Lamp responsive to the human touch upon a living plant and control system therefor

Claim 1

A system for controlling an electrical circuit by means of the human touch, the system being capable of operating from a supply of voltage, said system comprising: a solid-state CMOS D-type flip-flop logic device having a clock input, a data input and a pair of complementary outputs, the solid-state flip-flop having a mode of operation wherein data available at the data input is reflected at one of the complementary outputs in response to a given threshold voltage at the clock input; a sensing circuit including a conductive element connected to the clock input of the solid-state flip-flop for receiving voltage pulses in response to the human touch upon the conductive element; a connection between the data input and the other of the complementary outputs of the solid-state flip-flop such that the state of the flip-flop is transferred between a first state and a second state each time a pulse exceeding the given threshold voltage is applied at the clock input; a voltage regulator connected between the supply of voltage and the solid-state flip-flop for providing a predetermined operating voltage to the solid-state flip-flop, the operating voltage being selected such that the voltage pulses applied to the conductive element in response to the human touch effect the pulse exceeding the given threshold voltage at the clock input; and a high-current solid-state on-off switch having a control input connected to the one of the complementary outputs of the solid-state flip-flop, and a controlled output connected to the electrical circuit such that the electrical circuit is turned on and off in response to the human touch upon the conductive element; the sensing circuit further including a living plant potted in soil and a conductor connecting the soil with the clock input, the conductive element including a portion of the living plant, whereby the electrical circuit is controlled by the human touch upon the portion of the living plant.

Claim 2

A system for controlling an electrical circuit by means of the human touch, the system being capable of operating from a supply of voltage, said system comprising: a solid-state CMOS D-type flip-flop logic device having a clock input, a data input and a pair of complementary outputs, the solid-state flip-flop having a mode of operation wherein data available at the data input is reflected at one of the complementary outputs in response to a given threshold voltage at the clock input; a sensing circuit including a conductive element connected to the clock input of the solid-state flip-flop for receiving voltage pulses in response to the human touch upon the conductive element; a connection between the data input and the other of the complementary outputs of the solid-state flip-flop such that the state of the flip-flop is transferred between a first state and a second state each time a pulse exceeding the given threshold voltage is applied at the clock input; a voltage regulator connected between the supply of voltage and the solid-state flip-flop for providing a predetermined operating voltage to the solid-state flip-flop, the operating voltage being selected such that the voltage pulses applied to the conductive element in response to the human touch effect the pulse exceeding the given threshold voltage at the clock input; and a high-current solid-state on-off switch having a control input connected to the one of the complementary outputs of the solid-state flip-flop, and a controlled output connected to the electrical circuit such that the electrical circuit is turned on and off in response to the human touch upon the conductive element; the sensing circuit further including a living plant potted in soil and a conductor connecting the soil with the clock input, the conductive element including a portion of the living plant, whereby the electrical circuit is controlled by the human touch upon the portion of the living plant.