Automotive Ambient Lighting with Touch Sensing and Haptic Feedback

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ambient lighting systems in automobiles are limited to providing visual feedback and do not effectively integrate haptic feedback or other forms of user input recognition, despite the potential for embedding actuators in screens and displays.

Innovation Solution

An ambient lighting system with a longitudinal extension, incorporating RGB LEDs, capacitive touch sensors, and actuators that generate haptic feedback, allowing for user input recognition and varying light and vibration feedback based on user interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If ambient lighting systems are designed with only lighting and visual feedback functions, then the system structure remains simple and cost-effective, but the system cannot provide haptic feedback or sophisticated user interaction capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction capabilityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines ambient lighting, touch sensing, and haptic feedback functions into a single integrated system. The lighting system structure is merged with capacitive touch sensors and actuators, allowing the same physical structure to provide visual illumination, detect user touches, and generate haptic responses without requiring separate dedicated components for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The ambient lighting system is designed to perform multiple functions: providing ambient illumination, detecting user touches through integrated capacitive sensors, and delivering haptic feedback through actuators. This multi-functional design allows a single system to replace what would traditionally require separate lighting, sensing, and feedback systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If screens and displays are designed with large dimensions for human-machine interface, then user interaction is improved, but the system cannot provide ambient lighting functionality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interactionVSAvoidambient lighting capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The ambient lighting system is designed to perform multiple functions: providing ambient illumination, detecting user touches through integrated capacitive sensors, and delivering haptic feedback through actuators. This multi-functional design allows a single system to replace what would traditionally require separate lighting, sensing, and feedback systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If ambient lighting systems integrate touch sensors and actuators for haptic feedback, then user interaction capability is enhanced, but the manufacturing cost and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehaptic feedback capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines ambient lighting, touch sensing, and haptic feedback functions into a single integrated system. The lighting system structure is merged with capacitive touch sensors and actuators, allowing the same physical structure to provide visual illumination, detect user touches, and generate haptic responses without requiring separate dedicated components for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The system provides a sophisticated human-machine interface with integrated haptic and visual feedback, enabling user interaction through sliding gestures and actuator-activated vibrations, enhancing user experience and functionality.

Implementation Method 1

at least one capacitive touch sensor, locally integrated in the ambient lighting system, adapted to detect touch of said contact surface by an user's body portion in at least one defined region (B)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Implementation Method 2

an actuator system, able to generate a haptic feedback to user at least when the user is touching said contact surface in said defined region (B), is comprised; said actuator system is adapted to produce a vibration perceptible by the user's body portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration: Vibration

Implementation Method 3

a plurality of light guide modules, interposed between the light sources and said contact surface, adapted to guide the light rays emitted by said light sources and being designed to isolate the light rays emitted by each light module

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight guidance: Waveguide (optics)

Data Source

PatentUS12454216B2Ambient lighting system with haptic feedback for automobiles

Publication Date: 2025.10.28 MAGNA EXTERIORS INC

AI summary

An ambient lighting system for automobiles serves to illuminate at least a portion of a passenger compartment and includes a plurality of light guide modules, interposed between the light sources and said contact surface, adapted to guide light rays emitted by light sources and being designed to isolate the light rays to realize sector, blocks or regions adapted to be illuminated with very sharp contrast with the rest of the ambient lighting system. The ambient lighting system also includes at least one integrated touch sensor that is adapted to detect touch of said contact surface by an user's body portion in at least one defined region, and an actuator system for generating haptic feedback for the user.