1. A lighting system for a motor vehicle comprising an elongate light source arranged substantially horizontally along the door below a waistline of a door of the motor vehicle on an interior side of the door wherein, when the door is in a closed position, light is directed from the light source when required in a downward direction to illuminate part of an interior of the motor vehicle and, when the door is in an open position, light is directed from the light source in a downward direction to illuminate the ground adjacent the motor vehicle.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises a shade to prevent light from the light source from being projected upwardly.
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is mounted near to the waistline of the door.
4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the door includes an inner door casing and the light source is mounted between a sill portion of the inner door casing and an armrest portion of the inner door casing.
5. The system as claimed in any of claim 1, wherein the door includes an inner door casing and the light source is mounted in a recess formed by the inner door casing.
6. The system as claimed in any of claim 1, wherein the door includes an inner door casing having an aperture into which is fitted a light housing and the light source is mounted in the light housing.
7. The system as claimed in any of claim 1 further comprising a sensor to sense whether the door is open or closed and the light source is automatically illuminated whenever the door is sensed to be open.
8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is comprised of a number of discrete lamps arranged in one or more rows substantially horizontally along the door.
9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is an array of LEDs.
10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the array of LEDs includes LEDs of differing color so that the color of the light emitted by the light source can be changed.
11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system further comprises at least one human machine interface to control operation of the light source.
12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one human machine interface is operable by a user of the motor vehicle to change the color of the light emitted from the light source.
13. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light source is operable at more than one intensity.
14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the light source is operable at least at a high intensity and a low intensity.
15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the light source is operated at a high intensity when the door is opened to illuminate the ground in the vicinity of the door opening.
16. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein a human machine interface is operable to control the illumination state of the light source when the door is closed.
17. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the illumination state includes whether the light source is switched on or off.
18. The system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the illumination state includes the intensity of illumination provided.
19. A vehicle lighting system comprising an elongate light source arranged along an interior side of a vehicle door, wherein when the door is in a closed position, light is directed from the light source in a downward direction to illuminate an interior of the vehicle, and when the door is in an opened position, light is directed from the light source in a downward direction to illuminate ground adjacent the vehicle.
20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the light source is arranged below a waistline of the door.
21. A motor vehicle comprising:
a door; and
an elongate light source arranged along an interior side of the door, wherein when the door is in a closed position, light is directed from the light source in a downward direction to illuminate an interior of the motor vehicle, and when the door is in an opened position, light is directed from the light source in a downward direction to illuminate ground adjacent the vehicle.
22. A motor vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the vehicle includes a number of passenger doors to permit ingress and egress from the motor vehicle and each passenger door includes a light source fitted to the inner side of the door and at least one human machine interface is provided to control the operation of the light sources.
23. The motor vehicle as claimed in claim 21, wherein the light source is arranged below a waistline of the door.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for detecting a second vehicle passing by a first vehicle in the dark, comprising:
detecting a light cone that is moving at a lateral offset relative to the first vehicle using a camera; and
assigning the relatively moving light cone to the second vehicle by an analyzer device.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the camera detects the light cone in a lateral zone that is located ahead of the first vehicle outside of a traffic lane of the first vehicle.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the analyzer device assigns an increase in light intensity in an area of the lateral zone close to the first vehicle to the light cone of the second vehicle which is in the process of passing.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the analyzer device determines a boundary zone in which a light intensity increases above a threshold value, detects a shift in the boundary zone over time, and assigns the shift to a movement of the light cone of the second vehicle.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the analyzer device estimates a velocity of the second vehicle based on the shift in the boundary zone.
6. The method according to claim 2, wherein after an increase in a light intensity the analyzer device detects a decrease in the light intensity below a threshold value in an area of the lateral zone close to the first vehicle, and in response thereto issues a signal which indicates that the second vehicle is at least partially beside the first vehicle.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the camera detects taillights of the second vehicle, and in response thereto the analyzer device issues a signal which indicates that the second vehicle has passed the first vehicle.
8. A device for detecting a second vehicle passing by a first vehicle in the dark, comprising:
a camera for detecting a light cone that is moving at a lateral offset relative to the first vehicle; and
an analyzer device for assigning the relatively moving light cone to the second vehicle.