Abstract:
A door illumination apparatus directs light emitted by a string of diodes towards a face of an exterior door to enhance visual identification of a door lock. The apparatus positions on a periphery of a door jamb, such as in a recess in a jamb stop. The illumination apparatus actuates on demand from a user, lighting the door face through three-way switches that are operable from a position in proximity to the door, at least one of which three-way switches being a compatible electronic three-way switch which is operable remotely from a device configured to be carrier by a user.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an illumination apparatus for the face of an exterior door. More particularly, the illuminating apparatus projects light onto the face of the door for enhanced visual identification of a door lock. 
     2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
     The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein. 
     In the dark, such as during the night or during a storm, the exterior of a door may not be clearly visible and a user may find it problematic to locate the door lock. While many homes have outside lights, they must be turned on when leaving the premises and must remain on until a person returns and turns the light off. This wastes energy if the user leaves during the day. In addition, exterior lights burning during the day may draw attention that the premises are unoccupied, thereby causing a security issue. 
     Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are used as indicator lights in many devices and increasingly used for other lighting. LEDs have long service life, extreme vibration resistance and permit considerably shallower mountings compared to most bulb-type assemblies. 
     Even though porch lights address some of the needs of the market, there is need for an illumination apparatus that projects light on a door lock when needed under control of a user from the outside of the door. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment of the present invention, an illumination apparatus directs light, on demand, from a string of light emitting diodes on the face of an exterior door to enhance visual identification of the door lock. In this manner, the illumination apparatus does not project light until needed. 
     In a first broad aspect of the invention, an illumination apparatus for projecting a light towards a face of an exterior door with a door lock, the door hinged within a door jamb with a jamb stop against which the door closes, the illumination apparatus comprising: 
     a string of light emitting diodes, the string of light emitting diodes being disposed along the door jamb, the door jamb being configured to form a periphery around the door, the string of light emitting diodes being operable to emit the light; and 
     at least one three-way switch coupled to at least one compatible electronic three-way switch, said three-way switch and said compatible electronic three-way switch interconnected with each other for controlling the illumination apparatus from more than one location. 
     In a second broad aspect of the invention, the light emitting diodes are multi-color diodes and the illumination apparatus further comprises a processor being operable to control a color section for each of the light emitting multi-color diodes. 
     Other aspects include a radio frequency receiver in the compatible electronic three-way switch operationally under control of a radio frequency transmitter positioned outside of the door with the radio frequency transmitter being configured to be carried by a user and the illumination apparatus is recessed in the jamb stop along an upper horizontal section of the door jamb. 
     In yet other aspects, when the diodes are multi-color diodes including a red diode, a green diode and a blue diode, the processor is further operable to control the duration each diode component of the multi-color diode emits light. 
     One objective of the present invention is that unlocking a door lock in the dark is facilitated. Another objective is to minimize power consumption. These and other advantages of the invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following written specification, claims and appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated, corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an illumination apparatus projecting a light on a door lock in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the illumination apparatus including a string of light of emitting diodes in a light bar recessed in a jamb stop; 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed perspective view of a prehung door with electrical wiring passing thought a channel in a door jamb within which the door is hinged; said prehung door exploded from a door frame within which it is mounted; 
         FIG. 4  is a detailed perspective view of the electrical wiring passing through the frame within which the door jamb is mounted to a three-way switch on the inside of the door; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a three-way switch connected to a compatible electronic switch through which power is passed to a string of multi-color light emitting diodes under control of a processor; and, 
         FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram of a representative three-way switch coupled with a compatible electronic three-way switch. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “rear,” “right,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG. 1 . Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , an exterior door  10  is hinged in a door jamb  12  including a sill  14 , vertical jambs  16  and a horizontal jamb  18 . A jamb stop  20  is provided along vertical jambs  16  and horizontal jamb  18  against which door  10  is closed. Doors  10  are commonly sold prehung in door jamb  12  and installed in a door frame  22  typically encircled by king studs  24  and a lintel  26 . 
     Turning to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a string of light emitting diodes  28  is disposed around door jamb  12  and, in specific, recessed in jamb stop  20  along horizontal jamb  18 . In this position, string of light emitting diodes  28  emit light which shines down on the exterior face of door  10  thus illuminating a door lock  30 . String of light emitting diodes  28  as shown in  FIG. 2  comprise a light bar  32  with a metal heat sink  34  that may be efficacious for dissipating the heat generated by the diodes. Light bar  32  is attached to door jamb  12  with screws  36  or other suitable fasteners with metal heat sink  34  against door jamb  12 . While light bar  32  is shown in the drawings, string of light emitting diodes  28  may be LED strip lights, also known as LED ribbon lights or LED tape lights. 
     At least one three-way switch  38  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  and at least one compatible electronic three-way switch  40  are interconnected with each other for controlling the flow of power to string of light emitting diodes  28 . Such paired three-way switches are commercially available, such as, without limitation, a Leviton 6696-W wireless 3-way switch kit, a circuit diagram for which is shown in  FIG. 6 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , three-way switch  38  includes first, second and third terminals ( 42 ,  44  and  46 , respectively) and compatible electronic three-way switch  40  includes an addition terminal  48 . Connections between the terminals in three-way switch  38  are made or broken by manually moving a lever  50 , preferable positioned on a wall on the inside of door  10  adjacent door frame  22 . Connections between the terminals in compatible electronic three-way switch  40  are under control of a radio frequency receiver  52  in response to signals received from a radio frequency transmitter  54  which may be configured to be carried by a user. 
     String of light emitting diodes  28  are connected to three-way switch  38  and compatible electronic three-way switch  40  with wiring  56  preferably received in a channel  58  provided on the outside of horizontal jamb  18  and one of vertical jambs  16  as seen in  FIG. 3 . Wiring  56  is routed through door frame  22  and is connected to switches  38 ,  40  on the inside of the door adjacent door frame  22  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Diodes  60  in string of light emitting diodes  28  may be colored diodes. When the diodes are multi-color diodes as shown in  FIG. 5 , a processor  62  operably controls a color selection for each light emitting multi-color diode  60 . Processor  62  may be one or more apparatus and/or one or more systems that are capable of accepting a structured input, processing the structured input according to prescribed rules, and producing results of the processing as output. Examples of a processor may include: a computer; a stationary and/or portable computer; a computer having a single processor, multiple processors, or multi-core processors, which may operate in parallel and/or not in parallel; a general purpose computer; a supercomputer; a mainframe; a super mini-computer; a mini-computer; a workstation; a micro-computer; a server; a client; an interactive television; a web appliance; a telecommunications device with internet access; a hybrid combination of a computer and an interactive television; a portable computer; a tablet personal computer (PC); a personal digital assistant (PDDA); a portable telephone; application-specific hardware to emulate a computer and/or software, such as, for example, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an application specific instruction-set processor (ASIP), a chip, chips, a system on a chip, or a chip set; a data acquisition device; an optical computer; a quantum computer; a biological computer; and generally, an apparatus that may accept data, process data according to one or more stored software programs, generate results, and typically include input, output, storage, arithmetic, logic, and control units. In some embodiments, processor  62  may be integrated with compatible electronic three-way switch  40 . 
     Multi-color diodes  60  may include a plurality of colored diodes packaged together, such as a red diode  64 , green diode  66  and a blue diode  68 . Processor  62  is programmable to turn each of the colors on or off, so if the red diode  64  is turned on, then the color emitted by string of light emitting diodes  28  is red. When the blue diode  68  is turned on it is blue, if both the blue and red diodes are turned on then the color is a shade of purple. Similarly combining the red diode  64  with the green diode  66  gives yellow and the blue diode  68  and green diode  66  gives cyan. 
     Processor  62  may be programmed to give other effects. For example although the color changing LEDs  60  may produce the six colors mentioned above, if the red diode  64  is combined with the blue diode  68  but the blue diode is only driven at 50% of its normal brightness then a color half way between red and magenta is generated. Other effects may be provided by controlling the duration each multi-color diode  60  emits light. For example, if the LEDs are turned on and off very quickly, to the human eye the lights look like they are constantly on. If the amount of time processor  62  turns them on is the same as the time they are off, the LEDs will have 50% of their full brightness. When done with the red diode  64 , green diode  66  and blue diode  68 , any desired color may be achieved to effect an emitted light with a desired color, e.g., red for Christmas, green for St. Patrick, purple for lent, etc. 
     String of light emitting diodes  28  and three-way switch  38  and compatible electronic switch  40  may be sold a kit for installation on an existing door  10 . With new construction, light emitting diodes  28  may be installed on a prehung door and three-way switches  38 ,  40  wired on site. 
     In use, string of light emitting diodes  28  need not be activated until needed by a user carrying a radio frequency transmitter  54 . Upon receipt of a signal, radio frequency receiver  52  in compatible electronic three-way switch  40  causes string of light emitting diodes to project light towards door lock  30 . Upon entering the premises, the user may turn off the lights from the inside with three-way switch  38  thus saving energy and avoiding signaling that the premises are unoccupied by having lights constantly on. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.