Innovations in Aesthetic Enhancement of Automotive Lighting
7 patents in this list
Updated:
Vehicle lighting systems play a crucial role in a vehicle's overall aesthetic appeal and character in addition to providing road illumination. But, the designers and manufacturers of automotive lighting systems need to strike the right mix between style and functionality.
This page examines current developments that push boundaries of the aesthetics of automobile lighting.
1. Adaptive Headlight Lens System for Controlled Light Patterns and Image Projection
Docter Optics SE, 2023
A lens arrangement for vehicle headlights that allows precise control of light patterns and projects images onto the environment. The lens arrangement includes multiple lenses arranged in a specific order. This allows the light from an LED matrix in the headlight to be focused and projected in a controlled pattern. The lens arrangement can be used in adaptive headlights to dynamically adjust the illumination pattern based on conditions like speed and surrounding obstacles.
2. Hologram Illumination Apparatus for Reflection-Free Automotive Lighting
HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA, Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, 2023
Illumination apparatus for a motor vehicle with an optical waveguide that efficiently illuminates a hologram without reflections or double images. The waveguide has a configuration, coating, and distances between components that prevent unwanted reflections.
3. Dynamic Light Distribution System for Variable Automotive Lamp Images
HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD., 2023
Vehicle lamps are capable of dynamically changing their light distribution pattern to create different lamp images. The lamp has multiple light source modules that form different light patterns. A movement mechanism moves one light source module while another rotates to vary the light distribution. This dynamically converts the overall light pattern to create various designs.
4. Dual-Optical Module Vehicle Lamp for Enhanced Visibility and Miniaturization
HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD., 2023
Vehicle lamp that improves visibility and miniaturizes the reverse guide lamp while ensuring visibility. The lamp has a housing with two optical modules: one angled downward to illuminate the road behind the vehicle and one forward facing. The angled module protrudes upward from the housing to increase visibility.
5. Animated Vehicle Headlight System Mimicking Human Eye Movements
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, 2023
A vehicle headlight system that performs an animated sequence using pivoting lights to imitate human eyes, giving the impression that the vehicle is "waking up" and "looking" at the person approaching. The headlights have pivotable modules that can move up and down, as well as left and right. When an authorized user approaches the vehicle, the headlights pivot up from a downward position to a horizontal driving position. Then, depending on the user's direction, the headlights pivot towards them, pausing briefly to "look" before returning to the forward driving position.
6. Enhanced Red Phosphor for High-Efficiency LED Automotive Lighting
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE, 2023
A red phosphor for LED lighting that has high reflectance in a specific wavelength range from the emission peak wavelength to 800 nm and that includes a crystal phase with a specific composition, such as SrLi(Al, Ga)3N4:Eu. The phosphor has a red emission peak with favorable characteristics like narrow bandwidth and high intensity, as well as improved efficiency, color rendering, and conversion compared to existing red phosphors.
7. Regulation-Compliant Multi-Color Emission from Single Red Light Source for Vehicle Lighting
NICHIA CORPORATION, 2023
A vehicle lighting apparatus that can emit different colors from a single red light source while still meeting color regulations. The lighting apparatus has: a red LED, a red phosphor layer, and a color filter. The red LED excites the phosphor to emit red light. The color filter selectively transmits some red light while blocking other wavelengths. This allows only certain red light to pass through and appear white or orange. The color filter properties are tuned to meet regulations.
Developments in projection technology, light control systems, and materials science open the door to safer and more aesthetically pleasing automobiles. Future vehicles should see even more elegant and intriguing lighting options as technology develops.