Task lighting using liquid crystals with an adjustable and automated beam pattern

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes determining, based on sensor data captured by a passenger monitoring system, a region of an interior compartment of the vehicle to be illuminated. The method further includes determining an illumination beam pattern for light emitted by the adjustable task-lighting module that at least partially illuminates the region of the interior compartment of the vehicle. The method further includes determining, based on the illumination beam pattern, a control voltage, wherein an adjustable voltage source coupled to a configurable liquid-crystal element is configured to provide the control voltage to the configurable liquid-crystal element for configuring an illumination beam pattern of an adjustable task-lighting module. The method further includes controlling the adjustable voltage source to provide the control voltage to the configurable liquid-crystal element for configuring the adjustable task-lighting module to emit light having the illumination beam pattern.