Adjustable lighting systems

• US 10,477,659 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mazuir, Clarisse, Chalmers, Devin W., Kingman, David E., Dan, Budhadipta, Cohoon, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Balaoing, Ariel A
• Application Number:
  US15/682,929
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133615 Edge-illuminating devices, i.e. illuminating from the side
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/22 using controlled light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/39 continuously
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An adjustable lighting system is controlled to achieve a configuration for an internal light condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an enclosure that has one or more windows;

one or more internal sensors that sense an internal light condition and generate an internal light condition signal that corresponds to the internal light condition;

one or more lighting control components that include an edge lit panel that has a panel portion and an array of lighting elements that are positioned along an edge of the panel portion; and

a controller configured to;

receive data that represent an image that was captured by a camera;

determine a configuration for the internal light condition based on a color gradient defined by a first color value from a first portion of the image and a second color value from a second portion of the image, and

control operation of the edge lit panel of the one or more lighting control components to define the color gradient in the enclosure according to the configuration for the internal light condition and the internal light condition signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first apparatus located in the enclosure, the first apparatus having a network interface that is configured to receive data representing the image is received from a second apparatus that is remote from the enclosure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the one or more lighting control components comprises a variable light transmittance component associated with the one or more windows, and

wherein the controller is configured to control a light transmittance characteristic of the variable light transmittance component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the one or more lighting control components comprises one or more dimmable lamps, and

wherein the controller is configured to control illumination intensity of the one or more dimmable lamps.

5. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the one or more lighting control components comprises one or more lamps having a variable output color temperature, and

wherein the controller is configured to control the variable output color temperature of the one or more lamps.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface device,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

cause display of the image to a user at the user interface device,

receive data identifying a the first portion of the image and the second portion of the image in response to a user input made at the user interface device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface device,

wherein the controller is further configured to;

cause display of the image to a user at the user interface device,

receive data representing the first portion of the image in response to a first user input made at the user interface device, and

receive data representing the second portion of the image in response to a second user input made at the user interface device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify an activity that is depicted in the image, and

determine the configuration based on the activity that is depicted in the image.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image is accessed from a storage device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image is received by a data transmission from a remote computing device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the edge lit panel is positioned adjacent to a first window from the one or more windows.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the edge lit panel is spaced from the first window.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the edge lit panel is mounted such that it is in contact with the first window.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein external light that enters the enclosure through the first window passes through the edge lit panel and combines with internal light emitted by the edge lit panel.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an enclosure that has one or more windows that include a first window;

one or more internal sensors that sense an internal light condition and generate an internal light condition signal that corresponds to the internal light condition;

lighting control components that include a variable light transmittance component that is associated with the first window and an edge lit panel that has a panel portion and an array of lighting elements that are positioned along an edge of the panel portion, wherein the edge lit panel is positioned adjacent to the first window; and

a controller configured to;

receive data that represent an image that was captured by a camera;

determine a configuration for the internal light condition based on the image; and

control operation of the variable light transmittance component and the edge lit panel of the one or more lighting control components based on the internal light condition signal to maintain the internal light condition according to the configuration for the internal light condition.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an enclosure that has an interior space and one or more windows that include a first window;

one or more internal sensors that sense an internal light condition and generate an internal light condition signal that corresponds to the internal light condition;

lighting control components that an edge lit panel that has a panel portion and an array of lighting elements that are positioned along an edge of the panel portion, wherein the edge lit panel is positioned adjacent to the first window; and

a controller configured to;

receive data that represent an image that was captured by a camera;

determine a configuration for the internal light condition that includes a first light condition that is based on a first color value from a first portion of the image and a second light condition that is based on a second color value from a second portion of the image, and

control operation of a first group of the lighting elements of the edge lit panel of to maintain the first light condition in a first area of the interior space, and

control operation of a second group of the lighting elements of the edge lit panel to maintain the second light condition in a second area of the interior space.