Projection and/or waveguide arrangements for a software configurable lighting device

• US 10,404,955 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2015
• 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, Lin, Guan-Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haiem, Sean N.
• Application Number:
  US15/363,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 348552, 348745, 348752, 362294, 362231
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/08 the elements being filters or photoluminescent elements and reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/04 by movement of reflectors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/00 Reflectors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/312 Driving therefor driving of electronic spatial light modulators in displays other than projection devices G09G3/34, G09G3/36; control of liquid crystal elements G02F1/133; control of micromechanical modulators G02B26/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3155 for controlling the light source light source control per se H05B35/00 – H05B47/00; control of an illumination source for displays in general G09G3/3406
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3179 Video signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant

Abstract

The examples relate to various implementations of a software configurable lighting device utilizing a projection and/or waveguide-based lighting system that offers the capability to present an image display and/or provide general illumination lighting of a space according to an image display selection and/or general illumination distribution selection. A controller generates control signals that cause the projection and/or waveguide-based lighting system to output the selected images and general illumination.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a memory;

programming code stored in the memory;

an electrically, controllable light source;

a beam steering reflector having a movable reflective surface, wherein the orientation of the movable reflective surface is electrically controllable;

an output panel comprising a control interface and two distinct regions, the two distinct regions including;

a presentation region that outputs an image; and

an addressable general illumination region, different from the presentation region, and having controllable states of opacity;

a processor coupled to the memory, the light source, the beam steering reflector, and the control interface of the output panel, the processor, upon execution of the programming code stored in the memory, being configured to;

set light output parameters to generate light by the light source;

direct the generated light from the light source toward the addressable general illumination region of the output panel to pass through the addressable general illumination region as general illumination light to illuminate surrounding space of the output panel based on the controllable opacity of the addressable general illumination region of the output panel;

retrieve image data from the memory;

determine an address of the presentation region to which a portion of the image data is to be delivered;

provide the portion of the image data to the addressed presentation region of the output panel via an output panel communication interface; and

repeat the determining and providing for all portions of the image data until all portions of the image data are output from the output panel.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the output panel is optically aligned with the movable reflective surface.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the presentation region of the output panel comprises:

an organic light emitting diode or a plasma display device, each of which is configured to present image data at an output of the output panel.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, further comprising:

presentation region image generation circuitry configured to provide image control signals to the presentation region according to an image selection file provided with a configuration file retrieved from the memory.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the output panel further comprises:

a spatial modulation layer having spatial modulators at the output side of the output panel, wherein the spatial modulators are;

positioned at the output side of the addressable general illumination regions; and

configured from one or more of;

a controllable electrowetting cell, a liquid crystal polarization grating, a switchable diffusing surface, or a pixelated microlens assembly.

6. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the output panel further comprises:

a spatial modulation layer including a number of individually controllable spatial modulators arranged in a matrix of spatial modulator pixels.

7. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the controllable states of opacity allows different amounts of lights from the controllable light source to pass through for output from the addressable general illumination region of the output panel.

8. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to address the general illumination region via the control interface to set opacity to one of the opacity states of the general illumination region according to the processed data to allow a selected amount of light from the controllable light source to pass through the addressable general illumination region as general illumination light.