US20200168072A1 - Portable lighting and warning device - Google Patents
Portable lighting and warning device Download PDFInfo
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- US20200168072A1 US20200168072A1 US16/406,308 US201916406308A US2020168072A1 US 20200168072 A1 US20200168072 A1 US 20200168072A1 US 201916406308 A US201916406308 A US 201916406308A US 2020168072 A1 US2020168072 A1 US 2020168072A1
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- warning
- housing
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- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 claims description 13
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005389 magnetism Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 description 1
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Classifications
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- G01V1/01—
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- G—PHYSICS
- G08—SIGNALLING
- G08B—SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS
- G08B21/00—Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
- G08B21/02—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
- G08B21/10—Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01V—GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS
- G01V1/00—Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting
- G01V1/008—Earthquake measurement or prediction
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01V—GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS
- G01V1/00—Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting
- G01V1/16—Receiving elements for seismic signals; Arrangements or adaptations of receiving elements
- G01V1/162—Details
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
- H01H35/02—Switches operated by change of position, inclination or orientation of the switch itself in relation to gravitational field
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
- H01H35/14—Switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. by shock or vibration, inertia switch
- H01H35/144—Switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. by shock or vibration, inertia switch operated by vibration
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/34—Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering
- H02J7/35—Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering with light sensitive cells
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- H02J7/355—
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H1/00—Contacts
- H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
- H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
- H01H1/16—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting by rolling; by wrapping; Roller or ball contacts
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
- H01H35/02—Switches operated by change of position, inclination or orientation of the switch itself in relation to gravitational field
- H01H35/025—Switches operated by change of position, inclination or orientation of the switch itself in relation to gravitational field the switch being discriminative in different directions
Definitions
- the disclosure relates to lighting and warning techniques, and more particularly to a portable lighting and warning device.
- Taiwanese Utility Model Patent No. M414589 discloses a conventional earthquake detecting device 1 that includes, among others, a sensing unit 11 , a warning unit 12 which is operable to output sound and light, and a processing unit 13 which is coupled to the sensing unit 11 and the warning unit 12 .
- the sensing unit 11 is adapted for sensing shaking of the conventional earthquake detecting device 1 due to, for example, earthquakes, and includes an accelerometer 111 and a gyroscope 112 .
- the processing unit 13 receives signals generated by the accelerometer 111 and the gyroscope 112 , uses extended Kalman filtering (EKF) to estimate intensity of the shaking based on the received signals, and controls the warning unit 12 to alert people by outputting sound and light when the estimated intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold.
- EKF extended Kalman filtering
- an object of the (disclosure is to provide a portable lighting and warning device that can reduce false warnings.
- the portable lighting and warning device includes a housing which houses a lighting generator unit, a sensor unit, a mode selector unit, a warning generator unit and a controller unit.
- the lighting generator unit is operable to emit light
- the warning generator unit is operable to output sound.
- the sensor unit senses shaking of the housing to generate a sense output.
- the mode selector unit generates a mode indication signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes which include a lighting mode and a warning mode, and is adapted to be actuated to change the mode indicated by the mode indication signal.
- the controller unit is coupled to the lighting generator unit, the sensor unit, the mode selector unit and the warning generator unit.
- the controller unit receives the sense output and the mode indication signal respectively from the sensor unit and the mode selector unit, and controls operations of the lighting generator unit, and the warning generator unit based on the sense output and the mode indication signal. Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the lighting mode, the controller unit controls the lighting generator unit to emit light. Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the warning mode, the controller unit waits for a predetermined pause time, and then controls the warning generator unit and the lighting generator unit to output sound and emit light when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of the housing that has an intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined level.
- FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional earthquake detecting device
- FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of a portable lighting and warning device according to the disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram illustrating the embodiment
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tilt switch of the embodiment.
- FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the tilt switch.
- an embodiment of a portable lighting and warning device includes a housing 2 , a lighting generator unit 3 , a sensor unit 4 , a mode selector unit 5 , an indicator unit 52 , a warning generator unit 6 , a controller unit 7 and a power source 8 .
- the housing 2 is rod shaped.
- the lighting generator 3 is disposed in the housing 2 , and is operable to emit light.
- the lighting generator unit 3 includes a first lamp 31 that is exposed from an end surface of the housing 2 , and a second lamp 32 that is exposed from a peripheral surface of the housing 2 .
- each of the first and second lamps 31 , 32 is a light, emitting diode (LED) Lamp.
- the sensor unit 4 is disposed in the housing 2 (see FIG. 2 ), and senses shaking of the housing 2 (e.g., due to earthquakes) to generate a sense output.
- the sensor unit 4 includes a tilt switch 400 , among others, and generates the sense output based on an operating state of the tilt switch 400 .
- the casing 41 is formed with a number (N) (four in this embodiment) of recesses 44 at an inner bottom thereof.
- Each of the recesses 44 is defined by a side surface 410 and a bottom surface 411 , where the bottom surface 411 is divided into a first part that slopes at an angle ( ⁇ ) relative to a horizontal plane (L), and a second part that is parallel to the horizontal plane (L).
- the bottom surfaces 411 that define one half of the recesses 44 are perpendicular to the bottom surfaces 411 that define the other half of the recesses 44 in orientation.
- the first part has an upper end that is distal from the second part, and a lower end that is adjacent to the second part.
- the conductive rolling element 42 For each of the conductive rolling elements 42 , a respective one of the recesses 44 and a respective one of the pairs of conductive connecting terminals 431 , the conductive rolling element 42 is accommodated in the recess 44 , and the conductive connecting terminals 431 of the pair are beside the recess 44 and near the upper end of the first part of the bottom surface 411 that defines the recess 44 . Therefore, the conductive rolling element 42 normally does not contact the conductive connecting terminals 431 of the pair, because it is normally distal from. the upper end of the first part of the bottom surface 411 that defines the recess 44 .
- the sense output includes a number (N) (four in this embodiment) of sense signals, each of which indicates whether a respective one of the conductive rolling elements 42 contacts the conductive connecting terminals 431 of one of the pairs that corresponds, to the respective one of the conductive rolling elements 42 .
- the mode selector unit 5 is disposed in the housing 2 , generates a mode indication signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes (which include a shut down mode, a first lighting mode, a second lighting mode, a third lighting mode and a warning mode), and is adapted to be actuated to change the mode indicated by the mode indication signal.
- the mode selector unit 5 is exposed from the peripheral surface of the housing 2 , and the mode indication signal cyclically indicates the shut down mode, the first to third lighting modes and the warning mode in response to the actuations.
- the indicator unit 52 is disposed in the housing, and is operable to emit light. In this embodiment, the indicator unit 52 is exposed from the peripheral surface of the housing 2 .
- the warning generator unit 6 is disposed in the housing 2 , and is operable to output sound.
- the warning generator unit 6 is a buzzer.
- the controller unit 7 is disposed in the housing 2 , and includes a switch circuit 71 , an input port 72 , a detector circuit 73 , an output port 71 and a microcontroller 75 .
- the input port 72 is exposed from the peripheral surface of the housing 2 , and is adapted to be coupled to an alternating current (AC) adapter (not shown) for receiving direct current (DC) external electrical power that is generated by the AC adapter from AC mains electricity.
- the detector circuit 73 is coupled to the switch circuit 71 and the input port 72 , and detects the receipt of the external electrical power by the input port 72 .
- the output port 74 is coupled to the switch circuit 71 , and is adapted to be coupled to an electronic device (not shown).
- the microcontroller 75 is coupled to the first and second lamps 31 , 32 , the sensor unit 4 , the mode selector unit 5 , the indicator unit 52 , the warning generator unit 6 , the detector circuit 73 and a common node of the switch circuit 71 and the detector circuit.
- the output port 74 is a universal serial bus (USB) port.
- the power source 8 is disposed in the housing 2 , and includes a rechargeable battery 81 and a photovoltaic converter 82 .
- the rechargeable battery 81 is coupled to the switch circuit 7 .
- the photovoltaic converter 82 is coupled to the common node of the switch circuit 71 and the detector circuit 73 , and is for converting, light that illuminates thereupon into electrical power.
- the microcontroller 75 controls the switch circuit 71 in such a way that the microcontroiler 75 receives the external electrical power from the input port 72 via the detector circuit 73 , and is powered by the external electrical power.
- the microcontroller 75 controls the switch circuit 71 in such a way that the microcontroller 75 receives electrical power from the rechargeable battery 81 via the switch circuit 71 , and is powered by the electrical power received from the rechargeable battery 81 .
- the microcontroller 75 may control the switch circuit 71 in such a way that the switch circuit 71 receives at least one of the external electrical power or tile electrical power generated by the photovoltaic converter 82 , and outputs the received electrical power to charge the rechargeable battery 81 .
- the microcontroller 75 may control the switch circuit 71 in such a way that the switch circuit 71 receives at least one of the external electrical power, the electrical power generated by the photovoltaic converter 82 , or the electrical power provided by the rechargeable battery 81 , and outputs the received electrical power at the output port 74 to power the electronic device.
- the microcontroller 75 receives the sense output and the mode indication signal respectively from the sensor unit 4 and the mode selector unit 5 , and controls operations of the first and second lamps 31 , 32 , the indicator unit 52 and the warning generator unit 6 based on the sense output and the mode indication signal.
- the microcontroller 75 controls the first and second lamps 31 , 32 and the indicator unit 52 to not emit light, and controls the warning generator unit 6 to not output sound.
- the microcontroller 75 controls the first lamp 31 to emit light, controls the second lamp 32 to riot emit light, controls the indicator unit 52 to emit light in a first way, and controls the warning generator unit 6 to not output sound.
- the indicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering once at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Since the first lamp 31 is exposed from the end surface of the housing 2 , the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment can be carried by a user to serve as a flashlight.
- the microcontroller 75 controls the first lamp 31 to not emit light, controls the second lamp 32 to emit light, controls the indicator unit 52 to emit light in a second way different from the first way, and controls the warning generator unit 6 to not output sound.
- the indicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering twice at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Since the second lamp 32 is exposed from the peripheral surface of the housing the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment can be hung in a tent to serve as a camping light.
- the microcontroller 75 controls the second lamp 32 to not emit light, controls the indicator unit 52 to emit light in a third way different from the first and second ways, controls the warning generator unit 6 to not output sound, controls the first lamp 31 to not emit light when the detector circuit 73 detects the receipt of the external electrical power by the input port 72 , and controls the first lamp 31 to emit light when the detector circuit 73 does not detect the receipt of the external electrical power by the input port 72 .
- the indicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering three times at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Since the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment automatically emits light when the external electrical power is absent, it can be used as an emergency light that works during an outage of the mains electricity.
- the microcontroller 75 waits for a predetermined pause time (e.g., five seconds), and controls the warning generator unit 6 to discontinuously output sound for a predetermined number of times (e.g., beep three times) upon completion of the waiting so as to inform a user that the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment is ready to detect earthquakes or the like, and that it is not suitable to move the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment.
- a predetermined pause time e.g., five seconds
- a predetermined number of times e.g., beep three times
- the microcontroller 75 controls the second lamp 32 to not emit light, controls the indicator unit 52 to emit light in a fourth way different from the first to third ways, controls the warning generator unit 6 and the first lamp 31 to output sound and emit light for a predetermined warning time (e.g., thirty seconds) when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of the housing 2 that has an intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined level, and controls the warning generator unit 6 and the first lamp 31 to not output sound and not emit light when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of the housing 2 that has an intensity less than the predetermined level.
- the indicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering four times at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.
- the predetermined level is determined by the angle ( ⁇ ) (see FIG. 5 ). Greater angle ( ⁇ ) leads to greater predetermined level.
- the angle ( ⁇ ) is in a range from 2° to 5°
- the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment can detect an earthquake having a Richter magnitude greater than or equal to four.
- the first to fifth ways maybe different in at least one of the flicker frequency, the number of flickers or color, and are not limited to the examples described above.
- the sensor unit 4 may use a sensor other than the tilt sensor 400 (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope or a magnetism sensor).
- a sensor other than the tilt sensor 400 e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope or a magnetism sensor.
- the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment has the following advantages.
- the portable lighting and warning device waits for the predetermined pause time before it can warn about the shaking of the housing 2 that has an intensity not less than the predetermined level, the false warnings can be reduced.
- the microcontroller 75 obtains, based on the operating state of the tilt switch 400 , whether the intensity of the shaking of the housing 2 is greater than or equal to the predetermined level, no complex calculations are required, and therefore the portable lighting and warning device has a rather low calculation. burden.
Abstract
A portable lighting and warning device includes: a housing; a lighting generator unit; a sensor unit sensing shaking of the housing to generate a sense output; a mode selector unit generating a mode indication signal; a warning generator unit; and a controller unit. In a case where the mode indication signal indicates a lighting mode, the controller unit controls the lighting generator unit to emit light. In a case where the mode indication signal indicates a warning mode, the controller unit waits for a predetermined pause time, and then controls the warning generator unit and the lighting generator unit to output sound and emit light when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of the housing not less than a predetermined in intensity.
Description
- This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 107142020, filed on Nov. 26, 2018.
- The disclosure relates to lighting and warning techniques, and more particularly to a portable lighting and warning device.
- Referring to
FIG. 1 , Taiwanese Utility Model Patent No. M414589 discloses a conventionalearthquake detecting device 1 that includes, among others, asensing unit 11, awarning unit 12 which is operable to output sound and light, and aprocessing unit 13 which is coupled to thesensing unit 11 and thewarning unit 12. Thesensing unit 11 is adapted for sensing shaking of the conventionalearthquake detecting device 1 due to, for example, earthquakes, and includes anaccelerometer 111 and agyroscope 112. Theprocessing unit 13 receives signals generated by theaccelerometer 111 and thegyroscope 112, uses extended Kalman filtering (EKF) to estimate intensity of the shaking based on the received signals, and controls thewarning unit 12 to alert people by outputting sound and light when the estimated intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold. - However, movement of the conventional
earthquake detecting device 1 from one location to another location will result in false warnings, and therefore it is only suitable to place the conventionalearthquake detecting device 1 in a fixed location. In addition, the EKF, a rather complex calculation, requires theprocessing unit 13 to have high computation power, otherwise the conventionalearthquake detecting device 1 would be overwhelmed by high calculation burden. - Therefore, an object of the (disclosure is to provide a portable lighting and warning device that can reduce false warnings.
- According to the disclosure, the portable lighting and warning device includes a housing which houses a lighting generator unit, a sensor unit, a mode selector unit, a warning generator unit and a controller unit. The lighting generator unit is operable to emit light, and the warning generator unit is operable to output sound. The sensor unit senses shaking of the housing to generate a sense output. The mode selector unit generates a mode indication signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes which include a lighting mode and a warning mode, and is adapted to be actuated to change the mode indicated by the mode indication signal. The controller unit is coupled to the lighting generator unit, the sensor unit, the mode selector unit and the warning generator unit. The controller unit receives the sense output and the mode indication signal respectively from the sensor unit and the mode selector unit, and controls operations of the lighting generator unit, and the warning generator unit based on the sense output and the mode indication signal. Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the lighting mode, the controller unit controls the lighting generator unit to emit light. Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the warning mode, the controller unit waits for a predetermined pause time, and then controls the warning generator unit and the lighting generator unit to output sound and emit light when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of the housing that has an intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined level.
- Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
-
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional earthquake detecting device; -
FIG. 2 is a front view of an embodiment of a portable lighting and warning device according to the disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram illustrating the embodiment; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tilt switch of the embodiment; and -
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the tilt switch. - Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 3 , an embodiment of a portable lighting and warning device according to the disclosure includes ahousing 2, alighting generator unit 3, asensor unit 4, amode selector unit 5, anindicator unit 52, awarning generator unit 6, acontroller unit 7 and apower source 8. - In this embodiment, the
housing 2 is rod shaped. - The
lighting generator 3 is disposed in thehousing 2, and is operable to emit light. In this embodiment, thelighting generator unit 3 includes afirst lamp 31 that is exposed from an end surface of thehousing 2, and asecond lamp 32 that is exposed from a peripheral surface of thehousing 2. In an example, each of the first andsecond lamps - Referring to
FIGS. 4 and 5 , thesensor unit 4 is disposed in the housing 2 (seeFIG. 2 ), and senses shaking of the housing 2 (e.g., due to earthquakes) to generate a sense output. In this embodiment, thesensor unit 4 includes atilt switch 400, among others, and generates the sense output based on an operating state of thetilt switch 400. Thetilt switch 400 includes acasing 41, a number (N) of conductiverolling elements 42 and a number (N) of pairs ofconductive connecting terminals 431, where N≥1. For illustrative purposes, N=4 in this embodiment. Thecasing 41 is formed with a number (N) (four in this embodiment) ofrecesses 44 at an inner bottom thereof. Each of therecesses 44 is defined by aside surface 410 and abottom surface 411, where thebottom surface 411 is divided into a first part that slopes at an angle (θ) relative to a horizontal plane (L), and a second part that is parallel to the horizontal plane (L). Thebottom surfaces 411 that define one half of therecesses 44 are perpendicular to thebottom surfaces 411 that define the other half of therecesses 44 in orientation. For eachbottom surface 411, the first part has an upper end that is distal from the second part, and a lower end that is adjacent to the second part. For each of the conductiverolling elements 42, a respective one of therecesses 44 and a respective one of the pairs of conductive connectingterminals 431, the conductiverolling element 42 is accommodated in therecess 44, and theconductive connecting terminals 431 of the pair are beside therecess 44 and near the upper end of the first part of thebottom surface 411 that defines therecess 44. Therefore, the conductiverolling element 42 normally does not contact the conductive connectingterminals 431 of the pair, because it is normally distal from. the upper end of the first part of thebottom surface 411 that defines therecess 44. In addition, the conductiverolling element 42 contacts theconductive connecting terminals 431 of the pair when it approaches the upper end of the first part of thebottom surface 411 that defines therecess 44 because of the shaking of thehousing 2. The sense output includes a number (N) (four in this embodiment) of sense signals, each of which indicates whether a respective one of the conductiverolling elements 42 contacts theconductive connecting terminals 431 of one of the pairs that corresponds, to the respective one of the conductiverolling elements 42. - Referring back to
FIGS. 2 and 3 , themode selector unit 5 is disposed in thehousing 2, generates a mode indication signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes (which include a shut down mode, a first lighting mode, a second lighting mode, a third lighting mode and a warning mode), and is adapted to be actuated to change the mode indicated by the mode indication signal. In this embodiment, themode selector unit 5 is exposed from the peripheral surface of thehousing 2, and the mode indication signal cyclically indicates the shut down mode, the first to third lighting modes and the warning mode in response to the actuations. - The
indicator unit 52 is disposed in the housing, and is operable to emit light. In this embodiment, theindicator unit 52 is exposed from the peripheral surface of thehousing 2. - The
warning generator unit 6 is disposed in thehousing 2, and is operable to output sound. In this embodiment, thewarning generator unit 6 is a buzzer. - The
controller unit 7 is disposed in thehousing 2, and includes aswitch circuit 71, aninput port 72, adetector circuit 73, anoutput port 71 and amicrocontroller 75. Theinput port 72 is exposed from the peripheral surface of thehousing 2, and is adapted to be coupled to an alternating current (AC) adapter (not shown) for receiving direct current (DC) external electrical power that is generated by the AC adapter from AC mains electricity. Thedetector circuit 73 is coupled to theswitch circuit 71 and theinput port 72, and detects the receipt of the external electrical power by theinput port 72. Theoutput port 74 is coupled to theswitch circuit 71, and is adapted to be coupled to an electronic device (not shown). Themicrocontroller 75 is coupled to the first andsecond lamps sensor unit 4, themode selector unit 5, theindicator unit 52, thewarning generator unit 6, thedetector circuit 73 and a common node of theswitch circuit 71 and the detector circuit. In this embodiment, theoutput port 74 is a universal serial bus (USB) port. - The
power source 8 is disposed in thehousing 2, and includes arechargeable battery 81 and aphotovoltaic converter 82. Therechargeable battery 81 is coupled to theswitch circuit 7. Thephotovoltaic converter 82 is coupled to the common node of theswitch circuit 71 and thedetector circuit 73, and is for converting, light that illuminates thereupon into electrical power. - When the
detector circuit 73 detects the receipt of the external electrical power by theinput port 72, themicrocontroller 75 controls theswitch circuit 71 in such a way that themicrocontroiler 75 receives the external electrical power from theinput port 72 via thedetector circuit 73, and is powered by the external electrical power. When thedetector circuit 73 does not detect the receipt of the external electrical power by theinput port 72, themicrocontroller 75 controls theswitch circuit 71 in such a way that themicrocontroller 75 receives electrical power from therechargeable battery 81 via theswitch circuit 71, and is powered by the electrical power received from therechargeable battery 81. - In addition, the
microcontroller 75 may control theswitch circuit 71 in such a way that theswitch circuit 71 receives at least one of the external electrical power or tile electrical power generated by thephotovoltaic converter 82, and outputs the received electrical power to charge therechargeable battery 81. - Moreover, the
microcontroller 75 may control theswitch circuit 71 in such a way that theswitch circuit 71 receives at least one of the external electrical power, the electrical power generated by thephotovoltaic converter 82, or the electrical power provided by therechargeable battery 81, and outputs the received electrical power at theoutput port 74 to power the electronic device. - Furthermore, the
microcontroller 75 receives the sense output and the mode indication signal respectively from thesensor unit 4 and themode selector unit 5, and controls operations of the first andsecond lamps indicator unit 52 and thewarning generator unit 6 based on the sense output and the mode indication signal. - Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal. indicates the shut down mode, the
microcontroller 75 controls the first andsecond lamps indicator unit 52 to not emit light, and controls thewarning generator unit 6 to not output sound. - Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the first lighting mode, the
microcontroller 75 controls thefirst lamp 31 to emit light, controls thesecond lamp 32 to riot emit light, controls theindicator unit 52 to emit light in a first way, and controls thewarning generator unit 6 to not output sound. For example, theindicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering once at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Since thefirst lamp 31 is exposed from the end surface of thehousing 2, the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment can be carried by a user to serve as a flashlight. - Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the second lighting mode, the
microcontroller 75 controls thefirst lamp 31 to not emit light, controls thesecond lamp 32 to emit light, controls theindicator unit 52 to emit light in a second way different from the first way, and controls thewarning generator unit 6 to not output sound. For example, theindicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering twice at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Since thesecond lamp 32 is exposed from the peripheral surface of the housing the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment can be hung in a tent to serve as a camping light. - Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the third lighting mode, the
microcontroller 75 controls thesecond lamp 32 to not emit light, controls theindicator unit 52 to emit light in a third way different from the first and second ways, controls thewarning generator unit 6 to not output sound, controls thefirst lamp 31 to not emit light when thedetector circuit 73 detects the receipt of the external electrical power by theinput port 72, and controls thefirst lamp 31 to emit light when thedetector circuit 73 does not detect the receipt of the external electrical power by theinput port 72. For example, theindicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering three times at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Since the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment automatically emits light when the external electrical power is absent, it can be used as an emergency light that works during an outage of the mains electricity. - Under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the warning mode, the
microcontroller 75 waits for a predetermined pause time (e.g., five seconds), and controls thewarning generator unit 6 to discontinuously output sound for a predetermined number of times (e.g., beep three times) upon completion of the waiting so as to inform a user that the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment is ready to detect earthquakes or the like, and that it is not suitable to move the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment. Thereafter, themicrocontroller 75 controls thesecond lamp 32 to not emit light, controls theindicator unit 52 to emit light in a fourth way different from the first to third ways, controls thewarning generator unit 6 and thefirst lamp 31 to output sound and emit light for a predetermined warning time (e.g., thirty seconds) when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of thehousing 2 that has an intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined level, and controls thewarning generator unit 6 and thefirst lamp 31 to not output sound and not emit light when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of thehousing 2 that has an intensity less than the predetermined level. For example, theindicator unit 52 cyclically performs the following actions: (a) flickering four times at a rate of one per second; and (b) not emitting light for three seconds, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. - It should be noted that the predetermined level is determined by the angle (θ) (see
FIG. 5 ). Greater angle (θ) leads to greater predetermined level. In an example where the angle (θ) is in a range from 2° to 5°, the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment can detect an earthquake having a Richter magnitude greater than or equal to four. In addition, the first to fifth ways maybe different in at least one of the flicker frequency, the number of flickers or color, and are not limited to the examples described above. - It should also be noted that, in other embodiments, the
sensor unit 4 may use a sensor other than the tilt sensor 400 (e.g., an accelerometer, a gyroscope or a magnetism sensor). - In view of the above, the portable lighting and warning device of this embodiment has the following advantages.
- 1. Since the portable lighting and warning device waits for the predetermined pause time before it can warn about the shaking of the
housing 2 that has an intensity not less than the predetermined level, the false warnings can be reduced. - 2. Since the
microcontroller 75 obtains, based on the operating state of thetilt switch 400, whether the intensity of the shaking of thehousing 2 is greater than or equal to the predetermined level, no complex calculations are required, and therefore the portable lighting and warning device has a rather low calculation. burden. - In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects.
- While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Claims (12)
1. A portable lighting and warning device comprising:
a housing;
a lighting generator unit disposed in said housing, and operable to emit light;
a sensor unit disposed in said housing, and sensing shaking of said housing to generate a sense output;
a mode selector unit disposed in said housing, generating a mode indication signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes which include a first lighting mode and a warning mode, and adapted to be actuated to change the mode indicated by the mode indication signal;
a warning generator unit disposed in said housing, and operable to output sound; and
a controller unit disposed in said housing, and coupled to said lighting generator unit, said sensor unit, said mode selector unit and said warning generator unit, said controller unit receiving the sense output and the mode indication signal respectively from said sensor unit and said mode selector unit, and controlling operations of said lighting generator unit and said warning generator unit based on the sense output and the mode indication signal;
under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the first lighting mode, said controller unit controlling said lighting generator unit to emit light;
under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the warning mode, said controller unit
waiting for a predetermined pause time, and then
controlling said warning generator unit and said lighting generator unit to output sound and emit light when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of said housing that has an intensity greater than or equal to a predetermined level.
2. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , wherein, under the circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the warning mode, said controller unit further controls said warm ng generator unit to discontinuously output sound for a predetermined number of times upon completion of the waiting.
3. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , wherein, under the circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the warning mode, said controller unit controls said warning generator unit and said lighting generator unit to output sound and emit light for a predetermined warning time when the sense output corresponds to the shaking of said housing that has the intensity greater than or equal to the predetermined level.
4. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , further comprising an indicator unit that is disposed in said housing, that is coupled to said controller unit, and that is operable to emit light;
wherein, under the circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the first lighting mode, said controller unit further controls said indicator unit to emit light in a first way;
wherein, under the circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the warning mode, said controller unit further controls said indicator unit to emit light in a second way different from the first way.
5. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 4 , wherein the first and second ways are different in at least one of flicker frequency, a number of flickers or color.
6. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , wherein:
the modes further include a second lighting mode;
said controller unit is for receiving external electrical power, and detects the receipt of the external electrical power thereby;
under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the second lighting mode, said controller unit controls said lighting generator unit to not emit light when detecting the receipt of the external electrical power thereby, and controls said lighting generator unit to emit light when not detecting the receipt of the external electrical power thereby.
7. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , wherein:
said lighting generator unit includes a first lamp and a second lamp;
the modes further include a second lighting mode;
under the circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the first lighting mode, said
controller unit controls said first lamp to emit light;
under a circumstance where the mode indication signal indicates the second lighting mode, said controller unit controls said second lamp to emit light.
8. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , further comprising a power source that is disposed in said housing, and that includes
a rechargeable battery coupled to said controller unit, and for powering said controller unit; and
a photovoltaic converter coupled to said controller unit, and for converting light that illuminates thereupon into electrical power;
wherein said controller unit is for receiving the electrical power generated by said photovoltaic converter, and is for outputting the electrical power generated by said photovoltaic converter to charge said rechargeable battery.
9. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , wherein said controller unit includes an output port, and is for outputting electrical power at said output port.
10. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 1 , wherein said sensor unit includes a tilt switch, and generates the sense output based on an operating state of said tilt switch.
11. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 10 , wherein said tilt switch includes:
a casing formed with a number (N) of recesses at an inner bottom thereof, where N≥1, each of the recesses being defined by a side surface and a bottom surface that slopes relative to a horizontal plane;
a number (N) of conductive rolling elements; and
a number (N) of pairs of conductive connecting terminals;
for each of said conductive rolling elements, a respective one of the recesses and a respective one of said pairs of conductive connecting terminals, said conductive rolling element being accommodated in the recess, said conductive connecting terminals of said pair being beside the recess and near an upper end of said bottom surface that defines the recess, and said conductive rolling element contacting said conductive connecting terminals of said pair when said conductive roiling element approaches said upper end of said bottom surface which defines the recess because of the shaking of said housing.
12. The portable lighting and warning device of claim 11 , wherein the sense output includes a number (N) of sense signals, each of which indicates whether respective one of said conductive rolling elements contacts said conductive connecting terminals of one of said pairs that corresponds to the respective one of said conductive rolling elements.
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TW107142020A | 2018-11-26 | ||
TW107142020 | 2018-11-26 | ||
TW107142020A TWI741231B (en) | 2018-11-26 | 2018-11-26 | Portable lighting alarm device |
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US10657788B1 US10657788B1 (en) | 2020-05-19 |
US20200168072A1 true US20200168072A1 (en) | 2020-05-28 |
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US11496902B2 (en) * | 2017-09-29 | 2022-11-08 | Plume Design, Inc. | Access to Wi-Fi networks via two-step and two-party control |
US20230106054A1 (en) * | 2021-10-05 | 2023-04-06 | Vivien He | Low-cost internet-of-things device for on-site and regional earthquake early warning |
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TW413332U (en) * | 1999-12-09 | 2000-11-21 | Tsai Shi Chiuan | Earthquake indicator |
WO2008026246A1 (en) * | 2006-08-29 | 2008-03-06 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Elevator control apparatus and control method |
US20100081411A1 (en) * | 2008-09-29 | 2010-04-01 | John Mathew Montenero, III | Multifunctional telemetry alert safety system (MTASS) |
JP5553146B2 (en) * | 2010-02-17 | 2014-07-16 | ソニー株式会社 | Reception device, information processing method, and program |
US9305451B2 (en) * | 2012-12-31 | 2016-04-05 | Yuxiang Liu | Seismic alarm and warning system |
TWI573105B (en) * | 2013-05-16 | 2017-03-01 | 崑山科技大學 | Earthquake warning device for use in various emergency lights |
TWI623337B (en) * | 2015-12-24 | 2018-05-11 | 遠東科技大學 | Portable emergency assistance device |
JP6604199B2 (en) * | 2015-12-28 | 2019-11-13 | セイコーエプソン株式会社 | Vibration analysis system, vibration analysis apparatus, and vibration analysis method |
TWM579284U (en) * | 2018-11-26 | 2019-06-11 | 大日科技股份有限公司 | Portable lighting alarm device |
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US10657788B1 (en) | 2020-05-19 |
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