# US 10,321,550 B2 · Illuminated vehicle badge

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- Number: US 10,321,550 B2
- Document ID: US10321550B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/040,989
- Filed: 2018-07-20
- Published: 2018-11-15
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-11
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Pietro Buttolo; Stuart C. Salter; Paul Kenneth Dellock; James J. Surman; James Stewart Rankin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321550B2

## CPC

- H05B 47/16: by timing means
- B60Q 1/0088: {Details of electrical connections (B60Q1/305 takes precedence; electrical connection of the light source itself F21S41/192, F21S43/195)}
- B60Q 1/26: the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
- B60Q 1/2619: {built in the vehicle body}
- B60Q 3/80: Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47)
- B60R 13/005: {Manufacturers' emblems, name plates, bonnet ornaments, mascots or the like; Mounting means therefor}
- F21V 3/00: Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses (with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506)
- Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A vehicle badge is provided herein that includes one or more light sources emanating emitted light through a viewable portion. The badge also includes a controller configured to adjust at least one of an intensity or a color of the emitted light. An electric current signal value is independently output to each of the one or more light sources and is configured to alter the intensity or the color of emitted light from the one or more light sources in a linearly perceived illumination pattern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle badge comprising:
one or more light sources emanating emitted light through a viewable portion;
a controller configured to adjust at least one of an intensity or a color of the emitted light, wherein an electric current signal value is independently output to each of the one or more light sources and is configured to alter the intensity or the color of emitted light from the one or more light sources in a linearly perceived illumination pattern; and
at least one driver circuit operably coupled to the one or more light sources, and one of a logarithmic and an exponential amplifier disposed at an output of the at least one driver circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to the number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:
(
kL
2
)
3
where k is equal to a scaling coefficient that is determined by a number of desired parameters stored within the lookup table and L is a number of predefined intensity levels.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to a number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:
ekL−1
where k is equal to a scaling coefficient that is determined by a number of desired parameters stored within the lookup table, L is a number of predefined intensity levels, and e is Euler's number.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller increases the intensity of light emitted from each light source sequentially through each electric current signal value when the intensity of the one or more light sources is increased.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the light intensity of emitted light from the one or more light sources emitted is varied over time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources are disposed between a housing and a substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle badge of claim 6, wherein the badge further comprises:
a decorative layer disposed between an exterior surface of the housing and the one or more light sources.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle badge of claim 1, wherein the controller illuminates the one or more light sources at a predefined number of intensity levels that is less than a maximum electric current signal value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vehicle badge of claim 8, wherein a range of intensity levels of each color output from the one or more light sources correlates to the same number of the light intensity levels.

### Claim 10

A vehicle badge comprising:
one or more light sources configured to emit light through a viewable portion;
a controller configured to linearly adjust amongst varying color hues emitted from the one or more light sources; and
a decorative layer disposed in front of the one or more light sources configured to control or modify an appearance of a viewable portion, wherein a predefined set of intensity levels are stored on the controller and wherein a predefined color space to determine a color of light emitted from the one or more light sources is also stored on the controller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle badge of claim 10, wherein the color and intensity of light emitted from the one or more light sources are sequentially increased such that the intensity of light emitted from the one or more light sources is emitted in a linear pattern.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The vehicle badge of claim 10, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to the number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:
(
kL
2
)
3
where k is equal to a scaling coefficient that is determined by a number of desired parameters stored within the lookup table and L is the number of predefined intensity levels.

### Claim 13

A vehicle badge comprising:
a light source emanating emitted light through a viewable portion; and
a controller configured to adjust an intensity of the emitted light, wherein an electric current signal value is output to the light source to alter the intensity of emitted light from the light source in a linearly perceived illumination pattern, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to a number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:
ekL−1
where k is equal to a scaling coefficient that is determined by a number of desired parameters stored within the lookup table, L is a number of predefined intensity levels, and e is Euler's number.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The vehicle badge of claim 13, wherein the variance between the current signal values is smaller at lower intensity levels and larger at higher intensity levels.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The vehicle badge of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to linearly adjust the emitted light of the light source amongst varying color hues emitted from the one or more light sources.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The vehicle badge of claim 13, wherein the controller stores a number of predefined intensity levels in a lookup table and a range of electric current signal values is mapped to the number of predefined intensity levels based on the following relationship:
(
kL
2
)
3
where k is equal to a scaling coefficient that is determined by a number of desired parameters stored within the lookup table and L is a number of predefined intensity levels.