Methods and apparatuses for providing strobe effects for wheel illumination systems and wheel lighting systems

• US 20050030756A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joel Osias, Mark Thomas
• Original Assignee: Set Industries Corporation
• Inventors: Thomas, Mark, Osias, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 7,123,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/500
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/326 on or for wheels

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for providing strobe effects for a wheel lighting system or wheel illuminating system. For one embodiment, a strobe device for a wheel lighting system includes a tachometer to determine a rotational frequency of a wheel, and a strobing element capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode. When operating in the first mode, the strobing frequency is related to the rotational frequency of the wheel. When operating in the second mode the strobing frequency is independent of the rotational frequency of the wheel. For one embodiment, the lighting elements, tachometer, and other components of the system are implemented completely within the rotating reference frame of the wheel. One embodiment of the invention provides a wheel illumination system having one or more strobing light source assemblies positioned within a rotating reference frame of the wheel to provide stroboscopic effects for the wheel'"'"'s street side surfaces.

Claims

1. A wheel strobing device comprising:

a tachometer unit to determine a rotational frequency of a wheel;

a strobing element capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode, wherein the frequency of the strobing element is related to the rotational frequency of the wheel when operating in the first mode and the frequency of the strobing element is independent of the rotational frequency of the wheel when operating in the second mode;

a set of one or more lighting elements controlled by the strobing element.

2. The wheel strobe device of claim 1 wherein the frequency of the strobing element when operating in the first mode is further related to a number of degrees of symmetry of a wheel feature.

3. The wheel strobing device of claim 2 further comprising:

a comparator to compare the frequency of the strobing element with a threshold frequency such that if the frequency of the strobing element, related to the rotational frequency of the wheel and the number of degrees of symmetry of a wheel feature, is higher than the threshold frequency, the wheel strobing device operates in the first mode and if the frequency of the strobing element, related to the rotational frequency of the wheel and the number of degrees of symmetry of a wheel feature, is lower than the threshold frequency, the wheel strobing device operates in the second mode.

4. The wheel strobe device of claim 3 wherein the wheel feature is selected from the group consisting of spokes, hub, center cap, designs, text, and combinations thereof.

5. The wheel strobe device of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more additional strobing elements wherein the strobing frequency of each additional element when operating in the first mode is related to the rotational frequency of the wheel and to a number of degrees of symmetry of a corresponding wheel feature.

6. The wheel strobe device of claim 1 wherein the set of one or more lighting elements includes lighting elements selected from the group consisting of light-emitting diodes, filament-based light elements, gas-based light elements, lasers, and a combination thereof.

7. The wheel strobe device of claim 1 wherein the strobe device is completely implemented within the rotational reference frame of the wheel.

8. The wheel strobe device of claim 7 wherein the set of one or more lighting elements are positioned on a portion of the wheel selected from the group consisting of a wheel rim, a rim flange, a wheel center cap, a disk, a hat, a spoke, and a combination thereof.

9. The wheel strobe device of claim 7 wherein the tachometer unit includes a transceiver implemented on the wheel and determining wheel rotation in reference to a modulation scheme.

10. The wheel strobe device of claim 9 wherein the transceiver is an infrared transceiver.

11. An assembly comprising:

a wheel; and

a wheel illumination system having one or more strobing light source assemblies positioned within a rotating reference frame of the wheel, such that a sufficient amount of light from the light source assemblies is directed toward a surface of the wheel so that an amount of light reflected from the surface of the wheel is greater than an amount of light from the light source assemblies directed away from the surface of the wheel.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the one or more strobing light source assembles have a strobing frequency related to the rotational frequency of the wheel and to a number of degrees of symmetry of a wheel feature.

13. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the rotational frequency of the wheel is determined by a tachometer implemented within the rotating reference frame of the wheel.

14. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the one or more light source assemblies are light sources selected from the group consisting of light-emitting diodes, filament-based light elements, gas-based light elements, lasers, and a combination thereof.

15. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the one or more light source assemblies are positioned on a portion of the wheel selected from the group consisting of a wheel rim, a rim flange, a wheel center cap, a disk, a hat, a spoke, and a combination thereof.

16. The assembly of claim 12 wherein the rotational frequency of the wheel is determined in reference to a tachometer implemented within the rotational reference frame of the wheel.

17. The assembly of claim 16 wherein the tachometer unit includes a transceiver implemented on the wheel and determining wheel rotation in reference to a modulation scheme.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the transceiver is an infrared transceiver.

19. A method comprising:

determining a rotational frequency of a wheel, the wheel having one or more wheel features implemented thereon and a set of lighting elements attached thereto;

determining a strobing frequency for the set of lighting elements based upon the rotational frequency of the wheel and a radial degree of symmetry of at least one of the wheel features;

strobing the lighting elements at the determined strobing frequency if the determined strobing frequency is higher than a threshold frequency.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

strobing the lighting elements at a default frequency if the determined strobing frequency is not higher than a threshold frequency.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

operating the lighting elements in a direct current mode if the determined strobing frequency is not higher than a threshold frequency.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the one or more wheel features are features selected from the group consisting of spokes, hub, center cap, designs, text, and combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the set of lighting elements includes lighting elements selected from the group consisting of light-emitting diodes, filament-based light elements, gas-based light elements, lasers, and a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the set of lighting elements are positioned on a portion of the wheel selected from the group consisting of a wheel rim, a rim flange, a wheel center cap, a disk, a hat, a spoke, and a combination thereof.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining one or more additional strobing frequencies for one or more corresponding additional sets of lighting elements, each additional strobing frequency based upon the rotational frequency of the wheel and a radial degree of symmetry of at least one of the wheel features.

26. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium having associated data, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing operations comprising;

determining a rotational frequency of a wheel, the wheel having one or more wheel features implemented thereon and a set of lighting elements attached thereto;

determining a strobing frequency for the set of lighting elements based upon the rotational frequency of the wheel and a radial degree of symmetry of at least one of the wheel features;

strobing the lighting elements at the determined strobing frequency if the determined strobing frequency is higher than a threshold frequency.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein the method further comprises:

strobing the lighting elements at a default frequency if the determined strobing frequency is not higher than a threshold frequency.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein the method further comprises:

operating the lighting elements in a direct current mode if the determined strobing frequency is not higher than a threshold frequency.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein the one or more wheel features are features selected from the group consisting of spokes, hub, center cap, designs, text, and combinations thereof.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein the set of lighting elements includes lighting elements selected from the group consisting of light-emitting diodes, filament-based light elements, gas-based light elements, lasers, and a combination thereof.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein the set of lighting elements are positioned on a portion of the wheel selected from the group consisting of a wheel rim, a rim flange, a wheel center cap, a disk, a hat, a spoke, and a combination thereof.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 26 wherein the method further comprises:

determining one or more additional strobing frequencies for one or more corresponding additional sets of lighting elements, each additional strobing frequency based upon the rotational frequency of the wheel and a radial degree of symmetry of at least one of the wheel features.