Portable handheld artificial light detector

• US 7,642,501 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Platner, Brian P., Mudge, Philip H., Fassbender, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps; Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ko; Tony
• Application Number:
  US11/874,451
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 340/545.3, 340/331, 250/214.B, 250/221, 250/214.AL, 250/214.C, 250/214.R, 250/205, 327/514
• US Class Current: 250/214.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0233 Handheld
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0247 using a charging unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/46 using a capacitor

Abstract

A portable, handheld artificial light detector distinguishes artificial light from sunlight and identifies low-frequency artificial light from high-frequency artificial light. Artificial light includes light from a lamp powered by an AC source. Low frequency light includes, for example, light produced by a magnetic luminaire ballast, while high frequency light includes light produced by an electronic luminaire ballast.

Claims

1. A method of identifying light, said method comprising:

identifying light from an incandescent lamp or a source having a magnetic luminaire ballast via AC signal filtering and a first capacitor voltage generated in response to an amount of light received from the incandescent lamp or the source having a magnetic luminaire ballast unless a second capacitor voltage generated in response to an amount of light received simultaneously from a source having an electronic luminaire ballast is higher;

identifying light from a source having an electronic luminaire ballast via AC signal filtering and the second capacitor voltage unless the first capacitor voltage generated in response to an amount of light received simultaneously from an incandescent lamp or a source having a magnetic luminaire ballast is higher;

identifying sunlight;

powering all said identifyings with a self-contained portable energy source; and

performing all said identifyings and said powering in a single housing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifying light from an incandescent lamp or a source having a magnetic luminaire ballast comprises activating a first indicator.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said activating a first indicator comprises emitting a first sound or a first color light.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said emitting a first color light comprises illuminating a first light emitting diode.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifying light from a source having an electronic luminaire ballast comprises activating a second indicator.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said activating a second indicator comprises emitting a second sound or a second color light, said second sound different than said first sound and said second color different than said first color.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said emitting a second color light comprises illuminating a second light emitting diode.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifying sunlight comprises activating no indicator.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said powering comprises powering all said identifyings with one or more batteries.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said performing comprises performing all said identifyings and said powering in a single handheld housing.

11. A method of identifying light, said method comprising:

identifying a frequency of light as being in a first frequency range;

identifying in parallel a frequency of light as being in a second frequency range with the identifying of a frequency of light in the first frequency range, said second frequency range higher than said first frequency range;

inhibiting a circuit used to identify light having a frequency in the second frequency range upon light having a frequency in the first frequency range meeting a criteria relative to the light having a frequency in the second frequency range;

inhibiting a circuit used to identify light having a frequency in the first frequency range upon light having a frequency in the second frequency range meeting a criteria relative to the light having a frequency in the first frequency range;

identifying light having a frequency below said first frequency range;

powering all said identifyings and said inhibitings with a self-contained portable energy source; and

performing all said identifyings, said inhibitings, and said powering in a single housing.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said first frequency range is 120 hertz to 360 hertz.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said second frequency range is 30 kilohertz to 1 megahertz.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said identifying light having a frequency in a first frequency range comprises activating a first indicator.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said identifying light having a frequency in a second frequency range comprises activating a second indicator.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said identifying light having a frequency below said first frequency range comprises activating no indicator.

17. A method of identifying light, said method comprising:

illuminating a first light emitting device to identify artificial light of a first type in response to a first AC circuit signal of sufficient strength;

illuminating a second light emitting device to identify artificial light of a second type, said second type different than said first type, in response to a second AC circuit signal of sufficient strength unless the first AC signal is stronger in comparison to and generated in parallel with the second AC signal; and

performing both said illuminatings in a single handheld device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said first type of light has a frequency in a range of 120 hertz to 360 hertz.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said first type of light is produced by an incandescent lamp or a lamp having a magnetic ballast.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said second type of light has frequency in a range of 30 kilohertz to 1 megahertz.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said second type of light is produced by a lamp having an electronic ballast.

22. A method of identifying light, said method comprising:

converting received light into an electrical signal, said electrical signal having at least one of a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component;

removing said DC component of said electrical signal if said electrical signal has said DC component;

amplifying said AC component of said electrical signal to produce an amplified signal if said electrical signal has said AC component;

filtering said amplified signal through a first filter;

filtering said amplified signal through a second filter in parallel with said filtering through said first filter;

indicating a first type of light in response to said first filter passing there through said amplified signal while preventing an output signal from said second filter from indicating a second type of light; and

indicating the second type of light in response to said second filter passing there through said amplified signal while preventing an output signal from said first filter from indicating the first type of light.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said indicating a first type of light comprises activating a first indicator in response to said first filter passing there through said amplified signal.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said indicating a second type of light comprises activating a second indicator in response to said second filter passing there through said amplified signal.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said first filter passes signals having frequencies below a first frequency and said second filter passes signals having frequencies in a range above said first frequency.

26. A method of identifying light, said method comprising:

converting received light into an electrical signal;

amplifying the electrical signal to produce an amplified signal;

filtering the amplified signal through a first filter to produce a first filtered signal;

filtering the amplified signal through a second filter connected in parallel with the first filter to produce a second filtered signal;

activating a first indicator in response to the first filtered signal being stronger than the second filtered signal, the first filtered signal representing a first type of light; and

activating a second indicator in response to the second filtered signal being stronger than the first filtered signal, the second filtered signal representing a second type of light.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising performing the converting, the amplifying, both the filterings, and both the activatings in a single handheld housing.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising powering the converting, the amplifying, both the filterings, and both the activatings with a self-contained portable energy source located in the handheld housing.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising depressing a power switch manually and continuously to enable the portable energy source to provide power for performing the converting, the amplifying, both the filterings, and both the activatings, the power switch open and unconnected to the portable energy source when not depressed.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein:

activating the first indicator indicates an incandescent or magnetic luminaire ballast source of light; and

activating the second indicator indicates an electronic luminaire ballast source of light.