Vehicle turn signal monitoring method

Abstract

Vehicle turn signal monitoring method The present invention describes a vehicle turn signal monitoring method capable of monitoring and diagnosing turn signals with sequential animation. The present method is able to identify whether the sequential animation mode of the turn signal is on or off and also diagnose the occurrence of malfunctions in the turn signals.

Description

VEHICLE TURN SIGNAL MONITORING METHODField of invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for monitoring vehicle turn signals, within the field of electronic engineering, more specifically for the automotive sector.State of the art

[0002] In vehicles, a method for monitoring and diagnosing the operation of turn signals is a requirement for vehicle homologation. With the advent of sequentially animated turn signals, the methods used to monitor and diagnose the operation of turn signals have become obsolete.

[0003] Document US20180288848 discloses a vehicle lighting device monitoring system. This system monitors the vehicle's surroundings using at least one camera and, based on the collected images, identifies whether the lighting devices are functioning correctly. This system is expensive because it requires the installation of at least one camera in the vehicle, and the processing of these images requires greater computational capacity, making it unfeasible for vehicles with lower production costs.

[0004] Thus, new methods capable of adequately monitoring sequentially animated turn signals are needed in the state of the art.Summary

[0005] Thus, the present invention solves the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a turn signal monitoring method that is capable of monitoring turn signals with sequential animation, being able to diagnose whether the sequential animation is on or off and whether the turn signal is functioning properly or malfunctioning.

[0006] Another positive point is that with this solution, the diagnosis can be performed during the turn signal activation cycle. It is not necessary to have a signal to power the function during the turn signal off cycle.

[0007] In a first object, the present invention presents a vehicle turn signal monitoring method divided into two phases, a first phase comprising an initialization time and a waiting time, and a second phase comprising a bit1 and a bit2, wherein:- during the initialization time the turn signal response signal is high;- during the waiting time the turn signal response signal is low;- if the bitl response signal is high, the sequential turn signal animation is activated;- If the bitl response signal is low, the sequential turn signal animation is disabled;- If the bit2 response signal is low, the turn signal is functioning correctly; and- If the bit2 response signal is high, the turn signal is showing an error,Brief description of the figures

[0008] To exemplify and aid in understanding the objects of the present invention, the following figures are presented:- Figure 1 shows a graphical scheme of the operation of the method of the present invention; - Figure 2 shows the hardware used to execute the present method,Detailed description of the invention

[0009] The following description is presented as non-limiting examples of preferred embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments, in order to describe the present invention clearly and objectively.

[0010] In a first object, the present invention presents a vehicle turn signal monitoring method divided into two phases, a first phase comprising an initialization time and a waiting time, and a second phase comprising a bit1 and a bit2, wherein:- during the initialization time the turn signal response signal is high;- during the waiting time the turn signal response signal is low;- if the bitl response signal is high the sequential animation of the turn signal is activated; - if the bitl response signal Is low the sequential animation of the turn signal is deactivated; - if the bit2 response signal is low the turn signal is functioning properly; and- if the bit2 response signal is high the turn signal is showing an error.

[0011] The initialization time begins along with the turn signal's on-time to ensure that the data collected occurs after the turn signal starts operating. During this time, the response signal must be high,

[0012] The waiting time is the time the lighting component has to wait to send the sequential animation status and a fault condition. During this time, the response signal must be low.

[0013] In the second phase, bitl is used to monitor whether the turn signal's sequential animation function is enabled or disabled. After the waiting time, the lightingcomponent must set bitl to high if the sequential animation has been executed. If the sequential animation has not been executed, bit1 must be set to low.

[0014] Bit2 is used to identify turn signal faults; if the lighting component detects any fault in the turn signal light, bit2 should be set to high. If no fault is detected, bit2 should be set to low.

Claims

Claims1. Vehicle turn signal monitoring method characterized by being divided into two phases, a first phase comprising an initialization time and a waiting time, and a second phase comprising a bit1 and a bit2, wherein:- during the initialization time the turn signal response signal is high;- during the waiting time the turn signal response signal is low;- if the bitl response signal is high the sequential turn signal animation is activated; - if the bitl response signal is low the sequential turn signal animation is deactivated; - if the bit2 response signal is low the turn signal is functioning correctly; and - if the bit2 response signal is high the turn signal is showing an error.

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