Automatic adverse weather rear light system for motor vehicles

• US 6,552,492 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph David Kover, Joseph Kover Jr
• Original Assignee: Joseph David Kover, Joseph Kover Jr
• Inventors: Kover, Joseph Jr., Kover, Joseph David
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US09/877,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20020195948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/80, 315/82, 340/462-464, 340/469, 340/359, 340/902, 340/903, 362/284, 362/324, 362/276, 362/464-466
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2603 Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/303 Rear fog lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic adverse weather rear light system which automatically activates the adverse weather rear light source or light sources. Also, to avoid outshining (masking) either the brake lights or the turn signal/emergency flasher lights the luminosity of these lights is automatically increased to where their luminosity always greater than the luminosity of the adverse weather rear light source or light sources. Another embodiment of the adverse weather rear light system automatically activates and progressively either increases or decreases the luminosity of the adverse weather rear light source or light sources as the current visibility conditions decrease or increase. Also, to avoid outshining (masking) either the brake lights or the turn signal/emergency flasher lights the luminosity of these lights is automatically increased to where their luminosity is always greater the luminosity of the adverse weather rear light source or light sources.

Claims

1. An adverse weather rear light system for vehicles which is comprised of a light source or light sources and is positioned to increase the conspicuity of the rear of a vehicle during periods of decreased visibility due to either adverse weather, smoke, or dust;

a means to collect, receive, and combine the current state of the vehicle, the current environmental conditions, the current visibility conditions, and the current ambient light conditions;

a control means whereby the adverse weather rear light system is automatically energized when the current visibility conditions are less than a low visibility threshold Limit and wherein the adverse weather rear light system is automatically de-energized when the current visibility conditions are greater than the low visibility threshold limit.

2. The adverse weather rear tight system according to claim 1 whereby the luminosity level of the light source or light sources would automatically increase when the adverse weather rear light system is in an active state and wherein the control means of the light source or light sources would either automatically de-energize or decrease the luminosity of the light source or light sources to a federal standard luminous level when the adverse weather rear light system is in a de-energized state, furthermore, where the light source or light sources is an integral part of any existing light source or light sources of a vehicle.

3. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 2 wherein the luminosity of a brake light, a turn signal light, or an emergency flasher light would automatically increase so that the luminosity of a brake light, a turn signal light or an emergency flasher light is always greater than the luminosity of the adverse weather rear light source or light sources when the adverse weather rear light system is in an energized state and either a brake light switch is in an on state, a turn signal switch is in an on state, or an emergency flasher switch is in an on state, furthermore, where the luminosity of the brake light, the turn signal light, or the emergency flasher light would function at a federal standard luminous level when the adverse weather rear light system is in a de-energized state.

4. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 3 whereby the light source or light sources of the adverse weather rear light system would automatically be de-energized when an ignition switch is in an off state.

5. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 4 whereby a brake light and an emergency flasher light would function at an increased luminous level when the current visibility conditions are less than a low threshold limit and when an ignition switch is in an off state, furthermore the brake light and the emergency flasher light would function at a federal standard luminous level when the current visibility conditions are greater than the low visibility threshold limit and when the ignition switch is in the off state.

6. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 5 whereby the luminous level of the light source or light sources, a brake light, a turn signal light, and an emergency flasher light would automatically be reduced during low ambient light conditions.

7. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 6 whereby all vehicle lights are energized and de-energized in conjunction with the activation and the deactivation of the adverse weather rear light system.

8. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 1 whereby the adverse weather rear light system is automatically energized when the current visibility conditions are less than a low visibility threshold limit, whereby the control means would progressively increase the luminosity level of the light source or light sources as the current visibility conditions progressively decrease, and where the control means would progressively decrease the luminosity level of the light source or light sources as the current visibility conditions progressively increase and wherein the adverse weather rear light system is automatically de-energized when the current visibility conditions are greater than a low visibility threshold limit, furthermore, where the light source or light sources is an integral part of any existing light source or light sources of a vehicle.

9. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 8 wherein the luminosity of a brake light, a turn signal light, or an emergency flasher light is always greater than the luminosity of the adverse weather rear light source or light sources when the adverse weather rear light system is in an energized state and either a brake light switch is in an on state, a turn signal switch is in an on state, or an emergency flasher switch is in an on state, furthermore, whereby the luminosity of the brake light, the turn signal light, or the emergency flasher light would function at a federal standard luminous level when the adverse weather rear light system is in a de-energized state.

10. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 9 whereby when an ignition switch is in an off state the adverse weather rear light source or light sources are automatically deactivated.

11. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 10 whereby when an ignition switch is in an off state and the current visibility conditions are less than a low visibility threshold limit, a brake light and an emergency flasher light would function at an increased luminosity level and when the current visibility conditions are greater than the low visibility threshold limit the brake light and the emergency flasher light would function at a federal standard luminous level.

12. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 11 whereby the luminous level of the light source or light sources, a brake light, a turn signal light, and an emergency flasher light would automatically be reduced during low ambient light conditions.

13. The adverse weather rear light system according to claim 12 whereby all vehicle lights are energized and de-energized in conjunction with the activation and the deactivation of the adverse weather rear light system.