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US4777408A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic adornment for simulating natural flickering light

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1986-06-23
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Granted: 1988-10-11
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Expires: 2006-06-23
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Abstract

Abstract An electronic adornment for clothing, jewelry and the like includes an electrically operated light emitter and an electrical circuit operative to intermittently actuate the light emitter to closely simulate natural flickering light from faceted gemstones. The electrical circuit includes independent controls for pulse frequency and pulse width.

Inventors

  • 👤 Frederick P. DeLuca

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 12:05
CPC Classifications
A; A44; A44C; A44C15/00; A44C15/0015; H; H05; H05B; H05B41/00; H05B41/14; H05B41/36; H05B41/44; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S362/00; Y10S362/806

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 182 words
A light-emitting electronic adornment, comprising, a base item of personal adornment adapted to be worn by a person. an electronically operated plurality of light-emission means on said base item, a counting means and a plurality of switching means electrically interposed between said counting means and said plurality of light emission means, an electrical circuit including source means for applying an electrical potential across said light-emission means thereby to emit light therefrom, frequency control means electrically connected in said circuit and operative to produce output pulses of controlled frequency, pulse width means electrically connected in said circuit and operative to produce output pulses of controlled width independent of said frequency control means, said light-emission means being electrically connected in said circuit so as to receive pulses from said source means as modified by said frequency control means and said pulse width means, thereby to simulate natural flickering light, and said frequency control means comprising two light sensors and a Schmitt Trigger Gate electrically connected to said source means for producing output pulses of random frequency wherein said light sensors are connected in series.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 182 words
A light-emitting electronic adornment, comprising, a base item of personal adornment adapted to be worn by a person. an electronically operated plurality of light-emission means on said base item, a counting means and a plurality of switching means electrically interposed between said counting means and said plurality of light emission means, an electrical circuit including source means for applying an electrical potential across said light-emission means thereby to emit light therefrom, frequency control means electrically connected in said circuit and operative to produce output pulses of controlled frequency, pulse width means electrically connected in said circuit and operative to produce output pulses of controlled width independent of said frequency control means, said light-emission means being electrically connected in said circuit so as to receive pulses from said source means as modified by said frequency control means and said pulse width means, thereby to simulate natural flickering light, and said frequency control means comprising two light sensors and a Schmitt Trigger Gate electrically connected to said source means for producing output pulses of random frequency wherein said light sensors are connected in series.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 14 words
The adornment of claim 1 wherein said frequency control means comprises an astable multivibrator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
The adornment of claim 2 wherein said astable multivibrator includes a light sensor, said astable multivibrator being operative to vary the frequency of output pulses in response to changes in ambient light intensity sensed by said light sensor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
The adornment of claim 1 wherein said frequency control means comprises a multivibrator operative to produce pulses at a fixed frequency.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 29 words
The adornment of claim 2 or 4 wherein said frequency control means further comprises a counter/divider electrically connected in said circuit to modify the output pulses of said multivibrator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 14 words
The adornment of claim 1 wherein said pulse width means comprises a one-shot multivibrator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 30 words
The adornment of claim 6 further comprising a phototransistor which coacts with said one-shot multivibrator to produce an output pulse of varying duration as a function of ambient light intensity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 96 words
The adornment of claim 1 wherein said counting means is a Johnson Counter having a "clock" input and said switching means has a plurality of switching gates, electrically connected in said circuit such that pulses from said source, as modified by said frequency control means and said pulse width means are applied to the "clock" input of said Johnson Counter and to an enable input of said switching gates wherein each pulse at the input of the Johnson Counter applies a pulse to one of the switching gates and thereby activates one of the light emitters.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 55 words
The adornment of claim 8 further comprising a feedback circuit electrically interposed between said switching gates and the input to the Johnson Counter, said feedback circuit being operative to occasionally direct a plurality of pulses in rapid succession to the Johnson Counter for a rapid burst of light from a plurality of light emission means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 18 words
The adornment of claim 9 wherein said feedback circuit includes a one-shot multivibrator and a gated astable multivibrator.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 30 words
The adornment of claim 10 wherein said gated astable multivibrator includes a phototransistor operative to vary the number of said plurality of pulses as a function of ambient light intensity.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 49 words
The adornment of claim 8 wherein said frequency control means comprises an astable multivibrator operative to produce an output signal of randomly pulsed frequency and a counter/divider electrically connected in said circuit to modify the output signal of said astable multivibrator, said pulse width means comprising a one-shot multivibrator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 26 words
The adornment of claim 12 further comprising a gated astable multivibrator and inverter electrically interposed in said electrical circuit between said one-shot multivibrator and Johnson Counter.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-10-11 1992-04-11 1992-10-11 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-10-11 1996-04-11 1996-10-11 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-10-11 2000-04-11 2000-10-11 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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