DE 10 2012 010 757 A1 discloses an illuminating device for a vehicle. The illuminating device includes an eye-tracking system for detecting an eye position and its viewing direction. The illuminating device is divided into several predefined switch-on ranges, and light is emitted only into that predefined switch-on range which corresponds to the user's field of vision. No light is emitted as soon as the user's field of vision does not correspond to the respective predefined switch-on range.
The disadvantage, however, consists in that drivers of a motor vehicle during darkness frequently orientate themselves using the lighting of motor vehicle instruments. If the instruments are always completely switched-off as soon as the driver ceases to look in their direction, the driver loses his orientation more easily, which may make operation of the motor vehicle more difficult.
This leads to the requirement to further develop a method to address this disadvantage in such a way that it becomes easier for the driver to orientate himself in a dark motor vehicle without being irritated by the lighting of at least one motor vehicle instrument.