LIGHT SOURCE, LIGHT SOURCE SYSTEM, AND ILLUMINATION DEVICE

• US 20100063566A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Uchiumi, Tadashi, Kaneko, Takashi, Tsuboi, Masanori, Yamanaka, Atsushi
• Application Number:
  US12/515,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20100063566A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0662 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0618 Psychological treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback

Abstract

A light source and an illumination device are provided for making it possible to adjust influence of light over a living body while keeping good brightness and color taste of illumination light. A conversion characteristic in the degree of effect indicative of a relationship in a light wavelength between a living body reaction characteristic and an isochromatic characteristic of the visual perception is derived out and the light emitting intensity of a plurality of light emitters with different wavelength characteristics is controlled in accordance with the conversion characteristic, so as to adjust influence of light over a living body while keeping brightness and color taste of illumination light.

Claims

1. A light source comprising at least two different types of emitters A and B having wavelength characteristics different from each other, wherein

the emitters A and B have properties of biological effects that influence an awakening level or a hormone secretion of a living body through exposure to light from the emitters A and B, and wherein

the emitter A offers a higher biological effect level through light exposure at the same light emission intensity in comparison with the emitter B, while the emitter B offers a lower biological effect level through light exposure at the same light emission intensity in comparison with the emitter A.

2. The light source as defined in claim 1, wherein

the emitters A and B offer a weaker biological effect through light exposure when a light emission intensity of the emitter A is raised while lowering the light emission intensity of the emitter B, whereas the emitters A and B offer a stronger biological effect through light exposure when the light emission intensity of the emitter A is lowered while raising the light emission intensity of the emitter B.

3. The light source as defined in claim 1, wherein

a biological effect level through light exposure is varied by lowering a light emission intensity of the emitter B when the light emission intensity of the emitter A is raised but by raising the light emission intensity of the emitter B when the light emission intensity of the emitter A is lowered.

4. The light source as defined in claim 1, wherein

a biological effect level through light exposure is varied by controlling light emission intensities of the emitters A and B so that a blue color component of a chromaticity of synthesized light generated by both emitters becomes substantially constant, based on a converted effect level calculated from an action spectrum characteristic on a biological effect by light and a color matching function on blue light.

5. The light source as defined in claim 1, wherein

a biological effect level through light exposure is varied by controlling light emission intensities of the emitters A and B so that a blue color component of a chromaticity of synthesized light generated by both emitters is within a given range, based on a converted effect level calculated from an action spectrum characteristic on a biological effect by light and a color matching function on blue light.

6. The light source as defined in claim 1, wherein

the emitter A has a light emission energy peak in a wavelength range of about 420 nm to 440 nm, and the emitter B has a light emission energy peak in a wavelength range of about 440 nm to 510 nm.

7. The light source as defined in claim 1, wherein

the emitter A has a light emission energy peak in a wavelength range of about 440 nm to 470 nm, and the emitter B has a light emission energy peak in a wavelength range of about 470 nm to 510 nm.

12. A light source system comprising:

the light source of any one of claims 1 to 11; and

an emitter having wavelength characteristics different from wavelength characteristics of the light source.

13. A light source system comprising:

the light source of any one of claims 1 to 11; and

at least one emitter that is used with the light source to produce white light.

14. An illumination device using the light source system of claim 12, wherein

the illumination device controls a light emission intensity of each light source or emitter included in the light source system while keeping a general color rendering index of produced illuminating light equal to or more than a given value to change a biological effect level.

15. An illumination device using the light source system of claim 13, wherein

the illumination device controls a light emission intensity of each light source or emitter included in the light source system while keeping a general color rendering index of produced illuminating light equal to or more than a given value to change a biological effect level.

8. A light source capable of changing a peak value of a light emission wavelength within a given wavelength range, wherein

the light source has properties of biological effect that influence an awakening level or hormone secretion of a living body through exposure to light from the light source, the light source varying the biological effect by changing a peak value of a light emission wavelength.

9. The light source as defined in claim 8, wherein

the given wavelength range is at least in a range of 420 nm to 440 nm and in a range of 440 nm to 510 nm, the given wavelength range being switchable between both the ranges.

10. The light source as defined in claim 8, wherein

the given wavelength range is at least in a range of 440 nm to 470 nm and in a range of 470 nm to 510 nm, the given wavelength range being switchable between both the ranges.

11. The light source as defined in claim 8, wherein

the light source is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.