Remote control of illuminating headlamp

• US 8,851,709 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Designs For Vision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Designs For Vision, Inc.
• Inventors: Feinbloom, Richard E., Braganca, Ken, Koscheka, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US13/468,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20120275140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 362/802, 362/276, 362/295, 362/103
• US Class Current: 362/276
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 14/00 Electric lighting devices without a self-contained power source, e.g. for mains connection
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/045 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A remote control operation of an illuminated unit attached to a headset consisting of a headband and at least one optical device providing illumination at a known distance from the optical device attached to the headband is disclosed. The remote control unit incorporates a sensing unit that causes power to be switched on and off by the detection of motion in front of the sensing unit. In addition, the illumination may be increased or decreased based on a signal strength of a detected remote sensing signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for remotely controlling an illumination unit comprising:

a battery unit electrically connected to said illumination unit;

at least one transmitting unit;

a receiving unit in communication with the battery unit, said receiving unit;

detecting a signal generated by said at least one transmitting unit,

generating a battery control signal in response to said detected signal generated by said at least one transmitting unit;

providing the battery control signal to said battery unit, wherein, the battery unit alters a voltage provided to the illumination unit in response to the battery control signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal detected by the receiving unit is greater than a threshold value.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage provided by the battery unit is between 0 volts and a maximum voltage.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving unit further:

determines a magnitude of the detected signal; and

generates a level of the battery control signal based on the magnitude of the detected signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the level of the battery control signal is proportional to the level of the detected signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the threshold value is determined based on one of a plurality of preset values.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected signal is determined within a predetermined period of time.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected signal represents an average of a plurality of received signals within a predetermined period of time.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one transmitting unit and the receiving unit are selected from the group consisting of:

RF devices, infra-red devices, and ultra-sonic devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, said receiving unit further:

determines a direction of motion based on a change in the detected signal magnitude; and

generates a level of the battery control signal based on the determined direction of motion.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein receiving unit is contained within said battery unit.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving unit is wirelessly connected to said at least one transmitting unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiving unit and said at least one transmitting unit are contained within a single unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said receiving unit and said transmitting unit are infra-red devices.

15. An apparatus for remotely controlling an illumination unit attached to a headset, said apparatus comprising:

a transmitting unit transmitting an RF signal;

a receiving unit;

receiving said RF signal;

determining whether a strength of said RF signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and

generating a control signal when said strength of said RF signal exceeds said predetermined threshold value; and

a battery unit;

receiving said control signal; and

altering a voltage applied to said illumination unit to change said illumination unit from one state to another state in response to said control signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the illumination unit is changed from one of:

an on-state to an off-state and an off-state to an on-state.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said receiving unit is contained within said battery unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said transmitting unit and said receiving unit are connected through a wireless connection.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said wireless connection is one of:

a BLUETOOTH connection, a WIFI connection, and a proprietary connection.