Portable lighting devices

• US 9,549,454 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2016
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAG Instrument Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MAG Instrument Incorporated
• Inventors: West, Stacey, Maglica, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): A, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US15/238,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 154 Days
• Field of Search: 362/202, 315/200.A, 315/209.R, 315/224, 315/293, 315/160, 315/314
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/005 the device being a pocket lamp F21L4/022, F21L4/045, F21L4/085 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/045 Pocket lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/047 by using spare light sources comprised in or attached to the lighting device and being intended to replace a defect light source by manual mounting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/006 the substrate being distinct from the light source holder
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/009 the casing being inside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0428 the switch being part of, or disposed on the lamp head portion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49828 Progressively advancing of work assembly station or assembled portion of work

Abstract

A flashlight stores a user selection of a desired mode of operation in a temporary storage medium so that it can be retrieved by a controller when an electrical circuit is interrupted for less than a preselected period of time.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a light source;

a main power source for providing power to the light source;

a controller for controlling a plurality of modes of operation of the light source;

a user interface configured to allow a user to select a desired mode of operation from the plurality of modes of operation;

a temporary storage medium for storing the desired mode of operation; and

an electrical circuit which provides power to the light source in an on condition, said electrical circuitry including the light source, the main power source, and the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to select a default mode of operation from the plurality of modes of operation when the electrical circuit is not in the on condition for greater than a preselected period of time and to select the desired mode of operation when the electrical circuit is not in the on condition for less than the preselected period of time.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the preselected period of time is 0.5 seconds or less.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the temporary storage medium stores the desired mode of operation in the on condition and for less than the preselected period of time when the electrical circuit is not in the on condition.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the controller is comprised of a microcontroller.

5. The lighting device of claim 4, wherein the temporary storage medium is not resident in the microcontroller.

6. The lighting device of claim 5, wherein the temporary storage medium is comprised of one or more RC circuits.

7. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the default mode of operation is an off condition in which no power is supplied to the light source.

8. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the lighting device is a flashlight.

9. A method for allowing a flashlight to continue to operate in a desired mode of operation chosen from a plurality of modes of operation when an electrical circuit of the flashlight containing a power source, a light source and a controller is disconnected for less than a preselected period of time, comprising the steps of:

storing the desired mode of operation in a temporary storage medium;

retrieving the desired mode of operation from the temporary storage medium when the electrical circuit is disconnected for less than the preselected period of time; and

operating the flashlight in the desired mode of operation when the electrical circuit is reconnected after less than the preselected period of time.