Night vision system for motor vehicles

1. An infrared lighting device for motor vehicles with at least one radiation source that emits white light and a filter, whereby the device may emit white and infrared radiation on one axis in a wavelength range between 800 and 1200 nm, whereby the infrared radiation has an intensity of more than 25 W/sr and the white radiation an intensity less than 2000 Cd, however not equal to zero, and the filter at a first angle may transmit a first visible part of white light from a first partial beam from the radiation source, and the filter at a second angle different from the first may transmit a second visible part of white light from a second partial beam from the radiation source, characterized by the fact that the second angle is different from the first and the first visible part transmitted is white light and the second visible part transmitted is white light.

2. The infrared lighting device in claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the larger of the two angles leads to an x coordinate of the color site of the corresponding visible part transmitted that is larger than the x coordinate of the color site of the visible part transmitted at the smaller angle.

3. An infrared lighting device for motor vehicles with at least one radiation source that emits white light and a filter, whereby the device on one axis may emit white and infrared radiation in a wavelength range between 800 and 1200 nm, whereby the infrared radiation has an intensity of more than 25 W/sr, and the white radiation has an intensity not equal to zero of less than 2000 Cd, characterized by the fact that for any pair of angles within the range from 0° to 40°, with the first angle and a second angle defined, the filter at the first angle may transmit a first visible part of a first partial beam from the radiation source, and the filter at the second angle, different from the first, may transmit a second visible part of a second partial beam from the radiation source, wherein the first visible part transmitted forms white light, and the second visible part transmitted forms white light.

4. The infrared lighting device in one of claims 2 or 3 , characterized by the fact that the respective y coordinates of the color site of the visible part transmitted corresponding to the angles deviates no more than 0.025 from that of the straight line defined by the equation y=0.695*x+0.1, for x coordinates in the interval 0.31≦x≦0.45.

5. A lighting device for a headlight provided to a motor vehicle comprising:

a radiation source that emits a first partial beam and a second partial beam;

a filter positioned adjacent to the radiation source to filter the first partial beam forming a first angle of incidence relative to the filter and the second partial beam forming a second angle of incidence relative to the filter, wherein

the first and second angles of incidence are different, and the filter transmits a first visible portion of the first partial beam and a second visible portion of the second partial beam, the transmitted portions including a color effect corresponding to an x color coordinate of less than or equal to about 0.5 on a spectrum of colors visible to humans, and further wherein

the lighting device emits at least white and infrared radiation along an axis in a wavelength range between 800 and 1200 nm, wherein the infrared radiation has an intensity of more than 25 W/sr and the white radiation an intensity of less than 2000 Cd, but not equal to zero.

6. The infrared lighting device according to claim 5 , wherein both the first and second visible parts transmitted lead to a color site on a visible color spectrum having a y coordinate that is less than or equal to about 0.275 on the visible color spectrum.

7. The lighting device according to claim 5 , wherein a larger of the first and second angles of incidence results in a transmitted portion that has a color effect characterized by an x color coordinate that is larger than an x color coordinate of the transmitted portion of the first and second beam forming a smaller angle of incidence relative to the filter.

8. The lighting device according to claim 5 , wherein the angle of incidence of at least one of the first and second beams is about 20°, and the x color coordinate of the transmitted portion is about 0.375.

9. The lighting device according to claim 8 , wherein the transmitted portion includes a y color coordinate of about 0.375.

10. The lighting device according to claim 5 , wherein respective y color coordinates of the color effect exhibited by the visible portions transmitted deviate no more than 0.025 from a straight line defined by the equation y=0.695*x+0.1, wherein x represents x color coordinates in an interval of 0.31≦x≦0.45.

11. An infrared lighting device for motor vehicles with at least one radiation source and a filter, whereby the device may emit white and infrared radiation on one axis in a wavelength range between 800 and 1200 nm, whereby the infrared radiation has an intensity of more than 25 W/sr and the white radiation an intensity less than 2000 Cd, however not equal to zero, and the filter at a first angle may transmit a first visible part of a first partial beam from the radiation source, and the filter at a second angle different from the first may transmit a second visible part of a second partial beam from the radiation source, wherein the second angle is different from the first and the first visible part transmitted is white light and the second visible part transmitted is white light, and the larger of the two angles leads to an x coordinate of the color site of the corresponding visible part transmitted that is larger than the x coordinate of the color site of the visible part transmitted at the smaller angle.

12. The infrared lighting device according to claim 11 , wherein both the x color coordinate corresponding to the first visible part and the x color coordinate corresponding to the second visible part are less than or equal to about 0.5.

13. The infrared lighting device according to claim 12 , wherein both a y color coordinate corresponding to the first visible part and a y color coordinate corresponding to the second visible part are greater than or equal to about 0.375.

14. The infrared lighting device according to claim 11 , wherein respective y color coordinates corresponding to the first and second visible parts transmitted by the filter deviate no more than 0.025 from a straight line defined by the equation y=0.695*x+0.1, wherein x represents the x color coordinates in an interval of 0.31≦x≦0.45.

15. An infrared lighting device for motor vehicles with at least one radiation source and a filter, whereby the device on one axis may emit white and infrared radiation in a wavelength range between 800 and 1200 nm, whereby the infrared radiation has an intensity of more than 25 W/sr, and the white radiation has an intensity not equal to zero of less than 2000 Cd, characterized by the fact that for any pair of angles within the range from 0° to 40°,with the first angle and a second angle defined, the filter at the first angle may transmit a first visible part of a first partial beam from the radiation source, and the filter at the second angle, different from the first, may transmit a second visible part of a second partial beam from the radiation source, wherein the first visible part transmitted forms white light, the second visible part transmitted forms white light, and the respective y coordinates of the color site of the visible part transmitted corresponding to the angles deviates no more than 0.025 from that of the straight line defined by the equation y=0.695*x+0.1, for x coordinates in the interval 0.31≦x≦0.45.