IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,195,987
Granted Patent B2
US 10,195,987 · App. 15/779,467 · Granted Feb 5, 2019

Motor vehicle having interior lighting device(s) for emitting moving light

Inventors: Stephan Berlitz (Schrobenhausen, DE); Friedrich-Uwe Tontsch (Ingolstadt, DE); Julia Kastner (Beilngries, DE)
Assignee: Audi AG
B60Q3/80B60Q3/18B60Q3/217B60Q3/54B60Q3/78B60Q9/00B60Q1/34B60Q1/46
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,195,987
App. No.
15/779,467
Granted
Feb 5, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to a motor vehicle having one or more flashing light devices for generating a turn signal light or a blinking hazard light, one or more elongated interior lighting devices for emitting visible light in a form of moving light in the interior of the motor vehicle, and a control device associated with the interior lighting devices, and the control device is configured to to control the one or more interior lighting devices such that, during the time the turn signal light or the blinking hazard light is being generated by the one or more flashing light devices, visible light in the form of a moving light will be emitted by the one or more interior lighting devices.

Claims (47)

1. A motor vehicle comprising:

one or more flashing light devices configured to generate a turn signal light or generate a blinking hazard light;

one or more elongated interior lighting devices configured to emit visible light in a form of moving light in an interior of the motor vehicle; and

a control device associated with the one or more interior lighting devices configured to:

detect the generation of the turn signal light or the generation of the blinking hazard light, and

control the one or more interior lighting devices to emit visible light in the form of moving light during a time that the turn signal light is being generated or during a time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, and when the motor vehicle is being driven in an autonomous mode.

2. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to emit the moving light having at least a yellow and/or a red color.

3. The motor vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are arranged in an area of a dashboard, inside a driver's door area, inside a passenger's door area, and/or inside an interior roof area of the motor vehicle where it joins a windshield.

4. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate the moving light in the area of the dashboard which starts in a first area behind a steering control element or a second area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle, and runs toward a side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

5. The motor vehicle of claim 4 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:

generate the moving light in the interior roof area which starts in an area of the median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and runs toward the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

6. The motor vehicle of claim 5 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:

generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

7. The motor vehicle of claim 4 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:

generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

8. The motor vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area as soon as the moving light in the area of the dashboard reaches the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

9. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate the moving light in the interior roof area which starts in an area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and runs toward a side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates.

10. The motor vehicle of claim 9 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:

generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on the side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

11. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the turn signal light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate the moving light in the driver's door area or the passenger's door area depending on a side of the motor vehicle where the generated turn signal light indicates, wherein the moving light begins on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and runs toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate two moving lights in the area of the dashboard which start in a first area behind a steering control element or a second area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle, and run simultaneously apart from one another toward both lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:

generate two moving lights in the interior roof area which start in an area of the median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and run simultaneously apart from one another toward both lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 12 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:

generate two moving lights both in the driver's door area and the passenger's door area, wherein the two moving lights begin on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and run toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

15. The motor vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate the two moving lights in the driver's door area and the passenger's door area as soon as the two moving lights in the area of the dashboard reach the lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

16. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate two moving lights in the interior roof area which start in an area of a median longitudinal plane of the motor vehicle and run simultaneously apart from one another toward both lateral sides of the motor vehicle.

17. The motor vehicle of claim 16 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are further configured to:

generate two moving lights both in the driver's door area and the passenger's door area, wherein the two moving lights begin on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and run toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

18. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein during the time that the blinking hazard light is being generated, the one or more interior lighting devices are configured to:

generate two moving lights both in the driver's door area and the passenger's door area, wherein the two moving lights begin on a first end of the interior lighting device facing a front of the motor vehicle and run toward a second end of the interior lighting device facing a rear of the motor vehicle.

19. The motor vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the control device is configured to:

receive data about a position of a backrest of at least one seat situated in a first row of seats in the motor vehicle; and

control the one or more interior lighting devices to:

generate one or more moving lights in the area of the dashboard, and/or the driver's door area, and/or the passenger's door area, when a first predetermined angle is reached between the backrest of the at least one seat and a portion of the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle oriented toward the front of the motor vehicle, and

generate one or more moving lights in the area of the interior roof area, after a second angle is reached between the backrest of the at least one seat and the portion of the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle oriented toward the front of the motor vehicle, wherein the second angle is greater than the first predetermined angle.

20. A method for generating a moving light in an interior of a motor vehicle, comprising:

generating, by one or more flashing light devices, a turn signal light or a blinking hazard light;

emitting visible light, by one or more interior lighting devices, in a form of moving light in the interior of the motor vehicle; and

controlling, by a control device, the one or more interior lighting devices to emit visible light in the form of moving light by detecting the generation of the turn signal light or the blinking hazard light, when the motor vehicle is driven in an autonomous mode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2018
From: BERLITZ, STEPHAN; TONTSCH, FRIEDRICH-UWE; KASTNER, JULIA
To: AUDI AG
Reel/Frame 046033/0110 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2015 015 235 · Nov 25, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180257558A1 · Sep 13, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,455,068