Automatic headlamp activation system for motor vehicles
First Claim
1. In a motor vehicle which has been factory equipped with an engine, a vehicle electrical and charging system, and having headlamps each attached to a standard factory supplied headlamp base, each headlamp base having a standard base connector for removably receiving a cable connector, a headlamp wiring harness having a harness connector which removably attaches to the headlamp base connector and electrically connects the headlamps to the vehicle electrical and charging system, and a battery having an ungrounded battery terminal, an automatic headlight activation system for retrofitting in the vehicle comprising:
- a. a master module having a harness input connector means for mechanically and electrically connecting the activation system directly to the headlamp wiring harness through the harness connector on the headlamp wiring harness such that no modification of or splicing to the headlamp wiring harness or harness connector is required, a control circuit, and a control output;
b. a slave module having a control input and a first headlamp power output;
c. a control cable which electrically connects the master module control output to the slave module control input;
d. a first headlamp power output cable which electrically connects the first headlamp power output to at least one of the headlamps, the first headlamp power output cable including a first headlamp power output cable removable connector means for mechanically and electrically connecting the first headlamp power output cable directly to at least one of the headlamp base connectors such that no modification of or splicing to the headlamp base or base connector is required;
e. power input connector means for electrically connecting the vehicle electrical and charging system to the activation system; and
f. whereby the control circuit is integral to the master and slave modules and includes means to automatically activate the headlamps in response to operation of the vehicle engine.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system is described for causing automatic activation of vehicle low beam headlamps. Three voltage sensors, including a voltage slope detector for sensing engine start-up, cause activation whenever the engine is running. Separate master and slave modules allow for retrofit installation using the vehicle'"'"'s existing wiring harness. Cables and cable connectors connect the system directly to the headlamp wiring harness, headlamp base, and vehicle battery without the need for splicing. The system can be bypassed or overridden by operation of the vehicle'"'"'s standard headlamp switch.
46 Citations
25 Claims
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1. In a motor vehicle which has been factory equipped with an engine, a vehicle electrical and charging system, and having headlamps each attached to a standard factory supplied headlamp base, each headlamp base having a standard base connector for removably receiving a cable connector, a headlamp wiring harness having a harness connector which removably attaches to the headlamp base connector and electrically connects the headlamps to the vehicle electrical and charging system, and a battery having an ungrounded battery terminal, an automatic headlight activation system for retrofitting in the vehicle comprising:
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a. a master module having a harness input connector means for mechanically and electrically connecting the activation system directly to the headlamp wiring harness through the harness connector on the headlamp wiring harness such that no modification of or splicing to the headlamp wiring harness or harness connector is required, a control circuit, and a control output; b. a slave module having a control input and a first headlamp power output; c. a control cable which electrically connects the master module control output to the slave module control input; d. a first headlamp power output cable which electrically connects the first headlamp power output to at least one of the headlamps, the first headlamp power output cable including a first headlamp power output cable removable connector means for mechanically and electrically connecting the first headlamp power output cable directly to at least one of the headlamp base connectors such that no modification of or splicing to the headlamp base or base connector is required; e. power input connector means for electrically connecting the vehicle electrical and charging system to the activation system; and f. whereby the control circuit is integral to the master and slave modules and includes means to automatically activate the headlamps in response to operation of the vehicle engine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A motor vehicle headlamp activation system kit for retrofit installation in a motor vehicle comprising:
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a. electronic switch means for selectively turning headlamp low beams in a vehicle in which the kit is installed on and off in response to low beam activation and de-activation control signals; b. electronic headlamp control means to generate a low beam activation signal when an engine associated with the motor vehicle in which the kit is installed is running and to generate a low beam de-activation signal when the vehicle engine is not running; c. first cable means to mechanically and electrically connect the headlamp control means to a battery charging system associated with the vehicle; and d. second cable means to mechanically and electrically connect to a standard equipment output connector on a headlamp power supply harness supplied with the vehicle and to a standard headlamp base in the vehicle and to electrically interrupt and replace an existing electrical connection between the headlamp low beams and a standard headlamp switch supplied with the vehicle, without modification of or splicing to the headlamp power supply harness. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A device for automatic activation of low beam headlamps in a conventional motor vehicle, the device comprising:
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a. a control circuit including control circuit sensor means to electrically detect battery voltage conditions in a battery charging system associated with the vehicle, and logic circuit means to generate low beam on and off control signals in response to the charging circuit sensor means; b. first switch means operatively connected to the control circuit to turn at least one of the low beam headlamps on and off in response to the low beam on and off control signals; c. device override circuit means to generate a device override signal in response to selection of the low beam headlamps by a headlamp switch in the vehicle; d. the control circuit sensor means comprises a first voltage sensor means to detect operation of the vehicle charging system; e. first voltage sensor means comprises start sensor means to detect an engine start voltage transition from a starting battery voltage associated with an engine that is being started to an increased battery voltage associated with an engine immediately after it has been started; f. the control circuit sensor means further comprises a second voltage sensor means for detecting a lower battery voltage corresponding to proper operation of the battery charging system while the engine is running; and g. wherein the control circuit sensor means further comprises a third voltage sensor means for detecting a higher battery voltage associated with proper operation of the battery charging system while the engine is running. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An automatic motor vehicle headlamp activation system comprising:
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a. headlamp power cable means to connect the system in series between an existing headlamp activation circuit in the vehicle and headlamp bases in the vehicle by plugin connection to cable output connectors on an existing wiring harness in the vehicle and to existing base connectors on the headlamp bases; b. battery power cable means to connect the system to an existing vehicle battery; and c. a control circuit which provides an activation signal to headlamps in the vehicle in response to operation of a vehicle engine. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification