IP Library Granted Patent US 10,618,456
Granted Patent B2
US 10,618,456 · App. 15/856,724 · Granted Apr 14, 2020

Lamp for vehicle and vehicle

Inventor: Geunhyeong Kim (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
B60Q1/068B60Q1/076B60Q1/1415F21S41/153F21S41/663F21S41/143
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,618,456
App. No.
15/856,724
Granted
Apr 14, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lamp for a vehicle includes: a light generation unit having an array module with a plurality of micro Light Emitting Diode (micro-LED) elements; at least one processor; and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform: controlling the light generation unit to form a first light distribution pattern that, when projected on a vertical plane at a first distance from the light generation unit, includes a plurality of zones having different luminous intensities. Controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern includes: controlling at least one first micro-LED element to generate a first luminous intensity at a first zone of the first light distribution pattern; and controlling at least one second micro-LED element to generate a second luminous intensity at a second zone of the first light distribution pattern.

Claims (75)

1. A lamp for a vehicle, the lamp comprising:

a light generation unit comprising an array module on which a plurality of micro Light Emitting Diode (micro-LED) elements is disposed;

at least one processor; and

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

controlling the light generation unit to form a first light distribution pattern that, when projected on a vertical plane at a first distance from the light generation unit, comprises a plurality of zones having different luminous intensities,

wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern comprises:

controlling at least one first micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a first luminous intensity at a first zone of the first light distribution pattern;

controlling at least one second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a second luminous intensity at a second zone of the first light distribution pattern;

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has a central point having a highest luminous intensity in the first light distribution pattern;

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, is vertically symmetric with respect to a vertical centerline of the first light distribution pattern; and

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, comprises first to fifth zones having different luminous intensities.

2. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the first zone comprises a region in a shape of a first rectangle,

wherein the first rectangle has a pair of points as lower vertices which form an angle of 5 degrees relative to a reference line connecting the light generation unit and the central point in a horizontal direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which are positioned on a horizontal centerline,

wherein a point at an angle of 1.75 degrees relative to the reference line in an upward direction is positioned on an upper edge of the first rectangle, and

wherein the first distance is 20 m to 30 m.

3. The lamp according to claim 2 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern further comprises:

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has a luminous intensity of 62 to 8,000 cd at every point within the first zone.

4. The lamp according to claim 2 ,

wherein the second zone comprises a region in a shape of a second rectangle that excludes the region of the first rectangle,

wherein the second rectangle has a pair of points as lower vertices which form an angle of 26 degrees relative to the reference line in a horizontal direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which are positioned on the horizontal centerline, and

wherein a point at an angle of 3.5 degrees relative to the reference line in an upward direction is positioned on an upper edge of the second rectangle.

5. The lamp according to claim 4 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern further comprises:

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has a luminous intensity of 0 to 400 cd at every point within the second zone.

6. The lamp according to claim 1 ,

wherein the third zone comprises a region in a shape of a third rectangle,

wherein the third rectangle has a pair of points as lower vertexes which form an angle of 26 degrees relative to a reference line connecting the light generation unit and the central point in a horizontal direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which form an angle of 3.5 degrees relative to the reference line in an upward direction with respect to the light generation unit,

wherein the third rectangle has a pair of points as upper vertexes which form an angle of 26 degrees relative to the reference line in the horizontal direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which form an angle of 15 degrees relative to the reference line in the upward direction with respect to the light generation unit, and

wherein the first distance is 20 m to 30 m.

7. The lamp according to claim 6 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern further comprises:

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has a luminous intensity of 0 to 250 cd at every point within the third zone.

8. The lamp according to claim 1 ,

wherein the fourth zone comprises a region in a shape of a fourth rectangle,

wherein the fourth rectangle has a pair of points as lower vertices which form an angle of 12 degrees relative to a reference line connecting the light generation unit and the central point in a horizontal direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which form an angle of 3.5 degrees relative to the reference line in a downward direction with respect to the light generation unit,

wherein the fourth rectangle has a pair of points as upper vertices which form an angle of 12 degrees relative to the reference line in the horizontal direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which form an angle of 1.75 degrees relative to the reference line in the downward direction with respect to the light generation unit, and

wherein the first distance is 20 m to 30 m.

9. The lamp according to claim 8 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern further comprises:

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has a luminous intensity of 1,250 to 8,000 cd at every point within the fourth zone.

10. The lamp according to claim 1 ,

wherein the fifth zone comprises a region in a shape of a fifth rectangle and a region in a shape of a sixth rectangle,

wherein the fifth rectangle has a left lower vertex which forms an angle of 22 degrees relative to a reference line connecting the light generation unit and the central point in a left direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which forms an angle of 3.5 degrees relative to the reference line in a downward direction with respect to the light generation unit,

wherein the fifth rectangle has a right lower vertex which forms an angle of 12 degrees relative to the reference line in the left direction with respect to the light generation unit, and which forms an angle of 1.75 degrees relative to the reference line in the downward direction with respect to the light generation unit,

wherein the sixth rectangle is formed to be vertically symmetric to the fifth rectangle with respect to the vertical centerline, and

wherein the first distance is 20 m to 30 m.

11. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern further comprises:

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generating unit, has a luminous intensity of 600 to 6,000 cd at every point within the fifth zone.

12. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the first distance is 25 m.

13. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the array module comprises:

a base; and

a plurality of subarrays disposed on the base, and

wherein each of the plurality of subarrays has a different size according to a region where the subarray is disposed on the base.

14. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein:

the array module comprises a first region and a second region, and

the plurality of micro-LED elements comprises:

a first plurality of micro-LED elements disposed in the first region with a first density; and

a second plurality of micro-LED elements disposed in the second region with a second density.

15. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern comprises:

supplying a first amount of electrical energy to a first region of the array module; and

supplying a second amount of electrical energy to a second region of the array module.

16. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern further comprises:

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has a luminous intensity of 62 to 8,000 cd at any point of the first light distribution pattern.

17. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the lamp is configured to operate as a fog lamp of the vehicle.

18. A vehicle comprising:

a plurality of wheels;

a power source configured to drive a rotation of at least one of the plurality of wheels; and

a lamp comprising:

a light generation unit comprising an array module on which a plurality of micro Light Emitting Diode (micro-LED) elements is disposed;

at least one processor; and

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

controlling the light generation unit to form a first light distribution pattern that, when projected on a vertical plane at a first distance from the light generation unit, comprises a plurality of zones having different luminous intensities,

wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern comprises:

controlling at least one first micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a first luminous intensity at a first zone of the first light distribution pattern;

controlling at least one second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a second luminous intensity at a second zone of the first light distribution pattern;

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has a central point having a highest luminous intensity in the first light distribution pattern;

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, is vertically symmetric with respect to a vertical centerline of the first light distribution pattern; and

forming the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, comprises first to fifth zones having different luminous intensities.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2020
From: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
To: ZKW GROUP GMBH
Reel/Frame 051496/0893 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2019
From: KIM, GEUNHYEONG
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 050296/0874 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0066273 · May 29, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180339643A1 · Nov 29, 2018