Digital light responsive switching circuit

• US 3,965,388 A
• Filed: 12/13/1974
• Issued: 06/22/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur D. Little, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Arthur D. Little, Inc.
• Inventors: Brisk, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullins, James B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hostetter, Darwin R.
• Application Number:
  US05/532,594
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 315/155, 307/235 F, 307/235 T, 307/311
• US Class Current: 315/155
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A digital light responsive switching circuit in which a plurality of photosensors are respectively responsive to different sources of illumination and in which the electrical input channels are independent and each operative to provide digital output signals representative of sensed illumination levels.

Claims

1. A digital light responsive switching circuit comprising:

at least first and second electrically isolated photosensors each responsive to a respective light source, at least one being responsive to ambient light and the other being responsive to a signal light;

at least first and second comparator circuits each having a threshold level representing respective input light conditions and coupled to a respective one of said photosensors each operative to provide a digital output signal of one signal level in response to incident light greater than said threshold level and of another signal level in response to incident light less than said threshold level; and

control logic operative in response to said digital output signals from said comparator circuits to provide an intended output signal only in response to selected ambient and signal light conditions represented by said received digital output signals, said control logic output signal adapted for energization of utilization apparatus.

2. A digital light responsive switching circuit comprising:

a first photosensor disposed to receive light from an ambient source;

a second photosensor electrically isolated from said first photosensor and disposed to receive light from a signal source;

first and second comparator circuits each having a respective threshold level and coupled to a respective one of said photosensors and providing a digital output signal of one signal level in response to incident light on the corresponding photosensor at least equal to said threshold level and of another signal level in response to incident light on said corresponding photosensor less than said threshold level; and

gate means operative in response to said digital output signals to provide an output signal only in response to selected ambient and signal light conditions represented by said digital output signals.

3. The circuit according to claim 2 wherein said first and second photosensors each include

a photoresistor disposed to receive light from a respective source;

and

circuit means for energizing said photoresistor;

and wherein the threshold level for each of said comparator circuits includes a voltage divider coupled to and energized by said circuit means.

4. The circuit according to claim 2 further including means for providing an output indication in response to predetermined ambient and signal light conditions, said means being coupled to said gate means and operative in response to said gate means output signals.

5. A digital light responsive switching circuit comprising:

at least first and second photosensing networks each responsive to a respective ambient light source and signal light source and each including

a source of positive potential;

a source of negative potential;

photoresistor means connected between said sources of positive and negative potential;

terminal means connected to said photoresistor means at which a signal is provided in response to light received by said photoresistor means;

a voltage divider connected between said sources of positive and negative potential and including a potentiometer for adjusting the output voltage thereof, said voltage divider output voltage being selected to provide a predetermined threshold level;

at least first and second comparator circuits each coupled to a respective one of said photosensing networks and each operative to provide a digital output signal of one signal level in response to incident light on the corresponding photosensor greater than said threshold level and of another signal level in response to incident light on the corresponding photosensor less than said threshold level; and

control logic operative in response to said digital output signals to provide an output signal for energization of utilization apparatus only in response to said digital output signals representing received ambient light less than the corresponding threshold level and received signal light greater than the corresponding threshold level.

6. The circuit according to claim 5 wherein said control logic includes

an AND gate operative to provide an output signal in response to the coincident receipt of digital output signals of predetermined signal level from said comparator circuits;

an OR gate operative in response to the output signal from said AND gate to provide an output signal for energization of utilization apparatus; and

a timer circuit providing a timer signal to said OR gate in response to an OR gate output signal such that said OR gate output signal is of a predetermined minimum duration determined by the duration of said timer signal.

7. The circuit according to claim 6 further including

a strobe light circuit for providing a burst of illumination in response to predetermined input light conditions sensed by said photosensors;

a multivibrator operative in response to said OR gate output signal to provide triggering pulses to the triggering electrode of the strobe lamp of said strobe light circuit; and

a switching power supply operative in response to said OR gate output signal to provide pulses to the anode of the strobe lamp of said strobe light circuit.

8. The circuit according to claim 7 wherein said photoresistor means of at least one of said photosensing networks is oppositely connected between said sources of positive and negative potential with respect to another of said photoresistor means;

whereby one of said photoresistor means provides an output voltage of increasing magnitude with increasing incident light thereon while the other photoresistor means provides an output voltage of increasing magnitude with decreasing incident light thereon.