Vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system

• US 8,525,415 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yun-Chang Liao
• Original Assignee: Yun-Chang Liao
• Inventors: Liao, Yun-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US13/090,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20120248982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/88, 315/80, 315/83, 315/82, 315/312, 315/314, 315/315, 315/318, 362/543, 362/20, 362/276
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/141 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/147 the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]

Abstract

A vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system includes a vehicular LED lamp having first and second LEDs. A selection/control unit is connected to and controls separate activation of the first and second LEDs and is connected to a malfunction detecting unit that detects operation of the first and second LEDs. The second LED is activated when the first LED operates abnormally. A power control unit can send a control signal to the selection/control unit to control luminance of each of the first and second LEDs. A vehicle speed monitoring unit connected to the power control unit reads a speed of a vehicle on which the vehicular LED lamp is mounted. When the vehicle is moving, the first or second LED provides normal luminance. When the vehicle is not moving, the first or second LED provides reduced luminance.

Claims

1. A vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system comprising:

a vehicular LED lamp including a lamp base, with the lamp base including a mounting seat and a heat pipe, with the mounting seat including a plurality of annularly arranged faces each having a groove, with a carrier plate mounted in each groove, with each carrier plate including a first LED and a second LED, with the mounting seat including an end having a receptacle, with the heat pipe including an end received in the receptacle;

a malfunction detecting unit electrically and separately connected to the first and second LEDs on each carrier plate, with the malfunction detecting unit detecting whether the first and second LEDs on each carrier plate operate normally after the first and second LEDs on each carrier plate are activated;

a selection/control unit electrically and separately connected to the first and second LEDs on each carrier plate, with the selection/control unit separately controlling activation of the first and second LEDs on each carrier plate, with the selection/control unit electrically connected to the malfunction detecting unit, with the second LED on at least one of the carrier plates activated by the selection/control unit when the malfunction detecting unit detects abnormal function of the first LED on a corresponding carrier plate;

a temperature monitoring unit electrically connected to the selection/control unit or the malfunction detecting unit, with the temperature monitoring unit detecting a working temperature of the vehicular LED lamp, with the temperature monitoring unit setting a safe temperature;

a heat dissipating unit electrically connected to the selection/control unit;

a power control unit electrically connected to the selection/control unit, with the power control unit sending a control signal to the selection/control unit to control luminance of each of the first and second LEDs on each carrier plate; and

a vehicle speed monitoring unit electrically connected to the power control unit, with the vehicle speed monitoring unit reading a speed of a vehicle on which the vehicular LED lamp is mounted,

wherein when the working temperature of the vehicular LED lamp detected by the temperature monitoring unit is higher than or equal to the safe temperature, the temperature monitoring unit sends a signal to the selection/control unit to drive the heat dissipating unit, proceeding heat dissipation of the vehicular LED lamp,

wherein when the speed of the vehicle is not equal to zero, the vehicle speed monitoring unit controls the power control unit to send the control signal to the selection/control unit to control the first or second LED on each carrier plate to provide normal luminance,

wherein when the speed of the vehicle is equal to zero, the vehicle speed monitoring unit sends a signal indicative that the vehicle is not moving to the power control unit, controlling the first or second LED to provide reduced luminance lower than the normal luminance.

2. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 1, with the first and second LEDs on each carrier plate emitting light beams of a first color when activated, with each carrier plate of the vehicular LED lamp further including a third LED, with the third LED on each carrier plate electrically connected to the selection/control unit, with the selection/control unit controlling activation of the third LED on each carrier plate to emit light beams of a second color different from the first color, with the vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system further including an external humidity detecting unit electrically connected to the selection/control unit, with the external humidity detecting unit detecting an ambient relative humidity surrounding the vehicle, with the external humidity detecting unit sending a signal to the selection/control unit to activate the third LED on each carrier plate when the ambient relative humidity is in a range between 90% and 100%.

3. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a mandatory activation switch electrically connected to the vehicle speed monitoring unit, with the mandatory activation switch manually operable to deactivate the vehicle speed monitoring unit, causing the first or second LED on each carrier plate to provide the normal luminance when the speed of the vehicle is equal to zero.

4. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 3, with the mandatory activation switch being a button, with the vehicle speed monitoring unit deactivated when the button is pressed once, with the vehicle speed monitoring unit activated when the button is pressed twice.

5. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 1, with the heat dissipating unit including a thermoelectric module coupled to the heat pipe.

6. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 1, with the heat pipe receiving a heat transfer medium including an aqueous solution containing at least one salt, with said at least one salt including a compound of an organic or inorganic acid and an ion of a metal selected from a group consisting of copper, silver, gold, nickel, chromium, zinc, titanium, cobalt and any combination thereof.

7. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit electrically connected to and reading data from the temperature monitoring unit or the malfunction detecting unit, with the display unit electrically connected to and reading data from the selection/control unit, the external humidity detecting unit, and the vehicle speed monitoring unit.

8. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 7, with the display unit including a dashboard of the vehicle.

9. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 7, with the display unit including a liquid display mounted in the vehicle.

10. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 7, with the display unit being a display of a trip computer mounted in the vehicle, with the malfunction detecting unit displayed on the display of the trip computer via malfunction codes of the trip computer.

11. The vehicular LED lamp monitoring/controlling system as claimed in claim 1, with the safe temperature being in a range between 50°

C. and 85°

C.