Vehicular flasher unit having selectable flasher schemes illuminated with pulse width modulated signals
First Claim
1. A method for use in controlling illumination of vehicle flasher lights in accordance with a pre-programmed flasher scheme, the method comprising the acts of:
- providing a vehicular flasher unit with a memory which has a set of pulse width modulation (PWM) flasher scheme data stored therein;
monitoring a flasher enable input to identify a flasher enable signal; and
producing, at a light illumination output in response to identifying the flasher enable signal, a pulse width modulated signal in accordance with the selected set of PWM flashing scheme data for illuminating a flasher scheme in the vehicle flasher lights.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one illustrative example, a vehicular flasher unit has control circuitry; memory which is accessible by the control circuitry and having a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) flasher scheme data sets stored therein which correspond to a plurality of flasher schemes for vehicle flasher lights of a vehicle; a flasher scheme selection input to the control circuitry; a flasher enable input to the control circuitry which enables a flasher scheme in the vehicular flasher lights; and a light illumination output from the control circuitry which controls illumination of the vehicle flasher lights. The control circuitry is operative to select a set of PWM flasher scheme data from the plurality of PWM flasher scheme data sets stored in the memory in accordance with a flasher scheme selection input signal identified at the flasher scheme selection input; monitor the flasher enable input to identify a flasher enable signal; and produce, at the light illumination output in response to identifying a flasher enable signal at the flasher enable input, a pulse width modulated signal in accordance with the selected set of PWM flashing scheme data for illuminating a flasher scheme in the vehicle flasher lights. Preferably, the set of PWM flasher scheme data is a set of PWM heartbeat scheme data corresponding to a heartbeat flashing scheme in the vehicle flasher lights. Several safety and convenience features are further provided in the vehicular flasher unit.
57 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for use in controlling illumination of vehicle flasher lights in accordance with a pre-programmed flasher scheme, the method comprising the acts of:
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providing a vehicular flasher unit with a memory which has a set of pulse width modulation (PWM) flasher scheme data stored therein;
monitoring a flasher enable input to identify a flasher enable signal; and
producing, at a light illumination output in response to identifying the flasher enable signal, a pulse width modulated signal in accordance with the selected set of PWM flashing scheme data for illuminating a flasher scheme in the vehicle flasher lights. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A vehicular flasher unit, comprising:
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control circuitry;
memory which is accessible by the control circuitry and having a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) flasher scheme data sets stored therein which correspond to a plurality of flasher schemes for vehicle flasher lights of a vehicle;
a flasher scheme selection input to the control circuitry;
a flasher enable input to the control circuitry which enables a flasher scheme in the vehicular flasher lights;
a light illumination output from the control circuitry which controls illumination of the vehicle flasher lights;
the control circuitry being operative to;
select a set of PWM flasher scheme data from the plurality of PWM flasher scheme data sets stored in the memory in accordance with a flasher scheme selection input signal identified at the flasher scheme selection input;
monitor the flasher enable input to identify a flasher enable signal; and
producing, at a light illumination output in response to identifying a flasher enable signal, a pulse width modulated signal in accordance with the selected set of PWM flashing scheme data for illuminating a flasher scheme in the vehicle flasher lights. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A vehicular flasher unit, comprising:
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control circuitry;
memory which is accessible by the control circuitry and having a plurality of pulse width modulation (PWM) flasher scheme data sets stored therein which correspond to a plurality of flasher schemes for vehicle flasher lights of a vehicle;
a flasher scheme selection input to the control circuitry;
a flasher enable input to the control circuitry which enables a flasher scheme in the vehicular flasher lights;
a light illumination output from the control circuitry which controls illumination of the vehicle flasher lights;
the control circuitry being operative to;
monitor the flasher enable input to identify a flasher enable signal;
producing, at a light illumination output in response to identifying a flasher enable signal, a pulse width modulated signal in accordance with a selected set of PWM flashing scheme data for illuminating a flasher scheme in the vehicle flasher lights;
wherein the set of PWM flasher scheme data comprises PWM heartbeat scheme data corresponding to a heartbeat flashing scheme in the vehicle flasher lights;
the heartbeat flashing scheme comprising a repeating sequence of two heartbeat pulse flashes in the vehicle flasher lights including a first heartbeat pulse flash and a second heartbeat pulse flash;
each first heartbeat pulse flash of the heartbeat flashing scheme having a first intensity in the vehicle flasher lights and each second heartbeat pulse flash having a second intensity in the vehicle flasher lights that is different from the first intensity; and
each first heartbeat pulse flash of the heartbeat flashing scheme being separated from each subsequent second heartbeat pulse flash by a first time duration and each second heartbeat pulse flash being separated from each subsequent first heartbeat pulse by a second time duration that is greater than the first time duration. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification