for unified lighting and projection functionality.

CN110878931A-patent-drawing

17. Headlight with Single LED Source and Dual Beam Path Configuration

HASCO VISION TECH SHANGHAI CO LTD, HASCO VISION TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2020

LED integrated headlight with optimized near and far beam distribution for better visibility and simplicity compared to traditional separate headlights. The design uses a single LED source for both low and high beams. The low beam path reflects light from the low beam LED to widen the beam shape. The high beam path collects and shapes light from the high beam LED. This allows using a single LED source for both beams instead of separate ones, simplifying the headlight structure and reducing cost. The optimized beam shaping improves visibility compared to separate headlights.

CN210069725U-patent-drawing

18. Integrated Headlight with Stacked LED Chip High Beam Module and Separate Low Beam Module

CHAOSHIJIE LASER TECH SUZHOU CO LTD, CHAOSHIJIE LASER TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2020

An integrated headlight with both low beam and high beam in one lamp that provides better light distribution and uniformity compared to separate low and high beam lamps. The integrated lamp has separate low beam and high beam modules, each with their own LED sources and reflectors. The high beam module uses a unique design where multiple LED chips are stacked with a phosphor layer and homogenizing glass above. This converts and blends the LED light for a more uniform high beam compared to separate chips.

19. Vehicle Lamp with Individually Controllable Micro LED Array and Phosphor-Excited White Light Emission

Langfang Guangtong Electronic Equipment Co., Ltd., 2019

Vehicle lamp using Micro LED technology that enables compact, efficient, and versatile lighting for cars. The lamp has a blue Micro LED array that excites a phosphor to produce white light. The Micro LEDs are individually controllable to emit light separately. This allows independent pixel-level control of the light output. The shaped white light from the Micro LEDs is projected onto the road using an optical system. The Micro LEDs excitation of the phosphor provides the advantages of traditional car lighting, intelligent lighting, and ground projection all in one lamp.

CN208997961U-patent-drawing

20. LED Car Lamp with Integrated Multi-Function Assemblies on Aluminum Nitride Substrate and Oxygen-Free Copper Heat Sink

Zhengzhou Senyuan New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., 2019

LED car lamp with improved heat dissipation and color capabilities. The lamp has separate high beam, low beam, and fog light assemblies on a single substrate. Each assembly contains an LED chip, fluorescent film, and silicone cover. The substrate is made of aluminum nitride with a high thermal conductivity. The lamp also uses an oxygen-free copper heat sink for better heat dissipation. This allows better heat management and longer lamp life compared to conventional lamps with separate LEDs for each function. The separate color assemblies enable automated color and brightness adjustment for different driving conditions.

CN208997978U-patent-drawing

21. LED Vehicle Light with Condenser-Enhanced Adaptive Beam and Integrated Cooling System

22. Multi-Sided LED Headlight with Variable Color Temperature and CAN Bus-Controlled LED Groups

23. LED Car Lamp with Multi-Beam Patterns and Adjustable Color Temperature Featuring Copper and Aluminum Nitride Heat Dissipation System

24. LED Car Light with Dual Array Configuration and Vibration Damping Mechanism

25. Vehicle Lighting Module with Multi-Stage Configuration for Uniform Color Temperature

Headlights can now attain increased luminance and efficiency because of advances in automobile lighting systems, including dual-function LED designs, integrated heat dissipation systems, and methods for improving LED brightness. These developments have had a direct impact on improving road visibility and driving safety generally at night.

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