Solid state steerable lighting system for vehicle

Abstract

A solid state steerable lighting system for a vehicle includes a first light source configured to generate light having a first wavelength; a first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from the first light source; and a vehicle control module configured to supply a driving voltage to the first light source and the first LCPG device to generate a light beam, where an output orientation angle of the light beam is variable according to the driving voltage applied to the first LCPG device.

Description

[0001] introduction The information provided in this section is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this section, and aspects of this description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing are neither explicitly nor implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to a solid-state steerable lighting system for a vehicle that includes a multi-wavelength system having a plurality of liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) devices.

[0003] Vehicle lighting, such as headlamps or interior lights, typically uses a fixed light source that transmits a light beam in a fixed direction. Some vehicle lighting systems include mechanical components that physically move the light source or optics in order to change the direction of the light beam. Summary of the invention

[0004] A solid-state controllable lighting system for a vehicle comprises: a first light source configured to generate light having a first wavelength; a first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from the first light source; and a vehicle control module configured to supply a driving voltage to the first light source and the first LCPG device to generate a light beam, wherein an output orientation angle of the light beam is variable according to the driving voltage applied to the first LCPG device.

[0005] In other features, the system includes: a second light source configured to generate light having a second wavelength; a third light source configured to generate light having a third wavelength, wherein the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength are different; a second liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from the second light source; a third liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from the third light source; and a beam combiner configured to receive light output from the first LCPG device, light output from the second LCPG device, and light output from the third LCPG device to define a combined light beam, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to supply a driving voltage to the second light source, the third light source, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device to generate the combined light beam.

[0006] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to: obtain a target angle lighting position, determine a driving voltage for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angle lighting position, and supply the determined driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device so that the combined light beam is directed toward the target angle lighting position.

[0007] In other features, the target angle lighting position is a first target angle lighting position, and the vehicle control module is configured to: obtain a second target angle lighting position, determine an updated driving voltage for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device corresponding to the second target angle lighting position, and supply the updated driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam toward the second target angle lighting position.

[0008] In other features, supplying the updated driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam toward a second target angle lighting position includes: changing the angular direction of the combined light beam without mechanically moving the first light source, the second light source and the third light source and without mechanically moving any optical device.

[0009] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to: use at least one front vehicle sensor of the vehicle to identify a target object position, obtain a target angle lighting position based on the target object position, determine a driving voltage for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angle lighting position, and supply the determined driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device so that the combined light beam is directed toward the target object position.

[0010] In other features, the system includes projection optics configured to modify optical properties of the combined light beam, wherein the projection optics includes at least one of a diffuser and a shape silhouette outline.

[0011] In other features, the system includes: a first collimating lens positioned between the first light source and the first LCPG device, a second collimating lens positioned between the second light source and the second LCPG device, and a third collimating lens positioned between the third light source and the third LCPG device.

[0012] In other features, the first wavelength corresponds to a visual red light color, the first wavelength corresponds to a visual blue light color, and the first wavelength corresponds to a visual green light color.

[0013] In other features, the system includes a vehicle headlight, wherein the combined light beam is transmitted as an output of the vehicle headlight.

[0014] In other features, the system includes a vehicle interior light, a vehicle dashboard light, or a vehicle exterior light, wherein the combined light beam is transmitted as an output of the vehicle interior light, the vehicle dashboard light, or the vehicle exterior light.

[0015] In other features, the first LCPG device includes at least two passive polarization grating layers, each passive polarization grating layer configured to modify the angular orientation of received light based on a voltage level applied to the polarization grating layer.

[0016] In other features, the vehicle control module is configured to: obtain a target light color value and a target light illumination value, determine a light source driving voltage corresponding to the target light color value and the target light illumination value, and supply the determined light source driving voltage to the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source to generate the combined light beam having the target light color value and the target light illumination value.

[0017] A method for controlling solid-state steerable lighting for a vehicle, comprising: supplying a light source driving voltage to a first light source for generating light having a first wavelength, a second light source configured to generate light having a second wavelength, and a third light source configured to generate light having a third wavelength, wherein the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength are different, and supplying a first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from the first light source, a second liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from the second light source, and a third liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from the third light source with an LCPG driving voltage, wherein a beam combiner is configured to receive light output from the first LCPG device, light output from the second LCPG device, and light output from the third LCPG device to define a combined light beam.

[0018] In other features, the method includes: obtaining a target angle lighting position, determining driving voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angle lighting position, and supplying the determined driving voltages to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device so that the combined light beam is directed toward the target angle lighting position.

[0019] In other features, the target angle illumination position is a first target angle illumination position, and the method further includes: obtaining a second target angle illumination position, determining an updated driving voltage for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the second target angle illumination position, and supplying the updated driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam toward the second target angle illumination position.

[0020] In other features, supplying the updated driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam toward a second target angle lighting position includes: changing the angular direction of the combined light beam without mechanically moving the first light source, the second light source and the third light source and without mechanically moving any optical device.

[0021] In other features, the method includes: using at least one front vehicle sensor of the vehicle to identify a target object position, obtaining a target angle lighting position based on the target object position, determining a driving voltage for a first LCPG device, a second LCPG device, and a third LCPG device corresponding to the target angle lighting position, and supplying the determined driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device so that the combined light beam is directed toward the target object position.

[0022] In other features, the projection optics are configured to modify an optical property of the combined light beam, wherein the projection optics include at least one of a diffuser and a shape silhouette profile.

[0023] In other features, a first collimating lens is positioned between the first light source and the first LCPG device, a second collimating lens is positioned between the second light source and the second LCPG device, and a third collimating lens is positioned between the third light source and the third LCPG device.

[0024] The present disclosure provides the following examples.

[0025] 1. A solid-state steerable lighting system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a first light source configured to generate light having a first wavelength; a first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a first light source; and A vehicle control module is configured to supply a driving voltage to a first light source and a first LCPG device to generate a light beam, wherein an output directional angle of the light beam is variable according to the driving voltage applied to the first LCPG device.

[0026] 2. The system according to embodiment 1, further comprising: a second light source configured to generate light having a second wavelength; a third light source configured to generate light having a third wavelength, wherein the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength are different; a second liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a second light source; a third liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a third light source; and a beam combiner configured to receive the light output from the first LCPG device, the light output from the second LCPG device, and the light output from the third LCPG device to define a combined light beam, The vehicle control module is configured to supply driving voltage to the second light source, the third light source, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to generate the combined light beam.

[0027] 3. The system of embodiment 2, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: Obtain target angle lighting position; determining driving voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angular illumination position; and The determined driving voltages are supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to direct the combined light beam toward the target angular illumination position.

[0028] 4. The system of embodiment 3, wherein the target angular lighting position is a first target angular lighting position, and the vehicle control module is configured to: obtaining a second target angle lighting position; determining updated drive voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to a second target angular illumination position; and The updated driving voltage is supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam towards a second target angular illumination position.

[0029] 5. A system according to embodiment 4, wherein supplying the updated driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to manipulate the combined light beam toward a second target angle lighting position includes: changing the angular direction of the combined light beam without mechanically moving the first light source, the second light source and the third light source, and without mechanically moving any optical device.

[0030] 6. The system of embodiment 2, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: identifying a target object location using at least one front vehicle sensor of the vehicle; Obtaining a target angle lighting position according to the target object position; determining driving voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angular illumination position; and The determined driving voltages are supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device so that the combined light beam is directed toward the target object position.

[0031] 7. The system of embodiment 2, further comprising projection optics configured to modify optical properties of the combined light beam, wherein the projection optics comprises at least one of a diffuser and a shape silhouette profile.

[0032] 8. The system according to embodiment 2, further comprising: a first collimating lens positioned between the first light source and the first LCPG device; a second collimating lens positioned between the second light source and the second LCPG device; and A third collimating lens is positioned between the third light source and the third LCPG device.

[0033] 9. The system of embodiment 2, wherein: The first wavelength corresponds to the visual red light color; The first wavelength corresponds to a visual blue light color; and The first wavelength corresponds to the visual green light color.

[0034] 10. The system of embodiment 2 further comprising a vehicle headlight, wherein the combined light beam is transmitted as an output of the vehicle headlight.

[0035] 11. The system of embodiment 2, further comprising a vehicle interior light, a vehicle dashboard light, or a vehicle exterior light, wherein the combined light beam is transmitted as an output of the vehicle interior light, the vehicle dashboard light, or the vehicle exterior light.

[0036] 12. The system of embodiment 1, wherein the first LCPG device comprises at least two passive polarization grating layers, each passive polarization grating layer being configured to modify the angular orientation of received light according to a voltage level applied to the polarization grating layer.

[0037] 13. The system of embodiment 2, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: Obtaining a target light color value and a target light illumination value; determining a light source driving voltage corresponding to the target light color value and the target light illumination value; and The determined light source driving voltage is supplied to the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source to generate the combined light beam having the target light color value and the target light illumination value.

[0038] 14. A method of controlling solid-state steerable lighting for a vehicle, the method comprising: supplying a light source driving voltage to a first light source for generating light having a first wavelength, a second light source configured to generate light having a second wavelength, and a third light source configured to generate light having a third wavelength, wherein the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength are different; and supplying a LCPG driving voltage to a first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a first light source, a second liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a second light source, and a third liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a third light source, Wherein the beam combiner is configured to receive the light output from the first LCPG device, the light output from the second LCPG device, and the light output from the third LCPG device to define a combined light beam.

[0039] 15. The method of embodiment 14, further comprising: Obtain target angle lighting position; determining driving voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angular illumination position; and The determined driving voltages are supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to direct the combined light beam toward the target angular illumination position.

[0040] 16. The method of embodiment 15, wherein the target angle lighting position is a first target angle lighting position, and the method further comprises: obtaining a second target angle lighting position; determining updated drive voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to a second target angular illumination position; and The updated driving voltage is supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam towards a second target angular illumination position.

[0041] 17. A method according to embodiment 16, wherein supplying the updated driving voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to manipulate the combined light beam toward a second target angle lighting position includes: changing the angular direction of the combined light beam without mechanically moving the first light source, the second light source and the third light source, and without mechanically moving any optical device.

[0042] 18. The method of embodiment 14, further comprising: identifying a target object location using at least one front vehicle sensor of the vehicle; Obtaining a target angle lighting position according to the target object position; determining driving voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angular illumination position; and The determined driving voltages are supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device so that the combined light beam is directed toward the target object position.

[0043] 19. The method of embodiment 14, wherein the projection optics are configured to modify the optical properties of the combined light beam, wherein the projection optics include at least one of a diffuser and a shape silhouette profile.

[0044] 20. The method of embodiment 14, wherein: A first collimating lens is positioned between the first light source and the first LCPG device; A second collimating lens is positioned between the second light source and the second LCPG device; and The third collimating lens is positioned between the third light source and the third LCPG device.

[0045] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The present disclosure will become more fully understood from this detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagram of an example vehicle including a solid state steerable lighting system.

[0047] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example solid-state steerable lighting system including a plurality of liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) devices.

[0048] Figure 3is a block diagram illustrating a solid-state steerable lighting system in which different voltages are applied to the LCPG device to change the angle of the combined light beam.

[0049] Figure 4 is a block diagram of another example embodiment of a solid-state steerable illumination system without illustrating projection optics.

[0050] Figure 5 is a flow chart depicting an example process for controlling a solid-state steerable lighting system for a vehicle.

[0051] In the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Some example embodiments described herein include solid-state based steering lighting systems that can be used for adaptive vehicle lighting systems, such as headlights, signaling, interior / exterior decorative lighting, etc. Other example applications include scenarios where lighting can be adapted to sensory input that allows steering of the lighting beam to a selected area (e.g., a target object identified by a front vehicle object sensor). Depending on the application and the desired light intensity, a variety of bandwidths of light can be used (which can be narrow bandwidth and either visible or near infrared). Discrete steering mechanisms include liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) systems that allow discrete steering of the light beam via voltage control.

[0053] In some example embodiments, adaptable lighting allows for pattern projection on the road surface for driver or pedestrian guidance, such as illuminating crosswalks, signaling, assistance, and navigation. Any suitable light source may be used, including light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VC SELs), SLEDs, etc.

[0054] Based on the orientation of the layers of the LCPG device, the LCPG device can be used to steer a light beam in a vertical direction, a horizontal direction, or other desired direction (e.g., where multiple LCPG units are scanned in the horizontal and vertical directions). Due to the solid-state design, the LCPG device can allow for lower temperature operation and sensitivity, longer mean time between failures (MTBF), and can reduce or eliminate sensitivity to vibrations for the steering mechanism (e.g., compared to a mechanical system that mechanically moves a light source or optical device).

[0055] Reference now Figure 1 , the vehicle 10 includes front wheels 12 and rear wheels 13. Figure 1, the drive unit 14 selectively outputs torque to the front wheels 12 and / or the rear wheels 13 via drive lines 16, 18, respectively. The vehicle 10 may include different types of drive units. For example, the vehicle may be an electric vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, a vehicle including an internal combustion engine (ICE), or other types of vehicles.

[0056] Some examples of drive unit 14 may include any suitable electric motor, a power inverter, and a motor controller configured to control a power switch within the power inverter to adjust motor speed and torque during propulsion and / or regeneration. The battery system provides power to or receives power from the electric motor of drive unit 14 via the power inverter during propulsion or regeneration.

[0057] Although in Figure 1 The vehicle 10 includes one drive unit 14, but the vehicle 10 may have other configurations. For example, two separate drive units may drive the front wheels 12 and the rear wheels 13, one or more individual drive units may drive individual wheels, etc. As can be appreciated, other vehicle configurations and / or drive units may be used.

[0058] The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to control the operation of one or more vehicle components such as the drive unit 14 (e.g., by commanding the torque setting of the electric motor of the drive unit 14). The vehicle control module 20 may receive inputs for controlling vehicle components, such as signals received from a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal, a vehicle camera, a braking system, etc. The vehicle control module 20 may monitor the vehicle's telematics, such as vehicle speed, vehicle position, vehicle braking and acceleration, etc., for safety purposes.

[0059] The vehicle control module 20 may receive signals from any suitable components for monitoring one or more aspects of the vehicle, including one or more vehicle sensors (such as cameras, microphones, pressure sensors, wheel position sensors, brake sensors, position sensors such as global positioning system (GPS) antennas, etc.) Some sensors may be configured to monitor the current motion of the vehicle, the acceleration of the vehicle, the braking of the vehicle, steering torque, etc.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 10 includes a front vehicle sensor 26 that is configured to detect objects in front of the vehicle 10. For example, the front vehicle sensor 26 may include one or more cameras, lasers, lidar systems, etc., which are configured to detect or identify objects in front of the vehicle, such as other target vehicles (e.g., the closest vehicle in the path).

[0061] In some example embodiments, the front vehicle sensors 26 may be used for autonomous driving control (e.g., autonomous driving control of automatic steering, braking, acceleration, etc.) to follow the closest (CIP) target vehicle in the path. In various implementations, the vehicle 10 may include an optional rear vehicle camera, an optional side vehicle camera, etc. The vehicle control module 20 may be configured to control the movement of the vehicle 10 based on the tracked movement of the CIP vehicle, such as by increasing or decreasing the automatic acceleration of the vehicle 10 to keep up with the CIP vehicle, automatically applying the brakes of the vehicle 10 when the CIP vehicle slows down, maneuvering the vehicle 10 to follow the travel path of the CIP vehicle, etc.

[0062] The vehicle includes solid-state steerable lighting 28. The solid-state steerable lighting 28 may include, for example, one or more headlights or taillights of the vehicle 10, an interior light of the vehicle 10, a dashboard light of the vehicle 10, another light on the exterior of the vehicle, or the like.

[0063] As further explained below, the solid-state steerable lighting lamp 28 may include multiple light sources of different wavelengths, and multiple liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) devices that can change the angular direction of light according to the voltage applied to the LCPG devices. The vehicle control module 20 can be configured to selectively supply a drive voltage to the LCPG devices of the solid-state steerable lighting lamp 28 to steer the angular direction of light output from the solid-state steerable lighting lamp 28.

[0064] For example, the vehicle control module 20 may be configured to angle the light output of the solid-state steerable lamp 28 in the direction that the vehicle 10 is currently turning. In some example embodiments, the vehicle control module 20 may use the front vehicle sensor 26 to identify a target object in front of the vehicle 10 and control the solid-state steerable lamp 28 via a voltage applied to the LCPG device so that the angular direction of the light output from the solid-state steerable lamp 28 is directed toward the location of the target object.

[0065] Because the solid state steerable lighting lamp 28 controls the angular direction of light output based on the voltage applied to the LCPG device, light can be steered without any mechanical movement of the light source and without mechanical movement of any optics.

[0066] The vehicle control module 20 can communicate with another device (such as another vehicle in an automated vehicle driving row) via a wireless communication interface, which may include one or more wireless antennas for transmitting and / or receiving wireless communication signals. For example, the wireless communication interface can communicate via any suitable wireless communication protocol, including but not limited to vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, Wi-Fi communication, wireless local area network (WAN) communication, cellular communication, personal area network (PAN) communication, short-range wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth), etc. The wireless communication interface can communicate with a remote computing device via one or more wireless and / or wired networks. With respect to vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, the vehicle 10 may include one or more V2X transceivers (e.g., V2X signal transmission and / or reception antennas).

[0067] The vehicle 10 also includes a user interface. The user interface may include any suitable display (such as on a dashboard, console, or elsewhere), a touch screen or other input device, speakers for generating audio, and the like.

[0068] In some examples, adaptive front lighting can control the shape and position of the beam projected outward into the environment, and can provide one or more of the following benefits. A solid-state lighting manipulation system can increase safety by reducing or preventing direct illumination of the driver's eyes in oncoming traffic. For example, the position of an oncoming driver can be detected by a viewing or sensing camera already mounted on the vehicle. By identifying the general location of the driver within the detected boundary area of ​​the vehicle, the coordinate information can be translated to the lighting system to avoid illuminating those areas. This can be achieved by avoiding manipulating the lighting beam to the identified driver area or changing the shape of the lighting beam.

[0069] In some examples, the lighting beam can be steered toward the road surface in the shape of an arrow (or other suitable indicator) to inform the driver where to turn and in what direction to turn. Illuminating potentially hazardous objects located on the shoulder of the road can provide increased shoulder safety, such as by steering the lighting beam toward objects detected in the shoulder of the road, such as parked cars, animals, or debris.

[0070] Depending on the direction of the vehicle relative to the road surface, the example system can provide more efficient lighting by illuminating portions of the road more to one side or the other. For example, when the vehicle is approaching a curve in the road to the left or right, the lighting can be steered to the direction of the curve before turning.

[0071] Some example embodiments may provide load compensation by automatically leveling the lighting beam relative to the road surface by steering the lighting beam to the road, which may occur independently of the vehicle's weight load (e.g., trailering). This technology may be applied to high beam or low beam lighting. Additional applications may use this architecture for signal lighting, interior lighting or outdoor nighttime lighting, adaptable street lighting, parking lot lighting (e.g., to guide individuals to their vehicles), exterior building, etc.

[0072] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example solid-state steerable lighting system 100 including a plurality of liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) devices. Figure 2 As shown, solid state steerable lighting system 100 includes a red light source 102 , a green light source 104 , and a blue light source 106 .

[0073] although Figure 2 , but other embodiments may have more or fewer light sources, light sources with other wavelengths, etc. Each light source may be configured to generate light with a specified polarization, such as right-hand circular polarization (RCP) or left-hand circular polarization (LCP).

[0074] A collimating lens 108 is positioned at the output of each light source to focus the light in a specific direction. Figure 2 As shown, collimating lens 108 directs light from each source to beam combiner 116. Beam combiner 116, which may include any suitable arrangement of mirrors, reflective surfaces, coatings, transmissive surfaces, etc., combines the light received from each source.

[0075] exist Figure 2 In the example of , light from each light source arrives at the beam combiner 116 from a different direction, and the beam combiner 116 is configured to generate a combined light beam, wherein the blue light beam 120, the red light beam 122, and the green light beam 124 are combined to form the output of the solid-state controllable lighting system 100 (e.g., when the blue light beam 120, the red light beam 122, and the green light beam 124 are combined, the output can be white light).

[0076] A first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device 110 is positioned between the red light source 102 and the beam combiner 116 , a second LCPG device 112 is positioned between the green light source 104 and the beam combiner, and a third LCPG device 114 is positioned between the blue light source 106 and the beam combiner 116 .

[0077] Each LCPG device is configured to selectively change the angular orientation of light passing through the LCPG device based on the voltage supplied to the LCPG device. For example, each LCPG device may include one or more layers of, for example, a nematic liquid crystal (LC) film having a continuous periodic pattern that can be classified as a polarization grating (PG). Other example materials for the layers of the LC device may be polymerizable liquid crystals, referred to as reactive mesogens. In some implementations, the PG device may be created by a linear light polymerizable polymer (LLP) material.

[0078] The structure of the layers of the LCPG device may include a position-dependent in-plane uniaxial birefringence (e.g., n(x)=[sin(π*x / λ); cos(π*x / λ); 0]), where λ is the grating period. Each LCPG device can be configured to efficiently diffract circularly polarized light in different angular directions based on the polarization handedness of the input light and the voltage applied to the LCPG device.

[0079] Light sources with relatively narrow spectral bandwidths can generate a wide variety of colors when combined. For example, red, green, and blue light can be combined to generate many colors typically detected by human perception, such as the RGB range in the CIE xy diagram. Common sources for RGB colors can be found in light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, SLEDs (super luminescent diodes), or VCSELs (vertical cavity surface emitting lasers).

[0080] The narrow spectral bandwidth can be used to steer the beam projection angle when combined with a LCPG device designed for a specific peak wavelength source. Combining multiple steerable light sources via a beam combiner can generate an illumination beam with a combined light intensity and color of three beams (or more or less number of beams) to generate a desired color.

[0081] Since LCPG devices manipulate light beams by a combination of polarization orientation and wavelength, each light source can be polarized, or have a polarizer added to the light path between the light source and the initial LCPG element to generate an initial linear polarization state.

[0082] LCPG elements can be constructed using multiple stages, where each stage has two steering angles. By combining multiple N stages, the overall steering range of the LCPG device is increased by 2 N Some example embodiments may use three stages, although other embodiments may use more or fewer stages.

[0083] A given design can be made from any of the suggested light sources or combinations thereof, such as three laser diodes of red, green and blue, or a green LED, a red laser and a blue VCSEL. The choice can be application dependent, subject to cost or performance constraints, and so on.

[0084] For each light source, a collimating lens may be used to collect the divergent light from the light source and form a predominantly collimated beam. Where light sources are generated and the separate beams are combined via a beam combiner element, the output beam may be transmitted through an optional diffuser element that is used to homogenize the beam (e.g., angularly or spatially).

[0085] The beam combiner may be an optical element formed by an optical prism. The prism has a transmissive / reflective coating applied to the optical interface so that the optical performance in terms of reflection, transmission, and sensitivity to the angle of incidence at the coated surface is matched to the dominant wavelength of light. The geometry of the prism may facilitate that the overall optical path of each wavelength of light is equivalent and uniform to avoid introducing additional optical aberrations in the transmitted beam.

[0086] The beam can then pass through a beam limiting aperture, which can be fixed in shape, or through a spatial light modulator (e.g., reflective or transmissive) that can dynamically clip the beam edges to any desired shape (such as an arrow, rectangle, etc.). After the aperture plane, a projection lens can be used to project the illumination shape generated in the aperture plane outward into the environment viewed by the driver. Each LCPG unit and light source can be designed and manufactured to generate the desired diffractive beam steering angle, with calibration used to fine-tune the voltage value of the liquid crystal to optimize the polarization of the light to match the grating efficiency maximum.

[0087] For example, a drive voltage control module 126 (which may be part of the vehicle control module 20) is configured to supply drive voltages to the first LCPG device 110, the second LCPG device 112, and the third LCPG device 114. The drive voltages may be selected based on the desired steering angle of the light beam from each light source.

[0088] like Figure 2 As shown, the driving voltage control module 126 is supplying a driving voltage to each LCPG device to produce a combined light beam output at a first angle (eg, zero degrees). Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a solid state steerable lighting system 100 in which different voltages are applied to the LCPG device to change the angle of the combined light beam.

[0089] For example, in Figure 3In the process, the driving voltage control module 126 is supplying the same voltage as that of the LCPG device. Figure 2 Compared with different driving voltages, this makes the light coming out of each LCPG device have different Figure 2 The resulting combined beam output from the beam combiner 116 then has a different angle than Figure 2 Compare different lighting angles.

[0090] The desired illumination angle may be determined by the drive voltage control module 126 based on, for example, the steering angle of the vehicle 10, a target object to be illuminated as detected by the front vehicle sensor 26, etc. The drive voltage control module 126 may determine the drive voltage applied to the LCPG device based on, for example, a lookup table, a stored mapping of drive voltage to illumination angle, a function that relates drive voltage to illumination angle, etc.

[0091] Each LCPG device can be configured to change the angle of the output light at different intervals, which can be based on the number of layers of the LCPG device. For example, each LCPG device can be configured to change the angle of the light by plus or minus 1 degree, plus or minus 5 degrees, plus or minus 15 degrees, etc., and multiple layers can be combined to create a larger steering angle. In addition, some layers can be arranged with a horizontal grating orientation, and other layers can be arranged with a vertical grating orientation to allow light to be manipulated in both vertical and horizontal directions.

[0092] The driving voltage control module 126 can be configured to provide driving signals to the red light source 102, the green light source 104, and the blue light source 106. The driving voltage control module 126 can adjust the level of the driving signal to control the intensity of the combined output beam, adjust the color of the combined output beam, etc.

[0093] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, projection optics 118 may be positioned at the output of beam combiner 116. Projection optics 118 may include any suitable optical element or device for modifying the optical properties of the combined output light beam.

[0094] For example, the projection optics 118 may include a diffuser configured to mix the light from each light source. The projection optics 118 may include a shape silhouette outline generator configured to selectively apply different silhouette outlines to the combined light beam (e.g., by forming a turn arrow shape that will be projected on the road to let the driver know where to turn).

[0095] The LCPG unit can be connected to a computer driven voltage driver that deflects the beam to a desired angle based on a drive voltage sent to the LCPG device. The input to the voltage driver (e.g., desired angular position) can be derived from a vehicle's perception or viewing based camera system that can provide real-time feedback to the LCPG system to adapt the scene lighting at a frame-to-frame rate.

[0096] Each of the synchronized LCPG units can be calibrated to steer to the same angle at any given time. The basic steering angle of any given LCPG unit is a function of the diffraction angle of the diffraction grating. This in turn is a function of the wavelength of the light. Therefore, each LCPG unit of a particular wavelength can have a specific grating spacing that will allow the LCPG unit to be steered to a specific angle according to the following grating equation: d*sin(θ)=n*λ, where d is the grating spacing, θ is the diffraction angle, n is the grating order (e.g., 1 or -1 in some cases), and λ is the wavelength of the light.

[0097] Each light source can have an independent "driver", such as a voltage-controlled current source that controls the intensity of the light source. By modulating the current source, the light intensity can be adjusted, which creates different perceived colors and intensities.

[0098] Additional LCPG stacked units can be added to extend the range of horizontal steering, or to create both vertical and horizontal steering directions (e.g., where one LCPG unit is stacked with an orthogonal LCPG unit). Any suitable number of LCPG units can be stacked, although some applications may limit the total number of LCPG levels based on overall light transmission efficiency, cost, and size.

[0099] The steering angle of each individual single LCPG unit is determined by the grating spacing value (d), which is set during the design / manufacturing stage. Assuming the same grating spacing is used, additional scanning angles can be generated by adding more LCPG levels to the initial unitary stack of LCPGs in multiples of 2. Alternative designs with different grating spacings can be used, but this may provide performance with uneven steering and manufacturing complexity.

[0100] Figure 4 is a block diagram of another example embodiment of a solid state steerable lighting system 200. Figure 4 Projection optics are not shown in the figure, although they may optionally be used in various implementations. The solid-state steerable illumination system 200 is similar to Figure 2 and 3 The solid state steerable lighting system 100 is similar to that of FIG. 1 , but with a different arrangement of beam combining elements.

[0101] like Figure 4 As shown, the first wavelength light source 202 is configured to irradiate light onto a first beam combiner element 217 (which may be a reflector, etc.) through a collimating lens 208 and a first LCPG device 210. The second wavelength light source 204 is configured to irradiate light onto a second beam combiner element 218 through a collimating lens 208 and a second LCPG device 212.

[0102] The third wavelength light source 206 is configured to irradiate light onto a third beam combiner element 219 through a collimating lens 208 and a third LCPG device 210. These beam combiner elements are arranged in a row at corresponding angles to generate a combined output beam, wherein the first wavelength beam 224, the second wavelength beam 222, and the third wavelength beam 220 are combined to form the output of the solid-state steerable lighting system 200.

[0103] Figure 4 The light sources include light sources of different wavelengths, which may be red, blue and green light wavelengths, or any other suitable wavelength values. The driving voltage control module may be configured to supply driving voltages to the first LCPG device 210, the second LCPG device 212 and the third LCPG device 214 to manipulate the angle of the combined output light beam.

[0104] For example, three beams from three light sources can be combined by individual optical components, such as made of mirrors or preferential reflectors. Two transmissive and reflective beam combiners can preferentially transmit at least one wavelength of light while reflecting another wavelength. The outputs can be coaxial and Figure 4 are shown as non-coaxial for illustration purposes only.

[0105] Figure 5 is a flow chart depicting an example process for controlling a solid-state steerable lighting system for a vehicle. Figure 5 The process illustrated in FIG. 4 can be performed by, for example, Figure 1 The vehicle control module 20 is executed.

[0106] The process begins by determining a desired angular position of the lighting at 504. For example, the vehicle control module may determine the direction the vehicle is currently turning, the vehicle control module may identify a target object in the environment in front of the vehicle to be illuminated, and so on.

[0107] At 508, the vehicle control module is configured to convert the angular position into a drive voltage for each of the LCPG devices. For example, a lookup table, a mapping of drive voltage to light angle, a function of light angle based on drive voltage, etc. can be used to determine what drive voltage should be applied to the LCPG device in order to generate a light beam with a desired output angular direction.

[0108] At 512, the vehicle control module is configured to convert the desired color and intensity into individual light source drive modulation signals. For example, if white light output is desired, the vehicle control module can determine to apply equal drive voltages to each of the red light source, the blue light source, and the green light source. If a specific color is desired, the vehicle control module can be configured to apply a greater voltage to drive the light source with the desired light color relative to light sources of other color wavelengths. If brighter illumination is desired, the vehicle control module can apply a larger drive voltage to each light source.

[0109] At 516, the vehicle control module is configured to generate a lighting output using the LCPG drive voltage and the light source drive modulation signal. For example, the light source drive modulation signal can be supplied to the light source to generate light of a desired color and intensity, while the LCPG drive voltage is supplied to the LCPG device to steer the direction of the light toward a desired angular position. The LCPG drive voltage and the light source drive modulation signal can be supplied by the same or different circuits.

[0110] At 520, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether to enable target object tracking. For example, in some embodiments, the vehicle control module can be configured to steer the lighting toward an identified target object, such as a road sign identified in front of the vehicle by a front vehicle sensor. In other embodiments, the vehicle control module can steer the light beam based on other criteria, such as the direction of the vehicle's turn.

[0111] If the vehicle control module determines at 520 that target object tracking is not enabled, the process returns to 504 to determine the next desired angular position of the lighting. If the vehicle control module determines at 520 that target object tracking is enabled, control proceeds to 524 to determine the position of the target object (such as detected via a front vehicle object sensor).

[0112] At 528, the vehicle control module is configured to determine whether the position of the target object is different from the lighting angle position. If not, control returns to 524 to continue tracking the position of the object relative to the lighting position.

[0113] If the target object position is different from the illumination angular position at 528, control proceeds to 532 to determine an updated illumination angular position based on the target object position. Control then returns to 508 to convert the updated angular position into an updated drive voltage for the LCPG device.

[0114] Some example embodiments may include light sources with relatively narrow spectral bandwidths, such as LEDs, VCSELs, lasers, SLEDs, etc. A polarization filter may be used to prepare the incident light source for each LCPG to the correct initial polarization state. The polarization filter is optional and may depend on the light source used (e.g., a laser may not require a polarization filter).

[0115] Multiple light sources may be combined to generate a color intensity appropriate for given scene conditions. Feedback mechanisms via external sensors (e.g., object sensors, vehicle cameras, etc.) may be used as input to determine where in the scene to illuminate (e.g., which portion of the vehicle's forward field of view), what power level to apply, what beam shape to form, etc. Projection optics may be used to project a desired beam shape from a lighting fixture (such as a vehicle headlight). In some embodiments, a diffuser may be used to homogenize the beam spatially and angularly.

[0116] The control electronics may be configured to drive the light source at a specified modulation frequency and intensity, and may be configured to drive the LCPG device to a desired angular position of the output illumination.

[0117] In some example embodiments, at least two light sources (e.g., LEDs, lasers, VCSELs, or SLEDs) may be combined to generate light of a particular color. A beam combining element may receive light beams at orthogonal angles to each other and combine the reflected beam and the transmitted beam into a single co-linear output beam.

[0118] The example system may include a separate LCPG device for each light source, the LCPG device being designed to correspond to the primary wavelength of the light source. Each LCPG device may include one or more stages to allow 2 N steerable angles, where N is the number of LCPG stages used.

[0119] The output beam may be shaped via a static aperture shape or a dynamic spatial light modulator (which may be transmissive or reflective to alternate the beam shape so that it adapts to the desired lighting scene characteristics). A feedback mechanism via a sensor (e.g., camera, lidar, radar, or a combination thereof) may provide a target location to which the desired lighting is directed. For a given scene, the feedback may provide an intensity value for the lighting. In some example embodiments, input from a vehicle planning system or input from a navigation application may be used to generate patterned lighting on a road to assist the driver.

[0120] The foregoing description is merely illustrative in nature and is by no means intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because other modifications will become apparent when studying the drawings, the specification and the following claims. It should be understood that, without changing the principles of the present disclosure, one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously). In addition, although each embodiment is described above as having certain features, any one or more of those features described with respect to any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any other embodiment and / or combined with the features of any other embodiment, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and one or more embodiments and each other's permutation (permutation) are still within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0121] Spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms, including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "immediately adjacent," "on," "above," "below," and "disposed." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when describing a relationship between a first and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship may be a direct relationship in which no other intervening elements exist between the first and second elements, but may also be an indirect relationship in which one or more intervening elements (either spatially or functionally) exist between the first and second elements. As used herein, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" should be interpreted to mean a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical "or," and should not be interpreted to mean "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0122] In the various figures, the direction of the arrow, as indicated by the arrow head, generally indicates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) of interest to the illustration. For example, when element A and element B exchange various information, but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may point from element A to element B. The unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. In addition, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request or a receipt confirmation of the information to element A.

[0123] In this application, including the definitions below, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced with the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or grouped) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0124] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuit may include a wired or wireless interface connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functions of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed among multiple modules connected via the interface circuit. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing. In a further example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may implement some functions on behalf of a client module.

[0125] The term "code" as used above may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class, a data structure, and / or an object. The term "shared processor circuit" covers a single processor circuit that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term "group processor circuit" covers a processor circuit that executes some or all code from one or more modules in conjunction with an additional processor circuit. References to multiple processor circuits cover multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term "shared memory circuit" covers a single memory circuit that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term "group memory circuit" includes a memory circuit that stores some or all code from one or more modules in conjunction with additional memory.

[0126] The term "memory circuit" is a subset of the term "computer-readable medium". The term "computer-readable medium" as used herein does not encompass non-transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term "computer-readable medium" may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0127] The apparatus and method described in the present application can be implemented in part or in whole by a special-purpose computer, which is created by configuring a general-purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The functional blocks, flow chart components and other elements described above act as software specifications, which can be translated into computer programs by the routine work of skilled technicians or programmers.

[0128] The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer program may also include or rely on stored data. The computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0129] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code, (iv) source code for execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, source code may be written using syntax from languages ​​including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Version 5), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and

Claims

1. A solid-state steerable lighting system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a first light source configured to generate light having a first wavelength; a first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a first light source; as well as A vehicle control module is configured to supply a driving voltage to a first light source and a first LCPG device to generate a light beam, wherein an output directional angle of the light beam is variable according to the driving voltage applied to the first LCPG device.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second light source configured to generate light having a second wavelength; a third light source configured to generate light having a third wavelength, wherein the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength are different; a second liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a second light source; a third liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a third light source; as well as a beam combiner configured to receive the light output from the first LCPG device, the light output from the second LCPG device, and the light output from the third LCPG device to define a combined light beam, The vehicle control module is configured to supply driving voltage to the second light source, the third light source, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to generate the combined light beam.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: Obtain target angle lighting position; determining driving voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angular illumination position; and The determined driving voltages are supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to direct the combined light beam toward the target angular illumination position.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the target angular lighting position is a first target angular lighting position, and the vehicle control module is configured to: obtaining a second target angle lighting position; determining updated drive voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to a second target angular illumination position; and The updated driving voltage is supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam towards a second target angular illumination position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein supplying the updated drive voltage to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device to steer the combined light beam toward a second target angular illumination position comprises: The angular direction of the combined light beam is changed without mechanically moving the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source, and without mechanically moving any optical device.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the vehicle control module is configured to: identifying a target object location using at least one front vehicle sensor of the vehicle; Obtaining a target angle lighting position according to the target object position; determining driving voltages for the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device, and the third LCPG device corresponding to the target angular illumination position; and The determined driving voltages are supplied to the first LCPG device, the second LCPG device and the third LCPG device so that the combined light beam is directed toward the target object position.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising projection optics configured to modify optical properties of the combined light beam, wherein the projection optics comprises at least one of a diffuser and a shape silhouette profile.

8. The system according to claim 2, further comprising: a first collimating lens positioned between the first light source and the first LCPG device; a second collimating lens positioned between the second light source and the second LCPG device; as well as A third collimating lens is positioned between the third light source and the third LCPG device.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein: The first wavelength corresponds to the visual red light color; The first wavelength corresponds to the visual blue light color; as well as The first wavelength corresponds to the visual green light color.

10. A method of controlling solid-state steerable lighting for a vehicle, the method comprising: supplying a light source driving voltage to a first light source for generating light having a first wavelength, a second light source configured to generate light having a second wavelength, and a third light source configured to generate light having a third wavelength, wherein the first wavelength, the second wavelength, and the third wavelength are different; as well as supplying a LCPG driving voltage to a first liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a first light source, a second liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a second light source, and a third liquid crystal polarization grating (LCPG) device arranged to receive light from a third light source, Wherein the beam combiner is configured to receive the light output from the first LCPG device, the light output from the second LCPG device, and the light output from the third LCPG device to define a combined light beam.

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