Automatic device for turning on and off vehicle low beams and for providing related additional services

0001The present invention refers to an automatic device for turning on and off low beams of vehicles entering and exiting superhighway stations and for providing further additional services related to such device. For example, one of these services could be a second user connected to a control card of the tachometer from which a signal could be taken adapted to point out an excessive speed.

0002With the entry in force of the compulsory turning on of low beams for all cars and trucks on superhighways and two-lane highways in Italy, the need of an automatic device is more and more felt which performs such turning on function even when the driver is careless and/or forgets or neglects it, also taking into account that many cars and trucks are nowadays equipped with automatic systems operating when crossing superhighway stations connected to fixed reception systems (for example the so-called "Telepass" system).

0003No devices of this type are currently marketed or present in the art.

0004Object of the present invention is solving the above prior-art problems, by providing a device that allows automatically turning on low beams, running lights and dashboard lights for any type of vehicle, upon its entry in a superhighway, highway or road in general where such turning on operation is compulsory by law.

0005Another object of the present invention is providing a device of the above type that is equipped with additional services connected and operating according to the functionalities for which such device has been realised.

0006The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained by an automatic device as claimed in Claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are claimed in the dependent Claims.

0007The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, given as a nonlimiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which Figure 1 is a block diagram that shows the main components of an embodiment of the automatic device according to the present invention.

0008With reference to the Figures, a preferred embodiment of the automatic device of the present invention is shown and described. It will be immediately obvious to the skilled people in the art that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, various colours and parts with equivalent functionalities) could be made to the described device without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the enclosed Claims.

0009The automatic device 1 of the present invention consists in an electronic equipment 3 that receives a radiofrequency signal directly from an emitter /receiver 5, for example of the Telepass type, where it exists, or from another supplementary emitter (not shown) for cars and trucks that are not equipped with the equipment 3 adapted to receive signals of the Telepass type.

0010Alternatively, the automatic device 1 of the invention receives an electric signal directly from a receiver 7 (for example of the Telepass type) installed on the vehicle when the receiver 7 is energised by the fixed emitter equipment (not shown) existing in superhighway stations.

0011The automatic device 1 for turning on processes the received signal and, taking into account the physical status in which vehicle controls are, operates an electric device 9 (relay - static actuator) that closes the circuit by supplying the section related to low beams, running lights and control panel for dashboard instruments, independently from the general light switch position and the drive switch lever position.

0012The same function that has been previously described can be obtained by directly operating on the vehicle electronic unit (where it exists), being an integral part thereof or a following modification thereof.

0013The same electric device 9 with the same modes takes care of turning on the low beams, running lights and dashboard lights upon exiting the superhighway station only when enough light conditions occur, being it equipped with a sensor 11 that is able to measure the amount of light and therefore to turn off/keep turned on the lights depending on environmental conditions.

0014The automatic device 1 of the invention is further equipped with storage means 13 that allow remaining in the conditions in which the device 1 had been auto-programmed, even upon turning off the vehicle engine and removing the startup key, without obviously receiving the closure signal, including interruptions due to any reason (also upon a battery disconnection).

0015The automatic device 1 of the invention can further be equipped with means 15 that recognise the positioning of manual control switches (inserted key - inserted lever - type of turned-on lights - inserted automatisms, etc.), and that consequently perform the necessary manoeuvres to keep the vehicle under safety conditions.

0016Moreover, the automatic device 1 can be equipped with a delaying device 16 with defined times, both in case of inserted key, and in case of disconnected key for lights turning off interventions after having switched off the engine and stopped the vehicle.

0017The device can be provided with a simplified arrangement (not shown), that provides for a user intervention only upon turning off in the following modes: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="dash" compact="compact"><li>same operation and safeties upon entering a superhighway station and during running and stops</li><li>different operation when exiting the superhighway station, since, upon receiving the Telepass signal or a signal from another emitter, the device 1 does not automatically turn the low beams off, but issues an acoustic or luminous intermittent signal for sixty seconds warning the user that takes care of manually operating on the switch to turn off the lights with modes complying with application instructions.</li></ul>

0018A third, even more simplified arrangement (not shown) is provided that activates the device 1 when passing the superhighway station both upon entry and upon exit, such station being connected with fixed emitting/receiving systems (of the Telepass type), as previously described, but with an acoustic or luminous warning to the user, such warning being adapted to inform the user to manually turn on or off the low beams (and consequently the running and dashboard lights).

0019Such arrangement is stably connected without any type of fixed connection and/or modification to the Telepass receiving apparatus or the like.

0020Such arrangement can also use, as acoustic and/or luminous warning device, accessories that are normally used in a vehicle, such as car radio set, satellite or mobile telephones, etc.