Television receiver viewing distance sensor switch

• US 5,495,302 A
• Filed: 05/13/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Manuel Abruna
• Original Assignee: Manuel Abruna
• Inventors: Abruna, Manuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Sr., Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esposo, Allan A.
• Application Number:
  US08/242,593
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 348/818, 348/819, 348/820, 348/164, 348/143, 348/155, 348/553, 348/725, 348/730, 348/633, 348/603, 340/541, 340/573, 340/571, 340/751, 340/565, 340/937, 340/573, 340/567
• US Class Current: 348/819
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

A television receiver radiation exposure limiting apparatus including a power supply, a proximity sensor, a rf switch, and a housing wherein the apparatus may be located within a small housing emplaced on the television receiver. The preferred proximity sensor comprises a monostatic infrared type sensor and responds to the comparative infrared signature of a human referenced to the ambient background. The sensor generates an electrical output signal which either stimulates or terminates conduction of electric current in an rf relay or solid state switch whenever a human form is within a preset detection range. A system in which the sensor signal terminates current flow is preferred. The rf relay or solid state switch connects the incoming rf signals representing unprocessed video and audio information to the VHF/UHF input of the television receiver only when no human signature is detected by the proximity sensor.

Claims

1. A television receiver viewing distance sensor switch for limiting the viewer-receiver separation distance by removing a primary receiver input radio frequency signal to a television receiver when a viewer is positioned closer than a preset distance comprising:

a hollow housing;

coupling means for securing the housing to the television receiver; and

an electronic circuit within the housing having a power input and control section, an ac to dc power converter section, a sensor section, a control relay, a switch, and a delay section,

the power input and control section including a wall plug extended from the housing and interconnected with a key operated on/off switch and wherein the power input and control section receives an external alternating current input,

the ac to dc power converter section including a transformer with a primary coil and a secondary coil and with the primary coil interconnected in series with the wall plug and the key operated on/off switch of the power input and control section, a full wave bridge rectifier formed of four diodes interconnected with the secondary coil of the transformer, and a filter capacitor interconnected across the bridge rectifier and wherein the alternating current input from the power input and control section is converted by the ac to dc power converter section into a low voltage filtered direct current output having inconsequential ripple,

the sensor section being formed of a sensor having a power input interconnected across the filter capacitor of the ac to dc power converter section and a power output for providing an electrical signal output indicative of human presence within a detection range as preset in the sensor and another electrical signal output indicative of no human presence within the detection range,

the control relay being formed of an electromechanical relay having an energizing coil and a pair of associated spaced and closeable contacts and with the contacts being terminated with a pair of radio frequency signal lines that are interconnectable with an incoming television receiver signal line of the television receiver, the electromechanical relay allowing, in a first state, a substantially unattenuated passage of the primary receiver input radio frequency signal to the television receiver when the contacts are closed and prohibiting, in a second state, a passage of the primary receiver input radio frequency signal to the television receiver when the contacts are open,

the switch including a NPN transistor having a base, an emitter, and a collector and with the base interconnected with the power output of the sensor for receiving the electrical signal output therefrom and the emitter interconnected between the power input of the sensor and the filter capacitor of the ac to dc power converter section, the switch also including a diode interconnected to the collector of the transistor and further interconnected between the filter capacitor of the ac to dc power converter section and the energizing coil of the control relay, and with the diode used for shunting potentially damaging transient reverse current flow when current flow through the energizing coil terminates abruptly, and

the delay section being formed of a timer interconnected between the collector of the transistor and the energizing coil of the control relay for providing a temporal delay between the appearance of the electrical signal output from the sensor as delivered through the transistor to thereby delay subsequent placement of the control relay in one of its states.

2. The television receiver viewing distance sensor switch of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a passive infrared sensor responding to human presence by detecting a subtle temperature difference between a human form and an associated ambient background.

3. The television receiver viewing distance sensor switch of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a monostatic infrared detector wherein a pulsed infrared signal is transmitted into a substantial solid angle of space opposite a viewed direction of said television receiver, and a substantially co-located infrared receiver detects any reflected infrared signals from the pulse infrared signal that exceed a particular amplitude threshold and furthermore provides an electronic analog signal of said reflected infrared signals with said electronic analog signal being processed by electronic circuit components wherein a signal of appreciable amplitude is produced whenever any said reflected infrared signals exceed said amplitude threshold.

4. The television receiver viewing distance sensor switch of claim 1 wherein said sensor is a monostatic ultrasonic detector in which a pulsed or continuous ultrasonic signal is transmitted into a substantial solid angle of space opposite a viewed direction of said television receiver, and a substantially co-located ultrasonic receiver detects any reflected ultrasonic signals from the pulsed or continous ultrasonic signal that exceed a particular amplitude threshold and furthermore provides either an electronic analog signal of said reflected ultrasonic signals with said electronic analog signal being processed by electronic circuit components wherein a signal of appreciable amplitude is produced whenever any said reflected ultrasonic signals exceed said amplitude threshold.