Illuminating vehicle closure member systems for providing exterior lighting effects
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsKristopher Karl Brown, Larry Dean Elie, Evangelos P. Skoures, Stuart C. Salter, Howard Paul Tsvi Linden
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure details illuminating vehicle closure member systems for selectively producing various exterior lighting effects. Exemplary closure member systems may include a closure member and a discrete illuminating section secured relative to the closure member and including a lighting module that is configured to produce at least one of a beltline lighting effect, a motion path lighting effect, or an operation status lighting effect at or near the closure member. A control module may control the various lighting effects emitted by the illuminating closure member system.
Claims20
An illuminating closure member system, comprising:
- a closure member;
- and
- a discrete illuminating section secured relative to the closure member and including a lighting module configured to illuminate a beltline of the closure member,
- wherein the lighting module is configured to provide an illuminating sequence along the beltline,
- wherein a direction of the illuminating sequence along the beltline is based on a direction of an approach of an authorized user.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a closure member movably mounted relative to the vehicle body;
- an illuminating closure member system mounted to the closure member;
- and
- a control module configured to control the illuminating closure member system for producing at least one of a beltline lighting effect,
- wherein the at least one beltline lighting effect includes an illuminating sequence provided along the beltline of the closure member,
- wherein a direction of the illuminating sequence along the beltline is based on a direction of an approach of an authorized user.
A method, comprising:
- automatically illuminating at least a portion of a beltline of a closure member of a vehicle with an illuminating closure member system when an authorized user is within a threshold distance of the vehicle,
- wherein illuminating the portion of the beltline includes providing an illuminating sequence along the beltline,
- wherein a direction of the illuminating sequence along the beltline is based on a direction of an approach of the authorized user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.