SYSTEM FOR PRE-INDICATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE HID LAMP FEATURE

• US 20080185966A1
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Kaczorowski, Lance G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,589,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2925 against abnormal lamp operating conditions

Abstract

Vehicle high intensity discharge lamps are available with three wire ballasts which emit a signal indicating proximate shutdown of the ballast and thus failure of the bulb energized by the ballast. The signal provides indication to a vehicle electrical controller which can be relayed to a remote facility which schedules replacement of the bulb.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp system, comprising:

high intensity discharge lamps;

ballasts for energizing the high intensity discharge lamps and providing signals indicative of impending failure of the high intensity discharge lamps;

a programmable controller coupled to receive the signals indicative of impending failure of a high intensity discharge lamp;

a remote facility for management of a fleet including a vehicle on which the vehicle lamp system is installed;

means for notifying a remote controller of the impending failure; and

program means executed on the remote facility for selecting a repair location for replacement of the lamp.

2. A vehicle lamp system as described in claim 1, further comprising:

a selected trigger level for the signal indicative of impending lamp failure to give a predetermined number of hours until expected failure.

3. A vehicle comprising:

high intensity discharge lamps with three wire ballasts which emit a signal indicating proximate shutdown of the ballast and thus failure of the lamp; and

means responsive to the signal for scheduling a time and location for replacement of the lamp.