Portable Electric Lamp Having an Anti Glare System

• US 20140070699A1
• Filed: 09/11/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zedel
• Original Assignee: Zedel
• Inventors: Genthon, Fabien, Pellat-Finet, Romain
• Granted Patent: US 9,232,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A portable lamp comprising:

• Communication means for exchanging identification data, configuration settings or control instructions with another portable lamp.
• More specifically, the communication means are used for avoiding exposition to glare.

Claims

1. Portable lamp wherein it comprises communication means for exchanging, with at least another partner portable lamp, identification or configuration data or control instructions.

2. Portable lamp according to claim 1, wherein said communication means are used for anti-glare function.

3. Portable lamp according to claim 1, comprising:

at least one light source allowing the generation of at least one light beam;

a power unit for powering controlling the brightness of the light in response to a control information or control signal;

a control unit for generating said control information or said control signal, said control unit comprising a sensor for generating a signal that is representative of the reflected light and means for processing said signal for generating said control information or control signal.

4. Portable lamp according to claim 2, wherein the lamp further comprises:

an IR emittor for periodically emitting data over a IR communication channel having a first beam;

and in that said control unit further comprises;

sensing means for sensing a IR radiation within a receiving cone which is narrower than said first beam;

processing means for processing the signal representative of the IR information being sensed and for detecting the presence of a second lamp that emits a IR signal;

means for significantly reducing the power generated by said lamp in response to the detection of a partner lamp emitting data over the IR channel.

5. Portable lamp according to claim 4 further comprising a wide beam and a narrow beam, the power of the narrow beam being significantly reduced in response to the detection of a partner lamp emitting on said IR channel.

6. Portable lamp according to claim 4 further comprising one or more unaligned beams which can be controlled differently.

7. Portable lamp according to claim 3, wherein said control unit comprises means for switching off the light beams while keeping activated the IR beam at the end of life of the battery.

8. Portable lamp according to claim 4 wherein said control unit comprises means for transmitting data over said infrared channel, said data defining the lamp identifier, but also instructions defining operations to be executed or configuration settings to be exchanged with other lamps.

9. Portable lamp according to claim 1 further comprising configuration means, in particular according to one or more predetermined profiles, said configuration being performed by means of a communication port of the type USB port allowing communication with a computer, a touch pad or a smartphone.

10. Portable lamp according to claim 1, wherein said infrared channel is used for the transport of identification data and/or configuration settings and/or control instructions dedicated to another partner lamp.

11. Portable lamp according to claim 1 wherein it is a headlamp comprising LED type diodes.

12. Portable lamp according to claim 1 further comprising a communication device to be located on the head of a user or to be associated with said portable lamp for a user, and comprising communication means for communication with said portable lamp, so as to control, in a situation of vis-a-vis, the reduction of the brightness of the light generated by said lamp.

13. Process for controlling the power of the light emitted by a portable lamp comprising a light source allowing the generation of at least one light beam, said portable lamp further comprising means for emitting and receiving a IR channel, the receiving cone of said IR channel being narrower than the cone of the emitting beam;

the process comprising the following steps;

emitting a frame of data through said IR channel;

receiving a IR signal detected on said narrow receiving cone;

detecting a IR signal corresponding to a signal emitted by another lamp emitting on said IR channel;

reducing the power of the light of the lamp in response to the detection of another lamp emitting on said IR channel.

14. The process for controlling the power of the light emitted by a portable lamp according to claim 13 further comprising a wide beam and a narrow beam, the power of the narrow beam being significantly reduced in response to the detection of a partner lamp emitting on said IR channel.

15. The process for controlling the power of the light emitted by a portable lamp according to claim 13 further comprising one or more unaligned beams which can be controlled differently.

16. The process for controlling the power of the light emitted by a portable lamp according to claim 13, wherein said control unit comprises means for switching off the light beams while keeping activated the IR beam at the end of life of the battery.