Wake-Up Light With Gradual Brightness Ramp and Impulsive Pulse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional alarm clocks cause discomfort and strain by suddenly waking users from deep sleep, potentially affecting health, and can disturb others.
Innovation Solution
A wake-up light system with a shade, housing, power driver, controller, and timer that gradually increases light intensity to simulate sunrise and emits impulsive light when the set time is reached, allowing for gentle waking without sudden alarms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If alarm clocks use sudden ringing to wake users up, then the waking effect is immediate and strong, but it causes strain and stress to the nervous system and increases adrenaline
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by gradually increasing light intensity before the alarm time to prepare the user's body for waking. The light intensity starts low and progressively increases, allowing the endocrine system to adjust before the actual alarm, thereby reducing the shock to the nervous system while still achieving timely waking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic action through impulsive light emission at the alarm time. Instead of continuous or sudden light, the system emits light in periodic pulses, which provides stimulation to wake the user without causing excessive strain. The impulsive light creates a rhythmic pattern that is less harmful than constant sudden illumination.
2Reliability
If alarm clocks use sudden ringing to ensure users wake up, then the alarm is effective, but it disturbs other people at rest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful acoustic component (ringing) from the alarm system and replaces it with optical stimulation. By taking out the sound-based alarm mechanism and using only light as the waking stimulus, the system maintains effectiveness for the user while eliminating the disturbance to others sleeping in the same environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the acoustic alarm mechanism with an optical system. Instead of using mechanical sound generation (ringing bells, vibrating elements), the system uses light sources to provide the waking stimulus, replacing the acoustic field with an optical field that does not propagate beyond the immediate space.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If light intensity is gradually increased to simulate sunrise, then the waking process is gentle and comfortable, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the light intensity parameter over time. The system varies the intensity parameter from low to high in a controlled manner, creating the gradual waking effect. This parameter modulation is achieved through a controller that adjusts the light source output, providing gentle waking without requiring overly complex mechanical structures.
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 wake-up light system allows for gradual waking from deep sleep to light sleep, reducing discomfort and minimizing disturbance to others, promoting healthier wake-up experiences.
Implementation Method 1
photochromism (color temperature) also gradually changes with the increase of the light intensity, simulating the change of sunrise from yellow-red light to colors of sunlight
Implementation Method 2
the controller sends an impulsive light signal to the light source so that the light source uninterruptedly emits impulsive light
Data Source
AI summary
A wake-up light includes a shade, a housing, a power driver, a controller, a light source, and a timer. The power driver, the light source, the controller, and the timer are installed in a space enclosed by the shade and the housing; the power driver is externally connected to an alternating current, and supplies power to the timer and the light source; the timer is configured for real-time timing; the controller is connected to the light source and the timer; the controller receives timing information of the timer; when a first time set by a user is reached, the controller sends a light-source light-up signal to the light source so that a light intensity of the light source is gradually increased; and when a second time set by the user is reached, the controller sends an impulsive light signal to the light source so that the light source uninterruptedly emits impulsive light.