Light detection, signaling and speed measurement system

A system for detecting and displaying an indication of movement between the system and a fixed localized light source having an intensity located at a distance from the system comprising:

• a housing having a vertical axis;
• light sensing means disposed within said housing for detecting the intensity of the light from the localized light source at any position in a horizontal plane perpendicular to said vertical axis and for generating a signal representing sensed light intensity;
• circuit means responsive to said signal generated by said light sensing means for generating an output signal representative of movement of said housing;
• and
• means interconnected to said circuit means for displaying said output signal to provide an indication of movement between the localized light source and said housing.

A system for sensing and measuring a variation in light level of a light source having an intensity located at a distance from the system comprising:

• a housing having a vertical axis;
• first circuit means disposed within said housing for photosensitive detection of variations in the light intensity at any direction in a horizontal plane perpendicular to said vertical axis of the light source and for generating a signal representative of the incident light on the system;
• second circuit means for measuring variations in said signal generated by first circuit means as a function of time and for generating an output signal;
• and
• means interconnected to said second circuit means for displaying said output signal generated by said second circuit means to provide an indication of variations in the intensity of the light source as a function of time.

A detecting and signaling system comprising:

• a housing;
• a first photosensitive surface disposed within said housing and having a configuration responsive to the intensity of localized light sources emanating from any point in a horizontal plane surrounding said first photosensitive surface;
• a second photosensitive surface disposed within said housing to receive largely ambient light and to be nonresponsive to localized light sources in said horizontal plane;
• at least one light emitting device;
• circuit means for controlling the output of said light emitting device in response to said light incident on said first and second photosensitive surfaces, such that said light emitting device is selectively illuminated to flash on and off when said first photosensitive surface detects a localized light source and said second photosensitive surface detects the absence of a predetermined level of ambient light;
• means for detecting the rate of flashing of said light emitting device;
• and
• means for computing an approximation of the speed of the localized light source with respect to said housing in response to said detected rate of flashing of said light emitting device.