SYSTEM, METHOD AND TOOL FOR OPTIMIZING GENERATION OF HIGH CRI WHITE LIGHT, AND AN OPTIMIZED COMBINATION OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES

• US 20100110672A1
• Filed: 10/31/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Future Electronics
• Original Assignee: Future Electronics
• Inventors: Durand, Patrick, Moussa, Muhamad
• Granted Patent: US 7,972,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/231
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system, method and tool for optimizing combination of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and to an optimized combination of LEDs. The system and method provide a plurality of LEDs and corresponding specifications. Then, a color temperature and a color rendering index are selected. Calculations are performed for subgroups of LEDs. At least one optimized combination of LEDs having an optimized corresponding luminous flux is identified according to selected color temperature, color rendering index and LEDs'"'"' specifications. In another aspect, the present invention relates to a tool for optimizing white light generated by a combination of LEDs. The tool comprises a repository for storing specifications for the combination of LEDs, a selection module for selecting at least one of the following parameters: a color temperature, a color rendering index and a maximum shift variance from a black body locus, and a processing module for calculating for subgroups of LEDs resulting color temperature, color rendering index, luminous flux, and for identifying an optimized selection of LEDs. The present invention also relates to an optimized combination of LEDs for producing white light with high color rendering index, the combination of LEDs excluding blue LEDs.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing combination of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) comprising:

a color bin accessing module for providing a plurality of LEDs and corresponding LEDs'"'"' specifications;

an entry module for selecting a color temperature (CT) and a color rendering index; and

a processing module for calculating for subgroups of LEDs resulting color temperature, resulting color rendering index, resulting luminous flux based on LEDs'"'"' specifications, and for determining at least one optimized selection of LEDs achieving an optimized luminous flux in accordance to the selected color temperature and selected color rendering index.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising providing a maximum shift around a black body locus, and the processing module further calculates a resulting shift around a point of the black body locus and determines at least one optimized selection of LEDs in further accordance with the provided maximum shift.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the entry module is adapted for further entering a maximum acceptable variation of the CT.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the LED specification is a maximum luminous flux.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one selected LED specification is a color wavelength range and a maximum luminous flux.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one selected LED specification further includes an operating temperature.

7. A method for optimizing a combination of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), the method comprising:

providing a plurality of LEDs with corresponding specifications;

selecting a color temperature (CT) and a color rendering index value;

calculating for subgroups of LEDs resulting luminous flux and color rendering index based on corresponding LEDs'"'"' specifications; and

identifying at least one combination of LEDs having an optimized corresponding luminous flux according to the selected color temperature and color rendering index.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a maximum shift around a black body locus, and wherein the calculating is further based on the maximum shift, and the identifying is further based on the provided maximum shift.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the LEDs corresponding specifications include color wavelength range, maximum luminous flux and operating temperature.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining further comprises calculating and displaying an achieved color rendering index, CT and total lumens for the at least one optimized selection of LEDs.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of displaying an achieved spectral distribution for each of the at least one optimized selection of LEDs and for a reference spectral distribution.

13. Use of the tool of claim 11 in a light dimmer.

12. A tool for optimizing white light generated by a combination of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), the tool comprising:

a repository for storing specifications for the combination of LEDs;

a selection module for selecting at least one of the following parameters;

a desired color temperature, a color rendering index, and maximum shift variance from a black body locus; and

a processing module for calculating for subgroups of LEDs resulting color temperature, resulting color rendering index, resulting luminous flux based on LEDs'"'"' specifications, and for identifying an optimized selection of LEDs and corresponding luminous flux in accordance to the at least one selected parameter.

14. An optimized combination of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), comprising:

a combination of at least three LEDs, the at least three LEDs comprising one or many of the following color LEDs;

red, green, white, amber, cyan and combinations thereof, and excluding blue LEDs,

wherein the combination of at least three LEDs generates a white light of substantially high color rendering index

15. The optimized combination of LEDs of claim 14, wherein the combination of at least three LEDs produces, when excited, a white light with an optimized luminous flux for a predetermined color temperature, and a visually undetectable shift variance from a black body locus.

16. Use of the optimized combination of LEDs of claim 14 in one of the following:

surgical light, medical light, headlight, task light, undercabinet light and ambiance light.

17. The optimized combination of LEDs of claim 15, wherein the substantially high color rendering index is above 85.