LIGHTING SYSTEM WITH PROGRAMMABLE TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL SPECTRAL DISTRIBUTIONS

• US 20110215725A1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Paolini
• Original Assignee: Steven Paolini
• Inventors: Paolini, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,469,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/153
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/24 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

Systems and methods permit use of efficient solid state emitters for broad spectrum continuous spectrum lighting defined by illumination data. The illumination data, which can be sold as a commercial product, can be recorded or authored and include spectral, temporal, and spatial information. Intensities of individual emitters such as LEDs can be controlled through a combination of pulse width modulation (PWM) and amplitude modulation (AM) of drive currents. The combination of PWM and AM permits fine tuning of the spectrum of emissions and creation of free space optical data channels.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first light source comprising a plurality of emitters, wherein each of the emitters has an emission spectrum that differs from the emission spectra of the other emitters; and

a player operable to independently control the intensity of light emitted from each of the emitters, wherein the player processes illumination data representing a time variation of a spectral distribution and operates the first light source to control relative intensities of illumination of the emitters as needed to produce lighting corresponding to at least a portion of the time variation of the spectral distribution represented by the illumination data.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional light sources that are spatially distributed in an area lit by the system, wherein:

each of the light sources comprises a plurality of emitters;

the player is operable to independently control the intensity of light emitted from each of the emitters in each of the light sources;

the illumination data further represents a spatial variation of the spectral distribution; and

the player operates the light sources to produce lighting having the spatial variation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the player comprises:

a programmable driver connected to the emitters;

data storage containing a plurality of illumination data files; and

a controller coupled to the data storage, the controller executing a process to select one of the illumination data files and control the programmable driver to cause the emitters to collectively produce light represented by the illumination data file.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the data storage further stores calibration data indicating performance of the emitters.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the illumination data files include:

preset illumination data files that are stored in the player during manufacture; and

user data files that a user loads into the player.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the player and the first light source are incorporated in a first lighting fixture that further comprises a communication interface providing network communications.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication interface is configured to enable downloading of illumination data files from a network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the network includes the internet.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication interface of the first lighting fixture provides communications with one or more other lighting fixtures that with the first lighting fixture provide lighting for an environment.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication interface of the first lighting fixture provides communications with a device adapted to control the first lighting fixture.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the emitters comprises an LED.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a diffuser positioned to mix light from the emitters.

13. A system comprising:

a plurality of light sources, wherein each of the light sources comprises a plurality of emitters, and each of the emitters in a light source has an emission spectrum that differs from the emission spectra of the other emitters in the light source; and

a player system operable to independently control the light sources and the intensity of light emitted from each of the emitters each of the light sources, wherein the player system processes illumination data representing a spatial variation for lighting of an area and operates the light sources to produce light with the spatial variation represented by the illumination data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the illumination data represents spatial variation in a spectral distribution of the lighting, and the player system controls relative intensities of illumination from the emitters in the light sources to provide the lighting with the spatial variation.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the illumination data further representing a time variation of a spectral distribution, and the player system operates the light sources to control relative intensities of illumination of the emitters as needed to produce lighting corresponding to the time variation of the spectral distribution represented by the illumination data.

16. A system comprising:

a first light source comprising a plurality of emitters, wherein each of the emitters has an emission spectrum that differs from the emission spectra of the other emitters; and

a player operable to independently control the intensity of light emitted from each of the emitters, wherein the player comprises;

storage containing a plurality of illumination data files representing respective spectral distribution; and

a controller configured to select among the illumination data files and to operate the first light source to control relative intensities of illumination of the emitters as needed to produce lighting corresponding to at least a portion of the spectral distribution represented by the illumination data file selected.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more of the illumination data files further represents time variations of the respective spectral distributions, and the controller operates the first light source to control relative intensities of illumination of the emitters as needed to produce lighting corresponding to at least a portion of the time variation of the spectral distribution represented by the illumination data selected.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising one or more additional light sources that are spatially distributed, wherein each of the illumination data files further represents a spatial variation of the spectral distribution.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of illumination data files includes one or more preset data illumination files that were stored in the storage during manufacture of the player.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of illumination data files includes one or more user data illumination files that a user downloaded to the storage.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more of the illumination data files represent lighting from a light source selected from the group consisting of the sun, a candle, a camp fire, an incandescent light, and a fluorescent light.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the illumination data files respectively represent spectra that provide the first light source with optimal energy efficiency for human vision at respective intensities.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein one of the illumination data files represents light having spectral content and time variation that is optimized for a sleep cycle.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein one of the illumination data files represents light with a spectral content that optimizes the growth of a particular plant or organism.

25. A player system comprising:

storage containing a plurality of illumination data files representing respective spectral distributions for lighting of an area; and

a controller configured to selected among the illumination data files and to operate one or more light sources to produce lighting having the spectral distribution represented by the illumination data file selected.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising a communication interface configured for communication in a network including a plurality of spatially separated light sources.

27. A lighting fixture comprising:

a plurality of emitters, wherein each of the emitters has an emission spectrum that differs from the emission spectra of the other emitters;

a driver circuit connected to the emitters;

a light sensor positioned to monitor light from the emitters; and

a controller connected to the driver circuit and the sensor so that the controller controls the driver circuit based on input from the light sensor.

28. The fixture of claim 27, further comprising storage containing calibration data representing measured characteristics of the emitters, and a temperature sensor, wherein the controller uses data from the temperature sensor to determine respective drive signals needed for that the emitters to produce required contributions to a desired spectral distribution.

29. The fixture of claim 27, wherein in each of the emitters comprises one or more light emitting diodes, and respective numbers of LEDs in the emitters vary in order to provide a more uniform maximum intensity across a spectrum.

30. A lighting system comprising a plurality of light fixtures that are spatially separate in an environment to be lit by the lighting system, wherein each of the light fixtures comprises:

one or more emitters, wherein each of the emitters has an emission spectrum that differs from the emission spectra of any other emitters in the light fixture;

a driver circuit connected to the emitters; and

a controller connected to the driver circuit, wherein the controller controls an amplitude and a duty cycle of a drive signal from the driver circuit to control an intensity of light from at least one of the emitters, and controls modulation of one of the amplitude and the duty cycle of the drive signal to transmit data.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein each of the emitters comprises an LED.

32. An illumination recording system comprising:

a plurality of light sensors pointed in different directions, each light sensor sensing a spectral distribution of light from a direction corresponding to the direction that the sensor is pointed; and

a recording system that stores measurements from the light sensors as illumination data that indicates temporal and spatial variations in lighting measured by the sensors.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein each of the light sensors comprises:

a camcorder including a sensor array; and

an optical system that spatially spreads light having different wavelengths across the sensor array.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein each of the light sensors comprises a hyperspectral camera.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the recording system stores measurements at a frame rate selected according to a duration of lighting being recorded.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the recording system stores measurements at a frame rate less than one per minute.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the recording system uses the frame rate less than one per minute for recording day long evolution of lighting.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the recording system stores measurements at a frame rate greater than one thousand per minute.