FR3007236A1 - MULTI-MODE LIGHTING DEVICE AND METHOD OF USING SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

The device comprises a power source, and a lighting module comprising at least one light source. The lighting module can operate in at least one first lighting mode and a second lighting mode. The device also includes a controller for receiving first and second specific actions of the user. The device finally comprises a control system configured to: (i) connect the power source to the lighting module only in response to a first specific action performed on the control member, the first specific action corresponding to at least two identical and consecutive actions, (ii) modify the mode of emission of the lighting module in response to a second specific action performed on the control member.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a multi-mode lighting device, and in particular to a portable device. The invention also relates to a method of using the multi-mode lighting device. STATE OF THE ART Portable lighting devices have the advantage of being able to be carried everywhere, to be used when the user wishes. For example, as part of a mountain race or a trail, the user usually leaves with a headlamp he places in his bag. As soon as the user feels the need (night, passage in dark areas as dihedrums, etc.), the headlamp allows it to light. The headlamps are generally equipped with several modes of use in order to adapt the luminous intensity emitted to the conditions of use. One of the modes generally corresponds to a constant luminous flux, the user can choose from several levels of intensity of the light source. From the point of view of manufacturing, the realization of this mode is easy. But from the point of view of use, emitting a constant luminous flux is not suitable when the user lights alternately far and close to him. This can lead to significant visual fatigue.

To remedy this drawback, a self-regulating lighting mode has been developed. This mode of use is in particular presented in the patent application WO 2009/133309 of the applicant. It consists in detecting, using an optical sensor, the luminous flux reflected by the environment which is illuminated by the lamp, and in adapting the flux emitted by the latter so that the reflected flux is substantially constant. This mode provides an improved user comfort compared to the conventional mode where the luminous flux emitted is constant.

Finally, it has been found that the use of specific wavelengths can improve night vision, in particular the use of the red color. Therefore some headlamps are equipped with red filters or LEDs. This mode is very useful for mountain sports because it is often necessary to do part of the effort during the night. Therefore, a powerful headlamp for mountain sports ideally comprises three modes: a first mode where the emitted luminous flux is constant, a second where it is self-regulating, and a third where the emitted light is red. To be able to count on the performance of the lamp, it is important that the battery retains all its power when not in use. But when the user does not need his lamp, he puts it often in a pocket or in a bag. Therefore, there is a risk of unexpected ignition of the lamp, which can have serious consequences if the user is no longer able to light. To solve this problem, a number of headlamps include a mechanical locking system of the on / off button.

In this way, the button can not be operational if the user does not perform a voluntary unlocking action.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a powerful multimode lighting device, easy to use, and having a robust locking system in time.

According to one aspect of the invention, the multi-mode lighting device may comprise: a power source, a lighting module comprising at least one light source, and able to operate according to at least a first mode of illumination; lighting and a second lighting mode, - a control member for receiving first and second specific actions of the user, the first specific action corresponding to at least two identical and consecutive maneuvers of the user, - a system of control configured to: o connect the power source to the lighting module only in response to the first specific action performed on the control unit, o change the emission mode of the lighting module in response to the second action specific on the controller. The power source can advantageously be disconnected only in response to the first specific action performed on the control member.

Furthermore, the multi-mode lighting device may comprise an additional control member for passing the lighting module from one transmission state to another transmission state. In this case, the control system is configured to change the emission state of the lighting module in response to a third specific action performed on the additional controller. Preferably, the control system may comprise a memory intended to record the emission state of the lighting module during the disconnection of the power source and the lighting module. The memory can also record the transmission mode of the lighting module.

Alternatively, the control system may comprise a memory in which a particular transmission mode and a particular transmission state of the lighting module are recorded, the control system being configured to constrain the lighting module to be illuminated in the particular transmission mode and in the particular transmission state when connected to the power source. The first controller may advantageously switch the lighting module from a continuous transmission mode to an intermittent transmission mode.

The present invention also relates to a method of using the multi-mode lighting device. The method can comprise the following steps: - turn on the lighting module by performing a first specific action using the control device, - modify the emission mode of the lighting module by performing a second specific action using the control unit, - switch off the lighting module by performing the first specific action by means of the first control unit.

When the device comprises an additional control member, the method may also comprise the following additional step: modifying the emission state of the lighting module by performing a third specific action by means of an additional control member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other advantages and features will emerge more clearly from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention given by way of nonlimiting example and represented in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGS. 1b schematically illustrate two different embodiments of the multi-mode lighting device; Figures 2 and 3 show two operational diagrams illustrating two examples of possible operation of the device of Figure 1 b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1 a and 1 b are illustrative and nonlimiting illustrations of two embodiments of the multi-mode lighting device. The embodiments illustrate two types of headlamp advantageously comprising a housing 1 for housing a power source, and a lighting module 2 having for example seven light sources 3 such as red or white LEDs. In the embodiment of Figure 1a, the device comprises a control member 4, while in the embodiment of Figure 1b, the device is provided with an additional control member 5. The control members 4 and 5 are represented in the form of push buttons. But it is quite possible to make a device in which the control members are knurls, levers, sliders, etc. The control members can be actuated by various maneuvers such as a support, a sliding, a rotation, a resistive or capacitive contact, etc. The control member 4 and the additional control member 5 allow the user to control the operation of the device according to his needs. For this, it can for example achieve a single click or successive clicks, a short press or a long press, etc. To interpret the user control and adjust the lighting module accordingly, the device is equipped with a control system such as a microprocessor. More specifically, the control system is configured to electrically connect the power source to the lighting module 2 - that is, to turn on the lighting module 2 - only when the user performs a first action Specifically on the controller 4. Advantageously, only the first specific action also allows the lighting module to be disconnected from the power source. The first specific action is a complex maneuver, that is to say different from a single action such as a simple click, a simple sliding, etc. It can for example be an identical and repeated maneuver of the user, as a double click in the case where the latter is a push button. The complexity of this first specific action allows the latter to play a role similar to lockscreen schemes ("lockscreen" in English) used for example to block mobile phones.

The fact of using a specific locking scheme prevents the device from igniting inadvertently, for example when placed against another object in a bag. In the embodiment of FIG. 1a, that is to say when the device is provided with only one control member 4, it is possible, for example, to use: a first specific action such as a double click to turn on or off the lighting module 2, - a second specific action such as a long press to select the red Leds or the white Leds, - a third specific action such as a short press to select the intensity of the light. emission of LEDs. In the embodiment of FIG. 1b, the user can use the two control members 4 and 5, for example by performing a second specific action using the control member 4, and a third specific action. with the aid of the control member 5. As for the embodiment comprising a single control member 4, the specific actions may correspond for example to a single click or to successive clicks, a short press or a support long, etc.

The second and third specific actions can be performed in any order. The user can also perform a second specific action on the control member 4 but no third specific action on the additional control member 5, or vice versa. It is also conceivable to perform neither a second specific action nor a third specific action. Since the control member 4 serves both as a switch and a means for adjusting the lighting module 2, the first and second specific actions must necessarily be different. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1b, an arbitrary change of mode will be called a modification of the light intensity in response to a specific action of the user performed on the control member 4. In addition, a change of state will be arbitrarily defined as a modification of the light intensity in response to a specific action of the user performed on the additional control member 5. The definitions of the changes of state and mode could be very different. to be interchanged.

By mode of use, it is understood, for example, a mode in which the lighting module 2 emits a luminous flux of constant intensity, or else a self-regulated luminous flux. Another mode of use may correspond to the use of red filters or red LEDs in order to emit a luminous flux whose wavelength corresponds to red. By use state, one can for example consider that the lighting module 2 emits a luminous flux of constant intensity corresponding to one, two or three light sources on. One of the states may also correspond to an intermittent or flashing light emission. The different states can correspond to an emission of red light or white light. If the user chooses a mode in which the luminous flux is self-regulating, it is conceivable that one of the states limits the maximum luminous flux to avoid a too fast unloading of the power source. One can also imagine that the beam is focused in a particular way so that the emitted light is adapted to a specific activity.

According to another aspect of the invention, the control system may advantageously comprise a memory for recording the mode in which the lighting module 2 is located before the extinction of the latter. In this way, when the user turns off the multimode lighting module, then turns it back on, the lighting module 2 turns on again, emitting a luminous flux according to the mode that was recorded. It can also be envisaged that the memory saves both the mode and the state in which the lighting module 2 is located, in order to turn it back on by directly finding the settings previously made.

Alternatively, it could be envisaged that a particular transmission mode and a particular transmission state of the lighting module 2 is recorded in the control system memory, and that the control system is configured to constrain the module. lighting 2 to be illuminated in the particular transmission mode and in the particular transmission state when connected to the power source. FIGS. 2 and 3 show two operational diagrams corresponding to two types of use of the multi-mode lighting device.

In these schemes, the simple arrows mean that the user performs a first specific action, for the double arrows a second specific action, and for the triple arrows a third specific action. According to the first type of use illustrated in FIG. 2, the user performs a first specific action when he wishes to make use of the device. The control system interprets the control and connects the power source to the lighting module 2. The lighting module 2 thus lights up and emits light according to mode 1, state A or mode 2, state A depending on the mode that was recorded before the last shutdown of the lighting module 2. If the user is satisfied with this setting, he can use it until he completes the first specific action. The control system then disconnects the power source and the lighting module 2. If the setting does not convince it, it can perform a second specific action by means of the control member 4, in order to change the mode transmitting the lighting module 2 from a mode 1 to a mode 2. It can also perform a third specific action using the additional control member 5, and pass the lighting module 2 from state A to state B. Whatever the mode and the emission state of the lighting module, the user has the possibility of: - performing a first specific action using the control member 4, and therefore turn off the lighting device, - perform a second specific action by means of the control member 4, and thus change the transmission mode of the lighting module 2, - achieve a third specific action using the additional control member 5, and therefore modi proud of the emission state of the lighting module 2.

FIG. 3 presents an operational diagram illustrating an alternative use of a lighting device that can emit a light flux in three different modes, each mode being able to emit in two or three different transmission states.

When the user performs a first specific action to turn on the lighting device, the lighting module can emit a luminous flux corresponding to either the mode 1 state A, or mode 2 state A, or mode 3 state A, according to the mode that was recorded before shutting down the device during the previous use.

If the user is not satisfied with the transmission state, he can modify it by performing a second specific action using the control unit 4. For example, if the lighting module 2 is transmitting in mode 1, regardless of the state A, B, or C, mode 2 can be activated by performing the second specific action only once. The lighting module 2 then transmits in the mode 2 state A. To reach the mode 3, the second specific action must be repeated twice. The lighting module 2 then emits in the mode 3 state A. If there was a fourth mode of emission, it could be activated by performing three times the second specific action.

In this embodiment of the lighting device, when the lighting module 2 emits a luminous flux according to the mode 3, whatever the state A or B, the lighting module 2 can emit a luminous flux according to the mode 1 state A by performing the second specific action only once using the control member 4.

Furthermore, the user can also change the setting of the lighting device by performing a third specific action using the additional control member 5. For example, if the transmission mode can be declined in three states A, B, and C, then perform the second specific action once to modify the emission of the luminous flux of a state A to a state B, or a state B to a state C, or a state C to state A. To change from state A to state C, it is however necessary to carry out twice the second specific action.

The operation of the lighting device is therefore easy and intuitive. Settings can be easily changed by the user, even when the conditions are not ideal (abseiling, cluttered hands, etc.). It is also very powerful thanks to the many settings that can be made, which allows for optimal use of the lighting device. According to an alternative embodiment, it is possible for the user himself to choose the parameters of the various settings of the lighting device, for example by interfacing the lighting device with a computer provided with appropriate software. The device is also reliable, and the user can store it without fear of unintended ignition thanks to the locking scheme. A first specific action may be registered by default in the control module, but it is conceivable that the user may choose his own locking scheme. Ultimately the multi-mode lighting device can be fully customizable, to comply with the wishes of the user. 30

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Multi-mode lighting device comprising: - a power source, - a lighting module (2) comprising at least one light source (3), and able to operate in at least one first lighting mode and a second lighting mode, - a control member (4) for receiving first and second specific actions of the user, the first specific action corresponding to at least two identical and consecutive maneuvers of the user, - a control system configured to: o connect the power supply to the lighting module (2) only in response to the first specific action on the control unit (4), o change the mode of emission of the lighting module ( 2) in response to the second specific action performed on the control member (4). A multi-mode illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the power source is disconnected only in response to the first specific action performed on the controller (4). A multi-mode illumination device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, comprising an additional control member (5) for passing the lighting module (2) from an emission state to a another transmission state, and wherein the control system is configured to change the emission state of the lighting module (2) in response to a third specific action performed on the additional control member (5). 4. Multi-mode lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control system comprises a memory for storing the emission state of the lighting module (2) upon disconnection. the power source and the lighting module (2). The multi-mode lighting device according to claim 4, wherein the memory of the control system records the transmission mode of the lighting module (2) upon disconnection of the power source and the light module. lighting (2). 6. Multi-mode lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control system comprises a memory where a particular transmission mode and a particular emission state of the lighting module (2). ) are recorded, the control system being configured to constrain the lighting module (2) to be illuminated in the particular transmission mode and in the particular transmission state when connected to the power source. A multi-mode illumination device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the controller (4) switches the illumination module (2) from a continuous transmission mode to a intermittent transmission mode. 8. A method of using the multi-mode lighting device according to claim 1, comprising the following steps: - turn on the lighting module (2) by performing a first specific action using the control member (4), - change the emission mode of the lighting module (2) by performing a second specific action using the control unit (4), - turn off the lighting module (2) by carrying out the first specific action by means of the control member (4). 9. A method of using the multi-mode lighting device according to claim 8, comprising the following additional step, when the lighting module (2) is on: - modify the transmission state of the module of lighting (2) by performing a third specific action by means of an additional control member (5). 10. A method of using the multi-mode lighting device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, comprising the following steps: - turn on the lighting module (2) by performing a first specific action using of the control unit (4), - modifying the emission state of the lighting module (2) by performing a third specific action by means of the additional control member (5), - switching off the control module lighting (2) by performing the first specific action by means of the control member (4). 20