Passenger Compartment Lighting Control for Harmonious Ambient Zones

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle illumination systems struggle to create harmonious and comfortable ambient lighting within the occupant compartment by avoiding dissonant lighting effects across different regions, which can cause irritation and discomfort.

Innovation Solution

A method that compares light-specific parameters across different regions, adjusting these parameters if they meet predefined dissonant conditions, using user input, artificial intelligence, or both, to ensure harmonious lighting through adjustments in color, brightness, and emission characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If different light-specific parameters are used in different regions to create varied ambiance, then adaptability and ambiance customization are improved, but dissonant lighting effects occur causing visual discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelighting ambiance customizationVSAvoidvisual discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control device continuously monitors light-specific parameters across different regions and automatically adjusts them to eliminate dissonant lighting effects. This feedback mechanism ensures that while users can customize ambiance, the system maintains visual comfort by detecting and correcting problematic parameter combinations in real-time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts light-specific parameters (such as intensity, color temperature, or spectral composition) across different regions based on predefined harmony criteria. By changing parameters adaptively rather than allowing arbitrary user input, the system maintains both customization capability and visual comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If light-specific parameters are automatically adjusted to ensure harmony, then visual comfort is improved, but user customization freedom is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual discomfortVSAvoiduser customization freedom

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The control device operates dynamically, allowing user customization within defined harmony boundaries. When users adjust parameters, the system responds by making complementary adjustments to maintain harmony, creating a dynamic balance between user freedom and visual comfort rather than a static restriction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The control device acts as an intermediary between user input and actual lighting output. It translates user customization requests into harmonious parameter combinations by mediating adjustments across multiple regions, ensuring that user intent is fulfilled while maintaining visual comfort through automatic coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple lighting devices operate independently in different regions, then regional lighting flexibility is improved, but coordination complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveregional lighting flexibilityVSAvoidlighting system coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device serves multiple functions simultaneously: it monitors light-specific parameters, detects dissonant effects, calculates harmonious parameter combinations, and coordinates adjustments across all lighting devices. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate control systems for each device while maintaining regional flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the control functions of multiple independent lighting devices into a single centralized control device. By merging coordination responsibilities, the system reduces overall complexity while preserving the ability to independently adjust parameters in different regions through unified harmonic control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12466312B2Method for controlling the lighting of a passenger compartment of a motor vehicle with a number of lighting devices and motor vehicle

Publication Date: 2025.11.11 AUDI AG

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling the illumination of an occupant compartment of a motor vehicle with multiple illumination devices, wherein a region of the occupant compartment assigned to the respective illumination device can in each case be illuminated by means of the illumination devices, wherein at least one light-specific parameter assigned to at least one of the regions or at least one item of illumination information from which the light-specific parameter is derived is specified by the user, wherein a variable characteristic of the light generated by the illumination device in the region depends on the respectively assigned light-specific parameter. The fulfillment of a change condition is checked by means of a comparison of at least one light-specific parameter assigned to one of the regions with at least one light-specific parameter assigned to another of the regions, wherein at least one of the light-specific parameters and/or at least one illumination device-specific parameter on which an emission characteristic of the light generated by means of an illumination device assigned to this illumination device-specific parameter depends is changed if the change condition is fulfilled.