Miniature LED for headlights with event detection

Abstract

The invention discloses a vehicle headlight based on micro LEDs. The micro-LEDs may be arranged in a density in the panel to produce light of the same or similar intensity as existing headlight designs or to comply with legal requirements. These micro LED headlights may allow for cheaper, more energy efficient, smaller, and / or more customizable headlights. The micro LED headlight may automatically change to a different mode, such as a high beam or fog lamp, based on the driving conditions detected by the sensor.

Description

[0001] Background Art and Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to micro LEDs and their use in automotive applications.

[0003] Conventional vehicle headlights are limited to providing basic illumination and do not offer advanced features or capabilities.

[0004] Many current headlight setups cannot run advanced applications or be modified.

[0005] Many conventional vehicle headlights do not have advanced safety features such as blinking or color-changing, which can help pedestrians and wildlife better identify oncoming vehicles.

[0006] Creating custom applications for vehicle headlights is a complex process that may require specialized knowledge and equipment.

[0007] Conventional vehicle headlights may not be suitable for use in low light or adverse weather conditions, requiring the driver to manually switch between modes such as high beams and fog lights. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention relates to a method of changing the state of a micro LED panel, the method comprising: having a micro LED panel that includes a plurality of micro LEDs; having a substrate to which the micro LED chips are bonded; having a connector that allows the electronics of the micro LED panel to be integrated with a vehicle; and having a sensor, wherein the micro LED panel performs the function of a vehicle headlight and wherein the state of the micro LED panel is changed based on data from the sensor. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] Figure 1: Shows the integration of transferred micro-devices and electro-optic thin film devices in a hybrid structure according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 2: Shows a micro LED panel for a headlight according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 : Shows an event module according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 : Shows an event database according to one embodiment. Detailed Description

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements in several drawings, and exemplary embodiments are shown in the drawings. However, the embodiments of the claims may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments listed herein. The examples listed herein are non-limiting examples and are merely examples among other possible examples. The present invention and disclosure disclose a structure, system and method for integrating micro LEDs with a vehicle lighting system and a sensor system based on micro LEDs

[0014] Figure 1AShows an example of integrating the transferred microdevice 106 with the electro-optical thin film device 112 in a hybrid structure. This is an example of an integrated micro-LED chip, which is later retrieved and placed in an array of chips. According to US20160218143A1 - Microdevice integration into system substrate, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that there are many ways to form micro-LED chips and integrate them in an array of chips. In multiple hybrid structure embodiments, an array of microdevices 106 is transferred onto the receiver substrate 102 and the contact pads 104, and the thin film electro-optical device is integrated into the receiver substrate and these contact pads. The microdevice 106 can be transferred and bonded to the pad 104 of the receiver substrate 100. In one case, a dielectric layer 108 is formed over the substrate 102 to cover the exposed electrodes and conductive layers. Lithography and etching can be used to pattern the dielectric layer 108. The conductive layer 110 is then deposited and patterned to form the bottom electrode of the thin film electro-optical device 112. If there is no risk of unwanted coupling between the bottom electrode 110 and other conductive layers in the receiver substrate, the dielectric layer 108 can be eliminated. However, this dielectric layer can also be used as a planarization layer to provide better fabrication for the electro-optical device 112. The shore layer 114 is deposited on the substrate 102 to cover the edges of the electrode 110 and the microdevice 106. The thin film electro-optical device 112 is then formed over this structure. An organic LED (OLED) device is an example of a thin film electro-optical device, which can be formed using different techniques, including but not limited to shadow masking, lithography, and printed patterning. Finally, the top electrode 118 of the electro-optical thin film device 112 is deposited and patterned if necessary. In one embodiment where the thickness of the microdevice 106 is significantly high, cracks or other structural problems may occur in the bottom electrode 110. In these embodiments, a planarization layer can be used with or without the dielectric layer 108 to solve this problem. In another embodiment, the microdevice 106 can have a device electrode 116. This electrode can be shared among other microdevices 106 in the system substrate. In this case, the planarization layer (if present) and / or the shore structure 114 cover the electrode 116 to avoid any short circuit between the electro-optical device 112 and the device electrode 116.

[0015] Figure 1BShows the structure of sharing a device among several pixels (or sub - pixels) after post - processing to deposit the common electrode and color - conversion layer. Here, the micro - device 106 is not fully patterned, but the horizontal condition is engineered such that the contact pads 104 define the area assigned to each pixel. A system substrate 102 with contact pads 104 and a donor substrate with micro - device 106. After the micro - device 106 is transferred to the system substrate 102, post - processing such as depositing the common electrode 120, color - conversion layer 122, color filters, etc. can be performed. However, the methods described in this disclosure and other possible methods can be used. After forming the active area, the color - conversion layer as described can be added to the pixel (or sub - pixel) active area. If the active area of the pixel (or sub - pixel) is covered by a reflective layer, this can provide a higher fill factor and higher performance and avoid color leakage from the side pixels (or sub - pixels). In another embodiment, the micro - device 106 is grown on a buffer / sacrificial layer.

[0016] Figure 2A Shows a micro - LED panel for a headlight. Figure 2B Shows a system that changes the state of a micro - LED panel based on sensor - based detection events such as fog, rain, dust, road hazards, and oncoming traffic. Element 202 can be a micro - LED panel, which can be composed of one or more sheets containing multiple micro - LEDs. Multiple small micro - LED sheets can be integrated together into a larger flat panel. The panel can contain micro - LEDs by density to produce the same light as existing headlights. The panel can use RGB micro - LEDs or blue micro - LEDs with phosphors to obtain white light. Element 204 can be a substrate to which the micro - LED sheets can be bonded. The substrate can be silicon, glass, sapphire, any other substrate known in the art, any material to which the micro - LED sheets can be bonded, or any combination of these materials. The substrate can also accommodate or be bonded to electronics connected to the micro - LEDs. These electronics can be contained within the substrate, tunnel through the substrate to reach the micro - LEDs, or use the substrate as part of the circuit. Element 206 can be a micro - LED sheet composed of multiple micro - LEDs. Element 208 can be a connector that allows Figure 2A the electronics of the micro - LED panel to be connected to the vehicle's electronic system. This can allow the micro - LED panel to be powered and controlled by the vehicle and give feedback information to the vehicle. Element 210 can be a memory unit that stores data. The data stored in the memory unit can include data from sensors and any memory required for the event module and Figure 3 the event database 106 during operation Figure 4 and any data required for Figure 3 the event module during operation Figure 3The processor of the event module. Component 216 can be a bus controller that handles the communication between the processor, memory, sensors, and the micro-LED panel. Component 218 can be Figure 2A The micro-LED panel. Component 220 can be one or more sensors that detect road and environmental data. This data is Figure 3 Compared by the event module with the data in Figure 4 The event database. If the data is a close enough match to the data regarding a known event, the event module can cause a change in the state of the micro-LED panel. For example, a humidity sensor detects a high humidity level. This high level is compared with the known events in the event database. Based on the known data, the event is identified as "low-density fog". The event module can then change the micro-LED panel to a fog light mode, thereby changing the color and intensity of the emitted light accordingly. Possible sensors that can make up component 220 include, but are not limited to, photodetectors, microphones, humidity detectors, cameras, piezoelectric sensors, or another sensor that can collect data related to road or weather conditions. The sensors can include devices that emit light or sound so that detection of reflections can be made, such as using sonar or radar. One of the key benefits of using micro-LEDs in vehicle headlights is that micro-LEDs can be easily customized to provide advanced features and capabilities. This is because micro-LEDs can be individually controlled and used to create specific lighting patterns. This means they can be used to create advanced safety features such as blinking or color-changing, which can help pedestrians and wildlife better identify oncoming vehicles. Another benefit of micro-LEDs is that they can be used in low light or adverse weather conditions. This is because they are very bright and have a fast response time, so they can quickly switch between lighting modes such as high beams and fog lights. This can help improve visibility for the driver and make driving in adverse conditions safer. Micro-LEDs have the potential to address many of the problems associated with traditional vehicle headlights by providing advanced features and capabilities, improving safety, and increasing visibility in low light or adverse weather conditions.

[0017] Figure 3An event module is shown. The process may start with the event module polling for data from sensor 220 at step 300. The data can be, for example, humidity, percentage of reflected light (in the case of fog, dust, rain, or an upcoming obstacle), temperature, speed of the vehicle, speed of an oncoming object, etc. Some of this data can be interpreted from other data. For example, a rapidly increasing percentage of reflected light can provide data on the speed of an obstacle ahead, a spike in red light detection can indicate that a vehicle ahead is braking, or an increasing intensity of non-reflected white light can indicate an oncoming vehicle. At step 302, the event module can compare the data with conditions in an event database. These conditions can be simple value ranges, such as humidity > 70% or percentage of reflected light > 20%, or can be conditions interpretable as, for example, an oncoming vehicle or a road hazard. At step 304, the event module can determine whether the data matches any of the conditions in the event database. For example, if the humidity is 73%, it matches the condition "humidity > 70%". The match may not need to be an exact match. The conditions can have multiple match requirements, which can be required for a match or contribute to a match. For example, a condition can match humidity > 80%, but can also match humidity > 60% and temperature < 10°C. If no match exists, the event module can jump to step 308. If the data matches a condition in the event database, the event module can activate the associated mode at step 306. For example, data that matches the condition of humidity > 70% and opacity > 10% can trigger a "low-density fog mode", which can cause the micro-LED panel to emit light that better penetrates the fog. In cases where multiple modes do not interfere, the micro-LEDs can be in multiple modes simultaneously. For example, being in both "low-density fog mode" and "warning mode" can cause the micro-LED panel to emit light that better penetrates the fog, while also intermittently flashing red. If a mode is already active but no longer meets the conditions, the event module can deactivate the mode. The event module can return to step 300 at step 308.

[0018] Figure 4 An event database is shown. The event database contains conditions that can match data from sensors. When these conditions are met, the event module will change the micro-LED panel to the associated mode in the event database. Figure 4 It also contains columns that explain the conditions and modes.

[0019] The functions performed in the processes and methods can be implemented in a different order. Additionally, the steps and operations outlined are provided only as examples, and some of these steps and operations can be optional, combined into fewer steps and operations, or extended into additional steps and operations without departing from the essence of the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for changing the state of a micro-LED panel, the method comprising: Having the micro-LED panel, the micro-LED panel including a plurality of micro-LEDs; Having a substrate, the micro-LED chips being bonded to the substrate; Having a connector, the connector allowing the electronics of the micro-LED panel to be integrated with a vehicle; And Having a sensor, wherein the micro-LED panel performs the function of a vehicle headlight, and wherein the state of the micro-LED panel is changed based on data from the sensor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first element is one or more sensors that detect road and environmental data, and wherein further, the data is compared with data in an event database of an event module.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second element is a processor that runs the event module.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the third element is a memory unit that stores data, and wherein further, the data stored in the memory unit includes data from the sensor and any memory required to run the event module and the event database.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the fourth element is a bus controller that handles communication between the processor, the memory, the sensor, and the micro-LED panel.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein if the data matches data regarding a known event, the event module causes a change in the state of the micro-LED panel.

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