FR3058777A1 - LIGHTING DEVICE WITH ORIENTABLE AND TRANSMITTING AND / OR PHOTON-REFLECTIVE OLED LIGHTS - Google Patents

Abstract

A lighting device (DE) comprises: at least two organic light-emitting diodes (DO1-DO9) comprising a front face (FV) reflecting and contained in a plane perpendicular to a normal, positioning means (MP1-MP9) adapted to orient the organic light-emitting diodes (DO1-DO9) around two perpendicular axes in order to orient their normals in space according to the first selected directions, and - control means (MC) able to control the positioning means ( MP1-MP9) for orienting the normals according to these first selected directions and the operation of the organic light-emitting diodes (DO1-DO9) to emit photons by their front face (FV) according to these first selected associated directions and / or reflect by their front face (FV), in second selected directions, photons from a light source (SL).

Description

Holder (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Société anonyme.

Extension request (s)

Agent (s): PEUGEOT CITROEN AUTOMOBILES SA Public limited company.

(04) LIGHTING DEVICE WITH ORIENTABLE OLEDS AND PHOTON EMITTERS AND / OR REFLECTORS.

FR 3 058 777 - A1 \ bj) A lighting device (DE) comprises:

- at least two organic light-emitting diodes (DO1-DO9) comprising a front face (FV) reflecting and contained in a plane perpendicular to a normal,

positioning means (MP1-MP9) capable of orienting the organic light-emitting diodes (DO1DO9) around two perpendicular axes in order to orient their normals in space in the first chosen directions, and

- control means (MC) capable of controlling the positioning means (MP1-MP9) so that they orient the normals according to these first chosen directions and the operation of the organic light-emitting diodes (DO1-DO9) so that they emit photons by their front face (FV) in these first chosen associated directions and / or reflect by their front face (FV), in second chosen directions, photons coming from a light source (SL).

i

LIGHTING DEVICE WITH ADJUSTABLE OLEDS AND PHOTON EMITTERS AND / OR REFLECTORS

The invention relates to lighting devices which are capable of providing photons.

In what follows, "lighting device" means a device for lighting and / or participating in a signaling and / or light signature function, whether indoors or outdoors.

îo In certain technical fields, such as for example and without limitation that of vehicles, possibly of automobile type, lighting devices are used comprising at least one light source with light-emitting diodes (or LEDs), possibly of organic type (or OLED ("Organic Light-Emitting Diode")).

is Depending on the applications, these light-emitting diodes can optionally deliver photons of different wavelengths and / or different intensities.

Furthermore, depending on the applications, these light-emitting diodes can optionally be mounted on a single movable support and / or

0 be associated with at least one movable lens, so as to orient the photons they generate in different chosen general directions in space. For example, when a vehicle optical unit includes a lighting device having the characteristics mentioned in the preceding sentence, it can perform a bend code, mechatronic type or warning light function, or even define a curvilinear beam of light. The aforementioned movements indeed make it possible to obtain light distributions which are better suited to the movements of the vehicle, for example as a function of its speed and / or of the shape of the road and / or of the presence of an obstacle, and / or who participate in style effects (or

0 aesthetics) which can participate in a light signature.

However, the diversity of functionalities offered by current lighting devices remains relatively limited, and in particular does not make it possible to combine certain functions together, which means that several lighting devices or bulky additional elements must be used in parallel, which does not is not always possible.

The invention aims in particular to improve the situation.

To this end, it notably proposes a lighting device capable of providing photons and comprising:

- at least two organic light-emitting diodes each comprising a reflective front face and contained in a plane perpendicular to a normal,

positioning means suitable for orienting the organic light-emitting diodes around two perpendicular axes in order to orient their normals in space in the first chosen directions, and

control means suitable for controlling, on the one hand, the positioning means so that they orient the normals in the first chosen directions, and, on the other hand, the operation of organic light-emitting diodes so that they emit photons by their front face in the first chosen associated directions and / or reflect by their front face, in second chosen directions, photons coming from a light source.

Thanks to the spatial orientation of the normals to organic light-emitting diodes combined with the possibility of emitting and / or reflecting photons in a controlled manner, the diversity of functionalities offered by the lighting device is notably increased without necessarily significantly increase the size.

The lighting device according to the invention may include other characteristics which can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

- Its positioning means can be adapted to orient the organic light-emitting diodes independently of each other;

> its positioning means may include microactuators in a number equal to the number of organic light-emitting diodes and associated respectively with the latter;

- Its control means can be adapted to control the operation of organic light emitting diodes independently of each other;

- its organic light emitting diodes can be 5 NxM, with N> 2 and M> 2, and can be arranged in the form of a matrix of N rows and M columns;

- Its control means can be adapted to control the intensity of the photons emitted and / or the photons reflected by each of the organic light-emitting diodes;

îo - its control means can be adapted to control the wavelengths of the photons coming from the light source so that the light resulting from the emitted photons and the photons reflected by each organic light emitting diode has a chosen color;

- he can understand the light source.

is The invention also provides a vehicle optical unit, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising at least one lighting device of the type of that presented above.

The invention also provides a vehicle, possibly of automobile type, and comprising at least one optical unit of the type of that presented.

0 above.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically and functionally illustrates, in a perspective view, an exemplary embodiment of a lighting device according to the invention with its organic light-emitting diodes oriented at the same angle, and

- Figure 2 schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, the lighting device of Figure 1 with its light emitting diodes

0 organic oriented at different angles.

The object of the invention is in particular to propose an ED lighting device comprising organic light-emitting diodes (or OLEDs (“Organic Light-Emitting Diodes”)) DOk and capable of supplying photons intended to light and / or participate in a signaling and / or light signature function.

In what follows, it is considered, by way of nonlimiting example, that the lighting device DE is intended to be part of a vehicle optical unit, possibly of the automobile type. For example, this optical unit can be a rear light. But the invention is not limited to this application. Indeed, a lighting device DE, according to the invention, can be an equipment independent of an optical unit. In this case, it has its own housing, and can, for example, be installed in different systems, devices or installations, indoors and outdoors.

In general, a lighting device DE, according to the invention, can be part of any type of vehicle, land, sea (or river), or air, or any type of installation (including industrial), or of any type of building.

There is schematically and functionally shown in Figures 1 and 2 a non-limiting embodiment of a lighting device DE according to the invention.

In these figures 1 and 2, the coordinate system (X, Y, Z) defines three directions of space which are perpendicular to each other (two by two).

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a lighting device DE, according to the invention, comprises at least two organic light-emitting diodes DOk, positioning means MPk, and control means MC.

Each DOk organic light-emitting diode (or OLED) has a reflective FV front face, contained in a plane which is perpendicular to a normal, and by which it emits photons when it is supplied with (electric) current. It is preferably not flexible.

It will be noted, as illustrated without limitation in FIGS. 1 and 2, that the organic light-emitting diodes DOk of a lighting device DE can be one of NxM, with N> 2 and M> 2, and can be arranged under the form of a matrix of N rows and M columns. In the example illustrated, N is equal to 3 and M is equal to 3, and consequently k takes values between 1 and 9. When all the organic light-emitting diodes DOk are in the same initial orientation (as in FIG. 1 ), the matrix can have a planar emission and reflection face defined by all the front faces FV. However, in an alternative embodiment, the emission and reflection face of the matrix may have at least one curvature, possibly three-dimensional, resulting from different positions of the positioning means MPk.

The positioning means MPk are suitable for orienting the organic light-emitting diodes DOk around first and second axes perpendicular to each other in order to orient their normals in space in the first chosen directions. They are for example secured to an SM support which can be in the form of a substrate, possibly in CMOS ("Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor") technology. is Such a substrate SM can, for example and as illustrated without limitation in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprise at least part of the control means MC, arranged in the form of integrated electronic circuits. However, these control means MC could be totally, or at least partially, remote, for example on a printed circuit board,

0 possibly of PCB (“Printed Circuit Board”) type, rigid or flexible (“of“ Flex ”type). Such an offset makes it possible to reduce the overall size of the assembly comprising the positioning means MPk, the organic light-emitting diodes DOk and the substrate SM.

In FIG. 1 the first axis is parallel to the direction Z (it allows rotations in the XY plane, materialized by the arrow F1), and the second axis is (here) parallel to the direction X (it allows rotations in the ZY plane, materialized by arrow F2).

The control means MC are suitable for controlling the positioning means MPk so that they orient the normals (of the front faces FV

0 of organic light-emitting diodes DOk) in the first chosen directions. In addition, these control means MC are also suitable for controlling the operation of the organic light-emitting diodes DOk so that they emit photons by their front face FV in the first chosen associated directions and / or reflect by their front face FV, according to second directions chosen, photons which come from a light source SL.

The expression "and / or" means here that, depending on the functional needs at the instant considered, each organic light-emitting diode DOk will either only emit photons, or only reflect photons, or again both emit photons and reflect photons from an SL light source.

It will be understood that the double control (orientation of the normals and operation of the DOk OLEDs) which is ensured at all times by the control means MC advantageously allows the lighting device DE to offer a wide variety of functionalities without increasing the '' significantly. The increase in size results in fact from the presence of the positioning means MPk as well as possibly from the presence of the light source SL when it is part of the lighting device DE, which is not obligatory. Indeed, the light source SL can be part of another lighting device (here of its optical unit) which moreover ensures at least one other functionality.

This light source SL can be presented in different ways.

0 Thus, it can be monochromatic or else provide photons having at least two different wavelengths, possibly in a controllable manner. Consequently, it can include one or more LEDs (possibly organic (or OLEDs)), one or more light guides (with their light source), one or more laser diodes, or one or more diffuse sources.

It will be noted that the positioning means MPk can advantageously be able to orient the organic light-emitting diodes DOk independently of each other. In this case, the orientation of each organic light-emitting diode DOk is controlled

0 by the control means MC independently of the other organic light-emitting diodes DOk '(with k' + k), which does not prevent that at certain times all the normals are oriented in the same first chosen direction if a function requires it (as in the example in Figure 1). This further increases the variety of functionality offered by the DE lighting device.

In the example of FIG. 1, all the front faces FV of the organic light-emitting diodes DOk have the same first orientation in a first chosen direction which is here parallel to the direction Z. In the example of FIG. 2, the front faces FV of organic light-emitting diodes DO1 to DO3 have the same second orientation in a first chosen direction inclined to the right with respect to the XY plane, the front faces FV of organic light-emitting diodes DO4 to DO6 have the same third orientation in another first direction chosen inclined to the left with respect to the XY plane, and the front faces FV of the organic light-emitting diodes DO7 to DO9 have the same first orientation in the first chosen direction (parallel to the direction Z), is In the presence of the last option, the positioning means

MPk can include micro-actuators in a number equal to the number of organic light-emitting diodes DOk and associated respectively with the latter (DOk). In other words, each organic light-emitting diode DOk is associated with its own micro-actuator MPk responsible for

0 orientation in the space of its normal. The use of such MPk microactuators makes it possible to limit the increase in size that their presence causes.

As a purely illustrative example, each micro-actuator MPk can be of the type used in a digital micro-mirror device (or DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device >>)), well known to man art.

For example, the micro-actuators MPk can be of the piezoelectric type. As a variant, each micro-actuator MPk can, for example, comprise two micromotors with step or linear, of precision, as for

0 example those produced by the company SONCEBOZ.

It will also be noted that the control means MC can be suitable for controlling the operation of the organic light-emitting diodes DOk independently of each other. By "controlling the operation" here is meant controlling the supply of current to an organic light-emitting diode DOk so that it emits, or does not emit, photons if a function requires it. This further increases the diversity of functionality offered by the lighting device.

DE, and in particular to carry out animations.

It will also be noted that the control means MC can be suitable for controlling the intensity of the photons emitted and / or the photons reflected by each of the organic light-emitting diodes DOk. The intensity of the photons emitted by an organic light-emitting diode DOk can, for example, be controlled by means of the current which supplies it. The intensity of the photons reflected by an organic light-emitting diode DOk can, for example, be controlled by means of the current which supplies the light source SL. This makes it possible to further increase the diversity of functionalities offered by the DE lighting device, and in particular to produce is animations.

It will also be noted that the control means MC may be suitable for controlling the wavelengths of the photons which come from the light source SL so that the light resulting from the emitted photons and from the photons reflected by each organic light-emitting diode DOk

0 has a chosen color. It will indeed be understood that by controlling the proportions (or intensities) of photons of different wavelengths (for example in green, blue and red), one can control the color of the light coming from the front face d 'an organic light-emitting diode DOk.

So you can use organic light emitting diodes

DOk emitting red wavelength photons and reflecting photons from the SL light source with green and blue wavelengths. This can in particular make it possible to obtain any visible color, for example for the color display of information or

0 different icons, or to define animations by variation of colors in a global or localized way, or even a customization according to the tastes and / or the needs of the users.

It will also be noted that the organic light-emitting diodes

DOk can have the same shape (for example square or rectangular), or different shapes (especially within different rows (or columns) of a matrix).

The invention offers several advantages, including:

- optimization of light distributions without changing the power and power supplies,

- style animation, possibly with variable colors,

- changes in appearance, for example for an emergency situation,

- many possibilities for customization.

ίο

Claims (7)

1. Lighting device (DE) capable of providing photons, characterized in that it comprises i) at least two light-emitting diodes 5 organic (DOk) comprising a front face (FV) reflecting and contained in a plane perpendicular to a normal, ii) positioning means (MPk) suitable for orienting said organic light-emitting diodes (DOk) around two perpendicular axes in order to orient their normals in space according to first chosen directions, and iii) control means (MC) suitable for controlling, on the one hand, said positioning means (MPk) so that they orient said normals according to said first chosen directions, and, on the other hand, the functioning of said organic light-emitting diodes (DOk) so that they emit photons by their front face (FV) according to said first chosen directions are associated and / or reflect by their front face (FV) ), in selected second directions, photons from a light source (SL). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said positioning means (MPk) are capable of orienting said organic light-emitting diodes (DOk) independently of each other. 2 0 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said positioning means (MPk) comprise micro-actuators in a number equal to the number of organic light emitting diodes (DOk) and associated respectively with the latter (DOk). 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said control means (MC) are suitable for controlling the operation of said organic light-emitting diodes (DOk) independently of each other. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said organic light-emitting diodes (DOk) are among 3 0 NxM, with N> 2 and M> 2, and are arranged in the form of a matrix of N rows and M columns. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said control means (MC) are suitable for controlling the intensity of the photons emitted and / or the photons reflected by each of said organic light emitting diodes (DOk). 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said control means (MC) are suitable for controlling the wavelengths 5 photons from said light source (SL) so that the light resulting from the emitted photons and the photons reflected by each organic light emitting diode (DOk) has a chosen color. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises said light source (SL). îo 9. Vehicle optical unit, characterized in that it comprises at least one lighting device (DE) according to one of the preceding claims. 10. Vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one optical unit according to claim 9. 1/2 DO7 MP7 DO8 MP8 DO9 MP9 MC SM DO2 MP2 F1 DO3 MP3