Exclusive or (XOR) lamp driver and lamp

• US 8,912,721 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grote Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Grote Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Brooks, Timothy W., Thompson, Peter H., Harmon, Darren L.
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US13/331,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 315/76, 315/77, 315/80, 439/34, 439/35, 439/36, 439/92, 439/108
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights

Abstract

A lamp and lamp driver are disclosed, in which single intensity marker lamps that are desired to be flashed can be connected to a lamp driver employing an exclusive OR (XOR) logic circuit. In one application, this lamp driver is coupled to a vehicle turn function wire and marker function wire, and a plurality of marker lamps in a row can be of the same style, but one lamp can be flashed in the row of marker lamps. In some embodiments, if all of the marker lamps are on, the lamp being driven by the XOR driver circuit will flash out of sequence with the turn signal flash. If all of the marker lamps are off, the lamp being driven by the XOR driver circuit will flash in sequence with the turn signal flash. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A lamp driver, comprising:

a logic circuit operative to implement an exclusive or (XOR) logic function between its inputs and its output, the logic circuit comprising;

a marker function input operatively coupled to a marker function wire of a vehicle;

a turn function input operatively coupled to a turn function wire of said vehicle;

a lamp driver output;

a first diode having a first anode and a first cathode, the first anode operatively connected to the marker function input;

a second diode having a second anode and a second cathode, the second anode operatively connected to the turn function input, the second cathode operatively connected to the first cathode; and

a first switching device configured to supply power to the lamp driver output through at least one of the diodes if either the turn input or marker input is high, the first switching device further configured to block power to the lamp driver output if both the turn and marker inputs are high.

2. The lamp driver of claim 1, wherein the marker function wire and the turn function wire form a portion of a wiring harness of said vehicle.

3. The lamp driver of claim 1, further comprising:

a lamp having a lamp power input operatively coupled to said lamp driver output.

4. The lamp driver of claim 3, wherein said lamp comprises a single intensity marker lamp.

5. The lamp driver of claim 3, wherein said logic circuit and said lamp are disposed within a single housing.

6. The lamp driver of claim 1, further comprising:

a logic circuit ground input operatively coupled to a vehicle ground; and

a logic circuit ground output.

7. The lamp driver of claim 6, further comprising:

a lamp having a lamp power input operatively coupled to said lamp driver output and a lamp ground operatively coupled to said logic circuit ground output.

8. The lamp driver of claim 7, wherein said lamp comprises a single intensity marker lamp.

9. The lamp driver of claim 7, wherein said logic circuit and said lamp are disposed within a single housing.

10. The lamp driver of claim 6, wherein said logic circuit comprises:

a first resistor having a first end operatively coupled to the turn function input and a second end; and

a second resistor having a third end operatively coupled to the marker function input and a fourth end operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor;

wherein the first switching device has a first switching control input operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor, a first power input operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes, and a first switching device output operatively coupled to the lamp driver output.

11. The lamp driver of claim 10, further comprising:

a third resistor having a fifth end operatively coupled to the first switching control input, and a sixth end operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input.

12. The lamp driver of claim 10, wherein the first switching device comprises a bipolar transistor, the first switching control input comprises a base of the bipolar transistor, the first power input comprises an emitter of the bipolar transistor, and the first switching device output comprises a collector of the bipolar transistor.

13. The lamp driver of claim 10, wherein the first switching device comprises a field effect transistor, the first switching control input comprises a gate of the field effect transistor, the first power input comprises source of the field effect transistor, and the first switching device output comprises a drain of the field effect transistor.

14. The lamp driver of claim 13, wherein the field effect transistor comprises a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

15. The lamp driver of claim 6, wherein said logic circuit comprises:

a first resistor having a first end and a second end, the first end operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes,

the first switching device having a first switching control input operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor, a first power input operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground output, and a first switching device output operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input;

a second resistor having a third end operatively coupled to the turn function input and a fourth end;

a third resistor having a fifth end operatively coupled to the fourth end of the third resistor and an sixth end operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input;

a second switching device having a second switching control input operatively coupled to the fourth end of the second resistor, a second power input operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor, and a second switching device output;

a fourth resistor having a seventh end operatively coupled to the marker function input and an eighth end;

a fifth resistor having an ninth end operatively coupled to the eighth end of the fourth resistor and a tenth end operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input; and

a third switching device having a third switching control input operatively coupled to the eighth end of the fourth resistor, a third power input operatively coupled to the second switching device output, and a third switching device output operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input;

wherein the lamp driver output is operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes.

16. The lamp driver of claim 6, wherein said logic circuit comprises:

a first resistor having a first end and a second end, the first end operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes,

the first switching device having a first switching control input operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor, a first power input operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground output, and a first switching device output operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input.

17. The lamp driver of claim 6, wherein said logic circuit further comprises:

a second and third switching device connected in series between the second end of the first resistor and the logic circuit ground input, the second switching device configured to pass current when the marker function input is high and block current when the marker function input is low, the third switching device configured to pass current when the turn function input is high and block current when the turn function input is low.

18. A lamp, comprising:

a logic circuit operative to implement an exclusive or (XOR) logic function between its inputs and its output, the logic circuit comprising;

a marker function input operative to receive a marker function signal from a vehicle;

a turn function input operative to receive a turn function signal from said vehicle;

a lamp driver output;

a lamp having a lamp power input operatively coupled to said lamp driver output;

and

a first diode having a first anode and a first cathode, the first anode operatively connected to the marker function input;

a second diode having a second anode and a second cathode, the second anode operatively connected to the turn function input, the second cathode operatively connected to the first cathode; and

a first switching device configured to supply power to the lamp driver output through at least one of the diodes if either the turn input or marker input is high, the first switching device further configured to block power to the lamp driver output if both the turn and marker inputs are high.

19. The lamp of claim 18, further comprising:

a single housing containing the logic circuit and the lamp.

20. The lamp of claim 18, wherein the marker function input and the turn function input are operatively coupled to a wiring harness of said vehicle.

21. The lamp of claim 18, wherein said lamp comprises a single intensity marker lamp.

22. The lamp of claim 18, further comprising:

a logic circuit ground input; and

a logic circuit ground output.

23. The lamp of claim 22, wherein the logic circuit ground input is operatively coupled to a vehicle ground.

24. The lamp of claim 23, further comprising:

a lamp ground operatively coupled to said logic circuit ground output.

25. The lamp of claim 23, wherein said logic circuit comprises:

a first resistor having a first end operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes,

the first switching device having a first switching control input operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor, a first power input operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground output, and a first switching device output operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input;

a second resistor having a third end operatively coupled to the turn function input and a fourth end;

a third resistor having a fifth end operatively coupled to the fourth end of the second resistor and an sixth end operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input;

a second switching device having a second switching control input operatively coupled to the fourth end of the second resistor, a second power input operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor, and a second switching device output;

a fourth resistor having a seventh end operatively coupled to the marker function input and an eighth end;

a fifth resistor having an ninth end operatively coupled to the eighth end of the fourth resistor and a tenth end operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input; and

a third switching device having a third switching control input operatively coupled to the eighth end of the fourth resistor, a third power input operatively coupled to the second switching device output, and a third switching device output operatively coupled to the ground input;

wherein the lamp driver output is operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes.

26. The lamp of claim 18, wherein said logic circuit comprises:

a first resistor having a first end operatively coupled to the turn function input and a second end; and

a second resistor having a third end operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes and a fourth end operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor;

wherein the first switching device has a first switching control input operatively coupled to the second end of the first resistor, a first power input operatively coupled to the first and second cathodes, and a first switching device output operatively coupled to the lamp driver output.

27. The lamp of claim 26, further comprising:

a third resistor having a fifth end operatively coupled to the first switching control input, and a sixth end operatively coupled to the logic circuit ground input.

28. The lamp of claim 26, wherein the first switching device comprises a bipolar transistor, the first switching control input comprises a base of the bipolar transistor, the first power input comprises an emitter of the bipolar transistor, and the first switching device output comprises a collector of the bipolar transistor.

29. The lamp of claim 26, wherein the first switching device comprises a field effect transistor, the first switching control input comprises a gate of the field effect transistor, the first power input comprises source of the field effect transistor, and the first switching device output comprises a drain of the field effect transistor.

30. The lamp of claim 29, wherein the field effect transistor comprises a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).