Shared-Light Safety Circuit With Dual Control Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional LED light systems for vehicles and other applications require redundant systems to ensure safety, which increase costs and space requirements, and may fail to switch off properly due to independent control circuits, posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A light system with one light source controlled by two interchangeable control circuits, allowing one to operate in a drive mode while the other diagnoses or supplies power, enabling full redundancy in functionality with partial hardware redundancy, and includes a gate circuit to ensure safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two identical light systems are provided independently for redundancy, then safety and reliability are improved, but costs and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two independent light systems into a single shared light source that can be controlled by either control circuit. The first and second control circuits both connect to the same light source, allowing one system to take over when the other fails, while eliminating the need for duplicate light sources and reducing overall space requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The light source is designed to be universally controllable by both control circuits. The system allows either control circuit to operate the light source in drive mode, making the light source multi-functional in terms of control compatibility while maintaining full redundancy capability
2Reliability
If two identical light systems are provided independently for redundancy, then safety is improved, but device complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two control systems into a single controlled output by merging their control paths at the light source level. This reduces device complexity by eliminating duplicate light sources and associated control infrastructure while preserving the redundancy function through shared control capability
3Ease of operation
If independent control circuits are used in redundant systems, then each system operates autonomously, but the system cannot switch off properly when one control circuit fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gate circuit as an intermediary between the control circuits and the light source. This gate circuit acts as a mediator that can be controlled by either control circuit to enable or disable the light source, ensuring that even if one control circuit fails, the other can still safely switch off the light through the gate mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The gate circuit is designed to prevent harmful effects by providing a predetermined safe state mechanism. When a control circuit fails, the gate circuit ensures the light source can be switched off to a safe state, preventing dangerous situations from arising due to loss of control
Data Source
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AI summary
A safety related light system (200, 300, 400, 500) is described. The light system (200, 300, 400, 500) comprising: one light source (230, 330, 430, 530), a first control circuit (210, 310, 410, 510), a second control circuit (220, 320, 420, 520), wherein one of the first control circuit (210, 310, 410, 510) or the second control circuit (220, 320, 420, 520) is selectively enabled to operate in a drive mode to operate the one light source (230, 330, 430, 530).