Compact fluorescent lamps
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
InventorJeffrey M. Raynor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ambient light sensor integrated in a compact fluorescent lamp that, in turn, may include a controller and a radiation source. The ambient light sensor may include a radiation receiver to receive and filter incident radiation to obtain a value of the level of infrared radiation, and an electronic module to determine if the value is above a reference threshold value to enable the controller to switch the state of the radiation source.
Claims19
A compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) comprising:
- a compact fluorescent radiation source;
- a infrared radiation sensor;
- and
- a controller coupled to said infrared radiation sensor and configured to switch said compact fluorescent radiation source on and off based upon said infrared radiation sensor;
- said infrared radiation sensor comprising
- a radiation receiving module comprising a photodiode and an infrared filter coupled thereto and configured to filter infrared radiation to obtain an infrared radiation level value, said photodiode comprising a substrate having a very heavily doped bulk portion of a first conductivity type, a lightly doped upper layer of the first conductivity type carried by said substrate, a heavily doped region of the first conductivity type carried by said lightly doped upper layer, a lightly doped region of a second conductivity type also carried by said lightly doped upper layer, and a heavily doped region of the second conductivity type carried within said lightly doped region, and
- an electronic module coupled to said radiation receiving module and configured to cooperate with said controller to switch said compact fluorescent radiation source based upon comparing the infrared radiation level value to a threshold.
An infrared radiation sensor for a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) comprising a compact fluorescent radiation source and a controller configured to switch the compact fluorescent radiation source on and off, the infrared radiation sensor comprising:
- a radiation receiving module comprising a photodiode and an infrared filter coupled thereto and configured to filter infrared radiation to obtain an infrared radiation level value, said photodiode comprising a substrate having a very heavily doped bulk portion of a first conductivity type, a lightly doped upper layer of the first conductivity type carried by said substrate, a heavily doped region of the first conductivity type carried by said lightly doped upper layer, a lightly doped region of a second conductivity type also carried by said lightly doped upper layer, and a heavily doped region of the second conductivity type carried within said lightly doped region;
- and
- an electronic module coupled to said radiation receiving module and configured cooperate with the controller to switch the compact fluorescent radiation source based upon comparing the infrared radiation level value to a threshold.
A method of operating a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) comprising:
- sensing infrared radiation using a photodiode and an infrared filter coupled thereto, the photodiode comprising a substrate having a very heavily doped bulk portion of a first conductivity type, a lightly doped upper layer of the first conductivity type carried by the substrate, a heavily doped region of the first conductivity type carried by the lightly doped upper layer, a lightly doped region of a second conductivity type also carried by the lightly doped upper layer, and a heavily doped region of the second conductivity type carried within the lightly doped region;
- and
- switching a compact fluorescent radiation source on and off based upon the sensed infrared radiation.
A method of operating a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) comprising:
- sensing infrared radiation using a photodiode and an infrared filter coupled thereto, the photodiode comprising a substrate having a very heavily doped bulk portion of a first conductivity type, a lightly doped upper layer of the first conductivity type carried by the substrate, a heavily doped region of the first conductivity type carried by the lightly doped upper layer, a lightly doped region of a second conductivity type also carried by the lightly doped upper layer, a heavily doped region of the second conductivity type carried within the lightly doped region, and a triple well structure of the first conductivity type carried within the lightly doped region, wherein a junction between the lightly doped upper layer and the lightly doped region is carried within the lightly doped upper layer adjacent the substrate;
- and
- switching a compact fluorescent radiation source on and off based upon the sensed infrared radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.