Warning light for optically displaying at least one operating state

• US 7,999,693 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WERMA Holding GmbH + Co. KG
• Original Assignee: WERMA Holding GmbH + Co. KG
• Inventors: Höhler, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/289,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20100109897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/815.45, 340/907, 340/908, 340/825.23, 340/815.5, 34081565-81566, 340/915
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/38 using flashing light

Abstract

A warning light is provided for optically displaying at least one and preferably a number of different operating states, of a technical device such as a machine, an installation, a vehicle or the like. The warning light has at least one luminous element for emitting a sequence of illumination pulses within a specific time interval for the display of a specific operating state, in which the illumination characteristic of the illumination pulses are determined by at least one illumination parameter (P) such as brightness, illumination duration, frequency, color, direction of emission or the like to substantially improve perception of the optical display especially for a particularly critical operating state. This is achieved according to the invention by providing an aperiodic change in at least one of the illumination parameters (P) in a specific time interval.

Claims

1. In a warning light for optically displaying at least one operating state of a device said warning light having at least one luminous element (2) for emitting a sequence of a number of illumination pulses within a specific time interval during a display of a specific operating state, the illumination characteristic of the illumination pulses being determined by at least one illumination parameter (P) selected from a group of illumination parameters including brightness, illumination duration, frequency, color, or direction of emission wherein the improvement comprises a control unit with a random generator, processor or memory unit providing a random aperiodic change in at least one of the illumination parameters (P) in the specific time interval.

2. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein at least two illumination pulses are separated by a dark phase having at least one dark parameter.

3. The warning light according to claim 1 or 2 wherein an aperiodic change in the dark parameter is provided in the specific time interval.

4. The warning light according to claim 1 or 2 wherein at least two illumination pulses overlap.

5. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein a form of one of the illumination pulses is the random aperiodic changing illumination parameter (P).

6. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein a pulse energy of one of the illumination pulses is the random aperiodic changing illumination parameter (P).

7. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein the specific time interval comprises at least ten different illumination pulses and/or dark phases.

8. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein the specific time interval comprises at least a thousand different illumination pulses and/or dark phases.

9. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein between ten and sixty changes in one of the illumination pulses per second are provided, at least within the specific time interval.

10. The warning light according to claim 9 wherein between twenty and thirty changes in one of the illumination pulses per second are provided, at least within the specific time interval.

11. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein a change between an illumination pulse and a dark phase is a temporally periodic change.

12. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein a number of luminous elements (2) are provided.

13. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein a number of shining luminous elements (2) provides the random aperiodic change of an illumination parameter (P).

14. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein at least two luminous elements (2) form a luminous element group (4) with identical illumination parameters (P).

15. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein the at least one luminous element(s) (2) is a light-emitting diode (2).

16. The warning light according to claim 1 wherein the at least one luminous element(s) (2) is a multicolor light-emitting diode.

17. A technical device having a warning light for optically displaying at least one operating state of said technical device comprising:

(a) at least one luminous element to emit a sequence of illumination pulses in a specific time interval determined by an operating condition of a technical device;

(b) a control unit for controlling an illumination parameter or a dark parameter of said at least one luminous element; and

(c) a random generator, memory unit or processor connected to said control unit to provide a quasi random aperiodic change in said illumination parameter or said dark parameter of said at least one luminous element during said specific time interval.

18. A vehicle warning light for optically displaying an operational state of a vehicle comprising:

(a) at least one luminous element to emit a sequence of illumination pulses in a specific time interval determined by an operating condition of a vehicle;

(b) a control unit for controlling an illumination parameter of said at least one luminous element; and

(c) at least one random generator, memory unit or processor associated with said control unit for the quasi-random aperiodic changing of the illumination parameter (P) or the dark parameter of said at least one luminous element wherein said random generator, memory unit or processor provides a random aperiodic illumination parameter for said at least one luminous element or a random aperiodic dark parameter of said at least one luminous element at about ten to sixty per second within the specific time interval.