Universal automatic headlight controller

• US 5,424,585 A
• Filed: 10/13/1992
• Issued: 06/13/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James M. Geraghty
• Original Assignee: James M. Geraghty
• Inventors: Geraghty, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Application Number:
  US07/959,423
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 307/10.8, 307/10.6, 361/160, 361/166, 318/DIG. 2, 318/443-445, 318/484, 368/457.2, 315/77, 315/82, 315/83
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather

Abstract

A universally applicable device for automatically turning on a vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon activation of the vehicle'"'"'s windshield wiper motor, and for keeping them turned on until the vehicle'"'"'s ignition is turned off, or until the device is turned off by the vehicle'"'"'s operator; also, for turning on all of a vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon turning on the vehicle'"'"'s ignition, and for keeping them turned on until the vehicle'"'"'s ignition is turned off, or until the device is turned off by the vehicle'"'"'s operator. A function switch is provided to allow the vehicle'"'"'s operator to select lighting activation in response to the wiper motor, or to the ignition switch; or to turn the device off.

Claims

1. A universally applicable circuit for automatically turning on a vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon activation of the vehicle'"'"'s power source and windshield wiper motor, without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s power source, and without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s windshield wiper system, and without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment;

for keeping said lighting and related equipment turned on until turned off as hereinafter described;

for turning off said lighting and related equipment upon turning off the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means; and

alternatively, for turning off said lighting and related equipment by the vehicle'"'"'s operator;

additionally, for turning on the vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon closing the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means;

for keeping said lighting and related equipment turned on until turned off as hereinafter described, for turning off said lighting and related equipment upon opening the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means; and

alternatively, for turning off said lighting and related equipment by the vehicle'"'"'s operator;

said device comprising;

typical vehicle power, lighting and wiper systems, comprising;

an electrical power source and power switching means;

headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

switching means for controlling said headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

a windshield wiper motor;

switching means for controlling said windshield wiper motor;

an operator-controllable switching means electrically connected to said power switching means, and to said windshield wiper motor, which selectively provides

a) a current path to a latching power status sensing means from said power source through said power switching means, and another current path to a wiper status sensing means from the positive side of said wiper motor, or

b) a current path directly to the switching means which control the headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

c) an off position, breaking the current paths described in a) and b), above;

said wiper status sensing means to detect a voltage drop across said wiper motor sufficient to activate said wiper motor, however briefly and however caused, said wiper status sensing means being electrically connected through said operator-controllable switching means to the positive side of said wiper motor and directly to the negative side of said wiper motor through appropriately rated protective current interruption means;

which activates

said latching power status sensing means electrically connected to said operator-controllable switching means and to said wiper status sensing means, which causes current flow to said switching means which control the headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment, in response to said operator-controllable switching means and said wiper status sensing means;

said switching means which operate the vehicle'"'"'s headlights, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment in parallel with the vehicle'"'"'s headlight, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment switching means, through appropriately rated protective current interruption means and in response to said operator-controllable switching means, wiper status sensing means, and latching power status sensing means.

2. A universally-applicable circuit for automatically turning on a vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon activation of the vehicle'"'"'s power source and windshield wiper motor, without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s power source, and without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s windshield wiper system, and without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment;

for keeping said lighting and related equipment turned on until turned off as hereinafter described;

for turning off said lighting and related equipment upon turning off the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means; and

alternatively, for turning off said lighting and related equipment by the vehicle'"'"'s operator;

additionally, for turning on the vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon closing the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means;

for keeping said lighting and related equipment turned on until turned off as hereinafter described;

for turning off said lighting and related equipment upon opening the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means; and

alternatively, for turning off said lighting and related equipment by the vehicle'"'"'s operator;

said device comprising;

typical vehicle'"'"'s power, lighting and wiper systems, comprising;

a typical vehicle battery;

an ignition switching means;

headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

switching means for controlling said headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

a windshield wiper motor;

switching means for controlling said windshield wiper motor;

an operator-controllable switching means comprising a double pole double throw switching means electrically connected to said ignition switching means, and to said windshield wiper motor, which selectively provides

a) a current path to a first normally open relay switching means from the positive side of said wiper motor, and another current path to a second normally open relay switching means from said battery through said ignition switching means, or

b) a current path directly to relay switching means which control the headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment through appropriately rated protective current interruption means;

c) an off position, breaking the current paths described in a) and b), above;

said first normally open relay switching means, electrically connected through said operator-controllable switching means to the positive side of said wiper motor and directly to the negative side of said wiper motor through appropriately rated protective current interruption means, which activates

said second normally open relay switching means, electrically connected to said operator-controllable switching means and to said first normally open relay switching means, which causes current flow to the said relay switching means which control the headlight, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment, in response to said operator-controllable switching means and said wiper status sensing means;

said relay switching means which operate the vehicle'"'"'s headlights, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment in parallel with the vehicle'"'"'s headlight, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment switching means, through appropriately rated protective current interruption means and in response to said operator-controllable switching means, said first normally open relay switching means, and said second normally open relay switching means.

3. A universally applicable circuit for automatically turning on a vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon activation of the vehicle'"'"'s power source and windshield wiper motor, without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s power source, and without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s windshield wiper system, and without reliance on the design of the particular switching means of the vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment;

for keeping said lighting and related equipment turned on until turned off as hereinafter described;

for turning off said lighting and related equipment upon turning off the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means; and

alternatively, for turning off said lighting and related equipment by the vehicle'"'"'s operator;

additionally, for turning on the vehicle'"'"'s exterior lighting and related equipment upon closing the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means;

for keeping said lighting and related equipment turned on until turned off as hereinafter described;

for turning off said lighting and related equipment upon opening the vehicle'"'"'s power switching means; and

alternatively, for turning off said lighting and related equipment by the vehicle'"'"'s operator;

said device comprising;

typical vehicle power, lighting and wiper systems, comprising;

a typical vehicle battery;

an ignition switching means;

headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

switching means for controlling said headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

a windshield wiper motor;

switching means for controlling said windshield wiper motor;

an operator-controllable switching means comprising a double pole double throw switching means electrically connected to said ignition switching means, and to said windshield wiper motor, which selectively provides

a) a current path to the anode of a silicon controlled rectifier from said battery through said ignition switching means, and another current path through a first resistor to the gate of said silicon controlled rectifier from the positive side of said wiper motor, or

b) a current path directly to relay switching means which control the headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment through appropriately rated protective current interruption means;

c) an off position, breaking the current paths described in a) and b), above;

said silicon controlled rectifier, electrically connected through said operator-controllable switching means to the positive side of said wiper motor and to the negative side of said wiper motor through the collector and base of an NPN transistor through a second resistor, the cathode of said silicon controlled rectifier being electrically connected to said relay switching means which control the headlights, tail, parking, and other lights and related equipment;

said relay switching means which operate the vehicle'"'"'s headlights, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment in parallel with the vehicle'"'"'s headlight, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment switching means, through appropriately rated protective current interruption means in response to said operator-controllable switching means, and said silicon controlled rectifier;

said NPN transistor, the base of which is electrically connected through said second resistor to the negative side of said wiper motor, the collector of which is electrically connected to said first resistor, and the emitter of which is electrically connected to said relay switching means which operate the vehicle'"'"'s headlights, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment, and through appropriately rated protective current interruption means to ground;

said transistor operating to provide for wiper systems incorporating a switching means between said wiper motor and ground, in which the current path from the positive side of said wiper motor through said silicon controlled rectifier through said relay switching means which operate the vehicle'"'"'s headlights, tail, parking, other lights, and related equipment to ground would otherwise trigger said silicon controlled rectifier whenever said ignition switching means is closed, whether or not said switching means between said wiper motor and ground is closed, said transistor operating as a logical NOT circuit across said switching means between said wiper motor and ground.