Vehicular Laser Lamp

Abstract

A vehicular laser lamp that utilizes a coherent light and a beam shaping element configured to produce a standard illumination pattern. The beam shaping element may be segmented to provide multiple standard illumination patterns. Alternatively, the beam shaping element may be electrically addressable like a spatial light modulator to achieve standard illumination patterns or a desired dynamic illumination pattern. The beam shaping element may also provide a curved path for an illumination pattern. A plurality of dark zones may be produced in the illumination pattern using an active beam shaping element controlled by an electronic signal.

Claims

1. A vehicular laser lamp comprising: a laser light source producing a coherent light; and, a beam shaping element configured to receive the coherent light from the laser light source and produce an illumination pattern.

2. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said laser light is a combination of two or more laser colors.

3. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said laser light source is a pulsed source.

4. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said laser light source is a continuous wave source.

5. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is disposed over a thin, clear plastic material, with a thickness being less than three millimeters.

6. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is configured in a plurality of different segments, each segment produces a different illumination pattern and is placed to interact with said laser light using relative rotation or translation of said beam shaping element.

7. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is a spatial light modulator, the spatial light modulator is dynamically configurable by an electric signal to produce and switch between a plurality of illumination patterns.

8. The lamp of claim 1, further comprised of a lens of focal length F placed at a distance d after said beam shaping element and before said illumination pattern, wherein F/2<d<2F.

9. The lamp of claim 1, further comprised of a lens of focal length F placed at a distance d before said beam shaping element, wherein F/2<d<2F.

10. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is a reflective component.

11. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is combined with a refractive lens.

12. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is configured to produce a curved path for the illumination pattern.

13. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said light source is red in color and said beam shaping element is configured to produce a standard illumination pattern.

14. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is a spatial light modulator, the spatial light modulator is dynamically configurable by an electric signal to produce a standard high beam illumination pattern, wherein the illumination pattern has a plurality of dark zones at a plurality of locations, the locations of dark zones are determined by the configuration of the spatial light modulator and controlled by the electric signal.

15. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said beam shaping element is disposed on one side of a light conversion material, the laser light source is substantially monochromatic, the light conversion material illuminated by the laser light source produces a white color.

16. The lamp of claim 1, further comprised of an optical lens, the lens having a first curved surface and a second curved surface, wherein the beam shaping element is disposed at the first curved surface of the optical lens.

17. A method for producing a standard illumination pattern in a vehicular laser lamp comprising: generating coherent radiation from a laser light source; and, configuring a beam shaping element to form light into the standard illumination pattern.

18. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the beam shaping element is metalens.

19. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the beam shaping element is achromatic.

20. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the beam shaping element is apochromatic.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0015] The various embodiments of the present disclosure may, but do not necessarily, achieve one or more of the following goals: a primary object of the present disclosure is to provide laser-based lamps for vehicles that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art; another object is to provide an automotive lamp that generates a low beam pattern using a very thin part; another object of the present disclosure is to provide a laser-based automotive lamp with variable illumination patterns. These and other advantages may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification, claims, and abstract.

[0016] The present disclosure is a laser-based lamp for vehicles. One embodiment of the disclosure comprises at least a laser light source, and at least a beam shaping element (BSE). The laser light beam is transformed and shaped by the BSE to provide a standard illumination pattern in compliance with federal rules and regulations. The BSE may be a diffractive optical element, holographic optical element, metasurface (metalens), or a combination of them.

[0017] The above description sets forth, rather broadly, a summary of one embodiment of the present disclosure so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present disclosure to the art may be better appreciated. Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure may not include all of the features or characteristics listed in the above summary. There are, of course, additional features of the disclosure that will be described below and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Various objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

[0019] FIG. 1 is substantially a schematic of producing a low beam illumination pattern in compliance with US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a BSE.

[0020] FIG. 2 is substantially a schematic of producing a low beam illumination pattern in compliance with UN/ECE Regulation using laser light and a BSE.

[0021] FIG. 3 is substantially a schematic of producing a low beam illumination pattern in compliance with UN/ECE Regulation using laser light and a BSE.

[0022] FIG. 4 is substantially a schematic of producing a high beam illumination pattern in compliance with UN/ECE Regulation or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a BSE.

[0023] FIG. 5 is substantially a schematic of producing, selectively, any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a combination of different BSEs.

[0024] FIG. 6 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a combination of different BSEs mounted on a rotating wheel.

[0025] FIG. 7 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a combination of different BSEs mounted on a rotating wheel. A lens may be used for control and projection of light.

[0026] FIG. 8 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a combination of different BSEs mounted on a rotating wheel. Two lenses may be used for control and projection of light.

[0027] FIG. 9 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a transmissive spatial light modulator. A lens may be used for control and projection of light.

[0028] FIG. 10 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a reflective spatial light modulator (SLM). A lens may be used for control and projection of light.

[0029] FIG. 11 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a reflective spatial light modulator (SLM). A lens may be used for control and projection of light. The laser light may be incident at an angle from below of SLM.

[0030] FIG. 12 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a reflective spatial light modulator (SLM). A lens may be used for control and projection of light. The laser light may be incident at an angle from above of SLM.

[0031] FIG. 13 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a reflective BSE. A lens may be used for control and projection of light.

[0032] FIG. 14 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a reflective BSE. A lens may be used for control and projection of light. The laser light may be incident at an angle from below of the BSE.

[0033] FIG. 15 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a reflective BSE. A lens may be used for control and projection of light. The laser light may be incident at an angle from above of the BSE.

[0034] FIG. 16 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulations or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a BSE combined with a lens.

[0035] FIG. 17 is substantially a schematic of producing any of high or low beam or fog illumination pattern in compliance with UN/ECE Regulation or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a BSE. The trajectories of the light rays are bend after BSE element.

[0036] FIG. 18 is substantially a schematic of producing any of stop/tail/turn standard illumination patterns in compliance with UN/ECE Regulation or US Federal Regulation FMVSS 108 using laser light and a BSE.

[0037] FIG. 19 is substantially a schematic of producing a high beam illumination pattern using a spatial light modulator (SLM). The SLM is able to produce and actively change dark zones at desired locations in the illumination pattern.

[0038] FIG. 20 is substantially a schematic of producing an illumination pattern using a BSE combined with a light-converting phosphor material.

[0039] FIG. 21 substantially shows example of a low beam illumination pattern projected on a wall and the corresponding optical transfer function required to be incorporated as a phase code in a BSE for obtaining it.