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US 5,670,846 AGranted
Full power light control
OwnerJerrell P. Hollawayinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A photoelectric control circuit that energizes a light bulb at a certain level of darkness and immediately records the total amount of light that results. A delay circuit prevents the new level of light from turning the bulb back off until a even greater amount of light is available. This method of operation provides full power control for a variety of lamps and bulbs without the degraded performance previously associated with reflected light from enclosures and nearby objects.
Claims10
A light control apparatus comprising:
- a light sensing means which produces a light level signal representative of the amount of light present at said light sensing means;
- a time delay means which establishes a second point in time later than a first point in time;
- a memory means which records said light level signal at said first point in time;
- a logic means which produces output signals whenever said light level signal from said second point in time is different by a prescribed amount from said signal stored in said memory from said first point in time;
- and
- a power switching means coupled between a source of electrical power and a light producing device which controls the application of said power to said device in response to said output signals from said logic means.
3 more elements
A method of controlling power to an electric lamp including the steps of:
- sensing ambient light levels and energizing said lamp whenever a first said ambient light level is lower than a prescribed level;
- sensing and recording a second of said ambient light levels as soon as said lamp is energized;
- sensing a third of said ambient light levels that is greater than said second level by a prescribed amount and de-energized said lamp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.