Alarm Clock Lamp Brightness Control via Luminance Sensor

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Solution Overview

Problem

Alarm clocks integrated with lamps in existing technologies often startle users with abrupt lighting, waste power when initial lamp brightness is less than surrounding brightness, and require inconvenient manual lamp shutdown when natural lighting becomes sufficient.

Innovation Solution

An alarm clock with a luminance sensor that adjusts lamp brightness to match surrounding light levels and automatically turns off when natural lighting exceeds a set threshold, using a microcomputer to control the lamp's power and brightness, ensuring gradual wake-up and reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the lamp is immediately lit up at the set time, then the alarm function is achieved, but the user is startled or irritated and cannot open eyes due to dazzle

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealarm functionVSAvoiduser discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The lamp is activated before the alarm time to gradually increase brightness and prepare the user's eyes, so that when the alarm sounds, the user is not startled by sudden darkness or dazzled by sudden light. This preliminary action of gradual brightness increase resolves the contradiction between reliable alarm function and user comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Illumination intensity

If the lamp is turned on at lamp operation time, then the lamp provides light, but when initial brightness is less than surrounding brightness, power is wasted and the lamp cannot achieve its original function

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelamp brightnessVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

A luminance sensor detects the surrounding brightness level and provides feedback to the control unit. The control unit compares the detected luminance with the current lamp output and adjusts the lamp brightness accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures the lamp only operates when needed and at appropriate brightness levels, preventing energy waste while maintaining effective illumination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Illumination intensity

If the lamp is turned on, then the user can see, but when natural lighting becomes sufficient, the user must manually turn off the lamp which is troublesome and inconvenient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurrounding brightnessVSAvoidlamp shutdown convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The luminance sensor continuously monitors the surrounding brightness level and automatically controls the lamp shutdown when natural lighting becomes sufficient. The system serves itself by detecting environmental changes and adjusting lamp operation accordingly, eliminating the need for manual user intervention and improving operational convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If the luminance sensor is always operated, then the brightness control is accurate, but the reliability of product operation is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrightness detection accuracyVSAvoidproduct operation reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The luminance sensor is activated periodically only when needed (at lamp operation time and when brightness adjustment is required) rather than continuously operating. This periodic operation maintains measurement precision when needed while improving overall system reliability by reducing sensor wear and power consumption, resolving the contradiction between accuracy and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution allows for a more comfortable wake-up experience by matching lamp brightness to surroundings, reducing unnecessary power use, and eliminating the need for manual lamp shutdown, enhancing user convenience.

Implementation Method 1

a luminance sensor for converting the amount of light incident from a surrounding area into an electric signal and outputting the electric signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotoelectric Effect: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS9173275B2Alarm clock integrated with lamp and method for controlling operation of lamp thereby

Publication Date: 2015.10.27 GO JAE CHUN

AI summary

Provided is an alarm clock integrated with a lamp and a method for controlling an operation of a lamp by the same, and the alarm clock integrated with the lamp further includes a luminance sensor (181) and a sensor connection unit (182), the microcomputer (120) outputs a sensor operation control signal to a sensor connection unit (182) at a lamp operation time set by a lamp operation time setting unit (111), compares a current luminance value input from a luminance sensor (110) and an initial operation luminance value of a lamp (140) stored therein after a luminance sensor (181) is operated, and outputs a pulse control signal to the lamp current adjustment unit (150) so as to change an output of the lamp (140) so that a luminance value of the lamp (140) is changed to a set luminance value when the initial operation luminance value is smaller than the current luminance value.