ILLUMINATION SPHERE WITH INTELLIGENT LED LIGHTING UNITS IN SCALABLE DAISY CHAIN WITH INTERCHANGEABLE FILTERS

• US 20120050606A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: University of Southern California
• Inventors: Debevec, Paul E., Bolas, Mark, Fyffe, Graham, Ghosh, Abhijeet, Yu, Xueming, Busch, Jay, Peers, Pieter
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/370
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/07 Arrangements of lamps in studios
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0557 Multiple units, e.g. slave-unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A controllable lighting system may include a plurality of light source groups, a group controller for each light source group, a master controller, and a network communication system. Each group controller may be configured to control the light sources in its light source group based on a group control command. The master controller may be configured to receive a master control command relating to the light sources and to issue a group control command to each of the group controllers that collectively effectuate compliance with the master control command. The network communication system may be configured to communicate the group control commands from the master controller to the group controllers.

Claims

1. A controllable lighting system comprising:

a plurality of light source groups, each containing a group of light sources;

for each light source group, a group controller configured to control the light sources in the light source group based on a group control command;

a master controller configured to receive a master control command relating to the light sources and to issue a group control command to each of the group controllers that collectively effectuate compliance with the master control command; and

a network communication system configured to communicate the group control commands from the master controller to the group controllers.

2. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein the network communication system connects the master controller and each of the group controllers in a daisy chain.

3. The controllable lighting system of claim 2 wherein each group controller has a unique network address and wherein the master controller is configured to address each group control command to at least one of the network addresses.

4. The controllable lighting system of claim 3 wherein:

each group controller includes a set of DIP switches; and

the network address of each group controller is governed by the setting of its DIP switches.

5. The controllable lighting system of claim 3 wherein:

the master controller is configured to sequentially issue the group control commands to the group controllers;

each group controller is configured to receive a group control command and to thereafter implement the received group control command upon the subsequent receipt of a master synchronization signal; and

the master controller is configured to issue the master synchronization signal following the sequential issuance of all of the group control commands.

6. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each group controller is configured to turn off any of its light sources that has a temperature in excess of a threshold.

7. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each group controller is configured to deliver information to the master controller relating to the light sources controlled by the group controller.

8. The controllable lighting system of claim 7 wherein the information relates to the temperature of the light sources.

9. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein the information relates to a malfunction in the light sources.

10. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein:

each group controller includes firmware;

the master controller is configured to deliver firmware upgrades to each group controller; and

each group controller is configured to automatically install the firmware upgrades received from the master controller.

11. The controllable lighting system of claim 10 wherein each group controller is bootable and further includes a boot loader configured to:

test for the delivery of a firmware upgrade from the master controller during bootup; and

upon detection of a firmware upgrade from the master controller during bootup, replace the firmware in the group controller with the firmware upgrade.

12. The controllable lighting system of claim 11 wherein:

the network communication system includes a firmware upgrade signal line configured to signal the presence of a firmware upgrade;

the master controller is configured to send a firmware upgrade signal on the firmware upgrade signal line when the master controller has a firmware upgrade to deliver to at least one of the group controllers; and

each boot loader is configured to test for the delivery of a firmware upgrade from the master controller during bootup by sensing a firmware upgrade signal on the firmware upgrade signal line.

13. The controllable lighting system of claim 12 wherein the master controller is configured to deliver a different firmware upgrade to each group controller.

14. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each group controller includes a brightness calibration circuit configured to calibrate the brightness of each of its light sources based on feedback relating to that brightness.

15. The controllable lighting system of claim 14 wherein the feedback is based on a voltage generated by a resistance in series with a current that is delivered to the light source.

16. The controllable lighting system of claim 14 wherein the brightness calibration circuit is configured to compensate for temperature drift.

17. The controllable lighting system of claim 14 wherein each light source group includes at least one photo sensor configured to detect the intensity of light emitted by a different light source group and where the feedback for each light source group is based on the signal from the photo sensor which detects the intensity of light from that light source group.

18. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each group controller includes:

a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert a digital input signal to an analog output signal that ranges between a low analog input voltage and a high analog input voltage;

a driver configured to drive a light source at an intensity that is based on the analog output signal of the digital-to-analog converter; and

a reference signal generator configured to generate the low and the high analog input voltages and the digital input signal to the digital-to-analog converter with values that;

cause the resulting intensity of the light source to substantially match the intensity represented by a digital command signal; and

such that the range of intensity represented by the high and the low analog input voltages is a subset of the range of intensity which the driver can drive the light source to produce.

19. The controllable lighting system of claim 18 further comprising at least one pulse width modulator and low pass filter configured to generate the high and the low analog input voltages based on the digital command signal.

20. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein:

the master control command specifies an intensity for the light sources;

each of the group controllers are configured to control the intensity of each of their light sources based on the group control command; and

the master controller is configured to issue a group control command to each of the group controllers which causes the intensity of the light sources to substantially conform to the intensity specified by the master control command.

21. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein:

the master control command specifies a color for the light sources;

each of the group controllers are configured to control the color of each of their light sources based on the group control command; and

the master controller is configured to issue a group control command to each of the group controllers which causes the color of the light sources to substantially conform to the color specified by the master control command.

22. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein:

the master control command specifies a polarization for the light sources;

each of the group controllers are configured to control the polarization of each of their light sources based on the group control command; and

the master controller is configured to issue a group control command to each of the group controllers which causes the polarization of the light sources to substantially conform to the polarization specified by the master control command.

23. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 further comprising:

a filter associated with each light source; and

a polarization controller configured to cause each filter to be controllably interposed into or removed from a path of light emanating from its associated light source in conformance with a group command signal.

24. The controllable lighting system of claim 23 wherein each filter is a polarization filter.

25. The controllable lighting system of claim 24 wherein:

the light sources in each light source group are arranged such that filtered light output from each light source is added to the others; and

the polarization controller is configured to control the filters for the light sources in each group so as to cause the polarization of the added-together filtered light from each light source group to substantially conform to a polarization specified in a group control command.

26. The controllable lighting system of claim 24 further comprising a motor configured to controllably rotate the orientation of each filter so as to control the angle of the polarization.

27. The controllable lighting system of claim 23 wherein each filter is a color filter.

28. The controllable lighting system of claim 27 wherein some light sources in each group are filtered with a red filter, some with a green filter, and some with a blue filter.

29. The controllable lighting system of claim 28 wherein some light sources in each group are filtered with a white filter.

30. The controllable lighting system of claim 23 wherein each filter is held in place by a magnet.

31. The controllable lighting system of claim 30 wherein at least one magnetic connection to a filter also conducts electrical power to the filter.

32. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each light source group includes at least one red, green and blue LED.

33. The controllable lighting system of claim 32 wherein the red, green, and blue LEDs are in a single compact package.

34. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 further comprising a frame to which each light source group is attached in the collective configuration of a geodesic sphere.

35. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each light source group includes a photo sensor configured to detect the intensity of light emitted by a different light source group.

36. The controllable lighting system of claim 35 wherein the different light source group is an opposing light source group.

37. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each light source group includes a camera configured to capture an image of an object that is illuminated by the light source group.

38. The controllable lighting system of claim 1 wherein:

each light source group includes a projector configured to project an image on an object that is illuminated by the light source group;

each group controller is configured to control the projector in its light source group based on a group control command; and

the master controller is configured to generate the group control command for each group controller based on the master control command.