In 2010 I was awarded two patents for a "Security Television Simulator" invention, essentially a means to produce varying light patterns that can be projected on blinds, curtains, or an inside wall, such that it appears as though someone is inside watching TV. A randomly flashing light -- even when multi-colored -- doesn't to the trick. The key is to emulate the swells, fades, and flicks of scene changes, something right up the alley for a little computer driving super-bright LEDs.
A manufacturer based out of Minneapolis -- Hydreon Corp. -- liked the idea, and designed a product around the concept. Thus was born the FakeTV (now available in three models). In 2014 I sold the rights to the inventions to Hydreon for a modest percentage of the sales.
It's clear that the best inventions spring from personal needs, and I built my original prototype specifically so that I could use it when we went away on vacations. The idea to patent it followed. Today, I use two Hydreon units essentially anytime we leave the house in the evening.
