Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01S—RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES
  • G01S17/00—Systems using the reflection or reradiation of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, e.g. lidar systems
  • G01S17/88—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
  • G01S17/89—Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
  • B60Q1/02—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
  • B60Q1/04—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
  • B60Q1/02—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
  • B60Q1/04—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights
  • B60Q1/06—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights adjustable, e.g. remotely-controlled from inside vehicle
  • B60Q1/08—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights adjustable, e.g. remotely-controlled from inside vehicle automatically
  • B60Q1/085—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights adjustable, e.g. remotely-controlled from inside vehicle automatically due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
  • B60Q1/02—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments
  • B60Q1/04—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights
  • B60Q1/14—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead or to illuminate other areas of way or environments the devices being headlights having dimming means
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/10—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source
  • F21S41/12—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source characterised by the type of emitted light
  • F21S41/13—Ultraviolet light; Infrared light
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/10—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source
  • F21S41/14—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source characterised by the type of light source
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/10—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source
  • F21S41/14—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source characterised by the type of light source
  • F21S41/141—Light emitting diodes [LED]
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/10—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source
  • F21S41/14—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source characterised by the type of light source
  • F21S41/141—Light emitting diodes [LED]
  • F21S41/151—Light emitting diodes [LED] arranged in one or more lines
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/10—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source
  • F21S41/14—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by the light source characterised by the type of light source
  • F21S41/16—Laser light sources
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/20—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
  • F21S41/285—Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/30—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by reflectors
  • F21S41/32—Optical layout thereof
  • F21S41/321—Optical layout thereof the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
  • F21S41/60—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by a variable light distribution
  • F21S41/65—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by a variable light distribution by acting on light sources
  • F21S41/663—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by a variable light distribution by acting on light sources by switching light sources
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
  • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
  • F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
  • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
  • F21Y2115/30—Semiconductor lasers

Definitions

• the invention relates to a broadband lighting device, in particular for use in a motor vehicle, and to a method suitable for operating such a device according to the preamble of claims 1 and 14.
• vehicle headlamps In order to be able to illuminate traffic scenes at night as well as possible, there are vehicle headlamps whose lighting characteristics can be adapted to the course of the road. These headlights The motor can also be tilted vertically to compensate for different loading conditions or to illuminate crests or troughs in front of the vehicle, or swiveled horizontally to illuminate curves. The mechanics required for this are very complex and prone to failure, and the only alternative is to provide different types of headlights between which you can switch. Appropriate special headlights can also be used, for example, to produce wider and lower lighting that is advantageous in fog or snow. For design and cost reasons, it is often undesirable to equip a vehicle with an excessive number of headlights.
• a further improvement in visibility at night is achieved by an opto-electronic system, which is set out in DE 40 07 646 AI.
• the system records a video image of a traffic scene and presents it to the driver in a suitable manner.
• the image shown contains additional information that the driver cannot or only with difficulty can capture with his own eyes, in particular in the dark, bad weather and fog.
• the system contains two infrared headlights that use laser diodes that emit in the near infrared as a light source.
• the laser diodes are operated in pulsed mode.
• a CCD camera for recording the video image is housed in the roof area of the vehicle.
• the CCD camera has an electronic shutter that is synchronized with the laser diodes.
• An optical bandpass filter is attached in front of the camera lens.
• the video image is shown to the driver on an LCD display.
• Using laser light has a number of advantages: The lasers emit in the near infrared at a wavelength of 810 nm. Since the infrared light is almost invisible to the human eye, it can be illuminated permanently.
• the glare of the camera through the visible headlights of oncoming vehicles can be significantly reduced.
• the light from semiconductor light sources only has a spectral width of a few nm, while visible light sources such as halogen lamps are several hundred nm wide. If you bring an optical filter with a narrow passage width in front of the camera lens, almost all of the laser light is transmitted, while the light of oncoming vehicles is weakened by a factor of 50 to 100.
• laser diodes follow the driver current directly, they can be pulsed quickly and easily. If you use a video camera with a fast electronic shutter, which is synchronized with the lasers, the light of oncoming vehicles can be further reduced.
• the post-published German patent application DE 101 29 743 shows a two-dimensional array of a multiplicity of electronic light sources which are set up to emit a multiplicity of mutually parallel bundles of light, a converging lens which is essentially parallel to the surface at a distance of its focal length of the array is arranged to receive the light from the array, and a control electronics for the light sources, which is set up to let the light sources shine individually or in groups.
• the patent application further envisages light sources which emit light in the visible wavelength range with such light sources which emit light in the invisible wavelength range. to combine. With the device shown, the lighting characteristics of the headlamp can be adapted to changing driving or environmental conditions solely with the aid of the control electronics. In this way, no mechanically moving parts are necessary, although all light sources are assigned common optics that determine the radiation characteristic of the headlamp.
• the object of the invention is to find a lighting device and a method suitable for operating such a lighting device, which enables individual radiation characteristics to be assigned to the individual light sources.
• the invention is achieved by a broadband lighting device and a method suitable for operating such a lighting device with the features of claims 1 and 14.
• the invention relates to a broadband lighting device, in particular for use in a motor vehicle, which is formed by a multiplicity of semiconductor light sources. Some of the semiconductor light sources emit light in the visible wavelength range and another part of the semiconductor light sources emit light in the invisible wavelength range. In a particularly inventive manner, at least some of the semiconductor light sources are now provided individually or in groups with optics for generating an individual radiation characteristic. This advantageously makes it possible for different semiconductor light sources.
• Light sources which are preferably luminescent diodes or semiconductor lasers, emit light with different radiation characteristics within a single lighting device.
• the lighting device according to the invention it is conceivable to use the lighting device according to the invention to produce a combined close-range and high-beam headlamp, in that individual light sources which emit visible light are individually provided with different optics, so that the area in front, depending on the activation of the light sources, individually or in groups the motor vehicle is illuminated differently. It is therefore no longer necessary to use separate headlights, or two or two-part light bulbs (with differently arranged filaments) within one headlight for the near and high beam areas. Different illumination characteristics can thus be achieved with a single lighting module on which the semiconductor light sources provided with the optics are applied.
• the lighting device For this purpose, it is only necessary to provide the lighting device with an electronic control unit, which enables the individual semiconductor light sources to be controlled individually or in groups. In a particularly advantageous manner, this control also makes it possible to influence the radiation intensity of the individual semiconductor light sources, so that the entire radiation characteristic of the inventive lighting device meets different lighting requirements, in particular with regard to of the lighting area and the lighting intensity can be adjusted.
• the combination of semiconductor light sources which emit visible light with those which emit invisible light makes it possible to create a compact broadband illuminator which is robust against vibrations.
• Such a broadband lighting device is excellently suitable for use in a motor vehicle, since by means of a single headlight, Both the near and the far area in front of the vehicle can be illuminated with visible light, but this can also be used as a light source in the context of a system for night vision improvement.
• Semiconductor light sources which emit light in the infrared or ultraviolet wavelength range are particularly suitable here. It is now possible in a profitable manner, depending on the field of application, to choose differently the ratio of the semiconductor light sources which emit visible light to those which emit invisible light when designing the broadband lighting device.
• infrared semiconductor lasers are not visible to the human eye, they can work with significantly higher radiation densities, particularly in pulsed operation. It is therefore conceivable that the number of infrared light sources required in the lighting device according to the invention could be selected to be significantly lower than the number of light sources emitting visible light, by means of which, for example, the high beam area should be illuminated satisfactorily.
• the lighting device according to the invention is also conceivable to use as a special infrared headlight, in particular for use in the context of a motor vehicle system for improving night vision.
• the traffic regulations must be observed, which state that no visible red light emitting light source may light up on the front of a vehicle. If the headlight now emits light in the near-infrared range, there is a risk that some people will still perceive it as a faint red shimmer.
• it is therefore advantageous to use a smaller number of semiconductor light Sources of the lighting device according to the invention emit visible, in particular white, light, which serves to cover the red light shimmer.
• eye safety it may also be advantageous to emit visible light with such an intensity through a certain number of semiconductor light sources that no human observer looks directly into the headlight for a long time.
• flat optics are suitable in a particularly advantageous manner, the light inlet opening of which has an elongated, essentially rectangular shape.
• Such flat optics require only a relatively small installation space in a special way, even with a large number of individual optics, and enable an optimal areal density of light sources.
• Optics that have a central area perpendicular to the light entry surface are particularly suitable
• Projection in a two-dimensional plane corresponds to a cylindrical 2-dimensional Kartoval. This central area is combined in a particularly advantageous manner with a parabolic reflector. Optics designed in this way are described, for example, in the subsequently published German patent application DE 102 49 819 (asymmetrical headlamp).
• the available installation space when the semiconductor light sources are arranged next to one another can be further optimized if at least some of the individual optics are assigned several semiconductor light sources.
• the light emitted by individual semiconductor light sources assigned in this way to a common optical system then has individually different onhe radiation characteristic, since each light source is arranged at a different location with respect to the focal point of the optics.
• Different radiation characteristics generated in this way are, however, advantageous for many conceivable applications of the inventive lighting device. It is generally desirable that the near-range headlamp working with visible light to prevent glare mainly emits light in the area of the road ahead, while at the same time the non-visible light portion of the headlight light, which improves night vision, also illuminates areas on the opposite lane or on the roadside.
• the lighting device is controlled by electronics which allow the light sources to be operated individually or in groups and, in particular, also to influence their luminous intensity
• the lighting device according to the invention also to have a communication system or connect a distance measuring system as part of its transmitter.
• parts of the semiconductor light sources in particular those which emit light in the invisible wavelength range, can be modulated in terms of their beam intensity on the basis of a communication signal.
• the lighting device in cooperation with a system for distance measurement, by means of the lighting device according to the invention by pulsed activation of at least some of the semiconductor light sources, to carry out the measurement pulses. send, which are then received after reflection on objects by the receiving device of the distance measuring system synchronized with these measuring pulses.
• the inventive lighting device can be used in the context of its use as a headlight of a motor vehicle, for example in the distance control to vehicles in front.
• the lighting device as a lamp on the rear of the vehicle and to additionally use this, for example in combination with a regulated rear fog lamp, to measure the distance between vehicles behind.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Remote Sensing (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)
• Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Country Status (5)

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Citations (10)

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• 2002
  • 2002-11-25 DE DE10255015A patent/DE10255015B4/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2003
  • 2003-11-11 DE DE50305653T patent/DE50305653D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-11-11 WO PCT/EP2003/012576 patent/WO2004048149A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2003-11-11 US US10/536,339 patent/US20060203505A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-11-11 JP JP2004554333A patent/JP2006507180A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-11-11 EP EP03775339A patent/EP1565346B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (10)

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