Lighting entertainment system

• US 20020047646A1
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Color Kinetics Incorporated (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Lys, Ihor, Mueller, George G.
• Granted Patent: US 6,577,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/357 specially adapted for retrofit LED light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/397 Current mirror circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

Provided herein are methods and systems for signal processing for illumination control signals, which may include a decoder for decoding a combined signal and a connection for delivering a portion of the combined signal to an illumination source, which source is capable of generating an illumination condition from the portion of the combined signal. The system may also include an encoder for encoding the combined signal from and illumination control signal and a second signal. The combined signal may include any signal, such as a video signal, a radio frequency signal, an electrical signal, an infrared signal, an acoustic signal, and audio signal, and an optical signal. The encoder may send signals to the decoder by any known method or system, such as broadcast, cable, network, circuit, or the like. The system may include a controlled illumination source and another device, which may be any electrical device, such as an entertainment device. The device may be a television, a computer, a compact disc player, a stereo, a radio, a video cassette player, a DVD player, a toy, a CD-ROM drive, a film projector, a surround sound system, a dolby sound system, a THX sound system, and a tape player. The decoder may be connected to the controlled devices by any connection, such as a circuit, a network, a data bus, a cable, a wire, a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, an infrared transmitter and receiver, a broadcast transmitter and receiver, an optical transmitter and receiver, an acoustic transmitter and receiver, a microwave transmitter and receiver, and a circuit. The system may also include a signal generator for generating signal that controls the other device and an illumination control driver for generating the illumination control signal for the illumination source. The illumination source may be an LED system that is controlled by a microprocessor to vary at least one of the color and intensity of the illumination produced by the illumination source in response to the illumination control signal.

Claims

1. A signal processing system for illumination signals, comprising:

a decoder for decoding a combined signal; and

a connection for delivering a portion of the combined signal to an illumination source, which source is capable of generating an illumination condition from the portion of the combined signal.

2. A signal processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an encoder for encoding the combined signal from and illumination control signal and a second signal.

3. A signal processing system of claim 2, wherein the encoder includes a multiplexor.

4. A signal processing system of claim 2, wherein the encoder includes a sync detector.

5. A signal processing system of claim 2, wherein the encoder includes a timing and control circuit.

6. A signal processing system of claim 1, wherein the combined signal includes at least one of a video signal, a radio frequency signal, an electrical signal, an infrared signal, an acoustic signal, and audio signal, and an optical signal.

7. A signal processing system of claim 1, wherein the combined signal includes an entertainment signal.

8. A signal processing system of claim 1, wherein the combined signal includes an information signal.

9. A signal processing system of claim 1, wherein the combined signal includes an educational signal.

10. A signal processing system of claim 2, further comprising:

a connection for delivering the combined signal from the encoder to the decoder.

11. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes a broadcast transmission.

12. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes an electrical circuit.

13. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes a data track.

14. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes a data bus.

15. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes a radio frequency transmitter and receiver.

16. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes an infrared transmitter and receiver.

17. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes a network.

18. A signal processing system of claim 10, wherein the connection includes a cable.

19. A signal processing system of claim 1, further comprising a

device other than the illumination source, and

a connection for delivering a portion of the combined signal to the other device.

20. A signal processing system of claim 19, wherein the other device is an entertainment device.

21. A signal processing system of claim 19, wherein the other device is at least one of a television, a computer, a compact disc player, a stereo, a radio, a video cassette player, a DVD player, a toy, a CD-ROM drive, a film projector, a surround sound system, a dolby sound system, a THX sound system, and a tape player.

22. A signal processing system of claim 19, wherein the connector is at least one of a circuit, a network, a data bus, a cable, a wire, a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, an infrared transmitter and receiver, a broadcast transmitter and receiver, an optical transmitter and receiver, an acoustic transmitter and receiver, a microwave transmitter and receiver, and a circuit.

23. A signal processing system of claim 19, further comprising:

a splitter for separating the portion from the combined signal.

24. A signal processing system of claim 1, wherein the decoder includes at least one of a sync detector, a timing and control circuit, and a shift register.

25. A signal processing system of claim 2, further comprising a

a signal generator for generating the second signal;

and

an illumination control driver for generating the illumination control signal for the illumination source.

26. A signal processing system of claim 25, wherein the illumination source includes an LED system that is controlled by a microprocessor to vary at least one of the color and intensity of the illumination produced by the illumination source in response to the illumination control signal.

28. A method of signal processing of claim 27, further comprising:

encoding the illumination control signal portion with a second signal to provide the combined signal.

29. A method of signal processing of claim 28, wherein the encoder includes a multiplexor.

30. A method of signal processing of claim 28, wherein the encoder includes a sync detector.

31. A method of signal processing of claim 28, wherein the encoder includes a timing and control circuit.

32. A method of signal processing of claim 27, wherein the combined signal includes at least one of a video signal, a radio frequency signal, an electrical signal, an infrared signal, an acoustic signal, and audio signal, and an optical signal.

33. A method of signal processing of claim 27, wherein the combined signal includes an entertainment signal.

34. A method of signal processing of claim 27, wherein the combined signal includes an information signal.

35. A method of signal processing of claim 27, wherein the combined signal includes an educational signal.

36. A method of signal processing of claim 28, further comprising:

delivering encoded signal to the decoder.

37. A method of signal processing of claim 36, wherein the act of delivering the encoded signal includes at least one of a broadcast transmission, a video transmission, an electrical circuit transmission, a data transmission, a packet transmission, a data bus transmission, a radio transmission, an infrared transmission, an acoustic transmission, an optical transmission, a network transmission, a cable transmission and a microwave transmission.

38. A method of signal processing of claim 27, further comprising:

providing a device other than the illumination source, and

delivering a portion of the combined signal to the device.

39. A method of signal processing of claim 38, wherein the other device is an entertainment device.

40. A method of signal processing of claim 38, wherein the device is at least one of a television, a computer, a compact disc player, a stereo, a radio, a video cassette player, a DVD player, a pager, a security badge, a CD-ROM drive, a film projector, a surround sound system, a dolby sound system, a THX sound system, and a tape player.

41. A method of signal processing of claim 38, wherein the act of delivering the signal to the other device includes providing at least one of a circuit, a network, a data bus, a cable, a wire, a radio frequency transmitter and receiver, an infrared transmitter and receiver, a broadcast transmitter and receiver, an optical transmitter and receiver, an acoustic transmitter and receiver, a microwave transmitter and receiver, and a circuit.

42. A method of signal processing of claim 38, further comprising:

separating the second signal from the illumination control signal.

43. A method of signal processing of claim 27, wherein the act of decoding includes providing at least one of a sync detector, a timing and control circuit, and a shift register.

44. A method of signal processing of claim 28, further comprising

providing a signal generator for generating the second signal;

and

providing an illumination control driver for generating the illumination control signal for the illumination source.

45. A method of signal processing of claim 27, wherein the act of providing the illumination source includes providing an LED system that is controlled by a microprocessor to vary at least one of the color and intensity of the illumination produced by the illumination source in response to the illumination control signal.

48. An encoder of claim 47, further comprising:

a sync detector for initiating the timing and control circuit.

49. An encoder of claim 47, further comprising:

a multiplexor for combining the illumination control signal with the second signal.

27. A method of signal processing for illumination signals, comprising:

decoding an illumination control signal from a combined signal; and

delivering the illumination control signal to an illumination source that is capable of generating an illumination condition from the illumination control signal.

46. An entertainment system, comprising:

an illumination source, the illumination source including an LED system that is controlled by a microprocessor to vary at least one of the color and intensity of the illumination produced by the illumination source in response to a control signal;

a receiver of the illumination source for receiving a control signal;

an entertainment signal generator for generating an entertainment signal, wherein the entertainment signal is at least one of a video signal, an audio signal, and a data packet;

an entertainment device for producing entertainment using the entertainment signal, wherein the entertainment device is at least one of a television, a computer, a compact disc player, a stereo, a radio, a video cassette player, a DVD player, a CD-ROM drive, a film projector, a surround sound system, a dolby sound system, a THX sound system, and a tape player;

an illumination control driver for generating the control signal for the illumination source;

an encoder for encoding the control signal with the entertainment signal;

a connection for delivering the encoded signal to the location of at least one of the illumination source and the entertainment device;

a decoder for decoding the control signal from the encoded signal;

a connection for delivering the entertainment signal to the entertainment device; and

a connection for delivering the control signal to the receiver of the illumination source.

47. An encoder for a signal processing system for illumination signals, comprising:

an input for receiving an illumination control signal;

an input for receiving a second signal; and

a timing and control circuit for combining the illumination control signal with the second signal.