Enhanced communication system for vehicle hazard lights

Abstract

A system for implementing strobing of existing vehicle hazard lights including an interface to a vehicle wiring harness configured to receive input to an existing vehicle flasher module, and a strobing circuit that responds to an activation signal from the vehicle wiring harness that is indicative of a hazard flasher deployment event by producing an electrical output through the interface to the vehicle wiring harness that causes a strobing of existing vehicle hazard lamps.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for implementing strobing illumination on an exterior of a vehicle comprising:
 accessing a microprocessor associated with the vehicle and having operative control over a set of lights visible on the exterior of the vehicle, including a left front indicator, a left rear indicator, a right front indicator, and a right rear indicator, the set of lights being operable by the microprocessor to act as left and right signal lights in response to manipulation of a signal light stalk in the vehicle and to act as hazard flasher lights in response to a hazard light switch inside the vehicle; and   providing instructions for execution by the microprocessor causing the microprocessor to respond to a request for strobing of the set of lights by flashing each of the set of lights at a rate exceeding a rate that the microprocessor flashes any of the set of lights as left or right signal lights.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for execution by the microprocessor are provided by a wired connection. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for execution by the microprocessor are provided by a wireless connection. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request for strobing originates from the hazard light switch. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request for strobing originates from a strobe switch. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request for strobing originates from a vehicle safety system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the microprocessor comprises a body control module of the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions for execution by the microprocessor are provided by an auxiliary chip in communication with the microprocessor. 
     
     
         9 . A method for implementing strobing illumination on an exterior of a vehicle comprising:
 accessing a microprocessor having operative control over a plurality of vehicle lights including vehicle turn signals including a light emitting diode (LED) visible on a left, front corner of a vehicle, an LED visible on a right, front corner of the vehicle, an LED visible on a left, rear corner of the vehicle, and an LED visible on a right, rear corner of the vehicle, the operative control including flashing a subset of the LED visible on the left, front corner of the vehicle, the LED visible on the right, front corner of the vehicle, the LED visible on the left, rear corner of the vehicle, and the LED visible on the right, rear corner of the vehicle to indicate a turn of the vehicle at a first flash rate, and including flashing all of the vehicle turn signal lights at the first flash rate to indicate a hazard; and   providing the microprocessor additional instructions to flash all of the vehicle turn signal lights at a second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate in response a strobe signal from a wiring harness of the vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additional instructions are provided via a wired link to the microprocessor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the wired link to the microprocessor comprises a vehicle wiring harness of the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the wired link to the microprocessor further comprises a controller area network bus (CANBUS). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein accessing the microprocessor occurs wirelessly. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein accessing the microprocessor occurs without physical access to the microprocessor. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additional instructions to flash all of the vehicle turn signal lights at a second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate in response a strobe signal from a wiring harness of the vehicle further comprise instructions for receiving the strobe signal via a switch connected to the wiring harness. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additional instructions to flash all of the vehicle turn signal lights at a second flash rate that is perceptibly faster than the first flash rate in response a strobe signal from a wiring harness of the vehicle further comprise instructions for receiving the strobe signal from a vehicle safety system. 
     
     
         17 . A method for implementing strobing illumination on an exterior of a vehicle comprising:
 providing a microprocessor;   programming and connecting the microprocessor to flash a plurality of vehicle lights including vehicle turn signal lights including a light element visible on a left, front corner of a vehicle, a light element visible on a right, front corner of the vehicle, a light element visible on a left, rear corner of the vehicle, and light element visible on a right, rear corner of the vehicle in response to receipt of a flash signal; and   providing additional instruction to the microprocessor for strobing the light element visible on the left, front corner of the vehicle, the light element visible on the right, front corner of the vehicle, the light element visible on the left, rear corner of the vehicle, and the light element visible on the right, rear corner of the vehicle in response to receipt of a strobe signal.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the additional instructions are provided to the microprocessor wirelessly. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the additional instruction are part of a reprogramming of a body control module of the vehicle that includes the microprocessor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of programming and connecting the microprocessor is part of an initial programming of a body control module during manufacture of the vehicle, and the step of providing additional instructions is a part of a reprogramming of the body control module.