PORTABLE LIGHT PROVIDING ILLUMINATION AND DATA

• US 20110305460A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Streamlight, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Streamlight, Inc.
• Inventors: Snyder, Mark W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/140
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/43 using a single component as both light source and receiver, e.g. using a photoemitter as a photoreceiver

Abstract

A system may comprise a portable light and a receiver therefor. The portable light for illuminating may comprise: a light source, a housing supporting the light source, a processor selectively energizing the light source from an electrical power source to produce illumination, a switch controlling the processor, and a memory storing data relating to the portable light, wherein the processor modulates the light source responsive to the stored data. The receiver receiving data transmitted by the portable light may comprise: a receiver housing including a light sensitive receiver receiving data emitted by the light source; and a receiver processor reproducing a representation of the data stored in the memory and providing the decoded received data for perception by a human and/or for use by a computing device.

Claims

1. A portable light for producing illumination comprising:

a light source producing illumination when energized;

a housing supporting said light source and having a cavity for receiving an electrical power source;

a processor for selectively energizing said light source to produce illumination when an electrical power source is in the cavity of said housing;

a switch coupled to said processor for controlling the selective energization of said light source to produce illumination; and

a memory coupled to said processor and storing data relating to said portable light,

wherein said processor causes modulation of said light source responsive to the data stored in said memory in addition to the selectively energizing said light source to produce illumination.

2. The portable light of claim 1 wherein the data relating to said portable light includes:

model number data, part number data, serial number data, manufacturing data, electrical power source data, battery data, electrical power source charging data, battery charging data, operating time data, operating mode data, switch actuation data, voltage data, current data, temperature data, processor data, firmware data, failure data, diagnostic data, or repair data, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

3. The portable light of claim 1 further comprising a sensor of a condition to which said portable light is exposed, wherein the data relating to said portable light includes data produced by said sensor.

4. The portable light of claim 3 wherein said sensor includes:

a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor, an environment sensor, an accelerometer, a location sensor, a GPS locator, a pedometer, an audio transducer, a physiological sensor, an image sensor, a video image sensor, an atmosphere sensor, a gas sensor, a chemical sensor, a biological agent sensor, or a radiation sensor, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

5. The portable light of claim 3 wherein the data produced by said sensor includes:

temperature data, moisture data, environment data, acceleration data, location data, GPS coordinate data, pedometer data, audio data, operator physiological data, an image, video images, atmospheric data, gas data, chemical data, biological agent data, radiological data, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

6. The portable light of claim 1 wherein said portable light further comprises:

an amplifier coupling signals representative of incident modulated light impinging on said light source to said processor;

wherein said processor decodes the data modulated on the received modulated light.

7. The portable light of claim 1 wherein said processor causing modulation of said light source responsive to the data stored in said memory produces a data message comprising a series of data packets including at least one data packet defining the data transmitted and at least one data packet containing the defined data.

8. The portable light of claim 7 wherein the data message is headed by a start data packet and is concluded by a stop data packet.

9. The portable light of claim 1 in combination with a receiver comprising:

a light sensitive receiver for receiving modulated data emitted by said light source; and

a receiver processor decoding the received modulated data to reproduce a representation of the data stored in said memory of said portable light,

wherein said receiver processor provides the decoded received data for perception by a human and/or for use by a computing device.

10. The portable light and receiver of claim 9 further comprising a display and/or a computer display for displaying the decoded received data in a human perceivable form.

11. The portable light and receiver of claim 9 wherein said computing device includes:

a personal computer, a portable computer, a laptop computer, a computer display, a personal digital device, a mobile computing device, a mobile communication device, a memory device, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

12. The portable light and receiver of claim 9:

wherein said receiver further comprises;

a receiver light source receiving modulated data from said receiver processor, said receiver light source emitting light representative of the modulated data received from said receiver processor;

wherein the modulated light emitted by said receiver light source is incident upon said light source of said portable light;

wherein said portable light further comprises;

an amplifier coupling signals representative of the incident modulated light from said light source to said processor; and

wherein said processor decodes the data modulated on the received modulated light.

13. A system including a portable light for producing illumination and transmitting data and a receiver for receiving data transmitted by said portable light,

wherein said portable light comprises:

a light source producing illumination when energized;

a housing supporting said light source and having a cavity for receiving an electrical power source;

a processor for selectively energizing said light source to produce illumination when an electrical power source is in the cavity of said housing;

a switch coupled to said processor for controlling the selective energization of said light source to produce illumination; and

a memory coupled to said processor and storing data relating to said portable light,

wherein said processor causes modulation of said light source responsive to the data stored in said memory in addition to the selectively energizing said light source to produce illumination; and

wherein said receiver for receiving data transmitted by said portable light comprises;

a light sensitive receiver for receiving modulated data emitted by said light source; and

a receiver processor decoding the received modulated data to reproduce a representation of the data stored in said memory of said portable light,

wherein said receiver processor provides the decoded received data for perception by a human and/or for use by a computing device.

14. The portable light and receiver of claim 13 wherein the data relating to said portable light includes:

model number data, part number data, serial number data, manufacturing data, electrical power source data, battery data, electrical power source charging data, battery charging data, operating time data, operating mode data, switch actuation data, voltage data, current data, temperature data, processor data, firmware data, failure data, diagnostic data, or repair data, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

15. The portable light and receiver of claim 13 wherein said portable light further comprises a sensor of a condition to which said portable light is exposed, wherein the data relating to said portable light includes data produced by said sensor.

16. The portable light and receiver of claim 15 wherein said sensor includes:

a temperature sensor, a moisture sensor, an environment sensor, an accelerometer, a location sensor, a GPS locator, an audio transducer, an image sensor, a video image sensor, a gas sensor, a chemical sensor, a biological agent sensor, or a radiation sensor, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

17. The portable light and receiver of claim 15 wherein the data produced by said sensor includes:

temperature data, moisture data, environment data, acceleration data, location data, GPS coordinate data, audio data, an image, video images, gas data, chemical data, biological agent data, radiological data, or any combination of any of the foregoing.

18. The portable light and receiver of claim 13 wherein said portable light further comprises:

an amplifier coupling signals representative of incident modulated light impinging on said light source to said processor;

wherein said processor decodes the data modulated on the received modulated light.

19. The portable light and receiver of claim 13 wherein said said processor causing modulation of said light source responsive to the data stored in said memory produces a data message comprising a series of data packets including at least one data packet defining the data transmitted and at least one data packet containing the defined data.

20. The portable light and receiver of claim 19 wherein the data message is headed by a start data package and is concluded by a stop data packet.

21. The portable light and receiver of claim 13 further comprising a display and/or a computer display for displaying the decoded received data in a human perceivable form.

22. The portable light and receiver of claim 13 wherein said computing device includes:

a personal computer, a portable computer, a laptop computer, a computer display, a personal digital device, a mobile computing device, a mobile communication device, a memory device, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

23. The portable light and receiver of claim 13:

wherein said receiver further comprises;

a receiver light source receiving modulated data from said receiver processor, said receiver light source emitting light representative of the modulated data received from said receiver processor;

wherein the modulated light emitted by said receiver light source is incident upon said light source of said portable light;

wherein said portable light further comprises;

an amplifier coupling signals representative of the incident modulated light from said light source to said processor; and

wherein said processor decodes the data modulated on the received modulated light.

24. A receiver for receiving modulated data transmitted by a portable light wherein the data is stored in a memory of the portable light and is transmitted by an illumination light source thereof,

said receiver for receiving data transmitted by the illumination light source of the portable light comprising:

a receiver housing;

a light sensitive receiver located in said receiver housing for receiving modulated data emitted by the illumination light source of the portable light and for providing an electrical representation thereof; and

a receiver processor decoding the electrical representation of the received modulated data to reproduce a representation of the data stored in the memory of the portable light,

wherein said receiver processor provides the decoded received data for perception by a human and/or for use by a computing device.

25. The receiver of claim 24 further comprising a display and/or a computer display for displaying the decoded received data in a human perceivable form.

26. The receiver of claim 24 wherein said computing device includes:

a personal computer, a portable computer, a laptop computer, a computer display, a personal digital device, a mobile computing device, a mobile communication device, a memory device, and any combination of any of the foregoing.

27. The receiver of claim 24 wherein said receiver further comprises:

a receiver light source receiving modulated data from said receiver processor, said receiver light source emitting light representative of the modulated data received from said receiver processor;

wherein the modulated light emitted by said receiver light source is emitted to be incident upon a light source of a portable light;

wherein the portable light further comprises;

an illumination light source upon which the modulated light emitted by said receiver light source is incident; and

an amplifier coupling signals representative of the incident modulated light from the illumination light source to a processor;

wherein the processor decodes the data modulated on the received modulated light.