Snowplow light control system
AssigneeSno-Way International, Inc.
InventorsTimothy Koch, Wilhelm F. Von Menze, Jacob R. Brehmer, Terry C. Wendorff
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An auxiliary lighting system for an auxiliary device and methods are provided. The auxiliary lighting system senses the operational state of various ones of the vehicle lights of the vehicle and operably controls the operational state of various auxiliary lights based on the operational state of one or more of the vehicle lights. The method includes controlling the auxiliary lighting system based on the operational state of the vehicle lights.
Claims31
An auxiliary lighting system for use with an auxiliary device useable with a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle lighting system including a vehicle headlight that includes a vehicle low beam light and a vehicle high beam light, and a manually actuable headlight control for switching between operational states of the vehicle headlight, the vehicle lighting system further includes a vehicle marker light and a manually actuable vehicle light control having a vehicle marker light on state wherein the vehicle marker light is active and the vehicle headlights are inactive and a vehicle headlight on state wherein the vehicle headlight is active;
- the auxiliary lighting system comprising:
- an auxiliary high beam light;
- an auxiliary low beam light;
- a vehicle headlight sensor configured to sense an operational state of the vehicle headlight;
- an auxiliary light controller operably connected to the vehicle headlight sensor to receive a vehicle headlight operational state signal related to the operational state of the vehicle headlight from the vehicle headlight sensor, the auxiliary light controller operable to control an operational state of the auxiliary high beam light based on the vehicle headlight operational state signal and operable to control the operational state of the auxiliary low beam light based on the vehicle headlight operational state signal;
- a vehicle marker light sensor configured to sense an operational state of the vehicle marker light, the vehicle marker light sensor operably connected to the auxiliary light controller to send a vehicle marker light operational state signal to the auxiliary light controller;
- and
- the auxiliary light controller activating at least one of the auxiliary high beam light and the auxiliary low beam light when the vehicle marker light operational state signal indicates the vehicle marker light is active.
An auxiliary lighting system for use with an auxiliary device useable with a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle lighting system including a vehicle headlight that includes a vehicle low beam light and a vehicle high beam light and a manually actuable headlight control for switching between operational states of the vehicle headlight, the vehicle lighting system further includes a vehicle marker light and a manually actuable vehicle light control having a vehicle marker light on state wherein the vehicle marker light is active and the vehicle headlights are inactive and a vehicle headlight on state wherein the vehicle headlight is active;
- the auxiliary lighting system comprising:
- an auxiliary high beam light;
- an auxiliary low beam light;
- a vehicle headlight sensor configured to sense an operational state of the vehicle headlight;
- an auxiliary light controller operably connected to the vehicle headlight sensor to receive a vehicle headlight operational state signal related to the operational state of the vehicle headlight from the vehicle headlight sensor, the auxiliary light controller operable to control an operational state of the auxiliary high beam light based on the vehicle headlight operational state signal and operable to control the operational state of the auxiliary low beam light based on the vehicle headlight operational state signal;
- a vehicle marker light sensor configured to sense an operational state of the vehicle marker light, the vehicle marker light sensor operably connected to the auxiliary light controller to send a vehicle marker light operational state signal to the auxiliary light controller;
- the auxiliary light control having:
- an auxiliary light control on state wherein at least one of the auxiliary high beam light and the auxiliary low beam light is active;
- an auxiliary light control off state wherein both of the auxiliary high beam light and the auxiliary low beam light are inactive;
- and
- wherein the auxiliary light control switches from the auxiliary light control off state to the auxiliary light control on state upon receipt of a vehicle marker light operational state signal indicating that the vehicle marker light is active.
A method of operating an auxiliary lighting astern, the auxiliary lighting system for use with an auxiliary device useable with a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle lighting system including a vehicle headlight that includes a vehicle low beam light and a vehicle high beam light, and a manually actuable headlight control for switching between operational states of the vehicle headlight, the vehicle lighting system further includes a vehicle marker light and a manually actuable vehicle light control having a vehicle marker light on state wherein the vehicle marker light is active and the vehicle headlights are inactive and a vehicle headlight on state wherein the vehicle headlight is active, the auxiliary lighting system comprising an auxiliary high beam light, an auxiliary low beam light, a vehicle marker light sensor configured to sense changes in the operational state of the vehicle marker light, the vehicle marker light sensor operably connected to the auxiliary light controller to send a vehicle marker light on signal to the auxiliary light controller upon sensing activation of the vehicle marker light, the method comprising:
- sensing, with a vehicle headlight sensor, an operational state of the vehicle headlight;
- sending, to an auxiliary light controller, a vehicle headlight operational state signal indicating the operational state of the vehicle headlight;
- receiving, by the auxiliary light controller, the vehicle headlight operational state signal;
- and
- switching, with the auxiliary light controller, an operational state of an auxiliary low beam light and an operational state of an auxiliary high beam light based on the vehicle headlight operational state signal,
- activating at least one of the auxiliary high beam light and the auxiliary low beam light upon receipt of the vehicle marker light on signal.
An auxiliary lighting system for use with an auxiliary device useable with a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle lighting system including a vehicle headlight that can switch between a vehicle low beam mode and a vehicle high beam mode, and a manually actuable headlight control for switching between operational states of the vehicle headlight, the vehicle lighting system further includes a vehicle marker light and a manually actuable vehicle light control having a vehicle marker light on state wherein the vehicle marker light is active and the vehicle headlights are inactive and a vehicle headlight on state wherein the vehicle headlight is active, the auxiliary lighting system comprising:
- an auxiliary headlight having:
- an auxiliary high beam light mode;
- an auxiliary low beam light mode;
- a vehicle headlight sensor configured to sense an operational state of the vehicle headlight;
- an auxiliary light controller operably connected to the vehicle headlight sensor to receive a vehicle headlight operational state signal related to the operational state of the vehicle headlight from the vehicle headlight sensor, the auxiliary light controller operable to control an operational state of the auxiliary headlight between the auxiliary high beam light mode and the auxiliary low beam light mode based on the vehicle headlight operational state signal;
- a vehicle marker light sensor configured to sense an operational state of the vehicle marker light, the vehicle marker light sensor operably connected to the auxiliary light controller to send a vehicle marker light operational state signal to the auxiliary light controller;
- and
- the auxiliary light controller activating the auxiliary headlight when the vehicle marker light operational state signal indicates the vehicle marker light is active.
A method of operating an auxiliary lighting system for use with an auxiliary device useable with a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle lighting system including a vehicle headlight that can switch between a vehicle low beam mode and a vehicle high beam mode, and a manually actuable headlight control for switching between operational states of the vehicle headlight, the vehicle lighting system further includes a vehicle marker light and a manually actuable vehicle light control having a vehicle marker light on state wherein the vehicle marker light is active and the vehicle headlights are inactive and a vehicle headlight on state wherein the vehicle headlight is active, the auxiliary lighting system comprising an auxiliary headlight switchable between auxiliary high beam mode and an auxiliary low beam mode, a vehicle marker light sensor configured to sense changes in the operational state of the vehicle marker light, the vehicle marker light sensor operably connected to an auxiliary light controller to send a vehicle marker light on signal to the auxiliary light controller upon sensing activation of the vehicle marker light, the method comprising:
- activating the auxiliary headlight upon receipt of the vehicle marker light on signal;
- sensing, with a vehicle headlight sensor, an operational state of the vehicle headlight;
- sending, to an auxiliary light controller, a vehicle headlight operational state signal indicating the operational state of the vehicle headlight;
- receiving, by the auxiliary light controller, the vehicle headlight operational state signal;
- and
- switching, with the auxiliary light controller, an operational state of the auxiliary headlight between the auxiliary high beam mode and the auxiliary low beam mode based on the vehicle headlight operational state signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.