Exterior illumination and icon projection module for vehicle

An illumination module for a vehicle, said illumination module configured for mounting at a side of a vehicle and operable to project a multi-colored logo or indicia onto a ground area adjacent the vehicle, said illumination module comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) comprising a first LED, a second LED and a third LED;
• a first mask, a second mask and a third mask;
• wherein said first mask is associated with said first LED, and wherein said second mask is associated with said second LED, and wherein said third mask is associated with said third LED;
• wherein, when said first LED is electrically powered, light emitted by said first LED that passes through said first mask is a first color, and wherein, when said second LED is electrically powered, light emitted by said second LED that passes through said second mask is a second color, and wherein, when said third LED is electrically powered, light emitted by said third LED that passes through said third mask is a third color;
• wherein the first color is different from the second color, and wherein the second color is different from the third color, and wherein the third color is different from the first color;
• wherein, when said first LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with said illumination module, light emitted by said first LED passes through said first mask to project a first projected image onto a ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed, and wherein the first projected image comprises a first logo or indicia having the first color;
• wherein, when said second LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said second LED passes through said second mask to project a second projected image onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed, and wherein the second projected image comprises a second logo or indicia having the second color;
• wherein, when said third LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said third LED passes through said third mask to project a third projected image onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed, and wherein the third projected image comprises a third logo or indicia having the third color;
• wherein the first projected image, the second projected image and the third projected image overlap at the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle and, combined, establish a multi-colored logo or indicia at the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle;
• wherein said first, second and third LEDs are independently electrically powered so that the first, second and third projected images provide animated images projected onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle;
• and
• a fourth mask aligned with a fourth LED, wherein a stationary portion of the logo or indicia is established at said fourth mask, and wherein said first and fourth LEDs are electrically powered to project the stationary portion and an animated portion comprising an icon at a first position, and wherein said second and fourth LEDs are electrically powered after the first LED is electrically powered to project the stationary portion and the animated portion comprising the icon at a second position, and wherein said third and fourth LEDs are electrically powered after the second LED is electrically powered to project the stationary portion and the animated portion comprising the icon at a third position, and wherein independent electrically powering of said first, second and third LEDs while said fourth LED is electrically powered (i) projects the stationary portion as stationary at the ground area and (ii) moves the icon relative to the stationary portion from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the third position.

An illumination module for a vehicle, said illumination module configured for mounting at a side of a vehicle and operable to project images onto a ground area adjacent the vehicle, said illumination module comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) comprising a first LED, a second LED and a third LED;
• a first mask, a second mask and a third mask;
• wherein said first mask is associated with said first LED, and wherein said second mask is associated with said second LED, and wherein said third mask is associated with said third LED;
• wherein, when said first LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with said illumination module, light emitted by said first LED passes through said first mask to project a first projected image onto a ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed;
• wherein, when said second LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said second LED passes through said second mask to project a second projected image onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed;
• wherein, when said third LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said third LED passes through said third mask to project a third projected image onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed;
• wherein the first projected image comprises a stationary image portion;
• wherein said second and third LEDs are independently electrically powered so that the first, second and third projected images provide animated images projected onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle, and wherein the animated image portion comprises an icon that moves relative to the stationary image portion from a first position to a second position as said second and third LEDs are independently electrically powered;
• and
• wherein said first and second LEDs are electrically powered to project the stationary image portion and the animated image portion comprising the icon at the first position, and wherein said first and third LEDs are electrically powered after the second LED is electrically powered to project the stationary image portion and the animated image portion comprising the icon at the second position, and wherein independent electrically powering of said second and third LEDs while said first LED is electrically powered (i) projects the stationary image portion as stationary at the ground area and (ii) moves the icon relative to the stationary image portion from the first position to the second position.

An illumination module for a vehicle, said illumination module configured for mounting at a side of a vehicle and operable to project images onto a ground area adjacent the vehicle, said illumination module comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) comprising a first LED, a second LED and a third LED;
• a first mask, a second mask and a third mask;
• wherein said first mask is associated with said first LED, and wherein said second mask is associated with said second LED, and wherein said third mask is associated with said third LED;
• wherein, when said first LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with said illumination module, light emitted by said first LED passes through said first mask to project a first projected image onto a ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed;
• wherein, when said second LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said second LED passes through said second mask to project a second projected image onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed;
• wherein, when said third LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said third LED passes through said third mask to project a third projected image onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed;
• wherein said first, second and third LEDs are independently electrically powered so that the first, second and third projected images provide animated images projected onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle, and wherein the projected animated images comprise a stationary image portion and an animated image portion that comprises an icon that moves relative to the stationary image portion from a first position to a second position to a third position as said first, second and third LEDs are independently electrically powered;
• and
• a fourth mask associated with a fourth LED, wherein the stationary image portion of the projected images is provided by said fourth mask, and wherein said first and fourth LEDs are electrically powered to project the stationary image portion and the animated image portion comprising the icon at the first position, and wherein said second and fourth LEDs are electrically powered after the first LED is electrically powered to project the stationary image portion and the animated image portion comprising the icon at the second position, and wherein said third and fourth LEDs are electrically powered after the second LED is electrically powered to project the stationary image portion and the animated image portion comprising the icon at the third position, and wherein independent electrically powering of said first, second and third LEDs while said fourth LED is electrically powered (i) projects the stationary image portion as stationary at the ground area and (ii) moves the icon relative to the stationary image portion from the first position to the second position and from the second position to the third position.

An illumination module for a vehicle, said illumination module configured for mounting at a side of a vehicle and operable to project a multi-colored logo or indicia onto a ground area adjacent the vehicle, said illumination module comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) comprising a first LED and a second LED;
• a first mask and a second mask;
• wherein said first mask is associated with said first LED, and wherein said second mask is associated with said second LED;
• wherein, when said first LED is electrically powered, light emitted by said first LED that passes through said first mask is a first color, and wherein, when said second LED is electrically powered, light emitted by said second LED that passes through said second mask is a second color;
• wherein the first color is different from the second color;
• wherein, when said first LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at a side of a vehicle equipped with said illumination module, light emitted by said first LED passes through said first mask to project a first projected image onto a ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed, and wherein the first projected image comprises a first portion of a logo or indicia having the first color;
• wherein, when said second LED is electrically powered to emit light and with said illumination module disposed at the side of the equipped vehicle, light emitted by said second LED passes through said second mask to project a second projected image onto the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle at the side of the vehicle at which said illumination module is disposed, and wherein the second projected image comprises a second portion of the logo or indicia having the second color;
• and
• wherein said first LED and said second LED are concurrently powered so that the first projected image and the second projected image are projected together at the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle and overlap at the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle and, combined, establish the logo or indicia at the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle, and wherein the established logo or indicia comprises a multi-colored logo or indicia at the ground area adjacent the equipped vehicle.