Light-emission controlling apparatus

• US 5,909,090 A
• Filed: 09/04/1997
• Issued: 06/01/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Ieda, Masahiro, Nakamura, Kenji, Katayama, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US08/923,627
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 315/307, 315/219, 315/224, 315/291, 315/DIG. 7, 315/308
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/42 in two steps only
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/28 Circuit arrangements for protecting against abnormal temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/07 Starting and control circuits for gas discharge lamp using transistors

Abstract

There is provided a light-emission controlling apparatus comprising a light-emission time integrating unit (107) for measuring the integral of the length of time that an electric discharge lamp (106) has emitted light, a comparing unit (1082) for comparing the integral of the length of time that the electric discharge lamp (106) has emitted light which is measured by the light-emission time integrating unit (107) to a reference value, a light-emission mode selecting unit (1083) for selecting either a first light-emission mode or a second light-emission mode according to a comparison result from the comparing unit (1082) so as to cause the electric discharge lamp (106) to emit light in one light-emission mode selected, and a display controlling unit (1084) for transmitting information about the comparison result from the comparing unit (1082) as the information about the light-emission state of said light-emitting means, by way of a local are network (109), to a display device (500 and 501) disposed outside the light-emission controlling apparatus, and for displaying the information on the display device.

Claims

1. A light-emission controlling apparatus comprising:

a light-emitting means for emitting light;

a detecting means for detecting a light-emission state of said light-emitting means;

a control means for selecting one from at least a first light-emission mode and a second light-emission mode according to the light-emission state of said light-emitting means detected by said detecting means, and for enabling said light-emitting means to emit light in the selected first or second light-emission mode; and

a communications means through which information about the light-emission state of said light-emitting means detected by said detecting means is transmitted.

2. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes a comparing means for comparing the light-emission state of said light-emitting means detected by said detecting means to a reference light-emission state of said light-emitting means, and a light-emission mode selecting means for selecting one from the plurality of light-emission modes according to a comparison result from said comparing means.

3. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said control means includes a means for transmitting information about the comparison result from said comparing means, as the information about the light-emission state of said light-emitting means, to a display device disposed outside said light-emission controlling apparatus by way of said communications means, and for displaying the information about the comparison result on the display device.

4. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said detecting means detects the light-emission state of said light-emitting means by acquiring information showing how long or how many times said light-emitting means has been used.

5. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detecting means includes a means for measuring the integral of the length of time that said light-emitting means has emitted light since it was attached to said light-emission controlling apparatus, and said comparing means compares the measured integral of the length of time that said light-emitting means has emitted light to a reference value showing the reference light-emission state of said light-emitting means, and wherein said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode when the comparison result indicates that the measured integral of the length of time that said light-emitting means has emitted light is greater than the reference value, and said light-emission mode selecting means selects the first light-emission mode otherwise.

6. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detecting means includes a means for measuring or counting the number of times that said light-emitting means has emitted light since it was attached to said light-emission controlling apparatus, and said comparing means compares the measured number of times that said light-emitting means has emitted light to a reference value showing the reference light-emission state of said light-emitting means, and wherein said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode when the comparison result indicates that the measured number of times that said light-emitting means has emitted light is greater than the reference value, and said light-emission mode selecting means selects the first light-emission mode otherwise.

7. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said detecting means includes a means for measuring intensity of light emitted out of said light-emitting means, temperature of said light-emitting means or ambient temperature in the vicinity of said light-emitting means, power supplied to said light-emitting means, or a voltage applied to said light-emitting means, and said comparing means compares the measurement result by said measuring means to a corresponding reference value showing the reference light-emission state of said light-emitting means, and wherein said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode when the comparison result indicates that the value of the measured light intensity is lower than its corresponding reference value, the value of the measured temperature is greater than its corresponding reference value, the value of the measured power is greater than its corresponding reference value, or the value of the measured voltage is greater than its corresponding reference value, and said light-emission mode selecting means selects the first light-emission mode otherwise.

8. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the first light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to simply light up, and when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to flash on and off during a predetermined period of time.

9. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the first light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to simply light up, and when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to flash on and off only a predetermined number of times.

10. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means detects the light-emission state of said light-emitting means by acquiring plural pieces of information each showing how long or how many times said light-emitting means has been used, and wherein said control means selects one from among the plurality of light-emission modes according to the plural pieces of information acquired by said detecting means, and for enabling said light-emitting means to emit light in one said light-emission mode selected.

11. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising another light-emitting means for emitting light, wherein when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode, said control means causes said other light-emitting means to emit light.

12. A light-emission controlling apparatus comprising:

a light-emitting means for emitting light;

a means for determining whether or not a time to replace said light-emitting means has come so as to select a first light-emission mode when determining that a time to replace said light-emitting means has not come and select a second light-emission mode when determining that a time to replace said light-emitting means has come, and for enabling said light-emitting means to emit light in the selected first or second light-emission mode; and

a communications means through which information about the light-emission state of said light-emitting means detected by said detecting means is transmitted.

13. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said determining means includes a means for measuring the integral of the length of time that said light-emitting means has emitted light since it was attached to said light-emission controlling apparatus, a comparing means for comparing the measured integral of the length of time that said light-emitting means has emitted light to a reference value, a light-emission mode selecting means for selecting either the first light-emission mode or the second light-emission mode according to a comparison result from said comparing means, and a means for transmitting the information about the comparison result from said comparing means, as the information about the light-emission state of said light-emitting means, to a display device disposed outside said light-emission controlling apparatus by way of said communications means, and for displaying the information about the comparison result on the display device.

14. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said determining means includes a means for measuring or counting the number of times that said light-emitting means has emitted light since it was attached to said light-emission controlling apparatus, a comparing means for comparing the measured number of times that said light-emitting means has emitted light to a reference value, a light-emission mode selecting means for selecting either the first light-emission mode or the second light-emission mode according to a comparison result from said comparing means, and a means for transmitting the information about the comparison result from said comparing means, as the information about the light-emission state of said light-emitting means, to a display device disposed outside said light-emission controlling apparatus by way of said communications means, and for displaying the information about the comparison result on the display device.

15. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said determining means includes a means for measuring intensity of light emitted out of said light-emitting means, temperature of said light-emitting means or ambient temperature in the vicinity of said light-emitting means, power supplied to said light-emitting means, or a voltage applied to said light-emitting means, a comparing means for comparing the light intensity, ambient temperature, voltage, current or power measured by said measuring means to a corresponding reference value, a light-emission mode selecting means for selecting either the first light-emission mode or the second light-emission mode according to a comparison result from said comparing means, and a means for transmitting the information about the comparison result from said comparing means, as the information about the light-emission state of said light-emitting means, to a display device disposed outside said light-emission controlling apparatus by way of said communications means, and for displaying the information about the comparison result on the display device.

16. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the first light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to simply light up, and when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to flash on and off during a predetermined period of time.

17. The light-emission controlling apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the first light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to simply light up, and when said light-emission mode selecting means selects the second light-emission mode, said control means enables said light-emitting means to flash on and off only a predetermined number of times.