USER INTERFACE FOR SCENE SETTING CONTROL WITH LIGHT BALANCE

• US 20100277107A1
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Baaijens, Johannes Petrus Wilhelmus, Joosen, Bram Francois
• Granted Patent: US 8,373,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/320
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations

Abstract

A user interface (240) includes buttons (410) associated with lighting scenes stored in a memory (230). Selection of one of the buttons (410) selects an associated lighting scene as a focus group including focus light sources, where the remaining light sources are included in a surrounding group. A contrast switch (430, 435) of the user interface (240) may be configured to change a ratio of the focus group to the surrounding group, and a brightness switch (440, 445) may be configured to change the intensity by multiplying by a factor focus intensity levels of the focus light sources and/or surrounding intensity levels of the remaining light sources.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising:

a plurality of buttons associated with lighting scenes stored in a memory, wherein selection of one of the plurality of buttons selects an associated lighting scene as a focus light group including focus light sources, wherein remaining light sources are included in a surrounding light group;

a contrast switch configured to change a ratio of the focus light group to the surrounding light group; and

a brightness switch configured to change the total illumination intensity of the focus light group and the surrounding light group by multiplying by a factor both the focus group light intensity levels of the focus group light sources and surrounding group light intensity levels of the remaining light sources, wherein the focus group light sources have individual focus group light intensity levels related to each other according to a first relationship, and the remaining light sources have individual surrounding group light intensity levels related to each other according to a second relationship; and

wherein the contrast switch is configured to change the ratio by multiplying the individual focus group light intensity levels by a factor (R) and simultaneously multiplying the individual surrounding group light intensity levels by an inverse of the factor (1/R) without changing the first relationship and the second relationship.

5. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the brightness switch is configured to change the total illumination intensity without changing the ratio, the first relationship, and the second first relationship.

6. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the brightness switch is configured to change the total illumination intensity without changing the ratio, the first relationship, and the second first relationship by multiplying by a factor both the individual focus group light intensity levels and the individual surrounding group light intensity levels.

7. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the ratio is selectable between a first ratio limit being 100% focus and 0% surrounding, and a second ratio limit being 0% focus and 100% surrounding.

8. The user interface of claim 7, wherein at the first ratio limit at least one focus light source in the focus light group is set at a maximum intensity level, and at least one surrounding light source in the surrounding light group is set at a minimum intensity level;

and wherein at the second ratio limit at least one focus light source in the focus light group is set at a minimum intensity level, and at least one surrounding light source in the surrounding light group is set at a maximum intensity level.

2-4. -4. (canceled)

9. A method of controlling light sources configured to provide light, the method comprising the acts of:

selecting a focus light group including focus light sources by activating a scene button of a user interface, wherein remaining light sources are included in a surrounding light group;

activating a contrast switch to change a ratio of the focus light group to the surrounding light group; and

activating a brightness switch to change the total illumination intensity of the focus light group and the surrounding light group by multiplying by a factor both the focus group light intensity levels of the focus light sources and surrounding group light intensity levels of the remaining light sources, wherein the focus group light sources have individual focus group light intensity levels related to each other according to a first relationship, and the remaining light sources have individual surrounding group light intensity levels related to each other according to a second relationship; and

wherein the act of activating the contrast switch changes the ratio by multiplying the individual focus group light intensity levels by a factor (R) and simultaneously multiplying the individual surrounding group light intensity levels by an inverse of the factor (1/R) without changing the first relationship and the second relationship.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of activating the brightness switch changes the total illumination intensity without changing the ratio, the first relationship, and the second first relationship.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the act of activating the brightness switch changes the total illumination intensity without changing the ratio, the first relationship, and the second first relationship by multiplying by a factor both the individual focus group light intensity levels and the individual surrounding group light intensity levels.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the ratio is selectable between a first ratio limit being 100% focus and 0% surrounding, and a second ratio limit being 0% focus and 100% surrounding.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at the first ratio limit at least one focus light source in the focus group is set at a maximum intensity level, and at least one surrounding light source in the surrounding group is set at a minimum intensity level;

and wherein at the second ratio limit at least one focus light source in the focus group is set at a minimum intensity level, and at least one surrounding light source in the surrounding group is set at a maximum intensity level.

10-12. -12. (canceled)