Multi-colored vehicle interior lighting

Details Multi-colored vehicle interior lighting Multi-colored vehicle interior lighting

2001-03-02

2003-03-25

O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)

Illumination

Supported by vehicle structure

Condition responsive

C362S488000, C362S491000, C362S501000, C116S028100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06536928

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
The use of light emitting sources in an automobile vehicle interior is known in the art. Such light emitting sources can be located at convenient locations in the vehicle passenger compartment, trunk, engine compartment, or other useful area. The light emitting sources are useful to illuminate one or more portions of the vehicle interior at strategic times. For example, when a vehicle is parked, a light emitting source in the passenger compartment may be useful to assist the automobile driver in fastening seat belts, locating and using ignition keys, adjusting mirrors, reading instrument panels, and the like.
Unfortunately, while the light emitting sources are very useful, they can cause glare. The glare can be distracting and potentially dangerous, particularly when the vehicle is in motion. The glare can occur for a number of reasons, including but not limited to imprecise location of the light emitting sources in the vehicle interior, reflection of beams from the light emitting sources onto one or more reflective surfaces in the vehicle interior, or the like. The glare can also be caused by the use of light emitting source that emit generally white light at inopportune moments.
Light emitting sources that are used in a vehicle interior typically emit generally white light. It would be desirable to design a lighting system that employed one or more light emitting sources that emit light that is colored, particularly in response to conditions where white light is undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The above advantages as well as other advantages not specifically enumerated are achieved by a vehicle lighting system. The vehicle lighting system includes a sensor to detect a first set of conditions and a second set of conditions. The vehicle lighting system also includes a light emitting source. The light emitting source is operable to illuminate selectively between a first lighting characteristic and a second lighting characteristic. The light emitting source is adapted to be actuated at the first lighting characteristic in response to a first signal operatively generated by the sensor indicating the first set of conditions. The light emitting source is also adapted to be actuated at the second lighting characteristic in response to a second signal operatively generated by the sensor indicating the second set of conditions.


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