Illumination device for a motor vehicle

A method of operating an illumination device comprising a light source formed of a number of semiconductor diodes and a vector scanner having a control unit configured to control operation of the vector scanner in a manner that changes a position of a light beam generated by light of the light source, the method comprising the acts of:

• during operation of the illumination device, using the control unit to control the vector scanner to move a light spot generated by the light beam at a distance from the illumination apparatus to produce a predefined light distribution larger than the light spot at the distance from the illumination device;
• and
• varying a local light intensity within the predetermined light distribution without varying an intensity of the light beam using the control unit, the control unit being configured to be capable of controlling changing of vector scanner properties including a scanning speed of the vector scanner by which the light spot is moved, a scanning path produced by the vector scanner along which the light spot is moved, and a size of the light spot and configured to vary at least one of the vector properties to vary the local light intensity.