US 12,222,080 B1
Common cavity lighting assembly using auto shading
Jonglee Park, Novi, MI (US); Thomas S. Prevost, West Bloomfield, MI (US); and Helgert Elezi, Clinton Township, MI (US)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Nov. 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/504,443.
Int. Cl. F21S 41/68 (2018.01); F21S 41/20 (2018.01); F21S 41/265 (2018.01); F21S 41/40 (2018.01); F21W 102/13 (2018.01)
CPC F21S 41/68 (2018.01) [F21S 41/265 (2018.01); F21S 41/285 (2018.01); F21S 41/40 (2018.01); F21W 2102/13 (2018.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a lighting assembly comprising a common cavity, the common cavity comprising:
an outer lens coated with an auto-shading film, the auto-shading film comprising discrete substructures which vary in alignment in response to an electric field, thereby varying a transmittance through the outer lens;
a primary light source positioned behind the outer lens, the primary light source configured to emit light through the auto-shading film and the outer lens;
a secondary light source positioned on an edge sidewall of the outer lens, the secondary light source configured to emit light into the outer lens, wherein the outer lens and the auto-shading film collectively serve as a light guide for light emitted from the secondary light source into the outer lens; and
a wire embedded in the auto-shading film; and
a controller electrically coupled to the wire, the controller configured to direct a switching voltage to a switch to change a state of the switch, thereby causing the wire to deliver the electric field to the discrete substructures to change the transmittance of the auto-shading film.