Patent ID: 8482397

Claim:
A deceleration-activated brake light system for a vehicle, said system comprising: (a) a speed sensor adapted to detect if the vehicle is decelerating or coasting; (b) a brake sensor switch adapted to determine if deceleration of the vehicle is caused by application of a brake pedal of the vehicle; (c) a throttle position sensor adapted to determine if a gas pedal of the vehicle is pressed; (d) an engine/exhaust brake switch adapted to determine if an engine/exhaust brake of the vehicle is engaged; and (e) a microcontroller operatively connected to a standard relay switch, the relay switch functioning to activate a standard brake light system of the vehicle, the microcontroller is operatively connected to the speed sensor, the brake sensor switch, the throttle position sensor, and the engine/exhaust brake switch, wherein the microcontroller is configured to: (i) receive a speed sensor input signal from the speed sensor when the speed sensor detects deceleration of the vehicle more than a predetermined percent or the speed sensor detects coasting of the vehicle more than a predetermined amount of time, whereupon the microcontroller generates an output command to the relay to cause activation of the standard brake light system of the vehicle; (ii) receive a brake sensor input signal from the brake sensor switch when the brake sensor switch detects application of the brake pedal whereupon the microcontroller generates an output command to the relay to cause activation of the standard brake light system of the vehicle; and (iii) receive an engine/exhaust brake switch input signal from the engine/exhaust brake switch when the engine/exhaust brake switch detects the engine/exhaust brake is engaged whereupon the microcontroller generates an output command to the relay to cause activation of the standard brake light system of the vehicle.