# US 9,434,303 B2 · Systems and methods for in-vehicle network controlled media-synchronized light show

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- Number: US 9,434,303 B2
- Document ID: US9434303B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/675,117
- Filed: 2015-03-31
- Published: 2015-11-12
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-07
- Assignees: Seminconductor Components Industries, LLC
- Applicants: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
- Inventors: Michael Borgholthaus
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434303B2

## CPC

- B60Q 3/74: for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps (general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43)
- B60Q 3/80: Circuits; Control arrangements (for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47)
- H04L 12/6418: {Hybrid transport}
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

In one embodiment, the in-vehicle network controller sends instructions, via a communication signal, to the lighting network wherein the lighting network is synchronized with a media source by using a communication protocol which controls features of the lighting network such as timing, fading, color, intensity, and enable/disable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An in-vehicle lighting system comprising:
an in-vehicle lighting network, including a network addressable light element;
an ambient lighting module (ALM) coupled to the in-vehicle lighting network;
an infotainment center coupled to the ALM and configured to control the network addressable light element through the ALM and in-vehicle lighting network; and
a body control module (BCM) coupled to the ALM and configured to control the network addressable light element through the ALM and in-vehicle lighting network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the network addressable light element is individually addressed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the network addressable light element is addressed in a group.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the network addressable light element includes a network module configured to receive and perform an instruction from the ALM.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the infotainment center is configured to read the instruction from a media source and communicate the instruction to the ALM.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the infotainment center is configured to generate the instruction and communicate the instruction to the ALM.

### Claim 7

A method for forming an in-vehicle lighting system comprising:
providing an in-vehicle lighting network, including a network addressable light element;
providing an ambient lighting module (ALM) coupled to the in-vehicle lighting network and configured to transmit a first instruction to the network addressable light element through the in-vehicle lighting network; and
providing an infotainment center coupled to the ALM and configured to transmit a second instruction to the network addressable light element through the ALM and in-vehicle lighting network.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the first instruction and second instruction address the network addressable light element individually.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the first instruction and second instruction address the network addressable light element in a group.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 further including providing a body control module (BCM) configured to provide the first instruction to the ALM.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further including configuring the infotainment center to read the second instruction from a media source.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further including configuring the infotainment center to generate the second instruction by processing a media source in real-time.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further including configuring the ALM to override the second instruction with the first instruction.

### Claim 14

A method of controlling an in-vehicle lighting system, comprising:
providing an in-vehicle lighting network including an addressable light element;
connecting an infotainment center to the in-vehicle lighting network; and
transmitting an instruction from the infotainment center to the addressable light element, wherein the instruction includes an address.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including:
providing an ambient light module (ALM), wherein the infotainment center is connected to the in-vehicle lighting network through the ALM; and
configuring the ALM to override the instruction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including transmitting the instruction using an in-vehicle network protocol.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further including using local interconnect network (LIN), controller area network (CAN), FlexRay, or Ethernet as the in-vehicle network protocol.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including providing a network module on the addressable light element.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further including executing the instruction on the addressable light element with the network module.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further including:
receiving the instruction with the network module; and
comparing the address of the instruction to an address of the addressable light element.