ADAPTIVE RV CHASSIS TAIL LAMP AND TOW LAMP CONFIGURATION

• US 20090212722A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Milne, Kelvin Fraser, Pelser, Peet
• Application Number:
  US12/254,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212722A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/314
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0088 Details of electrical connections B60Q1/305 takes precedence; electrical connection of the light source itself F21S41/192, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles

Abstract

The adaptive RV chassis tail lamp and tow lamp configuration allows switching between American and European style tail and tow lamp configurations through use of a preprogrammed chassis control module, which is simply accessed via an user interface. Further, the configuration of the tail lamps of a vehicle being towed by the RV can be configured separately from the configuration of the RV chassis tail lamps, in like manner. Still further, diagnostics may be run to determine functionality of all tail and tow lamps powered by the vehicle power distribution source.

Claims

1. A vehicle for operation on the ground, comprising:

a chassis;

a wiring harness attached to said chassis;

at least one chassis tail-lamp connected to said wiring harness and receiving electrical signals from said wiring harness;

a towed-vehicle electrical connection connected to said wiring harness and receiving electrical signals from said wiring harness;

a chassis control module attached to said wiring harness, said chassis control module controlling said electrical signals sent from said wiring harness to said at least one chassis tail-lamp and to said towed-vehicle electrical connection;

a user interface connected to said chassis control module; and

electronic logic residing upon said chassis control module, said electronic logic being responsive to said user interface, and being operable to cause said chassis control module to cause said wiring harness to output electrical signals to said at least one chassis tail-lamp and to said towed-vehicle electrical connection, said electrical signals being selectable between American tail-lamp configuration and European tail-lamp configuration.

2. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 1, wherein:

said electronic logic being capable of causing said chassis control module to cause said wiring harness to output electrical signals to said at least one chassis tail-lamp in one configuration, and at the same time causing said chassis control module to cause said wiring harness to output electrical signals to said towed-vehicle electrical connection in another configuration.

3. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 2, wherein:

said chassis being further provided with an instrument panel, said user interface being an LCD display, said LCD display being integrated with said instrument panel.

4. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 2, wherein:

said chassis being further provided with an engine having an ignition switch, said ignition switch being connected to said wiring harness;

said chassis further having hazard lamps connected to said wiring harness and being controlled by a hazard lamp switch, said hazard lamp switch being connected to said wiring harness;

said chassis further having a brake pedal, said brake pedal activating a brake indication switch when depressed, said brake indication switch being connected to said wiring harness; and

said electronic logic being operable to allow selection of said tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals sent to said at least one chassis tail-lamp only upon activation of said ignition switch, activation of said hazard lamp switch, and activation of said brake indication switch via depression of said brake pedal.

5. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 4, wherein:

said electronic logic being operable to allow selection of said tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals sent to said at least one chassis tail-lamp only upon sequential activation of said ignition switch, then said hazard lamp switch, and then said brake indication switch via depression of said brake pedal.

6. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 4, wherein:

said chassis being further provided with a transmission, said transmission having a parking gear and a parking gear indication switch, said parking gear indication switch being connected to said wiring harness;

said user interface being provided with a first button and a second button;

said electronic logic operating in a sequence of steps, said sequence of steps commencing with a first step, wherein said electronic logic determines if said ignition switch is on and if said parking gear indication switch indicates that said transmission is in said parking gear;

said electronic logic operating to take a second step if said ignition switch is on and if said parking gear indication switch indicates that said transmission is in said parking gear, wherein said electronic logic determines if said first button is depressed for a period of time, otherwise if said first button is not depressed for a period of time said electronic logic returning to said first step;

said electronic logic operating to take a third step if said first button is depressed for a period of time, wherein said electronic logic causes said user interface to display a menu, said menu having as a choice a vehicle settings submenu, said vehicle settings submenu having as a choice a set coach stop lamp style selection, said first button and said second button being cooperatively operable to choose said vehicle setting submenu and then said set coach stop lamp style selection;

said electronic logic operating to take a fourth step if said first button and said second button are operated to choose said vehicle setting submenu and said set coach stop lamp style selection, wherein said electronic logic determines if said hazard lamp switch is in an on position and said brake indication switch is activated via depression of said brake pedal, otherwise if said hazard lamp switch is not in an on position or said brake indication switch is not activated said electronic logic operating to cause said menu to return to said vehicle settings submenu; and

said electronic logic operating to take a fifth step if said hazard lamp switch is in an on position and said brake indication switch is activated via depression of said brake pedal and said first button and said second button are operated to choose said set coach stop lamp style selection, wherein said electronic logic causes said user interface to allow selection between said American tail-lamp configuration and said European tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals output by said wiring harness to said at least one chassis tail-lamp.

7. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 6, wherein:

said electronic logic operating to take a sixth step following said selection between said American tail-lamp configuration and said European tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals output by said wiring harness to said at least one chassis tail-lamp, wherein said electronic logic runs a diagnostic routine to determine if said at least one chassis tail-lamp is functioning correctly.

8. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 2, wherein:

said chassis being further provided with an engine having an ignition switch, said ignition switch being connected to said wiring harness;

said chassis further having hazard lamps connected to said wiring harness and being controlled by a hazard lamp switch, said hazard lamp switch being connected to said wiring harness;

said chassis further having a brake pedal, said brake pedal activating a brake indication switch when depressed, said brake indication switch being connected to said wiring harness; and

said electronic logic being operable to allow selection of said tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals sent to said towed-vehicle electrical connection only upon activation of said ignition switch, activation of said hazard lamp switch, and activation of said brake indication switch via depression of said brake pedal.

9. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 8, wherein:

said electronic logic being operable to allow selection of said tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals sent to said towed-vehicle electrical connection only upon sequential activation of said ignition switch, then said hazard lamp switch, and then said brake indication switch via depression of said brake pedal.

10. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 8, wherein:

said chassis being further provided with a transmission, said transmission having a parking gear and a parking gear indication switch, said parking gear indication switch being connected to said wiring harness;

said user interface being provided with a first button and a second button;

said electronic logic operating in a sequence of steps, said sequence of steps commencing with a first step, wherein said electronic logic determines if said ignition switch is on and if said parking gear indication switch indicates that said transmission is in said parking gear;

said electronic logic operating to take a second step if said ignition switch is on and if said parking gear indication switch indicates that said transmission is in said parking gear, wherein said electronic logic determines if said first button is depressed for a period of time, otherwise if said first button is not depressed for a period of time said electronic logic returning to said first step;

said electronic logic operating to take a third step if said first button is depressed for a period of time, wherein said electronic logic causes said user interface to display a menu, said menu having as a choice a vehicle settings submenu, said vehicle settings submenu having as a choice a set towed-vehicle stop lamp style selection, said first button and said second button being cooperatively operable to choose said vehicle setting submenu and then said set towed-vehicle stop lamp style selection;

said electronic logic operating to take a fourth step if said first button and said second button are operated to choose said vehicle setting submenu and said set towed-vehicle stop lamp style selection, wherein said electronic logic determines if said hazard lamp switch is in an on position and said brake indication switch is activated via depression of said brake pedal, otherwise if said hazard lamp switch is not in an on position or said brake indication switch is not activated said electronic logic operating to cause said menu to return to said vehicle settings submenu; and

said electronic logic operating to take a fifth step if said hazard lamp switch is in an on position and said brake indication switch is activated via depression of said brake pedal and said first button and said second button are operated to choose said set towed-vehicle stop lamp style selection, wherein said electronic logic causes said user interface to allow selection between said American tail-lamp configuration and said European tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals output by said wiring harness to said towed-vehicle electrical connection.

11. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 10, wherein:

said electronic logic operating to take a sixth step following said selection between said American tail-lamp configuration and said European tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals output by said wiring harness to said towed-vehicle electrical connection, wherein said electronic logic runs a diagnostic routine to determine if said towed-vehicle electrical connection is functioning correctly.

12. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 2, wherein:

said chassis being further provided with an engine having an ignition switch, said ignition switch being connected to said wiring harness; and

said electronic logic being operable to allow selection of said tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals sent to said towed-vehicle electrical connection only upon activation of said ignition switch.

13. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 12, wherein:

said chassis being further provided with a transmission, said transmission having a parking gear and a parking gear indication switch, said parking gear indication switch being connected to said wiring harness;

said user interface being provided with a first button and a second button;

said electronic logic operating in a sequence of steps, said sequence of steps commencing with a first step, wherein said electronic logic determines if said ignition switch is on and if said parking gear indication switch indicates that said transmission is in said parking gear;

said electronic logic operating to take a second step if said ignition switch is on and if said parking gear indication switch indicates that said transmission is in said parking gear, wherein said electronic logic determines if said first button is depressed for a period of time, otherwise if said first button is not depressed for a period of time said electronic logic returning to said first step;

said electronic logic operating to take a third step if said first button is depressed for a period of time, wherein said electronic logic causes said user interface to display a menu, said menu having as a choice a vehicle settings submenu, said vehicle settings submenu having as a choice a set towed-vehicle stop lamp style selection, said first button and said second button being cooperatively operable to choose said vehicle setting submenu and then said set towed-vehicle stop lamp style selection;

said electronic logic operating to take a fourth step if said first button and said second button are operated to choose said set towed-vehicle stop lamp style selection, wherein said electronic logic causes said user interface to allow selection between said American tail-lamp configuration and said European tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals output by said wiring harness to said towed-vehicle electrical connection.

14. The vehicle for operation on the ground of claim 13, wherein:

said electronic logic operating to take a fifth step following said selection between said American tail-lamp configuration and said European tail-lamp configuration of said electrical signals output by said wiring harness to said towed-vehicle electrical connection, wherein said electronic logic runs a diagnostic routine to determine if said towed-vehicle electrical connection is functioning correctly.