METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR CONSTANT LED NIGHT BRIGHTNESS BASED ON DAYTIME SOLAR CHARGING
First Claim
1. A street sign comprising:
- at least one translucent sign face;
a solar photovoltaic panel system;
a rechargeable battery system;
at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED);
a control circuit powered by the rechargeable battery system and configured to operate the at least one LED to illuminate the at least one sign face;
wherein the rechargeable battery system receives electrical power from the solar photovoltaic panel system during daytime; and
wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor the total amount of solar energy supplied to the rechargeable battery system during daytime and configured to calculate an amount of electrical power to be supplied from the rechargeable battery system to the at least one LED so that the at least one LED operates at a relatively constant level of LED light output brightness during substantially all the entire night time hours.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A street sign method, system and apparatus includes at least one translucent sign face, a solar photovoltaic panel system for generating electrical energy from sunlight, a rechargeable battery system for storing the electrical energy during the day, at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED) powered by the electrical energy stored in the rechargeable battery system, and a control circuit powered by the rechargeable battery system and configured to operate the at least one LED to illuminate the at least one sign face. The control circuit is configured to calculate an amount of electrical power that can be supplied from the rechargeable battery system to the at least one LED so that said the at least one LED operates at a relatively constant level of LED light output brightness during substantially the entire night time hours based on solar energy supplied to the rechargeable battery system during the previous daytime hours. The street name sign is mountable to a post or pole.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A street sign comprising:
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at least one translucent sign face; a solar photovoltaic panel system; a rechargeable battery system; at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED); a control circuit powered by the rechargeable battery system and configured to operate the at least one LED to illuminate the at least one sign face; wherein the rechargeable battery system receives electrical power from the solar photovoltaic panel system during daytime; and wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor the total amount of solar energy supplied to the rechargeable battery system during daytime and configured to calculate an amount of electrical power to be supplied from the rechargeable battery system to the at least one LED so that the at least one LED operates at a relatively constant level of LED light output brightness during substantially all the entire night time hours. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A street sign system comprising:
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a post or pole; at least one street name sign mounted to the post or pole, the street name sign comprising; at least one translucent sign face; a solar photovoltaic panel system; a rechargeable battery system; at least one Light Emitting Diode (LED); a control circuit powered by the rechargeable battery system and configured to operate the at as one LED to illuminate the at least one sign face; wherein the rechargeable battery system receives electrical power from the solar photovoltaic panel system during daytime; and wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor the total amount of solar energy supplied to the rechargeable battery system during daytime and configured to calculate an amount of electrical power that can be supplied from the rechargeable battery system to the at least one LED so that the at least one LED operates at a relatively constant level of LED light output brightness during substantially all the entire night time hours. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of illuminating a street sign comprising:
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generating electrical energy during a day with a solar photovoltaic panel system receiving sunlight; storing the generated electrical energy in a rechargeable battery system; powering at least one light emitting diode (LED) during substantially all the night time hours that follow the day time charging hours by utilizing the electrical energy stored in the rechargeable battery system; and wherein the at least one LED illuminates at least one translucent sign face. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification