Method for controlling a tunable white fixture using a single handle

• US 10,091,856 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2018
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ciccarelli, David, Weiss, Daniel Aaron, Suttles, Benjamin Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US15/882,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20180153015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback

Abstract

A system allows a light fixture to have a wider range of color temperatures (CCT) while limiting the warmest temperature reached at full intensity. The CCT of the light output may be controlled independently of intensity across a certain range of CCT and dependent on intensity across another range. In an implementation, both intensity and CCT may be adjusted from a single handle, where the interface positions may be divided into multiple zones. In another implementation, intensity may be adjusted from a first handle, while CCT may be adjusted from a second handle. The CCT of the light output may be limited to cooler levels when the intensity is higher, and/or the intensity of the light may be limited to lower levels when the CCT is warmer.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture, comprising:

a controller configured for receiving one or more values from a handle having a range of positions divided into multiple zones, and for controlling a driver,

the driver configured for controlling a plurality of LEDs to produce light output having a combination of parameters, and

the plurality of LEDs,

wherein the controller is further configured for;

determining whether a value received from the handle is within a first zone of the multiple zones;

when the received value is within the first zone, determining a first combination of parameters including;

i) a constant parameter that has a constant level within the first zone, wherein the constant parameter is either intensity or color temperature,

ii) a variable parameter that has a first variable level, the first variable level dependent upon the value within the first zone, wherein the variable parameter is one of either the intensity or the color temperature that is not the constant parameter,

iii) an additional parameter that has an additional variable level, the additional variable level dependent upon the value within the first zone,

wherein the first combination of parameters has at least the constant level, the first variable level, and the additional variable level; and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on the first combination of parameters.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured for:

determining whether the value received from the handle is within a second zone of the multiple zones;

when the received value is within the second zone, determining, for the constant parameter, a second variable level dependent upon the value within the second zone,

determining a second combination of parameters, wherein the second combination of parameters has at least the second variable level; and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on the second combination of parameters.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the additional parameter is one of tint, color, color rendering index (CRI), circadian stimulus, a TM-30 metric, or a spatial arrangement.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein:

the constant parameter is the intensity,

the first zone corresponds to a range of color temperatures,

the controller determines the additional variable level of the additional parameter based on the first variable level of the color temperature within the range of color temperatures.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein:

the constant parameter is the color temperature,

the first zone corresponds to a range of intensities,

the controller determines the additional variable level of the additional parameter based on the first variable level of the intensity within the range of intensities.

6. A lighting fixture, comprising:

a controller configured for receiving multiple values from multiple handles, each of the multiple handles having a range of positions divided into multiple zones,

the controller further configured for controlling a driver,

the driver configured for instructing a plurality of LEDs to produce light output; and

the plurality of LEDs;

wherein the controller is further configured for;

determining whether a first value received from a first handle of the multiple handles is within a first zone of the first handle;

determining whether a second value received from a second handle of the multiple handles is within a second zone of the second handle;

when the first value is within the first zone and the second value is within the second zone, determining a requested combination of parameters including;

i) a constant parameter that has a constant level within the first zone, wherein the constant parameter is either intensity or color temperature,

ii) a variable parameter that has a first variable level, the first variable level dependent upon the second value within the second zone, wherein the variable parameter is one of either the intensity or the color temperature that is not the constant parameter,

iii) an additional parameter that has an additional variable level, the additional variable level dependent upon the second value within the second zone,

wherein the requested combination of parameters has at least the constant level, the first variable level, and the additional variable level;

determining whether the requested combination of parameters corresponds to one of a plurality of allowed combinations of parameters;

when the requested combination of parameters corresponds to a first allowed combination of parameters, instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on the first allowed combination of parameters; and

when the requested combination of parameters corresponds to a combination outside the plurality of allowed combinations;

adjusting at least one of the first variable level or the additional variable level to obtain a second allowed combination of parameters having the constant level and the adjusted one of the first variable level or the additional variable level, and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on the second allowed combination of parameters.

7. The lighting fixture of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured for:

receiving a subsequent value from the first handle, wherein the subsequent value is different than the first value;

determining a subsequent constant level from the subsequent value;

determining that the subsequent constant level, the first variable level, and the additional variable level correspond to an additional combination of parameters outside the allowed combinations; and

when the subsequent constant level, the first variable level, and the additional variable level correspond to the additional combination outside the allowed combinations;

adjusting at least one of the first variable level or the additional variable level to obtain a third allowed combination of parameters, and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on the third allowed combination of parameters.

8. The lighting fixture of claim 7, wherein the third allowed combination is located in a continuous range of allowed combinations with either the first allowed combination or the second allowed combination.

9. The lighting fixture of claim 7, wherein either the first allowed combination or the second allowed combination is located in a first discrete range of allowed combinations, and the third allowed combination is located in a second discrete range of allowed combinations.

10. The lighting fixture of claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured for:

receiving a subsequent value from the second handle, wherein the subsequent value is different than the second value;

determining a subsequent variable level and a subsequent additional level from the subsequent value;

determining that the constant level, the subsequent variable level, and the subsequent additional variable level correspond to an additional combination of parameters outside the allowed combinations; and

when the constant level, the subsequent variable level, and the subsequent additional variable level correspond to the additional combination outside the allowed combinations;

adjusting at least one of the subsequent variable level or the subsequent additional variable level to obtain a third allowed combination of parameters, and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output having the third allowed combination of parameters.

11. The lighting fixture of claim 10, wherein the third allowed combination is located in a continuous range of allowed combinations with either the first allowed combination or the second allowed combination.

12. The lighting fixture of claim 10, wherein either the first allowed combination or the second allowed combination is located in a first discrete range of allowed combinations, and the third allowed combination is located in a second discrete range of allowed combinations.

13. The lighting fixture of claim 6, wherein the additional parameter is one of tint, color, color rendering index (CRI), circadian stimulus, a TM-30 metric, or a spatial arrangement.

14. The lighting fixture of claim 6, wherein:

the constant parameter is the intensity,

the second zone corresponds to a range of color temperatures,

the controller determines the additional variable level of the additional parameter based on the first variable level of the color temperature within the range of color temperatures.

15. The lighting fixture of claim 6, wherein:

the constant parameter is the color temperature,

the second zone corresponds to a range of intensities,

the controller determines the additional variable level of the additional parameter based on the first variable level of the intensity within the range of intensities.

16. A method for controlling light output of a light fixture, the method comprising:

receiving one or more values from a handle having a range of positions divided into multiple zones,

determining whether a value received from the handle is within a first zone of the multiple zones;

when the received value is within the first zone, determining a first combination of parameters including;

i) a constant parameter that has a constant level within the first zone, wherein the constant parameter is either intensity or color temperature,

ii) a variable parameter that has a first variable level, the first variable level dependent upon the value within the first zone, wherein the variable parameter is one of either the intensity or the color temperature that is not the constant parameter,

iii) an additional parameter that has an additional variable level, the additional variable level dependent upon the value within the first zone,

wherein the first combination of parameters has at least the constant level, the first variable level, and the additional variable level; and

instructing a driver to control a plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on the first combination of parameters.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the value received from the handle is within a second zone of the multiple zones;

when the received value is within the second zone, determining, for the constant parameter, a second variable level dependent upon the value within the second zone,

determining a second combination of parameters, wherein the second combination of parameters has at least the second variable level; and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on the second combination of parameters.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the additional parameter is one of tint, color, color rendering index (CRI), circadian stimulus, a TM-30 metric, or a spatial arrangement.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the constant parameter is the intensity,

the first zone corresponds to a range of color temperatures,

the controller determines the additional variable level of the additional parameter based on the first variable level of the color temperature within the range of color temperatures.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the constant parameter is the color temperature,

the first zone corresponds to a range of intensities,

the controller determines the additional variable level of the additional parameter based on the first variable level of the intensity within the range of intensities.