Patent ID: 6688752
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: F21S,F21W,F21Y,H05B,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for simulating a flame by sequentially controlling a respective intensity of illumination provided by each of a selected number, greater than one, of light sources disposed in a vertically extending array thereof, each of the light sources for providing a respective intensity of illumination responsive to an amplitude of a respective voltage applied to a terminal thereof, the apparatus comprising:a controller having a memory operatively associated therewith, the controller operable under control of a flame simulation program stored in the memory, the controller comprising a plurality of output connections for supplying at least one binary-encoded output value; the flame simulation program for controlling the controller to provide the at least one binary-encoded output value; at least one digital-to-analog converter connected to the controller to receive the at least one binary-encoded output value therefrom, the digital-to-analog converter for converting the received at least one binary-encoded output value to a corresponding at least one analog voltage at a respective at least one digital-to-analog output; and the selected number of electrical connections, each of the electrical connections respectively connecting the digital to analog output to one of the selected number of light sources, each of the electrical connections comprising a respective electrical resistance uniquely associated with a resistive ladder network, whereby the amplitude of the voltage applied to the respective terminal of each of the light sources is responsive to both the amplitude of the analog signal and the value of the respective electrical resistance.