Patent ID: 7495548

Claim:
A vehicle cabin lighting apparatus comprising: a monitor mounted to a ceiling of a vehicle cabin; a monitor folding-or-unfolding detector for detecting whether said monitor is placed in a folded or unfolded state; a monitor controller for determining whether said monitor is placed in a video display mode or lighting mode based on a detection output of said monitor folding-or-unfolding detector, for controlling an operation of said monitor according to a result of the determination, and for applying, as illumination light, light emitted out of said monitor to the vehicle cabin when said monitor is placed in the lighting mode; and wherein the monitor controller controls the operation of said monitor so that said monitor enters the lighting mode when said monitor is placed in the unfolded state, and so that said monitor enters the video display mode when said monitor is placed in the unfolded state, and so that said monitor enters the video display mode when said monitor is placed in the folded state.