Apparatus and method for L.E.D. illumination

• US 8,362,712 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2011
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lemaire Illumination Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: LED Tech Development LLC
• Inventors: Lebens, Gary A., Bourn, Charles T., Lemaire, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, JIMMY T
• Application Number:
  US13/244,481
• Time in Patent Office: 492 Days
• Field of Search: 315152-159, 315/209.R, 315/225, 315/226, 315/291, 315/307, 315/308, 315/362
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/32 Pulse-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/397 Current mirror circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

An illumination source for a camera includes one or more LEDs, and an electrical circuit that selectively applies power from the DC voltage source to the LEDs, wherein the illumination source is suitable for handheld portable operation. In some embodiments, the electrical circuit further includes a control circuit for driving the LEDs with electrical pulses at a frequency high enough that light produced has an appearance to a human user of being continuous rather than pulsed, the control circuit changing a pulse characteristic to adjust a proportion of light output having the first characteristic color spectrum output to that having the second characteristic color spectrum output. Some embodiments provide an illumination source including a housing including one or more LEDs; and a control circuit that selectively applies power from a source of electric power to the LEDs, thus controlling a light output color spectrum of the LEDs.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one light-emitting diode (LED);

a DC voltage source having an amount of electrical power; and

a controller circuit operatively coupled to the DC voltage source and to the LED that controls visibly perceptible light pulses from the at least one LED such that the visibly perceptible light pulses provide an indication to a human user of a remaining portion of the amount of electrical power, wherein the visibly perceptible light pulses include a number of pulses having a close temporal separation followed by a longer temporal separation with no light pulses, the number being proportional to the remaining portion of the amount of electrical power.