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Utilization of new technologies, such as LEDs, light guides, and electro-luminesence (EL), in courtesy lighting offers promising opportunities in styling, packaging, and functionality. Although these lamps are not as strictly regulated as other automotive lighting, considerable investigation is required to meet the desired styling and performance. In this paper we present the results of a study on running board lighting. This investigation was used to guide development of external courtesy lighting, where direct light, reflected light, contrast, and directionality are all design considerations.

Neon light sources offer unique challenges to the optical design of automotive lighting. When the tubular neon light source was first introduced, its luminous intensity distribution was assumed to be the same as other tubular sources, such as fluorescent tubes. However, upon investigation and analysis of measured data it became apparent that unlike fluorescents, neon tubes, as a volume source, provide a unique luminous intensity distribution instead of the familiar Lambertian distribution. This paper will develop an optical model for a tubular volume light source (neon tube), and further results will identify the effects of other optical elements, such as fluted lensing.