Daytime running light control using an intelligent power management system

• US 20040113494A1
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Midtronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Thomsen, Jes, Karuppana, Samy V., Jetha, Aly A.
• Application Number:
  US10/174,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20040113494A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/28 for indicating front of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/06 Two-wire systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/14 Balancing the load in a network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/40 The network being an on-board power network, i.e. within a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/46 for ICE-powered road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1438 in combination with power supplies for loads other than batteries

Abstract

A method and system for providing daytime running lights in a vehicle is disclosed. The method and system include providing a power supply, at least one power management module and at least one headlamp. The at least one power management module is coupled with the power supply and includes at least one switch, at least one controller coupled with the at least one switch and at least one signal input. The at least one headlamp is coupled to the at least one power management module, with the at least one switch being coupled between the at least one headlamp and the power supply. The least one power management module automatically steps down the power to the at least one headlamp if it is determined that at least one condition is fulfilled.

Claims

1. A system for providing daytime running lights in a vehicle comprising:

a power supply for supplying power to the vehicle;

at least one power management module, coupled with the power supply, including at least one switch, at least one controller coupled with the at least one switch and at least one signal input; and

at least one headlamp coupled to the at least one power management module, the at least one switch being coupled between the at least one headlamp and the power supply;

wherein the least one power management module automatically steps down the power to the at least one headlamp if it is determined that at least one condition is fulfilled.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the condition is that the at least one headlamp is not manually activated.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the controller toggles the at least one switch to provide daytime running lights.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes the vehicle being on.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes the power supply being greater than a particular amount.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes at least one parking brake and wherein the at least one condition includes the parking brake not being set.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the power management module further ensures that the at least one headlamp receives a particular amount of power when the daytime running lights are not provided.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one power management module steps down the power to the at least one headlamp by toggling the at least one switch.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one power management module steps down the power to the at least one headlamp by controlling the at least one switch to operate in a linear range.

10. A method for providing daytime running lights in a vehicle including a power supply and at least one headlamp, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether at least one condition is fulfilled utilizing at least one power management module coupled with the power supply and the at least one headlamp, the at least one power management module including at least one switch, at least one controller coupled with the at least one switch and at least one signal input, the at least one switch being coupled between the at least one headlamp and the power supply; and

(b) automatically stepping down the power to the at least one headlamp using the at least one power management module to provide automatically the daytime running lights if it is determined that at least one condition is fulfilled.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one condition includes the at least one headlamp not being manually activated.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the automatically stepping down step (b) further includes the step of:

(b1) utilizing the controller to toggle the at least one switch to provide the daytime running lights.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one condition includes the vehicle being on.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one condition includes the power supply being greater than a particular amount.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the vehicle includes at least one parking break and wherein the at least one condition includes the parking brake not being set.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the power management module further ensures that the at least one headlamp receives a particular amount of power when the daytime running lights are not provided.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein automatically stepping down step (b) further includes the step of:

(b1) toggling the at least one switch to step down the power to the at least one headlamp.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein automatically stepping down step (b) further includes the step of:

(b1) controlling the at least one switch to operate in the linear range to step down the power to the at least one headlamp.