Method for operating a lighting device in a motor vehicle

A lighting device for a motor vehicle, comprising:

• a plurality of illumination devices that each generate colored light via a plurality of color channels;
• and
• an electronic control unit to:
• control the plurality of illumination devices;
• calculate a color value for an illumination state to be set for a respective illumination device of the plurality of illumination devices, wherein
• the illumination state is defined by:
• a plurality of color component values of the plurality of color channels;
• and
• a brightness end value of the plurality of color channels;
• and
• the color value is calculated for each color channel of the plurality of color channels based on:
• a color component value of a respective color channel of the plurality of color channels;
• and
• a brightness value;
• provide the color value to a respective illumination device of the plurality of illumination device that generates the colored light via the plurality of color channels based on the provided color value;
• determine a brightness threshold value at the beginning of a dimming-down process for switching off a respective illumination device of the plurality of illumination devices and/or a dimming-up process for switching on a respective illumination device of the plurality of illumination devices, wherein
• the brightness threshold value depends on a lowest color component value that is not equal to zero from the plurality of color channels for a current illumination state of a respective illumination device;
• and
• the brightness threshold value increases as the lowest color component value decreases;
• and
• ensure, during the dimming-down process and/or the dimming-up process, that the color value provided to the illumination device is:
• not equal to zero;
• and
• calculated based on brightness values greater than or equal to the brightness threshold value.