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Systems, apparatus, and methods for signaling sudden deceleration

  • US 10,315,559 B2
  • Filed: 07/11/2017
  • Issued: 06/11/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2016
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A sensor and control apparatus for modifying a vehicle lighting system comprising:

  • a support frame supporting a deceleration sensor unit comprising an accelerometer, a power storage unit, and a microprocessor controller;

    means for attaching the support frame to a fixed element of the vehicle;

    a first electrical connector configured for connection to the vehicle'"'"'s electrical system through an existing electrical connector configured for connection to a brake lamp;

    a second electrical connector configured for connection to a brake light of the vehicle;

    a charging circuit coupled to said first electrical connector and to an energy storage component and configured for conveying power diverted from the vehicle'"'"'s electrical system to said energy storage component; and

    a bypass circuit coupled to said first and second electrical connectors and configured to deliver power directly to said brake lamp when braking is indicated by the vehicle electrical system;

    an illumination circuit coupled to the power storage unit and configured to provide electrical power through the second electrical connector to illuminate the brake lamp;

    wherein;

    the accelerometer measures acceleration in three orthogonal axes for each time t and provides an output signal for each time t representing measured acceleration values at time t for each of said three axes to the microprocessor;

    said microprocessor controller comprises control logic configured to;

    compare a combination of said three measured acceleration values at time t to a first threshold value andissue a first signal to activate the illumination circuit in the event said combination of three measured acceleration values at time t is greater than or equal to said combination of first threshold values.

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