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US 11,524,638 B2Granted
Enhanced communication system for vehicle hazard lights
AssigneeESS-Help, Inc.
InventorsDavid M. Tucker, Daniel Anthony Tucker, John Zachariah Cobb, Jonathan Torkelson, Denver Kimberlin, Devender Nath Maurya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for implementing strobing of existing vehicle hazard lights including an interface to a vehicle wiring harness configured to receive input to an existing vehicle flasher module, and a strobing circuit that responds to an activation signal from the vehicle wiring harness that is indicative of a hazard flasher deployment event by producing an electrical output through the interface to the vehicle wiring harness that causes a strobing of existing vehicle hazard lamps.
Claims19
A system comprising:
- a set of signal lights comprising:
- a left front signal light positioned on a left front of a vehicle;
- a right front signal light positioned on a right front of the vehicle;
- a left rear signal light positioned on a left rear of the vehicle;
- and
- a right rear signal light positioned on a right rear of the vehicle;
- a wiring harness wired to activate each one of the set of signal lights;
- a signal light stalk connected to the wiring harness to active either the left front and left rear lights as a left turn indicator at a first flash rate, or the right front and right rear lights as a right turn indicator at the first flash rate;
- and
- a hazard switch connected to a microcontroller that utilizes the wiring harness to activate each one of the set of signal lights simultaneously at a second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate;
- an accelerometer in communication with the microcontroller;
- wherein the microcontroller strobes the set of signal lights, at the second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate, simultaneously in response to receipt of a signal from the microcontroller indicative of non-typical driving;
- wherein the non-typical driving includes rapid deceleration.
10 more elements
A system comprising:
- a set of signal lights comprising:
- a left front signal light positioned on a left front of a vehicle;
- a right front signal light positioned on a right front of the vehicle;
- a left rear signal light positioned on a left rear of the vehicle;
- and
- a right rear signal light positioned on a right rear of the vehicle;
- a wiring harness configured to selectively activate each one of the set of signal lights;
- a signal light stalk connected to the wiring harness to active either the left front and left rear lights as a left turn indicator at a first flash rate, or the right front and right rear lights as a right turn indicator at the first flash rate;
- a hazard switch connected to the wiring harness to activate the set of signal lights as hazard lights at the first flash rate;
- and
- a control connected to a microprocessor utilizing the wiring harness to activate the set of signal lights as increased visibility lights with a flashing pattern, at least a portion of which has a second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate;
- an accelerometer in communication with the microprocessor;
- wherein the microprocessor strobes the set of signal lights, at the second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate, simultaneously in response to receipt of a signal from the microprocessor indicative of non-typical driving;
- wherein the non-typical driving includes rapid deceleration.
11 more elements
A vehicle lighting safety device comprising:
- a wiring harness wired to activate each one of the set of original vehicle equipment signal lights;
- a microcontroller connected to the wiring harness configured to selectively activate each one of a set of original vehicle equipment signal lights utilizing the wiring harness, including a left front signal light positioned on a left front of the vehicle, a right front signal light positioned on a right front of the vehicle, a left rear signal light positioned on a left rear of the vehicle, and a right rear signal light positioned on a right rear of the vehicle;
- a signal light stalk operatively connected to the wiring harness and the microcontroller to activate either the left front and left rear lights as a left turn indicator at a first flash rate, or the right front and right rear lights as a right turn indicator at the first flash rate;
- and
- at least one hazard input communicatively coupled to the and the wiring harness and the microcontroller and the at least one hazard input is a driver accessible hazard switch inside the vehicle to activate the set of signal lights at a second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate;
- an accelerometer in communication with the microcontroller;
- wherein the microcontroller strobes the set of signal lights, at the second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate, simultaneously in response to receipt of a signal from the microcontroller indicative of non-typical driving;
- wherein the non-typical driving includes rapid deceleration.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.