Vehicle lighting control system

• US 6,456,195 B1
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CVG Management Corporation (Commercial Vehicle Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sprague Devices, Inc. (Commercial Vehicle Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Doczy, Emil J., Berndt, Dennis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/141,652
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/457, 340/457.2, 340/469, 307/10.8, 307/10.1
• US Class Current: 340/468
• 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 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/21 Manual control
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/08 electrically driven conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606

Abstract

A vehicle lighting control system according to the present invention includes an electronic module connected to the vehicle lighting and windshield wiper systems which provides daytime running lamps (high beams at fifty percent power) during normal, daytime operation a full complement of vehicle lights including the running lights and low beam headlights at full power, when the wiper system is activated. The full complement of lights is deactivated by turning off the ignition switch or turning the wiper switch to the “OFF” position, turning the headlight switch to the “ON” position, and then turning the headlight switch to the “OFF” position. As such, the driver is prevented from inadvertently shutting off the full complement of lighting in a low visibility situation. The present invention also incorporates an automatic delay feature which allows the driver to wash the windshield in non-rain conditions without activating the full complement of lights. In the event the windshield wipers continue to operate past the thirty second time period, the system activates the full complement of lights.

Claims

1. Control system for controlling headlights and windshield wipers of a motor vehicle including an engine and an ignition switch for activating the engine comprising a headlight switch movable between off and on positions for activating the headlights in a full power mode, a windshield wiper switch movable between off and on positions turning the windshield wipers off and on, and control means responsive to movement of the windshield wiper switch from the off position to the on position thereby turning on the windshield wipers to activate the headlights in the full power mode regardless of the position of the headlight switch, said headlights being operable in both a reduced power daylight running mode and in said full power mode, said control means including first actuation means responsive to said ignition switch when both the headlight switch and the windshield wiper switches are in the off positions for activating the headlights in the reduced power daylight running mode, said control means including second actuation means responsive to movement of the windshield wiper switch from the off position to the on position for turning on the headlights in the full power mode.

2. Control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said headlights include high beam headlights and low beam headlights and said first and said second actuation means include first switching means for connecting said high beam headlights in series to provide said reduced power daylight running mode, said second actuation means controlling said low beam headlights in response to movement of the windshield wiper switch to the on position while simultaneously disconnecting the series connection between the high beam headlights.

3. Control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means includes latching means responsive to activation of the headlights in the full power mode by movement of the windshield wiper switch to the on position to maintain activation of the headlights in the full power mode upon return of the windshield wiper switch to the off position.

4. Control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said latching means includes means responsive to movement of the headlight switch to the on position and back to the off position to return the headlights to the reduced power daylight running mode.

5. Control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes a windshield washer system and said control means includes a time delay mechanism delaying activation of the headlights in the full power mode for a predetermined time period after activation of the windshield wipers during activation of the windshield washer system.

6. Control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said headlights are operable in a reduced power daylight running mode and in said full power mode, said control means including first actuation means responsive to said ignition switch for activating the headlights in the reduced power daylight running mode when the ignition switch is operated to start the motor vehicle.

7. Control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said control means includes latching means for maintaining said headlight in the full power mode, said latching means including means responsive to movement of the headlight switch to the on position and back to the off position to return the headlights to the reduced power daylight running mode.

8. Control system as claimed in claim 7, wherein said latching means is responsive to the ignition switch to extinguish said headlights when the ignition switch turns off the engine.

9. Control system for controlling headlights and windshield wipers of a motor vehicle including an engine and an ignition switch for activating the engine, said headlights being operable in both a reduced power daylight running mode and a full power mode, comprising a headlight switch movable between off and on positions for activating the headlights in the full power mode, a windshield wiper switch movable between off and on positions turning the windshield wipers off and on, and control means including first actuation means responsive to operation of the ignition switch to start the vehicle for activating said headlights in the daytime running mode, second actuation means responsive to movement of the windshield wiper switch from the off position to the on position thereby turning on the windshield wipers to activate the headlights from the daytime running mode to the full power mode when the headlight switch is in the off position and latching means for latching said headlights in the full power mode after said windshield wiper switch is returned to the off position.

10. Control system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said latching means includes means responsive to movement of the headlight switch from the off position to the on position and then back to the off position to switch said headlights from the full power mode to the daylight running mode.

11. Control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said headlights include high beam headlights and low beam headlights, said control system including switching means responsive to said ignition switch for switching said high beam headlights in series wherein the high beam headlights define said daylight running mode, said switching means disconnecting said series connection between the high beam headlights when the headlights are actuated in the full power mode.