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`
`(12) United States Patent
`Lau et al.
`
`(to) Patent No.: (cid:9)
`(45) Date of Patent: (cid:9)
`
`US 6,431,719 B1
`Aug. 13, 2002
`
`(54) DYNAMIC DISPLAY NIGHT LIGHT
`
`(75) Inventors: Shek Fai Lau, Foster City; Edward C.
`McKinney, Jr., San Rafael; Richard J.
`Thalheimer, San Francisco, all of CA
`(US)
`
`(73) Assignee: Sharper Image Corporation, San
`Francisco, CA (US)
`
`( * ) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/668,594
`
`(22) Filed: (cid:9)
`
`Sep. 22, 2000
`
`Int. C1.7 (cid:9)
`(51)
`(52) U.S. Cl. (cid:9)
`
` F21V 33/00
` 362/95; 362/802; 362/800;
`362/226; 362/29
` 362/27, 29, 95,
`(58) Field of Search (cid:9)
`362/800, 802, 224, 231; 446/485, 484,
`219; 315/800
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4,338,547 A * 7/1982 McCaslin (cid:9)
`5,871,271 A * 2/1999 Chien (cid:9)
`6,183,100 B1 * 2/2001 Suckow et al. (cid:9)
`
`
`
`
`
`315/312
`362/106
`362/35
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Primary Examiner—Sandra O'Shea
`Assistant Examiner (cid:9) Anabel Ton
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fliesler Dubb Meyer &
`Lovejoy, LLP
`
`(57) (cid:9)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A self-contained night light is disposed in a housing con-
`taining spaced-apart male AC prongs the mate with an AC
`socket. The housing contains an array of differently colored,
`preferably light emitting diode. Light sources that can
`dynamically output different patterns of differently colored
`light in response to drive signals. A microcontroller executes
`a sequence of instructions causing the controller to output
`different sequences of signals that are coupled to a driver
`unit that drives the light sources. The result is that the array
`dynamically produces different patterns of differently col-
`ored light. A user operable control allows a viewer to
`"freeze" any desired pattern of light, such that until reset, the
`night light will continue to output a static pattern of colors.
`The night light may include a manual or light-sensing
`ON/OFF switch.
`
`3,968,355 A * 7/1976 Smallegan (cid:9)
`4,161,018 A * 7/1979 Briggs et al. (cid:9)
`
` 240/2
` 362/104
`
`20 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
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`80
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`10
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`40
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`50
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`Jiawei et al. Exhibit 1010 Page 1
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`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`

`

`U.S. Patent (cid:9)
`
`Aug. 13, 2002
`
`Sheet 1 of 2 (cid:9)
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`US 6,431,719 B1
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`0
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`Jiawei et al. Exhibit 1010 Page 2
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`(cid:9)
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`U.S. Patent (cid:9)
`
`Aug. 13, 2002
`
`Sheet 2 of 2 (cid:9)
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`US 6,431,719 B1
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`11.1
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`Jiawei et al. Exhibit 1010 Page 3
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`1
`DYNAMIC DISPLAY NIGHT LIGHT
`
`US 6,431,719 B1
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`2
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`The invention relates generally to night lights that plug
`into household AC current, and more particularly to provid-
`ing a nightlight that outputs a dynamic light display that is
`both entertaining and soothing to a viewer.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Night lights are commonly found in every household.
`Essentially they are small perhaps 15 Watt AC filament
`lamps that plug directly into a wall mounted AC outlet. The
`lamp outputs light (and heat) for as long as the lamp is turned
`on. While such lights can adequately provide a comforting
`level of light, they do little else. Although small children
`may find such lights reassuring, the lights themselves do
`little to sooth children and others viewing the light.
`What is needed is a nightlight that can entertain and sooth
`a viewer, as well as merely output light. Preferably such a
`night light should output a display of light that is dynamic
`but can be user-frozen in a designed light pattern.
`The present invention provides such a nightlight.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
`
`The present invention provides a night light that includes
`a housing adapted to plug directly into a household type AC
`socket, an array of light emitters, an AC:DC voltage
`converter, associated electronics disposed within the
`housing, and a light diffuser to soften output from the light
`array.
`Preferably the light array comprises several differently
`colored light emitting diodes (LEDs) that are driven by
`electronics within the housing such that the array output, as
`viewed through the light diffuser, is a dynamically changing
`pattern of light. The displayed light patterns vary smoothly
`and continuously from monochrome to different color com-
`binations of light, with the cycle repeating over a cycle
`period that may be sixty seconds or so in length. Preferably
`the electronics includes a microcontroller unit that executes
`a sequence of instructions causing a light driver unit to
`switch on various of the light emitters during various
`portions of a pattern cycle. During the cycle period, a user
`may at any time activate a switch to "freeze" an especially
`attractive pattern of output light. The "frozen" light pattern
`will be displayed until the user again activates that switch (or
`the night light is turned off or otherwise disconnected from
`the source of operating potential). The viewer may later
`activate the same switch, which "unfreezes" the output light
`pattern, and permits the electronics to again drive the LEDs
`to produce a continuously varying pattern of light that is
`gradually modulated in color and in intensity. Preferably a
`red LED, a blue LED, and a green LED are used, and the
`drive electronics preferably is controlled by a microcontrol-
`ler (or equivalent) that determines the light patterns output
`by the present invention.
`Other features and advantages of the invention will appear
`from the following description in which the preferred
`embodiments have been set forth in detail, in conjunction
`with the accompanying drawings.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred implementation
`of the present invention; and
`FIG. 2 is a generalized block diagram of the electronic
`circuitry used in the present invention.
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`5
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`35 (cid:9)
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`45 (cid:9)
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`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a night light 10, according
`to the present invention. Night light 10 includes a preferably
`plastic housing 20 with which an array 30 of light sources is
`disposed, with emitted light viewable through a preferably
`somewhat translucent element 40, for example a diffusive
`plastic lens. In the preferred embodiment, light array 30
`includes several light emitting diodes (LEDs). Housing 20
`also includes electronics 50, which includes an AC:DC
`power converter, and components to control and drive the
`LEDs within LED array 30. In the preferred embodiment,
`night light 10 includes two spaced-apart male plugs prongs
`60 that mate with and plug directly into sockets 70 in a
`typically wall-mounted AC receptacle 80. Housing 20 also
`includes a switch 51 that permits a user to "freeze" a
`particular light output pattern at any time, or to "unfreeze"
`a previously frozen display pattern of light output by array
`30. When night light 10 is plugged into receptacle 80,
`electronics 50 is energized and varying patterns of light will
`be output from the LED array 30 until switch 51 is pressed
`by a user.
`When 51 is pressed or otherwise activated, the dynamic
`25 pattern of light output is frozen, and the night light will
`display a static pattern that was selected by the user at the
`moment 51 was activated. This static pattern will remain as
`the display until 51 is later re-activated (or night light 10 is
`turned OFF or otherwise de-activated). If desired, system 10
`3 could also include an ON/OFF switch and/or an ambient
`light sensor S2 such that night light 10 could at all times
`remain plugged into receptacle 80, yet would only output
`light when the unit was switched ON, or when sensed
`ambient light was somewhat dark.
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing electronics 50 and
`associated components comprising night light 10. Spaced-
`apart male prongs 60 bring raw 110 VAC into system 10
`when the night light is plugged into AC receptacle 80. An
`AC:DC rectifier and voltage conditioner unit 90 converts the
`40 raw AC voltage into DC voltage, which DC voltage (perhaps
`about 15 VDC) is somewhat filtered by capacitor Cl. The
`design and implementation of such AC:DC converters is
`well known to those skilled in the relevant art and need not
`be described in detail.
`In the preferred embodiment, LED array 30 includes three
`separate LEDs: a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED,
`so labeled in FIG. 2. Each LED may be driven independently
`of each other LED by an appropriate logic high or low state
`provided by an LED driver 100. In the preferred
`so embodiment, the three differently colored LEDs are series-
`connected, and the voltage at the bottom of the series stack
`is established by a Zener diode Vz, whose relatively constant
`voltage VDD is provided as operating potential to LED
`driver 100 and to a microcontroller unit (MCU) 110. MCU
`55 110 preferably is programmed by burning one or more mask
`layers to carry out a set of instructions that have the effect
`of controlling LED driver 100 to drive the LED array 30 in
`a desired sequence of light patterns. LED drivers and MCU
`units are well known to those skilled in the art of circuit
`60 design, and further details are therefor deemed unnecessary.
`A capacitor C2 tends to filter out noise components in the
`Zener diode output level. The lower node of the Zener diode
`acts a ground node for electronics 50.
`As noted switch S2 may be a conventional mechanical
`65 ON/OFF switch that a user could press or otherwise engage,
`or S2 may be a light sensor that senses ambient light through
`diffuser 40. If sensor S2 detects a darkened ambient light
`
`Jiawei et al. Exhibit 1010 Page 4
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`

`

`US 6,431,719 B1
`
`3
`condition, S2 will essentially close circuit, and if S2 detects
`a bright ambient light condition, S2 will open circuit.
`Mechanical switches and/or light sensor switches S2 are
`know to those skilled in the art. As shown in FIG. 2,
`preferably LED driver 100 operates under control of MCU
`110, which (unless interrupted by switch S1) will cycle
`through a sequence of programmed instructions (shown as
`120) during a cycle period of perhaps sixty seconds or so.
`Multiple connections between MCU 110 and LED driver
`100 cause driver 100 to step through various combinations
`of driver signals that are coupled to the LEDs comprising
`array 30.
`For example, under control of MCU 110, LED driver 100
`may cause only the blue LED to be on, or to be on for some
`fraction of a cycle period. Alternatively only the green or the
`red LED might be on for some fraction of a cycle period,
`e.g., a typically several second period over which a pattern
`of light output by array 30 occurs and then starts to repeat.
`It is understood that MCU 110 may cause LED driver 100
`to switch more than one LED on simultaneously, and indeed
`duty cycle to each LED may differ. For example, one might
`drive the red LED with a higher duty cycle than the green
`and blue LEDs such that red is the predominant color as
`viewed through diffuser 40 by a user. While FIG. 2 depicts
`an array 30 comprising a series connection of light sources,
`if desired parallel-coupled light sources could be used
`instead (or in addition).
`In practice MCU 110 will have been preprogrammed with
`at least one instruction set 120 to output a continuously
`changing pattern of MCU signals. These signals result in
`LED driver 100 driving the various LEDs to dynamically
`output known patterns of pleasing color combinations, com-
`binations in which the color and intensity will vary smoothly
`and gradually over some predetermined period, for example
`about a minute.
`Thus, a viewer seeing night light 10 is treated to a pastel
`of smoothly and continuously changing color patterns. The
`light display may start out with a deep blue color that
`gradually becomes bluish-purple, then a lavender pink color
`that gradually becomes a red-orange color. The red-orange
`color gradually becomes a deep red-pink color that gradually
`becomes a light purple color that gradually becomes a blue
`color, and then back to a deep blue color, whereupon the
`cycle will repeat.
`The visual effect is both pleasing and comforting, and
`may promote sleep including promoting sleep for young
`children. Sufficient light is output to serve the purpose of a
`night light, yet the output light is not a monotonous
`flashlight-like monotone but a dynamic kaleidoscope of
`colors that gradually and pleasingly changes in appearance.
`At any time the user may press switch Sl, which causes
`MCU 110 to freeze at the present instruction within instruc-
`tion set 120. This in turn causes MCU 110 to freeze at the
`present combination of output signals that are coupled to
`LED driver 100. The result is the red, green, and blue LEDs
`will remain driven with the desired, now frozen, pattern of
`signals, and will output whatever color combination the user
`found pleasing at the moment switch S1 was pressed or
`otherwise activated.
`At some later time the user may again press Sl, which will
`enable MCU 110 to resume its normal instruction set, which
`in turn will again cause LED driver 100 to cause the LED
`array 30 to output a changing set of light patterns. If desired,
`MCU 110 could be programmed such than when S1 is
`pressed to "unfreeze" previously "frozen" pattern, the next
`instruction within MCU 110 will be the initial rather than the
`next instruction in the instruction set.
`
`5
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`20 (cid:9)
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`15 (cid:9)
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`4
`Although the present invention has been described with a
`light array comprising three LEDs, more or fewer LEDs may
`be used. If desired, LEDs that output different colors when
`driven with appropriate drive signals may be used. Indeed,
`light sources other than LEDs may be used, e.g., incandes-
`cent bulbs with different colored filters.
`Modifications and variations may be made to the dis-
`closed embodiments without departing from the subject and
`spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.
`10 (cid:9) What is claimed is:
`1. A night light, comprising:
`a housing containing spaced-apart male AC prongs,
`adapted to mate with an AC socket providing AC
`operating potential;
`an array of light sources, disposed within said housing,
`able to emit continuously changing patterns of differ-
`ently colored light;
`means for driving said array of light sources, disposed
`within said housing to produce said continuously
`changing patterns of differently colored light, said
`means for driving; and
`a control that freezes said continuously changing patterns
`of differently colored light, such that the night light
`displays a static pattern of light.
`2. The night light of claim 1, wherein said means for
`driving includes:
`a microcontroller programmed to execute a sequence of
`operations; and
`a driver unit, coupled to receive at least one output from
`said microcontroller unit, and coupled to drive said
`array of light sources responsive to output from said
`microcontroller.
`3. The night light of claim 1, wherein said array of light
`35 sources includes at least one light emitting diode (LED).
`4. The night light of claim 1, wherein said array of light
`sources includes at least two of a red light emitting diode
`(LED), a blue LED, and a green LED.
`5. The night light of claim 1, further including a light
`40 diffuser, attachable to said housing, through which at least
`some light emitted by said array is viewable by a user.
`6. The night light of claim 1, further including an AC:DC
`rectifier, coupled to receive raw AC from said spaced-apart
`male AC prongs, and to deliver DC to at least one of said
`45 light array, and said means for driving.
`7. The night light of claim 1, wherein said means for
`driving controls at least one parameter selected from a group
`consisting of (a) duty cycle of a drive signal coupled to a
`light source in said array, (b) repetition of an on-portion of
`50 a drive signal coupled to a light source in said array, and (c)
`relative amplitude of a drive signal coupled to a light source
`in said array.
`8. The night light of claim 1, further including a user-
`operable ON-OFF switch controlling delivery of AC oper-
`55 ating potential to said night light.
`9. The night light of claim 1, further including a light
`sensor, disposed within said housing to sense ambient light,
`to permit delivery of AC operating potential to said night
`light as a function of sensed said ambient light.
`10. A night light, comprising:
`a housing containing spaced-apart male AC prongs,
`adapted to mate with an AC socket;
`an array of light sources, disposed within said housing,
`able to output continuously changing patterns of dif-
`ferently colored light;
`a microcontroller-controlled driver unit, disposed within
`said housing and coupled to deliver drive signals to said
`
`5 2
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`30 (cid:9)
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`60 (cid:9)
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`65 (cid:9)
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`Jiawei et al. Exhibit 1010 Page 5
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`

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`US 6,431,719 B1
`
`5
`array of light sources to produce said continuously
`changing patterns of differently colored light;
`a control that freezes said continuously changing patterns
`of differently color light such that the night light
`displays a static pattern of light.
`11. The night light of claim 10, wherein said array of light
`sources includes at least two of (a) a red colored light source,
`(b) a blue colored light source, and (c) a green colored light
`source.
`12. The night light of claim 10, wherein said array of light
`sources includes at least two of (a) a red colored light
`emitting diode (LED), (b) a blue colored LED, and (c) a
`green colored LED.
`13. The night light of claim 10, wherein said array of light
`sources includes a red colored light emitting diode (LED), a
`blue colored LED, and a green colored LED.
`14. The night light of claim 10, further including an
`ON/OFF switch use by a user to turn said night light ON and
`OFF.
`15. The night light of claim 10, further including a light
`sensor responsive to ambient light adjacent said night light,
`an output of said light sensor turning said night light ON and
`OFF.
`16. The night light of claim 10, further including an
`AC:DC power supply, coupled to convert AC voltage
`present at said male AC prongs to DC voltage used by said
`night light.
`
`5
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`6
`17. A method of providing a night light outputting a
`dynamic display of colored light, the method comprising the
`following steps:
`(a) providing a housing having spaced-apart male AC
`prongs, adapted to mate with an AC socket;
`(b) disposing within said housing an array of light sources
`able to output continuously changing patterns of dif-
`ferently colored light;
`(c) creating and coupling to said array drive signals to
`produce said continuously changing patterns of differ-
`ently colored light; and
`(d) enabling a user to freeze the continuously changing
`patterns of differently color light.
`18. The method of claim 17, wherein step (b) includes
`disposing at least two of (a) a red colored light source, (b)
`a blue colored light source, and (c) a green colored light
`source.
`19. The method of claim 17, wherein step (c) includes
`20 providing a microcontroller programmed to execute a
`sequence of instructions resulting in said drive signals.
`20. The method of claim 19, further including a switch
`permitting a user to freeze execution of said sequence of
`instructions by said microcontroller to create a static pattern
`25 of light output from said night light.
`
`10 (cid:9)
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`15 (cid:9)
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`Jiawei et al. Exhibit 1010 Page 6
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