Alternate Circuit Closing Patents (Class 315/83)
  • Patent number: 11804710
    Abstract: The aim of the invention is to detect an arc in an assembly for transmitting a direct voltage. This aim is achieved by a communication transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the secondary winding being connected to a transmitting device, which is designed to impress a communication signal onto the secondary winding of the communication transformer, and the primary winding being connected to one of the direct voltage lines in order to feed a communication signal transformed by the communication transformer to one of the direct voltage lines. In order to detect, in the assembly, the arc signal caused by an arc, the secondary winding is connected to an arc detection unit, which is designed to detect an arc signal transformed by the communication transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: FRONIUS INTERNATIONAL GMBH
    Inventors: Bernd Hofer, Christian Fasthuber, Franz Fischereder, Stefan Breuer, Walter Spitzer, Mario Bairhuber, Reimar Pfeil
  • Patent number: 11684009
    Abstract: A walk-behind mower has a mower deck, a plurality of wheels, a head, and a plurality of light sources. The wheels are rotatably coupled to the mower deck. The wheels move the walk-behind mower over a support surface in a forward direction and a rearward direction. The head is coupled to the mower deck. The head can store at least one battery pack. The light sources are coupled to at least one of the mower deck and the head. The light sources project light through a continuous illumination angle about the walk-behind mower. The illumination angle extends along an arc from the forward direction toward the rearward direction and is at least 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Tyler L. Graham, Anthony J. Buxton, Benjamin F. Shaske, Adam N. Carter, Shane McCue, John L. Whealon, Christopher Shawn Bullington, Zachary Self
  • Patent number: 11325482
    Abstract: Techniques involve controlling battery access on a utility vehicle. Such techniques involve monitoring status of input signals from a group comprising: a lithium battery system, a keyed switch, and a charging receptacle, comparing the status of the input signals to timeout settings stored in memory of the motion control system, initiating a timer based on comparison of the input signals to the timeout settings, and disconnecting at least one direct current (DC) path between a lithium battery interface and a power distribution interface of the utility vehicle in response to expiration of the timer. Such techniques further involve, after disconnecting, reconnecting the at least one DC current path between the lithium battery interface and the power distribution interface in response to a change in status of at least one of the input signals. Such techniques may be performed by a motion control system of the utility vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur James Harvey, Norman R. Padgett, John Ledden, Robert Charles Bradley, Patrick Dwaine Warden
  • Patent number: 11130441
    Abstract: An arrangement comprising an attachment and a self-propelled harvester is disclosed, with the attachment configured to harvest a crop and having a middle region for removable connection to a feeder housing of the self-propelled harvester. The attachment also includes lateral regions positioned adjacent to the middle region, with each having a bottom surface extending in a horizontal direction and a rear wall extending in a vertical direction. Lighting devices are positioned on the attachment above the respective bottom surface and below the top edge of the rear wall with light cones directed in the driving direction to illuminate a region in front of the attachment beyond the front edge of the bottom surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: CLAAS Selbstfahrende Erntemaschinen GmbH
    Inventors: Udo Beschorn, Scott Wellensiek, Tamás Megyeri
  • Patent number: 11117515
    Abstract: A monitoring system includes: a monitoring device that outputs a warning when detecting abnormality of a monitoring target person in an interior of a vehicle; a housing arranged on a surface on the interior side of a roof of the vehicle; and a release operation unit arranged being exposed to an outer face of the housing, the release operation unit being able to receive an input of a warning release operation. The monitoring device, in a state of outputting the warning, releases the warning when the warning release operation is input to the release operation unit. As a result, the monitoring system can appropriately monitor the monitoring target person in the interior of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichi Ishibashi, Jun Goto
  • Patent number: 11066026
    Abstract: A power supply box includes: a first terminal that is configured to be connected to a first power storage device that supplies power to a first load; a second terminal that is configured to be connected to an alternator and a second load; a normally-off switch that is configured to be connected between the first terminal and the second terminal; and a bypass that is configured to be connected in parallel with the switch between the first and second terminals. The bypass includes a diode that has a forward direction that is from the first terminal toward the second terminal, and a resistor that is connected in series with the diode between the first and second terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: AutoNetworks Technologies, Ltd., Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiromichi Yasunori
  • Patent number: 10933755
    Abstract: Techniques involve managing lithium battery access on a utility vehicle. In accordance with such techniques, a wakeup circuit includes a set of inputs, a set of outputs, and control logic coupled with the set of inputs and the set of outputs. The control logic is constructed and arranged to, in response to detecting a wakeup event from circuitry of the utility vehicle via the set of inputs, close a switching apparatus of the utility vehicle via the set of outputs to connect a lithium battery of the utility vehicle to a set of loads of the utility vehicle. The control logic is further constructed and arranged to, in response to detecting a sleep event, open the switching apparatus via the set of outputs to disconnect the lithium battery of the utility vehicle from the set of loads of the utility vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur James Harvey, Norman R. Padgett, John Ledden, Robert Charles Bradley, Patrick Dwaine Warden
  • Patent number: 10632899
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an illumination device for a motor vehicle. The illumination device provides a first light beam bundle with a first light distribution for illuminating an environment of the motor vehicle in a first operating mode, and provides a second light beam bundle with a second light distribution for displaying a measurement pattern onto the environment in a second operating mode. The illumination device comprises a control device designed to alternately periodically activate the first operating mode and the second operating mode. This disclosure also relates to a driver assistance system comprising such an illumination device and an image detection unit, as well as a motor vehicle comprising a driver assistance system of this type. This disclosure further relates to a corresponding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Johannes Neukam
  • Patent number: 10322688
    Abstract: A battery management system (BMS) controls lithium battery access on a utility vehicle. The BMS includes a battery interface that couples with a lithium battery, a load interface that couples with a set of loads of the utility vehicle, and control circuitry coupled with the battery interface and the load interface. The control circuitry mechanically disconnects the battery interface from the load interface in response to a sleep event. Additionally, after the battery interface is mechanically disconnected from the load interface, the control circuitry mechanically reconnects the battery interface to the load interface in response to a wakeup event. Furthermore, after the battery interface is mechanically reconnected to the load interface, the control circuitry maintains connection between the battery interface and the load interface to convey power from the lithium battery to the set of loads of the utility vehicle through the battery interface and the load interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Arthur James Harvey, Norman R. Padgett, John Ledden, Robert Charles Bradley, Patrick Dwaine Warden
  • Patent number: 10189398
    Abstract: A laser head lamp for a vehicle includes: a plurality of lamp modules each comprising a laser diode and configured to output at least one of a low beam or a high beam; at least one processor; and a computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: acquiring total operation time of each of the plurality of lamp modules; and controlling, based on the acquired total operation times, at least one first lamp module among the plurality of lamp modules differently from at least one second lamp module among the plurality of lamp modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Dami Jung, Yunho Ahn
  • Patent number: 10087588
    Abstract: A road finishing machine includes a chassis, a material bunker for receiving paving material located at the front in the paving direction of the road finishing machine, and a screed for compacting paving material located at the rear in the paving direction of the road finishing machine. On a driver stand of the road finishing machine, a main control platform with primary operational controls is provided for controlling working components of the road finishing machine. The primary operational controls may be actuated by an operator located on the road finishing machine. An operation unit with a plurality of secondary operational controls is provided laterally at the chassis or the material bunker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: JOSEPH VOEGELE AG
    Inventors: Martin Buschmann, Achim Eul, Klaus Oettinger
  • Patent number: 9616812
    Abstract: An interior space of an automobile includes a maplamp unit and a plurality of functional units. The maplamp unit is provided on a ceiling of the interior space and is adapted to emit an ultraviolet light therefrom toward and upon a predetermined area of irradiation by the ultraviolet light. The functional units are spaced from each other and yet provided such that they all reside within the irradiation area. The functional units may include a combination meter, a navigation device, an air conditioner operating area, a power window switch area, and a small article placing area. These functional units each include at least one luminescent symbol. The luminescent symbol is adapted to become luminous when irradiated by the ultraviolet light emitted by the maplamp unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Masahiro Sawayanagi
  • Patent number: 9609722
    Abstract: Described herein is a lighting system capable of responding to user input provided via proximity sensors. In some embodiments, proximity sensors are communicatively coupled to a processor capable of receiving input from the sensors. The sensors may be arranged in a row such that an object moving down the row proximate to the sensors may trigger each sensor sequentially. In some embodiments, the lighting system may alter a beam configuration or cycle between various lighting modes in response to receiving input from the proximity sensors. In some embodiments, the order in which the sensor input is received may be used to determine which lighting mode to cycle to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: The Coleman Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew G. Law
  • Patent number: 9114756
    Abstract: A lighting assembly operable to be placed in the headlight unit of a motor vehicle that is operable to emit a first color and second color dependent upon environmental conditions. The lighting assembly includes a harness plug that is configured to operably couple the lighting assembly to the electrical system of a motor vehicle. A CPU is disposed within the harness plug. A base plug is operably coupled to the harness plug and includes a photo sensor and a fog sensor. A bulb base is operably coupled to the base plug and includes a first light bulb and a second light bulb. The lighting assembly includes a first operational mode that illuminates the first bulb subsequent the detection of fog. A second operational mode and third operational mode are controlled by the photo sensor and is dependent upon the absence or presence of ambient light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Inventor: Richard G Panzarella
  • Patent number: 9101031
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a DC/DC converter for receiving DC power and converting the DC power into a predetermined output required for a load; a voltage detection unit for detecting an output voltage or an equivalent value from the output voltage; a current detection unit for detecting an output current or an equivalent value from the output current; and a control unit for controlling the DC/DC converter based on detection values from the voltage detection unit and/or the current detection unit. The control unit reduces the output when a rapid change is detected in a load state in which a change in the output within a first predetermined time is equal to or greater than a predetermined width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tosifumi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8987991
    Abstract: A sub headlight unit for use in a vehicle that leans into turns includes a sub headlight light source that illuminates an area ahead and outward of the vehicle with respect to a width direction of the vehicle. The sub headlight light source is configured to, when the vehicle is in an upright state, produce an illumination range including an area above a horizontal plane. The sub headlight light source is turned on in accordance with a lean angle of the vehicle. At a time of parking or stopping or at a time of running straight ahead, the sub headlight light source is turned on or caused to flash with the amount of light per unit of time being reduced as compared with the amount of light per unit of time emitted when the sub headlight light source is turned on in accordance with the lean angle of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Ikeda, Yasuhiko Kino, Takehiro Inoue, Makoto Kosugi
  • Patent number: 8981647
    Abstract: To satisfy the need for refitting the lighting of a vehicle without the need to modify the controlling system of the vehicle, the present invention proposes a lighting system which comprises an electrical element (110), configured to consume the received power and incapable of emitting light; a light source (130); and a controller (120), configured to receive a first signal indicating the working status of the electrical element (110) and control the light source (130) generating a first light and a second light, respectively, based on the first signal. By utilizing the signal indicating the working status of the electrical element (110), which element is used to replace another automotive lamp, the controller can control the light source (130) to mimic said another automotive lamp while performing its original function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Chao Ding, Frank Huang, Francois Darsy, Timothy Zhang
  • Patent number: 8970112
    Abstract: An actuation device (4) for a lighting device (3) of a motor vehicle (1), which includes at least one LED associated with a turn signal and at least one LED associated with another type of light, in particular a daytime running light and/or a position light, and a common optical system (10) for the types of light, wherein the actuation device (4) has a single DC/DC converter (11) used for both the LEDs of the turn signal and for the LEDs of the other type of light, as well as a control unit (12) for controlling the DC/DC converter (11) in response to a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Audi AG
    Inventors: Thomas Baier, Stephan Berlitz
  • Patent number: 8946989
    Abstract: A light apparatus for use with a power source and a control switch, the control switch including an input node, an output node and at least first and second independently selectable current paths between the input and output nodes, the first selectable current path having a resistance value that is greater than the second current path, controlling light intensity as a function of which of the current path is selected, at least one light source, a controller linked to the control switch and determining the selected path and generating a control signal and a light driver linked between the output node and the light source, the driver receiving the control signal and adjusting the current applied to the light source as a function of the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: J.W. Speaker, Corporation
    Inventor: Kevin McWithey
  • Patent number: 8901819
    Abstract: Described herein are apparatus, method, and system for reducing clock-to-output delay of a sequential logic unit in a processor. The apparatus comprises a sequential unit including: a data path, to receive an input signal, including logic gates to operate on a first power supply level, the data path to generate an output signal; and a clock path including logic gates to operate on a second power supply level, the logic gates of the clock path to sample the input signal using a sampling signal to generate the output signal, wherein the second power supply level is higher than the first power supply level. The apparatus improves (i.e. reduces) setup time of the sequential unit and allows the processor to operate at minimum operating voltage (Vmin) without degrading performance of the sequential unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Arijit Raychowdhury, Jaydeep P. Kulkarni, James W. Tschanz
  • Patent number: 8729803
    Abstract: A vehicle head lamp light distribution controller includes an ADB controller configured to: detect a position of a vehicle present ahead of a subject vehicle; determine whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; set a threshold vehicle position based on whether the vehicle ahead of the subject vehicle is a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle; compare the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position; and switch light distribution of head lamps of the subject vehicle based on the comparison between the threshold vehicle position and the detected vehicle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Yamazaki, Yutaka Nakanishi, Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8717191
    Abstract: An indication circuit is used on a motherboard. First and second pins on the motherboard output different signals corresponding to different power-on self-test errors. The indication circuit includes first to third electronic switches, first and second light-emitting diodes, and first to fifth resistors. When different errors occurred during power-on self-test, different signals are output from the first and second pins on the motherboard, such that to make the first and second light-emitting diodes activated or deactivated. As a result, the indication circuit can indicate different errors when the motherboard is performing power-on self-test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (WuHan) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hua Zou, Chun-Sheng Chen
  • Patent number: 8716935
    Abstract: A light irradiation control system for a vehicle lamp includes a control unit configured to provide control signals for controlling light irradiation of the vehicle lamp based on detection signals detected by sensors. Actuator units are configured to control the light irradiation of the vehicle lamp based on the control signals. The control unit includes a body-side control unit and a lamp-side control unit. The body-side control unit is configured to perform signal processing on the detection signals and to provide the signal-processed signals to a common bus as common data. The lamp-side control unit, which is mounted in at least some of the actuator units, is connected to the common bus to provide the control signals based on the common data provided to the common bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuichi Nakazawa, Toshihiko Kurebayashi, Tomoyuki Sakai, Katsumi Inoue, Hiroshi Otaka
  • Patent number: 8710744
    Abstract: An automotive lighting system (20) is described with a signal emitting device (30) installed in a lamp socket (18). The lamp socket (18) is connected to a lighting connection (16) of a vehicle (10). The signal emitting device (30) emits a signal if the lighting connection (16) is energized. A lighting module (24) is connected to an electrical power supply (28) of the vehicle (10). The lighting module (24) comprises a receiver (42), a control unit (45) and a light source (22). The control unit (46) is disposed to operate the light source (22) in a first mode if a signal is received in the receiver, and in a second mode if the signal is not received.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Francois Darsy, Jelle Peter Pelsma, Timothy Xuejun Zhang, Chao Ding
  • Publication number: 20140070700
    Abstract: A portable lamp, such as a headlamp, comprising: a light source comprising one or more sources for generating at least one light beam; means for controlling the brightness of said at least one beam in response to a control information or a control signal; a control unit for the purpose of generating said control information or said control signal; wherein said control unit comprises at least a photo sensor and a regulation circuit controlling a switch-off phase of one or more beams during a period not visible to the holder of the lamp, said switch off phase being combined with at least one measure of diversity made by means of said photo sensor(s) on the reflective ambient environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ZEDEL S.A.
    Inventors: Fabien Genthon, Romain Pellat-Finet
  • Patent number: 8575840
    Abstract: A light source turn-on/off controller includes an input section of a turn-on/off timing signal, a PWM signal generating section for generating a pulse signal responding to a rise or a fall of the timing signal, a duty cycle of the pulse signal changing so as to simulate a rise or a fall of emission in turn-on or turn-off of a filament, an emission control section for controlling an emitting section responding to the pulse signal from the PWM signal generating section, and a storage section for storing a control data table for duty cycle control by the PWM signal generating section. The control data table includes a rise table to be referred to in the rise of emission and a fall table to be referred to in the fall of emission, and each of the rise table and the fall table indicates association between elapsed time from the rise or the fall of the timing signal and the duty cycle of the pulse signal, and a relationship between the tables indicates that they cannot be superposed on each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi Kanda, Junji Bandai, Masahide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8401741
    Abstract: A headlamp in an automobile, which is rotatable about a yaw axis when negotiating a bend, has a controller for controlling the rotary movement. In order to improve the illumination of a roadway lying in front of an automobile, the controller may take into account a driving profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Justus Illium, Torsten Kanning
  • Patent number: 8400062
    Abstract: A light source turn-on/off controller includes an input section of a turn-on/off timing signal, a PWM signal generating section for generating a pulse signal responding to a rise or a fall of the timing signal, a duty cycle of the pulse signal changing so as to simulate a rise or a fall of emission in turn-on or turn-off of a filament, an emission control section for controlling an emitting section responding to the pulse signal from the PWM signal generating section, and a storage section for storing a control data table for duty cycle control by the PWM signal generating section. The control data table includes a rise table to be referred to in the rise of emission and a fall table to be referred to in the fall of emission, and each of the rise table and the fall table indicates association between elapsed time from the rise or the fall of the timing signal and the duty cycle of the pulse signal, and a relationship between the tables indicates that they cannot be superposed on each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi Kanda, Junji Bandai, Masahide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8353610
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp system including at least one headlamp switchable between at least a high beam mode and a low beam mode by a biased actuator movable by a driver of the vehicle, a headlamp arranged to emit a flash when the biased actuator is moved to a temporary-on position, and means for limiting the maximum duration of the flash to less than 2 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Inventor: Julian Peter Asquith
  • Patent number: 8283867
    Abstract: A light source turn-on/off controller includes an input section of a turn-on/off timing signal, a PWM signal generating section for generating a pulse signal responding to a rise or a fall of the timing signal, a duty cycle of the pulse signal changing so as to simulate a rise or a fall of emission in turn-on or turn-off of a filament, an emission control section for controlling an emitting section responding to the pulse signal from the PWM signal generating section, and a storage section for storing a control data table for duty cycle control by the PWM signal generating section. The control data table includes a rise table to be referred to in the rise of emission and a fall table to be referred to in the fall of emission, and each of the rise table and the fall table indicates association between elapsed time from the rise or the fall of the timing signal and the duty cycle of the pulse signal, and a relationship between the tables indicates that they cannot be superposed on each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takumi Kanda, Junji Bandai, Masahide Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8227994
    Abstract: The disclosure facilitates determining the presence of an abnormality of a light source in a vehicular lamp using, as a determination condition, a number of disconnected semiconductor light-emitting elements among multiple semiconductor light-emitting elements. The vehicular lamp includes a first light source block that has light-emitting diodes LED1 to LED6 connected in parallel; a second light source block that has light-emitting diodes LED7 to LED12 connected in parallel; and an abnormality determination circuit that controls a supply of current from an on-board battery to the light source blocks and determines whether an abnormality is presence in the light source blocks. The abnormality determination circuit determines the presence of an abnormality if the disconnected light-emitting diodes in one of the light source blocks exceed a predetermined number and current cannot flow to the light source block. In such case, the supply of current to the light source blocks is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki Shibata, Mikio Urushibata, Hideki Uchida
  • Patent number: 8068961
    Abstract: A headlight control system for use on a snow plow mounted on the front of a vehicle and a related method are disclosed that automatically, selectively illuminate the headlights of the vehicle in addition to the headlights of the snow plow only when the snow plow blade is in a down position such that it is not physically obstructing the headlights of the vehicle. The headlight control system and method only operate to turn on the vehicle headlights when the snow plow lights are turned on. The headlight control system and method are capable of operating both the low beam headlights and the high beam headlights of the vehicle in conjunction with the low beam headlights and the high beam headlights of the snow plow when the snow plow blade is lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Sno-Way International, Inc.
    Inventor: William F. Menze
  • Publication number: 20110260618
    Abstract: A method of operating an automotive vehicle headlight system switchable between a high-beam state and a low-beam state. The system operates in an automatic mode in which switching between the states is directed based upon signals from a sensor for detecting traffic conditions. The sensor may be a light sensor for detecting the headlights of oncoming vehicles. The vehicle driver may switch the system away from the automatically-determined state to an operator-selected state, and when this occurs the system operates in a manual mode in which switching is not based upon the sensor signals. The system returns to the automatic mode when the automatically-determined state matches the manually-selected state. The system may also return to the automatic mode if there are no further manual actuations by the driver during a selected time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Holger Mueller, Sascha Haase, Niels Neibecker
  • Patent number: 8035305
    Abstract: A multi-headlight assembly of a motorcycle includes a pair of headlights. A first one of the pair of headlights includes a low power main lamp and a second one of the pair of headlights includes a high power main lamp, the low power main lamp being configured to illuminate in a first operating condition and the high power main lamp being configured to illuminate in a second operating condition. A secondary lamp is associated with one of the pair of headlights and is configured to illuminate when the main lamp of the other one of the pair of headlights is illuminated. The secondary lamp is of a lower power than the low power main lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Buell Motorcycle Company
    Inventors: Erik F. Buell, Nancy Kardos, Anthony Stefanelli, Michael R. Medina, Steven W. Osgood
  • Patent number: 7852007
    Abstract: An automobile room lamp system is provided, which comprises a first circuit having a power source with positive and negative poles, a light emitting diode, a miniature incandescent bulb and a push switch, said light emitting diode, said miniature incandescent bulb and said push switch being connected in series between said positive pole and said negative pole; and a second circuit branching off from said first circuit between said light emitting diode and said miniature incandescent bulb and having a resistor provided on a negative pole side of said poser source, said resistor having a resistance value set at a level to allow said light emitting diode and said miniature incandescent bulb to be lighted with a high intensity when said push switch is closed and to allow said light emitting diode alone to issue dim light when said push switch is opened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha T An T
    Inventor: Isamu Kuwana
  • Patent number: 7619511
    Abstract: A vehicular light control system for controlling the illumination of a vehicle's external directional/turn signaling and/or hazard warning lights, by controlling continuous illumination of pairs of the brightest signal filaments of either dual or single filament bulb designed vehicles, where such bulbs were previously flash only and underutilized. The system operates to control the brightest filaments when the operator wishes to draw attention to the vehicle for safety, or for visibility and utility purposes, without the same system negatively affecting normal operation of existing turn signal/hazard warning systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Inventor: Raymond Kesterson
  • Patent number: 7567864
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle's lighting functionality is disclosed herein. The method may include realizing a preferred vehicle lighting configuration and transmitting a signal to the vehicle via a radio frequency communication system. In response to the signal, the vehicle lighting system may alter a current vehicle lighting configuration to correspond with the preferred vehicle lighting configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence P. Ziehr, Nathan Ampunan, Krishnaraj Inbarajan, Mark D. Nemesh, Todd M. Tumas, Mark R. Willey
  • Publication number: 20090160343
    Abstract: A multi-headlight assembly of a motorcycle includes a pair of headlights. A first one of the pair of headlights includes a low power main lamp and a second one of the pair of headlights includes a high power main lamp, the low power main lamp being configured to illuminate in a first operating condition and the high power main lamp being configured to illuminate in a second operating condition. A secondary lamp is associated with one of the pair of headlights and is configured to illuminate when the main lamp of the other one of the pair of headlights is illuminated. The secondary lamp is of a lower power than the low power main lamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: Buell Motorcycle Company
    Inventors: Erik F. Buell, Nancy Kardos, Anthony Stefanelli
  • Publication number: 20090015164
    Abstract: A main beam switching arrangement for a road vehicle has a lighting device switchable over main beam and dipped headlamps. A sensor device determines at least one ambient parameter, and a control unit with an activatable and deactivatable automatic function automatically switches over the lighting device as a function of the ambient parameter. An operator control unit generates switchover signals by an operator to manually bring about switching over the lighting device with priority. In each case, at least one change of state of the automatic function can be brought about by a first switchover signal for switching on continuous operation of the main beam that is not occurring at the time of signal generation. By way of a second switchover signal, continuous operation of the main beam, which is occurring at the time of signal generation, is switched off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Applicant: Daimler AG
    Inventors: Thomas Albrecht, Eberhard App, Markus Hess, Manfred Kuom, Markus Neusiedl, Joerg Russow, Michael Schwarzinger, Christoph Steglich, Bernd Woltermann
  • Publication number: 20090001888
    Abstract: A headlamp control circuit reduces a possibility that all headlamps become lights-out in a two-lamp system headlight, even if a switching element fails under a high-beam condition while the single switching element is driven to light two right and left high-beam filaments. A headlamp control circuit includes switch sections (SW1) and (SW2) for lighting low-beam filaments (21) and (31), a switch section (SW3) for lighting high-beam filaments (22) and (32) together, a diode (D1) for detecting an output voltage on the switch section SW3, and a control section (120) for turning the switch section (SW3) to an on-condition in the case where a high-beam indication is accepted and for turning the switch sections (SW1) and (SW2) to an on-condition in the case where a low-beam indication is accepted and in the case where a high-beam indication is accepted and the diode (D1) detects no high-beam lighting voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Asada
  • Patent number: 7372055
    Abstract: An illuminator assembly is provided for supplying night vision illumination. The assembly includes a support housing and an infrared illumination source. An infrared reflector receives the radiation emitted from the infrared illumination source and reflects the infrared radiation in a first substantially collimated field of view and transmits visible light therethrough. A visible light reflector is located behind the infrared reflective mirror for receiving visible light transmitted through the infrared reflector and reflecting scattering the visible light in a second field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph E. Harter, Jr., Gregory K. Scharenbroch, Siddharth S. Rege
  • Patent number: 7309960
    Abstract: There is provided a vehicular lamp that can inform walkers or drivers in the other vehicles of the existence of the moving vehicle even where the circumference of the vehicle is bright by emitting a light amount larger than that of normal times when the circumference is bright. The vehicular lamp that is used for a vehicle includes a semiconductor light-emitting element, and a current controlling unit operable to increase an electric current flowing into the semiconductor light-emitting element according to a signal output from a sensor depending on a brightness of the circumference of the vehicle when the circumference of the vehicle is bright.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Takeda, Masayasu Ito
  • Patent number: 7239231
    Abstract: In a light control device for a vehicle, a control portion determines whether an illuminance detected by an illuminance sensor reaches a first reference illuminance, and performs a turning on or off control of lights of the vehicle based on the determined result. When the control portion receives an external environment change signal from an environment change detecting means, the control portion uses a second reference illuminance higher than the first reference illuminance, instead of the first reference illuminance, and performs the turning on or off control when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor reaches the second reference illuminance. Accordingly, vehicle lights can be suitably turned on or off in accordance with an external environment of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 7078861
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp controlling device (1) is provided with a first driving circuit (11) for driving a lamp (L), a first control system (5) for turning the lamp (L) on by driving the first driving circuit (11) in accordance with the input of an ON-signal from the switch (SW), and a second control system (3, 9) for blinking the lamp (L) by intermittently controlling the driven state of the first driving circuit (11) in accordance with the ON-signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Masaoka
  • Patent number: 7038388
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining whether the gas pedal, the brake pedal or neither pedal of a motor vehicle is being actuated, is described. Vehicle braking lights may be replaced with signal lights adapted to be observable by drivers of vehicles following a vehicle bearing the subject indicator lights, such that the status of the vehicle ahead can be determined. Additionally, other locations for the present signal lights on a vehicle may provide similar information to drivers and pedestrians viewing the vehicle from other directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Inventor: Thomas M. Speed
  • Patent number: 7012551
    Abstract: A night vision system for a vehicle includes a first light source for illuminating a region proximate the vehicle, the light source generating a first night vision pulse signal. The system further includes a light sensor receiving a second night vision pulse signal from an approaching vehicle, wherein the second night vision pulse blinds the first night vision pulse signal. A controller shifts pulses from the first night vision pulse signal in a different direction than pulses from the second night vision pulse signal until an anti-blinding of the first night vision pulse signal by the second night vision pulse signal is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Aric David Shaffer
  • Patent number: 6979953
    Abstract: An auto-operated dip switching mechanism includes a strong-light detector, a strong-light signal circuit, and a switching control circuit. The strong-light detector is mounted to a front end of a car to detect light projected from an opposite coming car. The strong-light detector is induced when the light projected thereto has intensity exceeded a preset value, and causes the strong-light signal circuit to produce a strong-light signal, with which the switching control circuit is immediately enabled to switch headlights of the car from high beams to low beams. And, the switching control circuit automatically switches the car from low beams to high beams when the strong-light signal circuit stops sending the strong-light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Inventor: Jui-Heng Tsai
  • Patent number: 6936969
    Abstract: A secondary headlight system for detecting and compensating for failure of an automotive vehicle's low beam headlight, includes: (a) at least one photoresistor; (b) fiberoptics connected to the photoresistor; (c) at least one potentiometer; (d) at least one NPN transistor operably connected to the photoresistor and the potentiometer; (e) at least one switching relay operably connected to the potentiometer and the NPN transistor; (f) at least one power resistor operably connected to the switching relay; and (g) an automatic reset subsystem comprising at least one capacitor and at least one light emitting diode, the light emitting diode being operably connected to the capacitor and the transistor; wherein the secondary headlight system is connected to a power supply of the vehicle, and a low beam headlight of the vehicle, the failure of which is to be detected and compensated for; and wherein when the low beam headlight of the vehicle fails, the secondary headlight system is automatically activated, resultin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Inventor: Roger K. Gourdine
  • Patent number: 6900594
    Abstract: A method and device for automatically switching on and/or off the illumination of a vehicle. Faulty switching is reduced by adapting the threshold value for switching on the illumination by averaging the measured brightness value(s) according to the driving speed and using switching-off conditions which, inter alia, consider the surrounding brightness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Reichert, Andreas Lägler
  • Patent number: 6873110
    Abstract: An HID single light emitting point lamp tube switching device is provided for switching the lamp tube between a far light position and a near light position. Initially, a strong current coil and a weak current coil are induced at the same time, so that the HID single light emitting point are moved to the second position, and at end of a time period set in the timer, the strong current coil will be interrupted so that only the weak current coil is actuated to maintain the HID single light emitting point in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventors: Chin-Fa Yen, Kuo-Pin Yen