Vehicle Lamp Control System Overvoltage Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle lighting systems face issues with mechanical wear and failure due to constant actuation, and are vulnerable to over-voltages and overheating, which can cause damage to components.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle lamp control system featuring a programmable controller with overvoltage protection circuitry that monitors electrical signals and disconnects power during transient conditions, preventing damage from high voltage transients and allowing safe operation within a preset voltage range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If mechanical switches are used for controlling vehicle lighting, then the system is simple in structure, but the reliability is low due to mechanical wear and failure from constant actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical switches with solid-state electronic control components, including electronic switches and microcontroller-based control systems. This substitution eliminates mechanical wear and failure modes while maintaining control functionality, directly resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and switch reliability.
2Reliability
If solid state devices are used for controlling vehicle lighting, then the reliability is improved and ease of use is enhanced, but the device becomes vulnerable to over-voltages causing failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates over-voltage protection circuitry that detects voltage transients and activates protective measures before damage occurs. The system includes voltage monitoring circuits and protective components positioned to shield solid-state devices from over-voltage conditions, allowing the system to withstand transient voltages up to 125 VDC without failure.
3Reliability
If over-current protection is provided using bi-metal switches, then some protection is achieved, but the response time is slow causing excessive heating and possible damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces bi-metal mechanical switches with solid-state current monitoring circuits that detect over-current conditions and activate protection instantly through electronic control. This substitution reduces response time from mechanical delay to electronic-speed operation, preventing excessive heating and damage while maintaining reliable over-current protection.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present application includes a vehicle illumination system. The vehicle illumination system comprises an input keypad configured to receive at least one input provided by a user. The vehicle illumination system also comprises a controller configured to receive input commands provided by the input keypad and to sequentially control a state of a plurality of output device drivers corresponding to a respective plurality of vehicle lamps. The vehicle illumination system further comprises overvoltage protection circuitry configured to continuously monitor an electrical signal associated with each of the plurality of output device drivers relative to respective over-current condition thresholds and a summation over-current condition threshold. The summation over-current threshold can be less than a sum of the respective over-current condition thresholds associated with each of the plurality of outputs.