Vehicle external illumination device

A directional illumination device for a vehicle external light, comprising:

• an array of light sources;
• and
• a waveguide comprising:
• an input surface;
• a reflective end;
• and
• first and second guide surfaces extending between the input surface and the reflective end, wherein
• the light sources of the array are arranged to input light into the waveguide through the input surface and are disposed at different input positions in a direction laterally across the waveguide;
• the first and second, opposed guide surfaces are arranged to guide input light from the input surface to the reflective end and back along the waveguide after reflection at the reflective end, the waveguide being arranged to extract input light as it is guided back along the waveguide after reflection at the reflective end and to cause the extracted light to exit through the first guide surface;
• the reflective end has positive optical power in the direction laterally across the waveguide and the waveguide is arranged to direct the extracted light in respective output illumination directions distributed in a lateral direction in dependence on the input positions of the light sources in the direction laterally across the waveguide;
• the first guide surface is arranged to guide light by total internal reflection;
• across a region of the waveguide, the second guide surface comprises at least one light extraction feature, arranged to extract input light by deflecting the input light as it is guided back along the waveguide after reflection at the reflective end in directions causing the deflected light to exit through the first guide surface;
• the second guide surface further comprises at least one guiding region to guide light along the waveguide without extraction;
• the at least one light extraction feature comprises plural light extraction features;
• the at least one guiding region includes one or more intermediate regions between the light extraction features;
• and
• across respective sub-regions of the region of the waveguide, the light extraction features are configured differently.

A directional illumination device for a vehicle external light, comprising:

• an array of light sources;
• and
• a waveguide comprising:
• an input surface;
• a reflective end;
• and
• first and second guide surfaces extending between the input surface and the reflective end, wherein
• the light sources of the array are arranged to input light into the waveguide through the input surface and are disposed at different input positions in a direction laterally across the waveguide;
• the first and second, opposed guide surfaces are arranged to guide input light from the input surface to the reflective end and back along the waveguide after reflection at the reflective end, the waveguide being arranged to extract input light as it is guided back along the waveguide after reflection at the reflective end and to cause the extracted light to exit through the first guide surface;
• and
• the reflective end has positive optical power in the direction laterally across the waveguide and the waveguide is arranged to direct the extracted light in respective output illumination directions distributed in a lateral direction in dependence on the input positions of the light sources in the direction laterally across the waveguide;
• and
• wherein the directional illumination device further comprises:
• plural arrays of light sources;
• and
• plural waveguides each comprising:
• an input surface;
• a reflective end;
• and
• first and second guide surfaces extending between the input surface and the reflective end, wherein in respect of each waveguide:
• the light sources of a respective array of light sources are arranged to input light into the waveguide through the input surface and are disposed at different input positions in a direction laterally across the waveguide;
• and
• the first and second, opposed guide surfaces are arranged to guide input light from the input surface to the reflective end and back along the waveguide after reflection at the reflective end, the waveguide being arranged to extract input light as it is guided back along the waveguide and to cause the extracted light to exit through the first guide surface;
• and
• the reflective end has positive optical power in the direction laterally across the waveguide and the waveguide is arranged to direct the extracted light in respective output illumination directions distributed in a lateral direction in dependence on the input positions of the light sources in the direction laterally across the waveguide, and wherein the first guide surface of each waveguide faces in a common direction.