WO2003070513A1

WO2003070513A1 - Control for a vehicle light arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2003070513A1
Application number: PCT/SE2003/000266
Authority: WO
Inventors: Inge Gustavsson
Original assignee: Scania Cv Ab (Publ)
Priority date: 2002-02-21
Filing date: 2003-02-19
Publication date: 2003-08-28
Also published as: SE519935C2; SE0200503D0; DE10392300T5; SE0200503L; AU2003206361A1

Abstract

Control for vehicle lighting comprising a multiplicity of manually operable lighting switches for switching specified lighting functions on and off at the time of a driving state of the vehicle, which functions are arranged to be operated at the time of the vehicle's transition to a parking state. To provide a driver of the vehicle with the option of operating easily whichever parts of the lighting are to be activated after the ignition is switched off, the proposal comprises a control unit (10) which, at the time of the transition to the parking state, is arranged to convert specified lighting functions of the lighting switches for a specified period of time to external lighting functions deviating therefrom. In particular, the three functions of a steering column-mounted lever switch (14) are converted to three different combinations of external lighting.

Description

Control for a vehicle light arrangement

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a control for vehicle lighting comprising a multiplicity of manually operable lighting switches for switching specified respective lighting functi ns on and off during a driving state of the vehicle, which functions are arranged to be operated at the time of the vehicle's transition to a parking state.

STATE OF THE ART

Through, for example, US-A-3 881 128 it is known to automatically activate a certain part of a vehicle's lighting when a driver switches off the ignition system of the vehicle, e.g. to provide the driver with guiding light a period of time after leaving the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to develop further a control of the kind indicated in the introduction and provide the driver with the option of operating easily whichever parts of the lighting are to be activated after the ignition is switched off.

According to one version of the invention, a control unit which, at the time of transition to the parking state, i.e. at the time of the switching off of the engine ignition of a vehicle with combustion engine, is arranged so that, for a specified period of time, specified lighting functions of the lighting switches are converted to external lighting functions which differ from said functions, whereby the specified lighting functions are right direction flashing light, left direction flashing light and headlight, and whereby the deviating lighting functions are the function comprising dipped headlight; the function comprising at least some of the lights selected from the group of rear light, position light and side marker light; and the function comprising at least one pair of lights selected.from the group of dipped headlight, rear light, position light and side marker light.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lighting switches are incorporated in a multi-function switch which is preferably the already existing steering column-mounted lever switch. The various functions can thus be incorporated naturally in a control unit familiar to the vehicle's driver.

Particularly where the vehicle is a truck, the standardised lighting functions: the right direction flashing light, the left direction flashing light and the headlight in the steering column-mounted lever switch may be converted to the respective deviating lighting functions of dipped headlight; rear light, position light and side marker light; and dipped headlight, rear light, position light and side marker light. This obviously means that the driver can, before leaving the vehicle in the dark, be provided with an appropriate light for finding the way in the direction in which the driver wishes to leave the vehicle.

Other features and advantages of the invention are indicated in the claims and the ensuing detailed description of embodiments. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic connection description for a control according to the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic state diagram for a control according to the invention; and

FIG. 3 depicts a simplified electromechanical layout of a control according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

The connection description according to FIG.l depicts a control unit 10 which is arranged to convert three active input states f , b, u of a multifunction switch 12 (FIG. 3) with a steering column-mounted lever or multi- lever 14 to three lighting states F, B, and U respectively of the external lighting of an undepicted truck when the vehicle's engine ignition is switched off. The control unit 10 is thus arranged to switch on the dipped headlight when the multi-lever 14 is moved forwards, to switch on the rear light, side marker light and position light when the lever 14 is moved rearwards and to switch on all these lights when the lever 14 is moved upwards.

In the preferred embodiment, the control unit 10 is an electronic control unit controlled by a computer program, illustrated by the state diagram 10' depicted in FIG. 2, which fulfills the functions listed in the Table below for conditions CO to Cl 1. Such a program/state diagram is familiar to a person skilled in the art and is currently implemented in programming tools (e.g. Rhapsody in C++™) which are usable in the modelling and development of various condition-related systems.

The conditions and their associated functions are set out briefly in the following:

Table

CO Ignition off, warning light off, headlight switch in O position -

Function activated Cl Multi-lever moved forwards and back within 10 s - Light provided to front

C2 Multi-lever moved upwards and back within 10 s - Light provided to front, rear and sides

C3 Multi-lever moved rearwards and back within 10 s - Light provided to rear and sides

C4 Multi-lever moved forwards and back within 40 s - Light provided to front

C5 Multi-lever moved upwards and back within 40 s - Light provided to front, rear and sides C6 Multi-lever moved rearwards and back within 40 s - Light provided to rear and sides

C7 Multi-lever moved forwards and back within 40 s - Activity ceases and lights go out

C8 Multi-lever moved upwards and back within 40 s - Activity ceases and lights go out

C9 Multi-lever moved rearwards and back within 40 s - Activity ceases and lights go out

CIO Timeout after 10 s - Function deactivated

Cl 1 Timeout after 40 s - Function deactivated The multi-lever 14 can in a known manner be moved either lastingly or for a short time from a neutral position of rest to each state f, b, u, i.e. either durable placing in a stable end-position or short-time movement to an initial resistance towards the stable end-position, followed by the spring-loaded lever being allowed to return to the neutral position of rest. In the preferred embodiment, the control unit 10 is arranged to perform desired function in both of these movement cases.

For further clarification of the principles of the invention, FIG.3 depicts a schematic and simplified layout or embodiment with an electromechanical control unit 10 according to the invention which does not exhibit all of the functions. In the preferred embodiment, however, the control unit is of electronic type controlled by the program 10' according to Fig. 2 and the Table set out above which is implemented in a non- volatile manner in undepicted hardware. The hardware may in a conventional manner incorporate an integrated circuit available on the market which has built-in clock function for control of the time-dependent functions.

In Fig. 3 the multi-function switch 12 comprises three schematically depicted switches 16, 18, 20 which are connected to the vehicle's battery 52 and are each connected via electrical lines 22, 24, 26 respectively to an electromagnetically controlled two-position switch 30. In its position as depicted, the switch 30 is ready to switch on any desired lighting combination F, B or U in response to corresponding movement f, b or u of the multi-lever 14 according to conditions Cl to C6 in FIG. 2. In its undepicted other position, the two-position switch 30 is ready to activate in the usual way the functions of headlight, right flashing light or left flashing light upon corresponding movements of the multi-lever 14.

The two-position switch 30 is controlled electromagnetically from the vehicle's ignition change-over switch 32 via an electrical line 36 so that when the ignition 34 is switched off by a change-over switch 32, e.g. a key- operated change-over switch, the two-position switch 30 assumes the position depicted.

Switching off the ignition change-over switch 32 also starts a first timer means 40 which electromagnetically switches a circuit-breaker 28 to disconnect the function of the multi-lever 14 (effectively the function of the whole control 10) after the time, e.g. 10 seconds, determined by the setting of the timer means 40. This corresponds to the condition CIO in FIG. 2.

When the ignition change-over switch 32 is off, the electrical lines 22, 24, 26 also connect a second timer means 42 which is started each time the multi-lever 12 is operated and which, after a period determined by the setting of the timer means 42, e.g. 40 seconds, likewise electromagnetically switches the circuit-breaker 28 and disconnects the function of the multi- lever 14. This corresponds to the condition Cl 1 in FIG. 2.

The conditions C7, C8, C9, whereby the multi-lever 14 is operated a second time in the same direction and thereby terminates the activity through the circuit-breaker 28 being likewise switched and disconnecting the function of the multi-lever 14, are only illustrated schematically by chain-dotted lines in the simplified embodiment according to Fig. 3. These conditions may then be fulfilled by an arrangement 54 with signal reversers 56, one of which is arranged respectively for each switch 16, 18, 20 and which upon renewed or second operation of the respective switch 16, 18, 20, while the ignition is off, directly switch the circuit-breaker 28 to disconnect the function of the multi-lever 14 for as long as the ignition change-over switch 32 is off. When the ignition change-over switch 32 is off, the timer means 42 is inactivated via an electrical line 38 which acts electromagnetically upon a circuit-breaker 44 which itself breaks the connection between the multi- lever 12 and the timer means 42. When the ignition change-over switch 32 is off, the circuit-breaker 44 is electromagnetically closed to the depicted position via the electrical line 48.

When the ignition change-over switch 32 is on, the switch 30 is also switched, via the electrical line 50, to an undepicted position which allows normal functioning of the multi-lever 14. The circuit-breaker 28 is then switched to the depicted closed position via the electrical line 50.

To simplify presentation, FIG. 3 also depicts a number of rectifiers or diodes 46 which indicate permitted signal - or current running directions of lines.

Within the scopes of the ensuing claims, the invention may also be applied to other types of motor vehicles than trucks. For a passenger car, for example, the three positions f, b, u of the steering column-mounted lever switch may be converted respectively to dipped headlight, rear light, dipped headlight and rear light.

Claims

1. A control for vehicle lighting comprising a multiplicity of manually operable lighting switches (16, 18, 20) for switching specified lighting functions on and off during a short driving state of the vehicle, which lighting functions are arranged to be operated at the time of the vehicle's transition to a parking state, characterised in that a control unit (10) which at the time of transition to the parking state is arranged to convert, for a specified period of time, the specified lighting functions of the lighting switches (16, 18, 20) to external lighting functions deviating therefrom, whereby the specified lighting functions are right direction flashing light, left direction flashing light and headlight, and whereby the deviating lighting functions are the function comprising dipped headlight; the function comprising at least some of the lights selected from the group of rear light, position light and side marker light; and the function comprising at least one pair of lights selected from the group of dipped headlight, rear light, position light and side marker light.

2. A control according to claim 1, characterised in that the lighting switches (16, 18, 20) are incorporated in a multi-function switch (12).

3. A control according to claim 2, characterised in that the multi- function switch is a steering column-mounted lever switch (12).

4. A control according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the respective deviating lighting functions are as follows: the function of dipped headlight; the function of rear light, position light and side marker light; and the function of dipped headlight, rear light, position light and side marker light.

5. A control according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised by first timer means (40) for inactivating the control unit (10) for a period of time after the transition to the parking state.

6. A control according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised by second timer means (42) for inactivating the deviating lighting functions after the specified period of time.

7. A control according to any one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the control unit comprises an electronic control unit (10) activated by an engine ignition switch (32) and controlled by a computer program (10').

8. A method for controlling motor vehicle lighting comprising a multiplicity of manually operable lighting switches (16, 18, 20) for switching specified lighting functions on and off during a driving state of the vehicle, which functions are arranged to be operated at the time of the vehicle's transition to a parking state, characterised by conversion of specified lighting functions of the lighting switches

(16, 18, 20) to external lighting functions deviating therefrom for a specified period of time after the transition to the parking state, whereby the specified lighting functions are right direction flashing light, left direction flashing light and headlight, and whereby the deviating lighting functions are the function comprising dipped headlight; the function comprising at least some of the lights selected from the group of rear light, position light and side marker light; and the function comprising at least one pair of lights selected from the group of dipped headlight, rear light, position light and side marker light.

9. A method according to claim 8, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that said conversion comprises: conversion of the lighting function of the right direction flashing light to the function of dipped headlight; conversion of the lighting function of the left direction flashing light to the function of rear light, position light and side marker light; conversion of the lighting function of the headlight to the function of dipped headlight, rear light, position light and side marker light.