Light source turn-on/off controller

• US 8,575,840 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kanda, Takumi, Bandai, Junji, Tanaka, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, DAVID HUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/774,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20130162141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/192, 315/307, 315/308, 315/83, 315/82, 315/77, 315/185.R
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/381 with several light sources activated in sequence, e.g. to create a sweep effect
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/486 for indicating that vehicle is in a parked state
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/32 Pulse-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3574 Emulating the electrical or functional characteristics of incandescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

A light source turn-on/off controller includes an input section of a turn-on/off timing signal, a PWM signal generating section for generating a pulse signal responding to a rise or a fall of the timing signal, a duty cycle of the pulse signal changing so as to simulate a rise or a fall of emission in turn-on or turn-off of a filament, an emission control section for controlling an emitting section responding to the pulse signal from the PWM signal generating section, and a storage section for storing a control data table for duty cycle control by the PWM signal generating section. The control data table includes a rise table to be referred to in the rise of emission and a fall table to be referred to in the fall of emission, and each of the rise table and the fall table indicates association between elapsed time from the rise or the fall of the timing signal and the duty cycle of the pulse signal, and a relationship between the tables indicates that they cannot be superposed on each other.

Claims

1. A light source turn-on/off controller comprising:

an input section of the turn-on/off timing signal; and

an emission control signal generating section for generating a control signal for a light source other than a filament to emit light simulating a rise or a fall of light emission in turn-on or turn-off of the filament responding to a rise or a fall of the timing signal,

wherein the emission control signal generating section supplies a plurality of control signals to a plurality of light sources respectively, and a delay is provided between the plurality of control signals so that total sum of output energy of the plurality of control signals varies so as to simulate energy output variation of the rise or the fall of light emission in turn-on or turn-off of the filament.

2. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 1, wherein the emission control signal generating section has an output energy difference between the control signals based on energy output variation of the rise or the fall of light emission in turn-on or turn-off of the filament.

3. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 1, wherein the emission control signal generating section has a delay between the control signals based on the energy output variation of the rise or the fall of light emission in turn-on or turn-off of the filament.

4. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 3, wherein the emission control signal generating section delays the plurality of control signals in a turned-off state in the order opposite to that in a turned-on state.

5. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources are concentrically arranged, and wherein the emission control signal generating section delays the plurality of control signals concentrically in accordance with the arrangement of the plurality of light sources.

6. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 5, wherein the emission control signal generating section delays the plurality of control signals so that the control signal for a central light source ahead of that for a marginal light source in a turned-on state while the control signal for the marginal light source ahead of that for the central light source in a turned-off state.

7. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 1, wherein the emission control signal generating section delays the plurality of control signals in one way of an arrangement of the plurality of light sources.

8. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 7, wherein the emission control signal generating section delays the plurality of control signals in the same direction of the arrangement of the plurality of light sources both in a turned-on state and in a turned-off state.

9. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of light sources are divided into separate first and second groups, wherein the light source turn-on/off controller is provided with a pair of the emission control signal generation sections for the first and second groups of the light sources, respectively, and wherein the pair of emission control signal generation sections delay the plurality of control signals in such a manner that the turn on or off of the light emission is performed with time differences running outward of the arrangement of the first and second groups of the light sources.

10. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources constitute a winker as a whole of a vehicle.

11. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources constitute a parking brake lamp as whole of a vehicle.

12. A light source turn-on/off controller comprising:

an input section of the turn-on/off timing signal; and

an emission control signal generating section for generating a control signal for a light source other than a filament, the emission control signal generating section supplying a plurality of control signals to a plurality of concentrically arranged light sources respectively, a delay being provided between the plurality of control signals,

wherein the emission control signal generating section delays the plurality of control signals concentrically in accordance with the arrangement of the plurality of light sources so that the control signal for a central light source ahead of that for a marginal light source in a turned-on state while the control signal for the marginal light source ahead of that for the central light source in a turned-off state.

13. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of light sources constitute a winker as a whole of a vehicle.

14. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of light sources constitute a parking brake lamp as whole of a vehicle.

15. A light source turn-on/off controller comprising:

an input section of the turn-on/off timing signal; and

an emission control signal generating section for generating a control signal for a light source other than a filament, the emission control signal generating section supplying a plurality of control signals to a plurality of light sources respectively, a delay being provided between the plurality of control signals,

wherein the emission control signal generating section delays the plurality of control signals in the same direction of the arrangement of the plurality of light sources both in a turned-on state and in a turned-off state.

16. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of light sources are divided into separate first and second groups, wherein the light source turn-on/off controller is provided with a pair of the emission control signal generation sections for the first and second groups of the light sources, respectively, and wherein the pair of emission control signal generation sections delay the plurality of control signals in such a manner that the turn on or off of the light emission is performed with time differences running outward of the arrangement of the first and second groups of the light sources.

17. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of light sources constitute a winker as a whole of a vehicle.

18. The light source turn-on/off controller according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of light sources constitute a parking brake lamp as whole of a vehicle.