Lighting Device Having Cross-Fade and Method Thereof

• US 20090189541A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Crawford, John D., Hoffman, Peter F., Spartano, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,888,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/02 characterised by the provision of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/76 with essentially identical parallel planar fins or blades, e.g. with comb-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/006 applied to portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/10 for personal use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/32 Pulse-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/56 involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

A lighting system is provided that includes at least one lighting device, at least one connector, and a plurality of external power sources. The at least one lighting device includes at least one lighting source, and an internal power source applying a first electrical current to illuminate the at least one lighting element, wherein the internal power source supplies the first electrical current. The at least one connector electrically connects to the at least one lighting device. The plurality of external power sources include at least first and second external power sources that are adapted to be electrically connected to the at least one lighting device by the at least one connector. The first external power source supplies a second electrical current to the at least one lighting device to illuminate the at least one lighting source and the second external power source supplies a third electrical current to illuminate the at least one lighting source, such that the internal power source and one of the plurality of external power sources each supply electrical current to illuminate the at least one lighting source at different times.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a plurality of lighting sources comprising;

a first lighting source, wherein said first lighting source emits light in a first illumination pattern; and

a second lighting source, wherein said second lighting source emits light in a second illumination pattern that is different than said first illumination pattern, and said first and second illumination patterns at least partially overlap to yield a third illumination pattern; and

a controller for controlling first and second intensities of said first and second illumination patterns, respectively, with respect to one another, wherein said third illumination pattern is altered when said controller alters said first and second intensities.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein said intensity of light emitted from said first and second lighting sources is altered by said controller substantially proportional to one another by controlling an electrical power supplied to said first and second lighting sources, such that a first electrical power supplied to said first lighting source is increased by a substantially equal amount with respect to a decrease in a second electrical power supplied to said second lighting source.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein said first lighting source is a flood lighting source having a half angle of greater than approximately twelve degrees (12°

), and said second lighting source is a spot lighting source having a half angle of less than approximately twelve degrees (12°

).

3. The lighting device of claim 2, wherein said controller alters said first and second electrical powers supplied to said first and second lighting sources, respectively, such that said first intensity of said emitted light of said first lighting source alters substantially linearly with respect to an altering of said second intensity of said emitted light of said second lighting source.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein said controller increases said intensity of both said first and second lighting sources when said controller is controlling said first and second electrical powers supplied to said first and second lighting sources at a minimum and a maximum of a cross-fade spectrum.

6. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein said controller dims at least one of said first and second lighting sources, such that an electrical power supplied to said first and second lighting sources is controlled to at least one of increase and decrease said intensity of said light emitted from said first and second lighting sources substantially equally.

7. The lighting device of claim 6, wherein said controller dims said first and second lighting sources with respect to a plurality of dimming levels of a dimming spectrum, such that each dimming level corresponds to a value of said electrical power that is supplied to each of said first and second lighting sources.

8. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein said controller cross-fades said first and second illumination patterns of said first and second lighting sources with respect to a plurality of cross-fading levels and dims said first and second lighting sources with respect to a plurality of dimming levels, such that said selected cross-fading level is maintained when altering said dimming levels and said selected dimming level is maintained when altering said cross-fading levels.

9. A lighting device comprising:

a plurality of lighting sources comprising;

a flood lighting source configured to emit light in a flood illumination pattern; and

a spot lighting source configured to emit light in a spot illumination pattern; and

a controller for controlling first and second electrical powers supplied to said flood and spot lighting sources, respectively, to alter the intensities thereof, such that an intensity of light emitted from said flood and spot lighting sources is altered substantially proportionally with respect to one another, wherein said first electrical power supplied to said flood lighting source is increased by a substantially equal amount with respect to a decrease in said second electrical power supplied to said spot lighting source.

10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein said controller alters said first and second electrical powers supplied to said first and second lighting sources, respectively, such that said first intensity of said emitted light of said first lighting source alters substantially linearly with respect to altering of said second intensity of said emitted light of said second lighting source.

11. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein said first lighting source is a flood lighting source having a half angle of greater than approximately twelve degrees (12°

), and said second lighting source is a spot lighting source having a half angle of less than approximately twelve degrees (12°

).

12. The lighting device of claim 10, wherein said flood and spot illumination patterns are different, such that said flood and spot illumination patterns substantially overlap to yield said cross-fade illumination patterns.

13. The lighting device of claim 12, wherein said controller dims said spot and flood lighting sources with respect to a plurality of dimming levels of a dimming spectrum, such that each dimming level corresponds to a value of an electrical current that is supplied to each of said flood and spot lighting sources.

14. A method of cross-fading illumination patterns of light emitted by a plurality of light sources, said method comprising the steps of:

emitting light at a first intensity from a first lighting source;

emitting light at a second intensity from a second lighting source;

illuminating a target with said emitted light at said first and second intensities; and

cross-fading said first and second lighting sources, wherein said cross-fading comprises altering said first and second intensities with respect to one another, such that when said first intensity increases, said second intensity decreases, and when said first intensity decreases, said second intensity increases.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of cross-fading said first and second lighting sources further comprises altering said first and second intensities substantially proportionally with respect to one another.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said first lighting source is a flood lighting source that emits light in a flood illumination pattern having a half angle of greater than approximately twelve degrees (12°

), and said second lighting source is a spot lighting source that emits light in a spot illumination pattern having a half angle of less than approximately twelve degrees (12°

).

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of cross-fading said first and second lighting sources further comprises altering said first and second electrical powers supplied to said first and second lighting sources, respectively, such that said first intensity of said emitted light of said first lighting source alters substantially linearly with respect to altering of said second intensity of said emitted light of said second lighting source.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of increasing both of said first and second intensities when said first and second intensities are at one of a minimum and a maximum of a cross-fade spectrum.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of dimming said first and second intensities, such that both of said first and second intensities one of increase and decrease substantially equally, wherein said first and second intensities are dimmed with respect to a plurality of dimming levels of a dimming spectrum, such that each dimming level corresponds to an electrical current value that is supplied to said first and second lighting sources.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

cross-fading said first and second illumination patterns with respect to a plurality of cross-fading levels;

dimming said first and second illumination patterns with respect to a plurality of dimming levels;

maintaining a selected cross-fading level when altering said dimming levels; and

maintaining a selected dimming level when altering said cross-fading levels.