Portable lighting device
AssigneeMilwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
InventorsLi Zhang, Hao Cui, DanJun Guo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A portable lighting device includes a housing, a light source supported by the housing, and an alkaline battery positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source. The alkaline battery is configured to provide a drive current to the light source, and an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current. The portable lighting device also includes an electronic processor positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source and the alkaline battery. The electronic processor is configured to monitor a voltage of the alkaline battery, and execute a ramp-up algorithm to control the drive current based on the voltage of the alkaline battery.
Claims20
A portable lighting device comprising:
- a housing;
- a light source supported by the housing;
- a power source positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source, wherein the power source is configured to provide a drive current to the light source and an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current;
- and
- an electronic processor positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source and the power source, wherein the electronic processor is configured to
- monitor a voltage of the power source, and
- execute a ramp-up algorithm to control the drive current based on the voltage of the power source, wherein the ramp-up algorithm is executed while the light source is outputting light;
- wherein the electronic processor is configured to execute the ramp-up algorithm to:
- determine that the power source is partially depleted;
- and
- in response to determining that the power source is partially depleted, incrementally ramp-up the drive current provided to the light source from the power source to a high drive current for a high mode of operation for the light source instead of initially setting the drive current to the high drive current.
A method of controlling a portable lighting device, the method comprising:
- monitoring, with an electronic processor, a voltage of a power source,
- wherein the electronic processor is positioned within a housing of the portable lighting device,
- wherein the power source is coupled to a light source supported by the housing, and
- wherein the power source is configured to provide a drive current to the light source, and wherein an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current;
- and
- executing, with the electronic processor, a ramp-up algorithm to control the drive current based on the voltage of the power source, wherein the ramp-up algorithm is executed while the light source is outputting light;
- wherein executing the ramp-up algorithm includes:
- determining, with the electronic processor, that the power source is partially depleted;
- and
- in response to determining that the power source is partially depleted, with the electronic processor, incrementally ramp-up the drive current provided to the light source from the power source to a high drive current for a high mode of operation for the light source instead of initially setting the drive current to the high drive current.
A portable lighting device comprising:
- a housing;
- a light source supported by the housing;
- a power source positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source, wherein the power source is configured to provide a drive current to the light source and an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current;
- and
- an electronic processor positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source and the power source, wherein the electronic processor is configured to
- monitor a time that the light source has been operating, and
- execute a ramp-down algorithm to control the drive current based on the time that the light source has been operating;
- wherein the electronic processor is configured to execute the ramp-down algorithm by repeating steps of:
- decreasing the drive current, and
- delaying a predetermined time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.