Courtesy lighting system and method for a door of a motor vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsStuart C. Salter, Aaron Bradley Johnson, Bhavani Thota
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A courtesy lighting system is provided for a door of a motor vehicle. That courtesy lighting system includes an audio speaker, a light source, a network interface connected to the audio speaker and the light source and a control module. The control module is connected to the network interface. The control module includes a controller configured to operate in (a) an ambient illumination mode, (b) a footwell illumination mode when the door is closed and (c) a puddle illumination mode when the door is opened. A method of lighting a door of a motor vehicle is also provided.
Claims19
A courtesy lighting system for a door of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- an audio speaker;
- a light source;
- a network interface connected to said audio speaker and said light source;
- and
- a control module connected to said network interface, said control module including a controller configured to operate in (a) an ambient illumination mode, (b) a footwell illumination mode when said door is closed, (c) a puddle illumination mode when said door is opened and (d) an open door warning mode when said door is opened and said motor vehicle is moving.
A method of lighting a door of a motor vehicle using multiple lighting elements, comprising:
- connecting said multiple lighting elements to a control module by means of a single network interface;
- and
- configuring a controller of said control module to operate said multiple lighting elements in an ambient illumination mode, a footwell illumination mode, a puddle illumination mode and a door open warning mode when said door is opened and the motor vehicle is moving.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.