Brake signaling system and process

• US 5,150,098 A
• Filed: 11/13/1990
• Issued: 09/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Variable Status Brake Light, LLC
• Original Assignee: Robert Rakow
• Inventors: Rakow, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Popovici, Dov
• Application Number:
  US07/613,274
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 340/479, 340/467, 340/464, 340/463, 340/469, 340/464
• US Class Current: 340/479
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/444 with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing shape or intensity of the indication B60Q1/1407, B60Q1/442, B60Q1/447 take precedence

Abstract

A brake signaling safety system and process is provided with a dependable sequential pressure monitoring brake light display to alert others of the relative frequency and amount of braking forces applied during braking of the vehicle. Preferably, the brake signaling safety system has a special circuit to signal a different number of brake lights for different braking forces and vehicle decelerations.

Claims

1. A brake signaling system for use in motor vehicles, comprising:

a brake display comprising a lighting set of at least four brake lights mounted on a motor vehicle and facing rearwardly, said lighting set of at least four brake lights including at least two red lights;

a hydraulic brake system for decelerating and stopping said vehicle;

a brake pedal connected to said hydraulic brake system and exerting hydraulic braking pressures on said hydraulic brake system, said brake pedal being moveable from an upward inactive position to a downward depressed braking position by braking forces applied by a foot of an operator of the vehicle, said brake pedal being responsive to different braking forces and rates;

illuminating and signaling means operatively connected to said hydraulic brake system for sequentially and progressively illuminating and signaling different pairs of said brake lights when different braking forces are applied to said brake pedal, said illuminating and signaling means including

pressure transducer means for sensing said hydraulic braking pressures in said hydraulic brake system and for producing a voltage;

voltage amplifier means comprising a low-noise amplifier connected to said pressure transducer means for amplifying said voltage produced from said pressure transducer means;

level detector and comparator means comprising a series of five reference voltage resistors and three level comparators connected to said low-noise amplifier for comparing said amplified voltage with reference voltage levels, and generating currents when said reference voltage levels are exceeded by said amplified voltage from said low-noise amplifier; and

current driver and amplifying means comprising three current amplifiers connected to said lighting set of at least four brake lights and three parallel sets of current driving resistors and diodes connected to and between said current amplifiers and said level comparators, each of said parallel sets of current driving resistors and diodes comprising two current driving resistors connected in series to one of said current amplifiers and one of said level comparators including a first leading current driving resistor positioned adjacent and connected to said one of said current amplifiers and a second trailing current driving resistor positioned adjacent and connected to said one of said level comparators and a current driving diode connected in parallel to said first leading resistor, said current driver and amplifying means amplifying said current and activating said brake lights when said brake pedal is depressed so that different pairs of said brake lights are activated and illuminated when different braking forces are applied to said brake pedal.

2. A brake signaling system in accordance with claim 1 including switching means connected to said three current amplifiers for varying the intensity of said brake lights for daytime and nighttime driving, said switching means comprising a light intensity-varying switch connected in parallel to a switching resistor.

3. A brake signaling system in accordance with claim 1 including:

a ramp generator for generating a sawtooth waveform,

emergency switching means connected to said ramp generator and said low-noise amplifier for sequentially and intermittently flashing said brake lights during an emergency, and wherein

said lighting set comprises from four to twenty-two of said brake lights.

4. A brake signaling system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lighting set includes at least twelve brake lights.