Vehicle Illuminating Device with Gradient Boundary Light Pixels

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing illuminating devices for vehicles face challenges in reducing illumination intensity gradients and resolution differences in transition regions between partial light distributions generated by light sources of different resolutions, leading to inhomogeneous light distributions.

Innovation Solution

A second light source with higher resolution than the first light source is used, with its pixels controlled as a group in a boundary region to gradually increase resolution, reducing inhomogeneities by sacrificing high-resolution pixels for lower-resolution ones, ensuring a smooth transition and avoiding hard edges or distorted representations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a second light source with higher resolution is used to generate a second partial light distribution, then the resolution and brightness of the illumination region is improved, but an illumination intensity gradient and resolution difference gradient appear in the transition region between the first and second partial light distributions

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveresolutionVSAvoidillumination intensity gradient

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of light pixels based on their spatial location. Light pixels in the boundary region (transition zone) are controlled as a group with reduced resolution, while light pixels in the core region maintain high resolution. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing high resolution where needed (core region) while preventing illumination intensity gradients where transitions occur (boundary region).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the light distribution into distinct regions: a core region with high-resolution light pixels and a boundary region with lower-resolution light pixels controlled as groups. This segmentation allows the system to optimize resolution in the core region while using grouped control in the boundary region to eliminate harsh transitions and illumination intensity gradients, thus resolving the contradiction between high resolution and smooth transitions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If light pixels in the boundary region are controlled individually to maintain high resolution, then the resolution is improved, but hard edges and distorted representations appear in the light distribution

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveresolutionVSAvoidhomogeneity of light distribution

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of light pixels based on their spatial location. Light pixels in the boundary region (transition zone) are controlled as a group with reduced resolution, while light pixels in the core region maintain high resolution. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing high resolution where needed (core region) while preventing illumination intensity gradients where transitions occur (boundary region).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies homogeneity by ensuring that light pixels in the boundary region are controlled uniformly as a group, creating a consistent transition zone. This grouped control approach ensures homogeneous behavior in the transition region, preventing hard edges and distorted representations while maintaining overall light distribution homogeneity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #33Homogeneity

3Illumination intensity

If the number of light pixels controlled as a group in the boundary region is increased, then the illumination intensity gradient is reduced, but the resolution in the boundary region decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveillumination intensity gradientVSAvoidresolution

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of light pixels based on their spatial location. Light pixels in the boundary region (transition zone) are controlled as a group with reduced resolution, while light pixels in the core region maintain high resolution. This localized differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing high resolution where needed (core region) while preventing illumination intensity gradients where transitions occur (boundary region).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by applying grouped control only to the boundary region light pixels rather than all light pixels. This partial application of grouped control is sufficient to eliminate illumination intensity gradients in the transition zone while preserving high resolution in the core region, thus resolving the contradiction between smooth transitions and high resolution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11713861B2Illuminating device and homogenisation method for vehicles having two pixelated light sources with two partial light distribution patterns

Publication Date: 2023.08.01 HELLA GMBH & CO KGAA

AI summary

An illuminating device for vehicles, including a first light unit, which contains a first light source having a number of first light pixels for generating a first partial light distribution including a second light unit, which contains a second light source having a number of second light pixels for generating a second partial light distribution. The second light pixels are arranged in a boundary region of the second light source and are controllable as a group in such a way that a number of the second light pixels controlled as a group in the boundary region of the second light source per unit of surface area increases from a first end of the boundary region in the direction of a second end of the boundary region.