Patent classifications
B60Q11/007
LIGHTING STATE DETECTION FOR A VEHICLE TRAILER
A towing vehicle includes a towing control unit with circuitry to detect whether a light is connected to the electrical harness electrically coupling the vehicle to the trailer. The towing control unit may include lamp connectivity circuits for, for example, the left turn signal and the right turn signal. To determine whether the turn light is connected, the corresponding connectivity circuit periodically generates a test signal. Based on characteristics of a response signal to the test signal. The connectivity circuit determines whether the corresponding turn signal light of the trailer is connected based on a response to the test signal. The connectivity circuit may distinguished whether an incandescent-based turn signal light, a light emitting diode (LED)-based turn signal light, and an open circuit is sensed based on the characteristics of the response signal.
USER GUIDANCE DEVICE
A user guidance device to be mounted on a vehicle includes: a user determination unit that determines whether or not a user of the vehicle is present around the vehicle; a state acquisition unit that acquires information about at least one of a vehicle interior state and a vehicle exterior state of the vehicle; and a guidance unit that guides the user by using light, based on the information acquired by the state acquisition unit, in a case where the user determination unit determines that the user is present.
METHOD FOR OPERATING AT LEAST ONE DIRECTION INDICATOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND MOTOR VEHICLE
A method for operating at least one direction indicator of a motor vehicle, wherein, as of an actuation time, the direction indicator outputs a light signal comprising a periodic repetition of alternately successive on-phases and off-phases. A discrepancy of a starting phase angle of the light signal with respect to a predefined reference signal is determined at the actuation time and is compared with a predefined target phase angle assigned to the direction indicator. When there is a phase offset between the starting phase angle and the target phase angleat least two of the on-phases and/or the off-phases of the light signal are extended or shortened by a different time difference value in each case after the actuation time such that the phase angle of the light signal with respect to the reference signal then corresponds to the predefined target phase angle, and/orthe light signal is started with a first off-phase (11) at the actuation time. The duration of the first off-phase corresponds to a time offset corresponding to the phase offset between the starting phase angle and the predefined target phase angle, with the result that an on-phase of the light signal following the first off-phase is at the target phase angle with respect to the reference signal.
CAN-bus lighting adaptor
An adaptor for connecting an LED lighting unit to a vehicle CAN-bus. The adaptor has a connector connectable to a corresponding connector on a vehicle, to receive a lighting current from the CAN-bus of the vehicle. A wireless power transmitter of the adaptor wirelessly transmits power to the LED lighting unit at a first level, typically suited to LED operation. The adaptor further includes one or more resistors connected between the connector and transmitter and arranged to draw power from the connector at a second power level higher than the first power level, which second power level is suitably equivalent to that for halogen or filament lighting.
VEHICLE REAR LIGHTS OPERATIONAL INDICATOR
An apparatus for monitoring a vehicle rear brake light, rear turn signal, and rear tail light. Sensors are placed in series of existing circuits of corresponding vehicle rear lights and communicate to a receiver the status of a rear light. If a rear light has expired, an LED indicator located on the receiver will shine Red. If the LEDs are displaying blue, then the receiver has power but is not connected to the sensor. If an LED is displaying green, the device has determined that a corresponding light bulb of a vehicle is correctly working.
REGULATION OF SEQUENTIALLY OPERATING LIGHT SOURCE AND DEVICE FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD
The present invention refers to a method and a device for sequentially operating light source, in particular a lighting system for signalizing a change of driving direction of a motor vehicle, comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) connected in series, said diodes can be activated in a pre-determined sequence within a required time frame t.sub.0. The method comprises activating within a required time frame (t.sub.0) a sequential operation of a plurality of LEDs, wherein the operation of the first LED in the plurality of LEDs and operation of the last LED in the plurality of LEDs is carried out within an actual time frame (t.sub.1) of operation. The method further comprises activating after lapse of a safety time frame (t.sub.2) of all LEDs (1.sub.1, 1.sub.2 . . . 1.sub.n) simultaneously.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE
A vehicle light assembly, a system, and a method for reducing electromagnetic interference are provided. The vehicle light assembly includes a light source, DC-DC conversion circuitry including a switch, and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured to generate a reference voltage, the reference voltage being changed periodically within a predetermined range, and drive the switch associated with the DC-DC conversion circuitry with a signal based on at least the reference voltage.
VEHICULAR LAMP, CONTROL DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD FOR VEHICULAR LAMP, VEHICULAR LAMP SYSTEM, AND CONFIGURATING DEVICE AND CONFIGURATING METHOD FOR VEHICULAR LAMP
A vehicular lamp apparatus includes: a lamp unit; a controller that controls the lamp unit based on vehicle information received from a vehicle; and an acceleration sensor that provides information indicating vehicle acceleration to the controller. The controller detects whether or not reception of the vehicle information is interrupted and controls the lamp unit based on the vehicle acceleration when interruption in the reception of the vehicle information is detected.
ABNORMALITY DETECTION APPARATUS, ABNORMALITY DETECTION METHOD, AND ABNORMALITY DETECTION SYSTEM
An abnormality detection apparatus, comprises a first acquisition unit configured to acquire imaged data obtained by imaging an object vehicle traveling on a road; a first recognition unit configured to recognize a lighting state of lighting devices of the object vehicle, based on the imaged data; a second recognition unit configured to recognize a lighting necessity of the lighting devices, based on the imaged data; and a detection unit configured to detect whether the lighting devices operate normally or abnormally, based on the lighting state and the lighting necessity.
Electrical power monitoring system
An electrical power monitoring system includes a base at an external surface of a wall of a junction box and including a stem configured to project through an opening in the wall, the base further including a monitoring circuit, a plurality of conductors extending through the stem and coupling the monitoring circuit to a plurality of conductive terminals in the junction box, and a fastener configured to mate with the stem of the base at an internal surface of the wall to fix the base to the wall, wherein the monitoring circuit is configured to monitor presence of electrical power at the plurality of conductive terminals, the monitoring circuit including a plurality of light sources at the external surface of the base.