Ilight Technologies, Inc.

Edward Wayted Chen

Timothy Canzano

Sean Edward Callahan

Joseph Wascow

Stephen Michael Oshgan

Mark Joseph Cleaver

Brian Alan Retzke

Daniel John Williams

Paresh Shroff

Nicholas Patrick Jackson

Chad Glenn Kirschner

Elizabeth Marie Randgaard

James Cuppini

Thomas M Kopera

Joseph Christian Ernest

Timothy Edward Canzano

Chad Glenn Kirschener

James Cappini

A physically-discrete sign component comprises an internally-electrically-illuminated alphabetic character having a front-facing profile and at least one connecting bar disposed at least substantially horizontally with respect to the front-facing profile of the alphabetic character and at least partially within the front-facing profile of that alphabetic character. By one approach the physically-discrete sign component includes two of the connecting bars. If desired, these two connecting bars are disposed at least substantially parallel to one another. By one approach, a first one of the connecting bars extends partially, but not wholly, above an upper periphery of the aforementioned front-facing profile while the second connecting bar extends partially, but not wholly, below a lower periphery of the front-facing profile. The connecting bars can include a connecting-bar interface configured to physically and electrically interconnect to an adjacent sign component.

Apparatus pertaining to physically-discrete sign components

An automatic fault detector momentarily interrupts a provision of operating power to a load having a minimal forward-bias voltage requirement to thereby provide a testing window and then applies a test voltage during this window that is less than the minimal forward-bias voltage requirement to the load and monitors for a power-to-ground fault. By one approach the aforementioned momentarily interruption of power is neither frequent enough nor long enough in duration to substantially impair the provision of power to the load. Accordingly, load performance is not noticeably diminished. One can then responsively prohibit subsequent provision of the operating power to the load. One can then continue to monitor for the power-to-ground fault while continuing to prohibit provision of operating power to the load. If and when the fault disappears, these teachings will then accommodate automatically resuming an ordinary provision of power to the load.

Method and apparatus pertaining to automatic electrical-fault detection

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Edward Wayted Chen