Taillight fixture of a vehicle preferably a motor vehicle

• US 5,952,917 A
• Filed: 04/18/1997
• Issued: 09/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Kusuma, Djuanarto, Gauch, Winfried, Zimmermann, Werner, Haf, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/844,709
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 340/458, 340/459, 340/460, 340/461, 340/462, 340/438, 340/602, 340/468, 340/469, 340/475, 340/478, 340/479, 250/222.1, 250/222.2, 307/10.8, 315/77, 315/82
• US Class Current: 340/469
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• 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 1/2603 Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/448 specially adapted for vehicles with ABS
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback

Abstract

A taillight fixture for a motor vehicle has at least one light window and a light arrangement with lights, including a brake light, a turn signal light, and a taillight, arranged behind the light window. Light beams emitted by the light arrangement pass through the light window to the exterior. At least one first light-sensitive sensor is positioned in the area of the light window. A control device is provided and the at least one first sensor is connected thereto. At least one of the lights of the light arrangement is connected to the control device, and the control device controls the luminocity of at least one light based on signals received from the first sensor.

Claims

1. A taillight fixture for a motor vehicle, said taillight fixture comprising:

at least one light window;

a light arrangement with lights including a brake light, a turn signal light, and a taillight arranged behind said at least one light window so that light beams emitted by said light arrangement pass through said at least one light window to the exterior;

one or more first light-sensitive sensors positioned in the area of said at least one light window;

a control device;

said one or more first sensors connected to said control device;

at least one of said lights of said light arrangement connected to said control device, wherein said control device controls a luminosity of said at least one light based on signals received from said one or more first sensors;

wherein said control device processes the signals received from said one or more first sensor to modulated control signals provided at the output of said control device for controlling the luminosity;

wherein at least one of said one or more first sensors is positioned directly within a path of light passing through said at least one light window from the exterior, wherein said at least one first sensor provides a sunlight-modulated signal to said control device and wherein luminosity of said at least one light is increased with increasing sunlight intensity.

2. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, wherein said one or more first sensors are positioned behind said at least one light window.

3. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, wherein said one or more first sensors are a part of said at least one light window.

4. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, further comprising an analog/digital converter, wherein said one or more first sensors are connected to said analog/digital converter.

5. A taillight fixture according to claim 4, wherein said analog/digital converter is an SLIO (serial linked input/output) controller.

6. A taillight fixture according to claim 4, wherein said analog/digital converter is connected to said control device.

7. A taillight fixture according to claim 4, further comprising a rectifier connected to said one or more first sensors and said analog/digital converter.

8. A taillight fixture according to claim 7, wherein said rectifier is a synchronizing rectifier.

9. A taillight fixture according to claim 4, wherein the luminosity at least of said brake light is increased during braking when a preset deceleration value is surpassed.

10. A taillight fixture according to claim 9, wherein during braking signals are sent to said analog/digital converter.

11. A taillight fixture according to claim 10, wherein the vehicle has a bus system to which are connected a control of an anti-lock brake system, of an odometer generator, and of a brake pedal, respectively, wherein said control device is connected to the bus system.

12. A taillight fixture according to claim 11, wherein the bus system is a CAN (controller area network) system.

13. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, wherein said control device is a microprocessor.

14. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more first sensors is arranged in a path of light emitted by said taillight and reflected at dirt particles on said at least one light window.

15. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, wherein the luminosity of said lights is controlled based on light emitted by head lights of a following vehicle that impinges on an interior rearview mirror of the motor vehicle.

16. A taillight fixture according to claim 15, wherein the interior rearview mirror comprises at least one second light-sensitive sensor for sending signals to said control device.

17. A taillight fixture according to claim 16, wherein said at least one second sensor comprises at least one electric line connected to said control device.

18. A taillight fixture according to claim 15, wherein the interior rearview mirror is an EC (electrochromic) mirror.

19. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, further comprising a clock monitoring device for sending timing signals to said lights.

20. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, wherein said turn signal light is activated as an emergency flashing light when a maximum braking action is performed.

21. A taillight fixture according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle has a bus system and wherein various further sensors are connected to said control device via a SLIO module and the bus system.

22. A taillight fixture according to claim 21, wherein the vehicle has sensors connected to said SLIO (serial linked input/output) module.

23. A taillight fixture according to claim 21, wherein messages of said control device or of vehicle-own devices connected to the bus system are displayed on a display device.

24. A taillight fixture according to claim 21, wherein the bus system provides a scaling function for the entire system.

25. A taillight fixture according to claim 21, wherein said bus system provides a reciprocal monitoring function, wherein said control device comprises a first microprocessor and a second microprocessor, connected by interfaces to said bus system, for controlling a left taillight and a right taillight, respectively, each one of said taillights having at least one of said sensors, wherein said lights are controlled via said sensors, based on external light conditions or soiling of said light windows or both.

26. A taillight fixture according to claim 25, wherein each one of said microprocessors is connected within a separate control circuit and wherein said separate control circuits are coupled by said reciprocal monitoring function.

27. A taillight fixture for a motor vehicle, said taillight fixture comprising:

at least one light window;

a light arrangement with lights including a brake light, a turn signal light, and a taillight arranged behind said at least one light window so that light beams emitted by said light arrangement pass through said at least one light window to the exterior;

one or more first light-sensitive sensors positioned in the area of said at least one light window;

a control device;

said one or more first sensors connected to said control device;

at least one of said lights of said light arrangement connected to said control device, wherein said control device controls a luminosity of said at least one light based on signals received from said at least one first sensor;

at least one current regulator connected between said control unit and said at least one light and connected to a power supply of the motor vehicle for processing the signals of said one or more first sensors to current-controlled signals;

wherein at least one of said one or more first sensors is positioned directly within a path of light passing through said at least one light window from the exterior, wherein said at least one first sensor provides a sunlight-modulated signal to said control device and wherein luminosity of said at least one light is increased with increasing sunlight intensity.