Patent ID: 6018295
Filing Date: 2000-01-25
Classification: B60Q

Abstract:
A vehicle safety light system comprising:at least one left and at least one right light element each having multiple light emitting devices arranged in a row;a light element controller in controlling connection with each of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one left and said at least one right light elements;a vehicle operation status sensor in connection with a vehicle operation status input of said light element controller;a left turn blinker status sensor in connection with a left turn blinker status input of said light element controller;a right turn blinker status sensor in connection with a right turn blinker status input of said light element controller;an on/off switch in connection with an on/off input of said light element controller, a full-speed blink mode activation switch in connection with a full-speed blink mode input of said light element controller;a half-speed blink mode activation switch in connection with a half-speed blink mode input of said light element controller; anda vehicle brake pedal activatable, light blinking speed controller having a variable resistance control output in connection with a variable blink speed input of said light element controller;said light element controller extinguishing all of said light emitting devices of said at least one left and said at least one right light elements when receiving an ""off"" signal on said on/off input;said light element controller illuminating all of said light emitting devices of said at least one left and said at least one right light elements when receiving a ""vehicle operating"" signal from said vehicle operation status sensor on said vehicle operation status input of said light element controller and an ""on"" signal on said on/off input;said light element controller operating in a half-speed blink mode when a half-speed blink mode activation signal is received at said half-speed blink mode input and in a full-speed blink mode when a full-speed blink activation signal is received at said full-speed blink mode input;said light element controller periodically illuminating all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one left and said at least one right light elements and periodically extinguishing all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one left and said at least one right light elements at a first frequency when operating in said full-speed blink mode and at a second frequency, lower than said first frequency, when operating in said half-speed blink mode;said light element controller shifting to a variable speed blink mode when the resistance of said variable resistance control output of said vehicle brake pedal activated light blinking speed controller changes from a predetermined resistance value;said light element controller periodically illuminating all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one left and said at least one right light elements and periodically extinguishing all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one left and said at least one right light elements at a variable frequency corresponding to said resistance of said variable resistance control output of said vehicle brake pedal activated light blinking speed controller in connection with said variable blink speed input of said light element controller when operating in said variable speed blink mode;said light element controller periodically illuminating all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one right light element and periodically extinguishing all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one right light element at a frequency that matches and corresponds to said right turn signal blink frequency of a vehicle when said right turn blinker status provides a ""right blinker on"" signal to said right turn blinker status input of said light element controller;said light element controller periodically illuminating all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one left light element and periodically extinguishing all of said multiple light emitting devices of said at least one left light element at a frequency that matches and corresponds to said left turn signal blink frequency of a vehicle when said left turn blinker status sensor provides a ""left blinker on"" signal to said left turn blinker status input of said light element controller.