Abstract
The invention relates to a lighting system for a motor vehicle. The lighting system includes a first lighting device with a plurality of separately controllable first light-emitting pixels and two second lighting devices, each of which can be arranged laterally on the first lighting device and each of which has a plurality of separately controllable second light-emitting pixels. According to the invention, at least one light-emitting pixel of the second light-emitting pixels has a second pixel size that is larger than the first pixel size of at least one light-emitting pixel of the first light-emitting pixels. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle.
Claims
1. A lighting system for a motor vehicle, the lighting system comprising: a first lighting device including a plurality of separately controllable first light-emitting pixels, at least one of the first light-emitting pixels defining a first pixel size; and two second lighting devices, each of which are disposed laterally relative to the first lighting device and each of which have a plurality of separately controllable second light-emitting pixels, wherein at least one of the second light-emitting pixels defines a second pixel size which is larger than the first pixel size of the at least one of the first light-emitting pixels.
2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the second light-emitting pixels has a pixel height which is at least twice as large as a pixel height of the at least one of the first light-emitting pixels.
3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the second light-emitting pixels has a pixel width which is at least twice as large as a pixel width of the at least one of the first light-emitting pixels.
4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein at least two of the second light-emitting pixels define dissimilar pixel heights or dissimilar pixel widths.
5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein greater than 50% of the first light-emitting pixels have the first pixel size.
6. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein a further one of the second light-emitting pixels has the first pixel size.
7. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein a further one of the first light-emitting pixels has a third pixel size, wherein the third pixel size is larger than the first pixel size.
8. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the second pixel size is at least four times that of the first pixel size.
9. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first lighting device have a first emitting surface that is curved by a maximum of 20 about a vertical axis.
10. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the second lighting devices each have a second emitting surface that is curved by at least 20 about a vertical axis.
11. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting pixels and the second light-emitting pixels have a reflector, a light emitting diode, and a light-transmitting optical layer.
12. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the first light-emitting pixels and the second light-emitting pixels have a plurality of light-emitting diodes with different colors.
13. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the optical layer comprises a diffuser film or a diffuser plate.
14. A motor vehicle comprising a vehicle front and a vehicle rear, wherein the lighting system of claim 1 is arranged on the vehicle front or the vehicle rear, wherein the first lighting device extends over at least a partial area of the vehicle front or the vehicle rear, and wherein the two second lighting devices are each arranged at one side of the first lighting device and each extend over partial areas of two vehicle sides of the motor vehicle.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. All features arising from the claims, the description or the figures, including design details, can be substantial to the invention both individually and in any of the various combinations. In the figures:
[0040] FIG. 1 is a top view of a lighting system according to the prior art;
[0041] FIG. 2 is a top view of a lighting system according to a preferred first exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0042] FIG. 3 is a top view of a lighting system according to a preferred second exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0043] FIG. 4 is a top view of a lighting system according to a preferred third exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0044] FIG. 5 is a top view of a lighting system according to a preferred fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0045] FIG. 6 is a top view of a lighting system according to a preferred fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0046] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a first lighting device according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0047] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the first lighting device from FIG. 7; and
[0048] FIG. 9 is a rear view of a motor vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0049] Similar or identical elements are provided with the same reference signs in FIGS. 1 to 9. Therein, for the sake of clarity, similar or identical elements are not all provided with a reference sign throughout.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENTS
[0050] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a lighting system 1 according to the prior art. The lighting system 1 has a first lighting device 3 with a plurality of first light-emitting pixels 4 and a second lighting device 5 with a plurality of second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 and the second light-emitting pixels 6 are each arranged in a grid which extends over the entire lighting system 1. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a light-emitting pixel size that corresponds to a light-emitting pixel size of the second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 and the second light-emitting pixels 6 have a rectangular or square design. A curvature of the second lighting device 5 about a vertical axis causes a distortion of the grid of the second lighting device 5. This results in installation space problems for the optical system used.
[0051] In FIG. 2, a lighting system 1 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in a top view. The lighting system 1 has a first lighting device 3 with a plurality of first light-emitting pixels 4 and a second lighting device 5 with a plurality of second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 and the second light-emitting pixels 6 are each arranged in a grid. The second lighting device 5 also has a curvature about the vertical axis. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a first light-emitting pixel size that is smaller than a second light-emitting pixel size of the second light-emitting pixels 6. In this exemplary embodiment, the second light-emitting pixels 6 have a second light-emitting pixel width that is twice as large as a first light-emitting pixel width of the first light-emitting pixels 4. The light-emitting pixel height of the first light-emitting pixels 4 corresponds to the light-emitting pixel height of the second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a rectangular or square design. The second light-emitting pixels 6 have a rectangular design. Thus installation space problems for the optical system used are prevented.
[0052] FIG. 3 shows a lighting system 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention schematically in a top view. The lighting system 1 has a first lighting device 3 with a plurality of first light-emitting pixels 4 and a second lighting device 5 with a plurality of second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 and the second light-emitting pixels 6 are each arranged in a grid. The second lighting device 5 also has a curvature about the vertical axis. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a first light-emitting pixel size that is smaller than a second light-emitting pixel size of the second light-emitting pixels 6. In this exemplary embodiment, the second light-emitting pixels 6 have a second light-emitting pixel height that is twice as large as a first light-emitting pixel height of the first light-emitting pixels 4. The light-emitting pixel width of the first light-emitting pixels 4 corresponds to the light-emitting pixel width of the second light-emitting pixel 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a rectangular or square design. The second light-emitting pixels 6 have a rectangular design. Thus installation space problems for the optical system used are prevented as well.
[0053] In FIG. 4, a lighting system 1 according to a third exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in a top view. The lighting system 1 has a first lighting device 3 with a plurality of first light-emitting pixels 4 and a second lighting device 5 with a plurality of second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 and the second light-emitting pixels 6 are each arranged in a grid. The second lighting device 5 also has a curvature about the vertical axis. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a first light-emitting pixel size that is smaller than a second light-emitting pixel size of the second light-emitting pixels 6, wherein the second light-emitting pixels 6 have different light-emitting pixel sizes in this exemplary embodiment. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a rectangular or square design. The second light-emitting pixels 6 partly have a rectangular design and partly have other angular shapes with parallel sides. Thus installation space problems for the optical system used are prevented as well.
[0054] FIG. 5 shows a lighting system 1 according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention schematically in a top view. The lighting system 1 has a first lighting device 3 with a plurality of first light-emitting pixels 4 and a second lighting device 5 with a plurality of second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 and the second light-emitting pixels 6 are each arranged in a grid. The second lighting device 5 also has a curvature about the vertical axis. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a first light-emitting pixel size that is smaller than a second light-emitting pixel size of the second light-emitting pixels 6. In this exemplary embodiment, the second light-emitting pixels 6 have different light-emitting pixel sizes, wherein some light-emitting pixels of the second light-emitting pixels 6 have the first light-emitting pixel size and other light-emitting pixels of the second light-emitting pixels 6 have the second light-emitting pixel size or a light-emitting pixel size that is larger than the first light-emitting pixel size. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a rectangular or square design. The second light-emitting pixels 6 partly have a rectangular or square design and partly have other angular shapes with parallel sides. Thus installation space problems for the optical system used are prevented as well.
[0055] In FIG. 6, a lighting system 1 according to a fifth exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in a top view. The lighting system 1 has a first lighting device 3 with a plurality of first light-emitting pixels 4 and a second lighting device 5 with a plurality of second light-emitting pixels 6. The first light-emitting pixels 4 and the second light-emitting pixels 6 are each arranged in a grid. The second lighting device 5 also has a curvature about the vertical axis. Some of the first light-emitting pixels 4 have a first light-emitting pixel size that is smaller than a second light-emitting pixel size of the second light-emitting pixels 6, wherein the second light-emitting pixels 6 have different light-emitting pixel sizes, each of which is larger than the first light-emitting pixel size. In this exemplary embodiment, another part of the first light-emitting pixels 4, which is arranged adjacent to the second light-emitting pixels 6, has the second light-emitting pixel size. The first light-emitting pixels 4 have a rectangular or square design. The second light-emitting pixels 6 partly have a rectangular design and partly have other angular shapes with parallel sides. Thus installation space problems for the optical system used are prevented as well.
[0056] In FIGS. 7 and 8, a first lighting device 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in different views. The first lighting device 3 has a printed circuit board 14 on which several light-emitting diodes 10 are arranged as SMD components. A reflector element 9 is arranged in front of the printed circuit board 14. An optical layer 11 is arranged in front of the reflector element 9. An optional grid mask 15 may be arranged in front of the optical layer 11. A housing frame 16 is provided to delimit and protect the components of the first lighting device 3.
[0057] The second lighting device 5 preferably has the same elements as the first lighting device 3, which are preferably arranged in the same way with the exception of the light-emitting pixel sizes. Accordingly, the second lighting device 5 preferably has a printed circuit board 14 on which several light-emitting diodes 10 are arranged as SMD components. A reflector element 9 is arranged in front of the printed circuit board 14. An optical layer 11 is arranged in front of the reflector element 9. An optional grid mask 15 may be arranged in front of the optical layer 11. A housing frame 16 is preferably provided to delimit and protect the components of the second lighting device 5.
[0058] FIG. 9 schematically shows a rear view of a motor vehicle 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The motor vehicle 2 has a vehicle front 12, which is predominantly concealed in this view, and a vehicle rear 13. A lighting system 1 according to the invention is arranged at the vehicle rear 13. The first lighting device 3 of the lighting system 1 is arranged centrally on the vehicle rear 13 and extends over a predominant part of the vehicle rear width of the vehicle rear 13. A second lighting device 5 of the lighting system 1 is arranged on each side of the first lighting device 3. In particular, a first emitting surface 7 of the first lighting device 3 and a second emitting surface 8 of each of the second lighting devices 5 can be seen from the lighting system 1.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0059] 1 lighting system [0060] 2 motor vehicle [0061] 3 first lighting device [0062] 4 first light-emitting pixel [0063] 5 second lighting device [0064] 6 second light-emitting pixel [0065] 7 first emitting surface [0066] 8 second emitting surface [0067] 9 reflector element [0068] 10 light-emitting diode [0069] 11 optical layer [0070] 12 vehicle front [0071] 13 vehicle rear [0072] 14 printed circuit board [0073] 15 grid mask [0074] 16 housing frame
[0075] The above description is that of current embodiment of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention or to limit the scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated or described in connection with these embodiments. Any reference to elements in the singular, for example, using the articles a, an, the, or said, is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.
