US 8,569,953 B2Granted

Multi-function vehicle light assembly

OwnerYao Hung Huanginventor

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Abstract

A multi-function vehicle light assembly (MVLA) that incorporates in a single enclosure a plurality of LED modules. Each module produces a white light that indicates that a vehicle is in reverse, an amber light that indicates that a vehicle is making a right or a left turn, and a red light that functions as a vehicle tail-light and to indicate that the brakes are being applied. Two embodiments are disclosed, in the first embodiment the plurality of LED modules directly produce a set of white, amber and red lights. In the second embodiment an LED module is utilized that includes blue, green and red LEDs that are selectively combined by an LED control circuit to produce the white, amber and red lights. Each embodiment also includes a set of control units for selecting which of the input signal lines are to be activated.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A multi-function vehicle light assembly (MVLA) that operates in combination with a vehicle having a transmission with a reverse position, a turn lever, a brake pedal and a tail light switch, said MVLA comprising:

a) a vehicle function select circuit (12) having means for receiving and processing:
(1) a reverse input signal (11) and producing through an isolation diode (D1) a reverse output signal (21),
(2) a turn input signal (13) and producing through an isolation diode (D2) a turn output signal (23),
(3) a brake input signal (15) and producing through an isolation diode (D3) a brake output signal (25),
(4) a tail-light input signal (17) and producing through an isolation diode (D4) a tail-light output signal (27), wherein said function select circuit (12) selectively produces a single function select signal (29) that is dependent upon the particular vehicle function that is selected,
b) an LED drive circuit (14) having means for receiving and processing the function select signal (29) and producing an LED drive signal (31),
c) a plurality of LED modules (16) each containing a white LED (DS1), an amber LED (DS2) and a red LED (DS3), wherein to the anode of each LED is applied the LED drive signal (31), wherein the output from the module (16) is an LED control signal (33) taken from the respective cathode of each of the three LEDs (DS1), (DS2) and (DS3),
d) an LED control circuit (18) comprising:
(1) a transistor (Q1) having a base that is applied the reverse input signal (12) through a resistor (R1), the collector of transistor (Q1) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS1) and the emitter of transistor (Q1) is connected to circuit ground,
(2) a transistor (Q2) having a base that is applied the turn input signal (13) through a resistor (R2), the collector of transistor (Q2) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS2) and the emitter is connected to circuit ground,
(3) a transistor (Q3) having a base that is applied the brake input signal (15) through a resistor (R3) and an isolation diode (D5), the collector of transistor (Q3) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS3) and the emitter of transistor (Q3) is connected to circuit ground, wherein the brake input signal (15) is applied at maximum current when the vehicle brake pedal is depressed which then causes the red LED (DS3) to illuminate at maximum brightness, and
e) an LED brightness adjust circuit (20) having means for receiving and processing the tail-light input signal (17), and producing an LED dimming signal (35) that is applied to the base of transistor (Q3) through current limiting resistor (R3), wherein said circuit (20) limits the current applied to transistor (Q3) which, in turn, dims the illumination provided by the red LED (DS3) when the tail-light is “on” and the brake pedal is not depressed.

9 more elements

a) a vehicle function select circuit (12) having means for receiving and processing:
(1) a reverse input signal (11) and producing through an isolation diode (D1) a reverse output signal (21),
(2) a turn input signal (13) and producing through an isolation diode (D2) a turn output signal (23),
(3) a brake input signal (15) and producing through an isolation diode (D3) a brake output signal (25),
(4) a tail-light input signal (17) and producing through an isolation diode (D4) a tail-light output signal (27), wherein said function select circuit (12) selectively produces a function select signal (29) that is dependent upon the particular vehicle function that is selected,
b) an LED drive circuit (14) having means for receiving and processing the function select signal (29) and producing an LED drive signal (31),
c) a plurality of LED modules (16) each containing a blue LED (DS1), a green LED (DS2) and a red LED (DS3), wherein to the anode of each LED is applied the LED drive signal (31), wherein the output from the module (16) is an LED control signal (33) taken from the respective cathode of each of the three LEDs (DS1), (DS2) and (DS3),
d) an LED control module (22) having means for receiving and processing the reverse input signal (11), the turn input signal (13), the brake input signal (15) and the tail-light input signal (17), wherein said module (22) has means for determining which LEDs are to be activated and combined to produce an amber light, a white light or a red light, wherein the output of the module (22) is comprised of a blue activation signal (41), a green activation signal (43) and a red activation signal (45),
e) an LED control circuit (18) comprising:
(1) a transistor (Q1) having a base that is applied the blue activation signal (41) through a resistor (R1), the collector of transistor (Q1) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS1) and the emitter of transistor (Q1) is connected to circuit ground,
(2) a transistor (Q2) having a base that is applied the green activation signal (43) through a resistor (R2), the collector of transistor (Q2) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS2) and the emitter is connected to circuit ground, and
(3) a transistor (Q3) having a base that is applied the red activation signal (45) through a resistor (R3), the collector of transistor (Q3) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS3) and the emitter of transistor (Q3) is connected to circuit ground.

9 more elements

a) a vehicle function select circuit (12) having means for receiving and processing:
(1) a reverse input signal (11) and producing through an isolation diode (D1) a reverse output signal (21),
(2) a turn input signal (13) and producing through an isolation diode (D2) a turn output signal (23),
(3) a brake input signal (15) and producing through an isolation diode (D3) a brake output signal (25),
(4) a tail-light input signal (17) and producing through an isolation diode (D4) a tail-light output signal (27), wherein said function select circuit (12) selectively produces a single function select signal (29) that is dependent upon the particular vehicle function that is selected,
b) an LED drive circuit (14) having means for receiving and processing the function select signal (29) and producing an LED drive signal (31),
c) a plurality of LED modules (16) each containing a blue LED (DS1), a green LED (DS2) and a red LED (DS3), wherein to the anode of each LED is applied the LED drive signal (31), wherein the output from the module (16) is an LED control signal (33) taken from the respective cathode of each of the three LEDs (DS1), (DS2) and (DS3),
d) an LED control module (22) having means for receiving and processing the reverse input signal (11), the turn input signal (13), the brake input signal (15) and the tail-light input signal (17), wherein said module (22) has means for determining which LEDs are to be activated and combined to produce an amber light, a white light or a red light, wherein the output of the module (22) is comprised of a blue activation signal (41), a green activation signal (43) and a red activation signal (45),
e) an LED control circuit (18) comprising:
(1) a transistor (Q1) having a base that is applied the blue activation signal (41) through a resistor (R1), the collector of transistor (Q1) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS1) and the emitter of transistor (Q1) is connected to circuit ground,
(2) a transistor (Q2) having a base that is applied the green activation signal (43) through a resistor (R2), the collector of transistor (Q2) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS2) and the emitter is connected to circuit ground, and
(3) a transistor (Q3) having a base that is applied the red activation signal (45) through a resistor (R3), the collector of transistor (Q3) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS3) and the emitter of transistor (Q3) is connected to circuit ground,
f) a first control unit (24) connected in series with the reverse input signal (11),
g) a second control unit (26) connected in series with the turn input signal (13),
h) a third control unit (28) connected in series with the brake input signal (15), and
i) a fourth control unit (30) connected in series with the tail-light input signal (17), wherein said first, second, third and fourth control units are each comprised of a PCB header having a removable jumper link.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/479,879Filed 24 May 2012 · continuation in part
Priority: 31 Jan 2011
Published: US 2012/0194072 A113 Sep 2012
Granted: 29 Oct 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B60Q 1/2607
The devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic: comprising at least two…
H05B 45/10
Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]: controlling the intensity of the light
H05B 45/46
With an active control inside an LED matrix: having LEDs disposed in parallel lines
H05B 47/105
Controlling the light source: in response to determined parameters

Family

Application12/931,375Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Jan 2011
US 2012/0229027 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Sep 2012
US 8,441,194 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2012/0194072 A1Published application
US 8,569,953 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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