Patent ID: 8297775

Claim:
A utility light, comprising: a housing; a first plurality of illuminators to radiate according to a first characteristic retained by the housing to face in a first direction; a second plurality of illuminators to radiate according to a second characteristic retained by the housing to face in a second direction; a motion sensor that senses rotation of the housing about an axis substantially vertical to the surface of the earth; and a controller that switches the first and/or second plurality of illuminators based on an input received from the motion sensor, wherein the input provides an indication of the rotation of the housing about the axis substantially vertical to the surface of the earth, and wherein the controller turns off the first plurality of illuminators in response to a first amount of rotational motion in excess of a pre-defined minimum rate of rotational motion and turns on the second plurality of illuminators in response to a second amount of rotational motion, wherein the difference between the first amount of rotational motion and the second amount of rotational motion defines a rotational dead-band in which both the first and second plurality of illuminators are turned off, whereby shining light from the first or second plurality of illuminators into the eyes of an operator of the utility light is avoided.