Automatic daytime running light system

• US 5,438,237 A
• Filed: 12/06/1993
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles E. Benedict
• Original Assignee: Autosmart Light Switches, Inc.
• Inventors: Cordiano, Victor C., Mullins, Patrick S., Benedict, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US08/161,479
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77-80, 315/82, 315/83, 307/10.1, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor

Abstract

An automatic daytime running light system for a vehicle having an engine, an electric power source, a starter motor circuit for the engine, external running lights including headlights and parking lights, and input switches for ignition circuit and the external running lights, the system being responsive to the input switches and starter motor circuit to automatically control the operation of the external running lights, and the system including digital logic timer circuit means for automatically controlling the operation of the external running lights, and MOSFET output switching devices, which thereby provide high reliability and safety, redundant circuitry to thereby provide a higher level of reliability and fail-safe operation of the system, and MOSFET fault current monitoring circuitry which monitors the drain to source fault currents of the MOSFET output switch means, whereby upon detection of fault currents, the digital logic timer controls a fault current indicator to provide an indication of a fault current condition.

Claims

1. An automatic daytime running light system for a vehicle having an engine, an electric power source, a starter motor circuit for the engine, external running lights including headlights and parking lights, an ignition switch, the system being responsive to the ignition switch and starter motor circuit to automatically control the operation of the external running lights, the system comprising in combination:

a first digital logic timer means having an input and outputs, circuit means connecting said input of said first digital logic timer means to the ignition switch for automatically controlling the operation of the external running lights to activate such lights in response to the ignition switch being ON; and

a first MOSFET output switching means, said circuit means connecting said switching means to the external running lights and to said digital logic timer means;

whereby said digital logic timer means and said MOSFET output switching provide a high level of reliability and safety to control the operation of the external running lights.

2. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 1, wherein said first digital logic timer means is connected with the starter motor circuit and operative to control deactivation of the external running lights when the starter motor is activated.

3. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 1, further including a first trigger timer circuit means connected between the ignition switch and said first digital logic timer means to provide an input control signal to said first digital logic timer means.

4. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 3, further including redundant circuit means connected between the ignition switch and the external running lights, and in parallel with said first trigger timer circuit means and said first digital logic timer means and said first MOSFET output switching means, to thereby insure that any failure will not cause system inoperativeness and to thereby provide a high level of reliability and fail-safe operation in the system.

5. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 4, wherein said redundant circuit means includes a second trigger timer circuit means, a second digital logic timer means, and second MOSFET output switching means interconnected in the system, and wherein either of said first and second trigger timer circuit means provides an input control signal to either of said first and second digital logic timer means, and either of said first and second digital logic timer means being connected control either of said first and second MOSFET output switching means, for automatically controlling the operation of the external running lights.

6. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 1, further including:

fault current indicator means controlled by said first digital logic timer means;

said first digital logic timer means including MOSFET fault current monitoring means for monitoring drain to source fault currents of said first MOSFET output switching means, whereby upon detection of fault currents, said first digital logic timer means controls said fault current indicator means to provide an indication of a fault current condition.

7. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 6, wherein upon detection of the fault currents, said first digital logic timer means controls a gate of said first MOSFET output switching means to intermittently flash the external running lights to further provide an indication of a fault current condition.

8. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 1, further including manual switch means connected between a ground and said input of said first digital logic timer circuit means and actuated by an operator of the vehicle to disable the operation of said system and extinguish the external running lights.

9. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 4, further including:

fault current indicator means controlled by said first digital logic timer means;

said first digital logic timer means including a MOSFET fault current monitoring means for monitoring drain to source fault currents of said first MOSFET output switching means, whereby upon detection of the fault currents, said first digital logic timer means controls said fault current indicator means to provide an indication of a fault current condition.

10. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 9, wherein upon detection of the fault currents, said first digital logic timer means controls a gate of said first MOSFET output switching means to intermittently flash the external running lights to further provide an indication of a fault current condition.

11. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 5, further including:

fault current indicator means controlled by said first and second digital logic timer means;

each of said first and second digital logic timer means including a MOSFET fault current monitoring means for monitoring drain to source fault currents of said first and second MOSFET output switching means, respectively, whereby upon detection of the fault currents, one of said first and second digital logic timer means controls said fault current indicator means to provide an indication of a fault current condition.

12. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 11, wherein upon detection of the fault currents, either of said first and second digital logic timer means controls a gate of said first and second MOSFET output switching means, respectively, to intermittently flash the external running lights to further provide an indication of a fault current condition.

15. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 5, wherein said first and second trigger timer circuit means and said first and second digital logic timer means, and said first and second MOSFET output switching means are connected in the system for automatically controlling the actuation of the headlights only;

and, further including a third digital logic timer means connected between said first trigger timer circuit means and a third MOSFET output switching means, a fourth digital logic timer means connected between said second trigger timer circuit means and a fourth MOSFET output switching means, and wherein said fourth digital logic timer means and said fourth MOSFET output switching means are connected in parallel with said third digital logic timer means and said third MOSFET output switching means and between said first and second trigger timer circuit means and the parking lights in the system for automatically controlling the activation of the parking lights only.

16. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 15, further including:

fault current indicator means connected to and controlled by each of said first, second, third and fourth digital logic timer means; and

each of said first, second, third and fourth digital logic timer means including MOSFET fault current monitoring means for monitoring drain to source fault currents of each respectively controlled first, second, third and fourth MOSFET output switching means, whereby upon detection of fault currents, at least one of said first, second, third or fourth digital logic timer means detecting the fault currents controls said fault current indicator means to provide an indication of a fault current condition.

17. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 16, further including manual switch means connected between a ground and each of said first, second, third and fourth digital logic timer means and actuated by an operator of the vehicle to disable the operation of the system and extinguish the headlights and parking lights.

13. A method of operating an automatic daytime running light system for a motor vehicle having an engine, an electric power source, an ignition circuit, a starter motor circuit, and external running lights including headlights and parking lights, said method comprising the steps of:

controlling the operation of the external running lights by automatically activating the external running lights in response to ignition circuit activation;

providing in the system digital logic timer and electronic MOSFET output switching devices connected between the ignition circuit and the external running lights;

automatically supplying power from the electric power source to and from the external running lights via the electronic MOSFET output switching device, and controlling the activation of the output switching device via the digital logic timer, thereby providing a high level of reliability and safety;

monitoring the occurrence of drain to source fault currents of the electronic MOSFET output switching device; and

indicating the occurrence of such fault currents via visual or audible indications.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of providing redundant component circuit means in the daytime running light system between the ignition circuit and the external running lights and in parallel with the digital logic timer and the electronic MOSFET output switching device, thereby insuring fail-safe operation of the system.

18. The method of claim 14, further including the steps of:

connecting said digital logic timer and electronic MOSFET output switching devices and said redundant component circuit in the system with the headlights, and controlling the activation of only the headlights, and providing a second digital logic timer and a second MOSFET output switching device and a second redundant component circuit in the system and controlling the activation of only the parking lights.

19. An automatic daytime running light system for a vehicle having an engine, an electric power source, a starter motor circuit, external running lights including headlights and parking lights, an ignition switch, the system being responsive to the ignition switch and starter motor circuit to automatically control the operation of the external running lights, the system comprising:

a first digital logic timer means having an input and output for automatically controlling the operation of the external running lights to activate such lights in response to the ignition switch being ON;

a first MOSFET output switching means connected between the external running lights and to said output of said first digital logic timer means;

a manual switch means connected between a ground and said input of said first digital logic timer means and being operable to disable the operation of the system and extinguish the external running lights;

whereby said first digital logic timer means and said first MOSFET output switching means are operable to control the external running lights unless said manual switch means is closed to ground.

20. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 19 including a second digital logic timer means having an input and an output for automatically controlling the operation of the external running lights to activate such lights in response to the ignition switch being ON and a second MOSFET output switching means interconnected between said output of said second digital logic timer means and the external running lights.

21. An automatic daytime running light system for a vehicle having an engine, an electric power source, a starter motor circuit, external running lights including headlights and parking lights, an ignition switch, the system being responsive to the ignition switch and starter motor circuit to automatically control the operation of the external running lights, the system comprising:

first and second digital logic timer means having an input and output for automatically controlling the operation of the external running lights to activate such lights in response to the ignition switch being ON;

first and second MOSFET output switching means connected between the external running lights and to said output of said first and second digital logic timer means, respectively;

whereby said first digital logic timer means and said first MOSFET output switching means and said second digital logic timer means and said second MOSFET output switching means are both connected between said ignition switch and the external running lights for activating the external running lights in response to the ignition switch being ON.

22. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 21 including a first trigger timer circuit means connected between the ignition switch and said first digital logic timer means to provide an input control signal to said first digital logic timer means and a second trigger timer circuit means connected between the ignition switch and said second digital logic timer means to provide an input control signal to said second digital logic timer means.

23. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 22 wherein first and second trigger timer circuit means and said first and second digital logic timer means and said first and second MOSFET output switching means are connected in the system for automatically controlling the actuation of the headlights only;

and, further including a third digital logic timer means connected between said first trigger timer circuit means and a third MOSFET output switching means, a fourth digital logic timer means connected between said second trigger timer circuit means and a fourth MOSFET output switching means, wherein said fourth digital logic timer means and said fourth MOSFET output switching means are connected in parallel with said third digital logic timer means and said third MOSFET output switching means and between said first and second trigger timer circuit means and the parking lights in the system for automatically controlling the activation of the parking lights only.

24. The automatic daytime running light system of claim 21 wherein said first and second digital logic timer means and said first and second MOSFET output switching means are connected in the system for automatically controlling the actuation of the headlights only;

and, further including a third digital logic timer means connected between the ignition switch and a third MOSFET output switching means, a fourth digital logic timer means connected between the ignition switch and a fourth MOSFET output switching means, wherein said fourth digital logic timer means and said fourth MOSFET output switching means are connected in parallel with said third digital logic timer means and said third MOSFET output switching means and between said ignition switch and the parking lights in the system for automatically controlling the activation of the parking lights only.