Lighting module for vehicle headlight

Abstract

The lighting module comprises a first light source and a second light source, the first light source producing a low beam having a bright / dark cut-off line. First optics re-direct a first portion of light from the first light source to produce a main portion of the low beam substantially below the bright / dark cut-off line. Second optics, spaced apart from the first optics, re-direct a second portion of light from the first light source to produce a third zone beam of the low beam substantially above the bright / dark cut-off line, and a fourth portion of light from the second light source to produce a concentrated beam of a high beam in front of the vehicle. Third optics re-direct a third portion of light from the second light source to produce a main portion of the high beam.

Description

[0001] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 20190252.5, filed August 10, 2020, and International Application No. PCT / CN2020 / 104018, filed July 24, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND

[0003] Reflective lighting devices have been used in the field of vehicle lighting, for example for vehicle headlighting. A reflective lighting device for a low beam mode can include a light source, a reflector, and a shutter (e.g., a black shield). The shutter can be used to block a portion of light emitted from the light source to avoid glare to a driver of an oncoming vehicle, so that the resulting low beam is more comfortable and safer for the driver. SUMMARY

[0004] A lighting module includes a first light source and a second light source, the first light source producing a low beam having a bright / dark cutoff line. First optics re-directs a first portion of light from the first light source to produce a main portion of the low beam substantially below the bright / dark cutoff line. Second optics, spaced apart from the first optics, re-directs a second portion of light from the first light source to produce a third zone beam of the low beam substantially above the bright / dark cutoff line, and a fourth portion of light from the second light source to produce a concentrated beam of a high beam in front of the vehicle. Third optics re-directs a third portion of light from the second light source to produce a main portion of the high beam. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005] A more detailed understanding can be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0006] Figure 1 is a diagram of a lighting module for a vehicle headlight when operating in a low beam mode;

[0007] Figure 2 is a diagram of a lighting module for a vehicle headlight when operating in a low beam mode;

[0008] Figure 3 is a diagram of a lighting module for a vehicle headlight when operating in a low beam mode;

[0009] Figure 4 is a diagram of another example of a lighting module for producing a low beam including a third zone beam;

[0010] Figure 5a is a simulation diagram for a third zone beam pattern only;

[0011] Figure 5b is a simulation plot of the low beam pattern including the third zone light beam pattern and the main part of the low beam generated by the illumination module;

[0012] Figure 5c is a simulation plot of the low beam pattern without the third zone light beam;

[0013] Figure 6 is a plot of the illumination module further including the third optical device and the second light source;

[0014] Figure 7 is an alternative plot of the illumination module for generating the high beam including the concentrated light beam;

[0015] Figure 8a and Figure 8b are simulation plots of the concentrated light beam and the final high beam including the concentrated light beam and the main part of the high beam, respectively;

[0016] Figure 9 is a plot of an exemplary vehicle headlamp system; and

[0017] Figure 10 is a plot of another exemplary vehicle headlamp system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Examples of implementations of different light illumination systems and / or light emitting diodes (LEDs) will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. These examples are not mutually exclusive and features found in one example can be combined with features found in one or more other examples to achieve additional implementations. As such, it will be understood that the examples shown in the drawings are provided for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to limit the disclosure in any way. Throughout, like reference numerals designate like elements.

[0019] It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms can be used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0020] It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being "on" or extending "onto" another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements can also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or extending "directly onto" another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements can be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of an element in addition to its orientation as depicted in the figures.

[0021] Relative terms such as "lower," "upper," "bottom," "top," "horizontal," or "vertical" can be used herein to describe one element's or portion's relationship to another element, layer, or portion as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

[0022] Specific requirements for rear lighting are often defined by car manufacturers to, for example, achieve specific styling goals. However, they can also come from technical aspects, such as the need for stability of the glass cover of a certain thickness. This can pose a challenge to rear lighting manufacturers, as they have to cope with various requirements specific to each car type. For example, as the material and the specifications of the material can differ from car to car, it remains difficult for rear lighting manufacturers to provide lighting that meets specific requirements.

[0023] Take for example the case of backup lights. These lights generally comprise a light source, a housing and an optical system. The cover can serve as the last element of the optical system with respect to the environment. This transparent element thus shields the inner side of the light from the environment. The specifications of the material can differ from one another, for example, the thickness of the material can differ. The cover material is generally tinted in volume, which means that a thicker cover will have a stronger color (for example, more absorption than a thinner cover of the same material). Thus, due to the interaction between the dedicated emission spectrum of the LED and the specific absorption spectrum of the cover, one specific LED can only be applied to a cover made of a specific grade of colored plastic and to a specific range of thicknesses of the cover made of the aforementioned material. In other words, the specific configuration of the LED can depend on the material of the cover and on the thickness of the cover, which thus requires new LED configurations to be repeated for different car manufacturers.

[0024] The use of shutters (e.g., described above) can result in a loss of light from the light source, thereby reducing the utilization efficiency of the light source. In addition, a separate surface structure can need to be designed on the reflector to produce the III-zone beam (i.e., the portion of the low beam that is primarily above the bright / dark boundary), which can be necessary for the low beam, and which can occupy a portion of the physical space of the reflector. Such a separate surface structure can complicate the reflector and can degrade the optical performance of the reflector for the low beam outside of the III-zone. Therefore, there is a need for an improved lighting device for a vehicle headlamp that can both avoid glare and produce a III-zone beam of the low beam, which can not require a separate surface structure on the reflector, and which can not require shutters that can avoid glare.

[0025] Figure 1 is a diagram of a lighting module 100 for a vehicle headlamp when operating in a low beam mode. The lighting module 100 includes a first light source 101, a first optical device 102, and a second optical device 103 spaced apart from the first optical device 102. The first light source 101 can be any suitable light source, such as an LED, without limitation. As shown in FIG. 1, light emitted by the first light source 101 can be considered to be divided into two portions, such as a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of light emitted from the first light source 101 can be incident on the first optical device 102, which can then redirect the light incident thereon to infinity, such as toward a road in front of the vehicle, to form a main portion of the low beam. The second portion of light emitted from the first light source 101 can be incident on the second optical device 103, which can then redirect the light incident thereon to infinity, such as toward the road in front of the vehicle, to form a III-zone beam of the low beam. The main portion of the low beam and the III-zone beam of the low beam can together constitute the final low beam projected onto the road in front of the vehicle.

[0026] The term "III-zone beam" as used herein is a commonly used term in the art that refers to a wide beam of light that is essential to the low beam according to the UN ECE R112 Low Beam Regulation. For example, when a vehicle is driving on a road at night without streetlights that are in a low beam mode, the driver of the vehicle can have difficulty seeing obstacles, such as a tree branch or a sign on the road in front of the vehicle, which can make them prone to a traffic accident if there is no III-zone beam of the low beam. With the III-zone beam of the low beam, the obstacles on the road can be illuminated, thereby avoiding potential hazards.

[0027] The first light source can be any suitable light source, including but not limited to a light emitting diode (LED). The term "redirect" as used herein includes, but is not limited to, reflecting, refracting, deflecting, transmitting, depending on the specific type of the first and second optical devices.

[0028] It should be noted that there is no specific limitation on the material of the second optical device, as long as the second optical device is designed such that the second portion of light redirected by the second optical device is capable of producing the III-zone beam of the low beam in front of the vehicle.

[0029] Figure 5a is a simulation plot for the III-zone beam pattern only. Figure 5b is a simulation plot including the III-zone beam pattern and the main portion of the low beam generated by the lighting module 100. Figure 5c is a simulation plot of the low beam pattern without the III-zone beam. As shown in Fig. 5b, the low beam pattern includes a bright / dark cutoff line (L), the III-zone beam pattern is a wide beam pattern mainly above the bright / dark cutoff line (L), and the main portion of the low beam is mainly below the bright / dark cutoff line (L). Compared to the low beam pattern without the III-zone beam shown in Figure 5c Compared to the low beam pattern without the III-zone beam shown in Figure 5b The low beam pattern shown in

[0030] Referring again to Figure 1 , the lighting module 100 can further include a substrate 104. The first light source 101, the first optical device 102, and the second optical device 103 can be attached to the same surface of the substrate 104, and the first light source 101 can be between the first optical device 102 and the second optical device 103. In some embodiments, the second optical device 103 can be screwed or glued to the substrate 104. In some embodiments, the substrate 104 can be a printed circuit board for powering the first light source 101. In this way, the substrate can provide support for the first light source, the first optical device, and the second optical device, and power the first light source, which can enable a compact system.

[0031] With the lighting module 100 for a vehicle headlamp, the second optical device 103 can replace a conventional shutter (such as a black shield) for eliminating glare, and thus can reuse the light that would otherwise be blocked by the shutter to produce the III-zone beam of the low beam. In this way, glare can be eliminated, and the utilization efficiency of the first light source 101 can be improved with the second optical device 103. Furthermore, compared to a conventional lighting module including a separate surface structure for producing the III-zone beam, the lighting module 100 described herein can improve low beam performance and simplify the system.

[0032] Figures 2-4is a variant of the lighting module 100 as shown in Figure 1 wherein the same reference signs are used to indicate the same components as in the lighting module 100 of Figure 1 . The lighting module as generally shown in Figures 2-4 also comprises a first light source 101, a first optical device 102, a second optical device 103 and a substrate 104. The lighting module will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2-4 .

[0033] Figure 2 is a diagram of a lighting module 200 for a vehicle headlight when operated in a low beam mode. In the lighting module 200 as shown in Figure 2 , the first optical device 102 is a reflector and the second optical device 103 is a lens.

[0034] In some embodiments, the first optical device 102 can be a parabolic reflector having a curved reflective surface and having a first focal point Fl. A parabolic reflector can be understood as a reflector whose reflective surface is formed by a rotation of a parabola. The first optical device 102 can receive and reflect a first portion of light from the first light source 101 to produce a main portion of a low beam in front of the vehicle. The parabolic reflector can have an optical property such that when a light source (e.g. a point light source) is disposed at its focal point, a majority of light emitted by the light source can exit parallel to the main axis of the reflector towards infinity after being reflected by the reflector. Alternatively or additionally, the parabolic reflector can have an optical property such that when light emitted by the light source that is parallel to the main axis of the reflector is projected onto the reflective surface of the reflector, a majority of the light can be focused at its focal point after being reflected by the reflector. It should be noted that the parabolic reflector is only a specific example of the first optical device 102 and the embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the specific form of the first optical device 102 as long as it is capable of producing a main portion of a low beam in front of the vehicle.

[0035] In some embodiments, the second optical device 103 can be a lens having a second focal point F2, which can coincide with the first focal point Fl of the first optical device 102. The second optical device 103 can receive and refract a second portion of light from the first light source 101 to produce a IIIrd zone beam of the low beam in front of the vehicle. The second optical device 103 can have similar properties as the first optical device 102 described above. For example, a light ray that is parallel to the optical axis of the second optical device 103 can be concentrated at the second focal point F2 of the second optical device 103 after being refracted by the second optical device 103. For another example, a light ray emitted from the second focal point F2 of the second optical device 103 can exit in a direction that is parallel to the optical axis of the second optical device 103 after being refracted by the second optical device 103.

[0036] The first light source 101 can coincide with the first focal point F1 of the first optical device 102 and the second focal point F2 of the second optical device 103. With this arrangement, a first portion of the light from the first light source 101 can become substantially parallel rays after being reflected by the first optical device 102, and a second portion of the light from the first light source 101 can also become substantially parallel rays after being refracted by the second optical device 103. Parallel rays have a small divergence angle, which facilitates the projection of light redirected by the first and second optical devices to infinity, such as onto a road in front of a vehicle, to form a near beam.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a diagram of the lighting module 300 used for vehicle headlights when operating in low beam mode. Figure 3 In the illustrated lighting module 300, the first optical element 102 is a reflector, and the second optical element 103 is a light guide. Similar to... Figure 2 The lighting module 200 shown, Figure 3 The first optical device 102 can be a reflector with a first focal point F1, and the first light source 101 can be positioned at the first focal point F1 of the first optical device 102.

[0038] In an embodiment, the second optical device 103 may be a light guide having a light incident surface and a light exit surface. A second portion of light from the first light source 101 can enter the light guide via its light incident surface, then be deflected (e.g., by total internal reflection) along its length within the light guide, and finally exit the light guide via its light exit surface to generate a near-beam, region III beam, in front of the vehicle. The distance D between the first light source 101 and the light incident surface of the light guide can be designed such that most of the second portion of light from the first light source 101 can enter the light guide via its light incident surface. For example, the distance D between the first light source 101 and the light incident surface of the light guide can be in the range of 0 mm to 3 mm, thereby achieving higher utilization efficiency of the light from the first light source 101.

[0039] Figure 4 This is a diagram of another example of an illumination module used to generate a near beam that includes a Zone III beam. Figure 4 In the example shown, additional components (e.g., fourth optical element 105) are further included. Figure 4 In the illumination module 400, a fourth optical element 105 can be positioned optically downstream of the first optical element 102 and the second optical element 103. In the example shown, the fourth optical element 105 is a projection lens having a focal plane P3 and a third focal point F3 thereon, with the focal plane P3 between the second optical element 103 and the fourth optical element 105. (Refer to below...) Figure 4 A detailed description of the example operating principle of the lighting module 400.

[0040] The first optical device 102 can receive the first portion of light from the first light source 101 and redirect it towards a first area SI (shown as a dashed ellipse) on the focal plane P3. The second optical device 103 can receive the second portion of light from the first light source 101 and redirect it towards a second area S2 (shown as a dashed ellipse) below the first area SI on the focal plane P3. In this way, the first and second portions of light originally from the first light source 101 can be incident on two different portions of the third optical device 106, such as an upper portion of the third optical device 106 corresponding to the first portion of light and a lower portion of the third optical device 106 corresponding to the second portion of light. With further redirection by the third optical device 106, the first portion of light originally from the first light source 101 can be projected below the light / dark cutoff line (L) to form a main portion of the low beam, and the second portion of light originally from the first light source 101 can be projected above the light / dark cutoff line (L) to form a III zone light beam of the low beam.

[0041] In some embodiments, the first optical device 102 can be a reflector having a first focal point Fl, and the first light source 101 can be arranged at the first focal point Fl of the reflector. The second optical device 103 can be any suitable optical device, such as a lens or a light guide. With the fourth optical device 105, the illumination module 400 can provide more design freedom.

[0042] The above-described embodiments are described with respect to operation in a low beam mode. However, in some embodiments, the illumination module can also be used in a high beam mode, which is described in more detail below with reference to Figure 6 -8 Figure 6 and 7 In the illumination module shown in Figs. 1-3, the first light source 101 and the first optical device 102 have been omitted, but this is not intended to limit the embodiments described herein.

[0043] Figure 6is a schematic view of the lighting module 500, which further comprises a third optical device 106 and a second light source 107. The second light source 107 can be used to generate a high beam, and can be different from or the same as the first light source 101. For example, when the vehicle comprising the lighting module 500 is driving in a high beam mode, the second light source 107 can be turned on and the first light source 101 can be turned off. The third optical device 106 can receive a third portion of light from the second light source 107, and redirect it towards infinity to form a main portion of the high beam in front of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the second optical device 103 can receive a fourth portion of light from the second light source 107, and redirect it towards infinity to generate a convergent beam of the high beam in front of the vehicle. The main portion of the high beam and the convergent beam of the high beam can together constitute a final high beam projected onto the road in front of the vehicle.

[0044] In some embodiments, the first light source and the second light source can be separate light sources, and in some embodiments can be two sub-sources of one light source. Wherein the first light source and the second light source can be the same or different, which is not limited herein.

[0045] The first optical device and the third optical device can be designed such that they do not interfere with each other optically. That is, the light emitted from the first light source in the low beam mode can only irradiate onto the first optical device, without irradiating onto the third optical device, and the light emitted from the second light source in the high beam mode can only irradiate onto the third optical device, without irradiating onto the first optical device. In some embodiments, there can be a shield between the first optical device and the third optical device to further avoid potential optical crosstalk.

[0046] Figure 8a and Figure 8b are simulation diagrams for the convergent beam and the final high beam comprising the main portion and the convergent beam of the high beam, respectively. It should be noted that the relative positional relationship of the convergent beam and the main portion of the high beam as shown is only an example, and should not be considered as a limitation to the embodiments described herein. For example, the convergent beam can be close to the edge of the main portion of the high beam. Figure 8b

[0047] Referring again to Figure 6 , the third optical device 106 can be a reflector with a fourth focal point F4, which can be similar to the first optical device 102 as shown in Figure 2 . The second optical device 103 can be the same as the second optical device shown in Figure 2 . In this case, the second light source 107 can coincide with the fourth focal point F4 of the third optical device 106 and the second focal point F2 of the second optical device 103. Alternatively, the second optical device 103 can also be as shown in Figure 3 ​the light guide shown. Specific details can be found in reference to the Figure 2 and Figure 3 The embodiments described are not exhaustive for the sake of brevity.

[0048] As can be seen, the second optical device 103 can also be used in the high beam mode to produce a concentrated beam, thereby improving the luminous intensity or the illumination range of the high beam projected onto the road in front of the vehicle and optimizing the values of some test points for the high beam.

[0049] Figure 7 is an alternative diagram of a lighting module for producing a high beam including a concentrated beam. As shown, the fourth optical device 105, as described above, can also be used in the lighting module 600. For example, when the lighting module 600 is operating in the high beam mode, the third optical device 106 can receive and redirect a third portion of light from the second light source 107 to a third region S3 (shown in dashed oval) on the focal plane P3, and at the same time the second optical device 103 can receive and redirect a fourth portion of light from the second light source 107 to a fourth region S4 (shown in dashed oval) below the third region S3 on the focal plane F3. The fourth optical device 105 can receive light from the third region S3 and light from the fourth region S4 on the focal plane P3 and then redirect them towards infinity (such as towards the road in front of the vehicle) to produce, respectively, a main portion of the high beam and the concentrated beam of the high beam.

[0050] As shown, the low beam system including the first light source 101 and the first optical device 102 and the high beam system including the second light source 107 and the third optical device 106 can share the second optical device 103 (and optionally, the fourth optical device 105) to produce a low beam or a high beam as needed.

[0051] Figure 9 is a diagram of an example vehicle headlamp system 900 that can incorporate one or more of the embodiments and examples described herein. Figure 9 The example vehicle headlamp system 900 shown includes a power line 902, a data bus 904, an input filter and protection module 906, a bus transceiver 908, a sensor module 910, an LED direct current to direct current (DC / DC) module 912, a logic low drop out (LDO) module 914, a microcontroller 916, and an active headlamp 918.

[0052] The power line 902 can have an input to receive power from the vehicle, and the data bus 904 can have an input / output over which data can be exchanged between the vehicle and the vehicle headlamp system 900. For example, the vehicle headlamp system 900 can receive instructions from other locations in the vehicle, such as instructions to turn on a turn signal or turn on the headlamps, and can send feedback to other locations in the vehicle if desired. The sensor module 910 can be communicatively coupled to the data bus 904 and can provide additional data to the vehicle headlamp system 900 or other locations in the vehicle related to, for example, environmental conditions (e.g., time of day, rain, fog, or ambient light levels), vehicle status (e.g., parked, in motion, speed of motion, or direction of motion), and presence / location of other objects (e.g., vehicles or pedestrians). A headlamp controller can also be included in the vehicle headlamp system 900, separate from any vehicle controllers that are communicatively coupled to the vehicle data bus. In Figure 9 The headlamp controller can be a microcontroller, such as microcontroller (µc) 916. The microcontroller 916 can be communicatively coupled to the data bus 904.

[0053] The input filter and protection module 906 can be electrically coupled to the power line 902 and can, for example, support various filters to reduce conducted emissions and provide power immunity. In addition, the input filter and protection module 906 can provide electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection, load- dump protection, alternating field decay protection, and / or reverse polarity protection.

[0054] The LED DC / DC module 912 can be coupled between the input filter and protection module 906 and the active headlamp 918 to receive filtered power and provide drive current to power the LEDs in the LED array in the active headlamp 918. The LED DC / DC module 912 can have an input voltage between 7 and 18 volts (nominal voltage of about 13.2 volts), and the output voltage can be slightly higher (e.g., 0.3 volts higher) than the maximum voltage of the LED array (as determined by factors or local calibration and operating condition adjustments caused by load, temperature, or other factors).

[0055] The logic LDO module 914 can be coupled to the input filter and protection module 906 to receive filtered power. The logic LDO module 914 can also be coupled to the microcontroller 916 and the active headlamp 918 to provide power to electronics in the microcontroller 916 and / or the active headlamp 918, such as CMOS logic.

[0056] The bus transceiver 908 can for example have a universal asynchronous transceiver (UART) or serial peripheral interface (SPI) interface and can be coupled to the microcontroller 916. The microcontroller 916 can convert vehicle inputs based on or including data from the sensor module 910. The converted vehicle inputs can include a video signal that can be delivered to an image buffer in the active headlamp 918. Additionally, the microcontroller 916 can load a default image frame during start-up and test for open / shorted pixels. In embodiments, the SPI interface can load the image buffer in CMOS. The image frame can be a full frame, a differential frame, or a partial frame. Other features of the microcontroller 916 can include a control interface monitor of CMOS status including die temperature and logic LDO output. In embodiments, the LED DC / DC output can be dynamically controlled to minimize headspace. In addition to providing image frame data, other headlamp functions can be controlled such as complementary use in conjunction with side markers or turn signals, and / or activation of daytime running lights.

[0057] Figure 10 is a diagram of another example vehicle headlamp system 1000. Figure 10 The example vehicle headlamp system 1000 shown in

[0058] The LED lighting system 1008 can emit a light beam 1014 (shown in Figure 10 between arrows 1014a and 1014b). The LED lighting system 1006 can emit a light beam 1016 (shown in Figure 10 between arrows 1016a and 1016b). In Figure 10 the embodiment shown, the auxiliary optic 1010 is adjacent to the LED lighting system 1008, and light emitted from the LED lighting system 1008 passes through the auxiliary optic 1010. Similarly, the auxiliary optic 1012 is adjacent to the LED lighting system 1006, and light emitted from the LED lighting system 1006 passes through the auxiliary optic 1012. In alternative embodiments, no auxiliary optic 1010 / 1012 is provided in the vehicle headlamp system.

[0059] In the case of including auxiliary optics 1010 / 1012, the auxiliary optics 1010 / 1012 may be or include one or more light guides. The one or more light guides may be edge-illuminated or may have internal openings defining inner edges of the light guides. LED lighting systems 1008 and 1006 may be inserted into the internal openings of one or more light guides, such that they inject light into the inner edges (internal opening light guides) or outer edges (edge-illuminated light guides) of the one or more light guides. In embodiments, the one or more light guides may shape the light emitted by LED lighting systems 1008 and 1006 in a desired manner, for example, to give the light a gradient distribution, chamfered distribution, narrow distribution, wide distribution, or angular distribution.

[0060] Application platform 1002 can provide power and / or data to LED lighting systems 1006 and / or 1008 via line 1004, line 1004 may include Figure 9 One or more of the power line 902 and data bus 904. One or more sensors (which may be sensors in the vehicle headlight system 1000 or other additional sensors) may be inside or outside the housing of the application platform 1002. Alternatively or additionally, as in Figure 9 As shown in the exemplary vehicle headlight system 900, each LED lighting system 1008 and 1006 may include its own sensor module, connectivity and control module, power supply module and / or LED array.

[0061] In an embodiment, the vehicle headlight system 1000 may represent a car with a steerable beam, wherein LEDs can be selectively activated to provide steerable light. For example, an array of LEDs or emitters may be used to define or project a shape or pattern, or to illuminate only selected portions of the road. In an example embodiment, the infrared camera or detector pixels within the LED lighting systems 1006 and 1008 may be sensors (e.g., similar to...). Figure 9 The sensor in the sensor module 910 identifies parts of a scene that requires lighting (e.g., a road or a pedestrian crossing).

[0062] Various embodiments have been described in detail. Those skilled in the art will understand that, given this description, modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the inventive concept. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described.

Claims

1. A lighting module for a vehicle headlight, comprising: A first light source is configured to generate a low beam with a bright / dark cutoff line, the low beam being projected in front of the vehicle; Second light source; A first optical element is configured to receive and redirect a first portion of light from the first light source to produce the main portion of the near beam substantially below the light / dark cutoff line in front of the vehicle. A second optical element, spaced apart from the first optical element and configured to receive and redirect a second portion of light from the first light source to generate a third zone beam of the near beam substantially above the light / dark cutoff line in front of the vehicle; And receive and redirect a fourth portion of light from the second light source to generate a focused beam of light in front of the vehicle; as well as A third optical element is configured to receive and redirect a third portion of light from the second light source to produce the main portion of a high beam in front of the vehicle. The second optical device is selected from a combination of a lens and a light guide.

2. The lighting module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1, wherein: The first optical device includes a reflector having a first focal point, and the first light source is disposed at the first focal point of the reflector.

3. The illumination module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 2, wherein the second optical element is a lens having a second focal point that coincides with the first focal point of the reflector.

4. The lighting module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1, wherein: The second optical device is a light guide having a light incident surface and a light exit surface, and The distance between the first light source and the light incident surface of the light guide is configured such that the second portion of light from the first light source enters the light guide via the light incident surface of the light guide and exits the light guide via the light exit surface of the light guide, so as to generate the third zone beam of the near beam in front of the vehicle.

5. The lighting module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the first light source and the light incident surface of the light guide is in the range of 0 mm to 3 mm.

6. The lighting module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate, wherein the first light source, the first optical device, and the second optical device are attached to the same surface of the substrate such that the first light source is located between the first optical device and the second optical device.

7. The illumination module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 6, wherein the second optical element is screwed or glued to the substrate.

8. The lighting module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 6, wherein the substrate includes a printed circuit board for supplying power to the first light source.

9. The illumination module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth optical element having a focal plane between the second optical element and the fourth optical element, wherein: The first optical device is configured to receive and redirect the first portion of light from the first light source to a first region on the focal plane. The second optical device is configured to receive and redirect the second portion of light from the first light source to a second region on the focal plane, and The fourth optical device is configured to receive and redirect light from the first region on the focal plane to produce the main portion of a near beam in front of the vehicle; And to receive and redirect light from the second region on the focal plane to generate the third region beam of the near beam in front of the vehicle.

10. The illumination module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 9, wherein the fourth optical element comprises a projection lens.

11. The lighting module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1, wherein: The third optical device includes a reflector with a fourth focal point. The second optical device is a lens with a second focal point, which coincides with the fourth focal point of the reflector; and The second light source is positioned at the fourth focal point of the reflector.

12. The illumination module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 11, further comprising a fifth optical element having a focal plane between the second optical element and the fifth optical element, wherein: The third optical device is configured to receive and redirect the third portion of light from the second light source to a third region on the focal plane. The second optical device is configured to receive and redirect the fourth portion of light from the second light source to a fourth region on the focal plane, and The fifth optical device is configured to receive and redirect light from the third region on the focal plane to generate the main portion of the high beam in front of the vehicle; And to receive and redirect light from the fourth region on the focal plane to generate the focused beam of the far beam in front of the vehicle.

13. The illumination module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 12, wherein the fifth optical element comprises a projection lens.

14. The lighting module for a vehicle headlight according to claim 1, wherein, The third zone beam of the near beam is a wide beam, which is essential for the near beam according to the UN ECE R112 near beam specification.

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