Lighting device with indicator

A lighting device comprising:

• a light-emitting element for emitting a light;
• an ultrasonic member for emitting an ultrasonic signal and receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from an object;
• a signal processing unit communicated with the ultrasonic member for converting the reflected ultrasonic signal into a control signal;
• a light control unit interconnected between the signal processing unit and the light-emitting element for controlling the light-emitting element to emit the light in a selected operating mode in response to the control signal;
• a visual indicator;
• and
• an indicator control unit interconnected between the signal processing unit and the visual indicator for controlling the visual indicator to assert a notification signal indicative of the operating mode in response to the control signal;
• a collimator lens arranged downstream of a laser diode to collimate a laser beam emitted from the laser diode into a collimated laser beam;
• a diffraction element arranged downstream of the collimator lens for diffracting the collimated laser beam into a diffraction pattern;
• and
• optionally a shielding element arranged downstream of the diffraction element for eliminating the zero-order laser beam.

A lighting device comprising:

• a light-emitting element for emitting a light;
• an ultrasonic member for emitting an ultrasonic signal and receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from an object;
• a signal processing unit communicated with the ultrasonic member for converting the reflected ultrasonic signal into a control signal;
• a light control unit interconnected between the signal processing unit and the light-emitting element for controlling the light-emitting element to emit the light in a selected operating mode in response to the control signal;
• a visual indicator;
• and
• an indicator control unit interconnected between the signal processing unit and the visual indicator for controlling the visual indicator to assert a notification signal indicative of the operating mode in response to the control signal;
• a collimator lens arranged downstream of a laser diode to collimate a laser beam emitted from the laser diode into a collimated laser beam;
• a liquid crystal element arranged downstream of the collimator lens for changing the polarization direction of the collimated laser beam according to a bias voltage applied to the liquid crystal element;
• and
• a diffraction element arranged downstream of the liquid crystal element for diffracting the laser beam into a diffraction pattern.

A lighting device comprising:

• a light-emitting element for emitting a light;
• an ultrasonic member for emitting an ultrasonic signal and receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from an object;
• a signal processing unit communicated with the ultrasonic member for converting the reflected ultrasonic signal into a control signal;
• a light control unit interconnected between the signal processing unit and the light-emitting element for controlling the light-emitting element to emit the light in a selected operating mode in response to the control signal;
• a visual indicator;
• and
• an indicator control unit interconnected between the signal processing unit and the visual indicator for controlling the visual indicator to assert a notification signal indicative of the operating mode in response to the control signal;
• a collimator lens arranged downstream of a light-emitting diode to collimate a light emitted from the light-emitting diode into a collimated light;
• and
• a pattern generator arranged downstream or upstream of the collimator lens and comprising a transparent portion, wherein an optical pattern corresponding to the transparent portion of the pattern generator is created after the light emitted from the light-emitting diode passes through the pattern generator.

A method of controlling a lighting device, the lighting device comprising a light-emitting element, an ultrasonic member, a signal processing unit, a light control unit, a visual indicator and an indicator control unit, wherein the visual indicator includes:

• a collimator lens arranged downstream of a laser diode to collimate a laser beam emitted from the laser diode into a collimated laser beam;
• and an attenuator arranged downstream of the collimator lens for reducing the energy of the collimated laser beam, the method comprising steps of:
• emitting an ultrasonic signal by the ultrasonic member when the ultrasonic member is in a wait status;
• receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from an object by the ultrasonic member if the object is positioned within the covering range of the ultrasonic signal;
• converting the reflected ultrasonic signal into a control signal by the signal processing unit;
• controlling the light-emitting element to emit a light in a selected operating mode in response to the control signal by the light control unit;
• and
• controlling the visual indicator to assert a notification signal indicative of the operating mode in response to the control signal by the indicator control unit.

A method of controlling a lighting device, the lighting device comprising a light-emitting element, an ultrasonic member, a signal processing unit, a light control unit, a visual indicator and an indicator control unit, wherein the visual indicator includes:

• a collimator lens arranged downstream of a laser diode to collimate a laser beam emitted from the laser diode into a collimated laser beam;
• a diffraction element arranged downstream of the collimator lens for diffracting the collimated laser beam into a diffraction pattern;
• and
• optionally a shielding element arranged downstream of the diffraction element for eliminating the zero-order laser beam, the method comprising steps of:
• emitting an ultrasonic signal by the ultrasonic member when the ultrasonic member is in a wait status;
• receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from an object by the ultrasonic member if the object is positioned within the covering range of the ultrasonic signal;
• converting the reflected ultrasonic signal into a control signal by the signal processing unit;
• controlling the light-emitting element to emit a light in a selected operating mode in response to the control signal by the light control unit;
• and
• controlling the visual indicator to assert a notification signal indicative of the operating mode in response to the control signal by the indicator control unit.

A method of controlling a lighting device, the lighting device comprising a light-emitting element, an ultrasonic member, a signal processing unit, a light control unit, a visual indicator and an indicator control unit, wherein the visual indicator includes:

• a collimator lens arranged downstream of a laser diode to collimate a laser beam emitted from the laser diode into a collimated laser beam;
• a liquid crystal element arranged downstream of the collimator lens for changing the polarization direction of the collimated laser beam according to a bias voltage applied to the liquid crystal element;
• and a diffraction element arranged downstream of the liquid crystal element for diffracting the laser beam into a diffraction pattern, the method comprising steps of:
• emitting an ultrasonic signal by the ultrasonic member when the ultrasonic member is in a wait status;
• receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from an object by the ultrasonic member if the object is positioned within the covering range of the ultrasonic signal;
• converting the reflected ultrasonic signal into a control signal by the signal processing unit;
• controlling the light-emitting element to emit a light in a selected operating mode in response to the control signal by the light control unit;
• and
• controlling the visual indicator to assert a notification signal indicative of the operating mode in response to the control signal by the indicator control unit.

A method of controlling a lighting device, the lighting device comprising a light-emitting element, an ultrasonic member, a signal processing unit, a light control unit, a visual indicator and an indicator control unit, wherein the visual indicator includes:

• a collimator lens arranged downstream of a light-emitting diode to collimate a light emitted from the light-emitting diode into a collimated light;
• and a pattern generator arranged downstream or upstream of the collimator lens and comprising a transparent portion, wherein an optical pattern corresponding to the transparent portion of the pattern generator is created after the light emitted from the light-emitting diode passes through the pattern generator, the method comprising steps of:
• emitting an ultrasonic signal by the ultrasonic member when the ultrasonic member is in a wait status;
• receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from an object by the ultrasonic member if the object is positioned within the covering range of the ultrasonic signal;
• converting the reflected ultrasonic signal into a control signal by the signal processing unit;
• controlling the light-emitting element to emit a light in a selected operating mode in response to the control signal by the light control unit;
• and
• controlling the visual indicator to assert a notification signal indicative of the operating mode in response to the control signal by the indicator control unit.