Patent Publication Number: US-2022232687-A1

Title: Lighting apparatus having ultra-low mode

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/138,563 filed Jan. 18, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The application relates to a lighting apparatus such as a flashlight, and more specifically, to a flashlight with multiple lighting modes including an ultra-low luminescent mode. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Flashlights typically include multiple modes such as spotlight modes, flood light modes, etc. A user generally selects the mode by altering a distance or arrangement between a light source (e.g., bulb, LED, etc.) and an optic (e.g., lens). In some instances, a user may alter the brightness emitted by the light source depending on a desired application. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, the invention provides a lighting apparatus including a light source operable to emit different levels of brightness, and a user interface configured to be selectively actuated by a user to turn the light source off and on. When the light source is off and the user interface is actuated for a first amount of time, the light source turns on in a first mode in which the light source emits a first level of brightness. When the light source is off and the user interface is actuated for a second amount of time that is different from the first amount of time, the light source turns on in an ultra-low mode in which the light source emits a second level of brightness. 
     In another embodiment, the invention provides a lighting apparatus including a light source operable in a plurality of modes, a user interface that can be actuated by a user to select a mode of the light source, and an electronic processor coupled to the light source and to the user interface. The electronic processor is configured to receive a first signal from the user interface when the user interface is actuated for a first amount of time, operate the light source in a first mode in response to receiving the first signal, receive a second signal from the user interface when the user interface is actuated for a second amount of time that is different from the second amount of time, and operate the light source in an ultra-low mode in response to receiving the second signal. 
     In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a method of operating a lighting apparatus that includes a light source, a user interface, and an electronic processor coupled to the light source and the user interface. The method includes actuating the user interface for a first amount of time, in response to actuating the user interface for a first amount of time, operating the light source in a first mode, actuating the user interface for a second amount of time that is different from the second amount of time, and in response to actuating the user interface for the second amount of time, operating the light source in an ultra-low mode. 
     Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a flashlight, according to one embodiment. 
         FIG. 1B  is another perspective view of the flashlight of  FIG. 1  illustrating components inside the flashlight. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the flashlight of  FIG. 1 , according to an example embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a process for selecting a desired operating or output mode of the flashlight of  FIG. 1 , according to an example embodiment. 
     
    
    
     Before any embodiments of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     Use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Use of “consisting of” and variations thereof as used herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate a lighting apparatus, such as a flashlight  10 . In other embodiments, the lighting apparatus may be other types of devices, such as a headlamp, a work light, a flood light, an area light, or the like. The illustrated flashlight  10  includes a housing  14  and is operable in multiple modes (e.g., different levels of brightness). The housing  14  includes a handle  18 , a light head  22 , and a user interface  26 . The user interface  26  is operable to turn the flashlight  10  ON and OFF. The user interface  26  is also operable to change an operating mode of the flashlight  10 . The illustrated user interface  26  is a pressable pad or button, but other types of selectors, such as a rotatable ring, slider, or the like, are contemplated. The user interface  26  may be encircled by an indicator ring  28 , which illuminates to display a charge/battery status (e.g., green for full battery, yellow for partial battery, red for low battery, etc.) of the flashlight  10 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1A , the user interface  26  is supported on the light head  22  and positioned to be easily pressable by a thumb of a user. In other embodiments, the user interface  26  could alternatively be positioned on the handle  18  or on another part of the housing  14 , such as on an end of the flashlight  10  opposite the light head  22 . 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , the handle  18  houses a battery  30 . The battery  30  is concealed in the handle  18  and powers the flashlight  10 . The illustrated handle  18  also includes a grip  34 , a clip  38 , and a tail cap  42 . The grip  34  may be defined by, for example, a knurled or otherwise contoured surface. The tail cap  42  is removable from a remainder of the handle  18  to access the battery  30 . In some embodiments, the tail cap  38  is threaded onto the remainder of the handle  18 . In other embodiments, the tail cap  42  is integrally formed with the remainder of the handle  18 , and access to the battery  30  is provided by removing the light head  22  from the handle  18 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1B and 2 , the light head  22  supports the user interface  26 , and houses a main control board or “MCB”  46 , a charger board  50 , a light board  54 , a light source  62 , a lens  66 , and a charging receptacle  70 . In the illustrated embodiment, the light source  62  includes a light emitting diode (LED) connected to the light board  54 , which includes a light driver board  54 A as well as a light enable board  54 B. In some embodiments, the light source  62  may include an array of LEDs. In other embodiments, the light head  22  may include other suitable light sources. 
       FIG. 2  is an example block diagram of the flashlight  10 , which includes an electronic processor  74  that may be supported by the MCB  46 , in one embodiment. The electronic processor  74  is configured to implement several control circuits such as a main control circuit, a charging circuit, an LED enabling circuit, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic processor  74  is electrically coupled to a variety of components of the flashlight  10  (e.g., the user interface  26 , the MCB  46 , etc.) and includes electrical and electronic components that provide power, operational control, and protection to the components of the flashlight  10 . In some embodiments, the electronic processor  74  includes, among other things, a processing unit (e.g., a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or another suitable programmable device). 
     The processing unit of the electronic processor  74  may include, among other things, a control unit, an arithmetic logic unit (“ALU”), and registers. In some embodiments, the electronic processor  74  may be implemented as a programmable microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”), one or more field programmable gate arrays (“FPGA”), a group of processing components, or with other suitable electronic processing components. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic processor  74  includes a memory  78  (for example, a non-transitory, computer-readable medium) that includes one or more devices (for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage, etc.) for storing data and/or computer code for completing or facilitating the various processes, layers, and modules described herein. The memory  78  may include database components, object code components, script components, or other types of code and information for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present application. The electronic processor  74  is configured to retrieve data from the memory  78  and execute, among other things, instructions related to the control processes, algorithms, and methods described herein. The electronic processor  74  is also configured to store/write information on/to the memory  78 . For example, the memory  78  can store information regarding the last used mode of the flashlight  10  before the flashlight  10  is turned OFF. 
     In some embodiments, the battery  30  is coupled to and transmits power to the electronic processor  74 , the MCB  46 , and the light source  62 . The battery  30  may include one or more batteries, such as Li-ion batteries or alkaline batteries. The batteries may be removable and/or rechargeable. In other embodiments, the battery  30  may be a dedicated battery. In some examples, the battery  30  includes other power storage devices, such as super-capacitors or ultra-capacitors. In some embodiments, the battery  30  includes combinations of active and passive components (e.g., voltage step-down controllers, voltage converters, rectifiers, filters, etc.). 
     The battery  30 , in one example, is always wired to provide power to the MCB  46  such that even if the flashlight  10  is not being used (i.e., turned OFF), the MCB  46  may still receive power from the battery  30 . In similar embodiments, components such as the user interface  26  and the memory  78  receive power from the battery  30  through the MCB  46  and are not independently connected to the battery  30 . In other embodiments, the battery  30  may be connected to each component in the flashlight  10  or only some of the components in the flashlight  10 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the electronic processor  74  is configured to control a drive current provided by the battery  30  to the light source  62  and the MCB  46  by controlling a pulse width modulation (“PWM”) duty cycle that controls when the battery  30  provides the drive current to the light board  54 . The light board  54  is configured to enable the light source  62  based on a PWM signal provided to the light board  54 . The electronic processor  74  is further configured to receive inputs from the user interface  26  and communicate a command or signal (e.g., PWM signal) to the light board  54  based on the inputs. For example, the electronic processor  74  is configured to receive an input (e.g., input PWM signal) when the user interface  26  is actuated by a user. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, charging power is transmitted through the charging receptacle  70  and into the MCB  46 . The electronic processor  74  may sense the presence of charging power and divert the charging power through the charger board  50  to recharge the battery  30 . In other embodiments, charging power may be received directly by the charger board  50 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the battery  30  is connected back to the MCB  46  such that the MCB  46  is always powered as long as the battery  30  is not fully depleted and not being charged. 
     The electronic processor  74  may additionally provide a level of battery charge to the memory  78 , which may be connected to the MCB  46 . In some embodiments, the battery charge level is stored on the MCB  46 . Regardless of which component reads and/or stores the battery charge level, the electronic processor  74  is further configured to illuminate the indicator ring  28  with different colors based on how much charge remains/how much charge has been depleted. For example, if the battery  30  is at 100% charge capacity, the indicator ring  28  may be illuminated in green. In a similar manner, if the battery  30  is nearly 100% depleted, the indicator ring  28  may be illuminated in red, or even in a flashing red pattern. In some embodiments, the indicator ring  28  may also be illuminated to indicate that the battery  30  is being recharged. Although the indicator ring  28  in the illustrated embodiment encircles the user interface  26 , the indicator ring  28  could be located on another part of the flashlight  10  or omitted entirely. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the user interface  26  includes a contact that receives power through the MCB  46  and is configured to provide a status of the user interface  26  back to the electronic processor  74 , which receives a signal from the user interface  26  based on the status. The processor  74 , in turn, interprets the status and signal of the user interface  26  and sends a PWM signal in accordance with the flowchart  200  shown in  FIG. 3 . Stated another way, the electronic processor  74  sets an operational mode of light source  62  based on detected user actuation of the user interface  26 . In addition to detecting whether the user interface  26  has been actuated, the electronic processor  74  is also configured to sense a duration (e.g., time (t) measured in seconds) of actuation. As described in greater detail below, the operational mode of the flashlight  10  and/or the light source  62  is operable in response to the user interface  26  being actuated for different amounts of time. 
     The operational modes of the flashlight  10 , and thereby the light source  62 , include an OFF mode, a high output luminescent ON mode (“HIGH mode”), a medium output luminescent ON mode (“MEDIUM mode”), a low output luminescent ON mode (“LOW mode”), and an ultra-low output luminescent ON mode (“ULTRA-LOW mode”). In other embodiments, the flashlight  10  may include fewer or more modes. Additionally or alternatively, the flashlight  10  may include different types of modes, such as a flashing mode. In the OFF mode, the light source  62  does not emit light because no PWM signal is sent by the electronic processor  74 . In this mode, the light source  62  may still be electrically connected to the battery  30 . 
     In HIGH mode, the light board  54  receives a PWM signal and the light source  62  emits light at a first brightness. In the illustrated embodiment, the first brightness may be in the range of 600 to 1100 Lumens. The first brightness may be, for example, 100% of a potential output of the light source  62 . In MEDIUM mode, the light board  54  receives a PWM signal and the light source  62  emits light at a second brightness. The second brightness is less than the first brightness. In the illustrated embodiment, the second brightness may be in the range of 150 to 650 Lumens. The second brightness may be, for example, 75% of the potential output of the light source  62 . In LOW mode, the light board  54  receives a PWM signal and the light source  62  emits light at a third brightness. The third brightness is less than the first brightness and the second brightness. In the illustrated embodiment, the third brightness may be in the range of 50 to 150 Lumens. The third brightness may be, for example, 50% of the potential output of the light source  62 . In ULTRA-LOW mode, the light board  54  receives a PWM signal and the light source  62  emits light at a fourth brightness. The fourth brightness is less than the first brightness and the second brightness. In some embodiments, the fourth brightness is also less than the third brightness. In other embodiments, the fourth brightness may be equal or similar to the third brightness. In such embodiments, the ULTRA-LOW mode may differ from the LOW mode based on how the flashlight  10  is turned on, as explained below. In the illustrated embodiment, the fourth brightness may be in the range of 25 to 75 Lumens. The fourth brightness may be, for example, 25% of the potential output of the light source  62 . Alternatively, the fourth brightness may be 50% of the potential output of the light source  62 . Although different brightness levels are discussed with respect to the illustrated embodiment, different ranges of brightness may be implemented. For example, in ULTRA-LOW mode, the brightness of the light source  62  may be as low as 10 Lumens. 
     During operation of the flashlight  10 , the expectation of the user is that each mode emits a different brightness and that the brightness suitable for a desired application or scenario may be selected. For example, the ULTRA-LOW mode may be utilized when working around highly reflective surface (e.g., sheet metal, glass, etc.) to reduce reflected light, and/or while working in confined spaces. The multiple modes of the flashlight  10  allow the user to advantageously switch between outputs without requiring the user to switch flashlight  10 . Stated another way, the flashlight  10  is configured to accomplish the functions of a variety of flashlights such that the user can rely on a single flashlight rather than needing multiple flashlights depending on the desired application (e.g., a first flashlight with high lumen output for area lighting, a second flashlight with medium lumen output for recreation, etc.). 
     With specific reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 3 , an example process  200  for controlling the output of the light source  62  and/or selecting the illumination modes the flashlight  10  will now be described in greater detail. The process  200 , which is implemented by the electronic processor  74  in one example, may include additional steps or functions not specifically discussed herein (e.g., reading a state-of-charge to confirm the flashlight has sufficient power, reading a temperature to confirm to flashlight can be operated safely, etc.). 
     At process block  204 , the flashlight  10  is turned ON/OFF, such as by a user actuating the user interface  26 . At process block  208 , a condition of the user interface  26  (e.g., is the user interface  26  depressed/being pressed?), a state of the light source  62  (i.e., ON/OFF), and the previous operating mode are each determined. The condition, state, and previous operating mode may each be stored to the memory  78  and accessed by the electronic processor  74  simultaneously. As such, the pervious operating mode may also be referred to as a stored mode. The memory  78  may further store the code/data needed to implement the process  200 . In some embodiment, the data is stored directly on the MCB  46 . 
     At process block  210 , the electronic processor  74  determines whether the user interface  26  is being actuated. If the user interface  26  is not being actuated, then the process  200  loops back to reading the conditions at block  208 . If the user interface  26  is being actuated, the process  200  proceeds to block  212 , where the electronic processor  74  reads a length of time that the user interface  26  is being actuated. The actuation duration, abbreviated in  FIG. 3  as “t”, is measured in seconds by the electronic processor  74 . 
     In some embodiments, the user interface  26  is depressible for four different lengths to time (t) and is configured to provide a signal to the electronic processor based on the different lengths of time (t). In one example, the user interface  26  may be actuated a first length of time to switch the light source  62  between ON and OFF states. In the illustrated embodiment, the first length of time is less than 1 second. The first length of time may also be considered a momentary actuation. The user interface  26  may be actuated a second length of time that is longer than the first length of time to switch the light source  62  between HIGH, MEDIUM, and LOW modes. In the illustrated embodiment, the second length of time is 1 to 3 seconds. The user interface  26  may be actuated a third length of time that is longer than the second length of time to switch the light source  62  from the OFF state to the ULTRA-LOW mode. In the illustrated embodiment, the third length of time is 3 to 5 seconds. If the user interface  26  is depressed for a fourth length of time that is longer than the third length of time, the light source  62  may remain OFF. In the illustrated embodiment, the fourth length of time is longer than 5 seconds. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, once the time of actuation is determined in block  212 , the process  200  proceeds to blocks  216 A,  216 B,  216 C,  216 D where the processor  74  associates a command based on the duration or time of actuation. At process blocks  216 A-D, the electronic processor  74  determines the time of actuation by receiving a signal from the user interface  26 . If the time of actuation is within the first length of time (e.g., is less than 1 second), the process  200  proceeds to block  220  where the electronic processor  74  retrieves the state of the light source  62 . If the state is ON (i.e., light source  62  is ON), regardless of operating mode, then the electronic processor  74  turns the light source  62  OFF (block  224 ) and stores the state of the light source  62  as OFF (block  228 ) to the memory  78 . While a representative example of the memory  78  is illustrated in  FIG. 3  as being after blocks  216 A-D, it should be stated that the memory  78  may be written to or accessed at any time during the process  200 . 
     If the state is OFF (i.e., light source  62  is OFF), then the electronic processor  74  turns the light source  62  ON and sets the operating mode to the previous operating mode, as shown at block  232 . In some embodiments, the HIGH mode is automatically set as the default operating mode such that the electronic processor  74  will set the light source  62  to the HIGH mode if a previous operating mode cannot be determined. In other embodiments, the MEDIUM mode or LOW mode may alternatively be set as a default operating mode. At process block  236 , the electronic processor  74  stores the operating mode as the previous mode and stores the state of the light source  62  as ON. For example, if the previous mode of the flashlight  10  is the MEDIUM mode, then the electronic processor  74  will turn the flashlight  10  ON in the MEDIUM mode at block  232  and store the MEDIUM mode as the previous mode at block  236 . Once the mode is stored at block  236 , the process  200  loops back to block  208  to continuously read the condition, state, and operating mode. 
     Referring back to block  212 , if the time of actuation read in block  216 A is greater than the first length of time (e.g., greater than 1 second), the process  200  proceeds to block  216 B. If the time of actuation read in block  216 B is within the second length of time (e.g., is greater than or equal to 1 second, but less than or equal to 3 seconds), the process  200  proceeds to block  240  in which the light source  62  will be ON and the electronic processor  74  will cycle the mode of the flashlight  10  to the next standard mode (i.e., HIGH, MEDIUM, or LOW) in the order of standard operating modes. In the illustrated embodiment, the order of standard operating modes may be cycled through in a re-occurring order from HIGH to MEDIUM to LOW to HIGH to MEDIUM to LOW, etc. In other embodiments, the order of standard modes may be reversed. For example, if the previous mode is stored as the LOW mode, then a user may cycle the flashlight  10  to the HIGH mode by depressing the user interface  26  and releasing the interface  26  after 2 seconds. Although the example process  200  allows the electronic processor  74  to turn the light source  62  ON when the time of actuation is less than 1 second (block  232 ), other processes for the flashlight  10  may allow the electronic processor  74  to turn the light source  62  ON when the time of actuation is greater than 1 second. 
     At process block  244 , the electronic processor  74  stores the operating mode as the previous mode by writing over the stored previous mode and further stores the state of the light source  62  as ON. Once the mode is stored at block  244 , the process  200  loops back to block  208  to continuously read the condition, state, and operating mode. 
     Referring back to block  212 , if the time of actuation read in block  216 A is greater than the second length of time (e.g., greater than 3 seconds), then the process  200  proceeds to block  216 C. If the time of actuation read in block  216 C is within the third length of time (e.g., is greater than 3 seconds but less than or equal to 5 seconds), the process  200  proceeds to block  248  in which the light source  62  will be ON and the electronic processor  74  will set the operating mode to the ULTRA-LOW mode based on a signal received from the user interface  26 , regardless of which mode is stored as the previous mode. The light source  62  may enter the ULTRA-LOW mode by actuating the user interface  26  within the third length of time when the light source  62  is OFF or ON. 
     At process block  252 , the electronic processor  74  stores the default HIGH mode as the previous mode and stores the state of the light source  62  as ON. The default HIGH mode is set at block  252  to prevent the flashlight  10  from being turned ON directly in the ULTRA-LOW mode. Stated another way, if the light source  62  is turned OFF from the ULTRA-LOW mode and a user then actuates the user interface  26  to turn the flashlight  10  back ON, the light source  62  will turn back ON in the default HIGH mode even though the flashlight  10  was last operated in the ULTRA-LOW mode. Once the mode is stored/reset to default at block  252 , the process  200  loops back to block  208  to continuously read the condition, state, and operating mode. 
     Referring back to block  212 , if the time of actuation read in block  216 A is greater than the third length of time (e.g., greater than 5 seconds), then the process  200  proceeds to block  216 D. If the process  200  proceeds to block  216 D, then the user interface  26  has been depressed within the fourth length of time. The electronic processor  74  is configured to interpret an actuation within the fourth length of time (e.g., for more than 5 seconds) as an accidental actuation of the user  26  and is further configured to maintain the light source  62  in an OFF state. The electronic processer  74  interprets the length of actuation based on corresponding signals sent by the user interface  26 . 
     In one example scenario of accidental actuation, a user may be storing the flashlight  10  in a confined space, such as their pocket, and briefly bump the user interface  26  during an activity to accidentally turn the light source  62  ON. The user may accidently depress the user interface  26  numerous times during such activity. Once the user changes to a different activity with less movement, such a driving, the flashlight  10  may be set in a different position in the user&#39;s pocket in which the user interface  26  is continually held down. If the light source  62  is ON in the user&#39;s pocket and the user interface  26  is continuously pressed for greater than 5 seconds, then the electronic processor  74  assumes accidental or unintentional actuation of the user interface  26  and turns the light source  62  OFF or maintains the light source  62  in the OFF state. Once the light source  62  is turned OFF at block  216 D, the process  200  loops back to block  208  to continuously read the condition, state, and operating mode. In one example, if the user interface  26  is continually pressed over a long period of time such that the process  200  runs through the same loop repeatedly without change, the electronic processor  74  may delay a computing speed or refresh rate of the process  200  in order to conserve the charge of the battery  30 . 
     The embodiment(s) described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present disclosure. As such, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications to the elements and their configuration and/or arrangement exist within the spirit and scope of one or more independent aspects as described. For example, although the HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, and ULTRA-LOW modes are each described herein as each having different relative ranges of luminescent outputs, the difference between relative modes could also be defined by/associated with a percentage of a maximum luminescent output for a flashlight. 
     Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.