Protective lighting system and methods
Touch-based protective lighting system and methods may be used. Portable lighting devices and/or modes of operation may pose safety risks. High-lumen output, focused light output, and/or overheating components may damage, burn, or ignite surrounding materials or the user. Various modes of operation of the portable lighting device may include modes designed to increase the safety of the portable lighting device. In certain operating modes or configurations, user touch/presence/control, distance to an illumination target, temperature of an illumination target, and/or device temperature may be used to determine whether to use the operating mode or instead to enter a protective/safe mode. Safe mode may be characterized by a lower light output/power mode or may power off the portable lighting device.
1 . A lighting apparatus, comprising:
one or more lighting devices;
a distance sensor;
a temperature sensor configured to sense an internal temperature of the lighting apparatus;
a controller coupled to the one or more lighting devices, the distance sensor, and the temperature sensor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the controller cause the lighting apparatus to:
determine a distance from a target illuminated by the one or more lighting devices;
determine a threshold light output based on the distance from the target;
determine whether a light output of the one or more lighting devices exceeds the threshold light output;
convert the internal temperature to an estimated surface temperature;
monitor a surface temperature of the lighting apparatus based on the estimated surface temperature;
determine the surface temperature exceeds a threshold surface temperature; and
reduce the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on: the surface temperature exceeding the threshold surface temperature and the light output exceeding the threshold light output.
2 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where the distance sensor comprises a laser time-of-flight distance sensor.
3 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where determining the threshold light output is in response to determining the distance from the target being less than a threshold distance.
4 . The lighting apparatus of claim 3 , where the threshold distance is between 6 and 14 inches, inclusive.
5 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where reducing the light output of the one or more lighting devices comprises modifying a power duty cycle of the one or more lighting devices.
6 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where reducing the light output comprises reducing the light output below the threshold light output.
7 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where the threshold surface temperature is between 45° C. and 55° C.
8 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where converting the internal temperature to the estimated surface temperature comprises performing a lookup in a mapping between internal and surface temperatures.
9 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where the instructions, when executed by the controller, further cause the lighting apparatus to:
monitor an updated surface temperature;
monitor an updated distance to an updated target illuminated by the one or more lighting devices; and
increase the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on the updated surface temperature and the updated distance.
10 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where the instructions, when executed by the controller, further cause the lighting apparatus to:
determine a plurality of updated surface temperatures over a first threshold time period;
determine the plurality of updated surface temperatures are below a threshold surface temperature for the first threshold time period;
determine a plurality of updated distances over a second threshold time period;
determine the plurality of updated distances are above a threshold distance for the second threshold time period; and
increase the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on the plurality of updated surface temperatures are below the threshold surface temperature for the first threshold time period and the plurality of updated distances are above the threshold distance for the second threshold time period.
11 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , where determining the threshold light output comprises performing a lookup of the threshold light output in a table of threshold light outputs based on the distance and the surface temperature.
12 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an external temperature sensor coupled to the controller configured to sense a target temperature of the target illuminated by the one or more lighting devices, where the threshold light output is further based on the target temperature.
13 . The lighting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a housing enclosing the one or more lighting devices, the distance sensor, the temperature sensor, and the controller, where the temperature sensor is configured to determine the internal temperature within the housing.
14 . The lighting apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a second temperature sensor coupled to the controller configured to determine a second temperature within a second portion of the housing.
15 . The lighting apparatus of claim 14 , where the instructions that, when executed by the controller, further cause the lighting apparatus to determine the internal temperature based on the temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor.
16 . The lighting apparatus of claim 8 , where converting the internal temperature to the estimated surface temperature comprises performing a lookup to determine the estimated surface temperature based on the internal temperature.
17 . A lighting apparatus, comprising:
one or more lighting devices;
a distance sensor;
a temperature sensor;
a controller coupled to the one or more lighting devices, the distance sensor, and the temperature sensor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the controller cause the lighting apparatus to:
determine a distance from a target illuminated by the one or more lighting devices;
monitor a surface temperature of the lighting apparatus;
determine a threshold light output based on the distance from the target;
determine whether a light output of the one or more lighting devices exceeds the threshold light output;
reduce the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on the light output exceeding the threshold light output;
monitor an updated surface temperature;
monitor an updated distance to an updated target illuminated by the one or more lighting devices; and
increase the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on the updated surface temperature and the updated distance.
18 . The lighting apparatus of claim 17 , where determining the threshold light output is in response to determining the distance from the target being less than a threshold distance.
19 . The lighting apparatus of claim 18 , where the threshold distance is between 6 and 14 inches, inclusive.
20 . The lighting apparatus of claim 17 , where reducing the light output of the one or more lighting devices comprises modifying a power duty cycle of the one or more lighting devices.
21 . The lighting apparatus of claim 17 , where reducing the light output comprises reducing the light output below the threshold light output.
22 . The lighting apparatus of claim 17 , where the instructions, when executed by the controller, further cause the lighting apparatus to reduce the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on the surface temperature exceeding a threshold surface temperature.
23 . The lighting apparatus of claim 17 , where determining the threshold light output comprises performing a lookup of the threshold light output in a table of threshold light outputs based on the distance and the surface temperature.
24 . A lighting apparatus, comprising:
one or more lighting devices;
a distance sensor;
a temperature sensor;
a controller coupled to the one or more lighting devices, the distance sensor, and the temperature sensor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by the controller cause the lighting apparatus to:
determine a distance from a target illuminated by the one or more lighting devices;
monitor a surface temperature of the lighting apparatus;
determine a threshold light output based on the distance from the target;
determine whether a light output of the one or more lighting devices exceeds the threshold light output;
reduce the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on the light output exceeding the threshold light output;
determine a plurality of updated surface temperatures over a first threshold time period;
determine the plurality of updated surface temperatures are below a threshold surface temperature for the first threshold time period;
determine a plurality of updated distances over a second threshold time period;
determine the plurality of updated distances are above a threshold distance for the second threshold time period; and
increase the light output of the one or more lighting devices based on the plurality of updated surface temperatures are below the threshold surface temperature for the first threshold time period and the plurality of updated distances are above the threshold distance for the second threshold time period.
25 . The lighting apparatus of claim 24 , where the distance sensor comprises a laser time-of-flight distance sensor.
26 . The lighting apparatus of claim 24 , where determining the threshold light output comprises performing a lookup of the threshold light output in a table of threshold light outputs based on the distance and the surface temperature.
27 . The lighting apparatus of claim 24 , where reducing the light output of the one or more lighting devices comprises reducing a pulse width modulation (PWM) duty cycle.
28 . The lighting apparatus of claim 24 , where the light output of the one or more lighting devices is estimated based on a lighting mode.