Reconfigurable light that provides multiple different light configurations from a single housing and controlling the reconfigurable light
A light including: a first segment including: first lights with first states and first lights with second states; a second segment including: second lights with first states and second lights with second states; a third segment including: third lights with first states and third lights with second states; and wherein the light is in communication with a controller that is configured to: activate the first lights with the one or more first states to create a first light condition; activate the first lights with the one or more second states to create a portion of a second light condition; activate the second lights with the first states to complete the second light condition; and deactivate the first lights with the first states automatically when the first lights with the second states, the second lights the first states, or both are activated.
1 . A light comprising:
a housing comprising:
a first segment comprising:
first lights of a first light type to generate a first state and
first lights of a second light type to generate a second state;
a second segment comprising:
second lights of a third light type to generate a first state and
second lights of a fourth light type to generate a second state;
a third segment comprising:
third lights of a fifth light type to generate a first state and
third lights of a sixth light type to generate a second state; and
wherein the light is in communication with a controller that is configured to:
activate the first lights of the first light type to create a first light condition;
activate the first lights of the second light type to create a portion of a second light condition;
activate the second lights of the third light type to complete the second light condition; and
deactivate the first lights of the first light type automatically when the first lights of the second light type, the second lights of the third light type, or both are activated.
2 . The light of claim 1 , wherein the first light condition is a high beam of a vehicle and the second light condition is a turn signal of the vehicle.
3 . The light of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more light sensors configured to determine environmental lighting conditions surrounding a vehicle housing the light.
4 . The light of claim 3 , wherein the one or more light sensors are located adjacent to the light and the one or more light sensors are in communication with the controller.
5 . The light of claim 3 , wherein the environmental lighting conditions are a bright light state or a dark light state.
6 . The light of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the third lights of the fifth light type in the third segment to create a third light condition, which is a daytime running light (DRL) when the one or more light sensors sense the bright light state as the environmental light condition and the controller is configured to activate the third lights of the sixth light type in the third segment to create a fourth light condition, which is a low beam when the one or more light sensors sense the dark as the environmental light condition.
7 . The light of claim 5 , wherein the controller is in communication with vehicle driving functions or modes to determine a status of the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle driving functions or the modes include the vehicle is on, the vehicle is off, the vehicle is in park, and the vehicle is in drive.
8 . The light of claim 1 , wherein the controller is in communication with the light and an adjacent light so that the controller changes to the light and changes to the adjacent light or vice versa.
9 . A light comprising:
a single housing comprising:
a first segment comprising:
first lights of a first light type to generate a first state and
first lights of a second light type to generate a second state;
a second segment comprising:
second lights of a third light type to generate a first state and
second lights of a fourth light type to generate a second state;
a third segment comprising:
third lights of a fifth light type to generate a first state and
third lights of a sixth light type to generate a second state;
one or more vehicle sensors configured to monitor a vehicle function of the vehicle or a mode of the vehicle; and
wherein the light, the vehicle, and the one or more vehicle sensors, are in communication with a controller that is configured to:
determine when the vehicle function changes to an on state;
determine when the vehicle function is out of a park position;
activate the first lights of the first light type to create a first light condition;
activate the first lights of the second light type to create a portion of a second light condition;
activate the second lights of the third light type to complete the second light condition; and
deactivate the first lights of the first light type automatically when the first lights with the second light type, the second lights with the third light type, or both are activated.
10 . The light of claim 9 , wherein the one or more vehicle sensors are part of the controller.
11 . The light of claim 9 , wherein the controller automatically activates the third lights with the fifth light type when the vehicle functions changes from the park position to a drive position to create a third light condition.
12 . The light of claim 9 , wherein the controller automatically activates the second lights with the fourth light type when the vehicle function changes from an off state to the on state creating a fourth light condition.
13 . The light of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the light on a first side of the vehicle and an adjacent light on a second side of the vehicle and the controller is configured to deactivate a high beam of the adjacent light and the light when a turn indicator of the light or the adjacent light is activated.
14 . A method comprising:
controlling lights of a vehicle comprising:
activating first lights of a first light type in a first segment so that the first light type is configured to generate a first state of the first segment;
activating first lights of a second light type in the first segment so that the second light type is configured to generate a second state of the first segment;
activating second lights of a third light type in a second segment so that the third light type is configured to generate a first state of the second segment;
controlling second lights of a fourth light type in the second segment so that the fourth light type is configured to generate a second state of the second segment;
controlling third lights of a fifth light type in a third segment to generate a first state of the third segment; and
deactivating the first lights of the first light type when the first lights with the second light type are activated;
wherein the first lights of the first light type in the first segment and the second light with the of the third light type in the second segment combine to form a single light.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
monitoring environmental light conditions surrounding the vehicle containing the lights.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the environmental light conditions include a dark light state or a bright light state.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first lights of the first light type in the first segment are reactivated or reactivable when the first lights of the second light type are deactivated.
18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
activating the second lights of the second light type in the second segment to create a third light type.
19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
monitoring vehicle driving functions or modes and controlling the lights based on the driving functions, the modes, or both.
20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the lights of the vehicle comprise a driver side light and a passenger side light and a controller of the vehicle controls the driver side light based on changes to the passenger side light and vice versa.