Light flashing system
First Claim
1. A lighting system to be incorporated into footwear comprising:
- a power source;
a primary gate electrically connected to the power source;
means for controlling the primary gate, said means for controlling electrically connected to the primary gate and the power source;
a plurality of secondary gates each electronically connected to the primary gate and the power source;
a plurality of light emitting elements each electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of secondary gates, to the primary gate, and to the power source; and
means for generating a pattern of signals which control the secondary gates, said means for generating electrically connected to the plurality of secondary gates and the power source.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A light flashing system for flashing lights on and off and for generating a pattern of illumination for a plurality of lights in response to intermittent switch closures. The system includes a battery, a plurality of light emitting elements, a plurality of transistors which enable the illumination of the light emitting elements, a switch, a capacitor, and a pattern generation circuit. The battery powers the light emitting elements and the pattern generation circuit. The switch intermittently clocks the pattern generation circuit and enables the flow of current in certain of the transistors, allowing illumination of certain of the light emitting elements in response to changes in inertial forces caused by movement of the flashing light system. The capacitor is connected in parallel to the battery such that the capacitor stores electrical charge when the switch is closed and continues to enable the flow of current through certain of the transistors after the switch is opened. The pattern generation circuit then causes at least one, but not necessarily all, of the plurality of light emitting elements to illuminate by enabling the flow of current through certain of the transistors. As the switch intermittently opens and closes, the pattern generation circuit is clocked through various states, and the outputs of the pattern generation circuit enables the flow of current through certain of the transistors, allowing illumination of at least one, but not necessarily all, of the light emitting elements in a pattern.
80 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A lighting system to be incorporated into footwear comprising:
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a power source; a primary gate electrically connected to the power source; means for controlling the primary gate, said means for controlling electrically connected to the primary gate and the power source; a plurality of secondary gates each electronically connected to the primary gate and the power source; a plurality of light emitting elements each electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of secondary gates, to the primary gate, and to the power source; and means for generating a pattern of signals which control the secondary gates, said means for generating electrically connected to the plurality of secondary gates and the power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of generating a flashing pattern of light illuminations for use with footwear, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a power source; controlling a primary gate connected to the power source; providing a plurality of secondary gates each electrically connected to the primary gate and the power source; providing a plurality of light emitting elements each connected to a respective one of the plurality of secondary gates, to the primary gate and to the power source; and generating a pattern of signals to control the secondary gates.
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13. A lighting system to be incorporated into footwear comprising:
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a power source; a plurality of light emitting elements electrically connected to the power source; means for illuminating a pattern of at least one, but not all, of the light emitting elements, wherein the pattern of the illuminated light emitting elements is changed only in response to changes in inertial forces on the lighting system, said means for generating electrically connected to the plurality of light emitting elements and the power source. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. Footwear containing a lighting system comprising:
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a shoe having a sole; a power source disposed in the sole of the shoe; a primary gate electrically connected to the power source and disposed in the sole of the shoe; means for controlling the primary gate electrically connected to the primary gate and the power source and disposed in the sole of the shoe; a plurality of secondary gates each electrically connected to the primary gate and the power source and disposed in the sole of the shoe; a plurality of light emitting elements disposed in the sole of the shoe so that the plurality of light emitting elements are visible external to the shoe, wherein each of the plurality of light emitting elements are electrically connected to a respective one of the plurality of secondary gates, to the primary gate, and to the power source; and means for generating a pattern of signals which control the secondary gates, said means for generating electrically connected to the secondary gates and the power source and disposed in the sole of the shoe. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification