Patent ID: 7635210

Claim:
An illuminated door handle for a vehicle door, comprising: An illuminated door handle for a vehicle door, comprising: a mounting frame; a handle arm pivotally attached to said mounting frame; said handle arm having at least one window portion and defining a cavity; an light emitting diode (LED) light guide extending into said cavity; a multicolor LED emitting a plurality of colors indicating a plurality of vehicle conditions; a back plate attached to said handle arm and extending across said cavity and including at least one light port; said multicolor LED attached to said LED light guide and transmitting light through said window portion of said handle arm and at least one light port of said back plate simultaneously; wherein said light through the at least one light port emits onto said outboard surface of said mounting frame; an uneven textured surface disposed on said at least one light port of the back plate for providing friction for opening said vehicle door; and a sensor detecting when an engine for said vehicle is running; and a controller coupled to said sensor and actuating said LED to emit a predetermined color to indicate that said engine is running.