(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,922,051 B2. Romberger et al. (45) Date of Patent: Dec. 30, 2014

Transcription

1 USOO B2 (12) United State Patent (10) Patent No.: Romberger et al. (45) Date of Patent: Dec. 30, 2014 (54) CURRENT CONTROL MODULE FOR A (56) Reference Cited VEHICLE U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (71) Applicant: Ryan Robert Romberger, Jerey Shore, 5,548,162 A * 8/1996 Ito et al /10.1 PA (US); Nedim Hamzic, Falconer, NY 6, A 1/2000 Mizuno et al. (US) 6,153,980 A 11/2000 Marhall et al ,833 B1 9, 2002 Brown, Jr. et al. (72) Inventor: Ryan Robert Romberger, Jerey Shore, 32.3 R Suit et al. PA (US); Nedim Hamzic, Falconer, NY 6,836,081 B2 12/2004 Swanon et al. (US) 7,327,051 B2 2/2008 Ito et al. 8, B2 * 6/2012 Matui et al /77 8,334,662 B2 12/2012 Jin et al. (73) Aignee: Truck-Lite Co., LLC, Falconer, NY 8,339,046 B2 * 12/2012 Kaaba et al ,80 (US) 2002/ A1* 4/2002 Saito et al , / A1* 8, 2005 Saito et al / r A1 7/2011 Aboulnaga ( c ) Notice: Subject to any diclaimer, the term of thi 2014/OOO1730 A1 ck 1/20 14 Kulkarni et al. 280,422 patent i extended or adjuted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 106 day. * cited by examiner (21) Appl. No.: 13/842,857 Primary Examiner Thuy Vinh Tran (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm The Billicki Law Firm, P.C.; Byron A. Billicki; Rebecca M.K. Tapcott (22) Filed: Mar 15, 2013 (57) ABSTRACT (65) Prior Publication Data A current control module i ued in a vehicle having a marker or tail lamp, a top lamp, a left turn ignal and a right turn US 2014/ A1 Sep. 18, 2014 ignal. The current control module include a circuit board and at leat one wire coupled to the circuit board, the at leat (51) Int. Cl. one wire correponding to one of the marker or tail lamp, top B60L. I/14 ( ) lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal. The current moni B60O II/00 ( ) toring circuit include a current ene reitor, a current ene (52) U.S. Cl. amplifier, a Voltage comparator, and a tranitor coupled to CPC... B /005 ( ) the Voltage comparator for turning off and preventing current USPC /10.8, 315/77 from being delivered to the at leat one wire correponding to (58) Field of Claification Search one of the marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or USPC / / right turn ignal. See application file for complete earch hitory. 22 Claim, 13 Drawing Sheet SD 53.NEAN-m) to fil. 20 Goh Sh e S1 \l b Y p 55 \ 4. F4-H-d Ea - a Elim E. it.g. O im O d E. F3- illino cit to o-4. N o \Reicle: El o 40 IRSRO

2 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 1 of 13 C u n a - S. cy ey o m r Lif u Lif f O O us a Lir E E C u S N ed r Lr o i E E E u 2 - E- a - Lif 5 m f D F m D l Lr o m f f S ha C. ne f 5 bala e N f e M an m r O N N

3 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 2 of 13

4 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 3 of 13

5 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 4 of 13 S2

6 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 5 of 13

7 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 6 of 13 RECEIVING AN INPUTCURRENT FROMANINPUT WIRE. 20 MEASURING AWOLTAGE DROPACROSSA CURRENTSENSE 220 RESISTORATTACHED TO THE INPUT WIRE. MEASURINGAGAIN OF A CURRENTSENSEAMPLIFIER 230 ATTACHED TO THE INPUT WIRE. FEEDING THE VOLTAGEDROPINTO THE CURRENTSENSE 240 AMPLIFIER. COMBINING THE AMPLIFIER GAIN AND THE VOLTAGE DROP (250 TO PRODUCEAN AMPLIFIER OUTPUT VOLTAGE. DETERMINING AREFERENCEVOLTAGE BY DIRECTING THE 260 AMPLIFIER OUTPUT VOLTAGETHROUGHA VOLTAGE DIVIDER COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OFRESISTORS COMPARING THE AMPLIFIER OUTPUT VOLTAGETO THE REFERENCEVOLTAGE WITHA DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE 270 COMPARATOR. TURNING OFFTHE DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE COMPARATOR AND A MOFSETIFTHE OUTPUT VOLATGE EXCEEDS THE 280 REFERENCEVOLTAGE. PREVENTINGCURRENT FROM BEING DELIVERED TO ALOAD.S 290 FIG.6

8 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 7 of 13 Nºin 1CNVHIHÐR OT) 916

9 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 8 of 13

10 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 9 of 13

11 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 10 of 13 MAR STOP LEFTHANDTURN RIGHT HANDTURN

12 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 11 of 13

13 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 12 of 13

14 U.S. Patent Dec. 30, 2014 Sheet 13 of 13-2.

15 1. CURRENT CONTROL MODULE FOR A VEHICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The preent application i directed to a method and appa ratu for monitoring current in a vehicle having a marker or tail lamp, a top lamp, a left turn ignal and a right turn ignal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 i a view of a firt ide circuit board of a current control module having a current monitoring circuit. FIG. 2 i a bottom view of a circuit board. FIG. 3 i a perpective view of a circuit board. FIG. 4 i a bottom view of an alternate embodiment of the circuit board having LED indicator light. FIG. 5 i a circuit diagram of a current control module. FIG. 6 i a flow chart of a method for controlling current. FIG. 7 illutrate a front view of a current control module having over molding material. FIG. 8 illutrate a bottom view of current control module having over molding material. FIG. 9 illutrate a front view of a current control module having over molding material and a tranparent len covering LED indicator light. FIG.10 illutrate afront view of an alternate embodiment of the current control module having over molding material with LED indicator light. FIG. 11 illutrate a pigtail aembly incorporating a cur rent control module, a power ource connection and a lighting apparatu connection. FIG. 12 illutrate a truck trailer having a current control module intalled. FIG. 13 illutrate an embodiment of a current control module, connector and light for a trailer. BRIEF SUMMARY A current control module i ued in a vehicle having a marker or tail lamp, a top lamp, a left turn ignal and a right turn ignal. The current control module include a circuit board and at leat one wire coupled to the circuit board, the at leat one wire correponding to one of the marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal. The current monitoring circuit include a current ene reitor, a current ene amplifier, a Voltage comparator, and a tranitor coupled to the Voltage comparator forturning off and prevent ing current from being delivered to the at leat one wire correponding to one of the marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In general, the amount of wire needed within a vehicle lighting current control module i a function of current draw, meaured in ampere. High current draw require a larger diameter wire with a larger cro ectional area than a lower current draw, which only require a maller diameter wire with a maller cro ectional area. Wire diameter and cro ectional area are meaured in gauge. Incandecent lamp have a high current draw and require a larger gauge wire. In contrat, LED lamp have a lower current draw and require a Smaller gauge wire. Current control module 10 include a current monitoring circuit that protect wiring when a current overdraw ituation exit and, thu, enable current control module 10 to afely ue maller gauge wire with both LED and incandecent lighting application. FIG. 1 illutrate a current control module 10 including circuit board 20 having a plurality of electrical component that make up a plurality of current monitoring circuit. The circuitry may be located on a plurality of platform including, but not limited to a circuit board. Such a circuit board pro vide connection upon which electrical wire may be attached, that may contain a current ene amplifier, and may contain a reference Voltage component. A plurality of current input wire draw current to circuit board 20 from the current ource, uch a a battery or alternator. Each input wire i connected individually to circuit board 20. In the embodiment hown, input wire 30 i a continuou power ource wire. Each of input wire 31 and 32 i a marker, clearance, tail or licene plate lamp wire. Input wire 33 i a ground wire, input wire 34 i a left turn ignal wire, input wire 35 i a top lamp wire, and input wire 36 i a right turn ignal wire. However, other configuration may be ued. Alo hown in FIG. 1 i a plurality of current ene reitor, each of which i indicated a 40a-40e, and a plural ity of current ene amplifier, indicated at 42a-42e. A plu rality of differential voltage comparator, 45a-45e, are alo coupled to circuit board 20. Circuit board 20 alo include a plurality of voltage divider reitor network, one of which i indicated at 50. Each volt age divider reitor network include a plurality of reitor, uch a reitor 51a-51d. A plurality of tranitor and capacitor, uch a tranitor 53 and capacitor 55, may alo be included on circuit board 20. An additional plurality of rei tor, 56a-56d, may alo be provided. Further, a plurality of MOFSET (metal-oxide-emiconductor field-effect trani tor), indicated at 60a-60.d. i alo provided on circuit board 20. An additional capacitor 62, which may be a ceramic capacitor, may alo be included. An additional regulator 63, uch a a 5V regulator, i provided to tabilize a reference Voltage to enure that the reference Voltage doe not change even though the input Voltage can change. A plurality of current output wire are provided to convey current to lighting element, uch a a top light or tail light. In particular, each output wire i connected indi vidually to circuitboard 20. In the embodiment hown, output wire 70 i a ground wire. Each of output wire 71 and 72 i a marker, clearance, tail or licene plate lamp wire. Output wire 73 i a left turn ignal wire, output wire 74 i a top lamp wire, and output wire 75 i a right turn ignal wire. However, other configuration may be ued. Alternately, a different et of electrical component may be attached to perform the current ene amplifier functionally. FIGS. 2 and 3 illutrate a bottom view and a perpective view of circuit board 20, repectively. In the embodiment hown, plurality of current input wire are attached to a firt end 80 of circuitboard 20 for drawing current to circuit board 20 from the current ource, uch a a battery or alter nator. A dicued above, input wire 30 i a continuou power ource wire. Each of input wire 31 and 32 i a marker, clearance, tail or licene plate lamp wire. Input wire 33 i a ground wire, input wire 34 i a left turn ignal wire, input wire 35 i a top lamp wire, and input wire 36 i a right turn ignal wire. In addition, plurality of current output wire are attached to a econd end 82 of circuit board 20 current to lighting element, uch a a top light or tail light. A di cued above, output wire 70 i a ground wire. Each of output wire 71 and 72 i a marker, clearance, tail or licene plate lamp wire. Output wire 73 i a left turn ignal wire, output wire 74 i a top lamp wire, and output wire 75 i a right turn ignal wire. A plurality of indicator, uch a LED indicator

16 3 light (not hown), may be included on a bottom Surface of circuit board 20 to notify a uer of a fault condition. FIG. 4 illutrate an alternate embodiment of a circuit board 20' having a current monitoring circuit. In particular, input wire, generally indicated at 90, are urrounded by a cable 91 and attach to circuit board 20' on a current input end 92 of circuit board 20'. Output wire, generally indicated at 93, are urrounded by cable 94 and attach to circuit board 20' on a current output end 95 of circuit board 20'. A plurality of LED indicator light, 97a-97e, are alo hown attached to circuit board 20 for indicated when a fault ha occurred in at leat one of a marker or tail lamp, a top lamp, a left turn ignal and a right turn ignal. In particular, FIG. 4 feature an embodiment wherein LED indicator light 97a-97e indicate the occurrence of a current overage. Circuit board 20 may contain at leat one LED indicator light. In the embodiment hown, LED indicator light 97a-97e are preented in a column arrangement, with the erie of indicator LED arranged in a column parallel to input end 92 of circuit board 20. The column of indicator LED may alo be arranged in a column running perpendicu lar to input end 92. The indicator LED may be arranged in any pattern and may alo be on different face uch a the front face and the rear face of circuit board 20. LED indicator light 97a-97e repreent a plurality of dif ferent lighting device, including, but not limited to head lamp, rear lamp, brake light, marker tail light, right and left turn ignal and the like. The pecific number of vehicle lamp and location on a vehicle body or trailer are pelled out in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, pecifically FMVSS0108. The lamp required include one front marker, one ide marker or turn, one rear tracking, three rear identi fication, two top/tail, one right hand turn/tail, one left hand turn/tail, and one licene plate lamp. The preent application accommodate all the lamp mandated by the FMVSS0108 legal tandard. LED indicator light 97a-97e illuminate when a circuit ha encountered an overload and may remain illuminated until the amperage overload i reduced. In one embodiment, LED indicator light 97a-97e remain illuminated until a corre ponding lamp i diconnected. Alternately, LED indicator light 97a-97e may remain on for a pecific amount of time, after which LED indicator light 97a-97e hut off automati cally. LED indicator light 97a-97e may alo be et to blink or flah, go on and off intermittently or performany uch imilar pattern of illumination that may call attention to the occur rence of the over Voltage condition. While the embodiment hown in FIG. 4 how the wire exiting from a jacketed cable and being attached to either end of a quare circuit board, alternate embodiment could include a different wire entry/exit pattern and board hape to meet pecific mounting or ize contraint. The individual wire do not need to be contained in a cable jacket or over wrap to bind them together. FIG. 5 i a circuit diagram of a current control module 10 including a plurality of current monitoring circuit, 110, 120, 130, 140, and 150, each correponding to a vehicle lighting device. An input wire 31, 32, 34, 35 or 36 i aociated with each current monitoring circuit, a illutrated in FIG. 5. In particular, each of current monitoring circuit 110, 120 and input wire 32, 31, repectively, correpond to at leat one of a marker, clearance, tail and licene lamp. Current monitoring circuit 130 and input wire 35 correpond to a top lamp. Current monitoring circuit 140 and input wire 36 correpond to a right hand turn ignal and current monitoring circuit 150 and input wire 34 correpond to a left hand turn ignal Current control module 10 control the amount of current that i being delivered to a load, rather than the amount of Voltage. Each of the current monitoring circuit function in a imilar manner, thu, it hould be clear that the following decription applie to each of current monitoring circuit. Input wire 32, which correpond to a marker, clearance, tail and/or licene lamp allow a maximum load, for example, A, and any higher value would trip circuit 110 and a MOSFET 60d would turn off. Thu, current i prevented from being delivered to a load (i.e. the marker, clearance, tail and/or licene lamp). Input wire 31 and 35 are configured uch that a maximum load i 0.690A. Thu, any value higher than A would trip circuit 120 and 130 and caue MOFSETS 60e and 60b to turn off and preventing current from being delivered to the correponding load. Further, input wire 36 and 34 are configured uch that a maximum load i A and any higher value would trip circuit 140 and 150 and caue MOFSETS 60a and 60c to turn off Thu, current would be prevented from being delivered to the cor reponding load, i.e. right and left hand turn ignal. Thu, when the current to a load exceed the allowable amount for any of the input wire, a correponding P-MOS FET on each wire hut off very fat and prevent current from going to the load. When a P-MOSFET device i tripped due to high current being delivered to a load, only way the PMOS FET 111a-111e can be turned on again i by removing the exceive load from the correponding wire and turning the power off to the correponding line with high current draw. When the high current load i removed and power re-applied the PMOSFET engage again and current may be delivered to the load a long a the load i nominal and not exceive. The preent explanation i pecific to current monitoring circuit 110 and input wire 32, however, each of wire 31, 35, 36 and 34 have the ame operation proce. Current on wire 32 i monitored acro a current ene reitor 40c that i preent on wire 32. The Voltage drop acro current ene reitor 40d i fed into current ene amplifier 42d that pro duce an output Voltage that i a product of amplifier gain and Voltage drop acro current ene reitor 40d. The amplifier Voltage output i then fed to differential Voltage comparator 45d that compare amplifier Voltage to a reference Voltage that i determined through voltage divider network 50. Dif ferential voltage comparator 45d continually monitor the Voltage of current ene amplifier 42d and a oon a the amplifier output Voltage exceed the reference Voltage of differential voltage comparator 45d, then the comparator out put would turn off and, thu, PMOSFET 60d would turn off preventing current from being delivered to a load through output wire 72. The comparator Voltage reference i config ured through voltage divider reitor network 50 and it can be configured for more or le current depending on cutomer need. The reference voltage i table due to a 5V regulator 63, which enure that reference Voltage doe not change even though the input Voltage can change. In particular, current ene amplifier 42d, which may alo be called a current hunt amplifier, produce an output a Voltage proportional to the input Voltage. Current ene amplifier 42d ue current-ene reitor 40d to convert the input current to a mall Voltage called a ene Voltage. The Small Voltage may be amplified by current-ene amplifier 42d. Current ene amplifier 42d may be employed to mea Sure current flowing in a ingle direction, or employed in a bidirectional amplifier which can meaure current flow in both direction through current ene reitor 40d. Current ene amplifier 42d may be of many varietie including, but not limited to, ingle polarity low ide, bipolar low ide or high ide Switching. In addition, current ene amplifier 42d

17 5 may meaure the actual current draw acro a reitor. The actual Voltage i then calculated from the current draw acro the reitor and compared to a reference Voltage. A reference Voltage component, Such a Voltage divider network 50, generate a reference voltage which i ued for amperage comparion. The Source of the reference Voltage may be located within the differential amplifier. The refer ence Voltage ource may be received from an outide ource. The reference may be preet into the reitor, into the cir cuitry, into any other electrical component or into a combi nation of Such element. Alternately, the reference Voltage may be changed manually. The reference Voltage may alo be et to change according to a predetermined et pattern. The reference Voltage may alo change automatically through operation of current ene amplifier 42d in repone to opera tional condition uch a, but not limited to, weather, engine heat, electrical load demand and the like. The actual Voltage i compared to the reference Voltage. If the actual Voltage exceed the reference Voltage, a Switch i opened, the power goe to ground, the circuit i grounded, and the current will ceae to flow through the now open circuit. Thi protect the wiring. While the actual voltage i lower than or equal to the reference Voltage, the circuit remain cloed and the current continue to flow uninterrupted. The comparion between the actual voltage and the refer ence Voltage i performed by differential Voltage comparator 45d. A differential amplifier amplifie the difference between two ignal. In general, a differential amplifier receive two input ignal, where one ignal i an inverted input and the other ignal i a non-inverted input. An output ignal will be in phae with the non-inverted ignal. The output ignal will be 180 degree out of phae with the inverted ignal. One ignal may be an input ignal from the current or Voltage to be meaured. The two input ignal are compared againt each other uing an operation Such a addition, Subtraction, multi plication, or diviion to determine the difference in value between the two input ignal. The difference between the input value will be output and amplified. Should both input ignal be of the ame magnitude and polarity, then the dif ference will be zero and the ignal can be conidered to be identical. If the two input value have the ame magnitude and oppoite polarity, then both input ignal are added together and the output value i double one of the input ignal. Differential voltage comparator 45d operating in thi capacity can determine the difference between the voltage being ued by a vehicle lighting ytem and a pre-determined tandard reference voltage. Should the vehicle lighting volt age be le than the pre-determined tandard, the difference hould be greater than Zero. Should the vehicle lighting volt age be greater than the per-determined tandard, the differ ence hould be negative, indicating that the circuit hould be opened to prevent damage to the circuit in general and to the LED lighting in particular. FIG. 6 i a flow chart illutrating the operation of one current monitoring circuit of current ening module 10. A indicated at 210, an input current i initially received from an input wire coupled a power ource. A Voltage drop i the meaured acro a current ene reitor connected to the input wire a indicated by 220. In tep 230, the gain a current ene amplifier attached to the input wire i meaured. The Voltage drop i then fed into the current ene amplifier in tep 240. A indicated at 250, the amplifier gain and the voltage drop are combined to produce an amplifier output Voltage. In tep 260, a reference voltage i derived by directing the ampli fier output Voltage through a Voltage divider network. Step 270 include comparing the amplifier output Voltage to a reference voltage with a differential voltage comparator. Step include turning off the differential voltage comparator and a MOFSET when the output voltage exceed the refer ence voltage. Further, a indicated at 290, current i prevented from being delivered to a correponding marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal when the MOF SET i turned off. FIG. 7 i a front view of the current control module 10' having over molding material. The circuitry i covered or over molded with a material uch a, but not limited to, MacroMelt material that i ued in Truck-Lite' Model 36 flex-lamp. The individual wire are completely covered with the over molding material, creating a ealed cover 300 that will with tand environmental expoure. The wire are covered by cable 91 and 94 which may enter an over-molded cover 300 through an opening within cover 300. Cable and cover 300 lie fluh together uch that ubtantially all portion of the wire and circuit board are encapulated. Over-molded cur rent control module 10" may be mounted on the exterior of a truck body, chai, or trailer and i ealed to protect circuit board 20 and the electrical component from moiture and other weather related element. LED indicator light, 97a-97e, may be arranged in a ub tantially columnar order. The individual indicator LED may be accompanied by a label. Such a erie of ymbol which indicate the nature of each individual lamp repreented by each indicator LED. The label may comprie, but are not limited to, letter, word, icon, picture, dot, dahe and the like. When the label i compried of letter or word, uch ymbol may be of any language Such a, but not limited to, Englih, Spanih, German, French, Chinee, Japanee, Ru ian, Italian, or any language poken where peaker of uch a language drive or employ at leat one automotive vehicle. The label may be located to the left of the indicator LED, to the right of the indicator LED, above of the indicator LED, below of the indicator LED, parallel to of the indicator LED, diago nal to the of the indicator LED, or the label may be at any orientation relative to the indicator LED. Each individual LED may be accompanied by a label, or only a portion of the LED may be accompanied by a label, or only one LED may be accompanied by a label. Alternately, none of the LED may be accompanied by a label, a the apparatu may func tion properly without any label. Alternately, a legend of ymbol that repreent the nature of the indicator LED may be attached to the apparatu. The preent embodiment feature label that have been embedded into and below the urface of cover 300. Such embedded label may be created by tamping or engraving of the label into the over-molding material. An alternate embodiment may feature label that comprie raied ym bol or letter that protrude above the urface of the houing. Such label may be create during the molding of the houing or otherwie added on. An alternate embodiment may feature the label that are printed, Screened, painted, lithographed or otherwie written onto the urface of the houing. Alternately, the label may be printed eparately and fixed to the urface of the houing. Cover 300 may alo include mounting feature, 305a 305d, uch a compreion limiter, which extend from the ide of cover 300. A plurality of uch mounting feature may be arranged ubtantially perpendicular to the axi of cable 91 and 94. FIG. 8 illutrate an underide 308 of current control mod ule 10'. Underide 308 i the portion which may upon contact and attachment be mounted in direct contact with the vehi cle' urface. Mounting urface 310 and 311 extend from underide 308 of cover 300. Mounting urface 310 extend beyond the perimeter or ide of cover 300, forming exten

18 7 ion or mounting feature 305a and 305d. In addition, mounting urface 311 extend beyond the perimeter or ide of cover 300, forming extenion or mounting feature 305b and 305c. The mounting urface 310 and 311 facilitate the mounting of current control module 10' onto the vehicle body while not compromiing the integrity or Surface of the encloed circuit board. Mounting feature, 305a-305da, may each include a hole for receiving a mounting hardware Such a, but not limited to rivet, bolt, crew, and the like. Current control module 10" may contain a mean to facilitate mount ing to a portion of a vehicle Such a, but not limited to, a vehicle panel, engine aembly, frame, hood, lighting aem bly and the like. Such mean may be hole within cae 300 or hole contained partially or wholly within tab extending from cae 300. An alternate embodiment facilitate mounting the apparatu to a vehicle without the aid of mounting hard ware. Such mounting may be achieved uing tape, an adhe ive, a magnet, Velcro, or any other type of Subtance that would facilitate maintaining contact between the apparatu and the vehicle to which the apparatu wa intended to be connected. Mounting without the ue of a fatener could occur with or without the ue of the extended mounting ur face. The apparatu may alo function without any locating CaS. FIG.9 preent an alternate embodiment of current control module 10" wherein cae 300 incorporate a tranparent cover or len 315. Such a cover would erve to be placed over LED indicator light, 97a-97e, and attached cae 300 o a to act a a barrier between each of LED indicator light, 97a 97e, and the outide. Len or cover 315 alo act to protect LED indicator light, 97a-97e, from damage inflicted by con tact with harh road chemical, environmental weather fac tor, colliion or impact and the like. LED indicator light, 97a-97e, may be incorporated into cae 300 uing a plurality of locating mean. Each individual LED indicator light may be located to be contained wholly or partially within cae 300. Alternately, each individual LED indicator light may be inerted o a to be fluh with the urface of cae 300. Each individual LED indicator light may alo protrude from the urface of cae 300 uch that the LED indicator light extend or project above the Surface of cae 300. Tranparentlen or cover 315 may be fluh with cae 300 or protruding from cae 300. All individual LED indicator light may be located uing the ame locating mean or the individual LED may each ue a different locating mean. FIG. 10 preent an alternate embodiment of current con trol module 10" wherein LED indicator light 97a-97e are located on cae 300 and under len 315 are mounted within the circuitry in a different orientation uch that LED indicator light 97a-97e are arranged in a column with an axi that run parallel to cable 91 and 94. Thi may erve to accommodate different vehicle mounting location. The label may alo aume an orientation where the letter align perpendicular to cable 91 and 94. FIG. 11 preent a pigtail conformation. Cable 91 extend from one ide of current control module 10' and include a common connector 320 that attache to a tandard SAE J560 noe box. Cable 94 extend from another ide current control module 10' and include connecting wire that connect to a power ource. Each wire include a connector 44 for connect ing to a power ource. Connector 44 may be any Suitable type of connector, uch a Spade terminal, including ring-type, fork type or the like, for emi-permanently connecting to the battery terminal, o that, once intalled, connector 44 will not become unintentionally diconnected. In general, the pigtail (wire and or jacketed cable) com ing off of the circuit board are deigned to allow eay con nection into either a power ource or the current control module that provide power to the electrical device (lamp, Switche, etc). Uing the pigtail and or connector allow for eay and quick intallation and additionally may provide for a ealed connection to the wire harne that will increae the life of the ytem and decreae corroion and location of electrical failure. FIG. 12 illutrate a truck trailer having a current control module intalled. Trailer 400 include a plurality of light, Such a top/turn/tail light 402, clearance/marker light or auxiliary light 405, licene plate lamp 410, t?' lamp 415, and marker? clearance light 420. A plurality of wire, one of which i indicated at 425, connect the plurality of light to current control module 10. An electronic control unit 430 i alo hown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 illutrate a current control mod ule, connector and light for a trailer. In each of FIGS. 12 and 13, cable 91 extend from one ide of current control module 10 and include a common connector 320 that attache to a Standard SAE J560 noe box 435. Cable 94 extend from another ide current control module 10 and include connect ing wire 437 that connect to a power ource. The wire hown in FIG. 12 correpond to the wire hown in FIG. 13. For example, wire 405a lead to clearance/marker light or auxiliary light 405, a hown in FIG. 12. The remaining wire are imilarly connected to correponding vehicle light. Although only exemplary embodiment of the invention have been decribed above, thoe killed, in the art will readily appreciate that many modification are poible with out materially departing from the novel teaching and advan tage of thi invention. Accordingly, all Such modification are intended to be included, within the cope of thi invention a defined in the following claim. We claim: 1. A current control module for ue in a vehicle having a marker or tail lamp, a top lamp, a left turn ignal and a right turn ignal, aid current control module compriing: a circuit board; a plurality of wire coupled to the circuit board, each wire of aid plurality of wire correponding to one of aid marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal; a plurality of current monitoring circuit on aid circuit board, each one of aid plurality of current monitoring circuit correponding to one wire of aid plurality of wire, each current monitoring circuit including: a current ene reitor, a current ene amplifier for producing an output Voltage that i a product of amplifier gain and Voltage drop acro the current ene reitor, a differential Voltage comparator for comparing the output Voltage to a reference Voltage and turning off when the output Voltage exceed the reference Voltage; a tranitor coupled to the differential Voltage comparator for turning off and preventing current from being deliv ered to a correponding one of aid marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal. 2. The current control module of claim 1, wherein the reference Voltage i configured through a Voltage divider reitor network. 3. The current control module of claim 1, further compri ing a plurality of indicator light, each one of aid plurality of indicator light being illuminated when a correponding dif ferential Voltage comparator detect that the output Voltage exceed the reference Voltage. 4. The current control module of claim3, wherein each one of aid plurality of indicator light i illuminated after a pre

19 9 determined time following when a correponding differential Voltage comparator detect that the output voltage exceed the reference voltage. 5. The current control module of claim 4, wherein each one of aid plurality of indicator light blink in a predetermined pattern a correponding differential voltage comparator detect that the output voltage exceed the reference voltage. 6. The current control module of claim 1, wherein the circuit board i at leat partially over molded with a protective covering. 7. The current control module of claim 6, further including a tranparent len attached to the protective coating for cov ering aid plurality of indicator light, wherein aid plurality of indicator light i viible through the clear window. 8. The current control module of claim 7, further compri ing at leat one mounting feature. 9. The current control module of claim 1, wherein the circuit board i completely covered with an over molding material to create a ealed aembly. 10. The current control module of claim 1, wherein the circuit board i at leat partially over molded with a protective covering. 11. A current control module for ue in a vehicle having a marker or tail lamp, a top lamp, a left turn ignal and a right turn ignal, aid current control module compriing: a circuit board; at leat one wire coupled to the circuit board, aid at leat one wire correponding to one of aid marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal; at leat one current monitoring circuit on aid circuit board, aid at leat one current monitoring circuit correpond ing to aid at leat one wire, aid current monitoring circuit including: a current ene reitor; a current ene amplifier for producing an output voltage that i a product of amplifier gain and voltage drop acro the current ene reitor; a Voltage comparator for comparing the output voltage to a reference Voltage and turning off when the output volt age exceed the reference voltage; a tranitor coupled to the Voltage comparator for turning off and preventing current from being delivered to aid at leat one wire correponding to one of aid marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal. 12. The current control module of claim 11, wherein the reference Voltage i configured through a voltage divider reitor network. 13. The current control module of claim 11, further com priing at leat one indicator light, aid at leat one indicator light being illuminated when a correponding voltage com parator detect that the output voltage exceed the reference Voltage. 14. The current control module of claim 13, wherein aid at leat one indicator light i illuminated after a predetermined time following when a correponding voltage comparator detect that the output voltage exceed the reference voltage. 15. The current control module of claim 13, wherein aid at leat one indicator light blink in a predetermined pattern a correponding Voltage comparator detect that the output Voltage exceed the reference voltage. 16. The current control module of claim 10, further includ ing a tranparent len attached to the protective coating for covering aid at leat one indicator light, wherein aid at leat one indicator light i viible through the tranparent len. 17. The current control module of claim 11, further com priing at leat one mounting feature. 18. The current control module of claim 11, wherein the circuit board i completely covered with an over molding material to create a ealed aembly. 19. A method of monitoring electrical current in a vehicle having a marker or tail lamp, a top lamp, a left turn ignal and a right turn ignal, aid method compriing the tep of: receiving an input current from an input wire coupled to a power ource: meauring a Voltage drop acro a current ene reitor connected to the input wire; meauring again of a current ene amplifier attached to the input wire; feeding the Voltage drop into the current ene amplifier; combining the amplifier gain and the voltage drop to pro duce an amplifier output voltage; comparing the amplifier output voltage to a reference volt age with a differential Voltage comparator; turning off the differential voltage comparator and a tran itor when the output voltage exceed the reference Voltage; and preventing current from being delivered to a correponding marker or tail lamp, top lamp, left turn ignal or right turn ignal. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein reference voltage i derived by directing the amplifier output voltage through a Voltage divider network. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the voltage divider network i compried of a plurality of reitor. 22. The method of claim 19 further compriing a tep of: illuminating an indicator light when aid output voltage exceed the reference voltage.