Intelligent electrical switching device
First Claim
1. A system for use with an exhaustible power source and an energy consuming light generating load, said system comprising:
- (a) a microchip having at least a first input, said first input transfers information to said microchip when a switch connected to said first input has been activated or deactivated, and when in use with said power source and said load, said input and said switch do not form a serial link in a circuit that conducts energy from the power source to activate the light generating load and wherein said switch is a user interface;
(b) said microchip being configured to control the activation and deactivation of the energy flow from said power source to said light generating load in response to at least a signal received through said first input;
(c) said microchip also configured to control the selection of one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least the adjustment in the power supplied to the load, in response to at least a signal received through said first input such that at least two levels of illumination can be activated; and
(d) said microchip further configured to control at least one function selected from the group consisting of;
(i) a low energy consuming find-in-the-dark location indicator that is active when the load is not activated by the user and when the power source is not being charged, said indicator also gives an indication of the said switch operations;
(ii) a power source level indicator that is not dependent on user selection and/or light generating load activation, and is active when the power source is not being charged; and
(iii) a gradual adjustment of power to the load, such that the gradual change in power is not easily visible to the human eye, and wherein the adjusted power level is based on operator actions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention, according to a preferred embodiment, is directed to portable electronic devices which operate on exhaustible power sources, for example, batteries. The electronic devices of the present invention comprise at least one signal switch and a microchip in communication with the switch wherein the switch is only capable of transmitting a signal to the microchip that the switch has been activated or deactivated. The microchip is in communication with the exhaustible power source of the electronic device and controls (i) the power on/off function of the device, (ii) at least one other function of the device in response to activation and deactivation signals from the switch, and (iii) an automatic shut off function in response to the receipt of an activation signal from the switch.
148 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A system for use with an exhaustible power source and an energy consuming light generating load, said system comprising:
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(a) a microchip having at least a first input, said first input transfers information to said microchip when a switch connected to said first input has been activated or deactivated, and when in use with said power source and said load, said input and said switch do not form a serial link in a circuit that conducts energy from the power source to activate the light generating load and wherein said switch is a user interface;
(b) said microchip being configured to control the activation and deactivation of the energy flow from said power source to said light generating load in response to at least a signal received through said first input;
(c) said microchip also configured to control the selection of one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least the adjustment in the power supplied to the load, in response to at least a signal received through said first input such that at least two levels of illumination can be activated; and
(d) said microchip further configured to control at least one function selected from the group consisting of;
(i) a low energy consuming find-in-the-dark location indicator that is active when the load is not activated by the user and when the power source is not being charged, said indicator also gives an indication of the said switch operations;
(ii) a power source level indicator that is not dependent on user selection and/or light generating load activation, and is active when the power source is not being charged; and
(iii) a gradual adjustment of power to the load, such that the gradual change in power is not easily visible to the human eye, and wherein the adjusted power level is based on operator actions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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13. A system for use with an exhaustible power source and an energy consuming light generating load, said system comprising:
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(a) a microchip having at least a first input, said first input transfers information to said microchip when an switch connected to said first input has been activated or deactivated, and when in use with said power source and said load, said input and said switch do not form a serial link in the circuit that conducts energy from the power source to energize the light generating load and said at least one switch being a user interface;
(b) said microchip configured to control the activation and deactivation of the energy flow from said power source to said light generating load in response to at least a signal received through said first input;
(c) said microchip also configured to control the selection of one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least the adjustment in the power supplied to the light generating load to provide a different level of illumination, in response to at least a signal received through said first input; and
(d) said microchip further configured to control at least an automatic delayed shut off function in response to an activation signal received through said first input. - View Dependent Claims (14, 20, 52, 53)
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15. A system for use with an exhaustible power source and an energy consuming light generating load, said system comprising:
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(a) a microchip having at least a first input, said first input transfers information to said microchip when an switch connected to said first input has been activated or deactivated, and when in use with said power source and said load, said input and said switch do not form a serial link in the circuit that conducts energy from the power source to energize the load;
(b) said microchip configured to control the activation and deactivation of the energy flow from said power source to said light generating load in response to at least a signal received through said first input;
(c) said microchip also configured to control the selection of one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least the adjustment in the power supplied to the light generating load to achieve an adjusted illumination level, in response to at least a signal received through said first input; and
(d) said microchip further configured to control at least a find-in-the-dark location indicator that is active when the light generating load is not activated by the user and when the power source is not being charged, said indicator also gives an indication of the said switch operations. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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16. A system for use with an exhaustible power and an energy consuming light generating load, said system comprising:
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(a) a microchip having at least a first input, said first input transfers information to said microchip when an switch connected to said first input has been activated or deactivated, and when in use with said power source and said light generating load, said input and said switch do not form a serial link in the circuit that conducts energy from the power source to energize the light generating load;
(b) said microchip configured to control the activation and deactivation of the energy flow from said power source to said light generating load in response to at least a signal received through said first input;
(c) said microchip also configured to control the selection of one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least the adjustment in the power supplied to the light generating load to achieve an adjusted illumination level, in response to at least a signal received through said first input; and
(d) said microchip further configured to control at least said microchip further configured to control at least a power source level indicator that (i) is active when the light generating load is not activated, and/or (ii) is not dependent on user selection, and (iii) is active when the power source is not being charged.
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17. A system for use with an exhaustible power source and an energy consuming light generating load, said system comprising:
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(a) a microchip having at least a first input, said first input transfers information to said microchip when a switch connected to said first input has been activated or deactivated, and when in use with said power source and said load, said input and said switch do not form a serial link in the circuit that conducts energy from the power source to energize the light generating load;
(b) said microchip configured to control the activation and deactivation of the energy flow from said power source to said light generating load in response to at least a signal received through said first input;
(c) said microchip also configured to control the selection of one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least the adjustment in the power supplied to the light generating load to achieve an adjusted illumination level, in response to at least a signal received through said first input; and
(d) said microchip further configured to control at least a gradual adjustment of power to the load, such that the gradual change in power is not easily visible to the human eye, and wherein the adjusted power level is based on the time of switch closed and/or open operations. - View Dependent Claims (21, 24, 33, 37, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 55)
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18. A system for use with an exhaustible power source and an energy consuming light generating load, said system comprising:
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(a) a microchip having at least a first input, said first input transfers information to said microchip when a switch connected to said first input has been activated or deactivated, and when in use with said power source and said load, said input and said switch do not form a serial link in the circuit that transfers the energy between the power source and the load;
(b) said microchip configured to control the activation and deactivation of the energy flow from said power source to said light generating load in response to at least a signal received through said first input;
(c) said microchip also configured to control the selection of one of a plurality of operating modes, including at least the adjustment in the power supplied to the light generating load to achieve an adjusted illumination level, in response to at least a signal received through said first input; and
(d) said microchip further configured to control the selection of a specific function by a user being dependent on the time duration of the switch being activated, the time duration of the switch being deactivated, and the number of activation signals received from the switch through said first input. - View Dependent Claims (19, 22, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, 54, 56)
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Specification