Patent Description:
With the development of social economy, the automobile industry is also developed accordingly, and the car ownership is also increasing. The vehicle lamp in an automobile is a quite important component. With the continuous development of automobile lighting technology, the vehicle lamp that simply can meet the requirements of automobile lighting function gradually cannot meet the requirements. At present, more requirements are imposed on the development of the vehicle lamp.

The existing vehicle lamp forms a light pattern mainly by means of a lighting module. The light pattern is mostly a planar pattern, which cannot present stereoscopic text-image information, cannot bring a better visual effect to the customers, and cannot satisfy the customers' requirement for imaging characteristics of the vehicle lamp.

Therefore, a novel lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging needs to be designed to overcome or alleviate the above technical problems.

Publications <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> respectively disclose a stereoscopic nearing warning image display device, a lamp module for vehicle, an improved lenticular illumination device and a fan assembly for displaying an image.

The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely used to illustrate and explain the present invention, rather than being intended to limit the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified and defined explicitly, terms "mount", "provide", and "connect" should be construed in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it may be a direct connection, an indirect connection through an intermediary, or inner communication between two elements or interaction between two elements. For a person ordinarily skilled in the art, specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention could be understood according to specific circumstances.

It should be understood that, in order to facilitate describing the present invention and simplify the description, the terms "up (upper)" and "down (lower)" are based on an image thin film <NUM> itself, for example, as shown in <FIG>, microlenses <NUM> and micro image-texts <NUM> are arranged in an up-down direction; the terms are based on orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, rather than indicating or implying that related devices or elements have to be in the specific orientation or configured and operated in a specific orientation, therefore, they should not be construed as limitation to the present invention; moreover, orientation terms in the present invention should be understood with reference to actual installation state.

As shown in <FIG>, a lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging in a basic embodiment of the present disclosure includes a microlens array <NUM> and a micro image-text element, a transparent medium layer <NUM> is provided between the microlens array <NUM> and the micro image-text element, the micro image-text element includes a micro image-text array <NUM> corresponding to the microlens array <NUM>, and the micro image-text element is arranged in such a way that light can be irradiated from the micro image-text array <NUM> to the microlens array <NUM> through the transparent medium layer <NUM> and form a three-dimensional suspended image.

The above basic technical solution of the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging can be adapted to general vehicle lamps. The combination of the micro image-text array <NUM> and the microlens array <NUM> can achieve the Moire amplification effect. Under the irradiation of a light source, light forms a light pattern image with a three-dimensional, suspended, and dynamic effect through the micro image-text array <NUM> and the microlens array <NUM>, which can bring a novel macroscopic visual effect to the user; generally, the micro image-text array <NUM> is located near a focal plane of the microlens array <NUM>, and can render a better light pattern effect, transmit driving information, and have a certain aesthetic feeling.

There are a variety of specific structures capable of achieving the technical effect of the micro image-text array <NUM>. For example, as shown in <FIG>, a separately addressable light source matrix is used as the micro image-text array <NUM>, i.e., a light source is used as a micro image-text <NUM> on the micro image-text array <NUM>, and different dynamic visual effects are generated by controlling on and off of each light source.

Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, a micro image-text layer <NUM> also may be formed, and several hollowed-out patterns are arranged on the micro image-text layer <NUM>, other parts of the micro image-text layer <NUM> are opaque, and the hollowed-out patterns are taken as micro image-texts <NUM> to form the micro image-text array <NUM>. Under the irradiation of a light source, light passes through the hollowed-out patterns and is emitted under the effect of the microlens array <NUM> to form a three-dimensional dynamic image, to attract other drivers' attention, and provide corresponding driving information. Different dynamic visual effects are generated by controlling on and off of each light source.

In the above, the light source may be an LED light source, an OLED light source, a laser light source, or the like. <FIG> shows an example of hollowed-out pattern. Without doubt, hollowed-out patterns of other shapes also may be used.

As another example, as shown in <FIG>, a micro light source array <NUM> is provided, and the micro light source array <NUM> is mounted on a mobile actuator <NUM>. Under the action of the mobile actuator <NUM>, the micro light source array <NUM> moves linearly or rotates to form the micro image-text array <NUM>.

In the above, the mobile actuator <NUM> may be an existing drive device, such as a rotary motor and a linear motor; and the micro light source may be an LED light source, an OLED light source, a laser light source or the like.

Various specific structures of the above lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging of the present invention can be directly applied to general vehicle lamps. As shown in <FIG>, the lighting module is provided in a cavity formed between a light distribution lens <NUM> and a vehicle lamp housing <NUM>. After passing through the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging, light is emitted from the light distribution lens <NUM>, so that a light pattern formed has three-dimensional, suspended, and dynamic visual effect.

Generally, the microlenses <NUM> of the microlens array <NUM> are configured to gather light, and may be hemispherical, ellipsoidal, pyramid or in other structural forms that can achieve equivalent technical effects. The microlenses <NUM> are mounted on the transparent medium layer <NUM> to form the microlens array <NUM>; the transparent medium layer <NUM> may be made of PC (polycarbonate), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) or BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene film), etc., preferably PET.

Typically, the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging of the present invention can be made into a thin film structure, for example, an image thin film <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, and the micro image-text array <NUM> is formed by an embossing process; specifically, a layer of ultraviolet curing glue is coated on the transparent medium layer <NUM>, and grooves with a depth greater than <NUM> micron are embossed on the surface of the ultraviolet curing glue by using a relief block with micro image-texts, and meanwhile cured, and then parts other than the grooves are made opaque, for example, nano ink is coated on the surface of the transparent medium layer <NUM> by blade coating. As the grooves are generally less than <NUM> microns in dimension, and nano ink particles are generally tens of microns or more, the nano ink particles will not be filled into the grooves, and will not affect passage of light through the positions of the grooves, thus forming the micro image-text array <NUM>. By the same reasoning, reference also can be made to <FIG>, grooves with a larger dimension are provided on the transparent medium layer <NUM>, other parts are opaque, and a surface where the grooves are located is symmetrical to a surface where the microlenses <NUM> are located. Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, the micro image-text layer <NUM> having several hollowed-out images is formed. With reference to <FIG>, by attaching the micro image-text layer <NUM> on the transparent medium layer <NUM>, the micro image-text array <NUM> can be formed. In the above, the microlens array <NUM> is a three-dimensional refractive lens array made of a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) molding material with a thickness of <NUM> micrometers or more, wherein the "three-dimensional refractive lens array" refers to a three-dimensional lens array of a transparent material, and light can be refracted by a lens body. The thickness of the transparent medium layer <NUM> is not less than <NUM> microns. The thickness of the transparent medium layer <NUM> also may be of the order of millimeters. The thickness of the transparent medium layer is affected by the focal length of the microlens <NUM>, and is generally approximately equal to the focal length of the microlens <NUM>. The thickness will affect the sense of distance of the three-dimensional suspension effect. The greater the thickness is, the greater the three-dimensional sense of distance is.

Such thin film structural characteristics of the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging enables the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging to have a wider application range on the vehicles, for example, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the lighting module can be provided outside the vehicle, such as on a headlamp or other vehicle lamps, or as shown in <FIG>, the lighting module also can be provided on a vehicle accessory device, such as a trip computer display screen, a touch control switch or an accessory. In the above, when the image thin film <NUM> is provided on the vehicle lamp, the image thin film <NUM> can be provided on an inner surface, an outer surface, or an interior of a decorative ring or a decorative strip, or provided on an inner surface, an outer surface, or an interior of the light distribution lens <NUM>, or a bearing member is provided in the vehicle lamp for attaching the image thin film <NUM>, so that the microlens array <NUM> is provided toward the light distribution lens <NUM>. In the above, the term "interior" means that the image thin film <NUM> can be provided as an interlayer inside the decorative ring or the decorative strip, which can achieve corresponding technical effect.

<FIG> and <FIG> show an arrangement mode of the microlenses <NUM> and the micro image-texts <NUM>, wherein the microlenses <NUM> and the micro image-texts <NUM> are regularly arranged horizontally and longitudinally, and certainly, also may be arranged obliquely, regularly arranged in a crossing manner, randomly arranged, or the like.

Taking a tail lamp as an example, as shown in <FIG>, the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging of the present invention is provided on a vehicle tail lamp <NUM>. During driving, when a vehicle ahead needs to send information to a vehicle behind, a three-dimensional image can be directly formed in the air; if the vehicle ahead needs an emergency stop, the tail lamp sends a projected image <NUM>, "STOP", to remind the vehicle behind. As the image-text information displayed by the Moire imaging is isotropic, it can be observed from various angles, will not be ignored, and can fall into the driver's sight <NUM> and be observed by the driver's eyes <NUM> of the vehicle behind, thus effectively ensuring the driving safety.

The headlamp plays a very important role in vehicle lighting. As shown in <FIG>. German patent application <CIT> provides a projection lighting module for a vehicle headlamp using a matrix LED light-emitting element <NUM>, which requires a lens group projection system consisting of several lenses, particularly a first lens <NUM> in <FIG>. The first lens <NUM> mainly functions to concentrate light beams and improve light efficiency, i.e., as a first-stage lens provided next to the matrix LED light-emitting element <NUM>, concentrating more light emitted from the matrix LED light-emitting element <NUM> into a lens of next-stage, thus improving the utilization efficiency of the light. However, this technical solution has the following deficiencies: (<NUM>) there are a larger number of lenses in the lens group, and when assembling a product, it is difficult to ensure relative positions of various lenses and between the lenses and the matrix LED light-emitting element <NUM>; and (<NUM>) the lens group with a larger number of lenses also makes the optical system have a larger dimension, which is not compact enough.

Based on the principle of the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging of the present invention, the overall dimension of the headlamp lighting module can be reduced.

As an example that does belong to the invention but usefull for its understanding shown in <FIG>, the headlamp lighting module may include a matrix LED light source <NUM> and a primary optical element, the primary optical element is provided as the microlens array <NUM>, the microlens array <NUM> is provided next to the matrix LED light source <NUM>, so that relative positions between the two can be easily ensured, moreover, the microlens array <NUM> with a small dimension replaces the first lens <NUM> in the technical solution of the above German patent <CIT>, and also can gather light to improve the light efficiency, that is, the microlens array <NUM> gathers more light emitted by the matrix LED light source <NUM> into a secondary lens group <NUM>, thus improving the utilization efficiency of light, reducing the number of lenses, meanwhile simplifying the structure of the headlamp lighting module of the vehicle, and facilitating the arrangement inside the vehicle lamp.

In the above, as an example of the disclosure that does not belong to the invention but is useful to its understanding shown in <FIG>, a light-emitting surface of the LED unit of the matrix LED light source <NUM> is preferably square, with a width dimension of less than or equal to <NUM> microns, the corresponding microlens <NUM> has a width dimension of less than or equal to <NUM> microns, and preferably, the width dimension of the light-emitting surface of the LED unit is less than the width dimension of the microlens <NUM>, in this way, the microlenses <NUM> can cover the light-emitting surface of the corresponding LED units in a light propagation direction, so that as much light as possible enters into the microlenses <NUM>. Further preferably, the microlens array <NUM> and the light-emitting surface array of the LED unit of the matrix LED light source <NUM> are attached.

Also, as an example of the disclosure that does not belong to the invention but is useful to its understanding shown in <FIG>, the above matrix LED light source <NUM> may be replaced by a Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM>. The Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM> refers to several small light-emitting surface matrices arranged horizontally and longitudinally obtained by dividing a whole LED light-emitting surface. Each small light-emitting surface can be individually addressed to control a lighting state. The advantage of the Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM> lies in having the characteristics of inorganic LED, such as high efficiency, high brightness, high reliability, and fast response time, also has the characteristics of self-illumination, small volume, being light and thin, and also can easily achieve the effect of energy saving.

In the above, as shown in <FIG>, the microlens array <NUM> can be made into a thin film, so that the microlens array <NUM> is attached to a light-emitting surface of the Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM>, for example, the microlens array <NUM> is fixed on the Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM> by UV glue (photosensitive glue), or is fixed on the Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM> by means of embossing. Without doubt, as shown in <FIG>, it is also possible that there is certain gap between the microlens array <NUM> and the light-emitting surface of the Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM>. The number of lenses can also be simplified, so that the structure of the headlamp lighting module of the vehicle is more compact, facilitating the arrangement inside the headlamp.

It can be seen intuitively from <FIG> that, as the matrix LED light source <NUM> or the LED units on the Micro LED light-emitting module <NUM> can be controlled to be turned off or turned on separately, the light pattern formed by the above lighting module of the headlamp is divided into matrix regions, so as to form light pattern regions in different shapes, such as a first light pattern region <NUM>, a second light pattern region <NUM>, a third light pattern region <NUM>, and a fourth light pattern region <NUM> marked on <FIG>. In particular, for example, for the light pattern displayed in the third light pattern region <NUM>, when the light source corresponding to the region where the vehicle appearing in front is located is turned off, the corresponding light pattern region forms a dark region, which can prevent dazzling from being caused to the vehicle ahead. Certainly, certain characters also may be formed by combining on and off of various LED units, so as to transmit driving information more accurately.

The display principle is described below for better understanding the embodiments of the lighting module for three-dimensional suspension imaging of the present invention.

The microlenses <NUM> are arranged according to a certain cycle to form the microlens array <NUM>, and the micro image-texts <NUM> are arranged according to a certain cycle to form the micro image-text array <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, a plane x-y coordinate system is established, the micro image-text array <NUM> is located on a lower surface of the transparent medium layer <NUM> (the transparent medium layer <NUM> is not shown), the microlens array <NUM> is located on an upper surface of the transparent medium layer <NUM>, and the cycles of the microlenses <NUM> in x and y directions are a1 and a2, respectively, the cycles of the micro image-texts <NUM> in the x and y directions are b1 and b2, respectively, and the thickness of the transparent medium layer <NUM> is h, equal to the focal length of the microlens <NUM>, that is, the micro image-texts <NUM> are located near a focal point of the microlens <NUM>.

The imaging of the microlens array <NUM> is forming Moire amplification pattern between the two array structures, i.e., the microlens array <NUM> and the micro image-text array <NUM>. According to Moire amplification formula, amplification powers wx and wy of the micro image-text <NUM> in the x and y directions are obtained as wx=a1/(b1-a1) and wy=a2/(b2-a2). If wx is positive, it indicates that orientation of a direction of the Moire amplification image in this direction is the same as the micro image-text <NUM>, and if wx and wy are negative, it indicates that the orientation of the direction of the Moire amplification image in this direction is opposite to the micro image-text <NUM>.

When the microlens array <NUM> and the micro image-text array <NUM> have a certain included angle θ therebetween, assuming that the cycles of the two array structures in this case are a and b, respectively, the cycle of the Moire amplification image is: <MAT>, and if a=b, the magnification power of the pattern is w=<NUM>/<NUM> sin(θ/<NUM>).

If it is defined that counterclockwise rotation of the microlens array <NUM> relative to the micro image-text array <NUM> is positive, positive and negative magnification powers indicate rotation direction of the Moire amplification image with respect to the micro image-texts <NUM>. If θ is negative, the magnification power w is also negative, and the Moire amplification image rotates counterclockwise by <NUM>°+<NUM>/<NUM> compared with the micro image-texts <NUM>, which is counterclockwise rotation. If θ is positive, the Moire amplification image rotates counterclockwise by -<NUM>°+θ/<NUM> compared with the micro image-texts, which is clockwise rotation.

When the microlens array <NUM> and the micro image-text array <NUM> have a certain distance therebetween, the micro image-text array <NUM> will be caused to move due to change of observation angle. Assume that the cycle of the microlens array <NUM> is a, the cycle of the micro image-text array <NUM> is b, the distance between the microlens <NUM> and the micro image-text <NUM> is h, and the cycle of the Moire amplification image is L.

As shown in <FIG>, when Φ deviated from the vertical direction is taken as the observation angle, a cycle by which the Moire amplification image moves can be expressed as kΦ=(htanΦ)/b.

When the observation is deviated by angle Φ, components of the cycle a of the microlens <NUM> and the cycle b of the micro text-image <NUM> in a direction perpendicular to the observation direction are a'=acosΦ and b'=bcosΦ;
when the observation is deviated by angle Φ, a cycle of the Moire amplification image displayed in a direction perpendicular to the observation direction is LΦ=LcosΦ.

Hence, when the observation angle is deviated from <NUM> ° to Φ, a moving length LL of the Moire amplification image is <MAT>.

LL can be used to describe dynamic effect of the Moire amplification image. It can be seen that the larger the cycle L of the Moire amplification image is, the larger the distance h between the microlens array <NUM> and the micro image-text array <NUM> is, and the smaller the cycle of the micro image-text array <NUM> is, then the better the dynamic effect is.

If the micro image-text array <NUM> and the microlens array <NUM> have the same arrangement direction and different arrangement cycles, the observer, moving eyes left and right or up and down, will see that a moving direction of the Moire amplification image is the same as or opposite to the direction in which the observer moves. When the magnification power w is positive, the directions are opposite; and when the magnification power w is negative, the directions are the same.

If the cycles of the micro image-text array <NUM> and the microlens array <NUM> are the same, but they have a small included angle θ therebetween, the Moire amplification image is arranged perpendicular to the micro image-text array <NUM>. When the eyes move longitudinally, the Moire amplification image moves horizontally. When θ is positive, the eyes move upward, then the Moire amplification image moves rightward; and when θ is negative, the eyes move upward, the Moire amplification image moves leftward.

The above stereoscopic effect is formed by binocular parallax during observation. When the left and right eyes observe simultaneously, due to different observation angles, images seen by the two eyes are different and have certain parallax. The images observed by the left and right eyes are merged in the brain to form stereoscopic vision. When the cycle of the micro image-texts <NUM> is less than that of the microlenses <NUM>, the feeling of image-text sinking is generated; on the contrary, when the cycle of the micro image-texts <NUM> is greater than that of the microlenses <NUM>, the feeling of image-text floating is generated.

Claim 1:
A lighting module for a vehicle lamp for three-dimensional suspension imaging, comprising a microlens array (<NUM>) and a micro image-text element, wherein a transparent medium layer (<NUM>) is provided between the microlens array (<NUM>) and the micro image-text element, the micro image-text element comprises a micro image-text array (<NUM>) corresponding to the microlens array (<NUM>), and the micro image-text element is arranged in such a way that light can be irradiated from the micro image-text array (<NUM>) to the microlens array (<NUM>) through the transparent medium layer (<NUM>), a combination of the micro image-text array (<NUM>) and the microlens array (<NUM>) achieves a Moire amplification effect through which the light through the micro image-text array (<NUM>) and the microlens array (<NUM>) can form a three-dimensional suspended image;
characterized in that the micro image-text array (<NUM>) comprises a micro image-text layer (<NUM>), and a plurality of hollowed-out micro image-texts (<NUM>) are arranged on the micro image-text layer (<NUM>).