IP Library Granted Patent US 11,365,863
Granted Patent B2
US 11,365,863 · App. 17/313,846 · Granted Jun 21, 2022

Projection system and vehicle with a projection system

Inventors: Christopher Bremer (Hauterive, CH); Giorgio Quaranta (Hauterive, CH); Wilfried Noell (Hauterive, CH); Toralf Scharf (Hauterive, CH)
F21S43/26F21V5/007F21V11/08F21W2103/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,365,863
App. No.
17/313,846
Granted
Jun 21, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A projection system for a vehicle, in particular for an ambient lighting device for generating a plurality of light cones for illuminating the ground in the surroundings of the vehicle, includes at least one light source and a microlens array. The microlens array includes an optical axis, a first portion with at least one first channel and a second portion with at least one second channel. The projection system includes an optical device that is provided downstream of the microlens array and is arranged at least in the area of the first portion, with the distance between the microlens array and the optical device being less than 20 mm. Light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one first channel of the first portion, is deflected by the optical device by a first angle with respect to the optical axis and forms a first light cone, and light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one second channel of the second portion, is deflected by a second angle with respect to the optical axis, which differs from the first angle, and forms a second light cone.

Claims (33)

1. A projection system for a vehicle, comprising

at least one light source and

a microlens array comprising a field lens array having a plurality of field lenses, a projection lens array having a plurality of projection lenses, and a mask layer having a plurality of mask parts, which is arranged between the field lens array and the projection lens array, wherein the microlens array includes an optical axis, a first portion with at least one first channel and a second portion with at least one second channel,

wherein the projection system includes an optical device that is provided downstream of the microlens array and is arranged at least in the area of the first portion, with a distance between the microlens array and the optical device being less than 20 mm,

wherein the optical device comprises one or more optical elements selected from the group consisting of: a prism, a lens, a lens array, a freeform optic, a micromirror array and a liquid crystal matrix, and

wherein light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one first channel of the first portion, is deflected by the optical device by a first angle with respect to the optical axis and forms a first light cone, and light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one second channel of the second portion, is deflected by a second angle with respect to the optical axis, which differs from the first angle, and forms a second light cone.

2. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the optical device includes a first optical element that is associated with the first portion of the microlens array and a second optical element that is associated with the second portion of the microlens array.

3. The projection system of claim 2 wherein the projection system includes an adjusting device for the optical device, for adjusting at least one optical element of the optical device between different positions.

4. The projection system of claim 3 wherein the adjusting device includes a drive that is configured to rotate the at least one optical element of the optical device about an axis of rotation and/or to swivel the same about a swivel axis.

5. The projection system of claim 2 wherein the first optical element and the second optical element have different refractive indices and/or are made of different materials.

6. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the microlens array has a mask layer for generating a motif.

7. The projection system of claim 6 wherein the mask layer comprises a plurality of mask layers in the first portion and in the second portion which are configured to generate different motifs.

8. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the microlens array has an opaque portion between the first portion and the second portion.

9. The projection system of claim 8 wherein the microlens array has the opaque portion between the first portion and the second portion with at least one closed microlens and/or a closed channel.

10. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the first angle is more than 0°, and/or the second angle is less than 0°.

11. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the difference between the first angle and the second angle is at least 15°.

12. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the light source includes an emission unit with a light-emitting element and a collimating element, wherein the light-emitting element is arranged on the optical axis of the collimating element or offset perpendicularly to the optical axis of the collimating element.

13. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the light source includes a first emission unit and a second emission unit, wherein the first emission unit is associated with the first portion and the second emission unit is associated with the second portion.

14. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the distance between the optical device and the microlens array is less than 10 mm.

15. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the projection system has a state in which the first light cone and the second light cone do not overlap with each other, partly overlap with each other or completely overlap with each other.

16. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the projection system has a state in which the first light cone and the second light cone partly overlap such that the luminous density in a plane is homogeneous.

17. The projection system of claim 1 wherein the optical device has a reflecting surface which reflects light that falls through the at least one first channel of the first portion and/or through the at least one second channel of the second portion.

18. A vehicle comprising a projection system according to claim 1 .

19. A projection system for a vehicle, comprising

at least one light source and

a microlens array, wherein the microlens array includes an optical axis, a first portion with at least one first channel and a second portion with at least one second channel, wherein the microlens array further has an opaque portion between the first portion and the second portion,

wherein the projection system includes an optical device that is provided downstream of the microlens array and is arranged at least in the area of the first portion, with a distance between the microlens array and the optical device being less than 20 mm, and

wherein light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one first channel of the first portion, is deflected by the optical device by a first angle with respect to the optical axis and forms a first light cone, and light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one second channel of the second portion, is deflected by a second angle with respect to the optical axis, which differs from the first angle, and forms a second light cone.

20. A projection system for a vehicle, comprising

at least one light source and

a microlens array, wherein the microlens array includes an optical axis, a first portion with at least one first channel and a second portion with at least one second channel, wherein the microlens array further has a mask layer for generating a motif and a projection lens array, wherein the mask layer in the first portion and in the second portion is configured to generate different motifs,

wherein the projection system includes an optical device that is provided downstream the microlens array and is arranged at least in the area of the first portion, with a distance between the microlens array and the optical device being less than 20 mm, and

wherein light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one first channel of the first portion, is deflected by the optical device by a first angle with respect to the optical axis and forms a first light cone, and light emitted by the light source, which falls through the at least one second channel of the second portion, is deflected by a second angle with respect to the optical axis, which differs from the first angle, and forms a second light cone.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 5, 2024
From: SUSS MICROOPTICS SA
To: FOCUSLIGHT SWITZERLAND SA
Reel/Frame 066739/0983 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2021
From: BREMER, CHRISTOPHER; SCHARF, TORALF; NOELL, WILFRIED; QUARANTA, GIORGIO
To: SUSS MICROOPTICS SA
Reel/Frame 056344/0766 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2020 112 316.7 · May 6, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210348736A1 · Nov 11, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,455,062