Patent Abstract:
A unique LED lamp package is disclosed that can receive a plug ( 42 ), make electrical connection in a circuit ( 39 ) and cast radiant energy ( 125 ) (UV, visible, IR or a combination) in at least one direction rendering objects in that direction visible, hereinafter referred to as a jacklamp ( 100, 101, 200, 201, 202 ). In one embodiment ( 100 ) the components of a jacklamp, consisting of at least one LED die ( 120 ), a controller ( 110 ), and an interconnecting lead frame ( 147 ), are encapsulated in transparent polymer ( 400 ) shaped with a recess ( 142 ) to receive a plug ( 42 ) and direct radiation ( 125 ). In another jacklamp embodiment ( 201 ), a commercial off the shelf (COTS) jack ( 250 ), a controller ( 110 ), and at least one COTS LED ( 300 ), are interconnected by a lead frame ( 147 ) and encased in a molded polymer package ( 500 ). Plug a compatible bus cable into a jacklamp and direct or observe its illumination. A jacklamp will task light areas limited only by the cable length, provide indication of the health of a cable circuit, and identify a single cable in a bundle. In the absence of another bus powering device, the caddy, provides a means of independently powering a jacklamp or a prior art bus pluglamp, besides providing convenient and secure transportation and storage.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/630,497, filed 2004 Nov. 11 by the present inventor. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH  
       [0002]     Not Applicable  
       REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX  
       [0003]     Not Applicable  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     This invention relates in general to Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamp packages, and in particular to a novel jack form LED lamp illuminator package, hereinafter referred to as a jacklamp, and a caddy for it.  
         [0005]     A LED package is known in the trade to consist of, at least one electrical energy to radiant energy transducer die (e.g. a LED, an organic LED (OLED) or laser diode (LD)), a lead frame (i.e. a metal skeletal structure utilized to electrically connect, cool by thermal conduction, and support the transducer die.) and a cast transparent polymer encapsulant, forming the device enclosure and its integrated optics. When provided with externally controlled electrical energy through a lead frame, a LED package emits radiant energy (UV, visible, IR or a combination) in at least one direction, rendering objects in that direction visible for illuminator applications or making itself visible to observers in that direction for indicator applications.  
         [0006]     A LED lamp package is known in the trade to be a LED package with internal electrical energy control for the transducer (e.g., integral current limiting resistors for 5 and 12 volt systems).  
         [0007]     A majority of LED packages and LED lamp packages are designed to be received by a printed circuit board (PCB) for permanent solder connection thereto, usually either in standard cast-epoxy, through-hole type (THT) or surface mount type (SMT) configurations. Some illuminate displays, most are used as indicators in signs, signals, electronic equipment front panels, switches, and connectors. These packages are confined to the PCB at fabrication.  
         [0008]     All other LED lamp packages, known to me at this time, are of a plug morphology, hereinafter referred to as a pluglamp.  
         [0009]     A male connector is known in the trade as a plug and is designed to be received by a female connector to make an electrical connection in a circuit. A female connector is known in the trade as a jack, a socket, a receptacle or a port. Normally female connectors are fixed on devices and plugs are free to move on the ends of connecting cables, until received by and fastened to a female connector. Some miniature devices, as light or lighter than a cable, use fixed plugs and eliminate the cable.  
         [0010]     A pluglamp is assembled from at least one LED package with external current control or at least one LED (or LD) lamp package an internal current regulator, and a plug base designed to be received by a female connector to make electrical connection in a circuit that provides power for pluglamp operation.  
         [0011]     Most pluglamps (e.g., an Edison, screw or threaded base, as shown in  FIG. 4A , a Swan, lug or bayonet base, as shown in  FIG. 4B , and conventional automotive wedge base, as shown in  FIG. 4C ) are designed to be used in existing AC or DC powered devices to replace incandescent lamps, exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,211,955 to Ray (1980), 4,358,708 to Silva et al. (1982), 4,630,183 to Fujita (1986), 4,727,289 to Uchida (1988), 6,371,636 to Wesson (2000), 6,621,716 to Edwards et al. (2003), and others. Pluglamps are confined to the socket or receptacle that powers and supports them.  
         [0012]     Some pluglamps, as shown in  FIG. 4D , are designed to be received by a computer peripheral bus port, to make an electrical connection in a computer circuit, drawing power therefrom, to emit and cast visible radiant energy in at least one direction to render objects in that direction visible, hereinafter referred to as bus pluglamps.  
         [0013]     A few examples of the many standard computer peripheral buses that may provide power for operation and recharging of peripherals via cable are: Apple Desktop Bus (ADB), Universal Serial Bus (USB), IEEE 1394 bus (Firewire), and IEEE 802.3af or Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) bus. Hereinafter the terms, system, peripheral, bus, cable, plug, jack, socket, receptacle and port, all shall refer to one of these buses and any other or future bus or buses which may provide power, data and control signals to their peripherals by way of a single cable.  
         [0014]     These buses, recognized to be of enduring and growing value, have become ubiquitous in computer, instrument, industrial control, automotive, aviation, and consumer electronics systems. USB enabled devices alone “shipped 1.4 billion . . . by end of 2001” (source: www.usb.org), and are projected to be “growing to 3.5 billion [shipped] by 2006” (source: Cahners InStat Group, March 2002).  
         [0015]     The earliest bus pluglamp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,945 to Tseng (1997), is a desk lamp (for illuminating a computer display, keyboard, and nearby objects) powered by a laptop computer port (“an electric socket of the computer”), for when an AC outlet is not convenient or available for a regular desk lamp. This bus pluglamps, short flexible neck, between its plug and its incandescent light bulb, provided electrical connections to power the lamp and support for positioning it. A short (0.05 to 0.5 meters) flexible neck style (first seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,651,307 to Wilkinson (1927)) is common to most variants of the Tseng bus pluglamp today, with many descendants simply replacing the incandescent light bulb with a LED, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,428,177 to Naghi et al. (2002), 6,527,409 to Naghi et al. (2003), 6,575,593 to Krietzman (2003), 6,680,844 to Kim (2004), 6,749,314 to Naghi et al (2004), and others.  
         [0016]     Illuminated displays and keyboards have reduced the utility of bus pluglamps to lighting nearby objects (i.e., confined to within the half meter neck length, of a receiving computer port).  
         [0017]     Many battery operated peripheral devices, reduce the number of cables portable computer users need to carry by using the same cable for operation and recharging via port or power adapter-chargers, e.g. an AC/DC adapter-charger, a vehicle power adapter-charger (VPA) or an automotive IDB-1394 Customer Convenience Port (CCP). Bus pluglamps may be received by these power adapter-chargers, but are limited again to providing light only within a half meter of an AC wall outlet, a VPA or a CCP.  
         [0018]     A need exists for a bus powered lamp that will illuminate objects beyond the half meter limit of a bus pluglamp (e.g., behind or under a desk or airline seat, inside a desk drawer or an airline bag, in and around an auto, a desk top computer, a server rack or a consumer electronics cluster) for system setup, trouble shooting and repair in low or no light conditions.  
         [0019]     Billions of cables are available for peripherals that may be only used occasionally (e.g., with portable computers or portable devices shared between systems). For convenience cables are often left connected, even when the peripheral is not. These cables compete with bus pluglamps for a systems limited number of ports and must be inconveniently swapped out, piggybacked or adapted (i.e., use a cable plug to bus pluglamp plug adapter).  
         [0020]     Absent from the art is a jack form LED lamp illuminator package that can receive a terminal plug from one of these cables and provide task lighting to an area only limited by the length of the cable used.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0021]     Accordingly, it is an object of this invention, a unique jack form LED lamp illuminator package (hereinafter referred to as a jacklamp), to solve the aforementioned limited reach lighting problem of prior art pluglamps and bus pluglamps, by replacing the plug with a jack, so a jacklamp user may replace the bus pluglamps, short flexible neck, with any length cable they may have on hand, thereby extending task lighting to an area only limited to that length (e.g., behind or under a desk or airline seat, inside a desk drawer or an airline bag, in and around an auto, a desk top computer, a server rack or a consumer electronics cluster).  
         [0022]     It is another object of the jacklamp to utilize the billions of cables on hand to provide task lighting in computer, instrument, industrial control, automotive, aviation, and consumer electronics systems, for setup, trouble shooting and repair in low or no light conditions.  
         [0023]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that its radiant output can be fixed by an integral circuit or actively controlled via cable signals.  
         [0024]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that its radiant output is at optimum brightness on power-up for either the fixed or the active control but with the active control the radiant energy may be turned off, dimmed or modulated thereafter, via cable signals.  
         [0025]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp is that it can be used to determine the health of just the host and cable power circuit, when the jacklamp control is passive via a fixed circuit.  
         [0026]     A further object and advantage of the jacklamp is that it can be used to determine the health of the whole host and cable circuit, when the jacklamp control is active via cable signals.  
         [0027]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that it can receive a plug on a remote or out of sight cable end (i.e., in another room or building), to identify a single cable in a bundle.  
         [0028]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that it can be used on a cable powered by either a port, jacklamp caddy, or a power adapter-charger, e.g. an AC/DC adapter-charger, a vehicle power adapter-charger (VPA) or an automotive IDB-1394 Customer Convenience Port (CCP).  
         [0029]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that when a powered port or a power adapter-charger is unavailable, it can be used on a portable, powered, storage and transportation accessory device, hereinafter referred to as a jacklamp caddy, to provide portable hand held task lighting.  
         [0030]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that it can be used with the jacklamp caddy and a cable to provide portable extended task lighting.  
         [0031]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that it can be used with the jacklamp caddy to test a cables power circuit.  
         [0032]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that it can be used with the jacklamp caddy to identify a single cable in a bundle.  
         [0033]     It is another object and advantage of the jacklamp, that it can be stored on the jacklamp caddy while the jacklamp caddy is being used to power a prior art bus pluglamp or another jack lamp on a cable.  
         [0034]     It is also an object of the jacklamp to provide an improved illuminating device of the type described hereinafter which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, highly useful, easily transportable, economical and convenient to use.  
         [0035]     Still further objects and advantages of my jacklamp will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0036]     It to be understood that the components shown in the following figures are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the jacklamp. In the drawings, closely related figures and reference numerals have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.  
         [0037]      FIG. 1A  is a schematic block diagram of the jacklamps preferred cast package embodiment about to be connected to a powered bus cable.  
         [0038]      FIG. 1B  is a schematic block diagram of the jacklamps second preferred cast package embodiment, connected to a powered bus cable, thereby emitting radiant energy.  
         [0039]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic block diagram of the jacklamps preferred COTS embodiment, powered by the connected powered bus cable, thereby emitting radiant energy.  
         [0040]      FIG. 2B  is a schematic block diagram of the jacklamps second preferred COTS embodiment.  
         [0041]      FIG. 2C  is a schematic block diagram of the jacklamps third preferred COTS embodiment.  
         [0042]      FIG. 3A  is a schematic block diagram of a jacklamp caddy used as a jacklamp carrier.  
         [0043]      FIG. 3B  is a schematic block diagram of a jacklamp caddy used with a jacklamp as a task light.  
         [0044]      FIG. 3C  is a schematic block diagram of a jacklamp caddy used with a cable and a jacklamp as an extended task light or a remote cable identifier or a cable tester.  
         [0045]      FIG. 4A  is a pictorial representation of a prior art Edison base pluglamp.  
         [0046]      FIG. 4B  is a pictorial representation of a prior art Swan base pluglamp.  
         [0047]      FIG. 4C  is a pictorial representation of a prior art conventional automotive wedge base pluglamp.  
         [0048]      FIG. 4D  is schematic block diagram of an exemplary prior art bus pluglamp.  
         [0049]      FIG. 5A  is a schematic circuit diagram of a prior art LED lamp using an integrated circuit (IC) for bus variable current control.  
         [0050]      FIG. 5B  is a schematic circuit diagram of a prior art LED lamp using a resistor for fixed current control.  
         [0051]      FIG. 5C  is a schematic circuit diagram of a prior art LED lamp using a current limiting diode (CLD) for fixed current control.  
         [0052]      FIG. 5D  is a schematic circuit diagram of a prior art basic CLD.  
         [0053]      FIG. 5E  is a schematic circuit diagram of a prior art higher current CLD.  
         [0054]      FIG. 5F  is a schematic circuit diagram of another prior art even higher current CLD.  
         [0055]      FIG. 5G  is a schematic circuit diagram of another prior art very high current CLD.  
                                             REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS                                     1   switch 52 NO contact            2   switch 52 NC contact            3   Direction to engage            4a   Pluglamp, Edison type            4b   Pluglamp, Swan type            4c   Pluglamp, wedge type            5   LED lamp 5a, 5b or 5c            5a   Lamp circuit, IC type            5b   Lamp circuit, R type            5c   Lamp circuit, CLD type            6   Plug, Edison type base            7   Plug, Swan type base            8   Plug, wedge type base            9   Neck or cable            10   Bus pluglamp            30   Bus powering device            31   Port, bus powered            39   Powered bus cable            40   Plug, upstream            41   Cable            42   Plug, downstream            45   Plug contacts            50   Jacklamp Caddy            51   Caddy power source            52   Caddy switch            53   Caddy plug            54   Caddy jack            55   Caddy lead frame            56   Caddy case           100   Jacklamp 1A           101   Jacklamp 1B           110   Control, IC           114   Current limiting resistor           115   CLD           115d   CLD, basic circuit           115e   CLD high current           115f   CLD higher current           115g   CLD greater current           116   CLD alternate symbol           120   Transducer (EERE)           125   Radiant energy (RE)           142   Plug Recess           145   Jack contacts           147   Lead frame           148   COTS LED lamp leads           200   Jacklamp 2A           201   Jacklamp 2B           202   Jacklamp 2C           250   COTS jack           275   LED lamp package           300   COTS LED package           400   Cast package           410   Cast Optics           500   Molded package                        
     
    
     SUMMARY  
       [0056]     In accordance with the present invention a jack form LED lamp illuminator package comprises a jack form package capable of receiving a bus plug; an electrical energy to radiant energy transducer (e.g., a LED, OLED, or LD); a transducer controller; and a lead frame to connect the bus plugs power and signal contacts to the controller and transducer, thereby generating and casting radiant energy (UV, visible, IR or a combination) in at least one direction rendering objects in that direction visible. Accordingly an accessory caddy to power, store and transport the invention comprises a power source; a carrier plug; a jack, a case and a switch to apply the power to either the jack or the plug.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0057]     In the following discussion of the drawings it is noted that while the descriptions are cast primarily in general terms of standard peripheral buses, the invention (hereinafter referred to as a jacklamp) may conform to and be used in conjunction with any number of different buses well known in the art, that provide power and perhaps control signals for operation and recharging of peripherals via a cable, exemplified by, but not limited to, the Apple Desktop Bus (ADB), the Universal Serial Bus (USB), the IEEE 1394 bus (Firewire), and the IEEE 802.3af or Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) bus. Hereinafter all peripheral bus terms (i.e. bus, cable, plug, jack, etc.) shall refer to one of these buses.  
       Cast Embodiments—FIGS.  1 A and  1 B  
       [0058]      FIG. 1A  illustrates the jacklamps preferred cast package embodiment  100  about to be connected with a powered bus cable  39 .  
         [0059]     The preferred cast embodiment jacklamp  100  comprises a component encapsulating, transparent, cast-polymer package  400  having integral cast optics  410  and a recess  142  formed to receive (from direction of arrow  3 ) the downstream plug  42  of a powered bus cable  39 ; a plurality of jack contacts  145  in the packages  400  plug recess  142  to make electrical connections between the downstream plug  42  contacts  45  (.plus., . minus., and signals) and the integrated circuit electrical energy control die  110 ; a lead frame  147  (i.e. a metal skeletal structure) utilized to electrically connect, cool by thermal conduction, and support the transducer die  120  and its control die  110 ; a control die  110  to (when powered) actively control the electrical energy to at least one transducer die  120  via the lead frame  147 ; and at least one electrical energy to radiant energy transducer die  120  to (when powered) emit radiant energy  125  (not shown) from the jacklamp  100  through its cast integral optics  410 .  
         [0060]     The powered bus cable  39  (not a part of the invention, but must necessarily cooperate with it by providing power and perhaps control signals thereto) is a cable (i.e. an upstream plug  40 , connected via a plurality of conductors  41  to a downstream or terminal plug  42 ) attached to a bus powering devices  30  jack  31 .  
         [0061]     The bus powering device  30  provides the signals and the electrical energy to operate the jacklamp  100  and may be, but is not limited to, a peripheral bus interface in a host computer, a powered bus hub, a Commercial Electronics (CE) device, an AC/DC adapter/charger, an automotive IDB-1394 Customer Convenience Port (CCP), a vehicle power adapter/charger (VPA), or a jacklamp caddy  50  (shown in  FIGS. 3A, 3B , and  3 C).  
         [0062]     The package  400  casting material selection and fabrication, is well understood in the art, and accordingly will not be described further herein.  
         [0063]     The fabrication and assembly of the transducer die  120  and the control die  110  to the lead frame  147 , is well understood in the art, and accordingly will not be described further herein.  
         [0064]     The control  110  of the jacklamp  100  is an integrated circuit (IC), which provides controlled electrical energy or current to the transducer  120 , based on the voltage and signals received via the jacklamp contacts  145  (like circuit  5   a  shown in  FIG. 5A ) from an engaged powered bus cable  39 .  
         [0065]     The transducer  120 , is an electrical energy to radiant energy (EERE) converter, exemplified by a light emitting diode (LED), an organic LED (OLED) or a laser diode (LD), and may have (when powered as shown in  FIG. 1B ) an output radiant energy  125 . Hereinafter radiant energy  125  shall refer to radiant energy of any wavelength (UV, visible or IR) or combination of wavelengths available to the art.  
         [0066]     The cast integral optics  410  may form lenses, filters, mirrors or any combination of these elements to spatially control the jacklamps  100  emitted radiation  125 , and may be cast entrained with phosphors or nanoparticles (quantum dots or photonic bandgap structures) for spectral control to, for example, photoluminescently downconvert a blue or UV emitting transducer  120  to white radiant energy  125 .  
         [0067]      FIG. 1B  illustrates the jacklamps second preferred cast package embodiment  101  connected  45 / 145  (i.e. plug  42  contacts  45  to jacklamp  101  contacts  145 ), to a powered bus cable  39 , thereby emitting radiant energy  125 .  
         [0068]     This jacklamp  101  differs from the previous jacklamp  100  only in the method of current control used to drive the transducer  120 .  
         [0069]     Instead of using variable, bus controlled current via IC  110  (circuit  5   a  shown in  FIG. 5A ), this jacklamp  101  uses fixed current control provided by either a current limiting (or ballast) resistor  114  (circuit  5   b  shown in  FIG. 5B ) or a current limiting diode (CLD)  115  (circuit  5   c  shown in  FIG. 5C ). CLDs are also known as constant current diodes (CCD) and have an alternate schematic symbol  116 .  
         [0070]     It is known in the art that EERE transducers  120  are best driven by a fixed constant current source. Constant current drives, to varying degrees, automatically compensate for variations of supply voltage, component parameters and operating temperature.  
         [0071]     The simplest and lowest component cost, fixed current control is a ballast resistor  114 , however this method is subject to the aforementioned variations that adversely effect the jacklamps  101  performance and limit its application. A ballast resistor  114  is a fixed constant current control only if its operating conditions are constant.  
         [0072]     A variable ballast resistor, that adjusts to supply voltage, temperature and device parameter variations, is known as a CLD  115 .  FIG. 5D , is exemplary of a basic prior art CLD  115   d  circuit. A CLD  115  is a two terminal (i.e. A for anode and K for cathode) semiconductor circuit that behaves as a variable ballast resistor in series with a diode, to automatically maintain a constant current through itself and any component in series with it (e.g. a transducer  120  or LED  300  as seen in  FIG. 5C ). Within its range it can compensate for supply voltage, device to device parameters (like LED forward voltage) and temperature induced variations.  FIGS. 5E  (circuit  5   e ),  5 F (circuit  5   f ) and  5 G (circuit  5   g ), are exemplary of other prior art CLD  115  circuits for higher and higher constant currents.  
       COTS Embodiments—FIGS.  2 A,  2 B and  2 C  
       [0073]      FIG. 2A  illustrates the jacklamps preferred Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) embodiment  200  connected  45 / 145  (i.e. plug  42  contacts  45  to jacklamp  200  contacts  145 ), to a powered bus cable  39 , thereby emitting radiant energy  125 .  
         [0074]     The preferred COTS embodiment jacklamp  200  comprises a molded polymer package  500  encapsulating at least two components; a COTS jack  250  to receive the downstream plug  42  of a powered bus cable  39  to make electrical connections  45 / 145  between the downstream plug  42  contacts  45  (.plus. and .minus.), the jack  250  contacts  145  (.plus. and .minus.) and the leads  148  (A and K) of a COTS LED lamp  275 ; and at least one COTS LED lamp  275  to emit radiant energy  125 .  
         [0075]     The package  500  molding material selection and fabrication, is well understood in the art, and accordingly will not be described further herein.  
         [0076]      FIG. 2B  illustrates the jacklamps second preferred Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) embodiment  201 .  
         [0077]     The second preferred COTS embodiment jacklamp  201  comprises a molded polymer package  500  encapsulating at least three components; a COTS jack  250  to receive the downstream plug  42  contacts  45  (.plus., . minus., and signals) and electrically connect them to the lead frame  147  via its contacts  145  (.plus., . minus., and signals); a lead frame  147  (i.e. a metal skeletal structure) utilized to electrically connect, cool by thermal conduction, and support a COTS jack  250 , a current control  110 , and a COTS LED  300 ; a variable (i.e. based on the bus voltage and signals) current control  110  (circuit  5   a  shown in  FIG. 5A ) to provide (when powered) controlled current to at least one COTS LED  300  via the lead frame  147 ; and at least one COTS LED  300  to (when powered) emit radiant energy  125  (not shown).  
         [0078]     The COTS LED  300  packages shown in  FIGS. 2B , and  2 C are THT, however they may be of any package type (e.g. SMT, etc.) available to the art.  
         [0079]      FIG. 2C  illustrate the jacklamps third preferred Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) embodiments  202 .  
         [0080]     The third preferred COTS embodiment jacklamp  202  comprises a molded polymer package  500  encapsulating at least three components; a COTS jack  250  to receive the downstream plug  42  contacts  45  (.plus., . minus.) and electrically connect them to the lead frame  147  via its contacts  145  (.plus., . minus.); a lead frame  147  (i.e. a metal skeletal structure) utilized to electrically connect, cool by thermal conduction, and support a COTS jack  250 , a fixed current control  114 ,  115  and a COTS LED  300 ; at least one fixed current control  114  (circuit  5   b ,  FIG. 5B ),  115  (circuit  5   c ,  FIG. 5C ) to provide a constant current to the COTS LED  300 ; and at least one COTS LED  300 .  
       Jacklamp Caddy Embodiment—FIGS.  3 A,  3 B and  3 C  
       [0081]      FIGS. 3A, 3B  and  3 C, illustrates that the caddy  50  switches  52  power  51  either to its plug  53  or its jack  54 .  
         [0082]     The preferred embodiment of a jacklamp caddy  50  comprises a power source  51  (e.g. a battery as shown or perhaps a super capacitor not shown); a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch  52  with its common C connected to the energy sources  51  positive terminal (.plus.) via a lead frame  55 ; a plug  53  with its power contact connected to the switches  52  normally open (NO) contact  1  and its ground contact connected to the energy sources  51  negative terminal (.minus.) via a lead frame  55 ; a jack  54  with its power contact connected to the switches  52  normally closed (NC) contact  2  and its ground contact connected to the energy sources  51  negative terminal (.minus.) via a lead frame  55 ; a lead frame  55  (i.e. a metal skeletal structure) utilized to electrically connect, and support the power sources  51  terminals, the switch  52 , the plug  53  contacts, and the jack  54  contacts; and a case  56  to contain and support these components. The switch may be any mechanical or electronic switch available in the art.  
       Operation—FIGS.  1 A,  1 B,  2 A,  2 B, and  2 C  
       [0083]     All jacklamp embodiments  100 ,  101 ,  200 ,  201  and  200 , illustrated in these figures, receive a plug  42  from a powered bus cable  39  or a plug  53  from a caddy  50 , draw power therefrom to produce radiant energy  125 . Hereinafter jacklamp  100  shall refer to any and all jacklamp embodiments  100 ,  101 ,  200 ,  201  and  200 .  
         [0084]      FIGS. 1A and 2B  illustrate jacklamps  100  and  201  that do more than just emit radiant energy when plugged into. Both of these embodiments use not just the bus power of the plug  42 , but also the bus signals, via the IC control  110 . This bus controlled current would allow the jacklamps  100  radiant energy output  125  or brightness to be controlled by a host computer  30  in many ways, from simple on/off, scheduled on/off, and dimming, to perhaps modulated light communications. It is contemplated that these bus controlled jacklamps  100 ,  201  could have an initial state of optimum brightness on power-up and be turned off, dimmed or modulated thereafter.  
       Jacklamp Caddy Operation—FIGS.  3 A,  3 B and  3 C  
       [0085]     The caddy  50  accessory not only carries or stores a jacklamp  100  on its plug  53 , but also provides power and enables independent use of a jacklamp  100  (or a prior art bus pluglamp  10 ), in the absence of a bus powering device  30 , i.e. the caddy  50  becomes a bus powering device  30 .  
         [0086]      FIG. 3A  illustrates the use of a jacklamp caddy  50  as a convenient and secure transportation and storage accessory, with the jacklamp  100  on the unpowered plug  53 .  
         [0087]      FIG. 3B  illustrates the use of a jacklamp caddy  50  as a hand held task light, with the jacklamp  100  on the powered plug  53 , emitting radiant energy  125 .  
         [0088]      FIG. 3C  illustrates the use of a jacklamp caddy  50  as an extended task light, with the jacklamp  100  on a cable  40 ,  41 ,  42  connected to the powered jack  54 , emitting radiant energy  125 . This configuration may be used to test the cables power circuits, find a single cable in a bundle, or power a prior art bus pluglamp  10  (not shown) connected to the powered jack  54  as a task light.  
       CONCLUSION, RAMIFICATION, AND SCOPE OF THE INVENTION  
       [0089]     Accordingly, the reader will see that the jacklamp of this invention provides, what has been absent from the art, a jack form LED lamp illuminator package that can receive a terminal plug from one of the billions of aforementioned powered cables and task light an area limited only by the length of the cable, for setup, trouble shooting and repair in low or no light conditions, in and around, computer, instrument, industrial control, automotive, aviation, and consumer electronics systems. In addition the jacklamp caddy of this invention not only provides a convenient and secure transportation and storage accessory for a jacklamp, but also in the absence of another bus powering device, provides a means of independently powering a jacklamp or a prior art bus pluglamp, that has not been available in the art. Furthermore, the jacklamp has additional advantages in that 
        it permits radiant output to either be fixed by an integral circuit or actively controlled via cable signals;     it allows either fixed or actively controlled radiant output or brightness to be optimum initially on power-up and turned off, dimmed or modulated thereafter by an active control.     it permits the testing of a host and cable power circuit;     it permits the testing of the entire host and cable circuit, under bus control;     it permits identification of a single host cable in a bundle;     it may be used on a cable powered by a host port, a jacklamp caddy or a power adapter-charger;     it provides portable hand held task lighting when used on a jacklamp caddy;     it provides extended task lighting when used with a cable on a jacklamp caddy;     it allows testing of a cable power circuit between it and a jacklamp caddy; and     it allows identification of a single cable in a bundle, between it and a jacklamp caddy.        
 
         [0100]     While my above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an exemplification of preferred embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example, the jack of the invention could be one that receives a cable plug from an A.C. plug-in power supply, as used to recharge or power portable devices (e.g. cell phones, digital cameras, radios, etc.). One brand of A.C. plug-in power supply offers  21  changeable plug tips (Adaptaplug®—A thru U). Each of these plug tips have two prongs opposite the power plug, to mate with its power cable jack. A jacklamp could also have two prongs to mate with this style power supply cable; the jack of the invention may be one that receives a plug from the plain old telephone system (POTS) know to have run power over its lines to hundreds of millions of sites for decades; the jacklamp of  FIG. 2A  may not include a COTS jack and instead may form the COTS LED lamp leads to function as jack leads in the molded case; the COTS LED lamp and the COTS LED packages shown  FIGS. 2A, 2B  and  2 C are THT, however they may be of any package type (e.g. SMT, etc.) available to the art; the radiant energy could be cast in a direction other than coaxial to the jacklamp or could be adjustable; the outer surface of a jacklamp may have cast or molded in grips and an attaching method or system (i.e. grips, clips, magnets, suction cups, reusable adhesive, gecko tape (van der Waals bonds) or velcro, etc.); the jacklamps of  FIGS. 1A and 2B  could contain multiple independently controlled radiant energy emitters with different wavelengths for different functions, i.e. UV (for fluorescence checking, money checking, credit card checking, criminology, oil-mining, mineralogy, archeology, surveillance, chemical probe testing, security links, document checking, biology, medical applications , chemistry, food checking, water pollution detection, etc.), visible (for task lighting, signaling, alignment, etc.) and IR (for control or communications, e.g. IrDA protocol, voice, etc.); the jacklamps of  FIGS. 1A and 2B  could also contain a radiant energy to electrical energy transducer interfaced with the control IC, enabling it to receive as well as transmit modulated light signals in a full duplex mode (e.g. IrDA protocol, voice, etc.), etc.  
         [0101]     Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5