Bidirectional Vehicle Lighting With Redundant Controller Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle lighting systems lack redundancy, leading to potential failures in lighting functionality, especially when one light unit or controller fails, compromising safety and visibility, particularly in bidirectional vehicles where lighting modes need to adapt based on direction of travel.
Innovation Solution
A multi-functional lighting system with redundant controllers and light units on each end of the vehicle, allowing each light unit to operate as both a headlight and tail light, with lens arrays and LED sources configured to switch functions based on the vehicle's direction, ensuring continued operation even if one controller fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional vehicle lighting systems use dedicated light units for specific functions (headlights, brake lights, etc.), then each light unit is optimized for its specific function, but the system lacks redundancy and safety is compromised when a light unit or controller fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by configuring light units to perform multiple lighting functions (headlight, tail light, brake light, turn signal) through a single unified lighting system. Each light unit contains multiple LED sources and optical components that can be controlled to produce different light patterns and directions, allowing one light unit to replace multiple dedicated light units and thereby providing redundancy without proportionally increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the lighting control function into multiple independent controllers, where each controller can independently control one or more light units. This segmentation allows the system to maintain functionality even if one controller fails, as other controllers can take over control of the light units, thus improving reliability while keeping individual controller complexity manageable
2Adaptability or versatility
If bidirectional vehicles use fixed lighting configurations, then the lighting system is simple to design, but the lighting modes cannot adapt when the vehicle changes direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics by making the lighting configuration adaptable and changeable based on vehicle direction. The system uses controllable LED sources and optical components that can dynamically switch between different lighting modes (headlight, tail light, etc.) depending on the vehicle's orientation. This dynamic adaptability allows bidirectional vehicles to maintain proper lighting functions regardless of direction without requiring fixed physical configurations for each direction
Solution Approach 2:
The same light units are designed to serve multiple lighting functions based on vehicle direction. By making the lighting system universal, the same physical components can adapt to different operational modes (headlight when facing forward, tail light when facing backward) through electronic control, eliminating the need for separate dedicated light units for each direction and reducing overall system complexity
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 ensures that at least one light unit on each end of the vehicle remains operational, maintaining essential lighting functions like headlamps and tail lights, enhancing safety and visibility regardless of the vehicle's direction of travel or controller status.
Implementation Method 1
A first light source may include a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) positioned to emit light in a first direction in response to a first control signal, and a second plurality of LEDs positioned to emit light in a second direction in response to a second control signal
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting system of a vehicle may include light units and controllers for operating the light units. Each light unit is multifunctional in that the light unit may operate in various modes, which may be invoked at different times under varying circumstances. A light unit on the first end of a vehicle may operate as a headlight if the first end is the front end of the vehicle. On the other hand, the light unit may operate as a tail light if the first end is the rear end of the vehicle. Furthermore, the light unit may operate as a turn signal in either direction or brake light while the first end is the rear end of the vehicle. The light unit includes a lens array positioned to receive light from various light sources. The lighting system may operate in a fashion that allows for lighting redundancy on each end of the vehicle in the event of a lighting controller failure.