IP Library Granted Patent US 11,001,192
Granted Patent B2
US 11,001,192 · App. 15/856,859 · Granted May 11, 2021

Lamp for vehicle and vehicle

Inventor: Geunhyeong Kim (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
B60Q1/068B60Q1/076B60Q1/1407B60Q1/1415F21S41/153F21S41/663F21S41/143
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,001,192
App. No.
15/856,859
Granted
May 11, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lamp for a vehicle includes a light generation unit with an array module having a plurality of micro Light Emitting Diode (micro-LED) elements. The lamp also includes at least one processor and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to: control the light generation unit to form a light distribution pattern that, when projected on a vertical plane at a first distance, has a luminous intensity that is progressively smaller from a central point closer to a center towards a peripheral point further from the center. Controlling the light generation unit to form the light distribution pattern includes: controlling at least one first micro-LED element to generate a first luminous intensity at the central point, and controlling at least one second micro-LED element to generate a second luminous intensity at the peripheral point.

Claims (83)

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 with a density that progressively decreases from a central region to a peripheral region of the array module;

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, has a luminous intensity that is progressively smaller from a central point that is closer to a center of the first light distribution pattern towards a peripheral point that is further from the center of the first light distribution pattern,

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 the central point of the first light distribution pattern; and

controlling at least one second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a second luminous intensity at the peripheral point of the light distribution pattern,

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

wherein 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.

2. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the central point is a point located at the center of the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has the highest luminous intensity among points in the first light distribution pattern.

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, is vertically symmetric with respect to a vertical centerline of the first light distribution pattern.

4. The lamp according to claim 3 , 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 that is progressively smaller from the central point to a first point, from the first point to a second point, from the second point to a third point, and from the third point to a fourth point,

the first to fourth points being arranged on a horizontal centerline of the first light distribution pattern,

wherein the first point is a point at which an angle between a reference line, connecting the light generation unit and the central point, and a first virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the first point, is 3 degrees with respect to the light generation unit,

wherein the second point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a second virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the second point, is 6 degrees with respect to the light generation unit,

wherein the third point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a third virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the third point, is 9 degrees with respect to the light generation unit,

wherein the fourth point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a fourth virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the fourth point, is 12 degrees with respect to the light generation unit, and

wherein the first distance is from 15 m to 20 m.

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:

15,000 to 39,999 cd at the first point;

5,000 to 14,999 cd at the second point;

3,000 to 4,999 cd at the third point; and

1,500 to 2,999 cd at the fourth point.

6. The lamp according to claim 3 , 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 a first region below a horizontal centerline of the first light distribution pattern that is greater than a luminous intensity of a second region above the horizontal centerline.

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 that is progressively smaller from the central point to a fifth point, and from the fifth point to a sixth point,

wherein:

the fifth point and the sixth point are on the vertical centerline of the first light distribution pattern,

the fifth point is a point at which an angle between a reference line, connecting the light generation unit and the central point, and a fifth virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the fifth point, is 1 degree in a downward direction with respect to the light generation unit, and

the sixth point is a point at which an angle between the reference line and a sixth virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the sixth point, is 2 degrees in the downward direction with respect to the light generation unit.

8. The lamp according to claim 7 , 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:

5,000 to 39,999 cd at the fifth point; and

2,500 to 4,999 cd at the sixth point.

9. 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 at a seventh point that is smaller than a luminous intensity at the central point,

wherein the seventh point is a point on the vertical centerline and is a point at which an angle between a reference line, connecting the light generation unit and the central point, and a seventh virtual line, connecting the light generation unit and the seventh point, is 2 degrees in an upward direction with respect to the light generation unit, and

the first light distribution pattern is formed to have a luminous intensity of 1,500 to 39,999 cd at the seventh point.

10. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the first distance is 18.3 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 generation unit, has a luminous intensity of 1,000 to 75,000 cd at any point of the first light distribution pattern.

12. 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.

13. The lamp according to claim 12 , wherein, among the plurality of subarrays, a first subarray positioned closer to a center of the base has a size that is greater than a size of a second subarray positioned further from the center of the base.

14. 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.

15. The lamp according to claim 14 , wherein controlling the light generation unit to form the first light distribution pattern comprises:

supplying electrical energy of an amount that is progressively smaller from a central region of the array module to a peripheral region of the array module.

16. 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 shape according to a region where the subarray is disposed on the base.

17. The lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the lamp is configured to operate as a headlamp 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 with a density that progressively decreases from a central region to a peripheral region of the array module;

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, has a luminous intensity that is progressively smaller from a central point that is closer to a center of the light distribution pattern towards a peripheral point that is further from the center of the first light distribution pattern,

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 the central point of the first light distribution pattern; and

controlling at least one second micro-LED element of the light generation unit to generate a second luminous intensity at the peripheral point of the light distribution pattern,

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

wherein 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.

19. The vehicle according to claim 18 , wherein the central point is a point located at the center of the first light distribution pattern that, when projected on the vertical plane at the first distance from the light generation unit, has the highest luminous intensity among points in the first light distribution pattern.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19 , 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, is vertically symmetric with respect to a vertical centerline of the first light distribution pattern.

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 050296/0796 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0066274 · May 29, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180339644A1 · Nov 29, 2018