Intuitive Electronic Circuit

• US 20110109164A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TVL International, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tycka Design Private Limited
• Inventors: Bathe, Dattatraya Chandrakant, Subramaniam, Kuberasampath, Panchanathan, Senthil Kumar, Narkar, Sunay, Shridhar, Subramanian, Mohammed Suhura, Shanavas
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/065 for lighting purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 35/00 Electric light sources using a combination of different types of light generation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

An apparatus according to various embodiments may detect the state of an external switch (14). An apparatus (1000) according to various embodiments may activate or deactivate an appliance based on the state of the external switch (14). An apparatus according to various embodiments may activate or deactivate an appliance based on the state of the external switch (14), even in the absence of grid power (3).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical interface;

a signal source operable to output a reference signal via the electrical interface;

a first light source; and

a logic circuit operable to;

receive, via the electrical interface a first signal indicative of a response to the reference signal;

determine a second signal based on the first signal; and

transmit the second signal to the first light source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the second signal is a signal instructing the first light source to emit light.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a sensor operable to detect a power level in an external circuit coupled to the electrical interface, in which the logic circuit is further operable to:

receive from the sensor a third signal indicative of a power level in the external circuit; and

determine the second signal based on the first signal and the third signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which, in determining the second signal, the logic circuit is operable to:

determine instructions for the first light source to emit light in the event that the first signal indicates that a switch in the external circuit is closed and the third signal indicates a lack of power in the external circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which, in determining the second signal, the logic circuit is operable to:

determine a state of a switch in an external circuit based on a comparison of the first signal to the reference signal; and

determine a second signal instructing the first light source to emit light in the event that the state of the switch is on.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an external circuit, in which the external circuit is coupled to the electrical interface, and in which all loads on the external circuit are appliances.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an external circuit, in which the external circuit is coupled to the electrical interface, and in which all loads on the external circuit are appliances or transformers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an external circuit, in which the external circuit includes no capacitors placed in parallel to the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a battery, in which the battery is coupled to the first light source and is operable to power the first light source in the event that the second signal matches a predetermined signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a charger, in which the charger is coupled to the battery, and in which the charger is operable to charge the battery;

a direct current regulator, in which the direct current regulator is coupled to the battery charger;

a converter of alternating current to direct current, in which the converter is coupled to the regulator; and

a transformer, in which the transformer is coupled to the electrical interface and to the converter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a sensor coupled to the electrical interface; and

a coupling device comprising one of (a) a relay, (b) an opto-coupler, (c) a semiconductor switching device, and (d) a triode for alternating current,

in which the sensor is operable to detect a power level in an external circuit coupled to the electrical interface,

in which the logic circuit is further operable to;

receive from the sensor a third signal indicative of a power level in the external circuit; and

determine a fourth signal based on the first signal and the third signal, and in which the coupling device is operable to;

receive the fourth signal from the logic circuit; and

couple the electrical interface to the first light source and to the transformer in the event that the fourth signal corresponds to a predetermined value.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the sensor comprises:

a first electrical contact

a second electrical contact

a set of resistive elements to reduce the input voltage differential to the rest of the circuit;

a full-wave rectifier to convert an alternating current into a direct current;

a resistive element to step down the voltage of the direct current;

a voltage divider with a third electrical contact at its center;

a fourth electrical contact tied to ground,

in which, as an indication of the power level in the external circuit, the sensor is operable to provide an output voltage reading across the third and fourth electrical contacts.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second light source, in which the second light source is operable to draw power from an external circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 in which, in determining the second signal, the logic circuit is operable to:

measure the voltage differential across a resistive element of the signal source;

determine a first value of the second signal if the measured voltage differential is zero, in which the first value of the second signal is a value that instructs the light source to not emit light; and

determine a second value of the second signal if the measured voltage differential is non-zero, in which the second value of the second signal is a value that instructs the light source to emit light.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the signal source is circuit with a plurality of elements and nodes including:

a first electrical contact at a first node at which a reference voltage is received;

a second electrical contact at a second node at which a Signal voltage is output;

a first resistive element spanning the first node and the second node;

a second resistive element spanning the second node and a third node;

a third resistive element spanning the third node and a fourth node;

a first set of diodes arranged in parallel spanning the fourth node and a fifth node, the first set of diodes permitting current flow from the fourth node to the fifth node;

a third electrical contact at the fifth node;

a fourth electrical contact at a sixth node;

a fourth resistive element spanning the sixth node and an eighth node, the eighth node being grounded;

a second set of diodes arranged in parallel spanning the eighth node and a seventh node, the second set of diodes permitting current flow from the eighth node to the seventh node;

a third set of diodes spanning the eighth node and the third node, the third set of diodes permitting current flow from the eighth node to the third node;

a capacitive element spanning the third node and the eighth node; and

a fifth resistive element spanning the fourth node and the seventh node.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the signal source is a circuit comprising:

a first electrical contact for receiving a reference voltage;

a second electrical contact;

a third electrical contact for interfacing with the line terminal of a grid network;

a fourth electrical contact for interfacing with the neutral terminal of the grid network;

in which the signal source, at low-frequency operation, functions as a voltage divider placing a resistive element in series with an external load connected between the third and fourth electrical contacts, and

in which the second electrical contact outputs a version of the reference voltage that is stepped down across the resistive element if current flows through the external load.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the signal source is a circuit comprising:

a first electrical contact for receiving a reference voltage;

a second electrical contact;

a third electrical contact for interfacing with the line terminal of a grid network;

a fourth electrical contact for interfacing with the neutral terminal of the grid network;

in which the signal source functions as a voltage divider placing a resistive element in series with an external load connected between the third and fourth electrical contacts, and

in which the second electrical contact outputs a version of the reference voltage that is stepped down across the resistive element if current flows through the external load.

in which the signal source is operable to;

send a first signal, in which the first signal comprises a flat signal of a first voltage;

measure a first response to the first signal;

send, in the event that the first response matches a first reference response, a second signal, in which the second signal comprises a pulsating signal of the first voltage;

measure, in the event that the first response matches the second signal, the second response to the second signal;

send, in the event that the second response matches a second reference response, a third signal, in which the third signal comprises a pulsating signal at a second voltage that is higher than the first voltage;

measure, in the event that the second response matches the second reference signal, a third response to the third signal;

transmit a fourth signal causing the activation of a secondary light source in the event that the first response does not match the first reference response, the second response does not match the second reference response, or the third response does not match a third reference response.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of diode elements operable to permit flow of current from the fourth electrical contact to the third electrical contact in the event of a voltage spike across the line and neutral terminals, but to prevent current flow from the third contact to the fourth contact.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a means to interface to an external circuit;

a means to store energy;

a means to reduce the voltage received from the external circuit;

a means to convert alternating current from the external circuit to direct current;

a means to replenish the store of energy with energy received from the external circuit;

a means to detect the absence of power in the external circuit;

a means to detect the state of a switch in the external circuit;

a secondary light source driven by the stored energy;

a means to activate the secondary light source only in the event that both an absence of power in the external circuit is detected and a closed state of the switch is detected.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the means to detect the state of the switch in the external circuit comprises:

a means to generate an outgoing signal;

a means to detect a first incoming signal; and

a means to determine whether the first incoming signal matches the outgoing signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the means to generate an outgoing signal includes a means to randomly generate the outgoing signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 in which the means to detect the state of the switch in the external circuit further comprises:

a means to detect a second incoming signal originating from outside the apparatus; and

a means to distinguish the first incoming signal from the second incoming signal.

23. A circuit comprising:

a live wire and a neutral wire channeling power from a power grid, the live wire and neutral wires connected only via at least one appliance and a secondary circuit,

in which each of the at least one appliance and the secondary circuit are connected in parallel to one another across the live and neutral wires, and

in which the secondary circuit comprises;

a switch;

a bulb socket;

a first sensor for sensing the presence of power in the live and neutral wires;

a second sensor for sensing the state of the switch by transmitting a reference signal across the switch and across the at least one appliance and by measuring a resultant response signal;

a light bulb;

a secondary light source;

a battery; and

logic circuitry operable to;

receive from the first sensor a first input indicative of the presence of power in the live and neutral wires;

receive from the second sensor a second input indicative of the state of the switch;

cause the secondary light source to activate and to draw power from the battery only in the event that there is no power in the live and neutral wires and the switch is closed; and

cause the battery to recharge from power in the live and neutral wires only in the event that there is power in the live and neutral wires.

24. A method comprising:

detecting a first change in a state of a control device;

inactivating an appliance in response to the first change in state;

detecting a second change in a state of the control device;

determining an elapsed time between the first change and the second change; and

reactivating the appliance only if the elapsed time is greater than a predetermined time.

25. The method of claim 24 in which detecting a first change includes detecting that a switch has been turned off, and in which detecting a second change includes detecting that the switch has been turned on.

26. The method of claim 24 in which reactivating the appliance includes reactivating the appliance only if the elapsed time is greater than two seconds.

27. The method of claim 24 in which inactivating an appliance includes causing a light to turn off.

28. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

determining that an absent source of power has been restored;

determining, subsequent to the restoration, that the source of power has again disappeared; and

activating the appliance once the source of power has again disappeared.