LED display collision warning circuit for vehicles

• US 5,298,882 A
• Filed: 02/22/1993
• Issued: 03/29/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ching-Yuan Tsai
• Original Assignee: Ching-Yuan Tsai
• Inventors: Tsai, Ching-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oda, Christine K.
• Application Number:
  US08/021,019
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 340/479, 340/468, 340/464, 340/467, 340/478, 340/435
• US Class Current: 340/468
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/535 to prevent rear-end collisions, e.g. by indicating safety distance at the rear of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles

Abstract

An LED display collision warning circuit for vehicles is provided. This circuit causes an LED display installed at tail of a vehicle to show warning indications. The LED display has six lamps which group into three display units with each unit consisting of two laterally symmetrically positioned lamps. These three display units show different warning indications in response to signals from a door-actuated circularly lighting and extinguishing circuit, a brake-actuated alternately flashing circuit, or a headlight-actuated night distance detection circuit so as to effectively prevent collisions and accidents.

Claims

1. A collision warning circuit for a vehicle comprising:

(a) a door-actuated cyclical lighting and extinguishing circuit coupled to a door switch of said vehicle, said door-actuated cyclical lighting and extinguishing circuit including a light coupler in series connection with said door switch, a first astatic multivibrator in series connection with said light coupler and a ring counter, said ring counter providing output signals to a fist bank of a plurality of diodes, each of said diodes respectively being coupled to a respective one of a plurality of transistor drivers, said transistor drivers being coupled to an LED display, said LED display comprising three groups of display units, said display units being sequentially and cyclically actuated when said door switch of said vehicle is opened;

(b) a brake-actuated alternately flashing circuit coupled to a brake switch of said vehicle, and a second astatic multivibrator, said second astatic multivibrator outputting a pair of complementary output signals, each of said complementary output signals being input to a respective driver circuit, one said driver circuit being coupled to a tail lamp of said vehicle and the other said driver circuit being coupled to said LED display through a second bank of diodes individually coupled to respective ones of said transistor drivers whereby when said brake switch of said vehicle is actuated said LED display and said tail lamp are alternately actuated;

(c) a headlight actuated night distance detection circuit coupled to a headlight switch of said vehicle, said headlight actuated night distance detection circuit including three light reception circuits individually responsive to a predetermined high, mid-range, and low light intensity level, each of said light reception circuits being series connected to a first and second AND gate and a reverser circuit, said reverser circuit being output coupled to an analog switch circuit, said first AND gate coupled to a third astatic multivibrator for output of third multivibrator signals to said analog switch circuit said analog switch circuit providing input signals to a third bank of diodes coupled to said transistor drivers for signal input to said LED display whereby one of one, two and three said groups of display units of said LED display is actuated responsive to said predetermined light intensity level impinging said three light reception circuits form a rearwardly approaching vehicle, said second AND gate being coupled to a fourth astatic multivibrator, an output of said fourth astatic multivibrator being input to a fourth bank of diodes for outputting a signal to said LED display responsive to light intensity below a sensitivity level of said light reception circuits for providing a constant light actuation of said LED display.

2. The collision warning circuit for vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first control gate is serially connected between said first AND gate and said fourth astatic multivibrator, a second control gate is serially connected between said second AND gate, and said third astatic multivibrator control inputs of said first and second control gates being separately connected to said door-actuated cyclical lighting and extinguishing circuit and said brake-actuated alternately flashing circuit through an OR gate whereby said headlight-actuated night distance detection circuit is disconnected when one of said door-actuated cyclical lighting and extinguishing circuit and said brake-actuated alternately flashing circuit is actuated.

3. The collision warning circuit for vehicles as claimed in claim 1, wherein said brake-actuated alternately flashing circuit further comprises grounded transistor connected to one of said driver circuits which are used to actuate said LED display, a base of said transistor being connected to said door-actuated cyclical lighting and extinguishing circuit whereby said brake-actuated alternately flashing circuit for controlling said LED display is disconnected when said door-actuated cyclical lighting and extinguishing circuit is actuated simultaneously with actuation of said brake switch of said vehicle, allowing said display units of said LED display to cyclically light and extinguish.