Portable lighting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12588117-B2
Application number	US-202318535385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2023
Priority date	Nov 30, 2018
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A portable lighting device includes a housing, a light source supported by the housing, and an alkaline battery positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source. The alkaline battery is configured to provide a drive current to the light source, and an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current. The portable lighting device also includes an electronic processor positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source and the alkaline battery. The electronic processor is configured to monitor a voltage of the alkaline battery, and execute a ramp-up algorithm to control the drive current based on the voltage of the alkaline battery.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A portable lighting device comprising:
a housing; a light source supported by the housing; a power source positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source, wherein the power source is configured to provide a drive current to the light source and an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current; and an electronic processor positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source and the power source, wherein the electronic processor is configured to
monitor a voltage of the power source, and
execute a ramp-up algorithm to control the drive current based on the voltage of the power source, wherein the ramp-up algorithm is executed while the light source is outputting light;
wherein the electronic processor is configured to execute the ramp-up algorithm to:
determine that the power source is partially depleted; and
in response to determining that the power source is partially depleted, incrementally ramp-up the drive current provided to the light source from the power source to a high drive current for a high mode of operation for the light source instead of initially setting the drive current to the high drive current.

2 . The portable lighting device of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator positioned on the housing, wherein the electronic processor is configured to:
determine that the actuator has been actuated; and execute the ramp-up algorithm in response to determining that the actuator has been actuated.

3 . The portable lighting device of claim 2 , wherein the ramp-up algorithm is executed before the electronic processor generates a signal used to control the drive current provided by the power source to the light source to be constant.

4 . The portable lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine that the power source is partially depleted in response to determining that the voltage of the power source is less than a first voltage threshold.

5 . The portable lighting device of claim 4 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to initially set the drive current to the high drive current in response to determining that the voltage of the power source is not less than the first voltage threshold.

6 . The portable lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

7 . A method of controlling a portable lighting device, the method comprising:
monitoring, with an electronic processor, a voltage of a power source,
wherein the electronic processor is positioned within a housing of the portable lighting device,
wherein the power source is coupled to a light source supported by the housing, and
wherein the power source is configured to provide a drive current to the light source, and wherein an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current; and
executing, with the electronic processor, a ramp-up algorithm to control the drive current based on the voltage of the power source, wherein the ramp-up algorithm is executed while the light source is outputting light; wherein executing the ramp-up algorithm includes:
determining, with the electronic processor, that the power source is partially depleted; and
in response to determining that the power source is partially depleted, with the electronic processor, incrementally ramp-up the drive current provided to the light source from the power source to a high drive current for a high mode of operation for the light source instead of initially setting the drive current to the high drive current.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining, with the electronic processor, that an actuator positioned on the housing has been actuated; wherein executing the ramp-up algorithm includes executing the ramp-up algorithm in response to determining that the actuator has been actuated.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein executing the ramp-up algorithm includes executing the ramp-up algorithm before the electronic processor generates a signal used to control the drive current provided by the power source to the light source to be constant.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein determining that the power source is partially depleted includes determining that the power source is partially depleted in response to determining that the voltage of the power source is less than a first voltage threshold.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising initially setting, with the electronic processor, the drive current to the high drive current in response to determining that the voltage of the power source is not less than the first voltage threshold.

12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the light source includes at least one light emitting diode.

13 . A portable lighting device comprising:
a housing; a light source supported by the housing; a power source positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source, wherein the power source is configured to provide a drive current to the light source and an intensity of the light source is dependent on the drive current; and an electronic processor positioned within the housing and coupled to the light source and the power source, wherein the electronic processor is configured to
monitor a time that the light source has been operating, and
execute a ramp-down algorithm to control the drive current based on the time that the light source has been operating;
wherein the electronic processor is configured to execute the ramp-down algorithm by repeating steps of:
decreasing the drive current, and
delaying a predetermined time period.

14 . The portable lighting device of claim 13 , wherein repeating the steps of decreasing the drive current and delaying the predetermined time period includes ramping down the drive current over a plurality of time stages;
wherein the electronic processor is configured to decrease the drive current such that the drive current reaches a respective predetermined value at an end of each time stage.

15 . The portable lighting device of claim 14 , wherein, during a final stage of the plurality of time stages, the electronic processor is configured to
monitor the drive current provided by the power source to the light source; control a drive current pulse width modulation (PWM) duty cycle to be maintained at a constant value until the monitored drive current is less than a low drive current threshold; and in response to determining that the monitored drive current is less than the low drive current threshold, control the drive current to cease providing the drive current to the light source to turn off the light source.

16 . The portable lighting device of claim 13 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to set, by executing a ramp-up algorithm, an initial value of the drive current that is decreased by the ramp-down algorithm.

17 . The portable lighting device of claim 16 , further comprising an actuator positioned on the housing, wherein the electronic processor is configured to:
determine that the actuator has been actuated; and execute the ramp-up algorithm in response to determining that the actuator has been actuated.

18 . The portable lighting device of claim 17 , wherein the ramp-up algorithm is executed before the electronic processor generates a signal used to control the drive current provided by the power source to the light source to be constant;
wherein the ramp-up algorithm is executed by the electronic processor, in response to determining that the power s

Assignees

• Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Li
• Cui Hao
• Guo Danjun

Classifications

• H05B47/17

  Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations · CPC title

• F21V23/0414

  specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices · CPC title

• F21V23/02

  the elements being transformers, impedances {or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier} · CPC title

• F21V23/003

  the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array · CPC title

• F21V15/01

  Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts (F21V15/02 takes precedence {housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04}) · CPC title