Barricade flasher
AssigneeIntegrated Electronic Solutions Pty Ltd.
InventorsPhilip Jones, John Sidney Crawford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flashing warning light apparatus wherein there is provided one or more light-emitting diodes, the light-emitting diode being driven in a pulsed manner to achieve light output at a selected flash rate, with control means adapted to detect any light-induced signal from the same light-emitting diode or diodes during periods when the light-emitting diode is not emitting light, said signal being dependent on the level of ambient light. The same diode or diodes can be at a focus center of a reflector. A magnitude of any signal can then be used to determine whether the ambient light is such that the warning light should operate.
Claims17
A flashing warning light apparatus including:
- at least one light-emitting diode located approximately at a focal point of one or more lenses,
- said lenses being adapted to disperse light from the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is energized, and
- said lenses being adapted to focus ambient light on to the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is not energized, a limited capacity power source,
- an integrated circuit (IC) adapted to selectively energize at least one light-emitting diode to effect a light output during at least one first time period, and
- at least one transistor adapted to detect a light-induced electrical signal generated by the at least one light-emitting diode due to ambient light focused on to the light-emitting diode in at least one second time period when said diode is not energized, wherein the light-induced electrical signal is provided to the IC by the at least one transistor, and
- wherein the IC is adapted to change at least the extent of energization of the at least one light-emitting diode in response to a selected level of light induced-electrical signal being detected in at least one period when said diode is not energized.
A flashing warning light apparatus comprising;
- one or more light-emitting diodes located approximately at a focal point of one or more lenses, said lenses being adapted to disperse light from the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is energized, and said lenses being adapted to focus ambient light on to the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is not energized,
- a driver component to drive at least one of said light-emitting diode in a pulsed manner to achieve light output at a selected flash rate, and
- a controller adapted to detect a light-induced signal from the said at least one light emitting diode during periods when the light-emitting diode is not emitting light, said signal being dependent on the level of ambient light focused on to the light emitted diode.
A flashing warning light apparatus comprising:
- a focusing reflector,
- a light emitting diode located approximately at a focus area of the reflector, said focusing reflector being adapted to disperse light from the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is energized, and said focusing reflector being adapted to focus ambient light on to the light-emitting diode when the light-emitting diode is not energized, and
- an integrated circuit to effect a light output from the light emitting diode during at least one first time period,
- wherein, during at least one second time period when the light emitting diode is not emitting light, the light emitting diode is interrogated to detect an output signal generated by the light emitting diode as a result of a selected level of ambient light-focused from the reflector onto the light emitting diode, wherein a magnitude of the output signal corresponds to the selected level of ambient light, and an extent of energization of the light emitting diode is changed in response to the magnitude of the detected output signal.
A method for effecting an ambient light responsive light source including:
- selectively energizing at least one light-emitting diode to effect a light output during at least one first time period, detecting a light-induced electrical signal generated by the at least one light-emitting diode from ambient light focused on to the light-emitting diode in at least one second time period when the light-emitting diode is not energized to effect a light output, and changing at least an extent of energization of the at least one light-emitting diode in response to a selected level of ambient light being detected by the light-emitting diode in at least one period when it is not energized to effect a light output.
A method of effecting a flashing warning light including a focusing reflector, a light emitting diode located at a focus area of the reflector, and an integrated circuit to effect a light output from the light emitting diode during at least one first time period, the method including the steps of:
- during at least one second time period when the light emitting diode is not emitting light, interrogating the light emitting diode to detect an output signal generated by the light emitting diode as a result of a selected level of ambient light focused from the reflector onto the light emitting diode, wherein a magnitude of the output signal corresponds to the selected level of ambient light, and
- changing an extent of energization of the light emitting diode in response to the magnitude of the detected output signal during a detection period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.