Directional indicator and straddle type vehicle directional indicator system including the same

• US 9,586,520 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Barakat, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US13/916,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0088 Details of electrical connections B60Q1/305 takes precedence; electrical connection of the light source itself F21S41/192, F21S43/195
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/007 the lighting devices indicating change of drive direction
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/48 having LEDs organised in strings and incorporating parallel shunting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/52 in a parallel array of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/54 in a series array of LEDs

Abstract

A directional indicator system includes a directional indicator that includes a plurality of LED series circuits each connected in parallel to another of the LED series circuits. Each LED series circuit includes LEDs connected in series. A driver is configured to control driving of the directional indicator. The driver includes LED drivers that are each configured to drive a corresponding one of the LED series circuits. The driver also includes a plurality of current detectors that are each configured to measure a value of a current in a corresponding one of the LED series circuits.

Claims

1. A straddle type vehicle directional indicator system, comprising:

left and right directional indicators, the left directional indicator being provided on a left side of the vehicle and the right directional indicator being provided on a right side of the vehicle, each respective directional indicator of the left and right directional indicators including a plurality of LED series circuits so that each of the LED series circuits of the respective directional indicator is connected in parallel to another of the LED series circuits of the respective directional indicator, each LED series circuit having a plurality of LEDs connected in series; and

a driver configured to control driving of the left and right directional indicators, the driver including

a plurality of LED drivers each configured to drive a corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the left directional indicator and a corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the right directional indicator, and

a plurality of current detectors each configured to measure a value of a current in a corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the left directional indicator and a value of a current in a corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the right directional indicator,

one of the LED drivers has a plurality of current output terminals including a first current output terminal and a second current output terminal different from the first current output terminal, and

the first current output terminal is connected with one of the LED series circuits of the left directional indicator, and the second current output terminals is connected with one of the LED series circuits of the right directional indicator.

2. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein the driver further includes a failure detector configured to determine whether one of the LED series circuits of the left and right directional indicators has a failure based on the values of the currents of the left and right directional indicators measured by the current detectors.

3. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 2, wherein the driver further includes a plurality of LED driver circuits that each includes

a respective one of the LED drivers, and

one of the current detectors that corresponds to the respective one LED driver.

4. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 2, wherein

the driver includes a drive control unit configured to output drive signals to the plurality of LED drivers, and

the failure detector is a part of the drive control unit.

5. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, further comprising a bulb body directional indicator having a bulb body, wherein the driver includes a bulb driver configured to drive the bulb body,

wherein the bulb body takes a longer time to reach a predetermined brightness of lighting than the pluralities of LEDs of the left and right directional indicators from a point of time where a current begins to flow through the bulb body and the pluralities of LEDs of the left and right directional indicators.

6. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 5, wherein the current detectors are provided to correspond to each of the LED drivers and the bulb driver.

7. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 5, wherein

the driver further includes a drive control unit configured to output drive signals to the LED drivers and a drive signal to the bulb driver, and

the drive control unit causes one or more of the drive signals that are output to the LED drivers to be output at a different point of time than the drive signal output to the bulb driver.

8. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 7, wherein the drive control unit causes the one or more drive signals that are output to the LED drivers to be output after the drive signal output to the bulb driver.

9. A straddle type vehicle including the straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 5, wherein

the left and right directional indicators are located in a front portion of the vehicle, and

the bulb body directional indicator is located in a rear portion of the vehicle.

10. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of connection lines that are each configured to connect one of the plurality of LED series circuits of the left and right directional indicators with one of the LED drivers.

11. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, further comprising a failure detector for determining whether any of the LED series circuits of the left and right directional indicators has failed based on the values of the currents of the left and right directional indicators by comparing each of the values to a break current value which corresponds to a break in a failed LED series circuit.

12. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 11, further wherein the failure detector detects that a failed one of the LED series circuits of the left and right directional indicators has failed when one of the values, that corresponds to the failed one LED series circuit, is less than the break current value.

13. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 12, further wherein the driver controls the failed one LED series circuit to blink in a frequency cycle that is different than a frequency cycle used when there is no failure in the failed one LED series circuit.

14. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, further comprising a failure detector for determining whether any of the LED series circuits of the left and right directional indicators has failed based on the values of the currents of the left and right directional indicators by comparing each of the values to a short circuit value which corresponds to a short circuit in a failed LED series circuit.

15. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 14, further wherein the failure detector detects that a failed one of the LED series circuits of the left and right directional indicators has failed when one of the values, that corresponds to the failed one LED series circuit, is greater than the short circuit value.

16. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 15, further wherein the driver controls the failed one LED series circuit to be in an off-state so that the failed one LED series circuit cannot be driven to be turned into an on-state.

17. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein the current detectors includes comparators which measure the values of the currents of the left and right directional indicators.

18. The straddle type vehicle directional indicator system according to claim 1, wherein

each of the LED drivers is configured to drive the corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the left directional indicator and the corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the right directional indicator each at a different time,

each of the current detectors is configured to measure the values of currents of the corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the left directional indicator and the corresponding one of the LED series circuits of the right directional indicator each at a different time.