Ceiling fan with a light-sensitive circuit

A light-sensitive circuit for use with at least one light, the light-sensitive circuit comprising:

• a resistive network including a photocell, the photocell being responsive to a sensed ambient illumination level and having a threshold illumination associated therewith, the resistive network having an equivalent resistance varying as a function of the sensed ambient illumination level and the threshold illumination level;
• a firing capacitor responsive to the resistive network and charging to a firing voltage at a rate corresponding to the equivalent resistance;
• a trigger generating circuit responsive to the firing capacitor and generating a trigger signal in response to the firing capacitor being substantially charged to the firing voltage;
• an AC power switch responsive to the trigger signal, the AC power switch coupling the AC power signal to the light in response to the trigger signal for a selectable portion of a cycle of the AC power signal, the selectable portion of the cycle of the AC power signal corresponding to a current provided to the light;
• and
• a switch coupled to the light, the light-sensitive circuit, and the AC power signal, the switch having at least an off position, an on position, and a light-sensitive position, the switch decoupling the light and the light-sensitive circuit from the AC power signal while in the off position, the switch coupling the light to the AC power signal while in the on position, and the switch coupling the light to the AC power signal through the light-sensitive circuit while in the light-sensitive position.

A method of controlling an illumination level of at least one light as a function of a sensed ambient illumination level comprising the steps of:

• coupling a light-sensitive circuit to the at least one light, the light-sensitive circuit including a photocell having a threshold illumination level associated therewith, the photocell being responsive to a sensed ambient illumination level;
• controlling the illumination level of the at least one light with the photocell such that the illumination of the light is responsive to the sensed ambient illumination level by the photocell, wherein the portion of the cycle of the AC power signal provided to the light corresponds to a current, and wherein the light flickers while a value of the current is within a flicker region;
• and
• limiting the portion of the cycle of the AC power signal provided to the light such that the light will not illuminate while the value of the current is within the flicker region, thereby preventing the light from flickering.

A light-sensitive circuit for use with at least one light, the light-sensitive circuit comprising:

• a resistive network including a photocell, the photocell being responsive to a sensed ambient illumination level and having a threshold illumination associated therewith, the resistive network having an equivalent resistance varying as a function of the sensed ambient illumination level and the threshold illumination level;
• a firing capacitor responsive to the resistive network and charging to a firing voltage at a rate corresponding to the equivalent resistance;
• a trigger generating circuit responsive to the firing capacitor and generating a trigger signal in response to the firing capacitor being substantially charged to the firing voltage;
• an AC power switch responsive to the trigger signal, the AC power switch coupling the AC power signal to the light in response to the trigger signal for a selectable portion of a cycle of the AC power signal, the selectable portion of the cycle of the AC power signal corresponding to a current provided to the light;
• and
• a multi-position switch coupled to the light, the light-sensitive circuit, and the AC power signal, the multi-position switch having at least an off position, an on position, and a light-sensitive position, the multi-position switch decoupling the light and the light-sensitive circuit from the AC power signal while in the off position, the multi-position switch coupling the light to the AC power signal while in the on position, and the multi-position switch coupling the light to the AC power signal through the light-sensitive circuit while in the light-sensitive position, the resistive network including a fixed resistance which increases the equivalent resistance and decreases the portion of the cycle of the AC power signal provided to the light such that the light functions as a night light at less than maximum illumination.