Color tunable light with zone control

• US 10,420,186 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cineo Lighting, Inc. (Comcast Corporation), NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Crosbie, James, Edwards, Charles, Pierceall, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Crystal L
• Application Number:
  US15/937,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20180352628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/27 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with two fittings for each light source, e.g. for substitution of fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/00 Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/009 the support means engaging the vessel of the source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0816 Strap fasteners, e.g. fasteners with a buckle
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/17 forming a single encapsulated light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light

Abstract

A lighting system and method features full gamut color and white color correlated temperature (CCT) control of independently controlled zones. Each zone may be tuned to any color and/or white CCT. The result is a lighting system and method with a light-emitting face having zones of different colors and intensities that may be independently controlled in real time. The lighting system and method enables improved lighting effects for film, television, and still photography as compared to traditional panel lights that are uniform in color over the entire emission surface.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising:

a tunable array of zonal lighting devices providing a plurality of lighting zones, wherein each zonal lighting device corresponds to an independent lighting zone and each zonal lighting device is configured for independent color control and independent white color correlated temperature (CCT) control; and

a controller configured to;

receive one or more commands to implement one or more zone adjustments, wherein the one or more zone adjustments comprise an independent color adjustment and an independent white CCT adjustment to be implemented in combination, and wherein the one or more commands comprise an indication of the independent lighting zone of the plurality of lighting zones to adjust; and

control the plurality of lighting zones by providing one or more zone control signals, corresponding to the one or more commands, to the tunable array of zonal lighting devices to implement the one or more zone adjustments in combination.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein each zonal lighting device comprises a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) clusters distributed linearly across each zonal light device, and wherein each LED cluster comprises at least two different white LEDs, one or more red LEDs, one or more green LEDs, and one or more blue LEDs.

3. The lighting system of claim 2, wherein the at least two different white LEDs comprise a 2700 Kelvin (K) white LED and a 6500K white LED.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the one or more commands are one or more digital multiplex (DMX) commands, the DMX commands comprising commands to adjust a zone-specific color hue value, a zone-specific color saturation value, a zone-specific color intensity value, and a zone-specific white CCT value.

5. The lighting system of claim 4, wherein each zonal lighting device is assigned a unique DMX address, wherein each DMX command of the one or more DMX commands corresponds to a unique DMX address, and wherein each unique DMX address is determined sequentially based upon a relative position of each zonal lighting device within the tunable array of zonal lighting devices.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lighting zones comprise zones that are spatially horizontal, spatially vertical, or both.

7. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the one or more zone adjustments implement a lighting effect associated with one or more objects.

8. The lighting system of claim 7, wherein the lighting effect comprises a simulated motion of a first object in the presence of the one or more objects, or vice versa, and wherein the one or more objects comprise a natural outdoor light, vehicle headlights, a building light, a street light, or a combination thereof.

9. The lighting system of claim 7, wherein the lighting effect comprises one or more chromatic aberrations on or adjacent to an object.

10. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the one or more commands are received from a user interface, and wherein the one or more commands indicate a zone-specific white CCT value, a zone-specific red light intensity value, a zone-specific green light intensity value, and a zone-specific blue light intensity value.

11. The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to provide the one or more zone control signals based on RGB logic by determining a zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value based on the zone-specific red light intensity value, the zone-specific green light intensity value, and the zone-specific blue light intensity value.

12. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value by determining a lowest value among the zone-specific red light intensity value, the zone-specific green light intensity value, and the zone-specific blue light intensity value, and wherein the lowest value corresponds to the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value.

13. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to provide the one or more zone control signals based on the RGB logic by:

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced red light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific red light intensity value;

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced green light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific green light intensity value; and

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced blue light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific blue light intensity value.

14. The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the one or more zone control signals provided based on the RGB logic comprises:

a first signal based on the calculated zone-specific white-reduced red light intensity value;

a second signal based on the calculated zone-specific white-reduced green light intensity value;

a third signal based on the calculated zone-specific white-reduced blue light intensity value; and

a fourth signal based on the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code to:

receive one or more commands to implement one or more zone adjustments to a lighting system, wherein the lighting system comprises a tunable array of zonal lighting devices providing a plurality of lighting zones, wherein each zonal lighting device corresponds to an independent lighting zone and each zonal lighting device is configured for independent color control and independent white color correlated temperature (CCT) control, wherein the one or more zone adjustments comprise an independent color adjustment and an independent white CCT adjustment to be implemented in combination, and wherein the one or more commands comprise an indication of an independent lighting zone of the plurality of lighting zones to adjust; and

control the plurality of lighting zones by providing one or more zone control signals, corresponding to the one or more commands, to the tunable array of zonal lighting devices to implement the one or more zone adjustments in combination.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more commands are received from a user interface, and wherein the one or more commands indicate a zone-specific white CCT value, a zone-specific red light intensity value, a zone-specific green light intensity value, and a zone-specific blue light intensity value.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code to provide the one or more zone control signals based on RGB logic by determining a zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value based on the zone-specific red light intensity value, the zone-specific green light intensity value, and the zone-specific blue light intensity value.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising code to determine the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value by determining a lowest value among the zone-specific red light intensity value, the zone-specific green light intensity value, and the zone-specific blue light intensity value, and wherein the lowest value corresponds to the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the code to provide the one or more zone control signals based on the RGB logic comprises code to:

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced red light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific red light intensity value;

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced green light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific green light intensity value; and

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced blue light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific blue light intensity value.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more zone control signals provided based on the RGB logic comprises:

a first signal based on the calculated zone-specific white-reduced red light intensity value;

a second signal based on the calculated zone-specific white-reduced green light intensity value;

a third signal based on the calculated zone-specific white-reduced blue light intensity value; and

a fourth signal based on the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value.

21. A lighting method, comprising:

receiving one or more commands to implement one or more zone adjustments of a lighting system, wherein the lighting system comprises a tunable array of zonal lighting devices providing a plurality of lighting zones, wherein each zonal lighting device corresponds to an independent lighting zone and each zonal lighting device is configured for independent color control and independent white color correlated temperature (CCT) control, and wherein the one or more zone adjustments comprise an independent color adjustment and an independent white CCT adjustment to be implemented in combination; and

implementing the one or more zone adjustments in combination by controlling the plurality of lighting zones of the tunable array of zonal lighting devices.

22. The lighting method of claim 21, wherein implementing the one or more zone adjustments of the lighting system comprises identifying a zone-specific white CCT value, a zone-specific red light intensity value, a zone-specific green light intensity value, and a zone-specific blue light intensity value.

23. The lighting method of claim 22, further comprising determining a zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value based on the zone-specific red light intensity value, the zone-specific green light intensity value, and the zone-specific blue light intensity value.

24. The lighting method of claim 23, wherein determining the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value comprises determining a lowest value among the zone-specific red light intensity value, the zone-specific green light intensity value, and the zone-specific blue light intensity value, and wherein the lowest value corresponds to the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value.

25. The lighting method of claim 24, further comprising:

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced red light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific red light intensity value;

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced green light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific green light intensity value; and

calculating a zone-specific white-reduced blue light intensity value by subtracting the zone-specific white-reduced light intensity value from the zone-specific blue light intensity value.

26. The lighting method of claim 25, wherein implementing the one or more zone adjustments comprises:

adjusting a red light intensity value to the zone-specific white-reduced red light intensity value;

adjusting a green light intensity value to the zone-specific white-reduced green light intensity value;

adjusting a blue light intensity value to the zone-specific white-reduced blue light intensity value; and

adjusting a white CCT value to the zone-specific white CCT value.

27. The lighting method of claim 21, wherein the one or more zone adjustments are synchronized to implement one or more lighting effects.