Light sensor with hollow conduit

• US 6,191,413 B1
• Filed: 06/26/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dennis J. Hegyi
• Original Assignee: Dennis J. Hegyi
• Inventors: Hegyi, Dennis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PYO, KEVIN K
• Application Number:
  US09/105,688
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 250/226, 250/203.4, 250/227.11, 250/227.18, 250/227.21, 250/227.28, 250/227.29, 250/227.3, 250/214.AL, 385/4, 385/12, 385/31, 385/33
• US Class Current: 250/227.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/06 Restricting the angle of incident light
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers

Abstract

An arrangement for detecting an electromagnetic energy such as ambient light is provided with a photodetector having an input for receiving electromagnetic energy, and an output for producing an electrical characteristic responsive to the electromagnetic energy. A hollow conduit having a first end is arranged to receive a portion of the ambient electromagnetic energy, and a second end thereof is arranged in the vicinity of the photodector input. Thus, a portion of the received potion of the ambient electromagnetic energy impinges upon the photodetector input. The first end of the hollow conduit is terminated at a predetermined angle with respect to an axis of the first end, and a diffuser is optionally disposed in the vicinity of the first end of the hollow conduit. A light blocker arranged in the vicinity of the first end of the hollow conduit to modulate the received portion of the electromagnetic energy, whereby the received portion of the electromagnetic energy has a magnitude that varies in response to the direction of incidence thereof with respect to the axis of the first end. The hollow conduit has a highly polished interior surface, or any other surface finish, and may be adapted to impart a predetermined spectral characteristic to the portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that impinges upon same. The predetermined spectral characteristic corresponds, in certain embodiments, to a predetermined spectral response of a human eye.

Claims

1. An arrangement for dectecting an ambient electromagnetic energy, the arrangement comprising:

a photodetector having a photodetector input for receiving electromagnetic energy, and a photodectector output for producing an electrical characteristic responsive to the electromagnetic energy; and

a hollow conduit having a lumen, a first end that is open to the lumen and arranged to receive a received portion of the ambient electromagnetic energy, and a second end that is open to the lumen and arranged in the vicinity of the photodetector input, said hollow conduit having a polished interior surface, and length and radius dimensional characteristic that are predetermined to effect a desired combination of a first portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that impinges upon an interior surface of said hollow conduit, and a second portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that propagates directly through the lumen of said hollow conduit, whereby a portion of the received potion of the ambient electromagnetic energy impinges upon the photodetector input, the first end that is open to the lumen being configured to effect a predetermined directional sensitivity to the arrangement corresponding to a predetermined combination of the first and second portions of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first end that is open to the lumen of said hollow conduit is terminated orthogonal to an axis of the first end.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein there is further provided a diffuser in the vicinity of the first end of said hollow conduit.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first end that is open to the lumen of said hollow conduit is terminated at an angle other than orthogonal with respect to an axis of the first end, whereby the received portion of the electromagnetic energy has a magnitude that varies in response to the direction of incidence thereof with respect to the axis of the lumen said hollow conduit at the first end thereof.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein there is further provided a diffuser in the vicinity of the first end of said hollow conduit.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein there is further provided light blocker means arranged in the vicinity of the first end of said hollow conduit, whereby the received portion of the electromagnetic energy has a magnitude that varies in response to the direction of incidence thereof with respect to the axis of the lumen of said hollow conduit at the first end thereof.

7. The arrangement of claim 6, wherein there is further provided a diffuser in the vicinity of the first end of said hollow conduit.

8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said hollow conduit has an interior surface that is adapted to impart a predetermined spectral characteristic to the portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that impinges upon said interior surface.

9. The arrangement of claim 8, wherein the predetermined spectral characteristic corresponds to a predetermined spectral response of a human eye.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein said hollow conduit has a determined radius of curvature.

11. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein there are provided:

a further photodetector having a further photodetector input for receiving further electromagnetic energy, and a further photodetector output for producing a further electrical characteristic responsive to the further electromagnetic energy; and

a further hollow conduit having a respective first end arranged to receive a further received portion of the ambient electromagnetic energy, the further received portion of the ambient electromagnetic energy corresponding to ambient electromagnetic energy that is incident from a direction other than that which impinges upon the first end of said hollow conduit, and a respective second end arranged in the vicinity of the further photodector input, whereby a portion of the further received potion of the ambient electromagnetic energy impinges upon the further photodetector input.

12. The arrangement of claim 11, wherein said hollow conduit and said further hollow conduit each have a respectively associated spectral characteristic.

13. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein there is further provided a lens disposed in the vicinity of the first end of said hollow conduit.

14. The arrangement of claim 13, wherein said lens is an annular lens having a determined angular sensitivity.

15. An arrangement for detecting an ambient light, the arrangement comprising:

a photodetector having a photodetector input for receiving the ambient light, and a photodetector output for producing an electrical characteristic responsive to the ambient light;

a hollow conduit having a lumen, a first end that is open to the lumen and arranged to receive a received portion of the ambient light, and a second end arranged in the vicinity of the photodetector input, said hollow conduit having polished interior surface, and length and radius dimensional characteristics that are predetermined to effect a desired combination of a first portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that impinges upon an interior surface of said hollow conduit, and a second portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that propagates directly through the lumen of said hollow conduit, whereby a portion of the received potion of the ambient light impinges upon the photodetector input, the first end that is open to the lumen being configured to effect a predetermined directional sensitivity to the arrangement corresponding to a predetermined combination of the first and second portions of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy; and

light modulator means disposed at the first end that is open to the lumen of said hollow conduit for imparting a directional sensitivity characteristic to the received portion of the ambient light.

16. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein said light modulator means is integrally formed with said hollow conduit.

17. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein said light modulator means comprises a predetermined angular termination at the first end of said hollow conduit.

18. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein said light modulator means comprises a lens.

19. The arrangement of claim 18, wherein said lens comprises an annular lens.

20. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein said light modulator means comprises an axially protruding portion having an axial dimension that varies with angular position about an axis of said hollow conduit.

21. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein said hollow conduit has an interior surface extending along at least a portion of its length, said interior surface having a predetermined surface finish.

22. The arrangement of claim 21, wherein said interior surface finish has a predetermined spectral characteristic.

23. The arrangement of claim 15, wherein there is further provided a diffuser arranged in the vicinity of the first end of said hollow conduit for dispersing the ambient light.

24. A method of propagating ambient light from a first location to a second location where a photodectector is disposed, the method comprising the step of:

receiving a portion of the ambient light at a first end of a hollow conduit having lumen and a polished interior surface;

controlling an angular sensitivity of the received portion of the light in relation to the lumen of the hollow conduit;

propagating the received portion of the ambient light along the lumen of the hollow conduit, the lumen of the hollow conduit having length and radius dimensional characteristics that are predetermined to effect a desired combination of a first portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that impinges upon an interior surface of said hollow conduit, and a second portion of the received portion of the electromagnetic energy that propagates directly through the lumen of the hollow conduit; and

producing an electrical signal responsive to the received portion of the ambient light, after performing the step of propagating.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein there is further provided the step of modulating a spectral characteristic of the received portion of the ambient light during the step of propagating.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein there is further provided the step of diffusing the received portion of the ambient light.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said step of controlling comprises the step of propagating the received portion of the ambient light through a lens.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said step of propagating the received portion of the ambient light along the hollow conduit comprises the step of causing the received portion of the ambient light to impinge upon an internal surface of the hollow conduit.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein there is further provided the step of controlling a proportion of the received portion of the ambient light that impinges upon the internal surface of the hollow conduit.