LU93343B1

LU93343B1 - Reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle and method therefor

Info

Publication number: LU93343B1
Application number: LU93343A
Authority: LU
Inventors: Dany Hoffmann
Original assignee: Aec Europe Gmbh
Priority date: 2016-12-08
Filing date: 2016-12-08
Publication date: 2018-06-21

Abstract

A reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle and a corresponding method of controlling lights of a vehicle are provided. In particular, the application relates to a reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle which may be used in the process of homologation of vehicles, i.e. in the process of modifying a vehicle which is designed to meet regulatory standards and specifications in one region, e.g. the U.S., such that it meets regulatory standards and specifications in another region, e.g. Europe, which are different from the regulatory standards and specifications of the first region.

Description

RECONFIGURATION MODULE FOR CONTROLLING LIGHTS OF A VEHICLE AND METHOD THEREFOR

FIELD OF INVENTION

This application relates to a reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle and the corresponding use of that module to control lights of a vehicle. In particular, the application relates to a reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle which may be used in the process of homologation of vehicles, i.e. in the process of modifying a vehicle which is designed to meet regulatory standards and specifications in one region, e.g. the U.S., such that it meets regulatory standards and specifications in another region, e.g. Europe, which are different from the regulatory standards and specifications of the first region. In addition, the application also relates to a corresponding method to reconfigure the lights of a vehicle and to a use of the reconfiguration module according to various embodiments in order to reconfigure the lights of a vehicle is also provided.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

In order to be allowed to use a vehicle, such as a road vehicle (e.g. a passenger car), first a vehicle registration certificate for that vehicle has to be obtained. For one, by use of the vehicle registration certificate it is ensured that all road vehicles of a given country are registered in a national register. On the other hand, the vehicle registration certificate is also used by law enforcement to establish ownership of a vehicle and facilitate change thereof when the vehicle is sold or bought. One of the prerequisite for the issuance of the vehicle registration certificate is that the car which is to be certified meets regulatory registration requirements which everycountry may define individually, such as safety and technical requirements. This is usually the case if the vehicle is manufactured in or at least for the country where it is sold and used, since the vehicle manufacturer is aware of the regulatory registration requirements in that country and préconfigurés the car accordingly. Thus, for a vehicle manufactured specifically in or for a given country the vehicle registration certificate is issued based on type approval. Generally, in the case of a type approval the design and characteristics of a device manufactured for a specific purpose are checked on the basis of technical descriptions and drawings in order to verify whether its design and characteristics are compliant with respective statutory regulations. Type approval is usually carried out by an authority commissioned with it. The big advantage is that approval of each individual vehicle is no longer required with an existing type approval. The importance of type approvals in our industrialized world and in particular in the case of road vehicles cannot be overstated in light of new registrations of vehicles in the range of three million each year in Germany over the past few years, for example. A vehicle which is imported from a different region of the world may be faced with problems when it comes to the issuance of the vehicle registration certificate. While the vehicle may meet regulatory registration requirements of the country where it has been imported from, in most cases it does not comply with the regulatory registration requirements of the country where it is imported to simply because every country defines their own regulatory registration requirements. Thus, a vehicle imported from a different country might not be covered by the type approval and, consequently, has to be reconfigured such that it does meet regulatory standards and specifications of the target country. The process of reconfiguring a vehicle in accordance with regulatory standards and specifications of a country in order to obtain a vehicle registration certificate for that vehicle will be referred to as homologation in the context of this application. Quite often, the technical modification itself may be done quite easily, but it may prove particularly difficult to provide the necessary documentation of the process for the vehicle to become registered after the homologation process.

In the particular case of car imports from the U.S. to Europe, the lighting of a car requires various modifications due to fundamental differences in the lighting setup. For example, red indicator lights have to be changed to orange color and a reverse light and a rear fog-light has to be retrofitted. Especially the homologation of the indicator lights may prove challenging because in U.S. the indicator lights and brake lights are generated by one light unit which emits red light. However, as already stated, in contrast to the red indicator lights in the U.S., indicator lights in Europe are required to emit light of orange color. In addition, due to the fact that only one light unit is used as indicator light and brake light, the signal provided to the brake light in a car configured for the U.S. market is a mixed one, i.e. a signal containing information for both the indicator light and the brake light.

So far, the homologation process with regard to adapting the indicator lights of a car imported form the U.S. to the European market involves acquiring the indictor light control signal, installing cables running from the front of the vehicle to the back of the vehicle and providing the indicator light control signal to retrofitted indictor lights. The retrofitted indicator lights may be obtained, for example, by changing the color of a further light which is provided symmetrically, i.e. on both sides, of the vehicle such as the reverse light (if present). While this method is technically easy to perform, it is rather time consuming and requires further cables which are added to the existing wiring of the vehicle. In a further approach additional circuit logic is used, implemented close to the brake lights, in order to extract a first signal representing the indicator light and a second signal representing the brake light from the mixed indicator light brake light signal. Even though this approach does not require installing additional cables extending between the front and the back of the vehicle, its implementation requires additional circuitry which needs to be retrofitted into the car. In addition, the determination of the indicator light control signal and the brake light control signal from the mixed indicator light brake light signal of the car originally configured for the U.S. market requires at least one clock cycle of the blinking indicator light in order to establish whether the mixed indicator light brake light signal is low because the brakeing process has terminated or because the indicator light is turned on during a brakeing process. This inherent delay in the determination of the separate signals for the European market from the mixed signal may be problematic especially at high speeds of a vehicle as it adds a lag between an action performed by a driver (such as braking) and its signaling to other drivers. Ultimately, this external lag further extends the reaction time of the driver and may be the cause of rear-end collisions which may have been prevented if the lag were not present.

In view of the above problems it would be desirable to find a way to conduct the homologation process in a more efficient and reliable way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle, the reconfiguration module including a direction indicator control circuit, configured to receive front direction indicator control signals from a body control module (BCM) of the vehicle and, based thereon, to generate rear direction indicator control signals and to provide those signals at rear direction indicator control signal outputs. Furthermore, a corresponding method to reconfigure the lights of a vehicle and a use of the reconfiguration module according to various embodiments in order to reconfigure the lights of a vehicle are also provided.

In the context of this application, a BCM is understood to be a module which controls all electrical operations of a vehicle in one module through the use of respective signals. Every electrical part of a modern car, from door locks to lights, is nowadays controlled by a BCM. The reconfiguration module of the present invention may be seen as a module which is interposed into the existing electrical paths in a vehicle. Put differently, the reconfiguration module may have various inputs through which it may receive signals from the BCM. The reconfiguration module may also have various outputs at which signals for lighting components of the vehicle may be provided. Overall, the reconfiguration module may be used in such a way that (with regard to one of its inputs and one of its outputs, for example) it is interposed between two ends of a severed cable which originally connects a lighting component, such as the brake lamp (stop lamp), to the BCM. Thus, while advantageously the original cable provided by the car manufacturer may be still used, no or only a very limited amount of extra cables have to be retrofitted into or added to the vehicle. The reconfiguration module may be seen to receive a at least one signal from the BCM through an original cable provided in the car which has been severed at some point and connected to the BCM with its one end. At the same time, the other portion of the severed cable is used to transmit at least one signal from the reconfiguration module to a lighting module.

The reconfiguration module may be an electronic unit comprising circuitry and logic configured to perform the intended tasks. The reconfiguration module may be installed in the front wheel case of the vehicle where it may be easily attached to the vehicle and, in addition, is located in the vicinity of the BCM. Installing the reconfiguration module close to the BCM may be advantageous since in doing so it may be assured that all the cables connected to the BCM can be reached. However, the reconfiguration module may be also installed on the inside of the engine compartment where it is protected against environmental influences. According to the invention, the reconfiguration module comprises a direction indicator control circuit which is configured to receive direction indicator control signals transmitted from the BCM to the front direction indicators. This may be done by tapping the signal at the respective cables by which the front direction indicators are connected to the BCM. The direction indicator control circuit is further configured to generate rear direction indicator control signals based on the received front direction indicator control signals. The right/left rear direction indicator control signal generated by the reconfiguration module may correspond to the original right/left front direction indicator control signal. In this context, the original right/left front direction indicator control signal denotes the signal which is generated by the BCM in order to control function of the right/left front direction indicator.

As may be seen in the case of a U.S. vehicle which is to be homologated for the European market, by copying the original right/left direction indicator control signal and providing it to the back of the vehicle the problem of extracting the direction indicator control signal from the mixed indicator light brake light signal is solved. A further advantage linked to the reconfiguration module is that since it embodies a standardized reconfiguration process of the lighting of a vehicle, a type approval may be obtained for the device which in turn may greatly simplify and save costs and time by making individual checks obsolete.

According to further embodiments of the reconfiguration module it may further comprise a light verification circuit, configured to verify the operability of the rear direction indicator and to generate a verification signal based on the result of the light verification process. The light verification circuit is configured to check the operability of the left and right rear direction indicator individually, i.e. to determine whether each of the rear direction indicators is working properly. The verification signal may be a single signal indicative of the status of both rear direction indicators or it may comprise two signals, each indicative of one rear direction indicator (i.e. left and right).

According to further embodiments of the reconfiguration module it may further include a check signal generation circuit configured to receive the verification signal and, based thereon, to generate a check signal for the body control module. While the verification signal may be a signal for exclusive internal use within the reconfiguration module, the check signal generated by the check signal generation circuit may be a signal which conforms to the format of an original check signal which the BCM is expected to receive form any one of the rear direction indicators in their original state (i.e. prior to the modification/homologation) if it works properly, i.e. whether it is not broken such that it can emit light. Therefore, the check signal may fulfill the role of a classical error signal from which the BCM may derive whether the respective rear direction indicator works properly or not. The check signal generation circuit may be configured to generate the correct check signal, i.e. in accordance with the format thereof as used by the BCM, based on the verification signal which may have a different format. For example, the check signal expected by the BCM may be a square wave with a peak amplitude of 12V and a predefined periodicity. The difference between the verification signal used internally by the reconfiguration module and the check signal transmitted to the BCM may result from modifications to the lighting components of the car during the homologation process. For example, while the mixed indicator light brake light signal in the vehicle in its original state was applied to a reaer red LED lighting unit which embodied both the brake light and the direction indicator light, the rear direction indicator light in the modified (e.g. homologated) vehicle can be applied to an orange light bulb which may replace a portion of the rear red LEDs in the original rear red LED lighting unit. Due to difference in technology, the check signal which is originally provided by the red LED lighting unit may not be easily obtained from the light bulb based rear direction indicator light. Therefore, the reconfiguration module may check the operability of the rear direction indicator light and based on the outcome of this check it may generate the check signal in the format which can be correctly processed by the BCM.

According to further embodiments of the reconfiguration module, the light verification circuit may be configured to verify the operability of any one of the rear direction indicator (i.e. the left or the right direction indicator) by determining at least one signal parameter of a verification signal which is provided at the corresponding direction indicator control signal output. The verification signal may correspond to a current which is applied at the output of the reconfiguration module coupled to the corresponding rear direction indicator. The light verification circuit may be configured to measure the voltage while the verification signal is applied to the corresponding direction indicator. Consequently, the verification signal may be provided at the output and transmitted through the (original) portion of the cable connecting that output with the corresponding rear direction indicator control signal. If the direction indicator is broken, e.g. having an open circuit, the voltage will be different form the case in which the corresponding direction indicator is in working order (i.e. not broken). Thus, by measuring the voltage the light verification circuit may verify that any the left/right rear direction indicator is in working order. It is noted that in an alternative verification scheme in which the voltage may be fixed and the current flow is measured is equally applicable. The use of a verification signal which is different from the rear direction indicator control signal may correspond to a “cold test” scenario in which the operability of any one of the rear direction indicators is checked while it is not used, i.e. in the absence of the rear direction indicator control signal.

According to further embodiments of the reconfiguration module, the light verification circuit may be configured to verify the operability of any one of the rear direction indicator by determining at least one signal parameter of the rear direction indicator control signal provided at the corresponding rear direction indicator control signal output. In this case, in contrast to the “cold test” checking scheme, the operability of the rear direction indicator lights is checked by determining the voltage and/or current of the rear direction indicator control signal applied to the corresponding rear direction indicator. Thus, this verification scheme may be referred to as the “hot test” as it is executed during use of the respective rear direction indicator as only then a rear direction indicator control signal is applied to it. It goes without saying that the reconfiguration module may be configured to include both verification schemes, i.e. the “cost test” and the “hot test”.

According to further embodiments of the reconfiguration module the check signal generation circuit may be configured to generate the check signal based on any one of the front direction indicator control signals. In other words at least one electrical parameter of the check signal such as voltage, current, impedance, wavelength or any other suitable electrical parameter may be derived from (e.g. may correspond to) the corresponding electrical parameter of the front direction indicator control signal(s). In an exemplary embodiment of the reconfiguration module the check signal generation circuit may be configured to generate the check signal by inverting any one of the front direction indicator control signals.

In accordance with various further embodiments the present invention also provides a method for reconfiguring lights of a vehicle comprising the following of receiving an original front direction indicator control signal from a body control module of the vehicle; and generating a rear direction indicator control signal based on the received original front blinking light control signal. As already stated, the generated rear direction indicator control signal may correspond to the front direction indicator control signal. The method may be executed by based on the reconfiguration module as described above. Thus, all of the aspects described within the context of the various embodiments of the reconfiguration module apply to the method for reconfiguring lights of a vehicle in an analogous manner and vice versa.

According to further embodiments, the method may further include the steps of verifying the operability of any one of the rear direction indicator lights; and generating a verification signal based on the result of the performed light verification process. The verification signal may indicate whether the rear direction indicator lights are fully operable or if any one of them is out of order.

According to further embodiments, the method may further include the steps of receiving the verification signal; generating a check signal for the body control module based on the received verification signal; and providing the generated check signal to the body control module.

According to further embodiments of the method the step of verifying the operability of the respective rear direction indicator may include providing a verification signal to the rear direction indicator along the same electrical path as the direction indicator control signal; and determining at least one electrical parameter of the verification signal. This aspect of the method relates to the “cold test” described above, wherein a verification signal which may be seen to fulfill the role of a test signal or probe signal is applied to the respective rear direction indicator.

According to further embodiments of the method the step of verifying the operability of the respective rear direction indicator may include determining at least one electrical parameter of the rear blinking light control signal. This aspect of the method relates to the “hot test” described above.

According to further embodiments of the method the check signal may be generated based on the received original front direction indicator control signal. In a preferable embodiment of the method, the check signal may be generated by inverting any one of the front direction indicator control signals, i.e. the right or left front direction indicator control signal.

In accordance with various further embodiments the present application also provides a use of the reconfiguration module as described before to reconfigure the control of lights of a vehicle. The use of the reconfiguration module according to various embodiments may include the following steps: disconnecting an existing first and second cable running between a body control module of the vehicle and a left rear light and a right rear light, respectively, wherein the cables are used to provide direction indicator control signals to the rear light during operation of the vehicle; disconnecting an existing third and fourth cable running between the body control module of the vehicle and a left reverse light and a right reverse light, respectively; connecting the reconfiguration module to outputs of the body control module at which front direction indicator control signals are provided during operation of the vehicle or to corresponding cables carrying those signals from the body control module to front direction indicators during operation of the vehicle; connecting outputs of the direction indicator control circuit to the ends of the reminders of the third and fourth cable still coupled to the reverse lights; disconnecting an existing fifth and sixth cable running from the body control module to the left rear light and the right rear light, respectively, which are used to provide an error checking signals from the rear lights to the body control unit during operation of the vehicle; and connecting the reminders of the fifth and sixth cable still coupled to the left rear light and the right rear light, respectively, to outputs of the check signal generation circuit.

The reconfiguration module according to the present invention may "merge” into the existing electronic network of the vehicle. As described with regard to its use, existing cables in a vehicle which transmit control and other signals from the BCM to the various components may be severed or disconnected and the reconfiguration module may be placed in between, i.e. with its various inputs and outputs connected to the disconnected ends of the cable. This allows the reconfiguration module according to the present invention to intercept a signal intended to reach a certain light component, e.g. the brake light, and replace that signal by a substitute signal by means of which the functionality of that light component may be modified. In addition, the light components themselves may be modified, e.g. by replacing a red LED module by an orange light, e.g. based on incandescent bulbs. The disconnecting and reusing of original vehicle cables, the replacing original light components combined with the use of the reconfiguration module as described herein provide a very efficient and technically sound method of modification of light control in vehicles, especially useful in the process of homologation of vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a further, more detailed schematic view of the reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle according to the present invention.

Figure 3A shows a first state of light control wiring in a vehicle prior to a homologation process.

Figure 3B shows a second state of light control wiring in a vehicle after a homologation process based on the use of the reconfiguration module according to the present invention.

It is noted that the same or equivalent elements carry the same reference numbers throughout the figures. An element which has been previously described at its first appearance in the context of a figure will not be repeatedly described again in the context of other figures unless new functions and/or features are to be explained. Therefore, various features and functions described with regard to the same or equivalent element throughout different figures cumulatively apply to that element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a basic embodiment of the reconfiguration module 100 for controlling lights of a vehicle according to the present invention. The reconfiguration module 100 includes a direction indicator control circuit 102. The direction indicator control circuit 102 is configured to receive the original front left direction indicator control signal 104 and original front right direction indicator control signal 106 (summarized as original front direction indicator control signals 104, 106) from the BCM of the vehicle which is not shown in this figure. The term original with reference to signals of a vehicle shall denote signals which are generated by the BCM in the original state of the vehicle, i.e. in a state as sold by the manufacturer for a designated market (e.g. U.S. or Europe) before the homologation has been performed. The direction indicator control circuit 102 is configured to generate a rear left direction indicator control signal 108 and a rear right direction indicator control signal 110 based on the original front direction indicator control signals 104, 106. According to various embodiments, the rear direction indicator control signals 108, 110 may be substantially equal to the front direction indicator control signals 104, 106 in the sense that they cause the left side (front and rear) direction indicators and the right side (front and rear) direction indicators to show exactly the same lighting pattern regarding their ON and OFF-phases. A more detailed schematic view of the reconfiguration module 100 for controlling lights of a vehicle is shown in Figure 2. In comparison to Figure 1, the reconfiguration module 100 is depicted as embedded into a vehicle and connected via cables 236, 238 to the BCM of the vehicle (not shown in the figure) and via cables 234 to lighting components 222-230 of the vehicle. Furthermore, the reconfiguration module 100 as shown in Figure 2 includes three further functional units, namely a light verification circuit 202, a check signal generation circuit 204 and a brake light control circuit 206. As further shown, the reconfiguration module 100 comprises an input interface 208 having multiple input ports a-3 and an output interface 210 having multiple output ports f-n. The input ports a-e of the input interface 208 are coupled to the cables 236 which provide the original control signals emitted by the BCM. This may be done by tapping the control signal at a suitable position of the original cable connecting the BCM with a respective lighting component while leaving the original cable in place. This approach may be chosen, for example, in the case of the front direction indicator control signals 104,106 (front blinker signal) which are supplied to the reconfiguration module 100 at ports a and b of the input interface 208 but are still required in their original form in order to control the operation of the front direction indicators. However, in a different approach at least one of the input ports of the input interface 208 may be coupled directly to one end of a severed or cut original cable which connects the BCM with the respective lighting component. This approach may be chosen in cases when the original control signal generated by the BCM is not needed any more since it is replaced by a replacement control signal generated by the reconfiguration module according to the present invention. Whether one or the other approach is applicable may depend on whether an original control signal from the BCM is only used by the reconfiguration module 100 to generate a further signal while that original control signal is still used by the vehicle (such as in the case of the front blinker signal) or whether an original control signal from the BCM is to be intercepted by the reconfiguration module 100 and replaced by a control signal generated by the reconfiguration module 100 (such as in the case of the original mixed direction indicator control signal which is not used in the modified vehicle, but replace by “pure” rear direction indicator control signals and a “pure” brake light control signal). If required, cable extensions between the reconfiguration module 100 and the ends of parts of the cables 236, may be use, e.g. in cases where the remainder of the original cable is too short to be coupled to any of the input ports a-e.

The output ports f-n of the output interface 210 may be preferably coupled to ends of parts of the original cables 238, 234 which, before the modification process has been carried out, have been used to connect the BCM with lighting components. Alternatively, if required, cable extensions between the reconfiguration module 100 and the ends of parts of the cables 238, 234 may be use, e.g. in cases where the remainder of the original cable is too short to be coupled to any of the output ports f-n. The output ports f and g are coupled to the BCM via the cables 238, whereas the output ports h-n are coupled to lighting components 222-230 via the cables 234.

The light verification circuit 202 is configured to check the operability of the rear direction indicators 228, 230 by either performing a cold test or a hot test as described earlier. As shown in Figure 2, the light verification circuit 202 is included in the direction indicator control circuit 102 and is thus connected to the rear direction indicators 228, 230 via output ports h and i. However, the light verification circuit 202 can be also provided as a separate module outside of the direction indicator control circuit 102. In any way, based on the result of the verification process executed on the rear direction indicators 228, 230, the light verification circuit 202 is configured to generate a verification signal 220 which is transmitted to the check signal generation circuit 204. As described earlier, the check signal generation circuit 204 translates the result of the light verification carried out by the light verification circuit 202 into a check signal 232 which has the correct format and can thus be processed by the BCM. The check signal 232 may, as shown in Figure 2, actually comprise two signals for representing the status of the rear left direction indicator 230 and rear right direction indicator 228 separately. Alternatively, it may be one combined signal which simultaneously carries information about both rear direction indicators 228, 230.

In the exemplary embodiment of the direction indicator control circuit 102 as shown in Figure 2, it is configured to generate the rear left direction indicator control signal 108 and the rear right direction indicator control signal 110 which are provided to the rear left direction indicator 230 at output port h and to the rear right direction indicator 228 at output port i, respectively. In this embodiment, the direction indicator control circuit 102 is further configured to also generate trailer direction indicator control signals 216, 218 and provide those at output ports j, k. The output ports j and k may be coupled to a rear left direction indicator 224 and to a rear right direction indicator 226 of a trailer which may be pulled by the vehicle.

The exemplary reconfiguration module 100 shown in Figure 2 further includes the brake light control circuit 206 which receives an original brake light control signal 212 at input port e from the BCM and outputs a brake light control signal 214 which is provided at output port n to the brake lights 222. The original brake light control signal 212 may be derived from a dedicated brake lamp which may be arranged on top of the vehicle, for example, or from outputs at the back of the vehicle which provide a pure brake signal for a trailer. In the first case, the original brake light control signal 212 may be too weak to energize the dedicated brake lamp and further lighting units. Therefore, the brake light control circuit 206 may comprise an amplification circuit based on a relay or transistor in order to provide a more powerful brake light control signal 214 on the basis of the original brake light control signal 212. It is noted that if the vehicle does not comprise outputs at the back of the vehicle which provide a pure brake signal for a trailer, the brake light control signal 214, in analogy to the rear direction indicator control signals, may be also provided at a further port to be delivered to the brake lights of a trailer.

In the reconfiguration module 100 further input ports c, d and output ports I, m are indicated which represent input and output ports which may be used to modify the operation of further light components. For example, the functionality of a rear fog light, reverse light, day running lights (which can also function as parking light), and/or further error functionalities for existing light components may be added by providing additional circuit units which generate the corresponding control signals based on original control signals from the BCM. Each of the additional circuit unit may be advantageously used when the technical nature of a corresponding lighting component is changed, .e.g. from a gas based lamp (e.g. xenon or neon lights) to a LED based lamp. In those cases the corresponding additional circuit may be configured to modify an original control signal from the BCM such that the changed lighting component may be controlled (e.g. by amplifying the original control signal). Furthermore, each of the additional circuit may comprise an error checking functionality for the changed lighting component and be configured to provide an error signal in the format of the BCM, i.e. in the format adapted to the previous lighting component.

In Figures 3A and 3B the state of the wiring between the BCM and light components of a vehicle is shown, wherein Figure 3A shows the state before implementation of the reconfiguration module 100 and Figure 3B shows the state with the reconfiguration module 100 being in place. The exemplary comparison is based on the lighting scheme of a vehicle configured for the U.S. market having a right rear light 302 and a left rear light 312. Due to the symmetric setup, the distinction between the right rear light 302 and left rear light 312 will be neglected in the following. Each of the rear lights 302, 312 includes a red light 304, 312, such as a red LED array, and a white light 306, 316 which is most commonly includes an incandescent bulb. In the original (i.e. unmodified) state of the vehicle, the BCM 300 is coupled to each of the left and right reverse lights 306, 316 to transmit a reverse light control signal 312, 322 to the reverse lights 306, 316. The BCM 300 is also coupled to each of the rear left and right red lights 304, 314 to transmit a mixed direction indicator brake light signal 310, 320 to the rear red lights 304, 314. The small black arrows on each of the cables which connect the BCM 300 with the lighting components indicate the direction of signal flow during operation of the vehicle. In addition, vehicles in the U.S. are required to check the rear left and right lights 304, 314 for errors. This is understandable given their eminently important role in traffic safety. For this reason, for each of the rear red lights 304, 314 a further wire is used to transmit an error signal 308, 318 from the rear red light 304, 314 to the BCM 300. Based on the error signal 308, 318 the BCM 300 can determine the state of the rear red lights 304, 314 (i.e. whether they are in working order) and display a visual warning on the dashboard of the vehicle in case one of the rear red lights 304, 314 is detected to be dysfunctional.

In a vehicle configured for the U.S. market, the white light 306, 316 is used as reverse light, while the red light 304, 314 is used as a combined brake light and direction indicator. Therefore, on a braking vehicle which simultaneously turns right (and indicates this maneuver properly) both rear red lights 304, 314 light up with the difference that the and the left rear red light is emitting light constantly for as long as the brake pedal is activated while the right rear red light 304 is flashing for as long as the direction indicator control at the wheel remains activated. This lighting scheme is quite different from the regulatory requirements in Europe, where the brake light is red and separate from the direction indicator which is required to have an orange color. Thus, in order to get a vehicle configured for the U.S. market registered in Europe, among others modifications have to be performed to its lights to comply with European regulatory requirements. As described in this application, the reconfiguration module according to various embodiments can be used to execute the homologation process.

As shown in Figure 3B, in the modified vehicle the cables between the BCM 300 and the lighting components (in this case the right rear light 302 and the left rear light 312) have been cut and are used to connect the reconfiguration module 100 to both the BCM 300 and the lighting components. It is noted that the representation of the reconfiguration module 100 d -5 in Figure 3B has been focused on its interface which is used to connect it to the existing wiring within the vehicle. The dashed lines in Figure 3B indicate the original electrical pathways in the unmodified vehicle, wherein it is further noted that, while the cables in Figure 3B do not carry reference marks, their order of arrangement is the same as in Figure 3A. It may be seen that the reconfiguration module 100 acts as a gating element which intercepts certain control signals generated by the BCM and generates signals of its own which are fed into the system as replacement for the intercepted control signals. As may be appreciated by looking at the schematic drawing shown in Figure 3B, the original cables are cut and used to transmit signals from the reconfiguration module 100 to the right rear light 302 and the left rear light 312. This has the big advantage that no new cables or only very short extension cables have to be installed/added in the vehicle, but the original cables which have been installed by the manufacturer can be (re)used. Not only does this reduce costs of the homologation process and the time required to perform the homologation (since no additional cables have to be installed), but the reuse of existing cables may also reduce the risk of degradation or malfunction of the electrical vehicle communication system in the vehicle due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) possibly caused by the otherwise additionally installed cables.

As may be further seen from a comparison of Figure 3A to Figure 3B, the reference numbers denoting the lighting components belonging to the rear left and right lights 302, 312 carry an asterisk. The asterisk has been added in Figure 3B to reflect the fact that the function and/or nature of the lights themselves has been changed. For one thing, the rear red lights 304, 314 in Figure 3A which are originally used to indicate turn directions and braking action of a vehicle embody dedicated braking lights 304*, 314* in Figure 3B which receive a pure braking light control signal via output n of the reconfiguration module 100. For another thing, the reverse light 306, 316 which is originally of white color is replaced by a light of orange color in Figure 3A and embodies the direction indicators 306*, 316* in the modified vehicle. Each of the direction indicators 306*, 316* is connected to the reconfiguration module 100 via cables such that it can receive direction indicator control signals via output ports h and i of the reconfiguration module 100.

Since in the modified lighting configuration as shown previously the check signal generation circuit 204 generates the check signals 232 (error signals) for the BCM, the cables which were used to transmit the error signals 308, 318 from the rear red lights 304, 314 to the BCM 300 in the original configuration of the vehicle are superfluous. In the exemplary configuration of the vehicle shown in Figure 3B, one of those cables is used to as a signal line to a new lighting component added to the vehicle, e.g. a rear fog light 330. The new lighting component may be a light bar which is attached to the back of the vehicle in the vicinity of the rear brake lights 304*, 314*. That way, the cables used for transmitting the error signals 308, 318 from the red rear lights 304, 314 to the BCM 300 may be disconnected from those and used for transmitting a fog light control signal from the reconfiguration module 100 to the rear fog light 330.

As may be further seen from the comparison of Figure 3A to Figure 3B, the reconfiguration module 100 according to various embodiments is an additional electronic component (e.g. including an integrated circuit or an analog circuit or both) which may be installed in the vehicle in addition to the BCM 300. The presence and use of the reconfiguration module 100 according to various embodiments allows to modify the lighting configuration of a vehicle without altering or affecting the functioning/operability of the BCM 300 itself. Thus, the reconfiguration module 100 may be seen as an add-on which is implemented into an existing signaling infrastructure of a vehicle and may modify the operation of the lighting configuration by replacing some of the control signals generated by the BCM 300. In addition, the use of the reconfiguration module 100 according to various embodiments allows for a change of the type of lighting being used (e.g. LED based light or incandescent light) and still enables detecting of errors related to the functionality of the lights by the BCM 300. In that sense, the reconfiguration module 100 may be seen to simulate the behavior of a replaced light component when it comes to the generation of an error signal.

In this application, various control signals are mentioned, e.g. the direction indicator control signal. In the context of this application a control signal for a light component may be understood as a signal provided to that light component for control of its function, in particular for control of the on-phases and off-phases of that light component. -1A.

Claims

1. A reconfiguration module for controlling lights of a vehicle, the reconfiguration module comprising: a direction indicator control circuit, configured to receive front direction indicator control signals from a body control module of the vehicle and, based thereon, to generate rear direction indicator control signals and to provide those signals at rear direction indicator control signal outputs.

2. The reconfiguration module of claim 1, further comprising: a light verification circuit, configured to verify the operability of the rear direction indicator and to generate a verification signal based on the result of the light verification process.

3. The reconfiguration module of claim 2, further comprising: a check signal generation circuit, configured to receive the verification signal and, based thereon, to generate a check signal for the body control module.

4. Reconfiguration module according to claim 2, wherein the light verification circuit is configured to verify the operability of any one of the rear direction indicator by determining at least one signal parameter of a verification signal which is provided at the corresponding direction indicator control signal output.

5. Reconfiguration module according to claim 2, wherein the light verification circuit is configured to verify the operability of any one of the rear direction indicator by determining at least one signal parameter of the rear direction indicator control signal provided at the corresponding rear direction indicator control signal output.

6. Reconfiguration module according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the check signal generation circuit is configured to generate the check signal based on any one of the front direction indicator control signals.

7. Reconfiguration module according to claim 3 to 6, wherein the a check signal generation circuit is configured to generate the check signal by inverting any one of the front direction indicator control signals.

8. Method for reconfiguring lights of a vehicle comprising the following steps: receiving an original front direction indicator control signal from a body control module of the vehicle; and generating a rear direction indicator control signal based on the received original front blinking light control signal.

9. Method of claim 8, further comprising: verifying the operability of any one of the rear direction indicator lights; and generating a verification signal based on the result of the performed light verification process.

10. Method of claim 9, further comprising: receiving the verification signal; generating a check signal for the body control module based on the received verification signal; and providing the generated check signal to the body control module.

11. Method of claim 9, wherein verifying the operability of the respective rear direction indicator includes: providing a verification signal to the rear direction indicator along the same electrical path as the direction indicator control signal; determining at least one electrical parameter of the verification signal.

12. Method of claim 9, wherein verifying the operability of the respective rear direction indicator includes: determining at least one electrical parameter of the rear blinking light control signal.

13. Method of claims 10 to 12, wherein the check signal is generated based on the received original front direction indicator control signal.

14. Method of claims 10 to 13, wherein the check signal is generated by inverting any one of the front direction indicator control signals.

15. Use of the reconfiguration module of claim 1 to reconfigure the control of lights of a vehicle, comprising the steps: disconnecting an existing first and second cable running between a body control module of the vehicle and a left rear light and a right rear light, respectively, wherein the cables are used to provide direction indicator control signals to the rear light during operation of the vehicle; disconnecting an existing third and fourth cable running between the body control module of the vehicle and a left reverse light and a right reverse light, respectively; connecting the reconfiguration module to outputs of the body control module at which front direction indicator control signals are provided during operation of the vehicle or to corresponding cables carrying those signals from the body control module to front direction indicators during operation of the vehicle; connecting outputs of the direction indicator control circuit to the ends of the reminders of the third and fourth cable still coupled to the reverse lights; disconnecting an existing fifth and sixth cable running from the body control module to the left rear light and the right rear light, respectively, which are used to provide an error checking signals from the rear lights to the body control unit during operation of the vehicle; and connecting the reminders of the fifth and sixth cable still coupled to the left rear light and the right rear light, respectively, to outputs of the check signal generation circuit.