Light sensor with hollow conduit

An arrangement for detecting an ambient light, the arrangement comprising:

• a photodetector having a photodetector input for receiving the ambient light, and a photodetector output for producing an electrical characteristic responsive to the ambient light;
• a hollow conduit having a lumen, a first end that is open to the lumen and arranged to receive a received portion of the ambient light, and a second end arranged in the vicinity of the photodetector input, said hollow conduit having polished interior surface, and length and radius dimensional characteristics that are predetermined to effect a desired combination of a first portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that impinges upon an interior surface of said hollow conduit, and a second portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that propagates directly through the lumen of said hollow conduit, whereby a portion of the received potion of the ambient light impinges upon the photodetector input, the first end that is open to the lumen being configured to effect a predetermined directional sensitivity to the arrangement corresponding to a predetermined combination of the first and second portions of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy;
• and
• light modulator means disposed at the first end that is open to the lumen of said hollow conduit for imparting a directional sensitivity characteristic to the received portion of the ambient light.

A method of propagating ambient light from a first location to a second location where a photodectector is disposed, the method comprising the step of:

• receiving a portion of the ambient light at a first end of a hollow conduit having lumen and a polished interior surface;
• controlling an angular sensitivity of the received portion of the light in relation to the lumen of the hollow conduit;
• propagating the received portion of the ambient light along the lumen of the hollow conduit, the lumen of the hollow conduit having length and radius dimensional characteristics that are predetermined to effect a desired combination of a first portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that impinges upon an interior surface of said hollow conduit, and a second portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that propagates directly through the lumen of the hollow conduit;
• and
• producing an electrical signal responsive to the received portion of the ambient light, after performing the step of propagating.