Automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device with detecting function of a generator and delayed effect

• US 5,811,888 A
• Filed: 11/12/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cheng-Tien Hsieh
• Original Assignee: Cheng-Tien Hsieh
• Inventors: Hsieh, Cheng-Tien
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richard T.
• Time in patent office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 307/10.6-10.8, 307/141, 307/141.4, 307/141.8, 307/157, 315/77, 315/79, 315/80, 315/82, 315/83, 361/173, 361/177, 361/195
• US Class Current: 307/10.8
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light

Abstract

An automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device with delay effect, including a delay circuit, an in-car sensing circuit, an out-car sensing circuit and a power supply circuit. The delay circuit is connected to both the in-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit, while the out-car sensing circuit is connected to the in-car sensing circuit and powered thereby. After the delay circuit works, the in-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit are delayedly energized. Only when the in-car sensing circuit works, the out-car sensing circuit is energized. Accordingly, at the stage of initially starting the vehicle, the excessive load on the battery is avoided so that the damage of the battery resulting from the excessive load can be obviated.

Claims

1. An automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device with delay effect arranged in an automobile having an engine and headlights with high beams and low beams;

the automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device comprising an in-car sensing circuit for sensing illumination inside the automobile, an out-car sensing circuit for sensing illumination outside the automobile, a power supply circuit for powering other electrical devices of the automobile; and

a delay circuit for supplying power to the in-car sensing circuit, the out-car sensing circuit, and the power supply circuit after a time delay;

wherein;

the delay circuit is connected to both the in-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit;

the delay circuit is adapted for delaying a supply of power to the in-car sensing circuit, the out-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit when initially starting the engine so that all remaining battery power is used to start the engine, and after the time delay has elapsed and the engine has started, permitting the supply of power to the in-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit; and

the in-car sensing circuit and the out-car sensing circuit are arranged so that the out-car sensing circuit is energized only when the in-car sensing circuit is functioning, the in-car sensing circuit for automatically turning on the headlights based on illumination inside the automobile and the out-car sensing circuit for automatically switching the headlights between high and low beams, when the headlights are on, based on illumination outside the automobile.

2. The automatic controlling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a normally closed point of a relay of the delay circuit is connected via a switch to a common point of a relay of the in-car sensing circuit, which is connected to a transistor, whereby the switch serves to generally control the switching between a manual operation mode and an automatic operation mode for the delay circuit.

3. The automatic controlling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a resistor and a variable resistor between a diode and a transistor of the delay circuit can be replaced by a resistor with fixed resistance.

4. The automatic controlling device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time delay is 10-40 seconds.

5. An automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device with delay effect arranged in an automobile having an engine and headlights with high and low beams, the automatic vehicle power and headlight controlling device comprising a control circuit, an in-car sensing circuit for sensing illumination inside the automobile, an out-car sensing circuit for sensing illumination outside the automobile and a power supply circuit for powering other electrical devices of the automobile;

a delay circuit for supplying power to the in-car sensing circuit, the out-car sensing circuit, and the power supply circuit after a time delay; and

a control circuit serving connected to the delay circuit for controlling operation of the delay circuit, the in-car sensing circuit, the out-car sensing circuit, and the power supply circuit;

wherein;

the control circuit has an ignition switch for starting the engine of the automobile, and the control circuit is adapted to prevent a supply of power to the delay circuit when the ignition switch is in the start position and to permit the supply of power to the delay circuit when the ignition switch is in the on position;

the delay circuit is connected to both the in-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit;

the delay circuit is adapted for delaying the supply of power to the in-car sensing circuit, the out-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit when initially starting the engine so that all remaining battery power is used to start the engine, and after the engine has started, permitting the supply power to the in-car sensing circuit and the power supply circuit; and

the in-car sensing circuit and the out-car sensing circuit are arranged so that the out-car sensing circuit is energized only when the in-car sensing circuit is functioning, the in-car sensing circuit for automatically turning on the headlights based on illumination inside the automobile and the out-car sensing circuit for automatically switching the headlights between high and low beams, when the headlights are on, based on illumination outside the automobile.

6. The automatic controlling device as claimed in claim 5, wherein one end of a relay of the control circuit is commonly connected to a negative power source connected to a CHARGE lamp so as to serve as a switch for controlling activation of the control circuit.

7. The automatic controlling device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a normally closed point of a relay of the delay circuit is connected via a switch to a common point of a relay of the in-car sensing circuit, which is connected to a transistor, whereby the switch serves to generally control the switching between a manual operation mode and an automatic operation mode for the delay circuit.

8. The automatic controlling device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a resistor and a variable resistor between a diode and a transistor of the delay circuit can be replaced by a resistor with fixed resistance.

9. The automatic controlling device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the time delay is 10-40 seconds.