[54] LIGHTING SYSTEM HAVING
PHOTOSENSING TIMING SWITCH
CIRCUIT
[76] Inventor: Tai-Her Yang, 5-1 Tay Pyng St., Shi Hwu Jenn, Jang Huah Shiann, Taiwan
[21] Appl. No.: 406,982
[22] Filed: Aug. 10,1982
[51] Int. CI.4 H05B 37/02
[52] U.S. CI 315/159; 315/129;
315/360
[58] Field of Search 315/159, 360, 129, 316;
250/214 AL; 307/141.4
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
3,184,637 5/1965 Skinner 315/129
4,281,365 7/1981 Elving et al 362/20
4,283,661 8/1981 Doty 315/129 X
4,354,120 10/1982 Schornack 315/360 X
4,362,970 12/1982 Grady 315/129
4,388,567 6/1983 Yamazaki et al 315/316 X
4,451,763 5/1984 Sodini 315/159
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 2757373 6/1978 Fed. Rep. of Germany 315/159
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
B. E. Kerley, "Garden Path Lighting".
R. A. Penfold, "Dusk to Dawn Switch", Radio and
Electronics Constructor, vol. 33, No. 10, Jun. 1980,
Great Britain.
Primary Examiner—David K. Moore
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Leonard Bloom
[57] ABSTRACT
A lighting system, which includes one or more lighting apparatus sets, includes a control circuit. The control circuit has an ambient light sensing component and processing circuitry which produce a control signal whenever the intensity of ambient light reaches a given level and remains at that level or less. A delay (debounce) circuit receives the control signal and provides an output which effects the transfer of power to the lighting apparatus set or sets and starts a timing circuit which is operatively arranged to assure continuing transfer of power to the set or sets for a given time interval, at the expiration of which power is removed from the set or sets. An alarm circuit also controlled by an output from the timing circuit may provide a warning alarm shortly before the expiration of the ON time interval. The control circuit may also turn OFF the power to the set or sets when ambient light of a set intensity becomes present.
2 Claims, 46 Drawing Figures
