High-mounted brake lights and braking systems for vehicles

Abstract

This invention relates to a high-mounted brake light and braking system for vehicles. The high-mounted brake light includes an LED light assembly, a power input interface, and a control circuit board. The power input interface integrates a communication protocol pin to receive mode switching signals output by the vehicle's front-end host. The control circuit board includes a current-limiting circuit, a strobe control circuit, and a main control unit. The strobe control circuit is connected to the current-limiting circuit and the power input interface, respectively. The current-limiting circuit is connected to the LED light assembly, and the main control unit is connected to the strobe control circuit and the communication protocol pin. It is used to control the strobe control circuit to output a continuous constant current or a high-frequency on / off constant current to the LED light assembly according to the mode switching signal, so as to drive the LED light assembly to switch between a constant-on warning mode and a super strobe warning mode accordingly. Thus, in low-visibility and severe weather conditions such as rain, fog, and haze, the super strobe warning mode can be switched to improve the warning effect.

Description

High-mounted brake lights and braking systems for vehicles Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle electronic technology, specifically to a high-mounted brake light and braking system for vehicles. Prior Technology

[0002] Note: With the continuous growth of car ownership, road safety, especially the prevention of rear-end collisions, has become increasingly important. The high-mounted stop lamp (HMSL), as an important passive safety signal device, provides a conspicuous, high-positioned warning light signal to following vehicles when the vehicle brakes, reducing the risk of rear-end collisions. However, traditional high-mounted stop lamps have limited functionality; most products only have basic on / off functions. In low-visibility weather conditions such as rain, fog, and haze, their penetration and warning effect are significantly reduced, making it difficult to attract the full attention of drivers behind.

[0003] The following detailed description of the features and advantages of this invention is sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to understand the technical content of this invention and implement it accordingly. Furthermore, based on the content disclosed in this specification, the scope of the patent application, and the drawings, anyone skilled in the art can easily understand the purpose and advantages of this invention. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem this invention aims to solve is to address the shortcomings of existing high-mounted brake lights, which have limited functionality and warning effects. This invention provides a high-mounted brake light with both a constant-on warning mode and a super flashing warning mode, allowing for switching to the super flashing warning mode in adverse weather conditions such as rain, fog, and haze, thereby improving the warning effect.

[0005] In a first aspect, this invention provides a high-mounted brake light for vehicles, comprising: an LED light assembly; a power input interface for connecting to a vehicle power supply and integrating a communication protocol pin to receive a mode switching signal output by the vehicle's front-end host; and a control circuit board including a current limiting circuit, a strobe control circuit, and a main control unit. The strobe control circuit is connected to the current limiting circuit and the power input interface, the current limiting circuit is connected to the LED light assembly, and the main control unit is connected to the strobe control circuit and the communication protocol pin. The main control unit controls the strobe control circuit to output a continuous constant current or a high-frequency on / off constant current to the LED light assembly according to the mode switching signal, thereby driving the LED light assembly to switch between a constant-on warning mode and a super strobe warning mode.

[0006] Secondly, this invention provides a vehicle braking system, including a vehicle front-end host and a vehicle high-mounted brake light as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0007] Beneficial Effects: This invention provides a high-mounted brake light for vehicles, including an LED light assembly, a power input interface, and a control circuit board. The power input interface integrates a communication protocol pin to receive mode switching signals output by the vehicle's front-end host. The control circuit board includes a current-limiting circuit, a strobe control circuit, and a main control unit. The strobe control circuit is connected to the current-limiting circuit and the power input interface, respectively. The current-limiting circuit is connected to the LED light assembly, and the main control unit is connected to the strobe control circuit and the communication protocol pin, respectively. It is used to control the strobe control circuit to output a continuous constant current or a high-frequency on / off constant current to the LED light assembly according to the mode switching signal, so as to drive the LED light assembly to switch between a constant-on warning mode and a super strobe warning mode accordingly. Thus, in low-visibility and severe weather conditions such as rain, fog, and haze, the super strobe warning mode can be switched to improve the warning effect. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0008] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the high-mounted brake light of the vehicle in this invention.

[0009] Figure 2 is a circuit diagram showing the connection between part of the control circuit board and the LED light group in this invention.

[0010] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the connection between the lens module and the vehicle rearview mirror in this invention. Implementation

[0011] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand the other advantages and effects of this invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0012] The structures, proportions, and sizes illustrated in the accompanying diagrams of this manual are solely for the purpose of assisting those familiar with the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed herein. They are not intended to limit the feasibility of this creation and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to the size, provided they do not affect the effectiveness or purpose of this creation, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms used in this manual, such as "one," "two," and "above," are merely for clarity of description and not intended to limit the scope of this creation's feasibility. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of this creation's feasibility.

[0013] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, this invention provides a high-mounted brake light 100 for vehicles, including a housing, a power input interface JP1, a control circuit board 11, and an LED light group 12.

[0014] The control circuit board 11 is located inside the housing. The power input interface JP1 and the LED light group 12 are both located on the control circuit board 11. The housing is made of high-strength engineering plastic or metal material. The joints are completely sealed with silicone sealing rings and sealant to ensure that the IP68 protection level is achieved, which can effectively prevent the intrusion of rainwater, dust and high-pressure water from car wash.

[0015] The power input interface JP1 is used to connect to the vehicle's power supply, which is usually 12V DC. The power input interface JP1 integrates a communication protocol pin to receive the mode switching signal output by the vehicle's front-end host. It can be implemented using an automotive-grade four-pin connector.

[0016] The control circuit board 11 includes a current limiting circuit 111, a strobe control circuit 112, and a main control unit 113. The strobe control circuit 112 is connected to the current limiting circuit 111 and the power input interface JP1. The LED light group 12 is connected to the current limiting circuit 111. The main control unit 113 is connected to the strobe control circuit 112 and the communication protocol pin, and is used to control the strobe control circuit 112 to output a continuous constant current or a high-frequency on-off constant current to the LED light group 12 according to the mode switching signal, so as to drive the LED light group 12 to switch between the constant-on warning mode and the super strobe warning mode accordingly.

[0017] Among them, the constant-on warning mode corresponds to the basic brake lighting function, while the super flashing warning mode causes the LED lights to enter a high-frequency flashing state when braking is triggered. Thus, in adverse weather conditions with low visibility such as rain, fog, and haze, users can switch to the super flashing warning mode to improve the warning effect.

[0018] In some embodiments of this invention, the vehicle front-end host can be the vehicle's central control device, which has a mode switching button or a user interface. The user interface provides a switching button, and the user can trigger the vehicle front-end host to output a mode switching signal by pressing the switching button or the switching button. For example, in rainy or foggy weather, the user can trigger the high-mounted brake light to switch to the super flashing warning mode by pressing the switching button.

[0019] Referring to Figure 2, the strobe control circuit 112 includes a control chip U1, a transistor Q1, an energy storage inductor L1, an isolation diode D13, a freewheeling diode D14, resistors R7, R8, R9, and R10, and capacitors C1, C2, C15, and C16. Pin 7 of the control chip U1 is the enable pin and is connected to the main control unit 113. Pin 1 of the power input interface JP1 is connected to the vehicle's power supply voltage and is also connected to the positive terminal of the isolation diode D13. Pins 2 and 3 of the power input interface JP1 are grounded, and pin 4 is the communication protocol pin. The LED light group 12 includes at least three columns of LED sub-strings connected in series, with each column consisting of multiple LEDs connected in parallel. More specifically, the LED light group 12 adopts a "parallel connection within a column, series connection between columns" topology, containing three columns of LED sub-strings connected in series. Each column of LED sub-strings consists of four LEDs connected in parallel, namely LEDs D1-D4 in the left column, LEDs D5-D8 in the middle column, and LEDs D9-D12 in the right column. By connecting the LEDs in parallel within a column, the failure of a single LED does not affect the operation of the entire column of sub-strings, improving the redundancy and reliability of the light group. By connecting the LEDs in series between columns, voltage division between columns can be achieved, making the total rated voltage of the LED light group 12 compatible with the vehicle's power supply voltage, eliminating the need for an additional step-down circuit. The current limiting circuit 111 includes a voltage divider and current limiting resistor network composed of resistors R1-R6 and a capacitor connected in parallel across each LED.

[0020] The specific circuit connections of each component can be found in the circuit diagram shown in Figure 2, and will not be described in detail here.

[0021] The strobe control circuit 112 primarily boosts the 12V power supply voltage of the vehicle to a stable voltage suitable for the LED light group 12, and outputs a continuous constant current or a constant current with high-frequency switching. Its working principle is divided into a boost stage and a constant current control stage.

[0022] During the boost phase, pin 5 of the control chip U1 outputs a high-level PWM drive signal, controlling Q1 to conduct. At this time, the 12V input voltage forms a loop through the energy storage inductor L1 and transistor Q1. The current through the energy storage inductor L1 gradually increases, storing magnetic energy. When pin 5 of the control chip U1 outputs a low-level PWM drive signal, controlling transistor Q1 to turn off, the energy storage inductor L1 generates a reverse induced electromotive force (polarity is positive at the top and negative at the bottom). This induced electromotive force is superimposed on the vehicle's 12V input voltage, forming an output voltage higher than the 12V input voltage. The superimposed output voltage is output to the current limiting circuit 111 through the isolation diode D13 to power the LED light group 12. The freewheeling diode D14 conducts during this stage, providing a freewheeling loop for the reverse current of the energy storage inductor L1, preventing transistor Q1 from being broken down due to excessive reverse voltage.

[0023] The current sampling resistor R7 collects the operating current and generates a voltage drop Vcs. This voltage drop Vcs is transmitted to pin 4 of the control chip U1. The comparator inside the control chip U1 compares this voltage drop Vcs with a preset reference voltage. If Vcs > reference voltage (current is too large), the duty cycle of the output PWM drive signal is reduced, the conduction time of transistor Q1 is reduced, and the current of the energy storage inductor L1 is reduced. If Vcs < reference voltage (current is too small), the duty cycle of the PWM drive signal is increased, the current is increased, and constant current control is achieved.

[0024] Among them, resistors R8 and R9 form a voltage divider circuit to collect the output voltage (Vout) of the strobe control circuit 112, and transmit the voltage signal Vfb after voltage division to pin 6 of the control chip U1. The control chip U1 compares the voltage signal Vfb with the internal reference voltage. If Vfb > reference voltage (voltage is too high), the output of transistor Q1 is immediately turned off to realize overvoltage protection.

[0025] In some embodiments of this invention, the high-mounted brake light 100 also includes a lens module 13, which is connected to the control circuit board 11 and used to capture images of the scene behind the vehicle. This allows for automatic recording of the rear scene before and after an accident. Furthermore, by embedding the lens module 13 within the high-mounted brake light 100, it is protected from scratches and ensures the optimal shooting angle, while also minimizing the space occupied by the lens module behind the vehicle. Further, the control circuit board 11 also includes a storage circuit 115, such as a TF card storage module, which is connected to the lens module 13 and used to store the images of the rear scene captured by the lens module 13.

[0026] The lens module 13 can be connected to the control circuit board 11 via an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) or a connector. It can be mounted on the housing, located above or to the side of the LED light group 12. The lens window and the light-transmitting cover of the lens module 13 are integrally injection molded or seamlessly bonded to ensure the integrity and sealing of the appearance. In some embodiments, the lens module 13 can also be directly integrated onto the control circuit board 11 using a surface mount technology.

[0027] In some embodiments of this invention, as shown in Figure 3, the vehicle front-end host can also be a vehicle rearview mirror 200. A mode switching button is provided on the vehicle rearview mirror 200, or a switching button is provided on the display interface of the vehicle rearview mirror 200. The mode of the high-mounted brake light 100 can be switched via the switching button. Furthermore, the lens module 13 can also transmit the captured images of the scene behind the vehicle to the vehicle rearview mirror 200 for real-time display, assisting the driver in monitoring rear road conditions and eliminating blind spots. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the vehicle front-end host is a vehicle central control device, and the lens module 13 can also establish a communication connection with the front-end host to transmit the captured images of the scene behind the vehicle to the screen of the vehicle front-end host for display.

[0028] Furthermore, the control circuit board 11 also includes a sequential light driving unit 114, which is connected to the main control unit 113 and the LED light group 12. The sequential light driving unit 114 receives the timing control signal output by the main control unit 113 and drives at least some of the LED beads in the LED light group 12 to light up sequentially according to the timing control signal, thereby achieving a sequential light effect. The timing control signal is generated by the vehicle's front-end host in response to the vehicle's braking or steering signal and is transmitted to the main control unit 113 through a communication protocol pin. The sequential light driving unit 114 includes a multiplexer or a shift register. Under the action of the timing control signal, multiple LED beads in the LED light group 12 can be gradually lit up through the multiplexer or shift register.

[0029] The working principle of the high-mounted brake light in this embodiment will be further described below.

[0030] After the vehicle is started or powered on, the vehicle power supply provides power to the brake lights. The brake lights 100 enter the normal warning mode by default. At this time, when the driver presses the brake pedal, the LED light group 12 is in the constant warning mode.

[0031] The driver can select the operating mode of the high-mounted brake light via the switching button on the vehicle's central control device or the menu options on the user interface. After receiving the user's selection, the front-end host generates a mode switching signal and sends it to the power input interface JP1 via the wiring harness. The main control unit 113 receives the mode switching signal through the communication protocol pin and outputs an adjustment signal to the control chip U1 of the strobe control circuit 112 according to the mode switching signal. This causes the control chip U1 to adjust the output PWM drive signal, enabling the LED light group 12 to switch between the constant-on warning mode and the super strobe warning mode.

[0032] Specifically, in the normal warning mode, the main control unit 113 outputs a stable high-level adjustment signal or a PWM adjustment signal with a fixed duty cycle to the enable terminal (i.e., pin 7) of the control chip U1, so that the control chip U1 outputs a PWM drive signal with a stable frequency (e.g., 100KHZ), thereby realizing that the transistor Q1 is regularly turned on / off at this fixed frequency, so that the strobe control circuit 112 outputs a continuous constant current to the LED light group 12, realizing the constant lighting of the LED light group 12. In the super strobe warning mode, the main control unit 113 outputs a high-frequency (e.g., 10Hz-20Hz) PWM adjustment signal to the enable terminal of the control chip U1. The control chip U1 maintains a base switching frequency of 100kHz. The output of the high-frequency PWM adjustment signal of the main control unit 113 is enabled only. That is, the control chip U1 maintains a PWM drive signal of 100kHz. The main control unit 113 modulates the output of the PWM drive signal with a low-frequency period of 10-20Hz to enable output / disable output, thereby realizing the high-frequency switching of transistor Q1 at 10-20Hz. As a result, the strobe control circuit 112 outputs a constant current with high-frequency switching to the LED light group 12 to achieve the strobe warning effect of the LED light group 12.

[0033] Furthermore, a flowing light effect can be superimposed on the constant-on warning mode and the super-flash warning mode. When the brake is triggered, the front-end host will also send a timing control signal to the main control unit 113 through the communication protocol pin. When the control chip U1 controls the LED light group 12 to be constantly on or flashing, the flowing light drive unit 114 controls some or all of the LED light groups in the LED light group 12 to light up sequentially according to the timing control signal. For example, starting from the middle row of LED lights, they will light up sequentially to the two outermost rows of LED lights, as if the light waves are spreading to both sides, which greatly enhances the dynamic warning effect.

[0034] Furthermore, the high-mounted brake light 100 in this embodiment can also be used for turn indication. It is understood that in practical applications, two high-mounted brake lights 100 are installed at the rear of the vehicle, located on the left and right sides of the rear. When the driver activates the turn signal, such as the left turn signal, the left turn signal is acquired by the front-end host via the vehicle bus. The front-end host generates a timing control signal and sends the left turn signal and the timing control signal to the main control unit 113. The main control unit 113 in the high-mounted brake light 100 on the left side of the vehicle, after interpreting the left turn signal, first drives the LED light group 12 to light up via the control chip U1, for example, keeping it constantly lit. Then, according to the timing control signal, the sequential light drive unit drives the LED beads to light up sequentially. For example, it controls three LED sub-strings to light up sequentially in the order L1→L2→D3, with each sub-string lighting up to its brightest point at 80 millisecond intervals, and then turning off sequentially, thus forming a light strip flowing to the left. At this time, the main control unit 113 in the high-mounted brake light 100 on the right side of the vehicle interprets the left turn signal and does not trigger the LED light group in the high-mounted brake light 100 on the right side to light up.

[0035] When the brake signal and the turn signal are triggered at the same time, the light mode corresponding to the brake is executed first, that is, the high-mounted brake lights 100 on both the left and right sides are constantly lit or flashing at the same time, and a flowing light effect can be superimposed.

[0036] In some embodiments of this invention, the front-end host integrates a visual algorithm that can roughly estimate the distance to vehicles behind based on image data collected by the lens module 13. When it is determined that a vehicle behind is rapidly approaching and there is a risk of collision, the front-end host can send a high-priority "emergency flashing" command to the main control unit 113 through the power input interface JP1. At this time, regardless of the mode of the LED light group 12, the control chip U1 will force the LED light group 12 to flash at the highest frequency and brightness as an additional active collision warning, further improving safety.

[0037] This embodiment also provides a vehicle braking system, including a front-end host unit and the high-mounted brake light 100 described in the above embodiment. The front-end host unit can be the vehicle's central control device or a vehicle rearview mirror.

[0038] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention. Any person skilled in the art may modify the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this invention should be as set forth in the following patent application claims.

[0039] 100: High-mounted brake light 11: Control circuit board 111: Current limiting circuit 112: Strobe Control Circuit 113: Main Control Unit 114: Flowing Light Driver Unit 115: Storage Circuit 12: LED light assembly 13: Lens Module 200: Vehicle rearview mirror JP1: Power input interface U1: Control chip Q1: Transistor L1: Energy storage inductor D1~D12: LED beads D13: Isolation diode D14: Freewheeling diode R1~R6: Voltage divider and current limiting resistors R7: Current sampling resistor R8, R9: Output voltage divider resistors R10: Resistor C1, C2, C15, C16: Capacitors Vcs: Current sampling voltage Vout: Output voltage Vfb: Voltage divider feedback voltage

Claims

1. A high-mounted brake light for a vehicle, comprising: One LED light assembly; A power input interface is provided for connecting to the vehicle's power supply and integrates a communication protocol pin to receive the mode switching signal output by the vehicle's front-end host. A control circuit board includes a current limiting circuit, a strobe control circuit, and a main control unit. The strobe control circuit is connected to the current limiting circuit and the power input interface, and the current limiting circuit is connected to the LED light group. The main control unit is connected to the strobe control circuit and the communication protocol pin, and is used to control the strobe control circuit to output a continuous constant current or a high-frequency on-off constant current to the LED light group according to the mode switching signal, so as to drive the LED light group to switch between a constant-on warning mode and a super strobe warning mode accordingly.

2. The high-mounted brake light for a vehicle as described in claim 1 further includes a lens module connected to the control circuit board for capturing images of the scene behind the vehicle.

3. The high-mounted brake light for a vehicle as described in claim 2, wherein the control circuit board further includes a storage circuit connected to the lens module for storing images of the scene behind the vehicle captured by the lens module.

4. The high-mounted brake light for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the control circuit board further includes a sequential light driving unit, which is connected to the main control unit and the LED light group, for receiving a timing control signal output by the main control unit, and driving at least some of the LED beads in the LED light group to light up sequentially according to the timing control signal, wherein the timing control signal is generated by the vehicle front host in response to the vehicle braking signal or steering signal, and is transmitted to the main control unit through a communication protocol pin.

5. The high-mounted brake light for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the flashing control circuit comprises: a control chip, a transistor, an energy storage inductor, an isolation diode, a freewheeling diode, a sampling resistor, a resistor, a voltage divider resistor, a capacitor, a capacitor, a capacitor, and a capacitor; pin 1 of the control chip is grounded through the capacitor, pin 2 of the control chip is grounded through the capacitor, pin 3 of the control chip is grounded, pin 4 of the control chip is connected to the source of the transistor, pin 5 of the control chip is connected to the gate of the transistor, and pin 6 of the control chip is connected through the voltage divider resistor. The resistor is connected to the positive terminal of the isolation diode. Pin 7 of the control chip is connected to the main control unit. The source of the transistor is grounded through the sampling resistor. The drain of the transistor is connected to the positive terminal of the freewheeling diode and one end of the energy storage inductor. The negative terminal of the freewheeling diode and the negative terminal of the isolation diode are connected to the current limiting circuit. The resistor is connected between the negative terminal of the isolation diode and pin 1 of the control chip. The resistor, the capacitor, and the capacitor are connected in parallel between the negative terminal of the isolation diode and the ground terminal. The other end of the energy storage inductor is connected to the communication protocol pin.

6. The high-mounted brake light for a vehicle as described in claim 5, wherein pin 1 of the power input interface is connected to the vehicle power supply and is connected to the positive terminal of the isolation diode, pins 2 and 3 of the power input interface are grounded, and pin 4 of the power input interface is the communication protocol pin.

7. The high-mounted brake light for a vehicle as described in claim 5, wherein the LED light assembly includes at least three series-connected LED sub-strings, each of which consists of multiple LEDs connected in parallel; the current limiting circuit includes a voltage divider current limiting resistor network composed of resistor-resistors and a capacitor connected in parallel across each LED.

8. The high-mounted brake light for a vehicle as described in claim 1 further includes a housing, the control circuit board being disposed within the housing, and the power input interface, the LED light assembly, and the main control unit being integrated on the control circuit board.

9. A braking system for a vehicle, comprising a front-end main unit for the vehicle and a high-mounted brake light for the vehicle as described in any one of claims 1-8.

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