DIRECTIONAL INDICATOR AND STRADDLE TYPE VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL INDICATOR SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20140015665A1
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: YAMAGUCHI, Takao
• Granted Patent: US 9,586,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/475
• 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 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/007 the lighting devices indicating change of drive direction
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/48 having LEDs organised in strings and incorporating parallel shunting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/52 in a parallel array of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/54 in a series array of LEDs

Abstract

A directional indicator system includes a directional indicator that includes a plurality of LED series circuits each connected in parallel to another of the LED series circuits. Each LED series circuit includes LEDs connected in series. A driver is configured to control driving of the directional indicator. The driver includes LED drivers that are each configured to drive a corresponding one of the LED series circuits. The driver also includes a plurality of current detectors that are each configured to measure a value of a current in a corresponding one of the LED series circuits.

Claims

1. A straddle type vehicle directional indicator system, comprising:

a directional indicator including a plurality of LED series circuits each connected in parallel to another of the LED series circuits, each LED series circuit having a plurality of LEDs connected in series; and

a driver configured to control driving of the directional indicator, the driver including

a plurality of LED drivers each configured to drive a corresponding one of the LED series circuits, and

a plurality of current detectors each configured to measure a value of a current in a corresponding one of the LED series circuits.

2. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein the driver further includes a failure detector configured to determine whether one of the LED series circuits has a failure based on the values of the currents measured by the current detectors.

3. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 2, wherein the driver further includes a plurality of LED driver circuits that each includes

a respective one of the LED drivers, and

one of the current detectors that corresponds to the respective one LED driver.

4. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 2, wherein

the driver includes a drive control unit configured to output drive signals to the plurality of LED drivers, and

the failure detector is a part of the drive control unit.

5. A straddle type vehicle including the straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein

the directional indicator includes a plurality of directional indicators with a left directional indicator being provided on a left side of the vehicle and a right directional indicator being provided on a right side of the vehicle, each directional indicator including two of the LED series circuits that are connected in parallel to each other,

at least one of the LED drivers has at least two current output terminals, and

at least one of the current output terminals is connected with at least one of the LED series circuits of the left directional indicator, and at least one of the other current output terminals is connected with at least one of the LED series circuits of the right directional indicator.

6. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, further comprising a bulb body directional indicator having a bulb body, wherein the driver includes a bulb driver configured to drive the bulb body.

7. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 6, wherein the current detectors are provided to correspond to each of the LED drivers and the bulb driver.

8. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 6, wherein

the driver further includes a drive control unit configured to output drive signals to the LED drivers and a drive signal to the bulb driver, and

the drive control unit causes one or more of the drive signals that are output to the LED drivers to be output at a different point of time than the drive signal output to the bulb driver.

9. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 8, wherein the drive control unit causes the one or more drive signals that are output to the LED drivers to be output after the drive signal output to the bulb driver.

10. A straddle type vehicle including the straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 6, wherein

the directional indicator that includes said plurality of LED series circuits is located in a front portion of the vehicle, and

the bulb body directional indicator is located in a rear portion of the vehicle.

11. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein

the directional indicator further includes a bulb body, and

the driver includes a bulb driver configured to drive the bulb body.

13. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, further comprising a failure detector for determining whether any of the LED series circuits has failed based on the values of the currents by comparing each of the values to a break current value which corresponds to a break in a failed LED series circuit.

14. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 13, further wherein the failure detector detects that one of the LED series circuits has failed when one of the values, that corresponds to the one LED series circuit that has failed, is less than the break current value.

15. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 14, further wherein the driver controls the one LED series circuit that has failed to blink in a frequency cycle that is different than a frequency cycle used when there is no failure in the one LED series circuit that has failed.

16. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, further comprising a failure detector for determining whether any of the LED series circuits has failed based on the values of the currents by comparing each of the values to a short circuit value which corresponds to a short circuit in a failed LED series circuit.

17. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 16, further wherein the failure detector detects that one of the LED series circuits has failed when one of the values, that corresponds to the one LED series circuit that has failed, is greater than the short circuit value.

18. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 17, further wherein the driver controls the one LED series circuit that has failed to be in an off-state so that the one LED series circuit that has failed cannot be driven to be turned into an on-state.

19. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein the current detectors includes comparators which measure the values of the currents.

20. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the LED drivers is configured to drive a group of the LED series circuits, including the corresponding one LED series circuit, each at a different time,

each of the current detectors is configured to measure a plurality of the values of the currents, including the value of the current in the corresponding one LED series circuit, each at a different time.

12. A directional indicator, comprising:

a plurality of LED series circuits each including a plurality of LEDs connected in series; and

a plurality of connection lines connected with the respective LED series circuits,

wherein each of the plurality of LED series circuits is connected in parallel to another of the LED series circuits, and

the plurality of connection lines are each configured to connect one of the plurality of LED series circuits with one of a plurality of LED drivers for driving the LED series circuits.