Method for controlling a tunable white fixture using a single handle

• US 10,187,952 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2018
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• 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:
  US16/117,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20180376560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 145 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, and

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

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, instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on a first combination of parameters, wherein the first combination of parameters includes;

i) an intensity parameter that has a first intensity level within an intensity range of intensity levels associated with the first zone, the first intensity level dependent upon the value within the first zone, and

ii) a light parameter that has a first parameter level within a parameter range of light parameter levels associated with the first zone, the first parameter level dependent upon the value within the first zone,

wherein the first combination of parameters includes at least the first intensity level and the first parameter level.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein:

when the received value is in a second zone of the multiple zones, instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output with a second intensity level and a second light parameter level that each correspond to the received value, wherein the second light parameter level is less than the first light parameter level and the second intensity level is less than the first intensity level.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein when the received value is in a second zone of the multiple zones:

the intensity parameter has a second intensity level within a second intensity range, wherein the intensity range associated with the first zone is different than the second intensity range, and

the light parameter has a second parameter level within a second parameter range, wherein the parameter range associated with the first zone is different than the second parameter range.

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

determining that an additional value received from the handle is within the first zone;

adjusting the first parameter level based on the additional value; and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on an adjusted combination of parameters, wherein the adjusted combination of parameters includes the first intensity level and the adjusted parameter level.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the light parameter is one of a circadian parameter, a tint parameter, a correlated color temperature (CCT) parameter, a color parameter, a color rendering index (CRI) parameter, a TM-30 metric, or a spatial arrangement.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein:

the first combination of parameters has a relative linear relation with a first range of handle positions associated with the first zone, and

the controller is further configured for;

receiving an additional value from the handle;

determining that the additional value is within an additional zone of the multiple zones; and

based on the additional value, instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on an additional combination of parameters,

wherein the additional combination of parameters has an additional relative linear relation with an additional range of handle positions associated with the additional zone.

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

receiving a value from a handle having a range of positions;

determining whether the received value is within a first zone of values;

when the received value is within the first zone of values;

determining a first intensity level corresponding to the received value, wherein the first intensity level is within a first range of intensity levels associated with the first zone of values,

determining a first light parameter level corresponding to the received value, wherein the first light parameter level is within a first range of light parameter levels associated with the first zone of values, and

controlling a plurality of lighting elements to produce light with the first light parameter level and the first intensity level; and

when the received value is outside the first zone of values, then determining a second light parameter level and a second intensity level that each correspond to the received value, wherein the second light parameter level is less than the first light parameter level and the second intensity is less than the first intensity, and controlling the plurality of lighting elements to produce light with the second light parameter and the second intensity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second intensity level is within a second range of intensity levels, and the first range of intensity levels is different than the second range of intensity levels.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second light parameter level is within a second range of light parameter levels, and the first range of light parameter levels is different than the second range of light parameter levels.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first range of intensity levels has a first relationship with the first zone of values,

a second range of intensity levels has a second relationship with a second zone of values, and

the method further comprises;

receiving an additional value from the handle;

determining whether the additional value is in the first zone of values or the second zone of values;

responsive to determining that the additional value is in the first zone of values, adjusting the first intensity level based on the first relationship; and

responsive to determining that the additional value is in the second zone of values, adjusting the first intensity level based on the second relationship.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first relationship is a first linear relationship, the second relationship is a second linear relationship, and the first linear relationship and the second linear relationship are different linear relationships.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured for:

determining that an additional value received from the handle is within the first zone;

adjusting the first parameter level based on the additional value; and

instructing the driver to control the plurality of LEDs to produce light output based on an adjusted combination of parameters, wherein the adjusted combination of parameters includes the first intensity level and the adjusted parameter level.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the light parameter is one of a circadian parameter, a tint parameter, a correlated color temperature (CCT) parameter, a color parameter, a color rendering index (CRI) parameter, a TM-30 metric, or a spatial arrangement.

14. A lighting fixture, comprising:

a controller configured for receiving one or more values from a handle and for controlling light output of a plurality of lighting elements, wherein the light output has an intensity level and a light parameter level,

the handle having a range of positions, and

the plurality of lighting elements;

wherein when the controller receives a value from the handle, the controller;

determines whether the received value is within a first zone of values associated with a first range of positions of the handle;

when the received value is within the first zone of values;

determines a first intensity level corresponding to the received value, wherein the first intensity level is within a first range of intensity levels associated with the first range of positions of the handle,

determines a first light parameter level corresponding to the received value, wherein the first light parameter level is within a first range of light parameter levels associated with the first range of positions of the handle, and

controls the plurality of lighting elements to produce light with the first intensity level and the first light parameter level; and

when the received value is within a second zone of values associated with a second range of positions of the handle, instructs the driver to control the plurality of lighting elements to produce light with a second intensity level and a second light parameter level, wherein the second light parameter level is within a second range of light parameter levels associated with the second range of positions of the handle.

15. The lighting fixture of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured for controlling the plurality of lighting elements to produce light output based on a combination of a selected intensity level, a selected color temperature level, and a selected light parameter level.

16. The lighting fixture of claim 14, wherein the light parameter is one of a circadian parameter, a tint parameter, a correlated color temperature (CCT) parameter, a color parameter, a color rendering index (CRI) parameter, a TM-30 metric, or a spatial arrangement.

17. The lighting fixture of claim 14, wherein the second intensity level is within a second range of intensity levels associated with the second range of positions of the handle and the first range of intensity levels is different than the second range of intensity levels.

18. The lighting fixture of claim 14, wherein:

the first range of light parameter levels has a first parameter relationship with the first range of positions of the handle,

the second range of light parameter levels has a second parameter relationship with the second range of positions of the handle, and

the controller is further configured for;

receiving an additional value from the handle;

determining whether the additional value is in the first zone of values or the second zone of values;

responsive to determining that the additional value is in the first zone of values, determining an adjusted light parameter level based on the first parameter relationship;

responsive to determining that the additional value is in the second zone of values, determining the adjusted light parameter level based on the second parameter relationship; and

controlling the plurality of lighting elements to produce light with the adjusted light parameter.

19. The lighting fixture of claim 18, wherein:

the first range of intensity levels has a first intensity relationship with the first range of positions of the handle,

a second range of intensity levels has a second intensity relationship with the second range of positions of the handle, and

the controller is further configured for;

responsive to determining that the additional value is in the first zone of values, determining an adjusted intensity level based on the first intensity relationship;

responsive to determining that the additional value is in the second zone of values, determining the adjusted intensity level based on the second intensity relationship; and

controlling the plurality of lighting elements to produce light with the adjusted light parameter and the adjusted intensity level.

20. The lighting fixture of claim 18, wherein the first relationship is a first linear relationship, the second relationship is a second linear relationship, and the first linear relationship and the second linear relationship are different linear relationships.