Patent Issued for Lighting Device Having Cross-Fade and Method

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Journal of Engineering -- A patent by the inventors Crawford, John D. (Avon, OH); Spartano, David A. (Brunswick, OH); Hoffman, Peter F. (Avon, OH), filed on January 19, 2011, was cleared and issued on December 4, 2012, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by VerticalNews correspondents.

Patent number 8324836 is assigned to Eveready Battery Company, Inc. (St. Louis, MO).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: "Generally, a mobile lighting device, such as a flashlight, is powered by a power source that is internal to the flashlight, such as a battery. Typically, the batteries of the flashlight device can be replaced when the state of charge of the batteries is below an adequate state of charge for providing electrical power for the light source of the flashlight. Since the flashlight is being powered by batteries, the flashlight can generally emit light while not being electrically connected to a power source that is external to the flashlight, such as an alternating current (AC) wall outlet.

"Additionally, when the batteries of the flashlight have a state of charge that is below an adequate state of charge level, the batteries can be replaced with other batteries. If the removed batteries are rechargeable batteries, then the removed batteries can be recharged using an external recharging device, and re-inserted into the flashlight. When the removed batteries are not rechargeable batteries, then the non-rechargeable batteries are replaced with new batteries.

"Alternatively, a flashlight may contain an electrical connector in order to connect to a specific type of power source, such as the AC wall outlet, in addition to the batteries. Typically, when the flashlight is connected to the stationary external power supply, the flashlight can continue to illuminate light, but the mobility of the flashlight is now hindered. If the flashlight is directly connected to the AC wall outlet, then the mobility of the flashlight is generally eliminated. When the flashlight is not directly connected to the AC wall outlet, such as by an extension cord, the flashlight has limited mobility."

In addition to the background information obtained for this patent, VerticalNews journalists also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent: "In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a lighting device is provided that includes a plurality of lighting sources and a controller. The plurality of lighting sources include a first lighting source, wherein the first lighting source emits light in a first illumination pattern, and a second lighting source, wherein the second lighting source emits light in a second illumination pattern that is different from the first illumination pattern, and the first and second illumination patterns at least partially overlap to yield a third illumination pattern. The controller controls first and second intensities of the first and second illumination patterns of the first and second lighting sources, respectively, wherein the third illumination pattern is altered when the controller alters the intensity of the first and second lighting sources.

"In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a lighting device is provided that includes a plurality of lighting sources and a controller. The plurality of lighting sources include a flood lighting source configured to emit light in a flood illumination pattern, and a spot lighting source configured to emit light in a spot illumination pattern. The controller controls first and second electrical powers supplied to the flood and spot lighting sources, respectively, to alter the intensities thereof, such that an intensity of the light emitted from the flood and spot lighting sources is altered substantially proportionally with respect to one another, wherein the first electrical power supplied to the flood lighting source is increased by a substantially equal amount with respect to a decrease in the second electrical power supplied to the spot lighting source.

"In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of cross-fading illumination patterns of light emitted by a plurality of lighting sources is provided that includes the steps of emitting light at a first intensity from a first lighting source, and emitting light at a second intensity from a second lighting source. The method further includes the step of illuminating a target with the emitted light at the first and second intensities, and cross-fading the first and second lighting sources, wherein the cross-fading includes altering the first and second intensities with respect to one another, such that when the first intensity increases, the second intensity decreases, and when the first intensity decreases, the second intensity increases.

"These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings."

URL and more information on this patent, see: Crawford, John D.; Spartano, David A.; Hoffman, Peter F.. Lighting Device Having Cross-Fade and Method. U.S. Patent Number 8324836, filed January 19, 2011, and issued December 4, 2012. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=61&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=3040&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PTXT&s1=20121204.PD.&OS=ISD/20121204&RS=ISD/20121204

Keywords for this news article include: Eveready Battery Company Inc.

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