Momentary Night Light Assembly

• US 20130169169A1
• Filed: 02/13/2013
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John Alfred Ayres
• Original Assignee: John Alfred Ayres
• Inventors: Ayres, John Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,941,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/158
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0052 Audio or video equipment, e.g. televisions, telephones, cameras or computers; Remote control devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback

Abstract

This invention relates to assemblies used as night lights and contains certain embodiments that improve, add features, and/or lower the cost of the type of momentary night light defined by U.S. Pat. No. 7,253,570. These embodiments include multiple and supplemental light sources that enhance the performance of certain types of night lights, enabling better user night-vision and more efficient use of energy sources by the night light assemblies. Other embodiments include actuation of momentary night lights by remote control and the integration of momentary night lights and night lights into other products. The words “momentary night light assembly” as used in this invention means a light that remains lit for only a short fixed period of time following a transition from light to dark of the local ambient light. It then turns itself off after a short time period until another light to dark transition occurs. The words “night light” as used herein means a light that remains on while the local ambient light is dark following a light to dark transition. A night light may be an integral part of a momentary night light assembly.

Claims

1. A scotopic night light assembly with one or more LEDs as a light source;

wherein the current in the LEDs does not exceed 100 microamps.

2. The scotopic night light assembly of claim 1 wherein the light source has a center wavelength component in the 480 to 510 nanometer range.

3. The scotopic night light assembly of claim 1 wherein the current in the LEDs is between 20 micro amps and 40 micro amps.

4. The scotopic night light assembly of claim 1 wherein the LEDs are fabricated from InGaN material.

5. The scotopic night light assembly of claim 1 wherein the LEDs are controlled by an electrical circuit which senses ambient light and activates the LEDs when the ambient light is dark.

6. A momentary night light assembly having a secondary scotopic light source comprising:

a control means for controlling both the momentary light and the scotopic light ouputs,

a photo sensor,

a switch,

multiple LED light source,

a time base means,

a light control program, and

a power supply.

7. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the photo sensor activates a switch to connect the power supply to the light source control means when the ambient light makes a light to dark transition.

8. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the multiple LED light source consists of one or more white LEDs and one or more blue-green LEDs.

9. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the light source control means is a multiple of a 3-terminal device controlling the current in the LEDs.

10. The momentary night light assembly of claim 9 wherein the 3-terminal device is a bi-polar transistor, a field effect transistor, or a voltage variable resistor.

11. The momentary night light assembly of claim 9 wherein the 3-terminal device is controlled by a light control program that changes the current in the LEDs as a function of time.

12. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the light control program causes the multiple led light source to change its combined light outputs from the photopic range to the scotopic range during a predetermined time period.

13. The momentary night light assembly of claim 12 wherein the predetermined time period is from 1 minute to 45 minutes.

14. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the photo sensor activates a switch to start a clock in the time base means and initiate the light control program when the ambient light makes a light to dark transition.

15. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the light control program is stored by resistor values contained in resistor ladder networks that provide analog signals to the light source control means in response to counters controlled by a time base means.

16. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the light control program is stored in ROM (read only memory) which controls a time base means in a micro controller that outputs analog or digital signals to activate the light source control means.

17. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the multiple LED light source consists of one or more red, one or more blue, and one or more green LEDs.

18. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the multiple LED light source consists of at least two different colored LEDs.

19. The momentary night light assembly of claim 18 wherein the different colored LEDs produce light with wavelengths between 450 and 700 nanometers.

20. The momentary night light assembly of claim 6 wherein the light source control means activates the multiple led light source sequentially as a function of time.

21. The momentary night light assembly of claim 20 wherein the sequential activation of the multiple led light source is accomplished with a shift register.

22. The momentary night light assembly of claim 20 wherein the sequential activation of the multiple led light source is accomplished with a micro controller.

23. The momentary night light assembly of claim 20 wherein the multiple led light source is controlled, as a function of time, to produce light that changes from photopic to scotopic wavelengths.

24. A momentary night light assembly including a scotopic light source, wherein the momentary night light assembly is a separate sub-assembly attached to a consumer electronics product.

25. The momentary night light assembly of claim 24 having its own light source, a rechargeable battery, and a programmable memory.

26. The momentary night light assembly of claim 25 wherein the memory can be programmed through the consumer electronics product.

27. The momentary night light assembly of claim 25 wherein the memory can be programmed external to the consumer electronics product.

28. The momentary night light assembly of claim 24 having multiple LEDs for the light source.

29. The momentary night light assembly of claim 28 wherein the multiple LEDs are activated by a control circuit in the momentary night light assembly to change the light color from photopic to scotopic as a function of time.

30. The momentary night light assembly of claim 25 wherein the programmable memory stores a lighting program that directs a control circuit to activate the light source.