Apparatus with isolated display and lighting portions and optical passages for backlit illumination

• US 10,403,180 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Komanduri, Ravi Kumar, Mao, An
• Primary Examiner(s): Neils, Peggy A
• Application Number:
  US15/590,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20180328581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/06 using crossed laminae or strips , e.g. grid-shaped louvers; using lattices or honeycombs
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/10 the elements being reflectors and screens
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0083 Array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more reflectors F21V7/0025
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/00 Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/04 Signs, boards or panels, illuminated from behind the insignia

Abstract

The examples relate to implementations of an apparatus and a luminaire that use isolated display and lighting portions and optical passages for backlit general illumination through the display. The apparatus includes a general illumination light source, an optical coupling, and an optical array. A luminaire includes the apparatus and a display light board. The display light board may include display light emitters and transparent regions. The transparent regions enable general illumination light to pass through the display light board. The general illumination light source outputs general illumination light that is directed by the optical coupling toward the optical array. The optical array has optical passages and optical array supports. The optical array supports frame the display light emitters and the optical passages channel the directed general illumination light from the optical coupling around display light emitters framed near the optical array supports. Near-field shadow regions are formed under the display light emitters.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a general illumination light source configured to emit general illumination light for illuminating a space;

an optical coupling configured to receive the general illumination light emitted by the general illumination light source and to direct general illumination light emitted by the light source toward a light output interface of the optical coupling;

an optical array comprising optical passages there through, the optical passages being coupled to receive general illumination light via the light output interface of the optical coupling, wherein;

a configuration of the optical coupling together with a configuration of the optical passages through the optical array define a distribution of general illumination light output of the apparatus into the illuminated space, and

the distribution of general illumination light output includes near-field shadow regions formed between outputs of two or more of the optical passages; and

display light emitters mounted at locations substantially corresponding to at least some of the near-field shadow regions of the optical array and being oriented to emit additional light into the space to be illuminated, wherein;

the display light emitters are configured to present pixels of light for presentation of an image, and

the apparatus is configured to simultaneously display a portion of the image via the display light emitters and emit the general illumination light from the general illumination light source via the optical passages.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the near-field shadow regions are areas of relative darkness that is being screened or blocked from receiving a substantial portion of the directed general illumination light by the configuration of adjacent optical passages through the optical array.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical coupling comprises:

an interior surface configured to direct light received from the general illumination light source at a light input interface toward the light output interface, the directed light providing the general illumination to the space.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the interior surface is reflective and is formed as one of a parabolic reflector, a conical reflector, a faceted reflector, or a pyramidal reflector.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical array comprises:

an array of convexo-concave lens, each convexo-concave lens forming one of the optical passages, and each convexo-concave lens being configured to direct light received at a convex input interface of the convexo-concave lens and output the light from a concave output interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light input interface, wherein the light input interface includes:

an opening to accept the general illumination light source.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each optical passage is shaped as a polygon.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical array further comprises:

a grid of reflective members having angled walls defining the optical passages, the angled walls defining each optical passage being configured to reflect the directed light incident on the angled walls through the light output interface of each respective optical passage.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each optical passage has a height of approximately 7 millimeters and an open base has a width of approximately 3 millimeters, wherein the height is the distance from an edge made by two angled walls to a plane of the open base.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least approximately 90% of the general illumination light emitted by the general illumination light source is output from the optical passages.

11. A luminaire, comprising:

a plurality of apparatuses coupled to one another, each of the apparatuses including;

a general illumination light source that emits general illumination light for illuminating a space;

an optical coupling having a light input interface and a light output interface, the optical coupling configured to direct general illumination light emitted by the general illumination light source at the light input interface toward the light output interface;

an optical array coupled to the light output interface of the optical coupling, the optical array comprising a plurality of optical passages and a plurality of optical array supports, wherein the optical array supports being in between adjacent optical passages of the plurality of optical passages; and

a set of display light emitters in a spaced arrangement relative one another, each individual display light emitter of the set of display light emitters positioned near a corresponding optical array support of a respective optical passage, wherein;

each optical passage is configured to direct a portion of the light received from the light output interface toward an output of the optical passage, and

the luminaire is configured to display an image via the set of display light emitters and emit general illumination light via the general illumination light source from the optical array.

12. The luminaire of claim 11, wherein the optical coupling of each of the apparatuses includes an interior surface that is reflective and is formed as one of a parabolic reflector, a conical reflector, a faceted reflector, or a pyramidal reflector.

13. The luminaire of claim 11, wherein each optical passage has a height of approximately 7 millimeters and an optical array support having an open base approximately 3 millimeters wide, wherein the height is the distance from an edge made by two angled walls to a plane of the open base.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a general illumination light source that emits general illumination light for illuminating a space;

an optical coupling having a light input interface and a light output interface, the optical coupling configured to direct general illumination light emitted by the general illumination light source at the light input interface toward the light output interface; and

an array of convexo-concave lenses optically coupled to the light output interface, each convexo-concave lens of the array being configured to direct light received at a convex input interface of the respective convexo-concave lens and output the directed light from a concave output interface of the respective convexo-concave lens; and

a display light board including;

a set of display light emitters configured to output an image, and

optical apertures permitting light output from the convex output interface to pass through the display light board,

wherein respective display light emitters of the set of display light emitters are positioned at a respective intersection point of adjacent convexo-concave lenses of the array of convex-concave lenses.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

each respective intersection point of the adjacent convexo-concave lenses corresponds to a respective near-field shadow region, and

the near-field shadow region is an area of relative darkness that is being screened or blocked off from the emitted general illumination light.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

each convexo-concave lens of the array of convexo-concave lenses is configured to shift general illumination light incident on the convex input interface toward the optical apertures of the display light board, and

the optical apertures are adjacent to the display light emitters.