AUTOMATIC CARGO COMPARTMENT LIGHTING REACTIVATION SYSTEM

• US 20050285444A1
• Filed: 06/22/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Morris, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,005,804 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/30 for compartments other than passenger or driving compartments, e.g. luggage or engine compartments

Abstract

A light activation system is provided for automatically illuminating a compartment in an automobile. The system comprises a light adapted to illuminate the compartment, a lighting circuit that activates and deactivates the light, and a distance sensor, electrically coupled to the lighting circuit, and adapted to cause the light to be activated when a person is within a predetermined distance from the compartment. A method is also provided for automatically illuminating a compartment in an automobile having a light that is adapted to illuminate the compartment, and a lighting circuit that activates and deactivates the light. The method comprises the step of activating the light when a person is within a predetermined distance from the compartment using a distance sensor that is electrically coupled to the lighting circuit.

Claims

1. A light activation system for automatically illuminating a compartment in an automobile, the system comprising:

a light adapted to illuminate the compartment;

a lighting circuit that activates and deactivates the light;

a switch, electrically coupled to the lighting circuit, and adapted to cause the light to be activated when the compartment is opened;

a first timer, electrically coupled to the switch and to the lighting circuit, and adapted to cause the light to be deactivated after the switch activates the light for a set time; and

a distance sensor, electrically coupled to the lighting circuit, and adapted to cause the light to be reactivated when a person is within a predetermined distance from the compartment.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second timer, electrically coupled to the distance sensor and to the lighting circuit, and adapted to light to be deactivated after the distance sensor reactivates the light for a set time.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor is further adapted to cause the light to be deactivated, after reactivating the light, when a person moves beyond the predetermined distance.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a counter, electrically coupled to the distance sensor, and adapted to deactivate the sensor after the distance sensor has reactivated the light a set number of times within a set time period.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor is also adapted to function when the automobile is moving, and to activate an alerting system when the automobile is moving within a set distance from another object.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the distance sensor is configured as an ultrasonic device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor is deactivated when the compartment is closed.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the distance sensor is further adapted to activate the light independent of light activation by the switch or light deactivation by the first timer.

9. A light activation system for automatically illuminating a compartment in an automobile, the system comprising:

a light adapted to illuminate the compartment;

a lighting circuit that activates and deactivates the light; and

a distance sensor, electrically coupled to the lighting circuit, and adapted to cause the light to be activated when a person is within a predetermined distance from the compartment.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a timer, electrically coupled to the distance sensor and to the lighting circuit, and adapted to light to be deactivated after the distance sensor activates the light for a set time.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the distance sensor is further adapted to cause the light to be deactivated, after reactivating the light, when a person moves beyond the predetermined distance.

12. The system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a counter, electrically coupled to the distance sensor, and adapted to deactivate the sensor after the distance sensor has activated the light a set number of times within a set time period.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the distance sensor is also adapted to function when the automobile is moving, and to activate an alerting system when the automobile is moving within a set distance from another object.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the distance sensor is configured as an ultrasonic device.

15. The system according to claim 9, wherein the distance sensor is deactivated when the compartment is closed.

16. A method for automatically illuminating a compartment in an automobile having a light that is adapted to illuminate the compartment, and a lighting circuit that activates and deactivates the light, the method comprising the step of:

activating the light when a person is within a predetermined distance from the compartment using a distance sensor that is electrically coupled to the lighting circuit.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

deactivating the light using a timer electrically coupled to the distance sensor and to the lighting circuit after the distance sensor activates the light for a set time.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

deactivating the light using the distance sensor when a person moves beyond the predetermined distance.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

counting the number of light activations by the distance sensor within a set period of time using a counter electrically coupled to the distance sensor; and

deactivating the sensor after the distance sensor has activated the light a set number of times within the set time period.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the distance sensor is also adapted to function when the automobile is moving, and to activate an alerting system when the automobile is moving within a set distance from another object.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the distance sensor is configured as an ultrasonic device.

22. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

deactivating the distance sensor when the compartment is closed.