Multi-mode portable lighting device
First Claim
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1. A multi-mode portable lighting device comprising:
- a housing for receiving a portable power source having a positive electrode and a negative electrode;
a light source having a first electrode and a second electrode;
a main power circuit for connecting the first and second electrodes of the light source to the positive and negative electrodes of the portable power source, respectively, the main power circuit including a mechanical power switch and an electronic power switch disposed electrically in series with the light source;
a controller electrically coupled in series with the mechanical power switch so that when the mechanical power switch is opened, the controller is not powered by the portable power source, the controller including an output for providing a control signal for controlling the opening and closing of the electronic power switch, the controller being configured to control the electronic power switch in a manner to provide at least two modes of operation;
a state machine having a memory mechanism for temporarily storing a mode of operation and at least one output coupled to the controller for communicating at least one output signal to the controller, wherein said controller is configured to determine the mode of operation based on the at least one output signal from the state machine, and wherein the controller is configured to write a new mode of operation to the state machine following power up.
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Abstract
A portable lighting device, such as a flashlight, with a mechanical power switch and multiple operating modes is provided. The mechanical power switch is disposed in series with the controller for the lighting device and acts as the user interface to the controller to change modes of operation. Because the mechanical power switch is in series with the controller, the portable lighting device does not consume battery power when the mechanical switch is open. A state machine coupled to the controller is polled by the controller each time it is powered up to determine the operational mode of the lighting device.
144 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A multi-mode portable lighting device comprising:
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a housing for receiving a portable power source having a positive electrode and a negative electrode; a light source having a first electrode and a second electrode; a main power circuit for connecting the first and second electrodes of the light source to the positive and negative electrodes of the portable power source, respectively, the main power circuit including a mechanical power switch and an electronic power switch disposed electrically in series with the light source; a controller electrically coupled in series with the mechanical power switch so that when the mechanical power switch is opened, the controller is not powered by the portable power source, the controller including an output for providing a control signal for controlling the opening and closing of the electronic power switch, the controller being configured to control the electronic power switch in a manner to provide at least two modes of operation; a state machine having a memory mechanism for temporarily storing a mode of operation and at least one output coupled to the controller for communicating at least one output signal to the controller, wherein said controller is configured to determine the mode of operation based on the at least one output signal from the state machine, and wherein the controller is configured to write a new mode of operation to the state machine following power up. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of operating a multi-mode portable lighting device including a main power circuit for connecting a light source to a portable power source, a controller for controlling an electronic power switch disposed in the main power circuit in electrical series with the light source, the controller being electrically connected in series to a mechanical power switch disposed in the main power circuit in series with the light source and which acts as the user interface to the controller, the method comprising the steps of:
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using the controller upon power up to read at least one output signal from a state machine to determine a first mode of operation based on the least one output signal; writing a second mode of operation from the controller to the state machine following power up, wherein the state machine will remember the second mode of operation for a brief period after the mechanical power switch is opened so that if the mechanical power switch is closed before the brief period lapses, the controller will operate in the second mode of operation.
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25. A method of calibrating one or more memory capacitors of a driver circuit for a multi-mode portable lighting device, wherein each memory capacitor is connected to a data port of a controller in parallel with a bleed off resistor, the method comprising:
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powering the driver circuit to charge each of the one or more memory capacitors; removing the power from the driver circuit for a predetermined time interval; powering the driver circuit as soon as the predetermined time interval has lapsed; measuring the voltage value on each of the one or more memory capacitors; and storing the voltage measured for each of the one or more memory capacitors in a non-volatile memory accessible by the controller. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification