Patent ID: 8569953

Claim:
A multi-function vehicle light assembly (MVLA) that operates in combination with a vehicle having a transmission with a reverse position, a turn lever, a brake pedal and a tail light switch, said MVLA comprising: a) a vehicle function select circuit ( 12 ) having means for receiving and processing: (1) a reverse input signal ( 11 ) and producing through an isolation diode (D 1 ) a reverse output signal ( 21 ), (2) a turn input signal ( 13 ) and producing through an isolation diode (D 2 ) a turn output signal ( 23 ), (3) a brake input signal ( 15 ) and producing through an isolation diode (D 3 ) a brake output signal ( 25 ), (4) a tail-light input signal ( 17 ) and producing through an isolation diode (D 4 ) a tail-light output signal ( 27 ), wherein said function select circuit ( 12 ) selectively produces a single function select signal ( 29 ) that is dependent upon the particular vehicle function that is selected, b) an LED drive circuit ( 14 ) having means for receiving and processing the function select signal ( 29 ) and producing an LED drive signal ( 31 ), c) a plurality of LED modules ( 16 ) each containing a white LED (DS 1 ), an amber LED (DS 2 ) and a red LED (DS 3 ), wherein to the anode of each LED is applied the LED drive signal ( 31 ), wherein the output from the module ( 16 ) is an LED control signal ( 33 ) taken from the respective cathode of each of the three LEDs (DS 1 ), (DS 2 ) and (DS 3 ), d) an LED control circuit ( 18 ) comprising: (1) a transistor (Q 1 ) having a base that is applied the reverse input signal ( 12 ) through a resistor (R 1 ), the collector of transistor (Q 1 ) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS 1 ) and the emitter of transistor (Q 1 ) is connected to circuit ground, (2) a transistor (Q 2 ) having a base that is applied the turn input signal ( 13 ) through a resistor (R 2 ), the collector of transistor (Q 2 ) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS 2 ) and the emitter is connected to circuit ground, (3) a transistor (Q 3 ) having a base that is applied the brake input signal ( 15 ) through a resistor (R 3 ) and an isolation diode (D 5 ), the collector of transistor (Q 3 ) is connected to the cathode of LED (DS 3 ) and the emitter of transistor (Q 3 ) is connected to circuit ground, wherein the brake input signal ( 15 ) is applied at maximum current when the vehicle brake pedal is depressed which then causes the red LED (DS 3 ) to illuminate at maximum brightness, and e) an LED brightness adjust circuit ( 20 ) having means for receiving and processing the tail-light input signal ( 17 ), and producing an LED dimming signal ( 35 ) that is applied to the base of transistor (Q 3 ) through current limiting resistor (R 3 ), wherein said circuit ( 20 ) limits the current applied to transistor (Q 3 ) which, in turn, dims the illumination provided by the red LED (DS 3 ) when the tail-light is “on” and the brake pedal is not depressed.