Waveguide-based light sources with dynamic beam shaping

• US 10,527,785 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tarsa, Eric J., DeSugny, Jean-Claude David Ramey, Stone, David, Jacobson, Benjamin A., Keeney, Shawn Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Garlen, Alexander K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eide, Eric T
• Application Number:
  US15/587,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336563A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/005 with a lamp housing maintained at a distance from the floor or ground via a support, e.g. standing lamp for ambient lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0464 the sensor sensing the level of ambient illumination, e.g. dawn or dusk sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0485 the sensor sensing the physical interaction between a user and certain areas located on the lighting device, e.g. a touch sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/33 annular
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/16 square or rectangular, e.g. for light panels
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/18 annular; polygonal other than square or rectangular, e.g. for spotlights or for generating an axially symmetrical light beam
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12083 Constructional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0045 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0063 for extracting light out both the major surfaces of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0076 Stacked arrangements of multiple light guides of the same or different cross-sectional area
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/122 Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths

Abstract

Luminaires are described herein employing waveguides and associated architectures for dynamic alteration of illuminance distribution patterns. In one aspect, a luminaire described herein comprises a waveguide body and light sources having differing angular positions relative to the waveguide body for altering illuminance distribution patterns of the luminaire according to one or more activation patterns of the light sources. The differing angular positions can be located at the perimeter of the waveguide body and/or at one or more internal locations of the waveguide body.

Claims

1. A luminaire comprising:

at least one light source;

a waveguide including a waveguide body and a light extraction component, the waveguide body transmitting light from the at least one light source to the light extraction component, the light extraction component emitting an emitted light from the waveguide in a light distribution; and

at least one optic disposed external to the waveguide, the at least one optic radially surrounding the waveguide and arranged to receive at least a portion of the emitted light from the waveguide, the at least one optic comprising a curved reflective surface and the light extraction component selectively irradiating the curved reflective surface to alter the light distribution emitted by the light extraction component.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light extraction component comprises a plurality of light extraction elements.

3. The luminaire of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of light extraction elements have a symmetrical shape.

4. The luminaire of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of light extraction elements have an asymmetrical shape.

5. The luminaire of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of light extraction elements have one or more curved surfaces.

6. The luminaire of claim 2, wherein at least some of the plurality of light extraction elements are polygonal.

7. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light extraction component comprises an array of light extraction elements.

8. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the curved reflective surface comprises a concave reflective surface.

9. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the curved reflective surface comprises a concave or convex refractive surface.

10. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the curved reflective surface comprises a photoluminescent component.

11. The luminaire of claim 10, wherein the photoluminescent component includes a phosphor coating.

12. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein the at least one optic includes an array of sub-optical elements in alignment with the array of light extraction elements.

13. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises a first light emitting diode component and a second light emitting diode component, the first light emitting diode component having a first angular position relative to the waveguide body and the second light emitting diode component having a second angular position relative to the waveguide body, the second angular position being different than the first angular position, wherein the first light emitting diode component and the second light emitting diode component are independently activatable such that azimuthal components or longitudinal components of an illuminance distribution pattern of the luminaire are altered to create a plurality of illuminance distribution patterns according to a plurality of activation patterns of the first and second light emitting diode components.

14. The luminaire of claim 13, wherein the first and second light emitting diode components each comprise a plurality of light emitting diodes.

15. The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising a force application assembly operatively connected to the light extraction component wherein the light extraction component includes one or more reversibly movable surfaces to alter illuminance distribution patterns of the luminaire in response to one or more forces applied to the light extraction component by the force application assembly of the luminaire.

16. The luminaire of claim 15, wherein the reversibly moveable surfaces form individual light extraction elements of the light extraction component.

17. The luminaire of claim 16, wherein the reversibly moveable surfaces are deflectable, contractible, expandable or combinations thereof.

18. The luminaire of claim 16, wherein the force application assembly comprises one or more channels for applying positive or negative fluid pressure to the reversibly moveable surfaces of the individual light extraction elements.

19. The luminaire of claim 16, wherein the reversibly moveable surfaces comprise piezoelectric elements or an electroactive polymer, and wherein the force application assembly comprises electrodes for application of an electric field to the piezoelectric elements or electroactive polymer.

20. The luminaire of claim 16, wherein the reversibly moveable surfaces comprise magnetic elements, and wherein the force application assembly applies a magnetic field to the magnetic elements.

21. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source comprises light emitting diode components arranged along a perimeter of the waveguide body and having spacing along the perimeter of the waveguide body for steering an azimuthal component of illuminance distribution patterns of the luminaire in conjunction with the light extraction component, and wherein the light extraction component includes one or more reversibly moveable surfaces for further altering the illuminance distribution patterns in response to one or more forces applied to the light extraction component by a force application assembly of the luminaire.