Liquid crystal optical devices are disclosed that allow for dynamic light modulation to be selectively controlled within a portion of an aperture of the liquid crystal modulator and/or that have an improved spatial modulation of the electric field using electrodes causing light within the portion of the aperture to be diverted from a collimated beam and thus appear to be obscured or darkened in the projected beam or in a received beam.

An electrochromic adaptive driving beam system for a vehicle includes a vehicle headlamp, a high-beam light source, and a low-beam light source. The vehicle headlamp includes an electrochromic material that covers the high-beam light source attached to the vehicle headlamp. The low-beam light source is uncovered by the electrochromic material of the vehicle headlamp. The electrochromic material is transparent to transmit light projected from the high-beam light source and changes opacity to reduce glare projected from the high-beam light source through the vehicle headlamp in response to a voltage.

A hidden light apparatus for a vehicle is configured so that light is emitted from a grill of the vehicle in a same appearance as a shape of the grill when light is not emitted, thereby maintaining a design of the grill. The hidden light apparatus includes the grill which has an outer surface formed of a pattern composed of a plurality of grids; a grid panel which is coupled to one of the grids in a same shape to form a surface of the one grid, and formed with a perforated hole and anon-perforated portion; and an optical module which is provided inside the grid panel, allows the grid panel to configure the pattern of the grill when turned off, and allows the grid panel to serve as lighting of a vehicle by emitting light through the perforated hole of the grid panel when turned on.

To reduce uneven brightness of light irradiated from a vehicle lighting system. The system includes a lamp unit and a control unit where the lamp unit includes: a light source that emits light; a liquid crystal element using the light emitted from the light source to form irradiation light; and a lens projecting the irradiation light; where the light from the light source enters the element at an angle including a direction inclined from the normal of a light incident surface of the element; where the light incident surface has a first region in which most light enters from a viewing direction of the element and a second region in which most light enters from other directions, and where the control unit drives the element by setting a first voltage of the first region to be low and setting a second voltage of the second region to be high.

A light bar has a circuit board positioned within a housing and having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) is configured to transmit light. The housing has wiring electrically connected to a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the electrical system of the vehicle, interpret the signals received from the electrical system of the vehicle, and in response automatically control illumination of independently controllable segments of the vehicle light bar. The controller is initially programmed to perform specific function(s) and/or strobe according to specific patterns and is thereafter at least partially restricted from being reprogrammed by a user to serve other function(s), either by restricting the emission of light in at least one color and/or preventing specific strobing pattern(s).

A lighting device comprises a light-emitting module with light-emitting elements, wherein the light-emitting elements are arranged adjacent to each other and are configured to emit light towards a light-emitting side. The light-emitting module is configured such that the light-emitting elements can be addressed partially independently of each other, such that some may be brought into a switched-on state while others are brought into a switched-off state. A top layer is disposed on the light-emitting module at the light-emitting side. Further comprising a switching material capable of a reversible change in transmittance for the light emitted by changing to a higher transmittance in regions where the top layer situated on light-emitting elements in the switched-on state or to a lower transmittance in regions of the top layer situated in the switched-off state. The invention further refers to methods for producing and operating a lighting device and using a lighting device.

A lighting device for a motor vehicle includes a light source and a spatial three-dimensional light modulator, on which light originating from the light source falls, wherein the three-dimensional light modulator can be activated electrically in order, during operation of the lighting device, to modulate the amplitude of the light falling thereon in such a way that a predefined light distribution is produced in the surroundings of the motor vehicle. Provided in the lighting device is a scanner, on which light originating from the light source falls and which is configured to carry out a scanning movement, such that a moving light beam which illuminates a predefined region on the three-dimensional light modulator is produced from the light which falls on the scanner.

An illumination assembly for illuminating an automotive component. The illumination assembly includes a light guide that emits light along its length and that has a shape of the automotive component.

An illumination assembly for illuminating an automotive component. The illumination assembly includes a light guide that emits light along its length and that has a shape of the automotive component.

A headlamp system for a vehicle is provided that includes: a headlamp comprising a photochromic lens, a primary light source for transmitting a headlamp pattern through the lens and a secondary light source; an imaging sensor; and a controller that directs the secondary light source to darken a portion of the lens in response to an object exterior to the vehicle sensed by the sensor.