VEHICLE BREAK INDICATORS SYSTEM

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of vehicle safety devices, and more particularly, to the field of vehicle safety devices which provide a warning signal for a stopped or stopping vehicle.

BACKGROUND

The prior art discloses a wide variety of warning lights to signal vehicle stopping or turning, most of them requiring modification of the vehicle by the addition of more lights, or lamps, or special equipment.

US Patent No. 4346365 to Ingram discloses a stopped vehicle warning device comprising a time delay and a flasher to warn approaching vehicles of a stopped or slowing vehicle.

US Patent No. 6710709 to Morin et al discloses a circuitry providing a flashing or blinking light in the rear of a vehicle to alert others of a reduction in speed or directional change.

US Patent No. 5856779 to Friday discloses a flashing motorcycle brake light enhancement system including a plurality of super bright light emitting diode (LED) modules which signal the driver of a following vehicle to slow down to avoid a rear-end collision.

US Patent No. 6693526 to Puccio discloses a brake light control assembly allows a driver to selectively flash the brake lights of a vehicle upon application of the brakes.

US Patent No. 6693525 to Mcilvain discloses a motor vehicle brake light system for indicating when a person's vehicle has zero velocity.

SUMMARY

A vehicle break warning system providing different lighting indications for different states of the vehicle while breaking. One indication, e.g. continuous lighting of the break lights is provided while the break pedal is pushed and the vehicle is still in motion. A different indication, e.g. flashing break lights is provided while the break pedal is pushed and the vehicle is substantially static.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to

those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic drawing of the system according to a first embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a schematic drawing of the movement indicator according to the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is a drawing of the system's electric circuit according to a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The system provides different light indications for two situations:

1) "Braking status".

2) "Full stop status". Braking status - a braking status is defined as when the driver pushes the brake pedal while the vehicle is in motion (the vehicle is slowing down but hasn't stopped yet).

Full stop status - is defined as when the vehicle has fully stopped and is substantially no longer in motion, i.e. static or almost static. The indication received for each status:

The system provides a different indication that depends on the vehicle's status and the activation of the vehicle braking mechanism by the driver.

Braking status

As the driver pushes the brake pedal the brake lights (placed at the rear end of the vehicle) will be turned on continuously. These lights will be turned on as long as the driver is pushing the brake pedal and the vehicle hasn't reached full stop status.

Full stop status

While the vehicle is substantially static and the driver pushes the brake pedal the brake lights will flicker (turn on and off alternately). They will continue to flicker as long as the driver hasn't stopped pushing the brake pedal and the vehicle is substantially static. Full stop upper limit velocity may be defined in the system's controller, e.g. 1 km/hour.

If the driver has stopped pushing the brake pedal the brake lights will be turned off. Description and technical data of the system

The data input to the system comes from two channels:

1. The status of the brake pedal (pushed/ released)

2. The status of the vehicle (moving/substantially stationary)

Fig. 1 is a schematic exemplary drawing of the system (100) according to a first embodiment. The system comprises the vehicle break lights (110), the vehicle's battery (120), an electric switch (130) indicating the break pedal status (pushed or released) and a vehicle movement indicator (140).

The electric switch (130) is located on the incoming electricity supply. When the brake pedal changes status, the switch closes or opens an electrical circuit. The switch may be a Micro Switch, e.g. 12A -VELLEMAN part no.

Msi2-R or the like.

Vehicle movement indicator (140), also located on the incoming electricity supply, may be one of:

1. A sensor mounted on the vehicle's wheel that sends electric pulses from the wheel indicating its movement.

The sensor can be one of: a. A magnetic switch such as Inductive proximity sensor, PNP type - part no. IM05-0B8PS-ZW1. The sensor, as depicted in Fig. 2, should be mounted in two parts. One part (210) will be mounted on the inner face of the wheel (200) and will be moving with it, and the second part (220) will be attached permanently to the vehicle's shaft. This part will not move. It will close an electric circuit every time the wheel accomplishes a full revolution.

The system should be working on electric voltage suitable for the car industry,

12VDC or about 24VDC. b. An Electric Encoder such as Rotary Encoder, OMRON part no. E6A2-

CS3E or similar. The encoder will be mounted so that its dynamic part will be turned by the shaft.

In a second embodiment of the system, the indication about the movement of the vehicle may come out of the vehicle's integrative systems (such as the gear).

Fig. 3 is a schematic drawing of an exemplary electric circuit for materializing this embodiment, wherein the system receives indication of the vehicle's speed from a speed sensor, such as a magnetic speed sensor capturing rotational or linear speed. Speed sensors are known in the art and are typically used as gear tooth speed sensors or incorporated into stroboscopes or tachometers. The circuit of Fig. 3 comprises three sub-circuits:

1. A digital logic circuit for receiving indications from both break system and tachograph; 2. A digital power circuit providing electric power to the lighting systems; and 3. A tacho shell detector circuit for receiving a signal from the vehicle's tachograph (or gear) and determining whether the vehicle is in motion. The circuits are based on standard components and operate under direct current (DC). The power source is the vehicle's battery, where the different voltages are derived from voltage splitters, as detailed in Fig. 3. According to an alternative embodiment the motion indicator may receive voltage created by the vehicle's motion, or have an internal battery. The system controls the brake lights of the vehicle and is designed to work with standard vehicle light bulbs (12VDC or 24VDC). The light will be turned

on and off by an electrical relay such as CAR RELAY 1 x INVERTER 12V DC/30A FASTON - VELLEMAN part no. 960 or similar., which switches the positive current feeding the braking lights. A control system will be installed as well. The control system is an electronic circuit that gets the input from the brake pedal and the vehicle's movement. The components of the control system will be, for example, MAX 7000A Programmable Logic Device - ALTERA part no. EPM7512AE or similar. The control system will cause the vehicle lights to turn on and off according to the logic described above. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description. For example, the logic described above may be reversed, namely, the controller may be designed to flash the break lights when the break pedal is pushed and the vehicle is in motion and turn the break light on continuously while the break pedal is pushed and the vehicle is stationary.