WO2008110879A1

WO2008110879A1 - Method and device for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights

Info

Publication number: WO2008110879A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/055295
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luca Gurioli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-03-15
Filing date: 2007-12-21
Publication date: 2008-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2009-09-15
Also published as: ITBO20070181A1

Abstract

The device for controlling rear fog lights comprises a rear- view mirror (2) of electro-chromic type, suitable to detect the intensity of the incident light and to produce a suitable output control signal. This control signal is received by an electronic control unit (4) connected to the electro- chromic mirror (2) through a suitable circuit. The electronic control unit (4) produces a suitable output control signal that, through a further trunk circuit, is sent to one or more relay present in a relay-fusils box (5) of the vehicle, in order to operate the immediate switching off of the vehicle's rear fog lights (6, 7).

Description

Description METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING VEHICLES'

REAR FOG LIGHTS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a method and an electronic device for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights, aiming in particular to avoid or reduce the glare effect to the sight of the conductor of the vehicle behind produced by the said lights. Background Art

[2] It is known that the switching on of the vehicles' rear fog lights, necessary during the foggy periods to increase the range of visibility in a distance of the same vehicle, provokes a glare effect to the sight of the conductor of the vehicle behind, and this effect increases while the distance between the two vehicles decreases.

[3] In order to overcome the cited drawback, the use of various devices, which operate the automatic switching of the vehicles' lights, has been proposed, in particular rear fog lights. These devices generally provide for a detector that allows the rear fog lights' automatic switching off, when the vehicle behind approaches beyond a predetermined distance.

[4] For instance, Italian patent 01241969 illustrates a device for the remote switching of the vehicles' rear fog light, which comprises a Fresnel lens and a light sensor housed inside an hollow body placed inside the vehicle's back bumper; an electronic control unit equipped with a timer and connected to the light sensor, to the rear fog light and to the relative switch. When, at the approaching of the vehicle behind, the luminous intensity detected by the light sensor exceeds a predetermined value, the electronic control unit, which controls the fog lights' switching off, becomes operative.

[5] Also, French patent 2839689 illustrates a device suited to cause the back fog light's switching off, under the action of the lights of the vehicle behind. The device consists of a relay acting as a switch on the power circuit of the light, connected to a photocell placed at the back of the vehicle. When the photocell detects a luminous source coming from the lights of the approaching vehicle, it acts on the relay and disables its contacts, in order to interrupt the power supply.

[6] A similar solution is pointed out in UK patent 1 333 325, which provides for positioning a sensor to detect the light of the vehicle behind within the housings of the vehicle's back lights.

[7] The solutions illustrated have not found practical realization yet, essentially because of an operating mode scarcely effective and not very reliable. In fact, the solutions proposed imply positioning a sensor of the approaching light placed in the back part of the vehicle, for instance by the bumper or inside the lights. This position is certainly optimum with respect to the direction of the incident light, but it is significantly affected by the closeness of the road surface, by the back wheels of the vehicle and by the exposure to the atmospheric agents. [8] These factors can easily cause an irregular functioning of the sensor, and therefore compromise the correct functioning, for instance for the effect of the substances deposited on the external surface of the vehicle especially in adverse climatic conditions, such as mud, snow and similar. [9] On the other hand, the rear fog lights' automatic switching off, in any operative condition, is potentially dangerous since it deprives the vehicle of an essential safety instrument.

Disclosure of Invention

Disclosure [10] The aim of the present invention is to overcome the cited drawback by devising a method, which allows to operate in an effective way the control of the vehicles' rear fog lights, in order to avoid the glare of the vehicle behind. [11] Within this scope it is a further aim of the claimed invention to provide with a device for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights, capable of guaranteeing the safety of the vehicle in any operating condition. [12] Another aim of the present invention is to provide with a device for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights of simple, constructive and functional conception, equipped with a certainly reliable functioning, of versatile use, as well as of relatively economical costs. [13] A further aim of the present invention is to provide with a device easy to install, which does not require substantial changes to the structure and to the original functional equipment of the vehicle. [14] The cited aims are reached, according to the claimed invention, by the method for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights, which is characterized by comprising the following phases: [15] a. manually activating the rear fog lights through a button placed on the vehicle's dash;

[16] b. contextually connecting the said rear fog lights to a rear- view mirror of electro- chromic type, arranged inside the vehicle, suitable to detect the incident light's intensity and to produce a suitable output control signal;

[17] c. automatically activating the security auto-dimming function of said electro- chromic mirror in the moment of the luminous intensity increase coming from the front lights of a vehicle approaching from behind; [18] d. sending a control signal coming out from the said electro-chromic mirror, through a suitable trunk circuit, to an electronic control unit for managing the electronic functions of the same device, suitable to produce an adequate output control signal;

[19] e. addressing the said signal coming out from the said electronic control unit to one or more relays present in a relay-fusils box of the vehicle, in order to cause the immediate switching off of the vehicle's rear fog lights. Description of Drawings

[20] Description details of the invention will be further evident in the illustrations of preferred embodiments of the device for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights according to the invention, illustrated in the guideline drawings attached, wherein:

[21] fig. 1 illustrates an axonometric view of a vehicle equipped with the claimed device for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights;

[22] fig. 2 illustrates a functional scheme of this device;

[23] fig. 3 and 4 respectively illustrate an axonometric view and a functional scheme of a different embodiment of the claimed device. Best Mode

[24] With reference to such figures, 1 refers to a vehicle equipped with the claimed device for controlling rear fog lights. The vehicle 1 is equipped at the back with conventional rear fog lights 6, 7 that can be manually activated, in a known way, through a button 3 usually arranged on the dash board.

[25] The device provides for using an inner rear- view mirror 2, of the so called electro- chromic type. The rear- view mirrors of electro-chromic type generally consist of various layers of glass between which least one layer of electro-chromic gel is interposed. These mirrors are commonly used in motor vehicles because they allow integrating the auto-dimming function, that is to say the automatic decrease of reflectance of the mirror when the lights of the dipped beam lights coming from the vehicle behind, reflected in the mirror becomes annoying for the conductor and dangerous for the driving. This feature is realized through one or more sensors, integrated in the mirror, which measure the intensity of the incident light and send an adequate electric stress to the layer of electro-chromic gel present in the mirror, causing the immediate decrease of the reflectance of the mirror when the luminous intensity has exceeded a preset value.

[26] The device comprises also an electronic control unit 4 for managing the electronic functions of the claimed device, connected through a suitable circuit to the electro- chromic mirror 2. The control unit 4, connected to the control units interaction line of the vehicle, is suitable to receive in input at least one signal coming from the electro- chromic mirror 2, emitted when the incident luminous intensity detected exceeds a preset value.

[27] The control unit 4 is connected through a further circuit to the relay-fusils box 5 of the vehicle and it is suitable to produce in output at least an adequate control signal and to address it to one or more relays present in the said relay-fusils box 5 of the vehicle, in order to control the immediate switching off of the rear fog lights 6, 7.

[28] As an alternative to the electronic control unit 4, it is possible to use the functions of the so-called 'body computer' of the vehicle, when present.

[29] The functioning of the device for controlling rear fog lights according to the invention can easily be understood from the description above.

[30] In the presence of fog, the vehicle's conductor activates the rear fog lights through the button 3 on the dash board. When the following vehicle is approaching, the increase of the luminous intensity coming from the front lights of the said vehicle provokes the automatic activation of the auto-dimming security function of the electro- chromic mirror 2. Contextually, the electro-chromic mirror 2 sends a signal to the control unit 4, to which it is connected through a suitable circuit. In its turn, the control unit 4 communicates with the main box 5 of the relay and fusils of the vehicle, to which it is connected, sending the received signal and controlling the switching on relay of the rear fog lights, causing the lights' switching off 6, 7.

[31] In order not to reduce the range of visibility of the vehicle in case of emergency, it is also provided for a trunk circuit between the button 8 for activating the emergency indicators on the dash board and the electronic control unit 4. In case of an emergency stop or of speed reduced gear, when the emergency indicators are activated through the button 8, a signal is sent to the control unit 4, which automatically inhibits the switching off action of the rear fog lights, thus guaranteeing the maximum visibility of the vehicle. Moreover, it is foreseen a further connection between the instruments' panel 9 of the vehicle and the electronic control unit 4, aimed at arranging a control circuit, which activates the flashing of the rear fog lights' power-on warning light in case an anomaly is detected in the system.

[32] In fig. 3 and 4 a different embodiment of the claimed device is illustrated, in which it is provided for the use of an auxiliary sensor 10 arranged by the back lights of the vehicle. The auxiliary sensor 10 is connected to the electronic control unit 4 and it is destined to interact with the auto-dimming security function of the electro-chromic mirror 2, in particular for vans, lorries and similar.

[33] The electronic device according to the claimed invention reaches the aim to operate in an effective way the control of vehicles' rear fog lights, in order to avoid the glare of the vehicle behind.

[34] The device determines, in fact, the automatic switching off of the rear fog lights 6, 7 in the moment when the increase of luminous intensity detected by the electro-chromic mirror 2 signals the presence of a vehicle approaching from behind. Clearly, it is possible to provide for, instead of switching off of the rear fog lights, producing a considerable decrease of their luminous intensity, such as not to cause the glare of who is driving the vehicle behind.

[35] The electronic control unit 4 is adequately programmable in order to manage in optimum way the switching off or the attenuation of the rear fog lights' luminosity according to the distance of the vehicle behind, evaluated according to the incident light coming from the front lights of the said vehicle.

[36] A prerogative of the claimed invention consists in providing for, in order to detect the approaching of a vehicle from behind, the use of the inner rear- view mirror 2, of the so called electro-chromic type, already present in the vehicles of more modern conception.

[37] Besides, this allows the correct functioning of the device in each operative condition, since the inner mirror 2 is not affected by the conditions external to the vehicle.

[38] A further advantage of the claimed invention is that it provides with an economic device, of simple installation and which does not require major changes in the structure and the original functional equipment of the vehicle.

[39] Materials adopted for the actual realization of the invention, as well as their shapes and sizes, can be various, depending on the requirements.

[40] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

[1] Method for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights, characterized in that it comprises the phases of: a. manually activating the rear fog lights (6, 7) through a button (3) placed on the vehicle's dashboard; b. contextually connecting the said rear fog lights (6, 7) to a rear- view mirror (2) of electro-chromic type, arranged inside the vehicle, suitable to detect the incident light's intensity and to produce a suitable output control signal; c. automatically activating the security auto-dimming function of said electro- chromic mirror (2) in the moment of the luminous intensity increase coming from the front lights of a vehicle approaching from behind; d. sending a control signal coming out from the said electro-chromic mirror (2), through a suitable trunk circuit, to an electronic control unit (4) for managing the electronic functions of the same device, suitable to produce an adequate output control signal; e. addressing the said signal coming out from the said electronic control unit (4) to one or more relay present in a relay-fusils box (5) of the vehicle, in order to cause the immediate switching off of the vehicle's rear fog lights (6, 7).

[2] Device for controlling vehicles' rear fog lights, characterized in that it comprises: a rear- view mirror (2) of electro-chromic type, suitable to detect the intensity of the incident light and to produce a suitable output control signal; an electronic control unit (4) for managing the electronic functions of the same device, suitable to receive in input at least said control signal coming from the said electro-chromic mirror (2) and to produce in output an adequate control signal; a trunk circuit of the said electro-chromic mirror (2) to the said electronic control unit (4); a trunk circuit of the said electronic control unit (4) to a relay-fusils box (5) of the vehicle, to address the said signal in output from the said electronic control unit (4) to one or more relays present in the said relay-fusils box (5) , in order to operate a variation of the luminous intensity of the vehicle's rear fog lights.

[3] Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said variation of the luminous intensity of the vehicles' rear fog lights (6, 7) activated by the said control signal coming from said electro-chromic mirror (2) implies the immediate switching off of the same rear fog lights (6, 7) of the vehicle.

[4] Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a further trunk circuit between the said electronic control unit (4) and a button (8) for activating the emergency indicators.

[5] Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said electronic control unit

(4) is suitable to receive an input signal coming from said button (8) for activating said emergency indicators and subsequently to inhibit the sending of said control signal suitable to cause the rear fog lights' (6, 7) switching off .

[6] Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a further trunk circuit between the said electronic control unit (4) and the instruments panel (9) of the vehicle.

[7] Device according to claim 6, characterized in that said electronic control unit

(4) is suitable to detect possible malfunctions of the trunk circuits and of the sensors and to send an adequate control signal, which causes flashing of the power-on warning light of the said rear fog lights (6, 7) placed in the said instruments panel (9) of the vehicle.