An apparatus includes an illumination source including a first illumination source segment and a second illumination source segment. The apparatus also includes driver circuitry coupled to the illumination source, the driver circuitry including a first driver coupled to the first illumination source segment, the first driver configured to produce a first drive signal to instruct the first illumination source segment to produce a first light having a first illumination intensity. The driver circuitry also includes a second driver coupled to the second illumination source segment, the second driver configured to produce a second drive signal to instruct the second illumination source segment to produce a second light having a second illumination intensity.

Control device for controlling an auxiliary light mounted to a vehicle having a first manually operable user input device (not shown) operable to cause generating a first signal and a second signal. The control device includes: at least two inputs including a first input configured to receive the first signal, and a second input configured to receive the second signal; an output configured to operably couple to the light to provide a control signal to cause the driving light to illuminate; and a logic circuit coupling each input to the output. The logic circuit includes a nonmechanical electronic switch operable to generate the control signal and provide the control signal to the output. The logic circuit operates the switch to generate the control signal responsive to the first input receiving the first signal, and the second input receiving the second signal.

A vehicle lighting control device includes: a control determination unit that determines whether or not a state of a vehicle is a control target state in which an arrival time required for the vehicle to arrive at a tunnel is less than a predetermined reference arrival time; and a lighting controller that executes a first control to control a headlight to a low beam when a forward vehicle is detected and to control the headlight to a high beam when the forward vehicle is not detected. The lighting controller is configured to prevent the headlight from being switched to the high beam in the first control when determination is made that the vehicle is in the control target state even when a state in which the forward vehicle is detected is changed to a state in which the forward vehicle is not detected.

In various embodiments, an optical unit is provided. The optical unit includes a first optics element which act as a lens and is made of silicone, and a second optics element. The second optics element is arranged in the first optics element that is formed from an at least one of harder or stiffer material as compared to the first optics element.

Presented are intelligent electronic footwear and apparel with controller-automated features, methods for making/operating such footwear and apparel, and control systems for executing automated features of such footwear and apparel. A method for operating an intelligent electronic shoe (IES) includes receiving, e.g., via a controller through a wireless communications device from a GPS satellite service, location data of a user. The controller also receives, e.g., from a backend server-class computer or other remote computing node, location data for a target object or site, such as a virtual shoe hidden at a virtual spot. The controller retrieves or predicts path plan data including a derived route for traversing from the user's location to the target's location within a geographic area. The controller then transmits command signals to a navigation alert system mounted to the IES's shoe structure to output visual, audio, and/or tactile cues that guide the user along the derived route.

The invention is related to a method for controlling a light pattern provided by an automotive lighting device of an automotive vehicle, wherein a dynamic portion of the light pattern is provided at least by a matrix arrangement of light sources. This method includes the steps of sensing a turn in a steering system of the automotive vehicle, dividing the dynamic portion in a first portion and a second portion, shifting the operation of the light sources associated to the first portion in the same direction as the sensed turn and create a third portion between the shifted first portion and the second portion. The invention also provides an automotive lighting device with control means to perform the steps of the method.

The invention is related to a method for controlling a light pattern provided by an automotive lighting device of an automotive vehicle, wherein a dynamic portion of the light pattern is provided at least by a matrix arrangement of light sources. This method includes the steps of sensing a turn in a steering system of the automotive vehicle, dividing the dynamic portion in a first portion and a second portion, shifting the operation of the light sources associated to the first portion in the same direction as the sensed turn and create a third portion between the shifted first portion and the second portion. The invention also provides an automotive lighting device with control means to perform the steps of the method.

A vehicle lighting system includes: a lighting device that emits a first light and a second light to a periphery of an own vehicle, the second light having a higher directivity than the first light; a camera to acquire image information; a detector to emit an electromagnetic wave and acquire a reflection wave; and an electronic control unit configured to detect a physical body using the image information, detect the physical body using information of the reflection wave, control the lighting device such that the first light is emitted to the physical body detected by the reflection wave, determine whether the physical body detected using the image information in a state where the first light is being emitted is an target object, and control the lighting device such that the lighting device emits the second light toward a predetermined range around the target object.

A lighting circuit turns on multiple semiconductor light sources. Multiple current sources are each coupled in series with a corresponding one from among the semiconductor light sources. A switching converter supplies a driving voltage V.sub.OUT across each of multiple series connection circuits formed of the multiple semiconductor light sources and the multiple current sources. A converter controller controls a switching transistor of the switching converter based on a relation between a voltage across one from among the multiple current sources and a reference voltage having a positive correlation with the temperature T.sub.j.

Presented are intelligent electronic footwear and apparel with controller-automated features, methods for making/operating such footwear and apparel, and control systems for executing automated features of such footwear and apparel. A method for operating an intelligent electronic shoe (IES) includes receiving, e.g., via a controller through a wireless communications device from a GPS satellite service, location data of a user. The controller also receives, e.g., from a backend server-class computer or other remote computing node, location data for a target object or site, such as a virtual shoe hidden at a virtual spot. The controller retrieves or predicts path plan data including a derived route for traversing from the user's location to the target's location within a geographic area. The controller then transmits command signals to a navigation alert system mounted to the IES's shoe structure to output visual, audio, and/or tactile cues that guide the user along the derived route.