The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 11, 1983
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1981
Applicant:
Inventor:
Edward Marcus, Baltimore, MD (US);
Assignee:
Other;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H05B / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
315360 ; 3403091 ; 364145 ; 364569 ;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for dimming traffic lights during hours of darkness to conserve energy. Electronic circuitry provides storage for weekly tables of twilight times for particular geographic locations covering an extended time period, such as one year. Counting apparatus counts weeks for addressing the stored tables, and an AM/PM indicator further differentiates between stored sunrise and sunset times. The stored time is compared in a comparator with the present time, and logic circuitry, responsive to the AM/PM indicator, reacts to the results of the comparison by activating and deactivating a dimmer for the traffic lights.