Patents by Inventor Helmut Erdl

Helmut Erdl has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11803048
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle includes a first light source for producing visible light and a MEMS scanner in which a single tiltable mirror is integrated. A light spot, which is generated by the lighting device at a distance from the latter, can be moved by a scanning movement of the mirror. A control apparatus is provided in the lighting device and can be used to operate the lighting device in a first mode of operation. The control apparatus is further configured to operate the lighting device in a second mode of operation. Moreover, a sensor apparatus is provided, such that in the second mode of operation, the apparatus detects as sensor data light radiation which originates from the surroundings of the motor vehicle and which is incident on the mirror. The control apparatus carries out object recognition by way of evaluation of the sensor data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi
  • Patent number: 11421842
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting unit for a motor vehicle headlight for generating a light distribution having a light-dark boundary, wherein the lighting unit (1) comprises a light source (2), a first reflector (R1) having at least one focal point (F1R1) in which the light source (2) is arranged, a second reflector (R2) having at least one focal point (F1R2), wherein the second reflector (R2) is arranged downstream of the first reflector (R1) in the beam path (S), and an aperture (B) arranged between the first reflector (R1) and the second reflector (R2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignees: ZKW Group GmbH, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stephan Arlinghaus, Helmut Erdl
  • Publication number: 20220146817
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle includes a first light source for producing visible light and a MEMS scanner in which a single tiltable mirror is integrated. A light spot, which is generated by the lighting device at a distance from the latter, can be moved by a scanning movement of the mirror. A control apparatus is provided in the lighting device and can be used to operate the lighting device in a first mode of operation. The control apparatus is further configured to operate the lighting device in a second mode of operation. Moreover, a sensor apparatus is provided, such that in the second mode of operation, the apparatus detects as sensor data light radiation which originates from the surroundings of the motor vehicle and which is incident on the mirror. The control apparatus carries out object recognition by way of evaluation of the sensor data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI
  • Patent number: 11326754
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus for a motor vehicle includes a light source for emitting light of a first mixed color, said light source containing one or more laser diodes for generating monochromatic light and a first conversion element for converting the monochromatic light into the light of the first mixed color. The illumination apparatus also includes a first optical device which images the light source as a real image in an intermediate image plane, and a second optical device which generates a predefined light distribution from the real image in the intermediate image plane. A second conversion element is provided at the site of the real image in the intermediate image plane in order to convert the light of the first mixed color into light of a second mixed color.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi
  • Publication number: 20220099262
    Abstract: An illumination apparatus for a motor vehicle includes a light source for emitting light of a first mixed color, said light source containing one or more laser diodes for generating monochromatic light and a first conversion element for converting the monochromatic light into the light of the first mixed color. The illumination apparatus also includes a first optical device which images the light source as a real image in an intermediate image plane, and a second optical device which generates a predefined light distribution from the real image in the intermediate image plane. A second conversion element is provided at the site of the real image in the intermediate image plane in order to convert the light of the first mixed color into light of a second mixed color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI
  • Patent number: 11287099
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle has a laser light source for producing laser light and a converting unit having a reflective converting layer, at which laser light originating from the laser light source is directed, during operation of the lighting device, such that a white light source is produced at the converting layer. A reflector is provided, which has an elliptical reflection surface, which corresponds to a portion of an ellipsoid containing a vertex of the ellipsoid. The reflector is shaped and arranged such that a first focal point of the ellipsoid lies within the white light source and the white light source is optically imaged in the form of a real intermediate image, which includes a second focal point of the ellipsoid, by way of the reflector. The lighting device also has a secondary optical unit, by which a light distribution in the environment of the motor vehicle is produced from the real intermediate image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi
  • Patent number: 11255505
    Abstract: A vehicle headlight includes a low beam light module and a appearance light module, which are embodied, arranged and designed such that, in a low beam mode, less than 30% of the light intensity emitted by the vehicle headlight with respect to a vertical orientation above the light-shadow line and with respect to the horizontal orientation in the direction of travel, is generated by the low beam light module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Andreas Kaltenbach, Ulrich Henseler
  • Publication number: 20220010938
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting unit for a motor vehicle headlight for generating a light distribution having a light-dark boundary, wherein the lighting unit (1) comprises a light source (2), a first reflector (R1) having at least one focal point (F1R1) in which the light source (2) is arranged, a second reflector (R2) having at least one focal point (F1R2), wherein the second reflector (R2) is arranged downstream of the first reflector (R1) in the beam path (S), and an aperture (B) arranged between the first reflector (R1) and the second reflector (R2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Stephan Arlinghaus, Helmut Erdl
  • Patent number: 11208035
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus for a motor vehicle has a lighting module. The lighting module includes a laser light source for generating laser light. The laser light source has one or more laser diodes. The lighting module also includes an optical device on which the laser light is incident and which is designed to generate a defined symbol in the surroundings of the motor vehicle. The optical apparatus includes one or more holographically optical elements which are substantially non-absorbent to the laser light and which are designed to produce an interference of the laser light by phase modulation thereof in order to generate the defined symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi, Lenja Sorokin
  • Patent number: 11060681
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle has a plurality of laser light sources and an optical channel via which light from the plurality of laser light sources is conducted during the operation of the lighting device, in order to generate light spread from the conducted light in the area around the motor vehicle. The lighting device is characterized in that an optical element, which can be switched by a control device into different switching states, is provided between the plurality of laser light sources and the optical channel, a different switching state being associated with each laser light source. In each respective switching state, only light from the laser light source associated with the respective switching state is fed into the optical channel by way of the optical element. The control device is designed such that, when the light of one of the plurality of laser light sources is fed into the optical channel, the device keeps the other at least one laser light source switched off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi
  • Patent number: 11046245
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a lighting module that generates a symbol on the ground in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, a surrounding sensor system that detects sensor information in a region in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, and a controller designed to control the lighting module depending on the sensor information such that the symbol is generated automatically by the lighting module in a ground region between the motor vehicle and another road user as soon as the distance between the motor vehicle and the other road user falls below a specified threshold according to the sensor information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi, Thomas Hausmann, Lenja Sorokin
  • Patent number: 10989384
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle is provided that includes a laser light source including a plurality of laser diodes, a vector scanner on which falls at least one light bundle from the laser light source, and a control device. The vector scanner changes the position of the light bundle which moves a light spot produced from the light bundle to generate a predetermined light distribution. The vector scanner includes at least one MEMS component containing a housing, a semiconductor chip, a mirror on which at least one light bundle falls, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the MEMS component. The control device controls the electrical power of the laser light source and/or a cooling element arranged on the MEMS component according to the detected temperature of the MEMS component, such that the detected temperature does not exceed a predetermined temperature threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi
  • Patent number: 10967779
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle has a laser light source from the light of which light radiation is generated into the area around the motor vehicle during operation of the lighting device. In the lighting device, a plurality of optical channels is associated with the laser light source, and the light of the laser light source can be guided via each optical channel in order to generate a separate light spread associated with the optical channel from the guided light in the area around the motor vehicle. An optical element, which can be switched by a control device into different switching states, is provided between the laser light source and the plurality of optical channels. A different switching state is associated with each optical channel. In each respective switching state, light from the laser light source is fed only into the optical channel with which the respective switching state is associated, by means of the optical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi, Reinhard Seifried
  • Publication number: 20210033254
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle has a laser light source for producing laser light and a converting unit having a reflective converting layer, at which laser light originating from the laser light source is directed, during operation of the lighting device, such that a white light source is produced at the converting layer. A reflector is provided, which has an elliptical reflection surface, which corresponds to a portion of an ellipsoid containing a vertex of the ellipsoid. The reflector is shaped and arranged such that a first focal point of the ellipsoid lies within the white light source and the white light source is optically imaged in the form of a real intermediate image, which includes a second focal point of the ellipsoid, by way of the reflector. The lighting device also has a secondary optical unit, by which a light distribution in the environment of the motor vehicle is produced from the real intermediate image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI
  • Publication number: 20200400282
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle includes a light source and a spatial three-dimensional light modulator, on which light originating from the light source falls, wherein the three-dimensional light modulator can be activated electrically in order, during operation of the lighting device, to modulate the amplitude of the light falling thereon in such a way that a predefined light distribution is produced in the surroundings of the motor vehicle. Provided in the lighting device is a scanner, on which light originating from the light source falls and which is configured to carry out a scanning movement, such that a moving light beam which illuminates a predefined region on the three-dimensional light modulator is produced from the light which falls on the scanner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI
  • Patent number: 10731818
    Abstract: An illumination device is provided for a motor vehicle, including a light source consisting of a number of semiconductor diodes, and a scanner onto which a light beam produced by light of the light source falls and which modifies the position of the light beam during operation of the illumination device and thereby moves a light spot generated by the light beam at a distance from the illumination device. The moved light spot allows a predetermined light distribution to be generated. The illumination device is characterized in that a beam delimiting device, which allows the cross-section of the light beam to be delimited along a predetermined boundary, is provided between the light source and the scanner. The illumination device is designed in such a way that one or more light-shadow lines can be formed in the predetermined light distribution by way of at least one section of the predetermined boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Helmut Erdl, Abdelmalek Hanafi
  • Publication number: 20200198521
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle has a laser light source from the light of which light radiation is generated into the area around the motor vehicle during operation of the lighting device. In the lighting device, a plurality of optical channels is associated with the laser light source, and the light of the laser light source can be guided via each optical channel in order to generate a separate light spread associated with the optical channel from the guided light in the area around the motor vehicle. An optical element, which can be switched by a control device into different switching states, is provided between the laser light source and the plurality of optical channels. A different switching state is associated with each optical channel. In each respective switching state, light from the laser light source is fed only into the optical channel with which the respective switching state is associated, by means of the optical element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI, Reinhard SEIFRIED
  • Publication number: 20200200346
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle has a plurality of laser light sources and an optical channel via which light from the plurality of laser light sources is conducted during the operation of the lighting device, in order to generate light spread from the conducted light in the area around the motor vehicle. The lighting device is characterized in that an optical element, which can be switched by a control device into different switching states, is provided between the plurality of laser light sources and the optical channel, a different switching state being associated with each laser light source. In each respective switching state, only light from the laser light source associated with the respective switching state is fed into the optical channel by way of the optical element. The control device is designed such that, when the light of one of the plurality of laser light sources is fed into the optical channel, the device keeps the other at least one laser light source switched off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI
  • Publication number: 20190389373
    Abstract: A motor vehicle includes a lighting module that generates a symbol on the ground in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, a surrounding sensor system that detects sensor information in a region in the surroundings of the motor vehicle, and a controller designed to control the lighting module depending on the sensor information such that the symbol is generated automatically by the lighting module in a ground region between the motor vehicle and another road user as soon as the distance between the motor vehicle and the other road user falls below a specified threshold according to the sensor information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI, Thomas HAUSMANN, Lenja SOROKIN
  • Publication number: 20190293253
    Abstract: A lighting device for a motor vehicle is provided that includes a laser light source including a plurality of laser diodes, a vector scanner on which falls at least one light bundle from the laser light source, and a control device. The vector scanner changes the position of the light bundle which moves a light spot produced from the light bundle to generate a predetermined light distribution. The vector scanner includes at least one MEMS component containing a housing, a semiconductor chip, a mirror on which at least one light bundle falls, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the MEMS component. The control device controls the electrical power of the laser light source and/or a cooling element arranged on the MEMS component according to the detected temperature of the MEMS component, such that the detected temperature does not exceed a predetermined temperature threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Helmut ERDL, Abdelmalek HANAFI